A new normal

Hello from Jamaica! I almost forgot my passport, but I am here, and finally writing my first blog post. We had lots of luggage with all of our supplies! 

I finally feel like I have some time to sit and write about my trip so far. I have been keeping a handwritten journal as well, and have been keeping up with that more because that doesn't require Internet. The Internet can be very spotty here, but I can’t complain because it is nice having free wireless Internet here to keep in contact with everyone back in the U.S.

Tonight is the end of our 4^th night here, and I already feel so much more comfortable with everything compared to the first day – walking places, driving on the left side of the road, money, people, food, etc. I found a quote recently by a man named Clifton Fadiman that I thought was very fitting for my feelings the first few days here – “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.”

When I see a car that has the steering wheel on the left side of the car, or a Dominos Pizza place, I find myself saying, “Oh, a normal car,” or “A normal restaurant.” Those kinds of things make me feel comfortable because they are familiar to me, which is what makes them normal in my eyes. I keep trying to remember that we are not normal to them, and things that we may do or say or wear are not normal in their country.

For instance, everything in America is based on time. We expect instant satisfaction in so many things in our lives, but here in Jamaica time is merely a suggestion. They walk and talk much slower than we do, and restaurant service is not nearly as rushed. It has taken a little getting used to, but it really is freeing to not be constantly focusing on the time.

I don’t want this first post to get too long, because there is so much to say already, so I will get to the main reason we are here – the schools. We have visited a total of six schools so far, including the school that we will be working at – Mile Gully Primary. The grades here are broken down differently than in the United States. The basic schools have 3, 4, and 5 year old students, which would be preschool, 4K, and kindergarten in the U.S.

Primary schools are grades 1-6, and high schools are grades 7-12. All students wear uniforms, but not all schools wear the same ones. All girls wear the same type of uniforms, and all boys wear the same type of uniforms.

The schools are very open, which is nice to keep them cool, but means there is a lot of background noise and echoing from other classes. That is quite the change from my 4th grade classroom in Cambridge! The students respond to their teachers with, "Yes, miss," and "No, miss," or mister for male teachers. They also use a lot of repetition to learn. They do not have specific gym or music classes, but they sing songs, poems, and prayers every day, and play outside for an hour at lunch chasing each other and kicking bottles around.

They have head boys and girls in the high school, and prefects at the primary schools. These are students that are responsible, have outstanding character, and always perform at their best. They are role models for the younger children in the schools. The terms head boy/girl and prefect remind me of Harry Potter. That is my favorite book series, and I know some of my 4th grade friends back in Cambridge love it too!

Today we are going to YS Falls for the day, and watching the Packers game later tonight! I can't complain! :)