islandreiko travels

Goodbye 2014

2015-07-11T16:34:00.000-04:00

Christmas and a wedding in San Francisco...

Felicidades prima Nilka!

Reunited and it feels so good...Peace Corps EC82, stand up!

reflections.

2014-02-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

bravo.

2013-11-05T18:50:00.000-05:00

bravo.

by far, the most candid and powerful statement ive ever read.

2013-07-13T20:32:00.000-04:00

hopes are the dreams of the waking man.

------------aristotle

welcome to st. lucia!

2013-05-27T09:56:00.001-04:00

st. lucia we love!

2013-04-09T19:04:00.000-04:00

the only place i love more than st. lucia these days is..........wait for it........Vincy!

i digress. st. lucia is breathtaking (not surprised) and turning out to provide some much needed resources.

well, the sun is setting so im off to the beach.

merry christmas and happy new year!!

2013-01-15T12:16:00.001-05:00

luke has become a big man!

my friends dem!

happy new year from bequia!

these little boys were just about to go sailing on new years eve. fun.

green is my favorite.

i love mrs. shortte.

wata!

amazing! these are privately-owned.

the yachts in the grendines were so nice.

happy birthday jessica.

ziola!

yum.

girl guides christmas party at GSS.

happy birthday jennifer.

christmas day with my boy jenson.

my neighbors cute lil' brown baby.

my student kevin deejaying with his government-issued laptop. ha! not sure if that was the governments intention.

and then there were three...

2012-10-28T15:18:00.000-04:00

my good friend and fellow PCV Liz has gone back to america. you will be missed.

antiques exhibit at GSS

big up GSS faculty!

ran into a former student at the club. FYI, students graduate at 16y/o...do the math. lol

another student....

hey Julie!

goodbye liz

i immediately felt old when i saw the VCR and Walkman

happy svg independence day...people were really drunk!

yet another current student...

my new little brother, who is also named chris!

2012-10-20T20:23:00.000-04:00

last vacation before back to school 2012

adieu stephen chaisson

christelle!

ready for a dive?

princess margaret beach, bequia, svg

sally!

waillilabou

maren!

waillilabou falls

a Brief History of Carnival in the Caribbean

2012-08-09T18:00:00.000-04:00

the History of Carnival

i recently came upon a brief history of carnival on a friends blog...(shout out Jessica).

as i prepare to end my peace corps service and partake in a few more carnival festivities before i leave the region, im beginning to realize the cultural significance of carnival is so much richer than i ever imagined.

TnT i will see you in 2013!

What is carnival?
It is an annual celebration of life found in many countries of the world. And in fact, by learning more about carnival we can learn more about ourselves and a lot about accepting and understanding other cultures.

Where did the word “carnival” come from?
Hundred and hundreds of years ago, the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival right before the first day of Lent. Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, carnevale — which means “to put away the meat.” As time passed, carnivals in Italy became quite famous; and in fact the practice spread to France, Spain, and all the Catholic countries in Europe. Then as the French, Spanish, and Portuguese began to take control of the Americas and other parts of the world, they brought with them their tradition of celebrating carnival.

African influences on carnival traditions
Important to Caribbean festival arts are the ancient African traditions of parading and moving in circles through villages in costumes and masks. Circling villages was believed to bring good fortune, to heal problems, and chill out angry relatives who had died and passed into the next world. Carnival traditions also borrow from the African tradition of putting together natural objects (bones, grasses, beads, shells, fabric) to create a piece of sculpture, a mask, or costume — with each object or combination of objects representing a certain idea or spiritual force.

Feathers were frequently used by Africans in their motherland on masks and headdresses as a symbol of our ability as humans to rise above problems, pains, heartbreaks, illness — to travel to another world to be reborn and to grow spiritually. Today, we see feathers used in many, many forms in creating carnival costumes.

African dance and music traditions transformed the early carnival celebrations in the Americas, as African drum rhythms, large puppets, stick fighters, and stilt dancers began to make their appearances in the carnival festivities.

In many parts of the world, where Catholic Europeans set up colonies and entered into the slave trade, carnival took root. Brazil, once a Portuguese colony, is famous for its carnival, as is Mardi Gras in Louisiana (where African-Americans mixed with French settlers and Native Americans). Carnival celebrations are now found throughout the Caribbean in Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, Dominica, Haiti, Cuba, St. Thomas, St. Marten; in Central and South America in Belize, Panama, Brazil; and in large cities in Canada and the U.S. where Caribbean people have settled, including Brooklyn, Miami, and Toronto. Even San Francisco has a carnival

Uniting the World

Carnival arts offers all of us a dynamic tool for self-expression and exploration, a tool to seek out our roots, a tool to develop new forms of looking at the world and its cultures, and finally, a tool to unite the world, to discover what we all have in common, and to celebrate what makes us different. The power and creativity that underlies these art forms can transform lives. Join hands with All Ah We, and together we will dance the song of life!

GSS Graduation and Vincy Mas 2012!!

2012-07-11T15:03:00.001-04:00

chelsia burke c/o 2012

renee and her high heels. so cute!

my favorite couple in svg, pastor and mrs. shortte

GSS Faculty

mother and daughter.

make-up artistry by Yours Truly. chels looks so cute!

GSS Ball 2012

more GSS Faculty

Add caption

nobu!

knackered!

jolene

Vincy Mas 2012!

crazy marvin

j'ouvert morning 2012

too much sunset rum

i playin' Mas!

blondie bird and friends. band of the year 2012

on holiday in Lucia, St. Croix and LA

2012-06-25T11:25:00.000-04:00

saluting the sea in castries, st. lucia. haha

fresh coconut milk for the rice. thanks nick!

feliz cumpleanos madre!

mis primos

chris and his beloved watches

oh how ive missed sushi and sake.

itzy!

hanging out the "Bu"..malibu that is!

santa monica beach...oh how ive missed u

SVG in Los Angeles

aww how cute, theyre matching

long overdue trip to the church house with my grandmother

the parentals in st. croix

st. croix con mis primos

the cake

the bride

i miss my lil bro soooo much. tear.

my lil dudes

Here, There, Everywhere!

2012-06-24T19:06:00.000-04:00

mt. wynne, svg liming at the beach

fancy govt school, svg

PCV Camille and I hanging out in Peter's Hope, SVG

Reading Extravanganza Rawacou, SVG

my birthday lime at club zest

Julie and I at Big Sand Beach Union Island

tiny shrimp at Big Sand Beach

Chatham Bay, Union Island

my little student sherifa on my veranda

GSS computer lab Dwayne looking so serious.

St Lucia with my girl Tanya

St Lucia Jazz festival 2012

happy new year!

2012-02-08T17:30:00.000-05:00

happy new year!

ahh bequia...

GSS Cheerleaders at practice

my little students chezroy and reno.

jodel wearing his helmet for once.

christmas in the caribbean

2011-12-23T07:48:00.001-05:00

i know it's christmas but in between my donny hathaway and boyz to men let it snow, i cant stop listening to Konshens...big tune!! God has really blessed me this year. ONE LOVE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ORWyGED0is8#!

Konshens Big Tune!!!

family

2011-12-11T08:35:00.001-05:00

family is so important, they truly nourish you. i didnt realize how much i missed my family until they came and visited me last week. my mom and my favorite aunt, explored st. vincent and the grenadines thoroughly.

st. lucia was decent but rather expensive on a peace corps budget. cant wait to tell all my vincentian friends that my family prefers st. vincent over st. lucia....take that! smile. i actually met a few nice folks so im already planning to return for their annual jazz festival in May. who's coming??

Focus on the positive

2011-11-02T10:27:00.000-04:00

Focusing on the positive can be quite a challenge when the road seems so arduous and never-ending. How do you teach teenage students how to read? Some students have given up on themselves and just don't participate, some are so behind their peers (read: kindergarten level) they simply "tune-out", others are bored with the primary school repetition and themes.

What to do? What to do? Well, in an attempt to introduce more adolescent themes to students, I realized that although they want more adult themes they actually have trouble grasping the concepts as their vocabulary is extremely limited and their reading level is stuck at primary grade 2-3. After class ends I often feel as if I have not helped the students improve at all.

With a remedial reading class totaling nearly 35 students, I'm always shocked by how many teens appear at school each morning in full uniform ready for whatever the day brings. This is a fairly uncommon sight in the good ol' U-S of A, teenagers who are unable to read simply "take a pass" on school and hit the streets for better or worse. I guess focusing on the positive isn't so hard after all.

Patience

2011-09-12T19:27:00.002-04:00

All things come round to him who will but wait. - Longfellow

The journey began back in February with the International Alliance for Child Literacy ("IACL"), a US-based non-profit dedicated to Caribbean educational outreach. After a lengthy conversation with IACL President Andrea de Vries, it was apparent her outreach efforts seemed to fall right in line with several literacy intervention projects I wanted to launch at Georgetown Secondary School ("GSS"). To say she was a God-send would be an understatement. After clarification regarding the types of books and materials we could use Andrea set out to make things happen. I busily started preparing the students immediately for the pending supplies (PAUSE) first a letter must be drafted and approved to insure proper delivery and notification to all involved as well as customs clearance and verification. Disappointed, I realized the books would not be arriving in 2 weeks as I'd hoped.

Fast forward to June and the barrel is now officially being held in customs here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines("SVG"). I readied myself to sort and catalog the books and supplies during the summer break. (PAUSE) Fortunately, Customs in SVG is quite thorough and after a couple mistaken barrels delivered to GSS, the barrel finally arrived on August 19th and it's right on time!

We are currently cataloging our new supplies and placing the finishing touches on a unique reading contest to launch in the coming weeks.

Many thanks to my Principal Allen Burnett, the IACL and of course Andrea deVries for her patience and support.

A few pics of the infamous barrel, the students and Mr. Burnett.

Updates to follow...

GSS Graduation 2011

2011-08-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

I finally found a few pictures from the graduation ceremony at Georgetown Secondary. It was a great ceremony where students were given awards for their varied talents, including, art, sports and technical drawing/drafting.

The decorations were done by none other than myself and fellow teacher Ms. Corke. Try not to look closely or you will see that we clearly have very little imagination. ha!

Summer Fun in SVG

2011-08-15T11:17:00.000-04:00

I cant believe there are only a few short weeks left of summer vacation. Ive been quite busy. From teaching with the Youlou Summer Art camp, going away party for my buddy Toussaint, catamaran sailing to Mustique and Bequia, and finally a beach lime with my neighbors.

Next week, I will facilitate an HIV/AIDS education camp for secondary students on how to develop life skills and finding positive role models.

students from the Youlou Art Camp visiting an archeological dig site in the Brighton area of SVG

Carnival DONE!

2011-07-20T18:47:00.000-04:00

well, Ive finally recovered from my very 1st Vincy Mas Carnival. it was a blast. cant wait until next year. following are a few pics of me and a few friends playing Mas with Blondie Bird as well as some of the festivities in a few of the smaller villages.

Vacation and other island bits...

2011-06-10T17:35:00.000-04:00

I just returned from a much-needed vacation to Puerto Rico to visit one of my favorite cousins. Starbucks, shopping and the beach were the only items on the agenda.

I returned to SVG where Carnival is in full swing. Take a look at my latest adventures as well as my very first J'ouvert.

School is almost out and graduation is around the corner for the 5th form students at GSS. Pics soon come.

Vincy Mas 2011

2011-05-22T23:51:00.000-04:00

So Vincy Mas/Carnival is right around the corner and I have decided to play Mas, but cannot decide on a band.

Im looking for a band that offers the most coverage regarding the costume but also the best theme. Decisions.

If you are not familiar with Carnival celebrations check out one of the videos below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4x0OBozREM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGzqGZTL2XE&feature=related

P.S. I just had my cute, little kitten Chica spayed and she looks so pitiful but cute.

Water

2011-05-08T15:26:00.000-04:00

So my water has finally returned after more than 3 weeks. The flood really destroyed so much of the countryside, which is where I reside. Im so happy to finally be done chasing down water trucks, waiting for water trucks, trying to purify brown water, I can go on but I won't. Not having something as essential as water got me to thinking, if I should return to the US and that is indeed a big "IF", Im definitely going to do my part to aid in water conservation. I have become quite adept at using very little water, from recycling my mop water to flush the toilet to using laundry water to clean the kitchen and bathroom. Thankfully the crisis is over but Im glad I learned a few new things about myself. During the first 3 days I was sad, anxious and angry, but like clockwork SVG reminds me of all that I have been given during a time of need. Several neighbors who live near the bridges which collapsed during the flood had extensive water damage to their homes and unlike in America there is no shelter they must simply endure.

Thank God for water it really is the bread of life.

Following are a few pics of the flood damage as well as my neighbor Big Jim's house (he loaned me one of his buckets) he's pretty awesome.

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-04-03T08:41:00.000-04:00

Well, it's spring break and school will be out for the next week and I am thoroughly enjoying my time off. Celebrated my birthday last week at the beach with Stephen. However, I will be celebrating it again when i host a lil' rager at my house end of this month.

Check me out...