Peace Corps Family

When we arrived for training, Peace Corps personnel designed participatory activities so we would get to know our fellow PCVs from Group 79. They told us that we would be one family while we were in Jamaica and that we would be each other's support systems.

This morning this fact hit close to our hearts. Rose's beloved daughter and soul mate Annie was killed last night in New York. She was crossing the street with a friend and they both were struck down by a speeding driver. We have come to know and love Rose as we've gone through Peace Corps training together. We feel as though we know Annie as we've listened to countless stories of her adventures in life told by her Mom. When we received the call this morning from Anne, our security officer we had a chance to speak with Rose at the airport before we flew home. Annie had served as a Peace Corps volunteer after college. We were going to spend the day with Rose at an art museum.

Rose is one strong, lively committed woman as the other PCV's know. We grieve as she goes through this devastating life event. We hope to post an address where we can reach her to extend our support and love. Rose's words to us were:" I hope you're still in Jamaica when I come back."

I might add that kudos go to the Peace Corps Jamaica office staff, especially Anne for immediately supporting Rose and making flight arrangements so quickly. It's no small irony that Anne lives nearby Rose's site.

Tearfully,
Kare

A changing world requires a changing approach.

Greetings to all on this sunny Jamaican day!

As you all know, the US is experiencing a rather scary financial meltdown – the likes of which has not been seen in decades. This has had an effect on many people around the world and many in a very severe way. For example, the inflation rate in Jamaica is 26% this year – up from 17% last year. This is in a setting where there is little in the way of a social safety net. In addition, this will negatively affect remittances to Jamaica and of course tourism - both major sources of income to the island.

Well, this has had an effect on Karen and me as well. The original plan was to put ourselves in a situation where we could tolerate a recession back home by having no debt and reasonably protected money in our retirement accounts. What we did not count on was a financial tsunami. With major financial institutions like Lehman Brothers, Bear Sterns, Wachovia, and AIG all going belly up, we have to consider the fact that our own investments may not be as secure as we had thought.

We had hoped to do a positive, helpful and enriching activity as a form of ‘give back’ for the great good fortune we have had over the course of our lives. We did not particularly plan to work when we returned as it is extremely difficult to get hired when you have been out of the workforce for 2+ years and are over 50. If the market stayed anywhere near 13,500 and above, it would have been no problem. It is now 10,000 and change and no one seems to know where the end is. Nearly everyone says that the financial disaster may roll on for years to come. This puts our retirement in play – an untenable situation. We have therefore decided that we need to leave our service in the Peace Corps and return Stateside to re-enter the work world while we still can. I’ve been offered some consulting work and Karen is returning to work on the Birth Center in a regular position with benefits. Our professional certifications and continuing education credits would have expired if we waited longer.

It is a very sad decision for us to make. We did not make the decision to serve two years lightly and we do not make the decision to leave lightly either. We have made good friends on the island: Jamaicans and other PCV’s. Parting with them and their energy, intelligence, good hearts and warm spirits is difficult beyond measure.

There is no small irony in that both of our work worlds here on the island had just started to ramp up. The Mayor offered me space in his office complex. My draft plan to ‘fix’ Hellshire Beach was completed and submitted for first reading and my Ministry of Health Safety contact had literally called RIGHT after we made the decision to leave to ask me to teach 5 safety classes for him over the next few months. Karen’s had a number of speaking engagements at teacher conferences. Teaching materials shipped from her friends from the Birth Center to support her efforts just arrived yesterday.

We are hoping to be allowed to stay until the end of the month. This will allow us to complete some aspects of our project in a way that they might be picked up by someone else within the country. I have a class to teach October 28th on hazard recognition and risk management to about 30 safety/health inspectors and I’d like to be able to do this. Karen has some training she would also like to complete as well.

We have had great experiences here in Jamaica and we do not regret making the decision to serve. As most of you reading this that are PCV’s well know, it is part of the landscape that frustrations come with the turf. Please understand that this is NOT why we are leaving. The experience here has taught us all over again the lessons of our youth. It is better to give than to receive, material things have limited value in the great scheme of things, and that one’s own spouse is your best friend in trying times. We have also convinced ourselves that we are able to surrender the comforts of home for the uncertainties of this kind of experience. This aspect will be perhaps best appreciated by those that are older as it is easy to shrink our world over time until we are completely locked into a cocoon. Doors and windows have now been installed into our cocoon to allow us to experience a much wider world. I have even managed to lose nearly 20 pounds [Peace Corps – Matt Towne’s fat farm?] and return notably healthier in body and spirit than when I left. I will certainly appreciate warm showers and temperate weather in a way I never did before.

So farewell to our fellow volunteers. We will miss you and wonder daily how you are faring over the next few years. When your time comes, may your landing stateside be a safe and soft one. We would greatly delight in seeing your smiling faces at our door in NH as a planned event OR totally on a whim of passing by. You will be offered food, drink, music and a warm bed for as long as you would like it. My email is matttowne@metrocast.net [note the three t’s in the middle]and our home number is 603-332-3953.

Signing off from Peace Corps / Jamaica Group 79,
Matt & Karen Towne

Falmouth Jamaica

Hello all!
We were warned by current Peace Corps Volunteers that the 'mail' would dry up once we were gone 3-6 months. Well, sad to say, it appears to be the case as we haven't heard from some of our friends for months. Certainly is an interesting dynamic and illustrates the 'out of sight - out of mind' concept. It certainly makes me mindful of those who have written regularly long notes to keep us in touch and most particularly of my own actions when my oldest brother was in the Vietnam War and how little I wrote to him then. And this is peacetime. Life is indeed a circle. For those who have written but have had my email bounce, you are also welcome to try seacoastmatt@gmail.com.

We spent the weekend at Falmouth on the northern and more western shore of Jamaica. As most of the shoreline is tourist oriented, this shoreline was clean - even pristine as compared to our more normal environs. The place we stayed was the fishermans inn a somewhat more budget friendly place than most resorts or hotels on the shore. Our friends Gary and Margaret set it up and we simply tagged along. I think that literally we were the only 4 people at the place but then it is off season here in Jamaica. VERY pleasant except for very loud music next door Saturday night...do the musicians follow us? Great to laugh with friends.

We had the opportunity to visit Rose Hall - a restored sugar plantation. Very interesting on several levels not the least of which is that there are several golf courses nearby. [ok, I admit this is a shallow consideration]. We had the chance to tour and then grab a lunch at a nearby Ritz Carlton so we definitely took a departure of our usual thrift to have a good solid American lunch. We also toodled around Falmouth a bit and got a sense of the flavor of that town. Since it has stopped being a shipping port it has somewhat been degraded and this is most unfortunate in that there really are some buildings worth saving and ading to the charm of the place.

Later, we toured the bay in one of their post dinner boats for a nominal fee to see the luminesant waters of the bay. This was well worth it if for no other reason than being on the water. The luminessance was great to see and was a first for us. Funny to see glowing fish dart underneath our boat.

The ride over to the coast was truly hair raising and we count ourselves lucky to have survived. Some of this we caused by not making a better selection of a taxi. A good lesson was learned all over again. Red plates, red plates, red plates... look for red plates. These designate the officially sanctioned taxis. Back in Spanish Town we were dropped into a maalstrom of taxis all vying for our business. After pushing back 15 or so very aggressive drivers we found one that was literally 25% of what some others were charging. AND he was a Red Plate! See? We learned! Again no less. It is a little hard to imagine the chaos that is this kind of taxi stand. Drivers were tugging at our bags and trying hard to get us to get in even with a bit of a shove in that direction. Takes a certain rudeness if you will to SHOVE back when confronted with this type of 'sales'.

At any rate, all for now. Write!

Love to all and thanks to those who have chosen to stay in touch with us. It is deeply appreciated.

Matt

Touching base

Hello all! First a call out to Salli and to hope her finger heals well...you still rate a 10 finger salute Salli!

We are again making a housing transition in our home arrangement. I suppose, as banal as it sounds, it isn't MUCH different in trying on jeans until you get one that fits your particular shape. The apartment we now have and will be surrendering was a step up in that it was our own place. The downside is that it was basically a concrete box and no way to get outside without standing in the street. In addition, the deal struck was not the deal held to by the landlady so we quickly were going to have to be using our own money to maintain our situation. We have found, due to the efforts of our former host mother who has remained a key person in our lives here, a second floor place with a large outside deck. A tad smaller in some ways but a LOT brighter and airy and it even has it's own water tank so we might have water more than 3 days a week. The 'current' place promised a water tank but it became clear that was not going to happen.

So within a few weeks we will move on again to a place nearby. This constant moving about is getting old to be sure and we truly hope this is our last move.

Project wise the work remains slow to start which we are constantly reminded by other more experienced PCV's is the NORM. A number of possibilities are hanging out there with any one of them being a FULL project or work load. Many ofthe PCV's [especially the older ones] have left because the work was NOT defined upon their arrival and at 55+, the two year committment is a greater percentage of the time one has remaining on this Earth. They were basically told to go make something happen which is what we are attempting to do as well. We have hopes though and will work hard to get something rolling. Kare has a beginning spate of work with the schools after waiting nearly 2 months to make a contact with her community partner. She has kept herself busy and I am impressed by her generally unflagging attitude in this. She has helped the clinic out with her long and deep clinical skills and is making a good transition into their clinic environment. I've made some good contacts and working relationships with some key players [Mayor, Jamaican Safety Director, the Chairman of the UDC, the board of the fishermans cooperative]. Now to get them all lined up and agreeing on what it is they want me to actually do is the challenge. For those who know me well, this is hugely taxing...hurry up and do nothing....or at least it feels like nothing at this point.

We are headed out to Falmouth to see more of the country this weekend and to visit with our former 'roomies' from training. The approximately 100 trip will take nearly 4 hours to accomplish but the scenery will be different and what the heck, it isn't like I need to hurry home to stack wood before the snow flies right?

Love to all and for those of you that write...thank you!

Love to all,
Matt

Hellshire Beach Clean Up

We taxied to Half Moon beach in a run down, red plate taxi. As the driver drove into the fishing village he expertly skirted large puddles and potholes. We climbed out and retrieved the gloves, trash bags and rakes dropped off by the Mayor. He’d been supportive of the cleanup efforts. A few volunteers from local businesses had come to help and some of the residents were busily raking the areas surrounding their respective, ramshackle restaurants. This tiny fishing village was Matt’s designated PC water and sanitation project.

Our mission today was not one of relaxation, we’d come to participate in the Coastal Conservancy’s Annual Global Beach Clean Up. Miles away in Duluth, Minnesota our daughter Sarah, an environmental educator was participating in a clean up along the shores of Lake Superior. The mutual activity made me feel closer to her, for we are kindred lovers of the natural world. I’ve always felt re-energized and at peace after spending a day immersed in nature.

The main beach area in front of the restaurants had been raked clean before our arrival. So we elected to tackle a rocky area that rimmed the shore. Matt and I glanced around and saw bottles, plastic bags, odd shoes and flip-flops, cans, cigarette boxes, bits of rope scattered wily- hilly amongst the rocks that lined the shore. Perhaps some of the debris had been washed ashore by violent waves during the last hurricane. I tried to convince myself of that fact, even though I’d witnessed firsthand the locals dropping whatever empty bottle or bag they were carrying along the sidewalks and grassy areas.

I’m not writing this to be self righteous. I’m writing to express my sadness at the local public’s conscious decision to litter. We were heartened when a man drove up in his large SUV, leaned out his window and stated: “Today is world coastal cleanup day, right?” “Yes, have you come to help us?” we asked. “Oh, no I’m here to motivate you,” he replied. “Well, we don’t need you to motivate us, we need your help.” “I’ve come to relax in the sun, it’s my day of rest”, was his insolent answer. Granted, he has every right to a day at the beach. It was his mocking attitude that angered us. An hour later, a young man walked over barefoot and said something unintelligle to us. He definitely looked rheumy eyed, but we decided a positive approach was in order. We asked him to repeat what he’d said. “Have you come to help us clean up?” He nodded, picked up three items then asked Matt for money. When we sternly declined his request, he stumbled back into the bar that he came from.

We knew then that the national littering fines touted on billboards and posters were largely a farce. No one enforced the law. Individuals would have to remind each other of the environmental impact and consequences. In our own neighborhood here we walked by smoking heaps of trash that people burned in front of their homes or on overgrown stretches of open land. Charred remains of items that wouldn’t burn were left behind. In spite of the fact, that the community already had regular, trash pick- ups once a week.

Matt and I had picked up 5 large [leaf bag size] bags of trash along a 50 foot stretch of rocks that bordered the Caribbean ocean. We decided to walk further up the beach where a group of local high school students were busily picking up litter. We were heartened by their youthful exuberance and how well organized the event was. Food and beverages were available beneath a tent. A scale was hung for weighing the trash and tally sheets were distributed to track the type of waste and quantities. The group was registered with the Ocean Conservancy global effort. We formally registered and joined their effort. A large heap of filled trash bags was visible proof of their combined efforts. The bags awaited later pickup by the city’s trash collectors.

It was a spectacular day by the ocean, the aquamarine waters glistened, the waves rolled in. We watched in amazement as magnificent birds with wings outstretched, dive bombed the water in search of fish. My attention was drawn to a lush, succulent creeping vine that covered the upper portion of the beach. Assorted bits of trash were interwoven amongst the vibrant pink, morning glory-like flowers. I tackled a small section, tediously pushing aside leaves to pick out bits and pieces of cast off objects. It made for slow picking, as the vines clung to the tossed items reluctant to release their hostages.

My aching back forced me to stop, long before my spirit was ready. I knew one day of clean up would only make a tiny dent in the heap of debris cast about. Yet, I was heartened to see the youth taking part in the clean up. I hoped that they would become stewards of their country’s beauty, in spite of its limited financial resources. It all starts with one person carrying out their trash to a designated trash bin or carrying out what they carried in. I’m betting on this country’s youth and their commitment to change.

Love to all,
Kare

Hello all!

First and foremost, thanks to those folks who have been sending us mail. You know who you are and to hear about "home" is a wonderful thing and gives us something to talk about and feel connected with while we try to make something happen here in Jamaica.
Our trip to Great Huts turned out REALLY well. Up and over the Blue Mountains [home of the famous Blue Mountain Coffee] on this road that took snake turns constantly up and down the sides of the hill. It is hard to describe looking out your side window, and seeing the valley floor. A very funky place indeed but with views that are not to be equalled. We will upload some photos but at the moment I am using a computer in the Deputy Mayors office [he is out for the day] while I wait for a 10 AM meeting to begin (it is 11:37) and thus don't have them with me. The 'rooms' (there were 3 in our alloted space) was an open air sort of place with a tin roof and bamboo walls with 10 foot wide 'windows' that looked down upon crashing surf, the beach and the famous aquamarine waters. The site looked due east so the sun in the morning was intense and the moon at night was full of romantic promise. Also, there was an outside cool tub that was adjacent to the room and it all was very private with nothing around us but the sea, cliff and forest. Good thing to as the bathroom was full outside with bamboo surrounding the privy. We had to remember to cover the paper as we got 4 flash thunderstorms that would make it a soggy mess.
It was treat to see the Jamaica we knew as the verdant forest, lack of steel bars over windows and generally clean streets. It was grounding as it was NOT what we see in Kingston or Cumberland/Portmore where we are living. We went swimming in the surf, laid on these chaise lounges in the shade overlooking the ocean listing to music and watching the surfers below. Ate jerk lobster [way expensive] and drank Red Stripe as we watched the herons, hawks and egrets soar from BELOW us to eye level. Not so bad to be sure! It was a tad noisy at night with a party across the bay but that did not detract from a good time overall. Rose and Carol [fellow PCV's] joined us on late Saturday for the evening and next day as well. We travelled back to Kingston with them. It was great to see and laugh with them again. We also met several really interesting people during breakfast and had extended conversations with them about what they do. One couple ran a rafting outfit in Colorado and were taking their first days off sans kids since they were born. They had travelled extensively in India, Costa Rica and all over South America. Next year they plan to buy a sailboat and circumnavigate the world for 3 years with their children. Another young woman, a returned Peace Corp Volunteer, is getting her masters in Jamaica on international development and is based in Kingston. She had many stories to tell about her Peace Corps time in Lithuania. As you might imagine, all energizing and upbeat. It is apparent to us, again, that by getting out of the usual path, it forces into the path of others who have a different perspective on life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
So, as I sit here ready to sign off for the moment, I again miss all of you but hope to return one day with interesting stories of our own to tell.
and PLEASE, elect OBAMA! I checked to be sure our ballots are on the way and they ARE!
Love, Matt

Just a quick reassurance...

Hello all! We have received a number of emails from folks concerned with our well being. Aside from having to bail our back area out in pouring rain and portage water, we are fine. The little contradictions like having flooding in our apartment but yet not having running water do not escape us. But the hurricanes have missed us in the main although the rain has really affected some of our fellow travelers in the Peace Corps. Our thoughts are with them.

Went to the Powell Center last Saturday just to swim in clean waters and chill. Well worth the J$100 it took to get there. A slight reprieve if you will.

We are headed to a really neat place this next weekend we are using to reward ourselves for getting through the training. If you like, you can google it at Great Huts at Boston Beach. We are staying at the grape hut.

Meetings tomorrow with some key stakeholders for our respective projects.

More lata!
Matt