This is hard

I am not very good about keeping up with this... and writing in my journal too... just don't usually make the cut. But here I go!

Today I got to attend a funeral. It was a really really neat experience. When someone dies, 3 days after they hold prayer. This is basically people getting together to sing and repeat things (religious things). I felt a bit out of place at the prayer because I knew lots of the people but didn't realize the person who died was a teacher. She was actually a teacher who worked at one of the schools I will be at.
So today was the actual funeral and it started at 1:30 and finished around 4:30. It was pretty hot in the church but neat to see all the people who gathered for the occasion. After the service we all walked, following the casket in the car, over to the cemetery. Now this was hot and I now know why they wear white and black and not all black. I am glad I went.

The TV is way too loud so maybe I'll write more later... right now, I need a break from noise.

5 seconds later, host mom came into the room and turned down the TV... do they have remote access setup on this thing?

I got to go to the beach 2 times last weekend. That puts my total at 3. I don't mean to rub it in or anything but the water here is absolutely perfect. It's cool but bc it's so hot outside the water feels amazing! I really need to start going everyday... there just isn't enough daylight! Maybe as my project I should hold classes from... 8:00pm to 3:00am. That way I can then swim all day? But anyway, the beaches are great and you can pretty much open your eyes under water too. It burns a little bit but nothing like pool water burn. Really cool stuff.

I found some music to get involved with. I will be starting a recorder program at one of the primary schools (all you ed peps, any suggestions? Liz?) I am excited about it because any music at this point is good. I also found a band that plays all sorts of music and my host dad took me to "try it out" last week. The other band members were very excited to have a white American girl playing with them. Now I just need to learn trombone... heheh, brass tech come back to me now. Too bad they don't have a cello. It was fun though.

My training is half way over as of this week. It is kind of going fast actually... unlike that first week on St. Lucia/ Florida, which had a time frame from another planet.

I got to meet with my APCD (the director on the island) and the country trainer coordinator today and overall, I left that meeting feeling pretty frikin' good about things. Just need to continue doing what I am doing.

This Thursday I was supposed to attend both of my worksites but neither of them have school that day because it's national primary sports day. SO! I made arrangements to attend the sports. No biggie if I don't get to sit in on another classroom lesson, I get to go to the stadium and cheer those kidos on! I am pumped!

While they do speak English here I am still having one heck of a time understanding the kids. These young folks nowadays with their slang and their baggy pants and their backwards baseball caps (hah, caps), but for real, I have to ask them what like 5 times! Maybe they will start thinking I should be in a special pullout program.

Well, life is going well here and I am enjoying everyday! There are things that aren't perfect but I get over that stuff easily. (so far!)