In just a few hours I will be leaving St. Vincent. When I say to people here that I am leaving, I sometimes get the question: "Are you happy?" I am taken a bit off guard by this question. What does that really mean?
Am I happy to be leaving this wonderful place with all its abundant nature? Am I happy to leave the people here, that I have gotten to know quite well over the past three months? Am I happy to leave the horses, who have been some of my best friends here? No, no, and no. Of course not.
But then: Am I happy to be going back to a place where I understand what most people say? Am I happy to be going back home? Am I happy that I will meet my friends and family soon? Yes, of course.
I think what the question really asks is whether I am content with leaving at this time. And after having thought a bit about it, I think I can quite firmly answer yes. This has been a wonderful experience, but now I have had my fill. I miss home, a culture that I know, a language that I understand, my family, and my close friends. Of course I will miss this place, but in my heart there is a feeling of 'rightness' about going home now. The place here, the horses, the nature, and the people I have met here will always have a special place in my heart. I will treasure the memories and return to the blogposts I have written about this adventure often (especially during winter, when the days are short and cold).
But my adventures aren't over. Life is in itself an adventure, and next in my life comes a three week stay in England. I also have some things to write about that I have experienced during the last couple of weeks here, so look forward to some more pictures and magical moments. For now, enjoy this film about my everyday life here (I do the voiceover, hope you like it).
Books read: 27
Tuesday 28 June 2011
Saturday 25 June 2011
A wanna ride a harse
Before I came here, I found out via wikipedia that the language spoken in St. Vincent was English. Then I came here, and I realised that I couldn't understand anything. Here at Richmond Vale Academy, most people speak Spanish. I don't speak Spanish, so I was lost at mealtimes, and any time I was with Spanish-speaking people (all the time, in other words). And the locals here speak what is called 'Broken English'.
We had some groups of local schoolchildren visiting a while back. We were showing them around and teaching them about the animals and the gardens. When they came running towards the horses, they would often shout: "A wanna ride a harse!" We thought that was a bit funny. The way they talk here is really difficult to understand. They speak fast, and slur the words together. There are certain sounds they just don't pronounce, like 'th'. 'The' becomes 'da', and 'birthday' becomes something along the lines of 'bird day'. The slogan for one of the political parties in St. Vincent the previous election was: 'We naah tun back'. This was printed on T-shirts (with this spelling), and I didn't understand what it meant before I said it under my breath to myself. It is really strange (and a bit funny) to read these obvious spelling mistakes, since I notice them easily and get irritated if I am at home or on the internet. Here, though, it is mostly just funny. It is really difficult to learn the local language, so the only thing I can actually say (and understand) is 'me na no' (I don't know).
Now, on to something else. These flies have been flying around and landing random places. They are connected in pairs by their bodies, so I have been calling them double flies. It is like I am almost constantly seeing flies having sex, and also having sex on me (in my hair, on my skirt, etc.). Frankly, it's a bit irritating. But it's also fascinating. Especially how they can survive and navigate (if they do so at all), being connected like that. And also what the point of this connecting thing is (how it works). I guess biology is the right field for me, since I'm asking these questions all the time. I love being curious about nature!
Books read: 26
Pages read: 7213
We had some groups of local schoolchildren visiting a while back. We were showing them around and teaching them about the animals and the gardens. When they came running towards the horses, they would often shout: "A wanna ride a harse!" We thought that was a bit funny. The way they talk here is really difficult to understand. They speak fast, and slur the words together. There are certain sounds they just don't pronounce, like 'th'. 'The' becomes 'da', and 'birthday' becomes something along the lines of 'bird day'. The slogan for one of the political parties in St. Vincent the previous election was: 'We naah tun back'. This was printed on T-shirts (with this spelling), and I didn't understand what it meant before I said it under my breath to myself. It is really strange (and a bit funny) to read these obvious spelling mistakes, since I notice them easily and get irritated if I am at home or on the internet. Here, though, it is mostly just funny. It is really difficult to learn the local language, so the only thing I can actually say (and understand) is 'me na no' (I don't know).
Now, on to something else. These flies have been flying around and landing random places. They are connected in pairs by their bodies, so I have been calling them double flies. It is like I am almost constantly seeing flies having sex, and also having sex on me (in my hair, on my skirt, etc.). Frankly, it's a bit irritating. But it's also fascinating. Especially how they can survive and navigate (if they do so at all), being connected like that. And also what the point of this connecting thing is (how it works). I guess biology is the right field for me, since I'm asking these questions all the time. I love being curious about nature!Books read: 26
Pages read: 7213
Tuesday 21 June 2011
Leadership
Now that my stay here is nearing its end, I have realised that I have learned a lot about what constitutes good leadership.
In the herd here, there is one mare, Darling, who is the lead mare. In a way, I see her role in the herd as a 'queen'. She is a fair and just leader who leads by example. She is acutely aware of her surroundings at all times and is always the first to investigate something new or scary. She will almost always be the first to notice an open gate, and to notice when my focus is lacking when I'm working with her. She is not dominant, and the others freely choose to follow her. To be elected a leader like that, a horse has to follow the rules of the herd and apply them correctly to increase their rank. In this way, the horse earns respect from the other horses in the herd, and the herd has a say in the forming of the lead horse. Through good leadership and effective pecking order, every horse knows its place in the herd. This creates harmony, security for the individual, and a unified group, working together in the best way according to each horse's ability and personality.
Pecking order is a kind of chain of command, supporting and educating all individuals, from the strongest to the weakest. It is the framework of the herd, and comes from the fact that horses are social animals, and also prey animals. Because of this they need someone to follow when danger is at hand, so that the whole herd can work together and stay safe. One of the rules in the horses' code (like 'the code' at sea) is that if a horse cannot find a leader to follow, it is its job to lead. (see Naked Liberty by Carolyn Resnick, p.171) A horse feels more secure and safe when it is following a leader, and the best partnerships humans have with horses come from the human proving itself as a good leader to the horse, and the horse deciding to follow and trust the human.
Dictatorship is definitely not good leadership. Dictatorship in a herd would not work at all, and that style of leadership (the dominant style) would always be questioned. The only male in the herd here, Jack, is a dominant horse. He is not as respected as Darling, and is actually number three or four in the pecking order. His leadership is often challenged by the younger horses, and he can get a bit violent with them.
Sadly, though, this is the kind of leadership we often find in leading positions in corporations today. Selfish leadership where rules sometimes are made up along the way, and very few of the workers would choose to follow the boss if given the choice. Leadership is not earned, it is acquired through pushing oneself on and up, often at the expense of others. Good leadership makes people want to follow and please the leader, while dictatorship pushes people away.
I have also realised that the kind of leadership found in lead horses such as Darling, is the kind of leadership you have between dance partners. The man leads, but the intention and goal is that the man and the woman move as one, in harmony. They are partners, but it is clear who is making the decisions. When I dance, I love to really let go and be led. It is such a wonderful feeling. This kind of dancing partnership is therefore possible between humans and horses, and it is really a magical thing.
I am very thankful that I have witnessed such a great example of good leadership here. I will carry this experience with me, and in the process of becoming a better leader myself, I will be on the lookout for good leaders to follow, because in that position I feel more secure and I have the freedom to become creative.
Books read: 26
Pages read: 6963
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| Jack (on the left) and Darling grazing together |
Pecking order is a kind of chain of command, supporting and educating all individuals, from the strongest to the weakest. It is the framework of the herd, and comes from the fact that horses are social animals, and also prey animals. Because of this they need someone to follow when danger is at hand, so that the whole herd can work together and stay safe. One of the rules in the horses' code (like 'the code' at sea) is that if a horse cannot find a leader to follow, it is its job to lead. (see Naked Liberty by Carolyn Resnick, p.171) A horse feels more secure and safe when it is following a leader, and the best partnerships humans have with horses come from the human proving itself as a good leader to the horse, and the horse deciding to follow and trust the human.
Dictatorship is definitely not good leadership. Dictatorship in a herd would not work at all, and that style of leadership (the dominant style) would always be questioned. The only male in the herd here, Jack, is a dominant horse. He is not as respected as Darling, and is actually number three or four in the pecking order. His leadership is often challenged by the younger horses, and he can get a bit violent with them.
Sadly, though, this is the kind of leadership we often find in leading positions in corporations today. Selfish leadership where rules sometimes are made up along the way, and very few of the workers would choose to follow the boss if given the choice. Leadership is not earned, it is acquired through pushing oneself on and up, often at the expense of others. Good leadership makes people want to follow and please the leader, while dictatorship pushes people away.
I have also realised that the kind of leadership found in lead horses such as Darling, is the kind of leadership you have between dance partners. The man leads, but the intention and goal is that the man and the woman move as one, in harmony. They are partners, but it is clear who is making the decisions. When I dance, I love to really let go and be led. It is such a wonderful feeling. This kind of dancing partnership is therefore possible between humans and horses, and it is really a magical thing.
I am very thankful that I have witnessed such a great example of good leadership here. I will carry this experience with me, and in the process of becoming a better leader myself, I will be on the lookout for good leaders to follow, because in that position I feel more secure and I have the freedom to become creative.
Books read: 26
Pages read: 6963
Tuesday 14 June 2011
A normal day
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| Morning action: Cleaning the bathroom and corridor |
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| Shovelling manure into the wheelbarrow... |
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| ...and out, onto the compost heap. |
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| Taking Gaia out to eat. |
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| Mmmm....grass... |
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| The donkeys are also taken out to eat on a rope |
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| Time for a snack! This is Dragon fruit, or Pitaya, the fruit from the Moonflower. |
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| Clearing up in the pasture, these dead palm branches fall down regularly |
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| Checking the fence and cutting bushes to keep them from taking over. |
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| This is fun! Cutting down banana trees with a huge knife (machete/cutlass) |
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| Giving the horses water (in the green bucket), making sure that I don't destroy the recently planted corn. |
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| Sharing territory with horses while relaxing in the shade with a good book. Perfect end of the working day. |
Books read: 25
Pages read: 6747
Monday 6 June 2011
The flipside of the coin
Recently, the horse team (Kristina and I) had an 'open weekend', as it is called here. Really just a mini-holiday or a long weekend. Our open weekend lasted from Saturday the 28th of May till Tuesday the 31st. We decided to go to Union, one of the southernmost of the Grenadines, which are all the islands in this country except the biggest (St. Vincent, where I live). There are around 30 of these smaller islands called Grenadines, and many of them are uninhabited. Not quite your idea of a desert island (with one palm and white sand), but really small nonetheless.
We (A friend from the school named Maria, Kristina, and I) decided to take the slow ferry from Kingstown to Union, which took us approximately four hours. It was nice, and I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out that the ferry was Norwegian! Many of the Norwegian signs had not been removed, and through a little detective work we figured out that the ferry had been in use on the west coast of Norway, maybe in the Bergen area (in the 60's and 70's I would guess). It was very interesting to see signs telling us not to smoke and where to eat in Norwegian. I spent most of the trip lying down reading The Two Towers, because I was exhausted from our two hour long shopping spree in Kingstown (I hate shopping (when it's not for books), and especially when it's hot).
The next day, after a bad night's sleep in a bedroom that was either full of persistent mosquitoes or far too cold with the air condition on, we got a ride to the island 'next door' with one of Maria's many contacts on Union Island. The ride was fun, but a little scary (and quite bumpy), since we were brought across the sea in a tiny inflatable dinghy. On Palm Island, we met another of Maria's contacts, who showed us around on the island. He worked in the hotel that owned most of the island, and also for some of the rich people who owned private holiday houses. I really identified with him, and to me, the houses we walked past seemed like a totally different dominion, and I felt like I didn't belong there. I was peeking in the back window at a world of long baths in private pools, champagne in the morning, massages and golfing. And I really felt that I had no right to enjoy the paradise for free. We had lunch with another worker, who made a wonderful lunch of lobster and lots of other super-delicious things. We discussed politics and talked about the way of the world. Then we enjoyed the white beach and the warm, clear water, before we headed back to Union Island on the worker transport boat.
We then changed into tourists. We ate a good meal at a restaurant belonging to one of the nicer hotels that evening, and the next day we went on a sailing trip with a big catamaran round to some of the other Grenadines. During that trip, we had unlimited drinks and meals included. The first stop on the trip was Palm Island, and now we saw it from the other side. We were tourists who dropped in for half an hour to swim and enjoy the beach. On another island on the trip, we could have bought T-shirts with texts such as 'Sail More - Work Less'. One of the places we went to that day was Tobago Cays Marine Park. There, I got the opportunity of snorkeling with sea turtles. It was wonderful and magical. I saw big ones, smaller ones, and huge ones. One of the big ones had a 'pilot fish' - a fish (a sucker fish) that had connected itself to the turtle's shell. The turtles were grazing on the seaweed that grew on the sandy bottom, and they looked really peaceful.
I enjoyed the trip very much, and it was especially interesting to see the flipside of the commercial coin. To feel like there is a world where you are clearly on a lower rung of the ladder, and that I didn't belong at all, was an interesting experience to me. It was a bit strange to reverse it and to be able to jump up the ladder the next day, but I feel like I have gained a new perspective on tourism through this trip.
Books read: 23
Pages read: 6204
We (A friend from the school named Maria, Kristina, and I) decided to take the slow ferry from Kingstown to Union, which took us approximately four hours. It was nice, and I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out that the ferry was Norwegian! Many of the Norwegian signs had not been removed, and through a little detective work we figured out that the ferry had been in use on the west coast of Norway, maybe in the Bergen area (in the 60's and 70's I would guess). It was very interesting to see signs telling us not to smoke and where to eat in Norwegian. I spent most of the trip lying down reading The Two Towers, because I was exhausted from our two hour long shopping spree in Kingstown (I hate shopping (when it's not for books), and especially when it's hot).
The next day, after a bad night's sleep in a bedroom that was either full of persistent mosquitoes or far too cold with the air condition on, we got a ride to the island 'next door' with one of Maria's many contacts on Union Island. The ride was fun, but a little scary (and quite bumpy), since we were brought across the sea in a tiny inflatable dinghy. On Palm Island, we met another of Maria's contacts, who showed us around on the island. He worked in the hotel that owned most of the island, and also for some of the rich people who owned private holiday houses. I really identified with him, and to me, the houses we walked past seemed like a totally different dominion, and I felt like I didn't belong there. I was peeking in the back window at a world of long baths in private pools, champagne in the morning, massages and golfing. And I really felt that I had no right to enjoy the paradise for free. We had lunch with another worker, who made a wonderful lunch of lobster and lots of other super-delicious things. We discussed politics and talked about the way of the world. Then we enjoyed the white beach and the warm, clear water, before we headed back to Union Island on the worker transport boat.
We then changed into tourists. We ate a good meal at a restaurant belonging to one of the nicer hotels that evening, and the next day we went on a sailing trip with a big catamaran round to some of the other Grenadines. During that trip, we had unlimited drinks and meals included. The first stop on the trip was Palm Island, and now we saw it from the other side. We were tourists who dropped in for half an hour to swim and enjoy the beach. On another island on the trip, we could have bought T-shirts with texts such as 'Sail More - Work Less'. One of the places we went to that day was Tobago Cays Marine Park. There, I got the opportunity of snorkeling with sea turtles. It was wonderful and magical. I saw big ones, smaller ones, and huge ones. One of the big ones had a 'pilot fish' - a fish (a sucker fish) that had connected itself to the turtle's shell. The turtles were grazing on the seaweed that grew on the sandy bottom, and they looked really peaceful.
I enjoyed the trip very much, and it was especially interesting to see the flipside of the commercial coin. To feel like there is a world where you are clearly on a lower rung of the ladder, and that I didn't belong at all, was an interesting experience to me. It was a bit strange to reverse it and to be able to jump up the ladder the next day, but I feel like I have gained a new perspective on tourism through this trip.
Books read: 23
Pages read: 6204
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