St. Lucia and Training

We made it! After a 3.5 hour flight from Miami and a 1 hour (air-conditioned!!) bus ride, we have made it to our initial training facility.

The view from our rooms

Day 1 of Pre-Service Training

I still can't believe it's only been 1 day since arriving at St. Lucia, so much has happened since then and there is a lot to take in. Today was our first day of pre-service training (PTS). We discussed hopes and anxieties again, failed miserably at trying to place the islands of the Eastern Caribbean (EC) in order geographically, played a cross-cultural card game (with a twist), and discussed the expectations and general program components. The Associate Peace Corps Director (APCD) for Grenada used to be the Minister of Education and has a deep interest in developing Special Ed programs so Grenada is currently the only country that the PC has a specific Special Ed program. Lucky us! During our in-country training, we will learn technical skills as related to our field, universal technical skills (like HIV/AIDS prevention), health precautions, safety and security tips, cross-cultural skills, and language skills. Unfortunately, Grenada does not have a language requirement, meaning that we will only learn a limited amount of French Patois as opposed to volunteers in St. Lucia and Dominica. I have heard, however, that I can take language classes offered on the island, like Spanish, so a few of us trainees are going to look into that.

After the end of training today, many of us headed to the beach for the first time. Incredible. We met a funny and friendly man who worked at a small resort on the beach and extended an invitation to a bon fire on Friday complete with a BBQ. We left not quite sure if he was serious or not.

The Caribbean

We have some reading homework about policies and what to expect during our in-country training. I must say that this has been a fantastic transition, from staging in Miami to a retreat for a week in St. Lucia, before meeting our host families in Grenada for the remaining 7 weeks.

Vegetarianism

Good news: a RPCV (returned Peace Corps volunteer) who served in Grenada told the veggies in the group that people eat a largely vegetarian diet due to the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables. There is also a Rastafarian presence on the island, so vegetarianism is not a foreign concept. I have been able to be vegan since arriving on the island, eating fresh fruit and salad, soups and cooked rice and vegetables. We were, needless to say, beyond thrilled.

One dinner: rice and beans, cabbage/carrots/onions, and sweet plantains

Arrival

After deplaning and soaking in the sun and heat, we met some PC staff who took our picture. After a smooth transition through customs, we picked up our bags. We walked a short distance to a mini-bus that had folding seats in the aisles. The bus was also air-conditioned, much to our delight. A group of current St. Lucian Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) met us there with a homemade welcome sign, water, and granola bars. We were told that it takes a lot of time and effort to get to that part of the island on a Sunday, so thanks!

Current St. Lucian volunteers with their welcome sign

90+ pounds of luggage

The sinuous road along with the mountainous terrain made my motion sickness kick in. Fortunately for me (and the people sitting in front of me), we made it to the retreat center right when I felt I was reaching my limit. I stay in a room in a seminary on top of a steep hill. The view makes it worth the hike. We spotted some lizard, geckos, and toads, but no flying cockroaches :)

Our St. Lucian prince in front of the rooms. He has a gecko friend inside.

Notes

1. The EC $1 is a coin, like the Euro.
2. You need to turn a light switch DOWN to turn a light on.
3. The Eastern Caribbean outlets are the same as Great Britain, NOT the "Caribbean" ones.
4. People drive on the opposite side of the road.
5. Roosters don't only crow in the morning, or just once a day for that matter.

Flowers left on our bed post