Recap made in haste

I apologize for not updating my blog in months. I have been keeping a journal that I will post as soon as I edit it.

Spark notes version of the past few months.

Jerry, a real good friend left early. We would try to meet up at Burger King once every two weeks to talk about service. Sometimes we couldn’t even afford food so we would just get milk shakes.

Was being asked to pay protection money by a guy in the community but when a member of my host family was killed just down the street that all stopped. Since then I have made a lot of friends in the area and no one gives me a hard time.

3 horrific things all happened in the same week. I called it the dark night of the soul in the journal post that I need to edit and had not been posted. 1 host family member was shot and killed. 2 While digging the grave, someone stopped at the house to show us a dead baby they were taking to the hospital. 3 a kid I know raped a little girl from another community. I had a few Peace Corps friends that I talked to about this but what helped the most was talking to community members and helping with the funeral arrangements. “One day tings mus better”. - One day things must better,

Soon after this I was verbally attacked in the Mobay bus park. I say attacked because the guy was so confrontational. Didn’t lay I hand on me. Lucky for both of us I didn’t lose my cool. A few days later I saw the man in the bus park and asked him why he was so upset. He told me he was crazy and didn’t mean to yell at me. This actually made me feel better.

Jamaica made international headlines when the local government tried to extradite Dudes Coke a alleged drug kingpin. 73 citizens and one police officer were killed when the police entered a barricaded district of Kingston looking for Dudes. State of emergency lasted over a month. Almost was sent home do to the extreme violence.

The week of the extradition a volunteer was hit in the chest with a pipe, another was robbed, two where held up by gun point during the same incident, someone’s screen was slashed, and a girl was jumped.

Our country director and maybe my Peace Corps sector boss all are being replaced. I will miss them a lot. Often Peace Corps volunteers complain about Peace Corps staff but we take them for granted. They have to put up with around 70 volunteers and they are ALWAYS working. I can’t tell you how often they have called me after 7PM or on the weekends.

Took the little girl with the eye problem and a community member to see an eye specialist on the opposite side of the island. She was seen and was told she will not lose her eye anytime soon. Surgery would be correct her condition but for now she could get by with hard contact lenses. The rest of the students who I took to the free eye clinic a few months ago just got their free glasses

My first host dad Stud and I wrote letters seeking assistance in starting a Tonic Wine bottling business. We were able to get some bottles and a sealer. So now he is selling his own cure all tonic wine on the streets of Montego Bay. We even got it tested by the burrow of standards.

My counterpart and I got the government to provide weekly trash pickup in Stonehenge.

I got a $500 grant for a water tank at the school.

I helped my host family build a huge retaining wall. This took days of hard work. The first day I brought a huge bottle of rum with me. I thought it would last a week but by the end of the day it was gone! I didn’t drink more than 3 drinks and I felt horrible! It felt like it was a million degrees out and the rum sure wasn’t helping me. I don’t know how they do it!!

New volunteers came to island. An older guy named Forest and I go snorkeling almost every weekend. He went home for good yesterday. I don’t know how but am very sad to see him go.

I have a dog now! I normally pride myself on my name giving ability but one day without thinking about it I just started calling the dog that sleeps on my porch Jamaica. I have to admit, it's really awkward’ when I raise my voice at him. “JAMAICA WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! JAMAICA NO! My neighbors must be getting worried about me….. a few weeks ago I changed the dogs name to Trigger because one day when I got home he rolled over and when I started scratching his belly he got so excited he almost peed on me!


PCV James, his American girlfriend and friend of a friend visited me for a few days. We had a great time at the beach and going out in my community.

Students did well on their 6th grade exit/placement test.

Got a house donated for a poor family. They had to pay for the foundation and while they were saving their 19 year old son died because he was not being treated for sickle cell anemia.


Big 4th of July beach party with 25+ PCV’s


I went to Dancehall night during Sum Fest. “Greatest reggae show on earth”. Night started off slow. More white people than I expected. Last act was Vybz Kartel, he didn’t start until the sun was up. I was the only white person left and I was singing every word. Loved it.

I had a great mid-service training. Good to see everyone again and the training really got me excited for the next school year. I have lots of ideas I want to run with.

As you can tell from this post in the beginning I was not in a good place but am doing terrific now.

So to recap- Work is great, my house is AMAZING, the community is improving quickly and I am having the time of my life. It was rocky there for a while but it was a growing experience.

Call for help.

Quick account.

At church last week I heard that a group of Optometrists and at least one Ophthalmologist where visiting Jamaica to provide free eye exams and glasses. I jumped at this opportunity. I preformed basic eye exams at school to determine which children at Orange Hill All Age School needed glasses and used my birthday money to provided their transportation all the way down to Montego Bay and lunch.

One of the girls was diagnosed with Keratoconus-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratoconus
"Keratoconus is a degenerative disorder of the eye in which structural changes within the cornea cause it to thin and change to a more conical shape than its normal gradual curve."

This disorder usually develops during adolescents. What makes this disturbing is that the girl's vision has already degenerated to the point where she can barley read a book or the chalk board AND glasses can not improve her vision. She will need costly surgery that I expect is not offered in Jamaica. On top of it all she is one of the brightest students at school and has endless possibilities; she could make it out of here. Without correction her vision will continue to worsen until about the age of 30 and most of her opportunities are going to be taken away from her.

When I asked her what her father did, hoping he was a drug lord and had lots of money, she told me her father recently passed away because he "preached to hard".

When she got the news she took it very well. She is bright, so I know she understood what the doctor was saying. It was heartbreaking, the entire situation is heartbreaking.

I don't know what I can do to help this little girl. I would love suggestions.




This is a picture of some of the children I brought to the clinic. The girl center left needs the eye surgery. The kids loved the trip into the city. I caught one of the boys peeing on the outside of the building- "THIS IS NOT THE COUNTRY!" I yelled. "But but I had to go."

I love the students.

New House

About 7 new posts blow this one....

Posted newer entries below this one....

Site change! I have a lot to say about this but don't have the time right now. This is rough location.


View 18.358480, -77.914161 in a larger map




Kids and I took a hike into the hills. Only a few people regularly go into the hills. It's a spooky place for a lot of Jamaicans. I just don't like the plant "Courage"- horrible sting. Pain lasts 10 seconds, and 20 min, of a burning sensation.






This nearly blind man lives alone here.



This is one of the three taxis that run from my area to the nearest town. They normally hold 6 passengers but I have seen one carry 9 passengers, not including the driver.



The boys play cricket and "football"

January 20th

I had a little practice dodging the elements back in Texas. I remember as a kid running out into a hail storm and unsuccessfully trying to dodge the small stings of the falling hail. A January day in Jamaica is very similar, wearing a proper long sleeve dress shirt and a poorly planned thick pair of jeans I dart from the shade of a shop to the shade of a large bread fruit tree. Just as I could not avoid the small stings of hail I am helpless in my attempts to escape the oppressing heat. ITS WINTER!!!

Big news- I might be moving. This decision really has me torn. On one hand I enjoy working in one of the most rural places in Jamaica, on the other hand multiple factors are pushing me towards relocating. This is not an easy decision. I would move only a few miles away from where I currently live and maintain contact with the community.

Big Up-
Dr. Car for the tooth brushes and tooth paste- a portion have been distributed to neighborhood kids but most are being saved for a hygiene lesson.
Mrs. Hanna for the purses and toiletries- I have given out only one, to a poor elderly lady who just had her son pass away unexpectedly, will give out the rest soon.
My mom's book club for the Kindle, according to my mom checking football scores is not what it was intended for. I also use it to read Foreign Affairs magazine, and a few books.
Dan for the chess timer that will be used by me and residents at the AIDS hospice, great place
My dad for the washer set, turned out to be a huge hit.
Eileen Reed and Region 13 for the projector, don't know what to play first, Jaws, Scream, Bill Nye The Science Guy or Cops
The many people who have provided me with the love, support and prayers that keep me going.

January 8th

I thought some time away from Jamaica was exactly what I needed to reinvigorate me. Nope. Wow, do I miss home. I am sure my homesickness will pass, I just needed to get re-accustomed to life here on the rock. After a fantastic time with friends and family it was hard to say goodbye.

I have been sick since I arrived back in Jamaica yesterday. Think it's just a bad cold. Feel like it's sucking the life out of me.