Election time

It’s been over a week since I’ve been in Jamaica now and I’m starting to feel a little more at home. I’ve at least passed the paranoid stage where I think everyone regards me as a foreign tourist with disgust. Most people just go about their business (in a very relaxed way that I could get used to). People are either totally uninterested in you, extend a friendly good mornin’/aftanoon/evenin/night – strictly adhering to the time of day, call you whitey, or ask you for money. Sometimes the guys will hiss at you, which I find so strange and ridiculous I have to try hard not to laugh.

We took an overnight trip across the island to Montego Bay where I’ll be working. It surprisingly took about 4 hours to get there by car and I felt nauseous most of the way in the back seat as the roads wound around the mountains. However I immediately felt better when we came in view of the water, and I’m excited to be living in such close proximity to the ocean.

We visited the organization I’ll be working for, CUMI – Committee for Upliftment of the Mentally Ill, which I’m also totally excited about, but I’ll have to talk more about it later, there’s too much say about it. But it’s about as grassroots an organization as they come, and very well respected across the island on issues of mental illness.

Monday was an especially exciting time to be in Kingston because of the national elections that took place. It has been especially entertaining to watch the add campagns that have slaterred the media during the past week, each party adopting their own hilarious jingle. The ruling party, PNP, has been in power here for 18 years and tensions this election were especially high as the opposition party had a decent chance of winning. The 4 of us SALTers were sent to help out with CAFE, an organization dedicated to ensuring a fair election process. CAFE volunteers are sent to observe polling stations and report any abnormalities in the process. Since we have only been in the country for a week, and election time is not the safest time to be out and about, we were stationed to do media watch, to report any news about the elections from the media and to compare with the reports coming in by phone. News stations all agreed that the election had been a fairly safe and uneventful one, and at the end of the day there had only been reports of 6 homicides in the country.

Anyway, the opposition party, the JLP, won a close battle 32 to 28 seats, and by popular vote as well, but the results are not yet final as the PNP is not going down without a fight and is taking some issues to court. So tensions are still high- I’ll have to be careful not to wear orange or green for the time being and accidentally aligning myself with one of the parties.

Tomorrow me and April leave Ron and Gussie’s and go to MOBAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! woot holla’. I’ll try to post some pictures up here soon, but so far its been unsuccessful.

We’re here!

JJJJJJJJJamaica! We’re finally here! yeah mon. After a week of chillin’ in Akron, PA, we packed up all of our gear (for about the 3rd time of what’s sure to be many more) and departed the Amish country capital, at 3 a.m. in the midst of an impressive thunderstorm and headed for the airport. It seemed only appropriate.

Our flight landed in Montego Bay, where all tourists fled for the resorts, and we were left as the only white people on the plane continuing on to Kingston. Customs was confusing and somewhat petrifying and I’m sure I came off as more guilty than necessary. They seemed to be confused themselves when I told them our length of stay. “ll months?? no no, you mean 11 days.”

However, we made it through customs with fair ease afterall, and thankfully, Ron – one of our country reps, was there to meet us lost foreigners. We packed ourselves and gear in an old pickup and took the scenic route through downtown Kingston, with Ron as our tour-guide. Wow- that was amazing. It’s hard to tell what is hurricane damage and what is just general lack of maintenance. But I’m sure the former will soon turn into the later. But so much going on, I can’t even begin to describe it.

We’re now back at Ron and Gussie’s place (they are great), a little outside of downtown Kingston. Yesterday we mostly ate, slept, ate, slept – trying to recover from the 1 hour of sleep from the night before. Today we started our second orientation, this time with a lot more focus and tips on how to survive Jamaica, as Ron and Gussie have been here for 10 years now and can show us the ropes. Everything is different here. I think I’m beginning to understand what culture shock means. Pretty much the only consistency between here and Akron is that we were greeted by a nice thunderstorm and it has continued to downpour sporadically ever since. Apparently we’re in the midst of rainy season. Anyway, lots more to tell, but I’m still tired so another time. jyamman! one love.

Hurricane DEAN

So…. change of plans.  It just so happens that our exact scheduled time of arrival in Jamaica today coincides with the exact time that potential category 5 hurricane DEAN was targeted to hit the island directly from the east.  So needless to say, the 5 of us going to Jamaica aren’t flying today….. or probably anytime soon.  We did talk to our country reps this afternoon over the internet who are in Kingston and bracing for the storm.  They seemed really calm and assured us that their house would not blow away.  I’m pretty sure I’d be terrified.  I also wasn’t too thrilled when I read that Dean is supposed to be ”the first hurricane of what is expected to be an active 2007 Atlantic storm season.”  Awesome.  Anyway, I’m safe, and pray for the same for everyone in Jamaica.  

welcome to my blog!

Hey, so I just thought I should test this thing out. I haven’t left for Jamaica yet, or anything exciting.  I haven’t started packing yet either, despite my leaving for Akron, PA in approximately 30 hours, and then to Jamaica for a year of my life. No no, I’ve spent the last hour and half picking out a good background for this site.  Much more fun. Sorry, did I say 30 hours??…????!*