Fish and More Fish

Went out with some Food for the Poor (FFP) employees this week for site visits, one to an ornamental fish farm and one to a fishing village. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera to the farm and only have a few pictures from the fishing village. My coworker took photos from the farm, so hopefully sometime next week I’ll have pictures of coi and angel fish, and of me struggling with a net to catch some goldfish.

FFP assists 17 fishing villages across the island, providing fishermen with boats, motors, lifejackets, and safety and mechanical training in exchange for contributions to the community they are based in and a commitment to safety.


Here is one of the FFP boats (all painted yellow and blue.) The fishermen can go an hour or so out to sea to catch fish, which are then sold to venders and then sold across the island. All the other boats were at sea, this being the first calm day in the past week. Of course it didn’t stay that way for long, and was raining pretty hard on the way back to Spanish Town. My coworker told me the rainy season should last a few months, and then hurricane season begins. Awesome.


These black rhino tanks are ubiquitous across the island. Where there is no piped water, the tanks are filled with rainwater harvested from roofs or from concrete-lined gullies, or purchased and shipped in trucks. Where there is piped water, it is frequently unreliable, and the tanks provide storage for the inevitable shutoffs. They also provide pressure for times of high usage, such as in the morning when or just after work. This tank is currently filled with trucked water, but will soon be connected to the municipal water system. Unfortunately, they are also teethed (stolen) frequently, hence the need for the locked cage.


Don’t ask me why, but I’m still fascinated by these little guys. I have vague memories of going to Disneyland when I was 5 or 6 and being more entertained by the lizards than anything else (all the rides terrified me. Even the teacups. Yeah.) Also, they eat bugs and mosquitoes, so I don’t mind finding them in my room.


After the visit was over I was dropped off at my host mother’s house on Jefferson street. Being the second largest city in Jamaica, we have the luxury of occasionally having street signs, most of our potholes filled, and pretty consistent running water and electricity. I’ll take some more pictures of my community, but after I become more integrated and don’t look like a tourist or a C.I.A. agent.


Here’s how I’ve been spending most of my evenings lately, doing peace corps homework and catching up on some reading. My veranda is very nice for this.


Bonus picture I grabbed of facebook. Here’s what the inside of a typical coasta (Toyota “Coaster” bus) looks in Jamaica, although usually there would be far fewer “whiteys,” and Jamaicans can usually fit 5 or more people in each of those rows. There are chairs that fold down in the aisle, which is great for packing in people but not so great when you’re in the back and your stop comes up. Each bus is unique to the Jriva (Driver) and will be covered in decals, and will sometimes sport dvd players, shag carpeting, and air conditioning inside. On the ride home from Kingston on Wednesday, I heard a reggae version of “Tracy Chapmen – Fast Car.” That, and a reggae version of “Harry Nilsson – Everybody’s Talkin’” have been the strangest covers I’ve heard yet here, although I’ve been assured that I’m sure to hear just about every type of music covered and sampled hundreds of times over. Now if I can only find some good accordion playing…