Day 6: From Paradise to Paradise

For the second half of the week, we are residing in Negril. Negril is tourist central. Its what you imagine when you think vacation Jamaica. What best way to start out our Negril visit than to go to a souvenir store! (right) The store owner is a good friend of Kay's so we all got a huge deal on merchandise. It was the perfect time to stock up on gifts for fam and family.

 

I guess I had an I'm-an-naive-American target on my head because as soon as I left the store I was approached by a local Jamaican. Internally, I was squirming because I know not to talk to strangers. I tried ignoring him but that did not work at all. So I figured "Fine, I'll politely get myself out of this situation."

 

Looking up, this guy had a beer and leaf thing in his hand. Already sketch. I forget exactly what he was saying to me but it was something along the lines of do you know what this is and smell it. OH. OKAY. No thank you. Officially sketch. By this point he had put whatever it was in my hand and wrapped his arm around me to face the bus. As I turned, I posed for a picture, creeped out of my mind, as Jane and Melanie were taking photos through the window. Luckily, he let me walk away by making me promise to ask my friends if they wanted any. Say no to drugs, kids. 

 

Anyway, that happens a lot on the beach too. Lots of tourist roll through, easy prey, and get hounded by local Jamaicans trying to sell things. They see white Americans and venture over to try to sell whatever they got. The property we are staying at (Whistling Bird) is fine fortunately because if you just say "No, I'm all right" they leave. Even if they don't, our security can come to handle it.

 

 

The Whistling Bird is like living in a cottage in the jungle. There are tree frogs everywhere making so much noise. The cottages are amongst the trees and leaves you would totally imagine in the jungle. A path that connects to each cottage leads to an open space where the sand, bar, and dining table is. Just beyond this is the beach with generally calm bath-like water. Compared to Taino Cove, the Whistling Bird is much more "natural" in the literal sense of the word. Taino Cove felt like a house. But both are incredibly gorgeous properties and I am so grateful to be able to have experienced staying in both areas of Jamaica.  

 

~Monica Williams

One Island, Many Worlds

As this trip is, unfortunately, quickly coming to an end, I've been reflecting upon how all of the work that we've done has been incredibly rewarding and, surprisingly for manual labor, a lot of fun. It's been absolutely fantastic working alongside my fellow students and even with the day workers, and we've worked tirelessly to accomplish in days what most would struggle to accomplish given weeks. I'm incredibly grateful for the time that we've been able to spend in Jamaica, and I can't put into words how much I wish we could make even more of an impact with the time we have left here.

 

One of the most key distinctions that the group has made since moving from Treasure Beach to Negril is the significant differences found on the work sites themselves. The first site we worked on, Pedro Plains Primary School, was shady and relatively cool, something that I honestly took for granted as I painted and my peers worked with cement and cinder blocks in order to finish up the school's new netball court. Nothing could have prepared me for the humid heat found at Church Hill Primary, and it clearly had an impact on everyone as soon as we started preparing for the day's work. Water was in high demand as our projects got started, as many people found immediately that the demanding tasks they took on required a lot more breaks and pauses to catch breath than we could have ever anticipated. I spent the day moving between painting assignments and being on digging duty, and it seemed as if the weather would never break or let up. 

 

What could be one of my favorite moments of the entire trip occurred towards the end of our time working today. After a long, difficult day for everyone, refreshing rain showers began just as we finished each of our tasks, and I looked back at the newly-painted facade of the school and the significantly progressed gazebo out front, and realized something deceivingly important: we came here, and we did that. Despite terribly hot and humid conditions adding another layer of adversity to an already complex project, we put out the same, if not even more work than we had in the days before, and it was inspiring to me to see that despite it all we still had energy and were willing to serve and do more for this very deserving school. Beyond the immense personal development I had attained from conversing and learning from the great group of students on this trip, together, we had developed and accomplished something tangible, and something worth celebrating, at two drastically different work sites. I've never been a part of such a thoughtful, open-minded, and dedicated group until now, and I'm thankful to have been invited to be a part of this trip and to be welcomed so warmly by everyone in the group and in Jamaica itself.

 

Upon even further consideration, I think it's drastically important for trips like this to travel to multiple work sites and participate in many different projects, if they can. Seeing both Pedro Plains and Church Hill, and both Treasure Beach and Negril, has helped me cultivate a greater appreciation for all that Jamaica has to offer, from wide swaths of rural and agricultural space, to bustling cities and busy streets full of motorbikes and taxis. Having both of these impressions of Jamaica, but seeing the consistently happy dispositions and smiling faces of the schoolchildren and residents in both locations, has taught me that this is truly a special place, and I'm honored to serve those in need on such a lovely and beautiful island.

 

 

 

- Ryan Donatacci

DAY SIX - Toy Story Aliens

After finishing our first day at Church Hill Primary School, it was extremely easy to pick out what was my favorite part. Monica and I happened to be taking a water break in the shade at the exact moment that Kaye brought black paint back to the site. She asked for two people to assist her with something and Monica and I, being in close proximity, immediately volunteered to help.  Kaye guided us accross the site, over the net ball court and into the third grade classroom.  She pointed out the dry eraase board that the teacher was using and the two black boards on either end.  The black boards were not in the best shape and hadn't been used as chalk boards for quite some time.  They had since had posters glued to them, stickers stuck on, and staples and nails inserted.  They needed to be scraped completely clean and repainted with the black paint. Monica took the chalk board to the left of the board and I took the right.  Kaye spoke her classic, "Make it work!" and left us to our new task. To the students, it must've been strange having us in their classroom as they worked. We started slowly and carefully removing the posters hanging from the board, while the woman teaching the third grade class began explaining why Monica and I were there an what were doing. The kids stood up and in unison said "Thaaank youu" and then the teacher started the lesson for the day. It began with a song, complete with hand motions. As I started scraping the board with a paint chipper and prying off countless staples and nails, I was able to catch a verse that was about the pricelessness of education and how it's a treasure worth more than silver and gold.  I turned back to face the 8 and 9 year old students standing behind me and couldn't help but smile. Wide eyed and in matching uniforms, they were too cute. As I swivelled to face the board again, the posters that I had removed caught my eye.  In my haste to tackle the board, I hadn't really looked at the content being displayed in the classroom. The handmade posters had titles such as "WANTS & NEEDS" and "MORAL VALUES". The "WANTS & NEEDS" poster described the difference between the two, and behind it were three more posters.  One was a small poster that defined WANTS as items that make us more comfortable, but are not as important as needs.  The other two posters went into details and examples that define NEEDS. I thought to myself that I had never seen posters such as these in an American classroom. It made me think of how wasteful our society can be and how skewed our line is between wants and needs. Once I'd finished cleaning the board, I started applying the jet black paint over the old, worn out wood. After the first two stroaks of the paint brush, the entire third grade class Ooooooohed like the tiny aliens in the vending machine from Toy Story the movie. It was incredibly gratifying that just this little deed could spark so much excitement and thankfulness. Soon enough, Monica and I had both boards finished and looking rejuvenated.  I'm certain we wouldn't have been able to finish the work as quickly without having the students laughter and singing to listen to. Another amazing day in the books with some stellar human beings. Very tired and  ready for bed! Over n' out, Johanna P.S. Love you Maum and Alleia.................JK LOVE YOU SO MUCH TOO DAD! Hope all is well with you all and that you had an amazing time with Amy and Matt.  Please give Trixie a hug for me......I'm talking to you seester.

Experiential Service

I've always had aspirations of visiting Jamaica. The birthplace of reggae, jerk chicken, and patois has always held my attention. To be honest, under any other circumstance I probably would've been deprived of mostly all of the afore mentioned qualities that make up this little island's culture. I would have just been another tourist making their way on down to the pretty beaches of a third world country for my own pleasure and going back to the place where I once came. So, I guess you can say I got lucky. Lucky in that my experience thus far has been one of the most enriching opportunities I've ever had. 

 

Portraying interest in a service trip has been an intention of mine for quite some time now. The ability to create change in a positive manner globally has been something that I've known I wanted to do. So it was a natural next step for me, as a strong advocate of giving back. Let me preface this by saying that I expected everyday in Jamaica to be one of some form of volunteer work. A week of grunt work was a small price to pay for the durability of an elementary school for the next couple of years. Boy was I wrong. First, it is incredibly taxing to work non-stop for a whole week in the unforgiving  Jamaican sun. And two, how could I expect myself to provide services to individuals who I couldn't connect with on a deeper basis. And so this is why the thoughtful coordination of the trip was planned the way it was. 

 

We started off by leaving the airport in Montego Bay and traveling nearly two hours to a beautiful family owned villa named Taino Cove. Taino Cove was a facility run by Miss Whinney and her husband Dr.Hilton. With a Jamaican run business, came the first manifestation of Jamaican cuisine and its regularity. Portion sizes were much smaller than what a typical American is accustomed to and most of the meals were made with locally grown/bred ingredients. Staying at Taino Cove really allowed me to embrace the simplicity of what life had to offer and understand the jubilant personalities of natives who were present during our time there. Making those connections was pivotal to applying personal passion to our day's work. In turn, service became a renewing entity. There was self fulfillment within the work provided and so my motivation was always kept intact. On the work site, I bonded with the day laborers; taught them English while they taught me Patois and  sometimes showed me how to "bust a sweat" on the dance floor. There were genuine interactions happening between individuals from two very distinct backgrounds and it was really great to experience first hand. 

 

Leaving Taino Cove to go to a location that wasn't the work site was also another aspect of the trip that provided me with memories that left deep impacts. For instance, the first morning in Jamaica, the cohort attended mass at a local church and the experience was very different from what I had expected it to be. We entered the church and everyone in that room was on their feet singing and dancing "in the name of the lord". I had never witnessed such a lively, dare I say, "fun" mass. I could've stayed there for hours had it not been time to leave for lunch. Even more fitting was that the church was celebrating children's month and so most of the messages they communicated pertained to the education of the young and their success in life which resonated with our group's mission. All of these factors further amplified the question of why we were doing what we were doing. 

 

Most of the nights while at Taino, we had the privilege of eating at local Jamaican eateries. Although, trips to restaurants don't sound like they applied to the greater picture, they did. At most of these locations, I'd like to say that we were exposed to Jamaican artistry. In my opinion, this came in two forms. The style of music played at each venue and the handmade products of many vendors that passed by. The music, if listened to closely, represented a stylistic representation of hope through struggle, a love of life and all around feel good vibes. The jewelry, paintings and sculptures each had their own meaning depicting a culture of storytelling. These traditional characteristics have allowed me to have a deep sense of gratitude for the Jamaican culture and its history. 

 

 

Without the opportunity to explore the different faucets of Jamaica this trip would be much different. And it has been through my vulnerability and open mindedness that I have been able to put into perspective the positivity that arises through service for this community.

 

-Cris

I Am Privileged

I am privileged. Today's Curriculum discussion made me realize how privileged I am and how I can use the recognition that I have for these privileges as a means of serving others.

Today, we said goodbye to Taino Cove and began our journey for the second half of the week at Negril. Since our trip does take the whole day, today is considered our "break" day. For this reason, we took a pit stop at YS Falls, a tourist attraction that featured beautiful forests and powerful waterfalls. First, we got ourselves suited up for ziplining. Being that this was my first time ever ziplining, I was a bit terrified to do it, but it was very exhilarating! Being able to see all of the green forests and rushing waterfalls as we ziplined through the forest was incredible. The most terrifying part of it honestly was probably when we somehow had to manage to fit all 16 of us plus some staff members onto one of the very small platforms, not the ziplining itself. Afterward, I was talked into going cliff jumping into a super fast river. I'm happy to say I did it five times and it was the most intense yet exciting thing I've ever done! Although that split second where you're underwater and have no idea where you are is scary.

After reaching our new destination at the Whistling Bird, getting settled, going to the beach, and having dinner, our group had a discussion about being global citizens and about what it means to be privileged. To initiate conversation about privilege, Thea organized an exercise for all of us where we all lined up in a line and held hands to start. Then, Thea would read off a privilege and an action (step forward or step back). Through this activity, multiple steps were taken forward and backward, hands were let go due to being too far ahead, and we all noticed how far back we were or how far forward we were, hence how privileged or not privileged we are.

From this, we broke into smaller groups to talk about "where we stood" during the process and then brought the conversation back into our whole group. The biggest take away that I got from this exercise is this: we may come from different backgrounds and have some privileges others lack and lack some privileges that others have, but we all made it to Stevens and we all made it to Jamaica. We are all here to reach a hand out to others and support them and go through any struggles we have, whether we are the privileged or not privileged, united and together. We're here to work together and serve the communities of Jamaica, as some of the privileges that we all have may not be the same that they have.

The concept of privilege also relates to our trip to YS Falls today. YS Falls is a tourist attraction of Jamaica, and even if we are on a trip that related to service, I think this experience was also a great way of putting the rest of the week in perspective as we continue to deepen our understandings of global citizenship, service, privilege. Other areas of Jamaica that we had done work in, will do work in the rest of the week, or have driven through on the way to a destination shows a prominent amount of poverty. Those types of scenes and pictures are things that are not seen in ads for going on vacation in this country. And the same goes for any other country, including our own. For example, Manhattan is full of tourist attractions that people love to go to (I'm guilty of it myself), yet there's also homeless people on the streets asking for money or food. This relates to privilege in that those that are able to go those tourist attractions have the privilege to be able to afford it. Those that have these privileges though shouldn't feel guilty for having it at all when seeing those in poverty nearby these attractions. The privilege is simply a part of who you are. However, what can be done is to be appreciative of the privileges that you do have and also support those that do not through service. A similar relation goes for those that do not have privilege: do not feel defeated for the privileges that you lack, but rather be a voice of leadership and passion for those that also don't have that privilege. This is also related to privilege in that it is also a privilege to have the education to know that there is poverty outside of the tourist attractions. It could take support from family or friends, or even books or news articles, to have this privilege of having this education.

So, how am I privileged? I am privileged because I live with my loving family in New Jersey that has taught me what it means to be privileged, how to be a hard worker, and how to give back to the local community and beyond. I am privileged because I attend the Stevens Institute of Technology, am pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering and am involved in various activities on campus. I am privileged that I have been involved in my high school youth ministry that has given me the opportunities to travel on four service trips, where all have taught me various life lessons, including being welcoming of all people, being appreciative and optimistic, and always giving your whole self when you serve. But, at this moment, I feel most privileged because I'm here in Jamaica, thanks to the support of friends and family, having this life-changing and memorable experience with my peers. This experience has opened my eyes to a lot of things and has ignited a huge passion inside of me for becoming an active global citizen. I am extremely grateful, blessed, and privileged to be here and am looking forward to doing service at our next location tomorrow!

-Zach George

Jamaica: Second Time Around

Who would have thought that I would be privileged enough to come back to Jamaica a second time around. Just about a year ago, I embarked on an experience of a lifetime accompanying 10 passionate and motivated students on Stevens first annual global service initiative. I had no idea what to expect, but what I gained in knowledge and experience was like no other. My mind and eyes were awakened with a new sense of perspective on life. Now I am on the second annual GSI trip with 15 other equally passionate and motivated students. I thought the only thing that would be different was the increase in participation, but I thought wrong. There are many aspects that are making this experience different. 

The first stop on our journey to our first destination was at this restaurant called Border Jerk. I would like to use the term, restaurant, loosely because it is way different than it is in America. There was no hostess to seat you, no waiter or menu distributed, and also no air conditioning. There were just three sections to this restaurant: the kitchen, the bar, and the outdoor eating area with picnic tables. When we arrived, we were hit with the intense aromas of spices from the jerk chicken being cooked and also the warm and friendly welcome from the people cooking and also people just hanging outside. We didn't know who they were and they didn't know who we were, but their friendliness towards strangers, especially foreigners, was quite refreshing. The taste of the food definitely lived up to the delicious smell from the kitchen. The chicken was so fresh, seasoned really well, and felt like it was cooked with love. 

The friendliness of the people didn't stop at our first pit stop; it continued for the rest of the week. We went to Pedro Plains Primary School to finish constructing the net ball court and add a fresh coat of paint to a few classrooms. Right as we got out of the car, we were greeted by school girls saying, "Hello, Miss." or "Hello, Sir." I was taken about how polite the students were with respecting their elders, and even people they did not know. We even visited another school called St. Mary's and when we entered a classroom with the principal the students stood up from their seats and said in unison, "Good afternoon Mr. James and company." I am glad they are teaching the children respect. 

It was also quite mind boggling to grasp how happy all the Jamaicans are. Right out of the airport you can immediately see resorts on resorts on resorts but then just a few minutes away there are shacks at the side of the road where people live. The juxtaposition of these resorts to the homes across the road is quite an interesting site. But what challenges my brain is how happy they are. They are always smiling and waving to everyone and anyone that passes by. Is it because they are making the most of what they have? Is it because they have not experienced excess or a lot of possessions like we are used to in America? Why is it that Americans are so unhappy with all the opportunities and possessions they have while Jamaicans are happy with what we consider to be nothing? Our group is here for a purpose. It is to learn about the Jamaican culture and their way of life and help serve in anyway we can to provide a better life for them. We must be knowledgable to serve and we are doing that through immersing ourselves into this country. 

Jamaica is a magical place. I am so glad I have been given this second opportunity to participate in global service initiative. We do a lot of serving at the worksites by providing better school facilities for the students so they can learn in a great environment. Education, whether in America, Jamaica, or wherever, is an important foundation to build upon a better life. We are taking the privileges we have to help provide for them an advantage for learning. We are able to experience Jamaica away from the touristy resorts and attractions. We have the opportunities to interact with the school children on the sites we work on. We are also able to talk to the Jamaican day laborers and learn the tricks of the trade of constructing anything using the resources available. We get to see and meet firsthand the people we get to serve and these experiences really allow us to really know Jamaica.  

So, all in all, I would say my experience in Jamaica continues to open my eyes to be more aware and appreciate of what privileges I have. And now it is up to me, and along with the other students here, to use our privileges to help serve other people. 

- Jane

Day Four?! WHAT? HOW?

SERVICE DAY TWO DONE! We spent the majority of our second service day back at Pedro Plaines finishing up the work we had started with the day laborers on Monday.  Collectively, we completed painting three rooms, rendering the racketball court and the wall in between the court and the bleachers.  We also installed fencing on the top of the new wall, and painted much of the inner and outer sides of the walls of the court. After lunch and cleaning up, we packed everything back into the van and rental car and made the drive up the mountian to St. Mary's school.  Because of St. Mary's location, it doesnt receive quite as much attention from service groups as Pedro Plaines and other schools. St. Mary's teaches students grades 1 through 6 and also has an infant center. All of the students have class in a one roomed buiilding that is split up into areas for each grade by partitions. The same structure also houses the school kitchen and the Prinicipal's office. Aside from this building there is a water tank, a court and not much else.  This is not nearly enough space and they would really like to expand the school and create a new building or wing. Kaye brought us to St. Mary's to donate all of the group's collected school supplies and to use our engineering backrounds to help the school brainstorm with future construction ideas. We were introduced to Mr. James who gave us a brief introduction to the history of the school as well as improvements they'd like to make.  After taking us on a tour of the school, it was clear that the school was running low on space. Kaye and the principal and some students discussed potential ideas and means of funding and labor.  Her goal is to start a major project at the school starting in a year.  She is currently making arrangements with a major U.S. coroporation to fund the work. As we walked through the school, I was reminded by how welcoming the people we have encoutnered in Jamaica are.  The students, without knowing us or why were there, were all smiles and waves as we interupted their classroom sessions. Even Mr. Jams, the principal of St. Mary's school, originally introduced himself as a mere "school staff memeber", too humble to introduce himself as the head and principal of the school. Time and time again, the people in Jamaica have been incredibly kind and personable towards each and every one of us.  They are an incredibly humble community who really get every ounce they can out of what they have. They continue to remind us to love what we have, do all we can, ask questions, listen and so much more. It's been a true honor and gratifying experience getting to interact and serve such a complex and thoughtful community, especially with such a down to earth and genuine group of people from Stevens. I feel eternally lucky to have crossed paths with each and every person I've interacted with in these past couple of days. I could go on for blogs and blogs but I'm experiencing some serious FOMO ("fear of missing out").  With the other Stevens students so close by having fun as I write this blog, I think this is enough for now. I love these crazy cats. So glad to be here and grow with them. Gah! So sappy!!  GOOD NIGHT! LOVE AND MISS YOU MOM, DAD AND ALLEIA! love, johanna