Category: Caribbean

Submitted by Andrew Evans on the 2019 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…

I ending up traveling to Dominica a week before the program started with my mom to get a head start exploring and learning about the island. On the first night here, we were trying to find a place to eat not knowing that after all the recent holidays most places were closed early for what they call Merchants Day. We finally came by one open restaurant called the Escape Bar and Grill. In the restaurant, we happened to get the last available table and shortly after, a lady walked in with nowhere to sit. We offered to let her sit with us and she seemed surprised that we had asked, but she was pleased. We talked to her for a while and learned that she worked for the credit union on the island and that the Escape Bar and Grill was one of her favorite places to eat second only to another place called the Kozy Niche.

After we ate, she offered to give us a small tour of the city which was amazing because we had absolutely no idea where anything was. She showed me where the hotel was where I would be staying for the program, and also where the gym, market and pharmacy were located. As we were saying good-bye, we offered to take her out to the Kozy Niche later this week. She got very excited and said she would meet us outside of the hotel at 7:15pm sharp on Saturday. When Saturday came around, we weren’t sure if she would actually show up, but just like that, she was waiting for us outside. We went to the restaurant and she was explaining to us all her favorite meals on the menu. I ended up trying the Lobster Alfredo and my mom had the shrimp and streak. The food had a bunch of new spices that I have never had before in my food, but the flavor was amazing. After we finished eating, our new friend handed both my mom and I bracelets that said the words Live Dominica on them. She said to us “I am so glad I met you guys and I hope whenever you look at these you think of me, Wendy.” This experience really showed me how friendly and kind the people are here in Dominica. I was so excited to meet more people like Wendy and I knew this program was going to be one of the greatest experiences of my life.

 

Submitted by Grace McKenna on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Martinique sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

My first week in Martinique has been more challenging than I expected. Before coming to this country, I thought my French language skills were pretty good. I always understood what was going on in classes, and even if I wasn’t very talkative, I knew what to say and how to say it when I was called on in class. My reading skills, in particular, have always been better than everything else. So, when I walked off the bus to greet my host family with my roommate, I was confident.

But as the days went on, I learned that my pronunciation wasn’t very good, and that I actually don’t know a lot of words for some common phrases. When we went to the grocery store, I didn’t know how to say, “where are the snacks?” or “which aisle is this?” On the bus, I wasn’t good at asking for directions or answering other questions about directions. The worst, for me, was that our host father and I couldn’t understand each other at all. I thought it would take the whole program before I had enough vocabulary and comprehension to have a full conversation with him. However, just two days ago, five days after we landed in Fort-de-France, he, my roommate and I all had one long dinner conversation, and it has been my proudest moment in the program so far.

It helps, of course, that the girlfriend of the son of the host family speaks English, so whenever we don’t know a word, we ask her. She does the same in English. Taking classes has also helped, because Professor Poindexter holds a few minutes of class for us to ask about some words we don’t understand. Traveling more and interacting with more people will improve my French, and I have to get over the fear of being the “dumb American student” so I can talk with native speakers. Holding back won’t teach me anything, and I need to be ready to be part of the conversation.

The other day, we took a beautiful hike around the coast of the peninsula, on the north of the island. I was terrified that I’d be asked to translate what the tour guide was saying. I kept to the back of the group, hiding behind the taller people and wandering off a lot. But I found that when I was, finally, asked to translate, I could do it pretty well. I knew what was going on. It’s these kinds of activities that I have to keep pushing myself into, in order to get better. I find myself trying to hide behind Spanish, even, because I am remembering words in that language more than I am in French. However, I have to push on, so during the next hike (this weekend!) I will be ready to translate without hiding.

Submitted by Casey Grzinic on the 2017 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies…

This was my first week of placements and I did not know what to expect. I have never observed or taught a class, let alone a class of seven and eight-year-old students. Walking into the school on my first day was nerve-wracking, especially because Bajan schools begin each day with prayer. I immediately noticed differences between the primary school and my own elementary school, even though I tried to keep an open mind and not compare the two. After standing back during the morning prayer, the principal asked that my classmates and I come to the front of the room to introduce us to the school. My nerves slowly melted away as the children smiled up at us and excitedly greeted us. Once I was assigned to a class, I became less nervous and more excited. As the week progressed, I grew to love my students more, and they treated me as if I was their teacher. Everyday,  I found myself learning more from my students. I noticed the differences between my schooling and theirs as well as the level of discipline used in Barbados and adjusted my frame of reference. This week has greatly added to my knowledge and experience as a Human Services major.

Submitted by Taylor Straub on the 2017 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies…

We started our placements this week in the primary schools around the island. I am at Lawrence T. Gay primary school. This is a school that thrives on unity and academic success. I felt like a new student as I experienced a little taste of each grade level. I was able to learn more about the teaching methods, favorable activities and social relationships that are incorporated into each school day. I was amazed at how respectful the children were towards any adult that was present. Their curiosity levels made me eager to answer any questions they had about the American culture with hopes that they would give me knowledge about their personal stories of the Bajan culture.

I was most intrigued by interactions that are expected of the children in the room. In the United States, the school system thrives on having the children participate in each activity even if they do not respond with the correct or appropriate response. While in the Barbados school systems, the children are encouraged to engage as much as possible, but only if they know their answer will be correct. If they respond to a teacher incorrectly, the teacher will tell them it was wrong and allow them to figure out another solution independently. These situations allowed me to see children’s capabilities with a different perspective and I worked to ensure that I would continue to practice allowing the children to process their own problems or scenarios before I give any assistance. It is a skill I will continue to master each week.

Submitted by Carson Hanna on the 2017 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies…

This week in Barbados, we had our first three days of placement in various primary schools around the Island. The classroom I am in, is in the Infant A wing, which really surprised me, since they are not infants at all! This class consists of children aged five and six years old, but they are already ahead in terms of reading and writing compared to America. They can read full paragraphs and formulate sentences all on their own which amazed me.

I have found that in my short time there, I feel that I have already learned so much about their education system and made personal connections with the children and staff. While I am there to learn about the education system in Barbados, I also have enjoyed helping out the teacher in my classroom with daily tasks. The first few days were hard and I mainly observed since she was not sure what to have me do. She mentioned to me that she is usually spread very thin with the class of 28 children and does not have anyone to help her. I am glad that I can be a support for her in the short time I am here, as well as learn from her about their school and how it differs from America.

Besides our placement, we have been exploring the culture more and more each day. Whether it is swimming with sea turtles, or heading out to the the Celebrations of Rhythm show, there is a lot to do on this tiny island. At Celebration of Rhythms,  they share the history of Barbados in regards to the evolution of their music and what other cultures have influenced them. It was so interactive and a little bit overwhelming, but I thoroughly enjoyed their take on Bajan History.

Next week is another week of placement and I am excited to teach a review lesson with the students about the different shapes their learned last term. Our program is flying by, but every minute of it has been truly wonderful!

Submitted by Katie Garber on the 2017 winter session program in the British Virgin Islands sponsored by the College of Health Sciences…

Today we visited Ivan Dawson Primary School in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Ivan Dawson is home to a little over 100 students, from kindergarten to sixth grade. This small and quaint two story building held about six classrooms and one larger room that appeared to be the auditorium. The school has a large lot sitting in front of it which is the children’s playground. A make-shift basketball court took up the largest portion of this lot. A tiny playground large enough to fit two, maybe three children  sits on a gray floor that once was grass. There is also a swing set of three swings, two of which are broken. When my study abroad group first walked into the school, I took in my surroundings. The school sits in front of a trailer that was once a post office, but now is closed. Across the street is a cemetery. In the BVI, the deceased are buried above ground- if one were to dig too deep you would reach water. I thought to myself “This is no place for a child to come everyday and learn. This view must make the children very anxious and upset!” Oh, how I was wrong! Upon arrival, our group was placed in the auditorium and there we waited for the children. When the children started piling in, their faces were the brightest little faces I have ever seen on a child! They were laughing and pushing their friends trying to get the closest seat to us. Their principle explained that we were nursing students from the University of Delaware and at this all the faces got brighter, and the smiles wider. I came to understand that most of these kids never met a nurse before. After the talk was finished, we split into groups and proceeded to listen to the children’s heart beats, and allowed them to listen to their friends and their own. They absolutely loved it! As a treat each, child got a pencil with UD’s logo on it and the little cuties were so excited it broke my heart. Seeing children get so happy about such a tiny object as a pencil makes the world we live in at home seem so unfortunate to not appreciate the little things in life. This interaction has made me rethink the things I get upset about, and reminds me to value the smallest details in life.

Submitted by Victoria Sanchez on the 2017 winter session program in the British Virgin Islands sponsored by the College of Health Sciences…

This study abroad experience is a little different than some of the other programs. Instead of attending classes, we have clinical hours in the hospital. I quickly came to learn that hospitals in the United States differ greatly than hospitals in the British Virgin Islands. In the particular unit I am working in,there has been either one or zero patients. Residents with mild illnesses usually utilize clinics and extremely sick patients often get shipped out to other hospitals across the world. While this may be a good thing because there aren’t many sick children in the pediatric ward, it forces me to find ways to pass the time when there isn’t any patient care going on. I took this time to really get to know the other nurses and staff I was working with. Despite our many differences, it was interesting to see how similar we actually are in comparison.

Two of the women I spent most of my time with were not much older than me so we had a lot in common. They both attended college in the States and eventually returned back to Tortola. We initially bonded over our love of Grey’s Anatomy and iced coffee. It turns out, we listen to the same music, watch the same TV shows and eat the same foods. They read American news and worship the same celebrities that we do. I went in thinking how different our cultures were, but we ended up just being peers who have many similarities.

While getting to know each other, I also gained a lot of insight into their culture. They expressed to me that older generations claim they are losing their cultural traditions. They emphasized the importance of religion and going to church as a part of their way of life. Getting a good education is very important to them and they encouraged their families to better themselves. Manners are also extremely imperative to this culture. It is very important to say hello to everyone you meet. They stressed if you enter a room without a greeting it is deemed disrespectful. This was proven to me in the hospital when everyone who walked passed me greeted me with a “good morning” or “good day”.  This is so interesting to me because here in the States you can pass someone you know on Main Street and they pretend they don’t see you. Disrespecting elders is also extremely frowned upon and it is very common to live with extended family members. I feel extremely fortunate that I had the opportunity to learn about their culture while also sharing my own experiences with them.