TravelStream™ news feed for member teamclaudia on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/teamclaudia en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:06:21 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1250873998/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1250873998/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1250873998/tpod.html Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:06:21 -0400 The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

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Houston, Texas, United States

Hello EveryoneToday makes two weeks that I have been back in the country. I ended my Peace Corps service and came back to the United States on August 17. Since being back I've been busy getting readjusted. Looking back on my experience I feel very privileged for meeting and working with the people of Jamaica. There is so much I can say about the Peace Corps experience as a whole especially with all the emotions leading up to my departure but to sum everything up this experience has made me a better individual.I'm planning on traveling to the Dallas area sometime in September. Hopefully, I will see you soon.Claudia
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1236629160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1236629160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1236629160/tpod.html Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:08:25 -0400 The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

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Kingston, Jamaica

Hello AllI hope that everyone is well and that the recession hasn't affected you ( badly). My time on this island is winding down, my work is slowing down but I'm still thinking outside the box when it comes to activities to do with my students and the general community. Children + Animals= TroubleMy Green Club  held and Educational Zoo on January 26, 2009. The Educational  Zoo started off as a petting zoo in order to raise money for Green Club but then as I was planning it, I thought to take it a step further. I did not want the students to just pet animals but also to learn about animal abuse, which animals make good pets and the proper upkeep of their pets hence the name Educational Zoo. I contacted Jamaica's SPCA and Serenity Park asking them to bring some of their animals to the school and talk to the students about the above mentioned topics. They agreed and on the day of the Educational Zoo the organizations brought with them puppies, kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds and a snake. The principal allowed me to make a full day of the event. We broke the students up by grades first and second grade went in the morning, third and fourth after lunch and fifth and sixth at the end of the school day. For a small price (this was still a fundraiser) the students heard from the speakers, petted the animals and for an even smaller price the students got to take pictures with the animals. The Educational Zoo was so much work to put together and you can imagine the chaos that comes when you mix rowdy children with animals but at the end of the day, I thought everything went well.  I think that the students really learned a lot  and the club raised an impressive amount of money, all of which was spent  to pay for club t-shirts and environmental projects at the school. Money really does go like water. I have attached some pictures for your viewing. The snake was the most popular of the animals. Almost all the children wanted to take a picture with the snake. Even the children that are scared of snakes were able to control their screams until after the picture was taken (myself included).Hunting for CrocodilesI took my Green Club and other students on the Black River Safari, a popular tourist spot to learn about various species of animals and plant life along the Black River. We took an hour boat ride along the Black River where we got to see crocodiles, the safari's biggest attraction. I know that the children enjoyed it and I think that they learned as well. From the Safari we went to Y.S. Falls another popular tourist site. At the Falls, we had lunch, viewed the Falls and swam (well the kids and the teachers that came on the trip swam, the water was cold, I was not getting in). The day started at 6 a.m. and I did not get home until 8 p.m. I was so exhausted. I am planning the next field trip. The students graduate this June and I'm planning on taking them on one last big field trip before they graduate. Most of my club members are sixth graders so they will graduate from primary school and enter high school in the fall. I'm leaving, they're graduating.Exciting times for both.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1228926780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1228926780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1228926780/tpod.html Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:08:08 -0500 The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

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Kingston, Jamaica

Hello All,I want to start off by wishing everyone a Happy New Year. The year is going by so fast, no? Already it's the end of February. I have added pictures of my primary school's 2008 Graduation. A friend told me that graduations in Jamaica are really fancy and I should dress-up. It is a good thing I listened. I had planned on wearing a skirt and blouse to the event and from the pictures you will see that I would have been very under dressed. I was so surprised when I showed up to the graduation and the teachers had on fancy ball gowns and not just the teachers but the parents and everyone in attendance were so fancy. The graduation took FOREVER. But it was a fun experience and nice to see my students graduate. It was not my only graduation. Two weeks later I went to my friend's high school graduation. I showed up an hour and a half  late on purpose but the graduation still lasted another three hours.  I also have pictures from a marathon that my friend's and I volunteered. My friends and I got there friday, the day before, to receive our t-shirts and instructions. The actual marathon started saturday at 5:00 am, volunteers had to be there at 4 a.m. I had so much fun. I met runners and other volunteers from all over the world. The Reggae Marathon is a big event that is promoted internationally. The volunteers worked from 4 a.m. til the last runner came in which was around 2 p.m. My friends and I worked the starting line giving out Gatorade and water to the runners and then when the race began moved to  the finish line to cut the trackers from the runner's shoes and hand out the medals. From this experience, I decided that I want to run in a marthon. So that is one more thing I have added in my To Do list. As I sat close to the finish line, I was able to view the runners as they triumphantly crossed the finish line. The looks on their faces and the sheer joy and excitement of completion was priceless. It must be such a good feeling to train hard for something like a marthon and see it to the end. I'll start  training when I get back. I think  I will start off with a 5K and work my way up. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Claudia
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1227634740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1227634740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1227634740/tpod.html Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:46:06 -0500 The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

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Kingston, Jamaica

Hi All,I want to start off by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. So much has happened since my last entry....where to begin....let's begin with Mr. Barack Obama.Mr. PresidentElection Day for me was just as exciting in Jamaica as it would have been in the US. Although I was extremely jealous and wanted so desperately to be among the crowds of people that heard Mr. Obama's victory speech and welcomed the new First Family. However, I was content in having a couple of friends over my place watching it all on t.v. The whole time, I was hoping that the cable wouldn't go out as its prone to do a lot.  Luckily it didn't switch off and my friends and I were able to watch history being made. I was so elated when Mr. Obama's picture came on the screen and he was announced as the President Elect that I ran outside and started banging pots together, as its customary to do here when something good happens. For example, during the Olympics when the Jamaican runners were winning their races, all anyone could hear for miles was the banging of pots. So I assumed that my neighbors, as I was during the Olympics would excuse me for banging my pots in jubilation even though it was midnight. As most of you may know, I got the opportunity to meet Mr. Obama during my internship in D.C. Then and still today,  Mr. Obama inspires me. For me, his life story exemplifies what is possible when you don't place limitations on yourself.Environmental Photography ExpoIn November, my Green Club students and I held an environmental photography expo at the school. The objective of the expo was to make people in the community aware of environmental issues affecting the community and have us all work to improve the condition. I had invited the environmental agencies in Jamaica to send a representative to come and speak on environmental issues specific to my community. The goal was to educate an offer a forum for all those in attendance to learn and share ideas on the environmental problems in the community and how best to fix it from the experts. The theme of the expo was "Working Towards a Picture-Perfect Community." A couple of weeks before the expo, my students and I went around the community taking pictures of things in the community that has a negative affect on the environment and or on their health. I developed the pictures, enlarged them and displayed them at the expo. I was pleased with the amount of children and adults that were present at the expo. I think that everyone learned a lot and the kids I assume had fun as well, we gave away prizes to the students that gave the best answere after each guest speaker gave their presentation. I've included pictures from that night. Also, you will notice that the children are wearing the new Green Club t-shirts that we designed.Field TripIn July, I took the Green Club students and other students from the school to Negril. Negril is on the west coast of the island and it is a hot tourist site. I took the students there to learn about coral reefs and the importance of protecting them. After the lecture we took a glass bottom boat ride out into the sea to look at the reefs and the other sea creatures that live underwater. It was a lot of fun. The students really enjoyed themselves and they also enjoyed the nature reserve that we went to after the boat ride. The whole experience was worth the headache of raising money to go on the trip and the even worse headache of being in a bus for five hours back and forth with a busload of noisy kids. I've included pictures from that trip.In the New YearI always love the beginning of a new year. It holds the possibility of 365 days of renewed prosperity, love, friendship, good health and all the other things that we pray for and raise our glasses and toast. This year, we will have a new president and I will end my service in the Peace Corps and return back to the US. I feel that there is so much renewed energy and possibilites in the air. Look at all that has happened in 2008. This year, I pray for the best for you all. I pray that all of the hopes, dreams, goals and ambitions that were not fulfilled in 2008, all those wonderful possibilities, will be realized in 2009.Love, Claudia
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1206645900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1206645900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1206645900/tpod.html Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:08:01 -0400 The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

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Kingston, Jamaica

Hey EveryoneSo it has been awhile and as you can see by the date on the page I had intended to send out this blog in March but life got in the way. So it's now five months later and I am just getting it out. Around this time I was really busy with working at the school and all my community responsibilities so.....Easter WeekendThe Easter holiday was a lot of fun. Everything was closed and most people usually spent the holiday at the beach as I did. I spent the weekend with my friend Mickey and her parents...the Camerons. They are vegans (I didn't know that until I showed up at their home). Showed up around dinner time and I was expecting the traditional rice and chicken....was I surprised when they served me brown rice and tofu. But the time I spent with her parents really showed me a different way of life.They ate so healthy. Went to church with them that weekend. In the pictures you will see Mickey, her mom and I in traditional Nigerian garments. I didn't provide them. Mickey's mom did missionary work in Nigeria, loved the clothing and brought some of it back with her to Jamaica. So that's what we wore to church.On Easter day, the Camerons and my friend Dee and her boyfriend Ceyon all went to the beach in Negril.You can see in the pictures how much fun we had.Do you eat bun and cheese?"Do you eat bun and cheese?" was a question that everyone was asking me during the Easter holiday. In Jamaica people eat bun and cheese during Easter time so during those days leading up to Easter I had my belly full with the delicious bun and cheese which was offered to me by friends and neighbors. It has been five months so I can't say too much about this time mainly because I can't remember a lot of what happened but I do hope you all enjoy the pictures and I hope to provide more timely blogs. Olympics 2008Big up to all of the Jamaican Athletes especially the runners. Jamacians have a renewed sense of pride since the runners (particularly Usain Bolt a.ka. "lightening bolt") have been taking gold medals and setting records. Everywhere you look there are people flying their Jamaican flags and everyone is talking about the athletes. I like seeing people in such a good mood. The prime minister says that there will be a public holiday in honor of the runners and there is a parade in the works.ClaudiaAugust 22, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1213376040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1213376040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1213376040/tpod.html Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:46:52 -0400 The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

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Kingston, Jamaica

Hey Everyone,Back on Jamacia's Labor Day, May 23, my Green Club had a Labor Day Project to fix-up the vegetable garden at the school. Labor Day is one of the only days that people in the community work for free so I put the men, women and my Green Club kids to work. These are pictures from that day. Hope you enjoy. Claudia
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1200258660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1200258660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1200258660/tpod.html Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:15:02 -0500 The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

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Kingston, Jamaica

Hello Everyone The New Year is a month old and I have enjoyed almost everyday of it. Some days have been great, others challenging. Today was a good day. I stopped by a primary school in my community to talk to the girls. Today was Girls' Day at the school. Only the girls came to school today, boys stayed home. It reminded me of "Take your daughter to work day" where girls got to go to work with their moms and the boys had to come to school.The whole day was focused on empowering the girls. The principal brought in guest speakers to talk to the girls and I was one of them. Talked to the girls about the differences and similarities with girls in Jamaica and those in U.S. Encouraged them to stay in school and continue to pursue their goals. Had a question and answer segment with the girls where they could ask me anything. Mostly they wanted to know my favorite food, music, movie, etc..... It was a lot of fun. Back to Normal The holidays was a blur but now everything is back to normal. The Green Club will soon start the vegetable garden at the primary school and the children and I are really excited. Right now, we are working on clearing the ground of weeds and trash and building a secure fence to keep uninvited persons and animals from eating the vegetables. Last week, I took the children to a local farm so that the farmer could talk to us about growing a vegetable garden. I think the children really enjoyed the trip. We got to see the many acres of vegetables the farmer had growing on his land and we got to see his animals as well. I am planning on taking the children on more field trips this semester to educate them on the environment. A big trip that I am planning is to the Kingston Zoo. Money is a huge factor in anything that I plan, so I am hoping to get local merchants and other sponsors to fund the trips.  Still working with the six graders to improve their reading skills. The GSAT is in March and how well the children score on the test will determine which high school they will attend in the fall. Those that score high marks get into the better high schools. So many other projects I am working on. Have to take deep breaths and practice patience to see those projects through.  Gone Sporting So it's not all work. Had some time during the holidays to "go sporting" (having fun). Christmas was fun, spent it in Kingston with friends. New Year's Eve was spent in Ocho Rios. There was plenty to do and see as the pictures tell. Even though I missed home, I did enjoy myself and tried my best not to be homesick. Hope all is well with everyone.Until later. Likkl muor.Claudia
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Kingston, Jamaica

Hello EveryoneWant to wish all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I am so fortunate and blessed to call you all  my friends. I have attached pictures and videos of the faces, places and events that are now a part of me. I hope that the new year will bring much more happiness, prosperity, good health and joy to you and your families.Thank you to those who sent me care packages and gifts. Love you mom and the boys.Claudia
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1195722000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1195722000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/teamclaudia/jamaica/1195722000/tpod.html Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:19:15 -0500 The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

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Kingston, Jamaica

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great day of shopping the day after. Thanksgiving is not celebrated here so I spent the day working with the children at the primary school. When I have time I will write more. Enjoy the pictures. Likl muor.Claudia
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Kingston, Jamaica

Okay, so here is my life in pictures. My friends and collegaues. The places and the faces that  are now a part of me. Hope you enjoy.Likl muorClaudia
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