So in Belize the entire month of September is basically one big party month. There are holidays placed strategically throughout the month giving me various days off from work, and many cultural events to attend. The first was St. Georges Caye (pronounced Key) day, September 10. It marks one of the biggest battles ever won in Belize. But the mother of all celebrations is September 21st, Independence day. Belize gained its independence in 1981, so it is still a baby as far as countries go, being only 27 years old. It was actually a really cool experience sharing the day with people who had actually been around for the first independence day in 81. During mass on Sunday Fr. Dick asked those parishioners who were around during the first independence day to raise their hand and nearly half the congregation had remembered the day. I unfortunately didn't get to talk to many people about the events of that day. But hopefully with time those stories will come.
The celebrations started on Thursday for Zu, Pat and I, bobby was still in Honduras so we were only three for the weekend. We decided it would be fun to attend the big karaoke contest, held in the local sports complex. The event was scheduled to begin at 7, so we showed up at 8 knowing that true to belizean form most things never start on time. We were in fact an hour early and things didn't get underway until 9pm. It was raining pretty badly outside so the turnout was pretty low, only ten contestants actually participated. Now if you thought karaoke in the states was funny, maybe a little embarrassing, sometimes a little silly, you would be correct but in Belize it is HYSTERICAL. My room mates and i couldn't help but crack up at each NSYNC, Celine or old time country song that came on, (Sad Movies anyone?). There was country, pop, Spanish love songs, even some Musical theater in the form of Grease, made an appearance. We left before the competition was over but the grand prize was 500 bucks so many of the contestants, and audience, took the competition pretty seriously. We heard that there was some dispute about the final grand prize winner and most of the audience was upset by the results. Regardless of who won it gave us a good two hours of sheer entertainment and many laughs.
Saturday night at midnight (so really Sunday morning) marked the first moment of independence day which is celebrated every year by a flag raising at the Central Park, a 21 Gun salute and fireworks. We didn't make it to the park this year, but it will be a must for next year. We instead waited for the fireworks at our house, which over looks the Caribbean sea and the pier where the fireworks were to be shot off. So we secured our seats on our veranda and waited for the fireworks. They were amazing. Not the best I'd ever seen, but definitely the closest. They went on for about half an hour, and afterwards we stayed up on the veranda talking till about 2 in the morning.
This was a bad decision because i had to be up for mass and ready to march in the parade with TCC at 730 the next morning. i rolled out of bed at 7 and began my day in somewhat of a tired daze. I was quickly awoken as soon as i got to school and had to help finish the float and march with my students during the 3 hour long parade. Not only was the parade and ceremonies three hours long but it was out in the blazing heat at the worst time of day 9am to about 12pm (the hottest time of day in Belize). Despite the heat and early hour, it was pretty cool to be marching in a parade again, i think the last time i was part of any type of parade was during homecoming in high school, so it was really a blast from the past for me. A lot of my life here in Belize thus far as reminded me a lot of high school. This is most likely attributed to my job placement and spending a majority of my time with high schoolers in a high school. It has really given me an opportunity to reflect back on high school and has helped me to realize how much fun i actually had. The parade was Hot but Fun, i got my first Belisean sun burn, and had some good bonding time with my students and some of the staff.
Sunday afternoon we went out to central park to check out the activities. We met up with some of the Peace Corps, one of whom was doing a tumbling show, during the celebrations (he started a Punta Gorda tumbling team and they are really amazing!!). We watched them compete then stuck around to see the egg toss, marble on the spoon, and beer chugging competition. But the best part of the day was the punta competition and the grease poll competition. Punta rock is the local music and punta is the local dance, involving insane gyration of the hips and butt. some of these kids could move their bodies in way i could have never imagined. the best part of this dance however is that your hips are the only part of your body which moves. its like a mix between pop and lock hiphop and crazy hula or belly dancing. Everyone gets really into it and some of the dancers were really good! Finally there was the greasy poll competition. This was something i had never heard of before, but Pat informed me that sometimes at Italian festivals it makes an appearance. its basically a telephone poll lubed up with grease or oil and a bag at the top. the object is to knock down the bag by climbing up the poll. Now one could never do this alone so you need to have a team, there were two teams who competed and only one was successful. The teams, all male, would stand on each others shoulder and attempt to hold onto the poll but as they climbed higher and higher and got greasier and greasier it was virtually impossible to climb up even their team mates bodies. People were loosing their pants, shirts and at one point three grown men, all one on top of the other, just slipped (whoop) straight down the poll crashing to the floor. It looked a little dangerous, and it probably was, but it was also one of the funniest things i have ever seen. Their faces covered with black grease and their sheer determination to make it to the top proved to be a pretty entertaining event.
independence day was a great example of what i have come to realize Punta Gorda is all about, having a good time and celebrating your pride in your country. PG knows how to throw a party and i had a lot of fun getting out into the community and participating in life here. While at some points i felt a little out of place because i am not actually belisean, most of the people don't care as long as they know you are having a good time, and i definitely had a great weekend.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Go with the flow. . . order new running shoes
ohhh frustration. I am normally a pretty cool, go with the flow kind of person. Well the past two weeks have really put to test that part of my personality. I began my work at Toledo Community College on the 25th of September. The first week was only orientation and had been pushed back from the previous week due to changes in the administration of the school. I figured oh great an extra week of summer vacation and an extra week to spend with the Belize city volunteers who were visiting. little did i know that this was the only joy i would find in the administration changes at TCC.
The story begins last march when the political party which had been in control for about 10 to 12 years changed. so we went from the PUP (peoples united party) to the udp (united democratic party). I am still unaware of the specific political views of these parties but from what i have heard there isnt much difference between the two. With the change in government came a change in all of the ministers of government, including that of education. The past principle of TCC had been an outspoken supporter of the PUP and decided/was basically forced to resign upon the victory of the UDP. So about 2 weeks before school he resigned and the vice principle was appointed temporary principle for the week of orientation. Orientation went rather smoothly and we were promised a new principle by Wednesday. only when Wednesday rolled around we were again with out a principle. We were told the board couldnt make up their mind between the current temporary principle and the other candidate who was a science teacher. Finally by friday morning the day the new principle and board were supposed to introduce themselves and give us a welcome speech we were told that the science teacher would be given the job of principle.
now this came to a shock to me, because the temporary principle seemed to be overly qualified he had been at TCC for nearly 15 years was very energetic had a great report with the faculty and seemed to be loved by all. While the other staff member were slightly put off by the decision they weren't as surprised. The newly elected principle was a supporter of the current political party, the UDP, and was basically told by the members of the board to apply. ONly later did i learn that the board had overturned a majority vote to allow him to become the new principle. So i was shocked but relieved that things were getting settled and hopefully on track for the school year to begin on Monday, mind you this was again Friday. I was again surprised when the newly appointed principle said there would be changes to the Admin team (which includes two vice principles and about 8 heads of departments) At first i thought oh hes only going to fill the position he left as head of the science department. Alas i was wrong with in the next 20 mins he had managed to replace the entire Administration with the exception of two heads of department. He also handed out new courses to teachers who had already been working on course outlines all week.
This blew me out of the water! Here most of these people who have been working all summer for this school were instantaneously replaced by people with fewer years of experience and suffered a pay cut all because of their affiliation with a certain political party, or a rumored friendship with the former principle (who still teaches at the school as an English teacher). The lack of job security astounded me. It would be like my mom loosing her job because she didn't vote for Bush, or we had an Obama sign out side of our house. It was crazy! For one of the first times in a long while i felt proud of the American "democracy" we have. For all the times i have criticized it in the past at least most US Americans don't have to fear their jobs when they speak about who they support politically.
What astounded me more was the lack of response from the other faculty members. no one said a word, i would suspect because they were too scared or feared their own jobs, but still no union reps were there it was just mind boggling to me. So i went home a little put off, but never the less hoping to make the best of what Monday had to bring. So when i got home that night i heard from one of my room mates who works with someone on the school board that that new principle acted too quickly in the mind of the board and was not supposed to fire, promote, or demote anyone. The board was in meetings supposedly all weekend deciding what was to be done, and by Monday morning they decided that the old vice principles were to return to their regular posts as VP's. But when they showed up the locks were changed on their doors and they could not enter their offices to take their jobs back. It was crazy, like something out of a movie, one of the VP's called the police and media even showed up to document the entire thing. Now this was the first full day of school students and all had arrived and were expecting classes. it was pretty confusing to say the least. I was mostly concerned for the students i felt like none of these decisions were being made with their best interest in mind, but rather the political interests of the teachers and current government.
Again on Tuesday morning the two newly appointed Vice Principles resigned and the old VP's who were told to return to their jobs could do so on Friday September 5th. For that entire first month however teacher students and administrators were confused and i was dumbfounded. Yesterday the second Monday of school a week after all the craziness i was given a new schedule of when to teach my courses and i am hoping this is the last and final change i will have to make, and we as a school will have to make.
I look at this experience with my first two weeks at TCC as a window into the political world of Belize and most newly independent countries, Belize only gained its independence in 1981. So it is still a very new country. But what was the most frustrating and astounding was the sheer disregard for the status of the students. I sat one day in the cafeteria with an entire class of second years who had been left off the class lists. they sat for about 2 hours while the administration tried to place them in a class room. The principle mind you was no where to be found, and when i finally did see him he was on his cell phone or walking around talking. Whats worse is that the students knew about it, they were saying things like oh this is all because of the politics, and I'm not coming back to school tomorrow this is ridiculous. i wouldn't blame them, they pay way more than their parents can afford to go to this school and to just sit in the cafeteria on the second day of school for 3 hours is just not fair. I am hoping this was a momentary blip on the record of an other wise pretty good school and that neglecting the students isn't a normal practice. From the teachers I've spoken to it doesn't seem like it, but you can never tell with things changing so quickly.
Frustration 2
As some of you know i was planning on training for a marathon while down here in Belize. So i packed my shoes and was determined to start running as soon as possible. But the first day of orientation i hurt my knee while beginning my quest for 26.2 miles. and it hasn't been right since. one of the Belize City volunteers Kristen is a marathon runner, and has done 4 at home in the states, so we were going to be each other motivation (well shes really my and her motivation all in one) We also roped in my room mate Pat to join along in the fun. pat has been amazing at getting me up at 530 every morning to run, but i just cant seem to push myself far enough or through the pain of my knee. It is so ironic that i can sit around all summer with out any real motivation to work out and then the second i put some effort in boom I'm turned around. I've taken to being patient with myself on our runs and not pushing things too much because i don't know what is wrong and don't want to do any real damage to my body (my health insurance is existent but now wonderful). So this again has been a test to my flexibility and my patience with myself.
the past two weeks have definitely been a test of my patience, both with myself and with the structures and systems that surround me in Belize. I am hoping to only get positive things from these experiences and maybe gaining more a perspective for my own limits as well as gaining some respect for the American ways of life/government I was so quickly to judge and bash in the past.
As for now I'm doing my best going with the flow, laughing off frustration and ordering some new running shoes.
The story begins last march when the political party which had been in control for about 10 to 12 years changed. so we went from the PUP (peoples united party) to the udp (united democratic party). I am still unaware of the specific political views of these parties but from what i have heard there isnt much difference between the two. With the change in government came a change in all of the ministers of government, including that of education. The past principle of TCC had been an outspoken supporter of the PUP and decided/was basically forced to resign upon the victory of the UDP. So about 2 weeks before school he resigned and the vice principle was appointed temporary principle for the week of orientation. Orientation went rather smoothly and we were promised a new principle by Wednesday. only when Wednesday rolled around we were again with out a principle. We were told the board couldnt make up their mind between the current temporary principle and the other candidate who was a science teacher. Finally by friday morning the day the new principle and board were supposed to introduce themselves and give us a welcome speech we were told that the science teacher would be given the job of principle.
now this came to a shock to me, because the temporary principle seemed to be overly qualified he had been at TCC for nearly 15 years was very energetic had a great report with the faculty and seemed to be loved by all. While the other staff member were slightly put off by the decision they weren't as surprised. The newly elected principle was a supporter of the current political party, the UDP, and was basically told by the members of the board to apply. ONly later did i learn that the board had overturned a majority vote to allow him to become the new principle. So i was shocked but relieved that things were getting settled and hopefully on track for the school year to begin on Monday, mind you this was again Friday. I was again surprised when the newly appointed principle said there would be changes to the Admin team (which includes two vice principles and about 8 heads of departments) At first i thought oh hes only going to fill the position he left as head of the science department. Alas i was wrong with in the next 20 mins he had managed to replace the entire Administration with the exception of two heads of department. He also handed out new courses to teachers who had already been working on course outlines all week.
This blew me out of the water! Here most of these people who have been working all summer for this school were instantaneously replaced by people with fewer years of experience and suffered a pay cut all because of their affiliation with a certain political party, or a rumored friendship with the former principle (who still teaches at the school as an English teacher). The lack of job security astounded me. It would be like my mom loosing her job because she didn't vote for Bush, or we had an Obama sign out side of our house. It was crazy! For one of the first times in a long while i felt proud of the American "democracy" we have. For all the times i have criticized it in the past at least most US Americans don't have to fear their jobs when they speak about who they support politically.
What astounded me more was the lack of response from the other faculty members. no one said a word, i would suspect because they were too scared or feared their own jobs, but still no union reps were there it was just mind boggling to me. So i went home a little put off, but never the less hoping to make the best of what Monday had to bring. So when i got home that night i heard from one of my room mates who works with someone on the school board that that new principle acted too quickly in the mind of the board and was not supposed to fire, promote, or demote anyone. The board was in meetings supposedly all weekend deciding what was to be done, and by Monday morning they decided that the old vice principles were to return to their regular posts as VP's. But when they showed up the locks were changed on their doors and they could not enter their offices to take their jobs back. It was crazy, like something out of a movie, one of the VP's called the police and media even showed up to document the entire thing. Now this was the first full day of school students and all had arrived and were expecting classes. it was pretty confusing to say the least. I was mostly concerned for the students i felt like none of these decisions were being made with their best interest in mind, but rather the political interests of the teachers and current government.
Again on Tuesday morning the two newly appointed Vice Principles resigned and the old VP's who were told to return to their jobs could do so on Friday September 5th. For that entire first month however teacher students and administrators were confused and i was dumbfounded. Yesterday the second Monday of school a week after all the craziness i was given a new schedule of when to teach my courses and i am hoping this is the last and final change i will have to make, and we as a school will have to make.
I look at this experience with my first two weeks at TCC as a window into the political world of Belize and most newly independent countries, Belize only gained its independence in 1981. So it is still a very new country. But what was the most frustrating and astounding was the sheer disregard for the status of the students. I sat one day in the cafeteria with an entire class of second years who had been left off the class lists. they sat for about 2 hours while the administration tried to place them in a class room. The principle mind you was no where to be found, and when i finally did see him he was on his cell phone or walking around talking. Whats worse is that the students knew about it, they were saying things like oh this is all because of the politics, and I'm not coming back to school tomorrow this is ridiculous. i wouldn't blame them, they pay way more than their parents can afford to go to this school and to just sit in the cafeteria on the second day of school for 3 hours is just not fair. I am hoping this was a momentary blip on the record of an other wise pretty good school and that neglecting the students isn't a normal practice. From the teachers I've spoken to it doesn't seem like it, but you can never tell with things changing so quickly.
Frustration 2
As some of you know i was planning on training for a marathon while down here in Belize. So i packed my shoes and was determined to start running as soon as possible. But the first day of orientation i hurt my knee while beginning my quest for 26.2 miles. and it hasn't been right since. one of the Belize City volunteers Kristen is a marathon runner, and has done 4 at home in the states, so we were going to be each other motivation (well shes really my and her motivation all in one) We also roped in my room mate Pat to join along in the fun. pat has been amazing at getting me up at 530 every morning to run, but i just cant seem to push myself far enough or through the pain of my knee. It is so ironic that i can sit around all summer with out any real motivation to work out and then the second i put some effort in boom I'm turned around. I've taken to being patient with myself on our runs and not pushing things too much because i don't know what is wrong and don't want to do any real damage to my body (my health insurance is existent but now wonderful). So this again has been a test to my flexibility and my patience with myself.
the past two weeks have definitely been a test of my patience, both with myself and with the structures and systems that surround me in Belize. I am hoping to only get positive things from these experiences and maybe gaining more a perspective for my own limits as well as gaining some respect for the American ways of life/government I was so quickly to judge and bash in the past.
As for now I'm doing my best going with the flow, laughing off frustration and ordering some new running shoes.
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