CARNIVAL

Carnival is said to be the most festive time of the year in Dominica. Also known as 'The Real Mas', it is a pre-Lenten festival, and usually falls in February or March each year. It is hard to miss the fervour of the people's loyalty to their favorite calypsonian or pageant during the preceding months of the Calypso Final and the National Queen Show.

Parade in the city on Carnival Tuesday.

"My kids" in kindergarten made Carnival masks in art class.

I spent both days (mon & tues) in the city celebrating with friends and fellow PCVs. Monday morning consisted of a "jump up" where people dance in the streets from 4am until about 10am. The morning was then quiet until the afternoon where the dancing started again. Large trucks with speakers and sound systems set up on them slowly drove through the streets while the dancers followed the music.

MONTSERRAT!

This morning I woke up to a layer of dust along my porch banister... ?

Looking out it looked foggy... or dusty even... ?

Where I could usually watch the ocean waves roll there was a faint blue abyss where the water sat...

Montserrat a volcanic island 30miles north of Guadaloupe threw ashes 9 miles into the sky overnight. Many of the Caribbean islands are feeling effects from this with a dusty, cloudy day. It does not cause problems breathing, it is not that thick however it is covering EVERYTHING... and making quite the mess. Some of the islands closer to Montserrat have closed schools and authorities are encouraging people to stay inside, and keep windows and doors closed.

But no alarm, here in Dominica we are experiencing a thin layer of ash on houses, cars, etc. Flights have been canceled since last night, through today and authorities estimate the ash will remain for the better part of the day.

Monserrat Photo: PHOTO FROM 1997 ERUPTION

PHOTO OF AERIAL VIEW

ART ART ... Everyone loves Art!

Art class is going very well, I teach for an hour in the Kindergarten and first grade classes. We color, paint and create hands-on pieces of art! Every time I pass children from the class, on the street they say, "you comin' arts n' craps tomorrow?" (no matter the day). I am excited they enjoy my company and the lessons I bring. Below you see Mardi Gras-type masks. These were made in celebration of Carnival time in Dominica. It is a cultural event remembering and celebrating slavery and their freedom. Costumes and masks are cultural wear through parades and daily shows.

Hopes for a cleaner community

After a simple request a local corporation from the city donated 4 barrels and 5 gallons of paint for our Drum Painting Project. About 15 youth from the village took their Saturday to design and paint the barrels! After 3 hours in we ate our food off turkey and provision broth and relax. To finish the day we had to remove the covering off the top of the drum and distributed them around the village. The community has truly appreciated the work and involvement of the youth as well as the new fashionable garbage bins sitting by the roads :)

mmm.. fruit

Here is a photo of the fruit known as Sweet Sop, or Sour Sop. There is a small distinction in taste between the two, however they look the exact same (to me). The green skin is hard and pricky, the inside consists of big black seeds. The fruit itself is a sweet flavor (in this instance) it is so soft, if ripe enough, it is the texture of pudding.

A new approach to reading

Since November 2009, my counterpart and I have started an after-school reading program for the young children in our village. The program is three days a week and consists of a total of 41 students, however the average is 30 per class. For an hour on each day Lil and I open with a song...

Reading time, reading time, reading time Reading time, reading time, reading time Take a seat and be comfortable, everybody has a right to read, Reading time, reading time, reading time!

Lessons are given through workbooks according to age and grade level. We started by aiding to K-5th grade but due to all of the interest are now accommodating Preschool through Grade 6. It is difficult to assist so many children and such a wide range of ages at the same time. Luckily some youth from the community are helping when they can, taking some pressure off Lil and I. The students love the class, whether they are there to read or socialize with schoolmates, the turnout is bigger than planned for. Fridays are our ''fun days'' where we play games. This past Friday we did ring games; an important cultural tradition.

The Boiling Lake

Dominica has half of the Eastern Caribbean's twenty active volcanoes. Although they have been silent for the past 1000 years, bubbling sulfur springs, fumaroles, solfataras, and a massive boiling lake indicate that the volcanic activity below the ocean floor reaches the island's surface. Dominica's Boiling Lake, second in size to the Frying Pan lake of New Zealand, is 200ft wide. It is located five miles from the city at the core of the Morne Trois Piton National Park, a World Heritage Site. This steaming basin of earth is one of he most amazing geothermal features on earth.The Valley of Desolation, just a few miles from the Boiling Lake, is another of the island's spectacular hot spots. The floor of the valley resembles a multicolored spattered canvas, from which solfataras and fumaroles spurt.discoverdominica.com

Volunteers and myself took the holiday to hike the toughest route on Dominica. The boiling lake was intense and beautiful at the same time. After about an hour of hiking we reached "breakfast river", filled our water bottles and had a snack.