Yesterday evening, 6 March 2013, after surveying the future 2014 solar project, we presented at a forum: Island Friend’s Forum. Our team presented what our solar panel project was all about to some fellow non-profit organization representatives. Most of these representatives are Americans, Canadians, or Europeans that visited Roatán during a vacation, fell in love with the place, and decided to stay/make it their new home.

Wow, after hearing from all of the kind-hearted representatives, and what their cause is about, and the time and effort they spend and love they pour out making Roatán a better place nearly moved me to tears. There were organizations hoping to improve: the health care on the island, the education system, the social aspect, the humanitarian concerns, etc. The causes came in all sort of flavours, shapes, and sizes.

You can learn all about Island Friends, see all the non-profit organizations, and how you can be an amigo to Roatán You will really be making a difference, and saving a life and/or bettering the life of a Roatánian

*When I return to campus, I will be an amiga to the Health-Care organization because they hospitals here are seriously lacking running water, IV’s, the things most hospitals may take for granted, etc..

Aqui: http://www.islandfriendsroatan.com/ OR click on the ‘azul’ banner (under blog title)

Today, we commissioned the solar array project!

Commissioning is like cutting-the-ribbon-at-city-hall sort of thing. It has a tender, gratifying feeling to it. We all get to see our finished product, and inevitably, a wave of pride washes over us. Thinking back, most of us only considered the big picture: solar-powering a daycare; but, now that we have successfully learned how to ‘cross our t’s, and dot our i’s’, in terms of all the detail we had plan, prepare, and execute, our prespective is now more knowledgable – and I think I can honestly speak for everyone, in that, we have a new appreciation for what hardware engineers, contractors, and commissioners do! I believe that the engineer, or the electrical engineer will design the circuit work that goes inside the inverters and solar panels, and the contractor does all the hardware and outdoor measurements, and callibrations. That was pretty cool – the whole project was very cool!! Learning about  what the engineer is responsible for and what the contractor is responsible for is quite interesting; responsibilities differ so much, yet there must be a collaborative effort, like the bachata dance.

While we were at the daycare, I got to interact with some of the children. Now, these kids are 5 years and younger, so when I first entered the play-place, I was wearing a headband, and like you might’ve guessed, after I left, my headband was no where to be found, haha. Nice playing at the beginning, we were just playing in the kitchen area, all the kids were enthused to offer to me what they cooked on their plastic stove top – they are all so hospitable. Then that nice-play eventually turned into me getting playfully attacked with the stuffed animals they had. Hahaha, it was a fun time, and I wish life could be as innocent and playful as how these kids make it seem. I miss those days – the only difficulties from that time were things like: “Oh no, my shoe-laces are untide!” or “Oh no, recess ended a minute early” or “Tommy, took my toy” – what a life!

So! Tonight, I’m going to sleep like …what sleeps easily?? I know the normal saying is ‘sleep like a “baby”‘, but is that really true??? No, right? Anyway, I’m going to sleep like something sleeps easily – maybe a sloth?? or a…rock?? ugh Rocks don’t sleep, at least, I don’t think they do…??? Maybe so. Anyway, anyway, the point is: from the festivities done, today, I will sleep really well ^_^ Yay!

Yesterday and today was really the meat-and-potatoes of our project – well, actually, I would say that today (solar paneling) was the meat-and-potatoes, and yesterday was like the vegetables your parents used to make you eat as kid, the necessary evil that won’t land you dessert unless you eat them — yesterday had to be done – it was the less glamorous side of the design process, because the setting of our project isn’t a simple, or standard setting for a large, 12′ by 12’ solar panel ! So, yesterday, we need to complete inventory of the project, measure beams, cut into metal poles, use protective eyeglasses, find this wrench, use that screwdriver,— the whole sha-bang!  Real hardware engineer work!!! Let me tell you, …right now, today, I have a wholeeeee neewwwww appreciation for hardware engineers, architects, etc because what they do is SO tedious, and exhausting!!! But truly rewarding – definitely, help me build some good work ethics, and learn about this hardware world, which I didn’t know anything about. Seems like Solar-Dave, Dr Riley, Sarah, Eddie, Mario, Moses, etc. really know EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING!!!

To be continued…

So… OMG we are here, and I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo excited and anxious to be here!!!!! I don’t know what to expect, but my expectations, about everything, are high!! There is nothing more exhilarating than new experiences, and I love learning new things, so I am picturing this experience in Roatan to be an ideal synergy of these two things!!!

We had an early morning drive into Washington D.C., from State College at 12:30AM. We listened to music, and dozzed-off, on occasion. Then we flew from the Ronald Regan Airport to ATL, Atlanta, Georgia’s airport, and left from there straight to Roatan, Honduras. Landing was…pretty interesting lol. If you’ve ever taken a trip where the plane seats outnumber the passengers, you probably understand what I mean by ‘an interesting landing’. Any how, we made it off the plane, met a sluggish, lengthy line of passengers, snaking from customs desk. The Roatan Airport (Aeropuerto de Roatan) is a small, but busy place! (Several bag-chauffeurs, several dogs trotting along everywhere, several taxis and vans maneuvering they’re way through other taxis and vans). Light cars honks and chattering filled the air. The air smelled different too – it is not a bad smell, nor a good one, just different from the air I’m used to. Interesting. Of course, I like that it is different. It should be. I’d be disappointed if it weren’t. 🙂 So, we met our Peacework supervisor, Jessica. She’s nice, she knows how to speak Spanish – before she told us about her background, I could have guessed that she was Latina — but I was wrong -_- I also guessed that she has lived in Roatan for years — wrong, again -_- She got to Roatan a day before our group did -_- fail, but she is our Go-To person, because she knows everything!! We were greeted at our new home with chicken quesadillas!!! YUM!!!! Spell check marked ‘quesadillas’ as mispelled… it thinks I meant to write ‘quadrilles’… what are quadrilles??? Anyways, we settled into our rooms. My roomies and I left our door open, unintentionally, unloaded our belongings, crashed on our beds, and was cradled to sleep by the sound of the ocean. What’s better than that?! Score!, for the unplanned nap (’cause those are truly the best), Score!, for falling asleep to the sound of the ocean!! I definitely recommend this!

Oh ya, another thought, when we arrived at our new home, Foster’s West Bay Resort, I guess I forgot that it was a resort, and not anything like a hotel, so I wasn’t expecting the Hilton or anything, but something like a hotel – but when we got here, it was very rustic, and organic, and honest, and had a degree of authenticity that made it difficult to not appreciate. 🙂 I’m glad it’s not the Hilton, makes it for a more authentic experience.

Anyway, I’m really happy to be here. Just like in all of my new experiences, I use my artistic inner being to soak in my surroundings: learn, listen, and love.

Learn. Listen. Love. ^_^

Wow, last class was an interesting one! We successfully drafted a goal statement for our class. Once assigned to us by our instructors, I soon learned that gathering 11 unique individuals to agree on a goal statement was deceptively simple. I believe it took us about an hour, maybe more, but it was a good team exercise.

Goal Statement: To install a solar PV (photovoltaic) system, for a daycare, while developing relationships and skill sets. In a way that is educational, professional, respectful, sustainable, and positively impacts the community. So that it is an enjoyable experience that promotes social and global awareness for all involved.

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My Favorite Movies: Inception, A Little Princess, Van Cliburn Competition Documentaries, Salt, and Matilda.

What are your favorite movies? Are you a movie-buff? 🙂

My Favorite Hobbies: Music (piano-11 yrs, clarinet-10 yrs, jazz composition-novice, orchestra), the Art of Chinese Calligraphy, playing Chess, Sports (Swimming, Basketball, Tennis), Geography/Languages (Chinese & Russian), and Leisure-Reading.

What are your hobbies? 🙂

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Learn Spanish with me ^_^

1) the school = la escuela [es-coo-el-ah]

2) the language = el idioma [ee-dee-oh-mah]

3) the class = la clase [k-las-say]

4) the student = el estudiante [stoo-dee-anh-tay]

5) the homework = los deberes [deb-air-ress]

6) the teacher = el maestro [my-str-oh]

muy bien! very good! 🙂

¡Chao!  ^_^