Visited a Smithie

Reunited with Niki Lee after almost 2 years. I couldn't have asked for more - this trip was a huge success. Read the comments of the folks below and you will get a glimpse into what I mean. Once again it rang true - "Once a Smithie, Always a Smithie..." For an entire week 12 current residents of Smith Hall got to experience first hand the power of that simple phrase. For a week 12 current residents of Smith Hall were kings and queens of a small tropical island thanks to someone who came before them in Smith Hall. For a lifetime 12 current residents will always have a family and a place in Trinidad.
This trip was about experiencing a new culture and doing some service - but more importantly it was to experience the power of a "sense of place" that extends well beyond Smith Hall and Durham, NH.
Plans are already starting to form for the next "Visit".
I hope that folks continue to post to this blog whether it's a trip across the world or across the hall.
If any current or former smithies would like access to this blog to be able to post just shoot me an email and I'm happy to add you. The more smithies the better.

About 9000 words

We made it into the paper...

A short story about our trip appeared in the Trinidad Guardian:

http://guardian.co.tt/features/life/2010/03/19/mas-again-may

about half way down the page.

Is It Really That Time?

So here I sit, less than an hour away from being carted down to the airport and the airplane that will take me away from this beautiful place we have all discovered together in just six short days. Of course, I'm all packed and ready to go, have been for over an hour now, so all that is left to do is sit and watch as the rest of the gang slowly wakes up and prepares for departure as well.

Friday was a nice day, and a good end to the trip. Starting with a fun presentation to Nikki's class, followed by a quick bus tour of Port of Spain and then some walking around and touristy shopping with our Trinidad-Parents the Lee's, the day was non-stop work and play. Also, today of all days, my body decided it no longer wanted to be well-acclimated to the sweltering heat, so sweat-a-plenty and no cure in sight. It didn't help that this change in body temperature regulation occurred on the day we did most of our city street walking, out in the sun, with few breaks, and very little wind. But what ho, I survived, and still was able to find some awesome jewelry and gifts for people back home. Friday night we went on our last outing to the Queen's Park Savannah for doubles and other delicious foods, accompanied by the whole Lee family along with plenty of extended family as well. It seemed fitting to have our last dinner in the same place where we all shared our first dinner on this island. Dinner was followed by limin' and laughter, and now here we sit. None of us able to really sleep thanks to our 4 AM departure to the airport, but all of us too exhausted to really chit-chat about the little things in life. I myself am at that stage of feeling awake and fully alert, but I know if I were to sit still for longer than five minutes my eyes would begin to droop and my head would start up with the bobbing up-and-down action that has become all too familiar throughout this trip of constant motion and little sleep.

I'm excited to go home of course, see all my friends (outside of this quirky travel group that is), tell stories, laugh, reminisce. I'm also a bit sad, which is to be expected, to leave this beautiful island that has shown me nothing but beauty and kindness for the entirety of our trip (even the food has been gentle enough on my wimpy stomach). Will I ever return? Will I ever see the amazing Lee family again? Are these the last glimpses I'll ever catch of the houses on the hillsides, the crazy-narrow roads, the beaches and ocean views everywhere one turns? It's easy to avoid being homesick because I always know that I will soon return to that place which I call home, but could I possibly avoid being, in so many words, Trinidad-sick? These are questions better left unanswered for now, because it's all too possible that I won't like what the answer is to them all. For now I'll just continue to write down as many memories as possible in my journal while I await our final departure, and the end to a simply wonderful adventure.

Don't think this is the end of me yet, but for now I'll simply sign off with the final hope that all goes well with our flights this time around... :D

Trinidad trip coming to an end

I can't believe that we are leaving Trinidad in 12 hours from now. This week has just been a blur. I have been so spoiled between being in the nice hot weather, constantly being greeted by Trinidadian natives and being taken care of by the Lee family. When I was talking to Aaron, Nicky's fiancee, today about what my expectations were about Trinidad, I told him that I was surprised of how beneficial the Trinidad economy is for the Americans. I was also surprised of how Americanized the country is, for example, there is a lot of American music that is played on the radio and a lot of the billboards are Americanized. Even the schooling in Trinidad is excellent. They have to take examinations to pass secondary school to go to primary school. They do not have that in the states. Plus, from what I have noticed, a lot of the Trinidadians are bi-lingual, something you do not see often from Americans. They speak English, Spanish and French. Americans would be lucky if they spoke broken Spanish, but that is my opinion and I am unfortunately one of those people.
Even though we did not do as much hiking or volunteering as much as we discussed before we came here, my goals were to see the sites of Trinidad and to see Nicky Lee and her family. The long, extraneous delay to Trinidad messed up all of our plans, so we had to make adjustments and I have to say, everything worked out to what we wanted. We went to the gorgeous Maracus Bay, sailed across the Carribean Sea and swam afterwards, we went to Nicky's school to present a lession about the environment, so it was more of a vacation which is fine and dandy for me.
Tonight will be our last night in Trinidad, but we are going to make the best of it no matter what happens. We are going to eat doubles "Doubs" again and we may possibly go out to the streets and see what happens. Either way, I am planning to stay up all night because we have to leave the villa at 4 a.m. to catch our 7 a.m. flight. I don't see the point to sleep for four hours and then go. I function better when I don't sleep while traveling than having little sleep. When we leave tomorrow, not only is spring break on the verge of ending but we are leaving paradise. Then we have to get back to the old grind of the United States. Yuck.

Life

So I haven't posted in a few days because i have been deep in thought about everything, but I think its about time to let the words in my brain spill out onto the page.

A very common phrase everywhere you will go is "the grass is always greener on the other side." Throughout this week, I have been bombarded by this idea many MANY times during this trip. People from Trini say "America must be so nice! All that snow! All those big houses!" People from America will say "Trinida is Amazing!! People are so nice! The weather is always warm!" People from Trini will say "America has so many things to do! There are so many famous people!" People from America will say "Trinidad has beaches and the sea and so many tropical thinsg to do!" People from Trini say America is safer. People from America say that Trinidad is safer. The list goes on and on. There are so many differnt messages coming at me from so many idffernt angles that its hard sometimes to decide what you truly believe about American or Trinidad or anywhere in the world.

Here is what I know, what I have learned, and what I think.

-Trinidad is a hidden tropical paradise that not many people know about.

-America is alot bigger and therefor has more things to do and more to see.

-The two places are very different from each other.

-They are both safe and both dangerous, depending on where you go and what you're doing.

-I like Trinidad and will be sad to go back home tomorrow.

For me, the fast pace, materialistic life that many americans follow is not something i particularly enjoy. I could live without a TV or a phone or a car or air conditioning and be perfectly fine. I might even be happier. As long as i have food and good people, that is really all i need. That is exactly what i have had this week. I have been surrounded by 12 amazing people who live in my dorm. I have been taken in as part of the Lee family. Every person i have encountered here (Jennifer and her kids grandkids and friend, The kids and teachers at Holy Name, Our bus drivers, Our tour guides, People who served us food, and the random people in the grocery store and neighborhood) has been more than nice, more then generous, and more then anything i expected. I have never met strangest this nice before. They were so willing to look out for us and help us. And the food!? Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

This trip has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and the best spring break ever. I can only hope that everyone has had a good experience like me and will continue to have good experiences as they travel the world. I Love Trinidad, and I so want to be a part of an amazing culture like this someday.

THANK YOU LEE FAMILY!

Andrew-you are so funny, and very outgoing for a high schooler.

David- you were a wonderful tour guide and fabulous friend. Thanks for putting up with us and our shenanigans.

Nicky- You make me proud to be a Smithie and a UNH student. Thanks for being our Smithie to visit.

Mama and Papa Lee- Words cannot describe how much i (we) appreciate what you have done for us, giving up your weeks, driving us around, and buying us load and loads of food.... everything has been wonderful. I will always think of you as part of my family. Thank you!!

I miss you all and Love you all!

-Libby

When SPF 80 isn't enough...

Let me start off by saying this: I am a redhead. Very much so. As such, I am accosted daily on this tropical island by mother nature and all her sun-soaked fury. Don't get me wrong- I love the sun. I especially love fun in the sun involving "liming" and boats and pelicans and whatnot. However, after nearly a week of battle with this primal tropical heat, mammy nature has finally won and for the first time in trinidad, I was baked like a lobstah. I have to say though- I was surprised to have come this far. With sunburns and myself, its usually not a matter of if, but when.
I don't mean to give the wrong impression though- a simple sunburn couldn't possibly come close to dampening our trini-time. Over the course of a week, we have been receiving a full course of extremely potent trinidad injections, and I think its safe to say that we are all addicts now. We spent today cruising around the smaller islands off of Trinidad on what can only be classified as a party barge. A large, well-worn, powder-blue boat puttered from island to island with trini-rythms blastin' so loud the residents of each island could likely hear us coming literally a mile away. Fortunately for us, our music was extremely popular among the residents, much like one David Matthews is in Bro-co. Us smithies were like kids in a candy store today... as is to be expected for college kids in the Caribbean, frankly, but irregahdless! If you weren't busy sunning yourself on the griddle that was the upper deck of our boat, you were likely distracted by the respective flora, fauna, architectural specimens, gorgeous landscape or even just the people...you know- the ones you see on a boat. You know what I'm talking about: you wave at everyone because they're on a boat too, and therefore your friend...dare I say- boat buddies?! I'm not being cynical. They are your boat buddy.
I digress.
The things we saw today wouldn't be inappropriately accompanied by a David Attenborough narration. Pelicans swooped and dove around us, jelly fish....kinda- bobbed I guess. Jellyfish bobbed around us, and I think in the back of all our brains, we quietly feared the black pearl appearing around the next island. The one from the first one mind you- when it was manned by indestructible bad guys.
Once we found a quiet cove, we dropped anchor and dove in. The water was refreshing and cool, and you could see every detail of the bottom... much to the distain of those who are squeamish about seaweed. Smithies popped off the boat like molten grease out of a hot frying pan filled with bacon, eager to attain utmost refreshment. Perusal of the beach yielded sea glass, and exploration resulted in our discovery of a mysterious (some would say ominous, given the noose-like rope hanging in front of it...but no one listens to me...*grumble*) cave that we soon discovered was only accessible at low tide. We galavanted about for a considerable amount of time, and yes- there was indeed horseplay and also ballyhoo.
When we were at last satiated...or in some cases, merely exhausted, we weighed anchor (hehe- "weigh anchor") and headed back to shore. Of course, the rest of the day was filled with equal wonder, and also ice-cream and puppies, but I've been writing for a while now and its best to share the nice things- like our one computer.

Good day-
El Muchador
(Conor)

Limin'

First off, let me just say that I think i'll have "Alive" (NOT the Celine Dion version, the Silver Star pan band version, mind you) stuck in my head for the rest of the trip. Yes, we did get to see a live pan band play for us last night and they were wicked awesome!!!!

haha but...

Today, David introduced me to the word "liming," which in Trinidad means hanging out...and boy did we do some liming. After a fantastic day yesterday of clearing brush, planting passion fruit, hiking, swimming, and how could i forget, the amazing dinner at the Lee's (picture the biggest spread of every Trinidadian delight), we were all in the mood to sit back and lime:)

We cruised around Trinidad to the outlying islands and enjoyed picture perfect views from every direction. We even stopped off the coast of one island to swim, although we were tentative at first due to the scattered jellyfish floating around. That didn't stop anyone, though, and for the next few hours most everyone was in the water. Afterwards, the sun poured over us while we lay out on top of the boat and talked. Needless to say, we got our fill of vitamin D, and it felt SPECTACULAR.

In the beginning of this adventure, we said this wouldn't be a trip about just going to the beach and "liming", and after the description above, it may sound like we have failed in this aspect. But to me, today was not just liming with friends. We were able to experience the culture of Trinidad and reconnect with Nikki and her family, which is what we came here to do. Although we have only done one day of service work, I believe that we have all experienced, as well as learned about the culture of Trinidad immensely, which is just as valuable.

Today was a day to catch up with everyone, learn some Trinidadian lingo, and apparently develop nick names such as El Fruto and El Muchador...aka Terrence and Conor. oh bonding experiences. So among the many things that we have learned limin, el fruto, and el muchador are coming back to the states with us :)

an amazing day "down the islands"

Today we went "down the islands," as the Trinis say. This means that we went to the north-western tip of Trinidad where we got on a boat to cruise around for the day to check out some smaller islands. I LOVE being out on the water and this day was absolutely amazing!! The natural beauty of Trinidad could never cease to amaze me. Even though it's the dry season and Trinidad is experiencing a pretty significant drought, the scenery is still incredibly beautiful. As Jess put it, we probably had our laziest day thus far but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Sunbathing surrounded by good company (including relentless entertainment provided by "el fruto" and "el muchador"), floating across a crystal blue ocean inhabited by graceful pelicans and flying fish (along with TONS of jellyfish!!), and observing the mountains and colorful cottages all around us while the popular local soca music blared from the deck below made for an unforgettable day. There were several moments when I just sat back, took in the beauty and positive energy all around me, and thought that this was the most care-free I've felt in a LONG time. If I could spend the afternoon like that for the rest of my life, I'd be a very happy woman (and probably a very sunburned one too...). After a fabulous day "down the islands," we are sporting some serious tan lines (or should I say, burn lines) but even that couldn't possibly put a damper on such a fun day! Oh, and to top it off, stopping to get some local ice cream on the way home was a great treat. I can definitely recommend the cherry vanilla/orange pineapple combination :)

The amazing Silver Stars

All this followed a wonderful dinner in he home of the Lee family...

Tonight thanks to insider info from Nikki Lee's fiancé's mother we were able to see one of the most famous steel drum bands (The Silver Stars) in all of Trinidad practice. A completely sublime experience. After the practice was done we stayed back and met some of the musicians and even tried our hand at drumming. One musician named "Spider" who is a professional and drums with the Trinidad Steel Drum Orchestra and another young man had a little friendly drum duel.

What an Experience!

Since we've been here, we have swam at the beach, visited Hindi temples, witnessed a cremation ceremony, toured a swamp, sampled local food, volunteered on a mountain, and so much more. The highlight of the trip so far, at least for me, however, came tonight when we were able to go and see a steel pan drum practice. I was pretty excited heading into it, but I could never have prepared myself for the fantastic experience I was about to have.

From the road, the rehearsal area looked like nothing more than an unassuming alley, but as we entered it, we were greeted by a wall of instruments and musicians. The ensemble was so large we could not see the people in the back, and consisted of countless instruments I had never seen before. This alone was pretty impressive, but then they began to play, and the music they made transcended anything I had ever heard before. The conductor danced around, using every part of his body to direct his players, and never stayed in one place for too long. The players danced along with their music, their faced beaming. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I watched and listened to this fantastic whirlwind of movement and sound. The musicians played with a passion and ease that no amount of years of formal training could ever produce. The music they made seemed to flow through ever part of their bodies, encompassing them to their very cores and radiating out in the form of pure joy. They weren't just playing music. They were living it. And at that moment, as they played that beautiful music, nothing else in the world mattered.

I can only hope to someday achieve that same level of total ease and passion for something I love.

Pumped about dining with the Lees

In a short while, all of the Smithies will be picked up from the Villa by the Lee family and we will be dining at their residence tonight. I am so excited because I have a strong feeling that not only are we going to have a good time, but we are going to eat some amazing Trinidadian food. From talking to them, I noticed of how passionate the Lees are about their food. We very much share that interest. When Nicky was at UNH I remembered how much she loved to eat. She would be so pumped about eating at the dining halls, even if the dishes at Stillings, Holloway Commons or even Philbrook had a mundane menu, she would always be fun to go to dinner with. Now I get to experience that with the whole family. I am also looking forward to see what their house looks like. I am sure it is a comfortable and loving home. Bring it on the Lee family.

Love "Mother Earth"!

A quick video clip of the group planting four passionfruit plants. We hope to return some day and see these wonderful folks enjoying them.

A Quick Hello Before Passing Out...

So we returned a little while ago from the Fondes Amandes Community Re-Forestation Project (FACRP) and are now a group of very silent, mostly exhausted college students. Kaitlyn seems to be the exception, but no surprise there.

We started off the morning by driving up, meeting our group leader Akilah Jaramogi and having her give us a short demonstration/lecture on what the program is all about, their goals, methods, etc. Then after a very tasty breakfast we headed up the hill to our first adventure of the day: Work. We split off into small groups doings tasks like clearing leaves out of water trenches, raking leaves off hillsides so that they would no longer be fire hazards, and helping to feed some goats being kept in a pen on the hill-side. This part went by very quickly and even in the sun and heat it didn't feel like too much work. The man, Henry, who helped Megan and I rake leaves was very friendly and talkative and seemed very concerned about our safety even though we had just barely met. I was touched by his words of caution and wisdom, and by how earnestly he offered such words. We then as a group planted four passion fruit trees that will eventually grow up and over a bamboo-frame and become a starting canopy of sorts for that part of the hill. I would love it if in four years or so I could somehow return to that spot and see the "fruits of our labor."

The rest of the afternoon was filled with a very strenuous hike (at least for me it was a bit tough, but I pulled through OK), lunch, siesta (we were all pretty beat after that hike!), and an awesome walk down to the river. One thing I must say is that I can now truly appreciate authentic hiking gear, and how easy it is to switch from walking to jumping into a natural pool. We swam for a bit in our shorts and respective underwear, then wandered back down the river, some of us still jumping in and out of the water while others stayed mostly to the side, scaling the deep ravine walls that surround the river. I did a bit of both. I haven't gone rock-jumping (what I used to call it as a youngin') in years and had a blast. Finally, we made it back and our lovely bus was there to take us home. After a final goodbye to Akilah and the group, we drove back. And here we are. I think I'll go sleep for a few years now, or at least until the next adventure tonight.

One thing I have realized thanks to this awesome opportunity to get out there and do some hard work: I need to get out there and do some hard work more often...

Im all out of star wars!

Hey Yall

Yesterday and today both have been so cool. Yesterday we saw the hindu temple and hanuman statue as well as the national bird of trinidad and today we were working at the Fondes Amandes Comunity Re-Forestation Project. Seeing the rare birds in the swamp yesterday and finding the awesome swimming hole after working in the morning was indescribable. Everyone else enjoyed the sight seeing win the swamp yesterday but i had a bit of a harder time finding things (color bling!)

Another fine ending

After getting back from a full day of sightseeing and adventure we went out to dinner with Nikki's family. I have now consumed all the favorite Trini dishes that our first Maxi driver recommended: doubles, roti, bake 'n' shark, crab stuffed dumplings, and accra salt fish. Trinidad is worth visiting just for the food.

So far, still

So far, so good for Trinidad. It is a hot and beautiful place, although it is very poor and rural. The island has such a bad drought with rain, there are several forest fires everyday but nowhere near us. The people are very friendly here, but we think it is because we are the only white people in the island. Their food is absolutely incredible, probably the best food I have ever had. The best food that I had so far is called the Bake & Shark, pretty self explanatory. I'm sure that its ancestor, Jaws, is very upset with us when we ate him/her. Yesterday we went the Maracus Bay beach. It was beautiful and the water was very warm. Today, we went to a couple of Hindu temples and they were really cool. We also went on a swamp tour and we saw some snakes and birds. It was somewhat unsatisfying because I wanted to see crocodiles, but I took what I could get. I can't get over how cheap this place is. The most money that I have spent in one situation thus far has been $20 and that was for a meal at a restaurant we ate at tonight. Nicky Lee, the girl we are visiting, is very nice and her family has been amazing so far. All they care about is making sure we have fun and that we eat enough, two of my favorite things to do. There is so much to tell, but it would take too long to read. I did have a diarrhea scare this morning, but thanks to the Pepto Bismal, my butt was clean and ready to go. It is time to go to sleep. Got a big day volunteering tomorrow so I need to rest.

Day 2

This is my favorite picture of the day - I'm not really sure why I connect with it so much. This was some sort of Hindu idol that had been placed in the water around the Waterloo Temple. During low tide it is visible and when the water rises it disappears under the water. The idol is completely covered in barnacles - but still it seems to long to continue out into the wast space ahead. At the risk of the obvious cliche - I get great hope from the juxtaposition of struggle and possibility.
Kumar teaching us a bit about breathing and Yoga at the base of the Hanuman Murti (Hindu Monkey god - son of the wind god). A truly wonderful and educational experience. He explained to us that by practicing this type of breathing every morning our health will greatly improve.
A new friend we made today - the wood boa of the Caroni Swamp - among other exotic wildlife including the national bird of Trinidad - the Scarlet Ibis - it was elusive to photograph so you need to trust that they are exquisite.

trinidad is... part 2

ok so that was an amazing night with Nikki and her family. They are the nicest funniest people i've met, and you can tell the family is so close. They took us to a little line of stands in the Savannah ( a very large grassy field) where the food and smells made all your mouths water. They had fruit juice, BBQ, soups, and everyone's favorite: Doubles. I actually partook in the consumption of chicken feet sauce. It is exactly as it sounds. Then we went on a walk around the Savannah and had coconut milk and jelly.

Today was a wonderful day.

But back to what i was saying before. The bad. I really had no idea what this trip would be. I was surprised. REALLY surprised. I honestly thought this was going to be a service trip, not an explore Trinidad trip. I guess in all my non planning methods, i completely forgot about the real reason for this trip: to visit a Smithie. And today we did just that plus so much more. We visited her country, her family, her friends, her culture, and her home. For the rest of the week we will continue to visit her native land and learn all that we can learn in our own individual ways. I may have had a rude wake up this morning when i arrived here, but i am now completely ok (completely WONDERFUL, actually) with this not-just-service-trip. All the components of this trip will make it the wonderful adventure it has the absolute potential to be.

Trinidad is...

... not at all what i expected. At all. This is both good and and bad. Let me 'splain...

I purposefully did not do any research on Trinidad before i came here because i did not want to get myself psyched us for something during midterms week. I also have a horrible tendency to get really amped up about something, think about it extensively and exclusively, the become severely disappointed when the even in my mind was better then the real life event.

I also thought Trinidad was going to be (please don't take offense all you amazing Trinidadians!) alot worse off of a country the it actually is. I was expecting homeless, people living in one room shacks with dirt floors, and stray dogs running around everywhere. I was QUITE wrong. Trini reminds me of an older, more beat up california, kinda like what jess was saying. The hills are so close to the ocean, and on the side of even the steepest ones are hundreds of houses. There are palm trees and colorful flowers everywhere. Th GEORGOUS ere is so much traffic because 600,000 of 1.3 mill Trinis have a car. Our villa we are staying at iswith cable, wireless internet, a refrigerator, and multiple showers.

Overall, the country is very well off, something i did not expect. In my mind, because i have never really heard of Trinidad as a big resort island ( oh ignorance....) therefore it was not a touristy place and it was less than equal with St. Lucia or any of the other florida keys. It is, very much so. What i really like about the island is it is its own. Yes, it has its KFC and Papa Johns pizza, but that just for the Americans with weak constitutions. They are not trying to be America the island. They are trying and succeeding in being Trinidad, a small island nation of the coast of Venezuela that has a lower, middle, and upper class that ia a HUGE melting pot of several cultures all living together is a space smaller than the Sea Coast Region.

Ok, now for the "bad"... wait, Nikki just came. I'll be back soon!

Sand between our toes!

How do I begin to describe our day at Maracas Bay? Our drive was more of a picture slideshow of breathtaking views from the tip top of the island all the way to our sandy destination. The somewhat silent drive was not a representation of boredom, distaste, or aggravation, it was just the fact that we were all in awe by every site we saw along the way.

When we arrived at the beach, Dennis our bus driver told us specifically to enjoy lunch at Richard's Bake N' Shark...although this was on the to do list, seeing the waves frothe at the sandy shore could not have been more of an invitation to go swimming. We all made sure to lather up the SPF, again, and dove in enthusiastically. The locals may have questioned why we were so excited to go swimming, but who couldn't be? The ocean seemed like bath water minus the rubber ducky.

Building up an appetite, we did go to Richard's Bake N' Shark, even though there were around seven others to choose from. Shark is DELICIOUS, especially with homemade mango chutney (wicked spicy). It was a day of rest and relaxation, as well as discovery.

This discovery I found (beyond trying shark for the first time), was not on the pristine shore of Maracas Bay, but back at our homey B&B. Jen, the host of the B&B, shared several stories of her life in Trinidad, as well as her family who lives in Canada. She spoke about how the way of life in Trinidad is personable and relaxing, rather than what she has heard of from her family members. Trinidad has a "slow down and take a look closer" aspect to it. There is no pressure to get somewhere immediately, and if something does go wrong, Jen describes that you have to look at what you have and appreciate it. The sincerity in her stories made me contemplate the last few days. We ran into a few problems, but we made it to Trinidad and spent the day at a gorgeous beach. Even if we had not made it to Trinidad, we still would have gone home more connected than we had been before the trip. I'm definitely going to try and continue this "slow down and take a closer look" mantra...but now we're off with Nicki to dinner now!! mmm yay :D be back later

Beach!

Today we went to Maracas beach. All the smithies are in awe because of the amazing scenery and how kind all the Trinidadians are. Nikki Lee's parents have already taken care of us so much by making sure we had food and drinks, buying us potato pies at Richards Bake 'N Shark, and offering to pay for the bathrooms. We also met Nikki Lee's parents' friends at one of the local grocery stores. They want all the smithies to come over for dinner at their house. The land lady also wants to cook us a Trinidadian dinner.

The driving is insane. Everyone drives on the left hand side and the roads are curve around mountains with only a foot away from the edge. Our first driver was a hilarious man named Sam. He joked in his Jamaican-like accent about how he was a minority in the van compared to us. Our second driver barely spoke to us, but he did stop at the top of the mountain so we could look down hundreds of feet below us and take pictures.

We are now about to leave for dinner with Nikki Lee. It will be the first time most of us meet her. I can tell by meeting her parents and brother that, she too, will be very kind and enthusiastic. I am so excited to see even more of Trinidad and the culture. Getting stuck in Terminal 4 for 28 hours or so was totally worth it.

A much deserved de-stresser

We got here at 7:30 this morning and by 1:30 we were at Maracas Beach putting the last two days behind us. What a wonderful day. Swimming in perfect water, slathering on sunscreen, eating the famous Shark-n-Bake - DEEEELICIOUS!!!!! Now we are back at the villa taking showers, and getting ready to go out to eat and hang with Nikki Lee - Finally we get to reunite after 2 years.

hello sunshine!

Success! We've made it to Trinidad and the weather couldn't be better-85 and sunny:) With picturesque views and amazing accommodations to match, the trip is already starting to look up from a somewhat interesting start. We've decided to take advantage of this wonderful weather and hit the beach, but before we leave, some of us are taking an excursion around the area. I'm excited to see what lies beyond our cute B&B!

Feeling Strangely At Home

So as all the horror stories before me have told, our trip here was quite interesting, and is also finally over. The excitement has brought us all back to life despite extreme lack of sleep and sudden (but well expected) heat. One thing in particular has really caught my attention, and I can't help but laugh every time I see it: so many things here remind me of home.

For those who don't know, I'm a bit unique in this group because I am originally from Santa Barbara, California. So my travels in college have constantly led me to new environments (like these things called "seasons") and new people (still working on deciphering the many dialects of New Englanders). Yet, as our plane was coming in to land, I felt as if I were flying into my tiny airport back home. The view of the ocean lazily breaking against a relatively flat but green coast, followed rather quickly by a sudden mountain range, confused me and excited me all at once. Then, while driving to our amazing villa, we passed large intricate buildings nestled into the hillside, and as we circled down the mountain leading to Port of Spain, we could see the neighborhoods hidden in the hills overlooking the city by the sea. As our driver talked, I continued to note similarities in climate as well: A drought that has been causing endless brush-fires, mountain sides that are sad and brown (as opposed to their usual year-round green glory) and even the constant threat of earthquakes was a familiar notion. I'm basically in shock, and can't help but laugh. Plus, palm trees. There are palm trees everywhere.

One of the main reasons I chose to join this trip was to expand my horizons, continue to find new places. Now, while I have found many new things here as well, I find myself in comfortable familiar surroundings, and perhaps this will help me truly grasp how small this world really is. I can't wait.

We"re Here! :D

After 2 cancelled flights, a rainy drive to New York in a crowded van, and over 24 hours in the famed Terminal 4, we have, at last, made it safe and sound to Trinidad. The weather is great, our guest house is beautiful, and all the challenges of the past 2 days seem to have evaporated in the island heat.

We successfully made complete messes of our rooms within the first 15 minutes of being here, we're raiding the kitchen and making some long-awaited non-airport food, and life is great.

Next stop: THE BEACH!

:)

Finally here

After nearly two full days of traveling, we have finally arrived in Trinidad and Tobago. We did not leave JFK until 2:30 a.m. this morning and we landed in Trinidad at around 7 a.m. All I have to say is, there will be no place like Terminal 4 in JFK. It stinks that we lost a day, but we are going to try to make the best of it. We have been for less than two hours and we already think this place is gorgeous. Although, it is extremely hot, so we are going to have to nurse our skin 24/7. Right now we are currently in Manuelita VIlla, where we are staying and it is such a cool place. It looks like a little house and it will be for the 13 of us. It is also really hot in there, so we are going to have to drink a ton of water. We are just going to relax for a little while and then go to the beach. Now I feel like I'm in spring break!

Episode 6 Return of the Jaded

We are finally in Trinidad! i can not believe the crazy things that we have gone through to get here but we are here finally. This has already been a memorable trip but i have high expectations for it to become even more memorable. the sunrise on the plane was like the lamp beside the golden door noted in this famous poem.

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

We've Arrived!

A most welcome sight.
The crew has finally landed in Trinidad-Tobago, and is currently waiting in line at customs...yay!

sick of sitting and ready for sun... trinidad or bust!!

I really think I am beginning to lose feeling to my lower body... cement floors were not made for a good night's sleep and hours of leisurely reading, although the ultra thin blankets and gauzy pillows provided by Delta do provide a little bit of relief at times. It's been interesting to see how creative people can get with so few resources to work with. Last night when we were still in Terminal 3, I saw a desperate Spanish family construct their own beds out of two silver rolling carts (normally used to carry luggage) and the Delta provisions. The Smithies are also quite ingenious when it comes to the construction of beds and lounging areas, as well as cuddling for body heat. Nothing says group bonding like that!

I didn't sleep at all last night but finally drifted off around 7:00 this morning. I woke up around 9:00 am due to cement floor induced discomfort, but after using my beach towel for extra padding, I was able to get in another two hours of shut-eye. For some reason, I'm really not that tired (and I'm an 8-hours-a-night kind of girl!) but it probably has to do with excitement. That 1:00 am flight to Trinidad is getting closer and closer (just about 8 hours away now... woo hoo!) The second I feel that 90 degree balmy air, all of the crazy experiences we've had thus far will be nothing more than a story to entertain friends and family with when we get back to the US.

T Minus several hours until we leave

In all of my experiences of traveling throughout my life this has been the longest, most frustrating two days in my life. So far, we have had two flights cancelled in Logan Airport, one of the cancelled flights that was going to Laguardia airport, the airport closed. We did drive to JFK airport last night and ended up finding out that our 1 a.m. flight out of JFK was also cancelled. Our next flight out of JFK is at 1 a.m., Monday morning. We ended up sleeping in the terminal last night and we have been here since 11:30 p.m. last night. So far, our day has been based on complaining, blogging, not getting enough sleep, reading, eating expensive food, etc. Sometimes when people walk by us they stare at us like we are bums. There is optimism that our flight could leave earlier but I am not so sure on that. RIght now, we have more than 10 hours left before our flight leaves. Hooray...not really.

ohhhhhh JFK.....

So JFK has never been a nice airport. All the times i have had an encounter with it, I have been less than impressed. Once, I had a connecting flight in Washington DC and because if some security breach at JFK, our flight was delayed by 3 hours. Yeah.... the airport and i are hitting a rough patch in our relationship.

It is my firm belief that everything in life happens for something to impact you or another life around you. I think that this excruciatingly long layover at JFK has brought out new thoughts in people. Some don't mind, some are a but upset. Some can sleep on tile floors just as comfortably as a bed, and others can not. All i know is that this airport adventure has given me new incite on travel and on the personalities of people both on the trip with us and the other thousands people in this airport. Isn't it funny how all these hundreds and hundreds of people who have walked by us... well, we will probably never see them again. Who knows where they came from or where they are going.

Now, with t- 101/2 hours to go till our Trinidadian flight leaves, I have an experience of sleeping at an airport under my belt, and some new ideas to ponder over. And Trinidad is going to be that much better now that we have survived this.

Boston, La Guardia, JFK, oh my

Oh what adventures. I believe we have experienced every emotion in the past 48 hours possible. With camp set up by Peets coffee, we appear as though we are staying in JFK for the entire trip. And what a well rounded trip it's been, to say the least. Through the several changes in plans, we managed to fit in some exercise by taking laps around the entire terminal, seen many variations of New York t-shirts and countless trinkets, felt like celebrities as passerbyers stare in awe at our spread and light hearted demeanor (for the most part), and dined on many a Delta ginger snap (they're actually really good). Although this was not the original itinerary, we've bonded, laughed, gotten extremely angry at the New England weather, snuggled, drawn on each other, played many games, and slept. a lot. In all, this is only going to make being in Trinidad that much better and much more appreciated. We are currently awaiting the hopeful flight (the one and only 1am flight, to be exact), and everyone is more than ready for some hot weather... CANT WAIT. :D

Adventure #5: JFK

We have now spent more than 14 hours in JFK airport. There is a large nest of luggage and airplane blankets next to Peet's Coffee. About 5 people have taken pictures/videos of us and I heard three comments complete strangers saying, "This country is ridiculous," "Can I join you guys?" and "Where are you headed to?"

Along with our nest, many other people had to camp out in JFK last night. Looking around, I thought I was in the movie "28 Days Later" or "The Happening". There were sleeping bodies everywhere, sprawled out on the cold airport floor.

Last night, several of us stayed up until 3:30am laughing at everything because we were so overtired. We made jokes about how we were lined up for the Victoria Secret opening for the new sale of the 3D Imax bra. We also joked about how we are going to catch a turtle to Trinidad instead of a plane.

After all of these delays, cancellations, and obstructions in out trip, I am READY TO GO TO TRINIDAD! I haven't let down hope yet. The amount of days we will actually spend in Trinidad have decreased by 1, but we are still determined to get there, even if we have to resort to turtles.

episode 5 The Airport Struck Back

so apparently in order to get to trinidad you have to get into a car and drive to logan airport, check in, go through security, get your first flight of the day canceled, rebook to a later flight to a different airport in the same city, get that flight canceled, drive a van to New York, almost get blown off a bridge, survive a hurricane, see if your flight is still going( it wont be),sleep in the only terminal that is open 24hrs, and wait until 1 am the day after you were supposed to get there. oh i forgot the endless waiting there will be lots of waiting!

Automobiles, trains and hopefully a plane...

So after my last post the adventure continued in full force. After realizing that no flight was getting out of Logan to JFK yesterday, and in consultation with some of the Delts folks we made a decision to rent a big van and drive to JFK with plenty of time to make our 1 am departure. The drive wasn't that bad considering the rain and high winds - the only sppoky part came when crossing the Whitestone bridge, you could really feel the wind. Much to our chagrin when we arrived at JFK we encountered thousands of stranded people whose flights were cancelled - and then promptly discovered ours was also. After 2.5 hours of waiting in line and onther 1 hour working with a very helpful agent (she really went above and beyond) we were reissued tickets for the next days 1 am flight. Now we had to decide what to do with 23 (thanks to daylight savings) hours. We headed over to Terminal 4 (open 24 hours) found ourselves a campsite, finally ate something and proceeded, to varying degrees of success, to try and get some sleep. After discovering that WiFi was not free here at JFk I bit the bullet and bought a 24 hour subscription so I could update the blog and offer the students an opportunity to do the same. It's almost noon now and according to the delta website our flight is "On Time" so probably in the next few hours we'll make our way back to Terminal 3 to check-in and hope for the best.
Losing a day potentially puts a kink in our itinerary so we will have reevaluate once we get to Port of Spain and decide on our priorities, etc.
On a personal note I am very proud of the way all the Smithies are handling our little adventure - they are for the most part in good spirits and making the most of it. They are suporting one another and taking care of each other.
My computer seems to be on the fritz as far as importing photos so I will try uploading from Kevin's computer.
Send good travel vibes our way!

GT at Logan

Good times at Logan... Silver lining - at least our layover at JFK will now be shorter. We have been booked on a shuttle flight to La Guardia. I've booked a few vans to take us from La Guardia to JFK. Luckily that flight isn't leaving until 1 am so we have some cushion. Ah the joys of travel during a Nor'easter.

Stay tuned...

episode 4 a new hope to new york

we have a new flight to La Guadia in New York all we have to do is get from there to JFK!

episode 3 revenge of the smith

Hello all we have all made it to Logan airport and are through security there. Along our way we met up with another group of UNH students that are traveling to Nicaragua. Everyone is excited to be on our way. but the long layover in NY at JFK will be a real test. i have to retract that statement. our first flight has been canceled so let the international travel begin.

Just So You know

Hey boys and girls!

So I know that i many not be the most social Smithie ever, but i want all to know how much i look forward to getting to know you all on this trip. I Love people and Love making new friends, and you all seem wonderful. I know we will make so many memories through the adventurs we will share in the next week. I also know that alot of you guys are best freinds with eachother, and i hope you can find some way to squeeze me in to your group.

Adventure awaits.... see you all tomorrow!

-Libby

Last minute details...

We leave tomorrow. And I am running around like a chicken without a head trying to make sure I have dotted every i and crossed every t. There is a certain bit of stress that comes from being the "first" to do something like this. I am incredibly reassured by the support that awaits us in Trinidad in the form of the Lee family. I don't usually make lists - but I actually sat down and made one today, to make sure I don't miss anything super important. As usual with this sort of trip there are things coming up that might require some changes - like historically hot weather in Trinidad - but it seems like the group is going to be ok going with the flow. I have a few more hours of work to do today and then I can actually concentrate 100% on packing and making sure I have everything I need. I think I should be all set - luckily stores are open until 9 or 10 tonight so last minute shopping is still a possibility. I'm excited to start taking photos and making posts from Trinidad.
Ciao for now!

It's here!

After months of planning, tomorrow is the big day!!!!! I must say it seems surreal. This whole week we've been counting down and with the final papers passed in and exams taken, the excitement is bubbling over Smith Hall. I feel especially lucky to be going on this trip after talking with my friends who are in awe by the fact that we're traveling all the way to Trinidad. I cannot wait to experience the culture, explore the island, and of course bring back tons of stories. Now all I have to do is pack! Here we go...:)
Besides that, my mind is clear and I am absolutely ready for this trip. Adios, Durham! :)

episode 2 attack of the smithies

I'm so ready to go! I have my bags packed and Logan Airport is calling. The packing list have check-marks next to all of the items on it. I am looking forward to some warmer weather. It has been a comfortable 50 degrees here in durham and 90 sounds great. see you all at the airport!

The Trini side of things...

Sooo here goes........

I think I'm naturally an excited, hyper person...... this trip has me SUPER Excited!! :) Everyday my parents ask me if there have been any updates to the group flying in on Sunday morning..... We continuously brainstorm to figure out whether there are any additional details we might have overlooked or simply not thought of..... we keep on thinking of what the UNH Smithies might like to experience here.....

One word of caution..... beware........IT IS HOTTT!!! (Temperature-wise) The grasses all over look ugly, dry and brown..... we're hoping it rains a bit before ya'll come so that it looks like it usually does.... lush and GREEN!! :)

Oh, Unnecessary Stress...

With the long-awaited flight now only four short days away, I'm really beginning to feel it. Not to be grotesque, but I feel like a beheaded chicken running around in circles, so frantically is my mind going through check-lists and ideas and planning stages. I haven't even started packing, and that's a whole new ball game. There's a first-aid kit to booster, new clothes to buy, a certain shot/vaccine that is apparently far more important than any of us initially anticipated (I have an appointment to get mine on Thursday!). Basically, I just want to apologize ahead of time to any people who happen to run into me during a bad moment in the next three and a half days: It's not me snapping at you, it's the stress. Part of me wants to write all this down now so that I can laugh at myself at a later, calmer date. I know that two weeks from now I'll be sitting right in this chair wondering, "Wait, did it really already pass by? What happened?!?!?" Until that time though, I'll sit here and continue to make those lists and plan those plans.

I can't wait to finally be sitting "comfortably" (with my knees up to my throat most likely) in that airline seat, talking excitedly to the wonderful group of people that I've been given the chance to travel with. It's going to be awesome.

Ouch!

Just came back from the doctor's office where I was lanced twice - once with yellow fever vaccine and the second time with typhoid vaccine. Thanks to these two shots and the variety of immunizations I got a few years ago - I should be good to go. I did find out a fun fact. It turns out that when you travel to places with yellow fever, the US immigration folks will kindly ask for proof of immunization upon your return. Sometimes, they might even choose to quarantine you if you can't produce proof of vaccination.

Other than that preparations seem to be on track. Went shopping to EMS to pick up a few last minute items and some super high strength bug repellent.

I have been in touch with Nikki and her folks a lot lately trying to figure out last minute details. Looks like it's going to be super hot in Trini while we're there. It has been nice here in NH the past few days (high 40's) but I don't know if I'm quite ready for a 50 degree jump.

Planned Itinerary

3/13: Leave Logan airport 1:45 pm long layover at JFK depart at 1 am.
3/14: Arrive 7:01 am - Spend day with Nikki Lee and visiit Maracas Bay
3/15: Carapichaima and Waterloo (Visiting the Caribbean Indian Museum and Temple in the Sea)
3/16: Nariva Swamp and Bush Bush Island (Hoping to see an Anaconda)
3/17: Volunteering at Fondes Amandes (http://www.facrp.org/index.htm)
3/18: Volunteering at Fondes Amandes
3/19: Visit to Nikki's school and explore Port of Spain.
3/20: Depart 7:15 am arrive Logan airport around 7pm.

Group Photo #1

We all met as a group tonight and took our first (i'm sure of many) group shots. As you can see there is a lot of enthusiasm in the group. Back Row (left to right): Leah, KLarge, Jordan, Ben, Terrence, Juice, Taylor, Megan, Jess, Me (Taras). Kneeling: Kaitlyn. Lying down: Conor and Liberator.

We spent some time talking about group expectations. In our group we have some seasoned travelers and a couple of folks who have never left New England. Kaitlyn said something really cool. She articulated that one of her hopes is that this trip will make us all "bffl's" (best friends for life) - so that in 20 years when I need a traveling buddy to go to India, I can just call on one of you and you'll be ready to go.

episode 1 the phantom trip

I am so excited about this trip right now that i haven't come to fully comprehend or rather accept that it is really only a week away. We have a meeting tonight to do some group work and talk about the final information about flight and itinerary.

Visit a Smithie

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends" - Maya Angelou

Hello all,

In 1908 a residence hall was built at the University of New Hampshire. It was the first residence hall on the campus of UNH, and was built with the express purpose of providing housing for female students. Since 1908, it has undergone several renovations and additions. In 1983 it became the home of UNH's international student community. In 2008 we celebrated 100 years of Smith Hall. Residents of Smith Hall refer to themselves as Smithies and have adopted the phrase: Once a Smithie, Always a Smithie... As of today there are over 100 years of alumni of Smith Hall - all over the world.
In the fall semester of 2009 the hall director of Smith Hall, put into action a plan to begin organized student trips to visit Smithies all over the world. The hope is that these trips will educate through service and interaction with new cultures and natural environments. The trips are meant to extend the ethos of Smith Hall beyond Durham, NH.
On March 13, 2010 a group of 12 current Smithies and the hall director will travel from Durham, NH to Port of Spain, Trinidad to visit Nicole "Nikki" Lee. Nikki, a native of Trinidad, was a 4-year resident of Smith Hall and graduated in 2008. Nikki now works as an elementary school teacher. The group will spend a week in Trinidad, visiting cultural sites, volunteering in Trinidad's reforestation efforts, doing a presentation at Nikki's school, and enjoying the natural beauty of Trinidad. We will document our trip on this blog.
We are already starting to plan a trip for Spring Break 2011. We are starting to reach out to Smithies that would like to invite us to visit their country.
Finally, we hope that this blog will become a place where all Smithies can share their own experiences visiting folks they met through Smith Hall.
We look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,
Taras Ferencevych
Smith Hall RHD