Sunday - LAST DAY!

Surfing - at 8 in the morning! Whose idea was that? It turned out to be a good one after all. Off to the beach and Surf school at St François where the kids were split into two groups, and the first group got off to a great start. Ally, Grace and Elena got up pretty quickly and then Christophe and Juh Yun had some success. They came bounding back to the beach all smiles and excitement. Elena said it was the best thing we did the whole time! The second group didn't fare as well. Eleni turned out to be the only Pro Surfer in that group and the others said it was too much work. The water was more crowded by then and it was a bit later, so maybe hotter as well. They all came in early, except for Eleni, and then Elena, Grace, Ally, JuhYun and Christophe went back out for more fun.

After that we went to another beach at the Helleux for a picnic, then

returned to our own beach at Ste-Anne to pick up last minute souvenirs and memories before our early morning flight tomorrow. Everyone is feeling a bit sad that it is over, (Marika will confirm that I'm tearing up as I write this) and I haven't heard anyone say that they are looking forward to going to school on Tuesday! We have had a wonderful adventure, made many new friends and connections for future trips and projects with the school and community here in Guadeloupe. I think you'll find that every single person on the trip had a great experience and learned something new about him or her own experience in the world and a lot about the beautiful country and lovely people of Guadeloupe. Thanks for everything you did to make this happen!

Saturday by the boys (with added details)

This morning we left at 6 am to head to the other island, Basse Terre, for a hike to the top of the volcano, La Soufrière. It was about an hour and a half drive from Ste-Anne, until we arrived in the parking lot at the volcano's base and met our guide, named Jean-Pierre, who amazed us by scaling the steep rocky slopes with bare feet - he said he feels closer to nature when he walks on the earth with his feet bare.

The guide explained things about the mountain and the plant life throughout the hike. The hike was very hard. The ascent took about an hour and a half, through wind and rain, and our morale was low. After summitting, we returned to the base of the mountain for a snack of local juices and bread with pate and other spreads. It was pretty chilly even at the bottom of the mountain, so to boost our spirits, we went to a beach near Trois Rivieres which has black volcanic sand that is very fine and gets into everything you are wearing!

We attacked the waves and had a very good time. After this, we went across the street to a restaurant for lunch, then back in Ste-Anne, we did WLS leadership activities for an hour and then returned to our families. In the evening, we went to the lighted beach in Ste-Anne with Christophe and Jennifer and to have crepes and play cards for a few hours then went back to our houses to sleep.

Friday by Cole and Ryan is HERE!

Today we went to the Lycée de Baimbridge (Baimbridge High School), the largest high school in all of France (yes, including la France Metropolitaine!- jld) for the first part of the day. It was very intimidating at first, as many of the students there were looking at us conspicuously. Once we got to interacting with the students in a group and individually, it went much more smoothly. After the lycée, we went to the supermarket "Carrefour" to get things for lunch (and ate lunch at a marina in Vieux Bourg - jld) before we got on a boat to go to the mangroves on the north side of the . The mangroves was a cool place, and we learned about the flora and the fauna of the region. After the mangrove, we had a long ride back to Ste-Anne and each student went back to their host family for dinner, then we all went to the beach around 8 pm and played cards on the beach (and had Nutella Crepes at a beachside cafe! - jld)

Thursday by Chris, JuhYun, and Patrick

Today, we started our day off at “Bois Jalon” beach. It was one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen but there was a lot of trash on the beach. We took three hours to clean and pick up trash all along the beach. We found out the types of trees that are poisonous on the beach while we were cleaning. The beach was more beautiful than any postcard or picture we have ever seen. It was also one of the least populous beaches on this island. Next we had some free time next to the regular beach we have gone to every day so far. The day was sad because it was the last day at the middle school we have been going to. We answered questions and interacted with different activities. Then we had to say our goodbyes to the children. We spent time in the teacher’s lounge as they served us pastries and snacks. To wrap up the day we debriefed, thought of ways to better the education system, and participated in a group leadership activity.

Wednesday (Day 3) by Ellie and Eleni

Today, we continued to work at the Eugene YSSAP Middle School in Ste. Anne. From nine o’clock to noon we taught English games and songs to 5ieme (7th grade), and answered questions with the 3ieme (9th grade.) For lunch, we ate sandwiches on the beach and had two hours of “free time”. In the afternoon we visited an afterschool program called “Agouti”. At Agouti, we talked with eight and nine year olds and then taught them “Doe, a Deer”. In return they taught us a traditional Creole song, traditional Guadeloupian dance – the Zouk, and we played games. We finished our day at the beach, and then returned to our host families for dinner and a much needed sleep. Everyone is doing well and having a great time.

Preview of Wednesday by Jennifer

Hello! Eleni and Ellie will be writing about what we did on Wednesday, so I won't be a spoiler, but I just wanted to let you know that all is well and we had a great day today. We're all feeling very comfortable and know our way around pretty well now, so even though it was a very long day, it was easier in some ways. Generally, we have been at the school the first half of the day, and then have another activity in the afternoon. Today we gave them a couple of hours of free time at lunch to go to the beach or shop at the artisan stands. Some went to check out the free Internet at the library, but they realized it would be a long wait and gave up. No one has had any problems with their host families, and apart from a short 2-hour power/water outage on Monday evening, a little heat rash here and there, and having to pump Lizzy with Gatorade the first day for a mild case of heat exhaustion, we are all doing well, are in good health, and are getting used to the climate. It rained yesterday evening and that brought the mosquitoes out and made it unbearably hot and humid for a while. This afternoon, it cooled off just enough to be comfortable again. Christophe is down at the beach with the students, and I am headed home to relax and get a bit of alone time before dinner. We're finding that our program is awfully full and having to make some adjustments here and there for the fact that it takes time to walk everywhere and to get everyone together. We've had some cranky moments when we are all hot and hungry, but overall, everyone is getting along fabulously and appreciative of this amazing experience.

Tuesday by Elena and Lizzy

Today was our first day of visiting the school, where it felt like we were treated like celebrities! We worked with 3 different classes at the Collège d'Eugène Yssap (Middle School), where we split into groups. One group played "Simon Says", there was also "Hangman", "Charades", and Juh Yun played his violin as the students learned "Do-Re-Mi". The kids were all very cute and receptive. They enjoyed socializing and asking about our lives in America. At noon, we left the school to go enjoy some Créole cooking at a local restaurant. Many of the students ordered a special of Avocado dish, Shark, and a yummy Chocolate dessert! After this, we made our second trip to the Saint-Anne Beach. Some of us swam, others lounged, and we perused the local vendors booths, where we found some wonderful jewelry! Finally, we returned to our host families, and enjoyed a meal in the light! This was our first night with electricity - the night before, both electricity and running water were temporarily shut off due to recent strikes. Bonne nuit!!!

More on Monday by Ally and Grace

Today was our first day in Ste. Anne. After a long 24 hours of travel, it was nice to finally arrive. We spent the night in a hostel; boys in one room, girls in another. We woke up at 7 and were fed a delicious breakfast. We then headed off to our first day’s experience of working and dancing. We went on a scenic drive through the countryside and ended up at our first destination. The house that we arrived at was home to a Rastafarian named Jean-Luc. There we started out with a little yard work. Some people trimmed trees, some gathered seeds, and others raked leaves. After our hard work, we helped prepare lunch with fresh fruits and vegetables from Jean-Luc’s extensive garden. We had a feast of salad, soup and fried plantains. After our tummies were full, we got some dancing and swimming lessons. Some of us got to play the drums and everyone had a fantastic time. Next, around 4, we went back to the hostel to change into our swimsuits and go to the beach. After an hour and a half of pure heaven, we went back to the hostel where we met our host families and went our separate ways. Our first day in Guadeloupe was an incredible experience, and we look forward to the rest of our time here.
Bisous,
Ally and Grace

Monday, March 23, 2009
We arrived in Guadeloupe last night around 9 p.m. and after a quick ride to the hostel, everyone hit the sack right away and slept very well. Wake-up call was at 7:30 and the girls were first to the table. It took the boys quite a while to get ready this morning, but we saved them some hot chocolate and baguettes with guava jam. We also had some fresh pineapple, watermelon, and guava juice “de la maison” that was absolutely fabulous!!! After breakfast, we took off to see a Rastafari artisan who lives in Grand Fonds. Grace and Ally will add more about this wonderful experience later. I just want to say how happy and proud I was today of our students. They jumped in with both feet, worked very hard, and really seemed to enjoy the experience. We ended the day with a dip in the lagoon that is only a few minutes away from our hostel, and then they left immediately after to go home with their host families. Christophe and I are writing this tonight, but starting tomorrow the students will write something each day to share their experiences here with you. Grace and Ally will be first. Watch for your son’s or daughter’s comments in the next few days.

Sunday, March 22, 2009 by Jennifer Diallo
A full day in Puerto Rico…our guide was named “Jesus” and he was quite a character! We have a great video of him singing “In the Jungle, the lion sleeps tonight” while our whole crew sang back-up. Hilarious! After visiting the Old Fort of San Cristobal and a great lunch at El Patio de Sam, we were exhausted and no one really wanted to spend the afternoon shopping so we convinced our guide to take us to the beach instead. The students had a great time in the water and we saw some very interesting speaker systems made out of Rubbermaid tubs that really added to the beach party atmosphere. We left reluctantly to get on yet another plane, but happy to finally head for Guadeloupe. Everyone was excited to meet and greet their host families and start our great adventure.

Meeting host families

Hello everyone,
This is Ross writing from Denver. I just spoke to Marika, our Guadeloupe Program Director, and she said the kids are doing great. They spent the day at the lace of Jean-Luc, a local artist, and are now at the beach soaking in a bit of sun and sand and recovering from jet lag. They will soon meet their host families. We will try to update this blog every few days so check back for more updates!
Ross Wehner

Hi there Guadeloupers! You must be in San Juan by now. Hope everything is going okay with flights! Write soon - Karen (Ryan's mom)

One week to go...

One week to go....
Wow! It's really going to happen! I pulled out some summer clothes and my passport yesterday and finally felt it. I can't wait to see the island and meet the people. All my experiences with places that had a former colonial relationship to France are now independent countries in Africa or Southeast Asia. It will be fascinating to be in a tropical country that is still considered part of France. I'm interested to find out more about the people and culture and to see the schools and lifestyle...and I can't wait to find a French bookstore! ~ Jennifer Diallo