Pictures and Thoughts

Leaving the US

Blufields Beach

Children at the Primary School

Happy kids at the pre-school

This image is worth so much, really displays the most worthwhile aspect of the trip, working with the children

To me this image represents the freedom and relaxation I felt being a part of the Jamaican culture

New friends

Last day emotions lol

I feel that an Exercise Physiology major can't compose a project about Jamaica without including an image of the fastest man ever!

10

My preconceptions of Jamaica were filled with ideas of the perfect climate, beautiful beaches, and a slow lifestyle. Even after seeing the parts of Jamaica that wouldn't fit nicely on the cover of any postcard my post thoughts of the Jamaican scenery hasn't changed. I saw perfect sunsets, breathtaking views, crystal clear beaches, all while experiencing the comfort of a climate that I could definitely tolerate year round. I was also fortunate because I was able to experience the "less beautiful parts". Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, a sunset on a beach may not be as beautiful to everyone, and I'm sure the town of Petersfield is beautiful to many of its residents. I honestly feel that I experienced tour of virtually every aspect of Jamaica. The city's, the small towns, the beaches, sights, smells, I encountered it all.  After only a week however, I don't feel completely confident in describing the place and its people. I had a hard time explaining the trip and my experiences with my family and friends. This may have been because I experienced so much. I was the most comfortable explaining the school setting primarily because so much time was spent there. But then again, I'm not very good at being creative and explaining things (hints being a science major, I like the facts) But overall my preconceptions of the beauty of Jamaica have stayed the same. And yes the lifestyle could be slower than anything I anticipated. And due to my ability to explain and portray my thoughts, I'm not comfortable characterizing the place and its people.

Why we travel. How has this trip changed me? I feel more open to the world, more understanding, I have a clearer mind, more motivation, a desire, a drive....I came into college with an unquenchable determination. I had dreams, I was more focused, I wanted more out of the college life and experiences it had to offer. Three years later I found myself in a rut. A caffeine junkie that just wants to get undergrad over with and move on to bigger and better things. I appreciated so little and failed to notice how much of a materialistic drag I was becoming. I think this trip has sparked that enthusiasm again, I want to explore, be open to the world. Now when I purchase that cup of coffee, I'm thankful to have the opportunity. Instead of hating to sit through another chemistry lecture, I look around at all the great technologies and opportunities for advancement that I've been blessed with and I smile. I'm happy to tell my friends that I'm thankful for all that I have. I could go on and on....but overall Im a much more thankful and appreciative person after this trip. One of my main goals of the trip= accomplished. I have some of my desire back to succeed, to explore. This trip has improved the person that I am dramatically for the time being, I just hope I can maintain.

8

According to Patullo, the major cost of tourism in the Caribbean is that the residents that call the island home are often shunned away from many of the most beautiful parts of the island. The residents sometimes make a living "harassing" tourist, something that I definitely experienced first hand at Negril. The downfall of this is that it breeds drug sales, and forces hotel and restaurant owners to keep local people off the property. People born and bred on the island, forced away from its natural beauty.
I without a doubt feel that GSL students are tourist. Even if we didn't go to the beaches, radio stations, etc., I came on this trip to not only experience a new culture but to see it and enjoy it as well. Is there a better definition of tourism that one traveling to a new place to see and enjoy? We are here to try to help, to make a difference and to hopefully leave a lasting impression. All of this while enjoying the sights, smells, and fantastic things that go along with traveling to a new place. The social impacts on Petersfield are positive based on the economical benefits, but culturally as well. We must not forget that not only are we observing and seeing a new culture but we are also being observed. I feel that the residents of Petersfield have just as much to learn about our standards and ways of life as we do about theirs. A positive cultural experience for all!

7 "Popular Culture"

What are some examples of popular culture during the immersion? Dancing! Everyone in Jamaica seems to love to dance. I personally am a self proclaimed horrid dancer, but when we traveled to the Jamaican night club even I was able to find a little rhythm and move my body ever so slightly while surrounded by all the people laughing, living, and dancing. Even though the club was primarily tourist, it had just enough of a Jamaican twist to gain new experience into what's popular pertaining to the night life in a new country. When we sit around the clubhouse we usually get a nice taste of some favorite Jamaican dance songs as well. While music is something I'm very accustomed to and I enjoy the occasional night out, the new beats and Jamaican twist are fun and entertaining. The kids at the schools like to sing as well, its really fun singing along with songs that I know and listening to songs that I don't. Even walking down the streets to and from the club house the air is filled with happy reggae music and the occasional roadside dancer. Dancing people usually means happy people and this has only added to the positive atmosphere of the trip in general.

http://dubtonickru.com/fr_dubmusic.cfm
A link to a band that I started listening to since our time in Jamaica

#6

How is the community of Petersfield global and local? This question relates to my response for the fourth prompt. Petersfield is global in the fact that well, its part of this world. I know that sound like a really pathetic and watered down answer but think about it. What makes any country or town global? To me its the fact that it has people in it. If nothing any community can share the common ground that it is a working community full of people, that are in one way or another just trying to survive and thrive. Another global aspect of Petersfield is the fact that they rely on products from other parts of the world. They are part of a global trade economy where individual communities are forced to rely on other places to meet the needs of its citizens. Finally I would relate something as simple as having Internet in the community makes Petersfield, not only global, but connected as well.
The local aspects of Petersfield are no different that the aspects I would consider in the determination of my own hometown. The way the people work together within the community to make it better are local and global. Local because they are working specifically to better their community, yet global because this is a common theme everywhere. People trying to be better people. The relationships of the residents of the town make Petersfield local as well. The businesses they share, the roads they travel. Anything that is shared amongst community members help to draw Petersfield together and make it "local".

Assignment #5 "History"

I have to apologize for this blog post up-front. I don't do well with the concept of "history", I avoid history classes at all cost, learning or thinking about history just makes my head hurt. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. I would place anything dealing with history about as close to the bottom of my list as possible.

1) In comparison to American Historiography, how well is Jamaican historiography preserved. In other words to Jamaican's value history to a lesser, the same, or more extent than we do. Is history a prominent subject in the educational system, or is it overlooked. Is Jamaican history accurate? With Jamaica being less developed were ways established to preserve their history to the extent that we have.

2) What do Jamaican's value the most about their history? I again have to relate this question to American History. We value or Independence, our Freedom, all the great things that our country is built upon. What are some of the "shining" moments in Jamaican history. Are they recorded and told to make them seem better or more significant than they really were?

3) Does Jamaican historiography have any periods or events that are, for lack of a better word, hidden. For example have any terrible events happened in the history of Jamaica that would alter how the even was recorded to make it seen less bad. Are their events that were bad enough to be overlooked completely?

(a) What communities am I a part of. The first thing that comes to mind is my hometown, Gilbert West Virginia. I was born there, and with the exception of a few months lived there for over 18 years. This is home, this is where I was originally developed and built the foundation for the person that I have became today. The good, the bad and the in between. While my years away from my hometown have forged many new beliefs, I would say that my hometown community has had an impact in one way or the other in every choice that I've chosen to make in my life. The choice to come to college, the choices I make at college, even the choice to come to Jamaica are in some way driven by the value placed in me from my hometown. I feel that this will always be considered "home" and this community was given to me.
Another community I am a part of is the student body of WVU, a chosen community. College is arguably one of the most important choices anyone will ever be faced with. Hometown communities build your foundation, the beliefs you stand by and your character. When you go to college these beliefs are either built upon, altered, or completely rearranged. I feel just as at home being a part of the WVU community as I do in my hometown. The WVU community is so much larger however, with so many more opportunities and new chances. WVU was a chosen community simply because I could have went to school virtually anywhere. WVU was chosen because of my pride for the state of West Virginia and the chances for advancement in the world that I felt WVU could provide.
Finally I consider my part of one more "community" which is another given community. A God given community. I'm a part of this Earth. Just one of the billions, but I like every other inhabitant, am a part of something special.

(b) Based upon my community at home, the only commonality that I have experienced is as cheesy as this may sound, we are all human. We all have feelings, we all in some part want to do good. I truly believe that every person is full of good, we all want to do and be better, to help others, to simply be the best we can be. With some people this is easy. It is easy for a billionaire like the ones in the article to give money to "show" that they want to better things. It isn't that easy for the citizens in a Rural area such as my hometown or here in Jamaica to be so extravagant with our good intentions but the commonality of my hometown and Jamaica is the intent to do "good". With that being the only commonality, the differences are easy.....everything else. The pace, the way of thinking, the style of life, the diet everything here in Jamaica is somewhat different than what I would consider it to be in my hometown community.

Blog 3

While we were still on the airplane I recognized the substantially different landscape of Jamaica as compared to West Virginia. The trees seemed more lush yet the ground looked dead and barren. The houses are painted many elaborate eye catching colors, yet most of them stand unfinished. I am initially confused. The country is immediately beautiful, yet poverty can be observed before my feet even touch the ground. When we finally walked outside the airport, the air smelled different. Yet the smell was a familiar coastal smell that I am accustomed to from traveling to beaches here within the US. At the airport there were many people that were Caucasian, but as we begin our journey further away from the airport more and more people start to stare. I feel out of place, but uncontrollably excited about what this week has to offer.

This is the way I would chart who I am based upon how I spend my time, my values, and who I am as a person. I devoted 40% to College. This is a vague term but I would use this area to encompass everything from attending lecture, to driving to class and from doing homework to attending seminars and meetings. Anything that directly relates to my studies as a student falls into this category. The other large category "relationships" represents the time I spend each day focusing on other people. This may include time on the phone with my friends or family, time with my girlfriend, having lunch with others, or any other time that I may spend with other people that is unrelated to the educational aspect of my life. I devote 10% to fitness. As an exercise physiology major this is important to me. Finally I devoted 10% to me. I almost always take time everyday to think, reflect, and just satisfy my own needs. I usually do this in the mornings over coffee before I have time to get my day started. But an hour with a good book or a power nap in the middle of the day are favorites as well.

My privilege list didn't include anything about race so therefore my list wasn't similar to McIntoshe's . Race is an issue that I have a hard time grasping and tend to push to the back of my mind at all cost. Not for any particular reason, its just something that I personally have never had a problem with so I guess that tends to be why the issue is somewhat hard to talk about.

The above was true until we landed in Jamaica. For the first time in 21 years I am now part of a minority. I'm different. I don't feel this means I am any more or less privileged that I ever have been before though. I'm an optimist, I always see and find the good in every situation. Maybe that is why I tend to not think about or discuss race often. Its a touch subject that can become emotional or heated. I like to avoid that. If anything I actually feel more privileged to be able to be in Jamaica taking part in this experience. So upon my arrival I feel the only privilege I have lost, if you can even call it a privilege, is being part of the majority.
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/jamaica/prevalence-of-overweight-percent-of-children-under-5-wb-data.html

Since exercise and physical health are major parts of my life, I decided to dig into a little research. I noticed that many of the children in Jamaica were very lean and during my entire time in the schools I noticed few kids that by my subjective standards would be considered overweight. This link demonstrates that the prevalence of obesity and overweight in children is dramatically lower in Jamaica (about 7-8%) vs. the US at 33%

Blog Assignment #2

When searching for a visual representation of Jamaica, I did the simplest thing I could have probably done. I simply typed in "Jamaica" into my google search bar. Immediately my screen was bombarded with images of lush green islands, beautiful sparkling waters, exotic fish, and many elaborate resorts and vacations spots on the island. I am extremely hesitant to classify any of these images as a representation of the people, culture, and government of Jamaica as a whole, but I choose to use these popular images of the island as my representation. To someone such as myself who has no cultural immersion outside of the United States these images make the people of Jamaica seem lucky. I instantly assume a population of relaxed and problem free people. With so many beautiful works of God right there in your backyard how could living on this island be anything short of another day in paradise? These images represent relaxation. I imagine a culture with little to no problems where time passes slow and the people enjoy each and every second of the day. A government that faces little to no problems and has everything "figured out". Will this be true? Hopefully my visit will support many of these representations and help to uncover the areas in which these beautiful representations fall short.

My ideas and preconceptions of Jamaica seem pretty standard. The first thing that comes to my mind is the climate and scenery of Jamaica. Like the pictures discussed in my visual representation, when I close my eyes I think of sunny beaches with sparkling water. Tropical smells and a perfect climate. These are the preconceptions you get from postcards. The ones that find the optimal images to portray a nearly perfect paradise. I realize that Jamaica, like any country, or even city or town, has its less than perfect aspects. However, when I choose to think about Jamaica the beauty alone is portrayed. My ideas of the perfect climate have most likely evolved from being absolutely disgusted by cold snowy winters. I hate cold weather, plain and simple. That's the main reason why I find it so easy to develop such preconceptions based upon weather, beaches, and other aspects of the island. I'm from an extremely small town that to me is the slowest place on earth. Can Jamaica possibly be any slower? 

Finally I would like to address my expectations, assumptions, and fears. My biggest fear is not that of leaving the country, traveling to a new strange land to meet people who are culturally different from me. No, my biggest fear is that my experience will prove to be too overwhelming. That the shock of a new culture, new ideas, new people and places will be too much for me to comprehend and handle in only a week. I feel that I am truly taking part in a one of a kind experience with this trip, and it terrifies me to think that I could fall short in reaching the feeling that I, as an individual and as a group, didn't make the difference I hope to make. I expect the people of Jamaica to be extremely welcoming and more than eager to greet us and treat us as guest in their town and easily assume that this will be one of the most rewarding and beneficial weeks of my life to date. Only time will tell.....

Assignment 1

I love the opening sentence of this short reading. “ We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves.” After reading this I couldn’t get to the rest of the article quick enough, but this opening sentence also list two of my five ways that travel affects the self 5 ways travel affects the self • To lose ourselves- The initial travel opportunity is a chance to jump into the unknown, explore new waters, and possibly even conquer fears. We lose our intentions in search for the unknown and in essence lose ourselves. We also want to lose ourselves in a place far far away from the comfort zone associated with the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. • To find ourselves- After the initial process of losing yourself, you in essence find yourself, hopefully stronger and better equipped for what life has to offer than you started. Pico feels you are able to dig back down to your roots, your absolute true beliefs, and spark compassion. The new finding will be guided toward a sense of self with a better balance a clarity or what we see and feel. • Leave all your beliefs and certainties at home, and see everything in a different light from a crooked angle- Pico goes in depth in ways such as actors and restaurants that traveling and meeting people from around the world affects the self. Wages, lifestyles, and anything that can be easily overlooked in our lifestyles can bring about a new way of critical thinking. The new angle you take separates tourists from travelers. • To search for both self and anonymity- If we find one we can apprehend the other according to Pico. Abroad you are “tag less”. This allows us to have the opportunity to contact more with essential parts of ourselves, the reason we feel so alive far away from home. • To embark in a quest for the unknown, but as well the unknowing- Pico describes this as a search of an innocent eye returning to an innocent self. To remake yourself for the better, and even then for the worse. I chose this as my last way to discuss to just reiterate the fact that a positive experience isn’t required from traveling abroad. I hope for one, but in hopefully finding a little piece of myself, what I discover will make the trip worth while. The quest into the unknowing with nobody knowing what the future holds. In my opinion Benedek’s essay can be summed up as don’t make assumptions regarding your beliefs are true everyone. This can at first sounds extremely simple, but the statement is much more complex with deeper underlying meaning. The ladies providing the gifts to the Navajo ladies truly seem to have the best of intentions. However they’re good intentions are nothing more than a few improvisational props and unnecessary supplies to the ladies of the reservation. Can this be considered as a cross-cultural miscommunication? When examining the context of class I would say yes. It wasn’t that the gifts weren’t appropriate, they just didn’t fit into the class scheme of the Navajo ladies. The gifts, such as the coat, were too nice to be appreciated. Illich implores Americans not to come to Mexico to help because they “aren’t needed.” To him the Americans are nothing more than middle class tourist whose so called good deeds are nothing more than an extension of their own selfishness. The people that the Americans are able to communicate with aren’t even the ones in need of the most critical help. These citizens will never be reached by the Americans. His speech forces me to look into my own reasons for traveling abroad. I am forced to question whether I truly feel that I am making a difference, or will I be viewed by the Jamaican’s in the same way that Illich views the aids. The speech motivates me. I don’t agree with Illich, and while I feel that my situation isn’t quite the same, I now feel compelled to prove that what I’m doing is beneficial.