We are leaving tomorrow or should I say today and have now prepared as much as possible. The students have been split into 4 groups. The groups are A/V Repair, Teching with Technology 1 & 2 and Digital Video. The students have worked very hard in preparation which you can see by viewing thier attached lesson plans:
A/V Repair
General Teaching Group 1
General Teaching Group 2
Digital Video
There will be daily posts by the various groups which should be very enjoyable to read. We look forward to posting soon!
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Our first taste of the Bahamas
ReplyDeleteIt is finally the day, to go to the Bahamans! Boarding the flight we were a bit concerned when we saw someone pushing one of the propellers back and forth. These concerns were then doubled when we saw a sign painted on the side of the plane that said, “Cut here in an emergency”. Thank goodness that Jen had snuck a pair of scissors on the plane! Everyone was holding his or her breath as the plane turned on and began to pick up speed. If you were to close your eyes you would think you were in a relaxing massage chair, but if you remembered you were on a plane it was way less relaxing.
We were comforted when we saw the runway approaching and the excitement went through the roof. Although Tad lost his luggage and there were a few room confusions, we finally arrived to our villas on the beautiful ocean. Although the sights were beautiful, it was straight to work for us. We met with Scott Hewit to discuss our lesson plan for Monday. It was great to get to talk with him so that he would help us make our program for the students truly great and beneficial.
After the planning and unpacking we got a feel for the land and then had the chance to experience a Bahamian grocery store. With prices through the roof and a few rude people along the way, it was an experience that we would not forget as we searched the aisles for low prices on a large array of American food.
Running back through the rain with our groceries was a humorous sight to see and by the time we had organized all of the food it was ready to experience our first taste of true Bahamian food. We went to a place called the Jib Room, which had a fun atmosphere and great food. It was the perfect way to start off our days here in the Bahamas. Although the day was filled with adventures, the weather had been crummy the whole day but we are holding out hope that tomorrow will be brighter and filled with more adventures!
Amanda Brooks, Ilana Feldman, and Melinda Dehn
It was bright and early on December 12th , when our RCC conquering the digital divide group had to wake at 6:00 am to make the bus at 7:00 am. Of course Nadir woke up at 7:00am and then decided to pack. While watching Star Trek on our three hour bus ride, made us all quickly into a deep sleep. As we approached the BAHAMASAIR sign at the airport, we rose out of our dreams into excitement of our travels. Waiting through the long line of security Ed shared his stories of forgetting his flip flops (the one thing he asked us to remember). As the sight of the small plane fear ran through all our heads. But when the plane started to move the fear came alive. The bumps, turbulence, and shaky wings didn’t put much confidence in the class. When we landed we had to go through customes, and soon found out Tad lost his luggage. Which we know he would complain more then any of the girls would. When the wind started to pick up and get chilly Tad’s only clothing resolution was Jen’s Chi Omega sweatshirt. Which fit him quite nicely. The Ragatta’s were so beautiful everyone could not believe their perfect beach view. Our first group meeting was combined of buying groceries and meeting with Scott on our lesson plans. After we did our groceries and met with Scott for very helpful tips on teaching, we went to the Jib Room. The food was absolutely amazing, steak, potato, salad, and veggies. It ended the night with a group meeting and blogs.
ReplyDeleteVideo Group - Nadir,Mark,Scott,Tad, Carsyn
From Dawn till Dusk
ReplyDeleteWe started the day off easy. Waking up at 6am was not as rough and drawn out as expected, with a three-hour nap on the bus ride everyone was eager to jump on the small prop plane waiting in front of us. The roar of the propellers blew us all away. This was an experience for everyone. With no more than ten rows and propellers instead of jet engines, take off was exhilarating. The vibrating under the seats and the purring of the jets kept most of the students awake the entire flight, instead of the usual dozing off during a long ride. Yet, once we were close enough to Abaco, we enjoyed the striking sights of the Caribbean below. As we went lower, Jen Longden handed us Blowpops to calm our post-ride jitters. After walking through customs as a group, Tad hit a low. They told him, “His bag was left in the States because they ran out of room.”
After the short-lived drive to the Regattas of Abaco, we gazed at the breathtaking views. Stepping off our balcony was the climax of the day. The soft, light colored sand under our feet and the warm, clear water reminded all of us how lucky we were.
Scott Hewit met with us to plan for our first teaching day. He gave us great ideas and we are looking forward to Monday. The real mind blower of the day was the grocery store. The prices rose so quickly from back home, you had to do a double take. We each had an allotment of money and we pulled together to get bulk food.
Dinner was impressive, full of delicious food. The restaurant sat right on the edge of the water, next to the marina, so we had a perfect view of the dark, mysterious water. Overall, our first day was lengthy, but relaxing. We all were inexperienced, so as a group we pulled through.
Manda Wittebort, Helen Jones, Jen Longden, Kate Olson & Deanna Davis
This morning at around 7 AM my fellow RCC members and I boarded the bus heading to the airport with extreme excitement and anticipation, despite the time of day. The bus ride was fairly long, about 2-3 hours, but the ride wasn't uncomfortable; it was a coach bus with only about 20 people on it so there was plenty of room for leisure. After stopping at a rest stop and dozing off when returning to the bus, I found myself awakening when we were arriving to the airport. As soon as I saw the airport, all traces of tiredness left my body and I began to realize how close I was to being in a different country. We envisioned the beautiful clear water, deep water fishing, and snorkeling, as well as learning and helping others of course. When the plane arrived, a sense of nervousness entered our minds because the plane did not really look too nice; and it wasn't. The plane had old-fashioned propellers rather than jet engines and it was rather small in size. The plane ride was noisy and there was a constant vibration on the back of our seats. But we did not let any of that affect our feelings that we have about the trip. After a short hour plane ride, we arrived at our destination. The weather was a little overcast and ugly but we were able to see through the ugliness to observe the true beauty of our environment. We took a cab to the place that we were staying and we arrived, I was speechless. The hotel sits on the edge of the water and an unbelievable view can be seen in the back. The backyard is literally a beach with clean water and chairs to relax on. After I finished unpacking my luggage, our RCC went to the Jib Room for a lovely dinner and a relaxing end to a long day. Soon after dinner was finished, we headed back to the hotel for an early night of sleep. Tomorrow will be an exciting day.
ReplyDeleteBilly, Alex, John, and Sterling
December 13, 2009
ReplyDeleteToday was our first full day in Abaco. Waking up was a drag but the excitement of going fishing was enough to get my group going. After breakfast, we made a 30 minute walk to the docks and boarded our deep sea fishing boat. The waves were so rough that the captain decided it was better if we just troll fished inland. It was a slow fishing day but the every hour or so fish was plenty to keep us on our toes. Although, the waves and engine made us tired, some people watched the poles while others rested. The captain was very nice and professional. He knew a lot about the island and about fishing. The boats name was local boy as the owner and his family have been in Abaco for generations. This was very impressive to use. After catching a total of 8 Barracuda and one Spanish Macral we went back in. It was a full 8 hours of fishing and it was great. After this we came home, cleaned up, and loaded a bus for dinner. The destination was Pete's Pub. It was very nice and secluded. The menu changes every day for the fish that were brought in that day ensuring the freshness of everything. I personally had the mango Grouper and made it a sandwhich. Hand down, the best grouper i have ever had. My group members were also very pleased with their meals. One exiting attraction at Pete's Pub was the stars. Their were so many stars in the sky it was truly a sight to see. After this there was a bus ride back home and time to relax and go to bed. Tomorrow teaching begins and everyone is happy to start helping.
Alex Dillard, Billy Cao, John, Sterling
Today our group set out on different adventures. Some went snorkeling, some went fishing, and John and I went out bonefishing. Bonefishing in Marsh Harbor is world renown to be the best bonefishing in the Bahamas. We woke up this morning at 7 a.m. to set out on our, to be amazing trip. After our thirty minute walk in the overcast weather, we arrived to the docks were our captain would be picking us up.
ReplyDeleteOur captain, Josh, picked us up in his truck and we went off with him to set out on our adventure. We drove down to his house to pick up his flats boat, a small boat with a 40 hp engine, very cool looking boat. After driving for about thirty minutes we reached the flats, shallow water in Marsh Harbor. After loading the boat into the water, we practiced casting, and then set off.
Amazed by the speed of the boat, we sped over five miles out towards the mangroves. When in about three feet of water we pulled up the engine, and our captain used a pole and pushed us. John was first up to try and catch a bonefish. The captain in about five minutes told us were a bonefish was but John unsuccessfully casted in the wrong position. After about a hour, I was up next to see if I was any better. After missing three fish I decided to let John try again. It was not until about two hours into our trip that John caught a fish. Amazed at the fight of these fish John shouted in glee as he was fighting the fish. After successfully catching and releasing the fish it was my turn. About one hour after John I got my own. Wow was it an amazing feeling. That little fish was a great fight. I could not stop smiling after I caught my fish.
We then went off to one of the hundreds of islands in the flats and had lunch. Sandwiches are what John and I brought, after eating John and I went in the water for a little, and enjoyed the scenery. We then sped off in the boat to another location, and another but we were unsuccessful, not because there were no fish but because we were not good. We then went back to the dock, pulled up the boat and left for home.
Overall we had an amazing time even though we only caught two fish. It was a lot of fun, and I am definitely going to try and come back when I am better at fishing. Everyone at the hotel was talking g about how great their trip was as well. Tomorrow is when we start what we came here for, and everyone I think is stoked to see what we are going to do, and to meet the children we are going to teach.