Category: * Life Updates

* Life Updates, * Peace Corps

Peace Corps DIY Ingenuity- Part 2

mcmeeshi

The following photos were collected from current Peace Corps Volunteers around the island to share how they’ve gotten into the Jamaican spirit of resourcefulness and ingenuity. See the first set of crafty, make-shift items by Volunteers in the original post: Do It Yourself: Peace Corps DIY Ingenuity

Truly Trash to Treasure: Courtney (recently finished service) and Brandi
recycled crafts purse tableBookshelf, purse, and table: Brandi sent in three photos, two of which were made by her former site-mate, Courtney. “Scandal bags cut into string and crocheted together into a purse by Courtney. A bookshelf made from cardboard, tape, and a Jamaica travel magazine.” Brandi says: “She was always much craftier than me. This one was so valuable to me that I carted it in a mini bus from her site to mine after she left.” And lastly, by Brandi herself: “My antique end tables made from my (full) PC issued water buckets and covered in fabric.” Continue reading “Peace Corps DIY Ingenuity- Part 2” →

* Jedd Thoughts, * Life Updates

Everyday Thanksgiving

simplyintentional

givethanks
Wherever you are in the world, whoever you are, as you read this I am hoping that you have something to be thankful for.

Amidst all the things going on in the world, specifically the misguided attention that the media and businesses try to emphasize regarding Thanksgiving and the holiday season in general, I’m asking that we consider this time right now as an opportunity to refocus and intentionally think about what it means to be thankful…before it’s too late. Too late for what?

Loss. Separation. Regret.

In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, in light of the terrible situation caused by Typhoon Haiyan, and reflecting on 20 months of being a volunteer, I’ve realized that if our world is ever going to change for the better, it will have to start with our values. We can start by being more appreciative of what we have at this moment because life can change in an instant. I will be the first to confess that I Continue reading “Everyday Thanksgiving” →

* Jedd Thoughts, * Life Updates

Intentional Eating

simplyintentional
My go to lunch – Fried Chicken, macroni salad, and rice and peas underneath

(two weeks ago)

Peace Corps Nurse: “Jedd, I don’t like that number, you are borderline for high blood pressure?”

Me: “What?”

It didn’t make any sense to me. Michelle and I workout 6 times a week in the morning, going against my Myers Brigg personality type that would rather sleep in and work out when I feel like it. I’ve lost weight since moving to Jamaica (which is an incredible feat in itself because of the tasty, sugary, starchy, and fatty food). I’m pretty sure I weigh less than what I weighed in college.

So how could I be borderline for high blood pressure?

Nurse: “Are you sleeping well?” “Are you anxious about anything?”

Me: “Been sleeping ok and feeling ok.”

Nurse: “Are you eating a lot of salt in your diet?”

Me: “So fried chicken twice a week and adding salt to other meals isn’t a good thing?”

I’m an emotional eater. I eat when I feel like it, and I eat what I feel like eating. There’s never been a science to me regarding what I ate. I love to eat and I eat what gives me pleasure. Looking back at this past summer, I went through a stressful time running summer camps and I think I coped with my stress with eating. Did I think about the consequences for what I ate? I didn’t really think too much about it till recently. A warning for high blood pressure was a good wake-up call for me, I needed to make a change. Continue reading “Intentional Eating” →

* Jedd Thoughts, * Life Updates, * Peace Corps

3rd Goal: More Than Just a Blog

simplyintentional
PCVs Sara (Thailand), Jessica (Mexico), Jen and Josh (Ethiopia), and us
PCVs Sara (Thailand), Jessica (Mexico), Jen and Josh (Ethiopia), and us

Last week, Michelle and I spent a few days in Washington D.C. as part of Peace Corps’ “Blog it Home” contest hosted by the Office of 3rd Goal. We were honored and humbled to be selected along with 4 other Peace Corps Volunteers from around the world (Ethiopia, Mexico, and Thailand) for the ways in which we use our blog to share about our experiences and about our countries of service.

The 3rd goal of Peace Corps is:

 “To help Americans understand the people and cultures of other countries. It is one of the three goals that support the mission of the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship.“

What is humbling about the whole thing is that we Continue reading “3rd Goal: More Than Just a Blog” →

* Life Updates, * Michelle Thoughts, * Peace Corps

Summer Soon Come: An Update

mcmeeshi
The colors and textures of my classroom
The colors and textures of my classroom

The photos above come from my little room at the school where I do pull-out groups and one-on-one sessions for struggling readers. On especially chaotic days, this place becomes my haven. Can you tell what each photo is? (I’ll post the answers in the comments section of this post.)

What’s Happening
The Jamaican school year continues through the first week of July. I’m currently wrapping up my last full week of classes as we will be attended our Mid-Service Conference all next week and then graduation is the Tuesday after we get back. The Mid-Service Conference (MSC) is the second of three Peace Corps conferences, strategically placed around the one-year-of-service mark. We gather with the other volunteers from our original training group and also bring a Jamaican counterpart for the first three days. We’re both really looking forward to it. Once summer break hits, we’ll be involved in some summer camps, both at my school and at the community center where Jedd volunteers; then we’ll get to take our first, big two-week leave! This summer is going to fly by.

Progress Reports
At school, I’ve done some end-of-year testing to see how the kids have progressed. I started with grade three and was sort of underwhelmed at first. There were 13 third graders that I worked with at least 20 times in the past school year (some up to 38 times each, a combination of group and one-on-one sessions). Everyone improved in one way or another, but none of them are all the way up to their grade level yet. Two of them are close. When I got to the fourth graders, I was surprised to see that many of them had advanced by two whole grade levels. I thought about how these kids had been stuck at a kindergarten level for the past three years, many of them not knowing what sound the letters make, not recognizing the most common two-letter words. With just a little more individualized attention, they finally started to move ahead! It feels really good to see that tangible improvement. I have a feeling the effect is even more significant with my grade one and two students. Next year, I plan to narrow down my classes so I can invest more time into each student and hopefully push them even further.

-M

* Life Updates, * Michelle Thoughts, * Peace Corps, Videos

A New Year Post

mcmeeshi

Although we’ve both experienced Christmas away from home before, this was our first in Jamaica. Downtown is the place to be on Christmas Eve, where shops are open until the wee hours of the morning and the main street is packed with families, teens dressed to the nines, and last-minute shoppers.

Christmas Eve at the downtown Sav-la-Mar night market
Christmas Eve at the downtown Sav-la-Mar night market

Christmas morning we went to a sunrise church service then spent some time with our host family singing carols. I introduced them to my own family’s Christmas morning tradition of home-made cinnamon rolls, which I think went over pretty well. Since it was also Grandma’s 89th birthday, they hosted extended family and friends for a dinner party in the yard, as well as a Boxing Day party the very next afternoon. We also enjoyed Boxing Day dinner at Jedd’s supervisor’s home.

The completed nativity scene (I ran out of glue for the three kings so they'll come next year)
The completed nativity scene (I ran out of glue for the three kings so they’ll come next year)

So we kept busy and enjoyed our Christmas, despite being far from home. And we had my parents’ visit to look forward to over New Years, which turned out to be all that we could have hoped for. We plan to share a few of their observations about Jamaica in our next post. Until then…
-M

* Jedd Thoughts, * Life Updates, * Peace Corps

When life gives you storms you…

simplyintentional

Tomorrow Michelle and I and all of us on the island of Jamaica will be hunkering down as tropical storm, soon to be, hurricane Sandy will be making an unexpected and most un-welcomed visit. Its strange because Saturday, we got caught outside in a storm waiting for a bus and taxi and the only thing I can say is that it was humbling. I had never been outside with such heavy rainfall and the loudest, the brightest lightning, and the most earth shattering thunder. Thankfully a bus driver we knew picked us from the tiny shelter we stood under on the side of the road. I had grown up with these kind of storms but it’s been awhile can’t imagine what this will be like.

So yeah…bit nervous about this storm. Now Michelle and I are in a safe place. Probably won’t have internet for a couple of days, probably won’t have power, and probably will be eating can food, but really, that’s not what i’m concerned about. What really worries me is Continue reading “When life gives you storms you…” →

* Jedd Thoughts, * Life Updates, * Peace Corps

6 Month Review: Part 2 – Little Victories

simplyintentional

Little Victories: So time can be our friend and our enemy. With the same kind of perspective, the development work that Michelle and I are trying to accomplish can be equally frustrating and rewarding depending on the day. We just spent a week at a Peace Corps conference with other volunteers around the island and it seemed that we all seemed to agree on the importance of celebrating the “Little Victories”. The little victories principle in short is about Continue reading “6 Month Review: Part 2 – Little Victories” →

* Jedd Thoughts, * Life Updates, * Peace Corps

6 Month Review: Part 1 – Time

simplyintentional


To adequately and accurately describe the experience of the last 6 months would be like trying to describe the concept of infinity to a two year old; it exists, but it’s impossible to explain.

Where do I start? I guess I’ll try my best to work it out in themes. 

TIME: As of today we have been on island and in the country of Jamaica for 6 months, 2 weeks, and 4 days. Depending on the day and mood we are in, this can either seem like a Continue reading “6 Month Review: Part 1 – Time” →

* Life Updates, * Michelle Thoughts, * Peace Corps

Boys Camp

mcmeeshi

I’ve spent the last month and a half assessing a long list of low-achieving students provided by each teacher. One at a time, I pulled them out of class and sat down with them to find out about their home life, their interests, and also their reading level. Using the Jamaican Ministry of Education’s reading diagnostic tool, I determined that most of the kids I saw were still confusing some letter names, were not familiar with saying the sounds that letters make, had no concept of how to sound out an unfamiliar word, and didn’t know the sight words for their grade level. From first through fifth grade, about 1/3 of the students at the school were below their reading level with a vast majority reading below the first grade level (including many fifth graders).

Jedd teaches life skills with a game for the boys

But this week was the start of summer, and the guidance counselor and I had put together a two-day program for some of the low-achieving boys. Continue reading “Boys Camp” →