Project Jamaica: Tyee Class Project

Day 9 and 10 - An easy weekend

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 38:13 PM 0000

Agenda:

Saturday:
1. Samsara with the Sheffield students
2. Internet Cafe with everyone
3. Lunch as a group

Sunday:
1. Relax
2. Journaling
3. Relax

The market day trip was a great bonding activity. So much so that the students wanted more face time with each other. So we altered our planned weekend of battery recharging and invited them over for a look at our digs and a walking trip to the local internet cafe/ice cream parlor. Students worked with their partners showing them how to set up email addresses, logging in and sending emails, and if time allowed showing off their MySpace or Facebook social networking sites. Randy the owner of the Bluewater Internet Cafe has been very helpful to our group by providing us a place to do this activity since the school has very limited internet access. He also has the best ice cream and milkshakes in Negril, if not the whole island. After all this basic work on email was accomplished we headed across the street to the Chicken Lavish for lunch. Laughter and games filled the air as the students exchanged stories, camera shots, and phone numbers. We sent the Jamaican students home in a large taxi and headed back to the resort to witness the finals of the Olympic time trials on TV. Dinner, journaling, and dinner. Bed. We are very tired.

Sunday saw us awake late. We were 100% off today. Nothing planned but enjoying our wonderful seaside palace. Peace

Day 8 - Savanna La Mar Market

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 00:26 PM 0000

The Agenda:

1. Public transportation
2. Savanna La Mar Market

Miss Manning instructed us to arrive early at the market to beat the afternoon rains that hit this coastal metropolis of fish mongers, conch (pronounced "conk") fisherman and produce vendors. She also should of had us wearing running shoes because the pace she set through the market left our seasoned cross-country runner, Bill K., winded and lost. During our pre trip meeting we gave the students several missions to complete and Jean's pace was definitely not making that possible. A brief discussion ensued and we started the tour again, this time taking time to smell the, uh, em, fresh produce. However, I have failed to mention anything of our trip TO the market. We arrived at the Negril taxi center early and, being in the first group, were ambushed by willing and eager drivers for a chance to deliver us to Sav. They asked how many in our group and when I said 30 their jaws dropped and called others in for the feast. It took Steve some time to get us all there and during our wait we made friends with the drivers and upon hearing what we were doing seemed even more eager to assist us in our adventure. Through the well planned travel schedule created by Bill K., we boarded the taxis and headed off for Sav in a convoy any trucker would be proud to participate. The unusually meager pace set by my driver in the lead car assured me that this trip was going to be a nice one. The drivers acted as tour guides filling our heads with random bits of island lore and pointing out places of interest. Our caravan of expert drivers dropped us off front and center at the market and after the drivers were paid they offered to stay and return us to Negril when we were done. A very nice offer that we took them up on later. The first thing you notice about the market is how similar it is to any public market back in the states. However, upon closer examination one sees its uniqueness in many many ways. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and the accompanying video crated by Nate M. to this entry should do the trick. Our groups response to the adventure was nothing but positive and most had said they were glad they were part of this ground breaking activity. Being with the Jamaican students at a place frequented by them and their parents made the trip all the more special. Not every tourist gets to do what we have done on this trip and a day like today has made that ever more the case. Today is a day that will stay with the students for years to come. I am so happy for them!

Day 7 - Sheffield Promotion Ceremony

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 24:25 PM 0000

Agenda for day 7...

1. Sheffield Promotion Ceremony
2. Savanna La-mar market day preparation

Today's activity was a surprise. I say surprise because we were only notified of the Promotion two days previous on our first encounter. Since we were honored guests and could never let a special treat such as this go unattended, we dressed up in our finest caribbean tourist attire and were ferried to the Sheffield 7th Day Adventist Church to witness the latest crop of successful students move on to Jamaica's local high schools. The word hot doesn't begin to express the feeling one has in a Jamaican church on a sunny summer midday. Thats because the word hot doesn't explain the near 100% humidity that accompanied it. The church was full of extremely happy parents and relatives. Everyone (except us) was dressed to the nines on this special day. Beautiful dresses in exotic floral designs, braided and cornrowed heads rivaling great works of art graced the room and made the whole event something to admire. The student speeches were well rehearsed and very well spoken. The singing performances were even better. Our students made many positive comments on both. Our project was called out before the group during the vice-principals "state of the school" address and I was made to stand and receive a verbal award for our efforts. The graduating students were split into two groups with males on the left and females seated on the right hand side. A very inspirational and brief talk was given by a local reverend that concentrated on a life is what you make it theme. The students then received their diplomas and after awards and some more music we left the students with their parents and relatives and headed off to Times Square to do some shopping and have lunch. Many tourist dollars later we were back at Samsara for a pre-market trip meeting and dinner before an early curfew so we would be well rested. Tomorrows trip will be a first time event for the project. We are anticipating it a lot. Every time.

Day 5- Internet cafe anyone? First day of school

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:46 PM 0000

New Video!!! (June 26)

Day 6 - Jamaican and American student team building day @ Legends

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 55:42 PM 0000

Ok folks we are having some technical difficulties on uploading pics to the server. �Internet service for large files is sometimes restrictive. �For now it will be text only and the occasional video (maybe). �Sorry about that. �HEY NEW VID FOR DAY 5!!!

Day 6 - Team building at Legends

READ ON!!!

Day 4 - A history lesson

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 51:15 PM 0000

Day 4

Agenda:

1. Appleton Estate – Rum Factory Tour

2. Accompong – Maroon Village

With everyone healthy and ready for some action, we took off for a little Jamaican history lesson. Our first stop would be the Appleton Estates where rum has been manufactured since before the American Revolution. The students were shown an animal traction machine from the olden days that processed the harvested sugar cane into cane juice. This small cast iron device was run by a donkey walking around in circles while a worker inserted the cut cane. The juice was collected in a wooden bucket and was then transported to the live wash where yeast is added to produce the alcohol. This solution is then sent to the distillery where 6 very large copper stills evaporate the alcohol and collect it for storage in white oak barrels from the Jack Daniels distillery in the US. It is in these barrels that the rum is aged to perfection and then sent to Kingston for bottling. The students also got a tasting of some molasses derived from evaporated cane juice. Many hated the taste and some found it quite pleasing. The estate was like a working museum with many tools of the sugar cane trade from the last 200 years scattered around the grounds. The adults made some rum purchases and we then headed off for the routine chicken lunch and our next destination of the day, Accompong. The road to Accompong is even more twisted and convoluted than the road to Mayfield Falls. And, I believe, in need of more repair. The vistas afforded us with the high elevation were more than spectacular and as we passed a small pimento (allspice) farm our driver Lee stopped and brought a few of the sweet smelling branches into the vehicle for us to appreciate. Upon arrival at the Maroon village we split up into two groups and were led by village guides through some of the historical sites sacred to the Maroons and historically significant to the Jamaican people. The Maroons are the descendents of the slaves who escaped from their oppressors and the cane plantations such as Appleton. One group was treated to songs underneath a 400 year old mango tree (Kinda Tree) where village leaders planned their war for freedom against the British around the 1740’s. After the tour I arranged for a small drumming troupe to play some traditional Maroon songs using traditional drums reminiscent of their African ancestry. Some of the students danced while the others laughed at the attempt. We then headed back to the resort and did not return until after 7pm. A full day of living history left many of us with thoughts to ponder for years to come. Lights out at 10pm.

Day 3- The Mountains

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 35:47 AM 0000

Type comments here...

Arrival!!!

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 53:41 PM 0000

We made it! We touched down in Montego Bay on Friday around 12:40pm. After a very uneventful journey (thank goodness) that saw us go from Seattle to Houston and then Houston to Montego Bay we arrived to partly cloudy skies and a humid 91 degrees F.

Day 2

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:04 PM 0000

How did that old song go? Waking up is hard to do? Anyway, at a prompt 9am I awoke to "Hey James its 9 o'clock". Scurrying out of bed i ate breakfast and called a very important meeting for 9:37 am, sharp. Bill and Matt led the group into an introductory activity that explained the importance of their journals and journaling during the trip. The group introduced themselves to each other explaining a little about who they are and what makes them tick. Bill and Matt then asked them to write down their names in their journal and explain what their names mean. They shared those responses with one another and then I went over the items on the days agenda.

1. Grocery store #1
2. Digicell for SIM cards and unlocked phones
3. Juicy J's for lunch
4. Cash machine
5. Craft Market

Our first grocery store visit was to a "american" version of a full service grocery store with many many items that we can acquire from home. Students practiced converting Jamaican dollars ("jays") back in US currency. A very difficult objective, but as usual the Tyee kids proved themselves worthy of the task. Then it was off to cell phone heaven at a very very very miniature version of a Fry's store. New cells phones in hand, we headed off to Juicy J's for some chicken, brown stew pork, mashed potatoes and salads. Total cost of lunch $7, 740 J. How much US? At 70 J per 1 US figure out the math, the kids did. We then hit the cash machine that saw Claire enter the wrong pin too many times and lock out her card and Connor somehow locking himself in the ATM booth unable to get out. Both situations were remedied quickly and we were off to tourist heck. The Negril craft market. Wheeling and dealing the poor Jamaicans to death saw Debbie and Sue paying more for towels here than at our resort ; ') Many of the students bought small needed items and got their hair braided. A few students found that mentally changing prices in the grocery store was much different than dealing with a live person and having to think quickly. All in all many good lessons learned today. I was very happy for the group and they are all pleased as punch. Back at the resort it was nap time for some journaling for others and just plain goofing around for the rest of us. Good dinner then bed...good night.

Will Kirby's Summary

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:28 PM 0000

As I flew over Jamaican soil I thought about how nice it was going to be to be in another country. It really was a tropical island. Everything about Jamaica was different. The weather, the plants, the roads; everything. We took a long ride to our hotel, Samsara, in Negril. We walked in and got situated into our rooms. The path to the room was wet from the rain and surrounded by plants. We came up to conical shaped hut-ish house.

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