Differences

Well, we've been here a week now. It's different here.

Some differences are great and obvious: 
Much of the scenery is gorgeous. Lush hillsides, crystal clear waters, coral reefs, palm trees, beautiful beaches, unreal starry night skies, twinkling lights of cruise ships at night, fascinating rainforest, etc. The February weather is sublime: warm during the day but the ocean breezes keep it cool enough that we don't have to run the A/C (this is important; see below in the not so good).

It seems that pretty much anywhere on the island carries yummy girly fruity drinks. My new favorite is Lime in the Coconut (pretty much what you'd expect and super tangy and tasty; not too sweet; made with rum made on the island), closely followed by Painkillers (which, if you allowed yourself to have more than one would most definitely kill any pain - for that day, but certainly not the next. Made with fresh pineapple & orange juice, coconut milk and, of course, rum made on the island. Dangerously not-alcohol tasting!)

Some differences are just obvious: you drive on the left side of the road here. But the steering wheel is still on the left. It takes some brain retraining. We're one hour ahead of the East Coast of the U.S. this time of year (they do not do daylight savings here).

Some differences are not so great and obvious: 

This island is not in it's heyday. Run down, sun/salt/flood/hurricane-beaten, overgrown, and abandoned buildings abound. There are multiple large sprawling housing projects throughout the island that look like you would expect housing projects to look stateside, but even more rustic and more run down. The island has a devastating social history of slavery and an ugly legacy to prove it.

The cost of power is *FOUR* times the per Kilowatt cost in the Washington, D.C. area. So, not running the A/C is a BIG deal. Apparently the weather will change by May giving cause for A/C. Or at least strong consideration of A/C - for those who even have it. Also important to note: a recent financially catastrophic happening, the closing of the big HOVENSA oil refinery on the island not only means the loss of 2,000 well-paying jobs (and resulting off-island moves), it is likely to cause the cost of power to increase as diesel will now have to be imported to run the power plant.

Food has to come from far away on a boat so that means it's expensive. And not necessarily so fresh. The food boats come in on Monday, the food makes it to the stores on Tuesday and gets stocked through the day, so Wednesday is a good day to go shopping for as-fresh-as-you'll-get-it food (at the stores; the little stands with locally grown coconuts/papaya/mango are a different story; or fish - but much of that goes to the restaurants. Still learning about that; will have to post later).

I didn't plan well enough last week during our initial shopping trip and ran out of some things so I went to buy mostly non-perishable items today (Monday - the least fresh day, well, I guess Tuesday morning could be just a tad worse). Took a stroll through the meat aisle just out of macabre curiosity (I want you to keep in mind that I was at the grocery that is reputed to be the nicest/freshest on the island) and much of the meat was brown, green, rainbow sheen, the fish had sunken eyes, the chicken was yellowed, and the pork was yellowish/brownish. Bought some tofu with an April expiration date.

There was no bread to be found - that was hard to find, even last Wednesday. Fortunately, I know how to make bread, so I purchased the ingredients for challah (including a honey bear for about $7) and made a couple of loaves this afternoon. Fresh bread problem solved.

Another reason I went shopping today is that I wanted to get enough staples to carry us through the 5th or so of March. I'll pick up the few fresh things we need on Wednesday. Why not shop this Thursday or through the weekend? Multiple sources have informed me that I should never, ever go shopping on the first day of the month, or the days immediately following. That's when folks get their government assistance checks so the stores are crazy busy, long, long lines, limited supply, etc. A significant portion of the island's population receives government assistance. One source informed me that the stores actually hike the prices the first week of the month; but, I cannot substantiate that claim.

The cost of groceries everyday is high, even coming from the DC area. Bag of Lay's potato chips: $5.49, Hillshire Farms box of ham: $6.19, milk: $7/gallon, cereal: $5/box, 14 oz jar of strawberry jam: $7, gallon of OJ: $9. You get the idea.


Someone who has been here almost a decade has already done a great job of explaining all this, so I'm not going to repeat all of it, just refer you to her site (with photos!):
- on the cost of living on St. Croix: http://thebarefootmom.wordpress.com/2011/02/06/the-cost-of-paradise/
I agree with one of the people's posts: I think the photos make the stores look nicer/cleaner than they actually are.


Fortunately, I learned about a seasonal CSA (community supported agriculture) here and joined before arriving. So, we are getting some good, local, fresh produce each week. New ingredients: chaya (read about special preparations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnidoscolus_aconitifolius - we ate it tonight and don't seem to be sick, yet, so I think I did it right), green papaya, and local bananas (cute little short ones), and more familiar items: carrots, cucumbers, ginger, basil, thyme, turmeric, mixed greens, and arugula.

So, bit by bit I'm figuring things out. Thank goodness for the internet.

You know, Lord, I'm really thankful that so many people have been helpful to us. Before we arrived complete strangers eagerly answered my questions and one mom even visited our rental to check it out and make sure it was family friendly. We have two ideas of where to go for church next week and I even know where they both are and how to get there. 


Even though the schedule, routine, locale, and culture changes this week have been difficult (and have really taken their toll on the kids), all-in-all it hasn't been such a terrible week. I mean, hey, it's gorgeous here; I can't forget that, right? It's been exhausting, yes. Frustrating at times, yes. Homesickness-inducing, yes. But not so bad. We're all healthy (we'll see if that holds out with the Chaya in our systems, and thank you SO much that little Firefighter's finger isn't worse after getting it pinched in the door this afternoon - thank you, thank you, thank you!), we're safe, and we're together. 


Homesickness is an interesting thing for those of us who follow you. While we can easily become attached to the things and routines and people of this world, ultimately, it's not really our home. No matter where we are on this Earth. Whether we are "home" or far from it. Because our true home is with you. We have work and service to do here; we have much to learn here; but, it's not home.


Help me to recognize that it is not routines, or comfortable and convenient shopping experiences, or feeling like I blend in, or being able to use the phone in my home, or seeing friends and family that constitute "home". Help me to seek you wherever I may be; to notice your presence around me; to seek to bring your presence to those around me. Help me to rest anchored in you rather than be tossed around in waves of emotion, uncertainty, and change.