SDCH marks Independence Day

In anticipation of Independence Day, which will be Saturday, SDCH (St. Dominic’s Children’s Home) had an Independence Day/Celebration of Heroes event yesterday. The kids gave presentations on national heroes and demonstrated martial arts, read original poetry, and performed music. I was proud of all of them. Stage fright is no laughing matter, and these kids did great up there. The ceremony also included awards for the kids, staff, volunteers, etc. It was nice to see how much everyone appreciated being recognized for their efforts and achievements. There also were displays showcasing the kids’ photography, book reports, and other works. A couple of the children discussed their contributions with me. I was pleased to be part of the day. And there was food. I had my first bake and shark, which was quite good, although I ate mine plain. Apparently it’s like a hamburger, in that you can put anything on it. Oh well. Next time I’ll try some condiments. Basically a bake and shark is fried shark sandwiched between two pieces of fry bread. Yeah for fried food! I tried a vegetable pastelle, which I took one bite of and declined to finish. The vegetarian thing isn’t for me. During the event, the four boys from my house voluntarily sat with me. I think it’s nice they’re willing to socialize with me.

More about the food. … So, I have been really anxious about eating things I might not like. If you know me, you understand how picky I am. Food is a big control issue for me and my major coping mechanism in times of stress. And while this adventure has been nothing but positive so far, it is still very, very stressful in that so much is new and different. My imagination, prior to the trip, had me coming down here and taking the island by storm. Instead I’m tiptoeing around most of the time. I feel most comfortable doing my assignments, throwing myself into training and research. The people are very friendly, so it’s no fault of the environment that has me hesitant. It just takes me a while to acclimate I guess. At any rate, I’ve been shopping and preparing my own food and eating in my room for the most part. I’m welcome to dine with the kids or the sisters, but I like to process everything that’s going on while I enjoy my meals. My goal is to start being more social in the next week or so. But I’m giving myself this week to just conserve my energy as much as I can, even if that means hiding a bit now and then. That said, I AM talking to the sisters, the staff, the boys in my house. I’m just better at one-on-one conversations than groups.

Meanwhile, I can’t express how excited I am to be working on my lifebook research project. Sr. Arlene says this is cutting edge in Trinidad and Tobago, as no agencies have used lifebooks in this country as yet. And the research I’m finding is on foster kids, not residential settings. So this will be a bit of a twist, implementing it here. I’m grateful for the chance to have a hand in starting a new treatment protocol. And it’s something I believe in, not just based on the research but from my personal experience. Journaling and scrapbooking have been effective therapeutic tools for me, aside from being just plan enjoyable.

Overall I’m happy and grateful, despite the nerves. Say some prayers for me, that I’ll continue to be this passionate about the work to be done, and that I’ll come out of my shell a bit more as time goes by.

Groceries, people, internship

Sister Bernard took me grocery shopping this evening at a store called Hi Lo, and it had fewer American items than the TruValu store where I shopped a couple of days ago. I still have trouble converting currency and knowing what is simply too expensive. For example, “local minced beef” is TT$69.99/kg. I am planning to make taco soup (my favorite recipe) for the sisters, and the beef is required, so I got it. I don’t know if it will be worth the money, but I’m at a loss as to what to make instead. Even back home cooking is a rare thing for me … Oh, I could not find a packet of Ranch dressing mix, which was just weird. I got more Coke, of course, to which Sister Bernard said, “You Americans and your Coke.” She has no idea. I explained to her that I used to collect Coca-Cola signs and other memorabilia and decorate my bedroom with it when I was a teenager, and she just looked at me strangely and laughed. The first bottle I had here caused me some distress, because the recipe is different -- actual sugar instead of corn syrup. But it’s going down fine right now. My air conditioner in my room is a bit moody, so I’m a little warm. The cold coke is fervently appreciated. I don’t think I’ve even laid eyes on a Pepsi, now that I think about it. I wonder if they have that here.

Meanwhile, everyone keeps calling me “Miss.” I’m so Southern that this is strange to my ears. I’m very much accustomed to being “Ma’am.” Also on the language front, I have learned a new Trini phrase. If you tell someone, “you’re too fast,” it means “stop poking your nose into my business.” My hearing is terrible, and the Caribbean accents here are sometimes difficult for me to understand. So I ask for repeats, sometimes for spellings even, just to make sure I’m following along.

Mandella, one of the boys in my house, invited me to go to MovieTown tomorrow when the kids have their outing. I’d love to, but I have this internship thing to see to. It made me happy to be asked though. The kids start the new school year next week. This Saturday is Independence Day, and I’m told we have a perfect view of the fireworks from St. Dominic’s. There is a parade and other festivities, but I am not sure if we will attend. I’ve been warned that traffic is a nightmare on the holiday, and based on my experience so far, I don’t know if I want to brave the streets when they’re worse.

As to the reason I’m really here, the internship … Today was my first day, and I met with Petra, the new psychologist. She just graduated and has been assigned to work here for a year. The government paid for her education, and she has to do service as repayment. So she has been here three weeks and is still learning the lay of the land. I think she and I will work together a good bit. To get me up to speed on the treatment approach here, I am reading a couple of books. The first is Common Sense Parenting; the other is the Child Trauma Handbook. I was so engrossed in my studies that I missed lunch completely. About 3:30 p.m. my stomach grumbled, bringing me back to the real world for a bit. That’s when I went up to the sisters’ kitchen and had some leftover stew, watched NCIS with Sister Bernard, and made plans to go to the grocery this evening. I appreciate her taking me. I’m always on the road in my little box, so not having the independence will be strange. I hate asking for help, so requesting taxi service here and there will be hard on me. But the sisters have assured me they are happy to take me wherever I need to go. They just don’t understand that I want to go EVERYWHERE. I hate to impose.

Sister Arlene, my supervisor, and I will iron out the specifics of what I’ll be doing in a week or so, she said. For now I’m learning the intricacies of what’s done here, and she is exploring my skills and interests and matching them to the home’s needs. I will report in when I have a clearer picture of my duties.

First impressions

Beautiful mountains, friendly people, oppressive heat and humidity ... That's my first impression of Trinidad. St. Dominic's has been very welcoming. I officially start my internship tomorrow. Today is for settling in. My travels yesterday were completely uneventful, which is strange. My life is usually fraught with quirky mishaps. But I'm grateful for the ease with which this journey has started.

Riding on the streets of Port of Spain was a bit harrying. Aside from adjusting to being on the wrong side of the road and having the driver sit on the wrong side of the car, I also was educated on how "undisciplined" Trinis are as a people. As other vehicles nearly hit us (repeatedly) when they were changing lanes in front of us, I expressed some distress. Sister Arlene merely said, "Welcome to Trinidad." I didn't see a single turn single. Apparently the lines dividing the road between us and oncoming traffic were only suggestions. Since I have a Florida driver licence, I can legally drive here if I so choose. That may be one adventure I skip.

I fell asleep quickly last night, my first here, after being completely overstimulated. I won't say I was anxious in a bad way, just felt bombarded with information. During the week leading up to my departure from home, I was lucky to get three hours of sleep a night. Too much anticipation, wild imagination, plus my usual penchant for insomnia ...

The biggest adjustment may be not having internet access via my phone 24/7. I'm so accustomed to being in constant contact with people and information. Speaking of, I'm not sure how often I will post. But I will be online daily, I imagine, so please feel free to send me an email at hopemccormick@gmail.com.

The northern mountain range, as viewed from St. Dominic's Children's Home in Port of Spain.

Party like a pirate!

It started with an octopus bracelet from Charming Charlie. The gold, shiny sea creature reminded me of my boyfriend, Johnny Depp -- ahem, allow me my delusions, please -- by way of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Then I mused on Facebook something like, "Hmm, I'm going to the Caribbean. I should dress like a pirate for my going away party." An "I'm. So. There" fb comment from Carmen, and this is what you get ...

                                      Hope                                                                  Carmen

I had so much fun having dinner and later going to hear some good live music with family and friends. I'm feeling loved, and it's awesome that these people not only tolerate my quirkiness but are supportive enough to join in the kooky ideas I sometimes insist on living out. My crew rocks.

From left: Lori, Randi, Hope, Krystal, Janet

In all the excitement of preparing for the trip, I've worked really hard to gloss over how much I'm going to miss my loved ones. I sincerely hope that we'll all be able to stay in touch regularly while I'm gone. That said, I'm also looking forward to making new connections and forging strong friendships with the people I meet in Trinidad. I'm counting my blessings and saying prayers for a few more as I look forward to leaving in a couple of weeks.