"The moment is found not by seeking it, but by ceasing to escape from it" -James Pierce

 I am happy to report that I am feeling back to my usual self this week!  It wasn't an overly eventful week, but it was one that helped me re-center and get out of whatever funk I had been in.  I'm going to share a few vignettes from the week--somehow they all start with the letter "B".

Bus "adventure":  I know that I write about the buses a lot.  But you have to understand how my life in a lot of ways, is now governed by the buses.  One day this week, I was going to meet up with 3 other PCVs at a local beach.  This meant taking a new bus--but I wasn't stressed because one of the other volunteers gave me excellent directions to find the bus.  So I get to the bus--they are often times lined up like you see in this picture--often times each bus in the line is going to a different location (but not always).  I see a driver by his bus and I ask "Is this the bus to Fond du Lac?" 

Side note: Obviously I'm not going to the beach in FDL.  But to those of you who may not have been reading every blog post, the State Department asks that we don't share specifics about our locations on social media sites.  The bus driver replies "Yes, going to Fond du Lac."  I repeat once more "to Fond du Lac?" and he confirms "yes, Fond du Lac."  I get on the bus and we're going along for some time--now remember I've never been on this bus so I have no idea if we're going the right way or wrong way.  All of a sudden, the driver is trying to get my attention and is asking where I'm going.  I repeat "Fond du Lac" and the man right in front of me says "this bus isn't going to Fond du Lac".  The driver just keeps driving; I ask the man in front of me if I should get off now and he tells me that the driver will ultimately just take me back to town after he drops everyone off.  Ok, that's fine.  A few minutes later, we make a stop and while we're at the stop a woman from the bus shouts out to a woman waiting on the other side of the street for a bus "hey--can you help this lady get back to town?"  So this very kind woman and I wait for a bus to come by, she takes me back to town, and then when we get to town she walks with me to make sure I get on the right bus.  I share this tale not so much for the bus part but to share with you the type of kindness and care that I experience from St. Lucians every day.  This is a place where people really do look out for and care for each other--whether they know you or not. 

Barbie: Yes, I'm talking about the Barbie movie.  So I had the chance to talk about the movie with one of my neighbors and it was a reminder of cultural differences--in a way that I hadn't quite expected.  Now full disclosure--I have an n=1--which means take it as I intend it--an interesting vignette.  So for those of you who have not seen the movie, there is a strong feminist commentary that includes a satiric look at patriarchy.  My neighbor did not like the movie at all; as we chatted, 2 main reasons emerged.  The first was just a lack of appreciation for some of the set design and visual choices.  The second had to do with not understanding 1) why anyone would have a problem with what Barbie represents (for those of you who have seen the movie, think of the school cafeteria scene); and 2) the satire. It hit me like a ton of bricks--how much our American cultural context shaped my viewing of the film (and in fact, the making of the film).  In hindsight, that seems like a huge "DUH", but think about this--how many times do you watch a film and then consciously think about how your response is shaped by your American culture?    

Beach: I finally had a chance to explore some beach on this part of the island.  I am now living on the Atlantic side of the island, which is quite different from the Caribbean side.  A lot of the beaches on this side of the island are plagued by sargassum.  Plague is an accurate way to describe it--the overgrowth of sargassum is having significant impacts on marine ecosystems throughout the Caribbean.  But I digress--there is one spot relatively close with a decent beach.  It felt so good to be back in the water and just hanging out.  The beach is actually quite narrow now thanks to climate change, so it's not so much a "lounging beach" like the ones on the Caribbean side.  I don't mind that too much--as most of you know, I am not much for sitting on the beach because all I do is chase shade, LOL.  I'm all for being in the water!  One of the other volunteers came with one of the teachers from her school and so after the beach, she took us to two amazing viewpoints in the area.  It was a lovely day and really gave me a boost!  

This week is "planning week" for school--I am beyond excited to get back to work!  I've only talked with my principal in very general terms about what what work I might actually be doing, so I'm also looking forward to learning more specifics about what I'll actually be doing.  

A special ask to anyone reading who lives/has lived in a tropical (i.e. hot and HUMID AF) climate: if you have any tips for how to keep mold from growing on natural fabrics, I'm all ears.  I've found some home solutions online, but a lot of them require using hot water, which I do not have.  TIA.  💗