The Start of Training

I have been in training for about a week now and things are going very well. The two days in Miami seem like a blur now - all I really remember was spending a lot of time in a hotel conference room talking about logistics, trying to remember 51 new people's names and eating some good Cuban food.


Arriving in Kingston was interesting. It was only my second international flight, so I was not very used to going through immigration and customs. Some how I managed to make it out of the airport first in the group and met the director and a bunch of waiting volunteers outside. It was refreshing to see so many smiling faces with welcome posters as your first sight in a foreign country. The two things that were immediately noticeable were the heat - even with a strong wind I was pretty much drenched in sweat within a few minutes, and the landscape - seeing the city of Kingston across the bay with the mountains behind it is an impressive sight.


Since our arrival, all of the trainees have been staying in a college in Kingston, having a pretty strict schedule of classes from 8 am to 6 pm and trying to get to know each other at night. One interesting thing is that all of the classroom buildings have open walls that let the wind blow through because there is no air conditioning here. Being in a computer lab on campus right now with air conditioning is a weird feeling. The heat along with all of the new information being thrown at us each day makes for long, draining days. I am happy that the showers only have cold water - it makes it much easier to cool off, even in the morning.


We were taken on a walk-about around the city of Kingston in small groups on Saturday to show us how the transportation system works, how the people interact and to start getting us ready to be on our own. The buses drive fast and full and the markets are loud and exciting. The people for the most part are warm and welcoming, but everyone has to be on guard for pick pockets and theft at all times.


The Patwa language is very interesting and fun to learn. We have been having some amazing teachers trying to help us learn the basics. They are very patient and willing to put up with our many mistakes and questions. I have started being able to pick up some parts of conversations here and there, but it is a very quick language and is not written very much, so it will be a real learning experience. Hopefully I will be able to write a post soon in Patwa and see if you can understand it.


I am excited for some field trips we have coming up soon around the city of Kingston and hopefully going to a beach soon as well. I am also very excited to learn next week were my assignment will be on the island and traveling to meet my host family the week after that.


Finally, on a sad note, I just received word from friends that a former co-worker of mine, Karan, has recently passed away. I am deeply saddened to hear this. Karan was a young man with a very bright future ahead of him. All who knew him knew that he was a funny, intelligent hard working person that made the world around him a better place. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.