Keeping In Touch

I brought my tired old LG cell phone with me but had it ‘unlocked’ before I came. This enabled me to remove my ATT Sim card and replace it with one from the local cell provider here. I’ve set up my account with ATT so when I return home, I just swap the cards and will have my original number activated again.  In Antigua I signed up as a pay as you go customer with LIME, otherwise known as Cable and Wireless. The rates are pretty good and you can ‘Top Up’ your account in most roadside stores, supermarkets as well as online. Coverage on the island is excellent as many of the hills are topped by cell towers.  Being a very English place, phones here are not called ‘cell phones’ but simply ‘mobiles’ as in “I’ll give you a ring on your mobile after work.” 

Me Like Mr. President

As we approach the first anniversary of President Barack Obama’s election, the impact of that historic moment is evident here in Antigua. Boggy Peak, the highest mountain on the island was officially renamed ‘Mt. Obama’ during this past year. Signs of his popularity amongst the people can be found in many places.  Tee shirts with his image are readily available as well as a special version of the island’s famous Susie’s Hot Sauce.

Road Obstacles

It’s not often that you can say you almost hit a cow on your way to work unless you are from Texas or living in Antigua. There are always various forms of livestock on the sides of the roads here and the cows drag long ropes or chains that are fitted to collars around their necks.  The animals are used to cars and people but they sometimes act in unpredictable ways and accidents do happen.  I came very close to increasing the ground beef inventory on the island the other day but managed to avoid a collision.  In the event that I manage to produce some bovine road kill, I am thinking that the victim’s horns would look good mounted on Subi’s front grill. I’ll just have to get a cowboy hat to match!

National Exams

Last week my school took part in administering national assessments in Language Arts and Mathematics.  All 3^rd and 5^th graders on the island are tested each year to see what they learned in 2^nd and 4rth grade.  The tests took about 90 minutes for students to complete. For two days this week, I left my class in the care of substitute teacher and I joined fifth grade teachers from schools all over the island to mark the tests. About 60 of us sat down and worked on heaps of papers. Each test had to be checked twice and teachers with smaller classes helped those with large enrollments. It was interesting to chat with teachers from the government (public) schools and to look at their students’ work.  For the Language Arts test, students had to write to the prompt: ‘Tell about a time you were punished’.  It was quite evident that corporal punishment is alive and well in some of the schools here as students recounted the number of ‘licks’ they received for a variety of misdemeanors ranging from stealing lunch money to wearing pants too low on the hips. 

Campus Visitor #2

As mentioned in a previous blog posting, the campus surrounds fields that are home to many creatures. It is not uncommon to look out the classroom window to see one.  It always causes a stir with the students and some good discussion on a variety of animal related topics.

Coconut Palms

On a recent hike in the Body Ponds watershed, we came across some coconuts that were sprouting. We carried them home and planted them in a pot. I hope to transplant them on the grounds of Sea Breeze to provide some shade. They are beautiful plants that grow quite tall and provide good fruit as well as a constant rushing sound as their fronds rasp against each other in the wind.

Mango Frenzy

Julie Mangoes are the highly coveted variety during the mango season.  They are small, firm when ripe and have an intense sweet flavor. They also have a small pit/seed without too much fibrous matter.  In the markets here, they appear in crates from Antigua and Dominica and it is a matter of days before they are ready for eating.  

Eating ripe mangoes takes a little bit of forethought as the juices start flowing down your lower jaw on the first bite and if you’re in your work clothes, it can cause a problem.  I prefer to eat a ripe mango while standing in knee-high water at the beach and then rinse off in the cool waters. Some say that fresh mango juice acts as a shark repellent too.

Boys and Their Boats

When friends here invite some of the new staff at the school out on the water, it is hard for me to say no.  We arrived at the dock with our masks and snorkel and plenty of sunscreen.  With everything stowed and the twin 250hp outboards warmed up, we headed down the channel to open water. The coastline we passed is highly variegated with all kinds of little coves, points and beaches. Our hosts buzzed us around to the far eastern side of the island to a small deserted cay where we dropped the anchor and swam for hours among beautiful coral heads and brightly colored fish.  On the return trip we swung by a beach-front restaurant for a wonderful afternoon meal. With all hands pushing, we managed to dislodge the stern of the boat from the sandy bottom where it had settled during our lunch. We sped back to port following the setting sun. A great day out on the waves!

Steelworker for a Day

On the campus grounds of the school, there are some old dilapidated buildings that were damaged during a past hurricane and have become derelict. The long-term plan is to renovate them for classroom space or other school use. One Saturday morning, I volunteered to help with the removal of a twisted net off steel beams, rafters and posts that posed a major obstacle to future rehabilitation work.  I met a few other staff members and Stephen, a metal worker from a local shipyard. He brought his acetylene torch and gas bottles and within minutes was cutting pieces that we were able to lift and pile to the side.  The force of that long past hurricane was evident in how tortured some of the pieces were. As the pile of smaller pieces diminished, we focused our attention on the more dangerous overhead heavier pieces.  Before each cut was made, we used our amateur engineering skills and discussed at length the safest place to stand, which way the steel would fall when released and good escape routes.  Luckily, our ‘safety first’ approach worked and within 3 hours, the whole site was cleaned up.

Subi the Mitsubishi

            For a vehicle, I ended up with a 1999 Mitsubishi L200 pickup truck. It’s rather tattered around the edges but the 2.5 liter turbo diesel engine runs strong. She’s a right hand drive with a 5-speed manual transmission that I had to learn to shift with my left hand. Subi’s a four-door with a short bed and four-wheel drive. The four doors are great because they also double as a changing booth for the after work swim. In a sense, it’s the perfect car for the roads of Antigua, which are rough and will make a newer car feel old very quickly.

            Subi’s four-wheel drive and high clearance enable me to explore some remote places on the island such as Body Ponds, a rich watershed in the interior of the island and Savannah Beach, a beautiful sandy patch with good waves that is always deserted. These places and many others yet to be explored are only accessible with a vehicle like Subi. 

            The truck was not road ready and for the price, that was ok with me.  With help from some friends here, I found a reliable mechanic who got her running well for a very reasonable fee. Subi passed inspection at the Transportation Board with flying colors even though one taillight was patched up with tape and she tends to belch out a bit of smoke from her diesel engine. High on character and emissions too!  A new set of injector tips will help with the smoke issue but I’ve been told that all Mitsubishi diesels have the same problem.

            I spent some time cleaning the engine compartment, scraping off stick-on graphics from the previous owner and sprucing up the interior with new, matching seat covers. The CD player works, it has tinted windows and can fit five adults inside and 6 outside. She gets about 22 miles to the US gallon but this may not be accurate because of the several conversions required. Namely, the odometer is in kilometers, the pumps at the gas station give you Imperial Gallons, you pay for fuel in EC dollars and you drive on the left side of the road!

A Yacht of My Own

Soon after I arrived and noticed the wonderful bay that I live on, I put the word out that I was in the market for a small sailing dinghy so I could take a friend or two and explore some far off beaches or an outer reef.  I was fortunate to come across M who was willing to depart with an old Laser 2 if I would simply take it away. It is missing some important parts, mainly the rudder and shrouds, but the hull and sails are in good shape. Early this morning Javier and I picked up the boat and brought it to its new home at Willoughby Bay. It will take time before she is fit for sea and her commissioning ceremony takes place, so stay tuned. 

Prickly Things

There are many species of cacti that thrive in the dry climate of Antigua. We took a walk recently through a spot where Turk’s Head cacti were everywhere. They are beautiful plants that have delicate pink flowers and produce a small pink fruit called a cactus strawberry. It tastes a little like kiwi fruit. You’ve got to watch your step though as there are plenty of things that will scratch you!

Baby Goat on Campus

A baby goat appeared on campus and interrupted classes with a high pitched bleating.  There are some fields near the campus with cows, donkeys and many goats and it somehow, was separated from its mother. My students rushed to the window to see what was making the commotion and the third grade teacher, Mrs. M, picked up the little guy to move him outside the fence.  The goat kept on coming back and called loudly for its mother. Some sixth grade students tried to carry the goat up the hill to reunite it with the herd but had no luck. Success was met when K, the campus caretaker, was able to find the herd and return the 3 week old to its mom.

Our Neighboring Island

Montserrat is only 40 or so miles to the SW of Antigua and is visible when conditions are right. It is a British Overseas Territory with a population around 6000. It is smaller than Antigua but has an active volcano that currently is at a Hazard Level of 3 on a 5 point scale.  Yesterday, the volcano emitted a fairly large ash cloud. The last major volcanic explosion was on January 3 of this year. Check out more info at:

http://www.montserratvolcanoobservatory.info/

Moon Over the Bay

Willoughby Bay is a great setting for the rising of the full moon. This happened two nights ago and the view was amazing.  I am working on getting a small sailing dinghy in order to explore the island and there would be nothing better than to cross the bay some evening guided by the light of the moon. Stay tuned!

Mystery Holes- Solved!

Mystery Holes- Solved!

            Warning: The following is not for the faint of heart. I am not sure if I want to write this for fear no one will come to visit me while I am here, but since I’ve set up the suspense, I must follow through.  The mystery holes belong to small, cute, white-feathered ground doves that chirp pleasantly and are easily tamed. They are in their summer feeding grounds now but will be returning to the island soon. I wish that were the case.

The moment I uttered the question to my neighbor N, I knew I wouldn’t like the answer. “Why, those holes are where tarantulas live!” was her reply. “But they only come out if it rains.” she added quickly as she saw the look of disbelief and discomfort on my face. Now, I’m not an arachniphobe by any means but I’ve never been around spiders any bigger than a daddy longlegs let alone ones with venomous fangs or ones that have more hair than me.

            The skeptic in me thought maybe N didn’t know what she was talking about as she has only lived here for 25 years, so the next time it rained, I grabbed a flashlight and cautiously tip toed out into the yard to have a look for myself.   The rain brings out the tree frogs and I saw many of these small frogs on the grass making their pleasant chirping calls. “That’s really who makes the holes!” I tried to convince myself. “Tree frogs that live in the ground! Yes! That’s it! It has to be!”

            But then, I scanned my flashlight to see if I could find a frog in a hole and the beam caught what I didn’t want to see. There, at the opening of one of the holes, were the spindly, hairy legs of a tarantula reaching out into the night. Its little eyes caught the glare of the flashlight and in a moment it was gone. I came upon another hole and saw a second spider peering out. The third sighting convinced me that N was right as this time it appeared that the spider was retreating into its den with a frog! So much for my theory!

            The next day, N called to say here brother-in-law had dug up a tarantula’s hole while gardening and captured the occupant. I grabbed my camera and snapped away at the slow moving spider. N went on to say that they are not a danger to people. They tend to stay out of houses especially those up on stilts like mine. She did say that they like to crawl into shoes and that’s how she was bitten once. “Just like a bee sting!” she grinned.  So now, I am in the habit of knocking my shoes together before tucking in my tender, tantalizing toes. That’s all you have to do, as well, when you come to visit so don’t worry.

            I am still interested in getting the croquet set and thought it would be a neat challenge to play barefoot croquet in the rain with headlamps.  Anyone game?

Reading Competition -Part 3

            Thursday’s competition was between 8 semi-finalists from Antigua and two from our sister island of Barbuda. My students carried books with them to keep them occupied during the down times. I had some time to chat with some of the other teachers who accompanied their students and was pleased at the commonalities that we share as colleagues despite our varied experiences.

            Thursday’s reading selection was from the newspaper and, therefore, did not have as much opportunity for dramatic expression. It did have more challenging vocabulary and many of the contestants stumbled over words such as: ‘Halcyon’, ‘distinguished’, ‘officiated’, and ‘mediation’.  Our E performed valiantly and in the end tied for third place with a student from Piggots Primary School earning herself a trip to the island wide finals on Friday. Yet another field trip for our class?

            The principal and I agreed that three days out of school would be too much for the class and so E went on Friday with her teacher from last year. We anxiously awaited the news and tried to find the contest on the radio where it was supposedly being broadcast. Soon after lunch, one of the girls shouted, “There’s E!” and the whole class piled out the door to greet her as she came across the courtyard.  A smile of relief was on her face as she announced that she did not win but came in second by one point! We all showered her with comments that showed how proud we were of her and her efforts.  The class is now excited about holding a school-wide reading competition based on what we had  seen. 

Reading Competition – Part 2

            On Tuesday we reboarded the bus for the trip to the House of Culture. We arrived early and then had to wait for a while before all the student groups from the island joined us. Eight different schools were competing and all wore their full dress uniforms. Soon, the MC introduced all 10 competitors from Zones 3 and 4 as well as the no-nonsense panel of judges comprised of retired school teachers. 

All competing students were ushered to a room out of earshot of the podium, then entered one at a time, stood on a cinder block riser and read the prescribed piece with as much effort as they could muster.  Our classmate did a wonderful job reading the story about a child with a bad case of hiccups who looked to her parents for help.  E read with great expression and brought a round of giggles when she replicated the actual hiccups in a high, shrill voice. 

The last reader finished and the judges took time to tally their scores. My class was getting itchy after sitting for so long without moving. Finally the MC announced the 4 winners who would advance to the semi finals on Thursday.  We were ecstatic to learn that E was selected.  Back to school for another round of quick permission slips and talks with the principal and E’s parents to plan for the next unannounced field trip.

Mystery Holes

Mystery Holes

            My lovely cottage with the view here has a wide green lawn that slopes gently downhill away from the veranda. There are a few flowering shrubs around the perimeter and a large dildo cactus (true name, for real!) in the middle.  I’ve thought it would be a great spot for a challenging game of croquet so I’ve been keeping an eye out for a set. 

            Throughout the lawn are a series of perfectly round holes the size of a quarter. There are one or two of them every ten square feet.  The curious mind that I possess had me peering down into one of them recently trying to figure out who or what had created it.  I stomped lightly around the hole hoping to rouse out an occupant but to no avail.  There are many small lizards here and land crabs as well and maybe they could be responsible.  Stay tuned as I work on the mystery.  

The Reading Competition- Take One!

In the third week of a new teaching job here, I was approached by the office administrator, who informed me of an island-wide reading competition for students in grades four and five.  The best oral readers from all of the primary schools in Antigua were invited to a series of ‘read-offs’ where students would be given a portion of some unforeseen text,  allowed  30 seconds to read it to themselves and then read it aloud for a panel of judges who award points for pronunciation, attention to punctuation, dialogue, expression and rate of delivery. The best oral readers are to succeed through local semi-finals, advance to the island wide finals and then travel to Dominica to compete against the best readers from all of the English speaking Caribbean.  

With the help of last year’s grade four teacher, I was able to identify the best fifth grade reader to enter the contest. Forms were filled out and the next day we were informed that the entire class would be invited by the Ministry of Education to attend the competition and root for our classmate and a bus would be provided at no cost. What could be better than an unplanned field trip! The class was very excited. After a flurry of permission slips and a quick practice session with E, we were ready to head to the ‘House of Culture’ for Friday’s competition.  

On Friday morning, we had a wonderful assembly at school to observe the World Day of Peace and soon after were called to the front office to board the bus to the House of Culture. When my group of 16 excited fifth graders in full white and blue uniforms entered the bus, we were greeted by children in brown and beige plaid uniforms from the Buckley’s Primary School. When we arrived at the House of Culture, we were informed that the competition was postponed because there was no current- the power was out- and we would be contacted when the event would be rescheduled. No worries, this is Antigua and back on the bus we piled and finished off the day in ordinary fashion.