For those of you following the weather and the Jamaica SST group, we are all doing well. We were told to brace for the storm, and we did just that. We made the necessary purchases prior to the storm, then we sat and waited for it to hit. While Tomas…
A bit of a delayed update for everyone! We'll start with our trip to the Appleton Rum Factory and YS Falls on the September 22. When we first walked onto the Appleton Estate, we were greeted by an interesting odor. It smelled like the fresh field of manure, to put it politely. Our tour started out with an educational video about the factory and its history. The tour continued to the other parts of the factory, including the warehouses where the rum is aged. We tried many new things during the tour, such as sugar cane juice and a mixture of molasses and brown sugar used to make rum. We found out how much of a cultural piece Appleton played in the history of Jamaica.
We got word from the U.S. Embassy in Kingston that we were to prepare for a tropical storm. (Tropical Storm Nicole) We were expecting mostly rain, according to the initial reports, but we were in for so much more. Jamaica received the largest amount of rainfall in the area, which was 22 inches, in just a few days. The surprising part for all of us was the high winds; we were not expecting these. While we had downpours of rain for several days in our area, some people in other areas of the island woke up to fallen trees, damaged homes and buildings, horrible mud slides, etc. Flooding ensued, some roads were wiped out, others partially blocked, and the clean up began. People all across the island were without power for several days, and Mandeville, where we are all living, was no exception.
Our day began with a departure from Mandeville at 10:00 am. We loaded into the bus with our sunscreen, snorkel gear, cash, iPods, water shoes, and swim suits. We had coolers packed with ice and drinks to keep us well hydrated for our long journey. Our first stop was in Goshen, Jamaica. Yes, you read that right. It is an SST tradition to get a picture taken by the Goshen sign.
This week proved to be an exciting week of education coupled with a fun learning environment. The students learned about Jamaican Health and Nutrition, Jamaican History, Jamaican Culture, Reggae Music and had time for quizzes over books and lectures as well. Our guest educators were a delight to have. They brought a wealth of knowledge. Our weekdays consist of morning classes from 9:30-12:00. We have students learning American Sign Language (ASL), Jamaican Sign Language (JSL), and Interpreting. We break for lunch from 12:00-1:30 daily. The students walk to town for lunch on their own. On days when it is raining, we have a few students go get lunch for everyone in a taxi. Afternoon classes resume at 1:30, and the classes end around 3:30 or 4:00. The afternoon sessions feature local guest educators on a variety of topics. Each Wednesday we have "Goshen House," which is a day spent at the apartment with the Program Director and his family, or a field trip day.
We were thrilled to have our first day at the Jamaican Deaf Village Deaf church today. We all met in downtown Mandeville in order to take a bus to the church. At our meeting location, we were able to have conversations with some of the Deaf church members while we waited for our ride. We all jumped in the bus "Jamaican style," and made a 20 minute trip to the Jamaican Deaf Village (JDV). Upon arrival, the students were greeted with acres and acres of beautiful green rolling hills.
Today began with a day of classes. After class, some of the students headed to the "Goshen House" (The apartment of the Program Director) in order to have some down time before Deaf Bible Study. Rachel made dinner for the students, and her marshmallows, atop the sweet potato casserole , swelled up and almost consumed the pan in which they were supposed to be cooked.
Today we met in the morning to head to an award-winning garden in Mandeville. The students were able to see approximately 100+ different flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables. The students ate fresh starfruit and tangerines.
Today the students had their first day of classes. Felicia Campbell, our local Jamaican ASL/JSL teacher, started the day out for the students. After morning classes, the students, accompanied by Josh and Felicia, walked to the best little jerk chicken place in Mandeville; it was highly recommended by the locals.
Our orientation came to a conclusion today. Prior to departure, we walked across the street from our villa to the Rio Nuevo Battle Site and Museum. We had a Jamaican tour guide lead us through the museum. Laura did some interpreting practice during the tour.
