Jam Pic Series # 14 - Behind the Scenes

Nicole and I cruising in the back of a pickup.

Danny and I - Baronhall Coffee Plantation



My fav spot in all of Jam Rock - Treasure Beach



The legendary Jack Sprats

Black River after hours

My favorite Jamaican stray dog.

Security??...Security!

Mo Bay Sunset

Negril

Run Away Bay

Jam Pic Series # 13 - Hard at Work on a Friday - Getting Ready for Disaster Awareness Day

Judith, Chandia, and me loving our jobs

Art

Happy with the results.

Parish Council Study Group - Led by yours truly

Last week I was having a beer at the Waterloo guest house as per my typical evening routine, when I overheard a large group of what I thought were tourists talking about Canada. On my way out I happened to bump into a guy from the group, and being starved of Canadian companionship, started up a conversation about Canada. Turns out the group was actually from Brandon University in Manitoba and on a study tour, part of a class that Geography and Disaster Management students can take as an elective....pretty sweet class....the farthest I ever got to travel for school was Chicago... although I suppose some programs don’t get to travel at all so I shouldn’t complain. Seeing as how I’m working in a geography/development field, and regularly interact with the Disaster Management Department here at Parish Council, I thought it appropriate to invite the team of professors and students by the next day for a visit.  Of course I really didn’t think they would show up,....they seemed to have a pretty intense schedule and I really only spoke with one of the students in passing. I also didn’t know if the Disaster department would actually be around or free to chat with them. If they did show there was a good chance it would be me trying to lead an impromptu discussion..I’ve never been good in front of a crowd even when I’m prepared.

The next morning however, I was greeted promptly at 9:30..I say promptly because lateness is something I have become quite accustomed to in Jamaica, you know the old saying “Jamaican time”..with a knock on the door and 20 people that had piled into our 10 x 10 office. Thankfully Renee Brighton, the Disaster Management Coordinator and 2 of the Projects Abroad volunteers Fanny and Judith, which are in her department, were available to help me out and chat about disaster strategies that are employed in the parish. I was also able to talk about the Greater Treasure Beach Sustainable Development plan, which initiatives fit well with a number of the student’s research projects. As it turned out Jason Henzell, chair of the PDC, was around to elaborate on the PDC and Treasure Beach initiatives, as was Phil Rodriguez, Jamaica’s CUI representative. What started as me giving a quick talk about parish council and the development project had quickly turned in to an informal workshop of sorts with multiple speakers and what I would call a highly interactive and informative study session (if I do say so myself).

So the cool thing about this story is the lasting relationships a random encounter like this can create. Brandon University has been sending a study group to Jamaica for almost 20 years, with students examining a number of different research areas each year. The two Prof’s leading the tour expressed an interested in the development program and after establishing connections here in St. Elizabeth, plan on following up on an annual basis, even aligning student projects with the mandates of the plan.  

Jam Pic Series # 12 - Study Group at Parish Council...organized by yours truly





Jam Pic Series # 11 - File Storage Mayhem at Parish Council

Launch of the Greater Treasure Beach Sustainable Development Plan

February was an action packed month to say the least what with the launch of the Greater Treasure Beach Sustainable Development Plan scheduled for mid month (Feb. 18^th).   I think the launch of a program like this is comparable to opening a new restaurant. If you’ve ever seen the show “Opening Soon”, one of my favourites on the cooking network, you’d understand the mayhem that precedes the opening night of a new restaurant - renovations need to be complete, menu’s perfected, and staff hired and trained, all by the already advertised deadline. What seems like a completely manageable task 3 months prior to the date becomes utter mayhem and stress as the weeks tick away.  However with a strong team working together to achieve a common mandate, ie the launch of a restaurant, or a sustainable development plan of course, same thing really right...the kinks in the project naturally work themselves out, loose ends are tied, and the launch goes off without a hitch. At least this is what happened for the Parish Council / PDC all stars.  

Reflecting on the month, I’m not even sure what else I worked on even though I did work on other things...it all seems a bit of a blur really. I’m fairly certain I blacked out for a good portion of it.  Really though, I think when I reflect on my internship and all my time in Jamaica, this experience will definitely be a highlight. Being a part of this initiative and having the opportunity to see all the different project partners, stakeholders, and members of the public unite for a common goal was truly a rewarding experience.

Jam Pic Series # 10 - Launch of the Greater Treasure Beach Sustainable Development Plan

 

The Space - we even had plants brought in to spruce
up the grounds.



Ribbon Cutting - The official opening of the PDC

office at Parish Council



Signing of the MOU - Monumental moment for St. Elizabeth





Planners Unite





GQ Pose - A much needed pole lean
after a long but successful 3 days.

Back in Jam Town

Well my Canadian Christmas has come and gone and I'm back in sunny Jam town. Good thing too as I've heard from numerous sources that Toronto has been barraged with a monumental amount of snow. I'm fairly certain I'm the only CUI intern to have made the trip home for the holidays, so I consider myself extra lucky. Arriving back in Jamaica felt a bit like how the start of summer holidays feel when you're 12 I have to say. I was thrown right back into the mix of Jamaican life too, traveling in a minivan, yes minivan, that held 23, yes 23 people. I sat on the edge of my seat with my giant travel bag on my lap for the entire trip back to Mandeville, where I spent the night before heading to Black River in the morning. After the cramped journey and almost 2 weeks away from Jamaica, I was desperately in need of a fried chicken fix. Not to worry, after striking out at the first restaurant I checked (apparently many shops stop serving food at around 4) I was led around by an 8 year old tour guide who was determined to get me some chicken. He succeeded and after giving me an exuberant high five, I was finally able to consume a large quantity of chicken curry and rice and peas. Good to be back.

Oh yeah, back to the weather contrast..I'm feeling the need to rub it in right now. Today was a balmy 28 in Black River, and last weekend I spent a total of 6 hours swimming in the ocean with my 4th trip to Treasure Beach, quite possibly my favorite area of the Jamaica, and hope to double that this weekend with my 3rd trip to Negril. I also had my first night out in Black River. Yes,  you heard correctly. I've been here more than 3 months and had not been out in the evening. Not safe to walk around solo I was told. Up until now I've been the only intern/volunteer in Black River. Well there was a lovely girl named Rachel from England here for my first week, but she was on her way out as I was coming in. Last week 2 new volunteers arrived though and this week another 2 are settling in. While my fellow Jamaican work folk are great, they actually don't live in Black River. So me and my 3 new friends decided to hit the town. Well, as I predicted there is nothing open in Black River after 6pm. Except for the Waterloo Guest House which is owned by the family I'm staying with. I also have lunch there prettttyyyy much every day. So with limited options we headed to Waterloo.

But really none of this is relevant to what I initially wanted to write about. However I suppose providing a bit of a context for where I'm at now doesn't hurt. I actually wanted to show a picture of me at work, seeing as how I haven't actually posted one yet. Somewhat self indulgent I know.  But seeing as how most of my time is spent in exactly this position... I'm at my computer pretty much the entire day right now, as the project has yet to really take flight, I thought it relevant. Hopefully the official launch of the project will be in mid Feb, and from that point I'll be in the field a lot more, working with the community, doing site analysis etc. Anyways, here's the picture. Oh and below is pic of the Waterloo Guest House. As I said I spend a lot of time there. Lunches, occasionally for a beer to watch the sunset and now for our a night out here or there. Now that it's peak travel season, it's actually a pretty decent place to meet other travelers too. Oh and did I mention it was the first house in Jamaica to have electricity?? Because it was.

Oh and this was a surprise picture, hence the lack of facial expression.

The ole Waterloo Guest House.