Summer in the City

It is getting hot here! We have had a couple of days in the hundreds already and I am starting to be reminded of what it was like in The Gambia. I feel I still have some of my stamina for the heat which I built up in West Africa but I must admit that the pace of life here does not slow down for the climate!

Life is good. Zac and I try to get out on our bicycles as much as possible and we have found some great bike routes along the West side of Manhattan and over in New Jersey. We have been up to the cottage at Henderson Harbour a couple of times where we can escape from the city chaos and get stuck into the wild life! Camping trips to New Jersey and building stuff for the apartment are also keeping us busy!

Stand Up For Kids - Manhattan

I have just been made Director of Training and Volunteer Services at a non-profit organisation called Stand Up for Kids. www.standupforkids.org The organisation works with the homeless youth of New York City. It is a very exciting opportunity for me as we are setting up the program from nothing. It is run by volunteers so at present we are meeting once a week to get things up and running. I will be responsible for finding the people who are going to go out on to the streets, find the kids, find out what they need and help them. We will need outreach workers, medical practitioners, counsellors, drug and alcohol addiction consultants, cooks, security guards.... the list is endless. I think our end goal is to set up a shelter for young people - somewhere for them to stay and be cared for whilst we sort out a permanent solution. I will also be heavily involved in the training of the volunteers. It is a big task, but I am excited.

I will keep you posted on the organisation's developments. We are at the very early stages.

New York City's Homeless Population

Since March I have been working as an Outreach Coordinator at Grand Central Neighbourhood Drop-in Centre for homeless adults. (www.gcncommunity.org) One part of my work is to walk the streets of Mid-town Manhattan, talking to homeless people, listening to their stories and trying to offer them the services they need. Our drop-in centre works with homeless people to get them back into their own permanent housing. That is the main goal. We offer clients a number of services including three meals a day, showers and clothing, a safe place to sleep, help with medical and mental health issues and programs for drug and alcohol addiction. In addition to my work on the streets I do a lot of in-house outreach back at the centre. I run training workshops which equip clients with life skills to help them get back on their feet. I run courses on time management skills, current events, healthy living, resume writing, job search skills, interview techniques and letter writing. I also spend a lot of time listening to the clients about their problems, playing cards or chess and generally trying to keep everyone calm and organized. I really enjoy the work, it is extremely challenging at times but always very rewarding.

The homeless population of New York City amazes me. When I first started work I was a little bit apprehensive to approach people on the streets for fear that they may be aggressive. Nine times out of ten the people who I speak to are friendly, helpful and have very interesting stories to tell. I meet many veterans who have been physically or mentally traumatised at war and have not got their life back together. They seemed to be forgotten and left to rot on the streets. They serve their country, risk their lives and then are left to pick up the pieces. They have been failed.

I also meet a lot of people with severe mental health issues who do not have the skills to live by themselves. I have been told that New York City closed most of its mental health hospitals a few years back, and this is the result. One woman I speak to everyday needs drastic help. She sleeps in the same spot every night, barely moves all day, her legs are swollen and infected, and she defecates and urinates in her clothes. She is living off the few coins that people drop into her cup and she has no ability to care for herself. I offer her help and talk to her about the services we could offer her but she refuses assistance every time. She seems scared.

Other people who I meet seem to have it together. Many homeless people do not want anything to do with the shelters and drop-in centres. Many have had bad experience where they have gone somewhere to be helped only to find the shelter riddled with drugs and violence. Homeless couples know they will be separated when they join a shelter so they stay away as well.

I have a difficult job trying to convince people that they should come to our drop-in centre. That first step is a hard one. The situation seems impossible but it is not all doom and gloom. Many of the clients who I work within our centre do make it back into their own apartments and full time employment. The process can be slow and frustrating but worth it. I work with some wonderful people who inspire me everyday. One thing I think about a lot is that so many of us are only one small step away from being in a similar position. It does not take much to end up on the streets. You loose a job, can't make your rent payments, break up with your spouse and things can quickly spiral down hill. We are lucky if we have friends and family who stop us from falling too far but many of the clients who I work with feel too proud to ask for help. They feel that it is their problem and they have to solve it.

I see the wealthy workers of New York struggle with the fact that there are homeless people littering their streets. They feel guilty and do not know how to help. What most end up doing is giving money to those who are begging on the streets. In my opinion this keeps those people on the streets. When people are cold and hungry they come in to the shelters to get help. If they have a constant income from begging then they can always make it through another day. I believe the best way to help is to make a donation or volunteer at one of the centres or soup kitchens. One of the churches I visit regularly on my round offers breakfast for homeless people once a week. The breakfast is served by lawyers from the neighbouring law firm. They come into work early once a week, and wearing their expensive suits serve a delicious and nutritious breakfast to the homeless people of Manhattan. Not only are they providing food, they are also learning about the homeless population and their problems. This type of situation is bringing two very different groups of people closer together for greater understanding.

New York City

I moved to Inwood (which is a neighbourhood in the northern part of Manhattan) at the beginning of March. The past couple of months have been extremely hectic, getting settled in, having my immigration interview and looking for work. So here is an update:

In early March Zac started his new job working for About.com where he writes software and does very complicated things which I have no understanding of. He is working for the Metrics China division of the company so he is starting to learn Mandarin which is very exciting. He works with some great people and he seems to be enjoying the challenge of the work.

On March 6th we went to Buffalo for our immigration interview which went well and I am now a permanent resident of the United States (i.e I have a green card). It was a great feeling to finally receive the green card and it means I can now start looking for work and become part of the system here.

We have a lovely one bedroom apartment in Inwood which is a friendly neighbourhood with lots going on. Our place is on the 4th floor and furnished mainly by hand-me-downs from Zac's sister, Kimber and her husband, James. We had a great time moving everything in (and up four flights of stairs) and it is so nice to have our own place at last. Most of our neighbours are from the Dominican Republic which brings a real vibrancy to the area. I am thinking about learning Spanish to help me get to know people around here. Inwood has some great restaurants, a few bars, some shops and a fantastic park on the banks of the Hudson River.

I love living in New York City! I was concerned that I would not, as I am really a country girl. I miss the mountains, the streams, the fresh air but there is something quite amazing about living in a city like this. There is so much energy here, such diversity and sometimes sheer chaos! It reminds me so much of living in Africa. So many people from all kinds of backgrounds, religions, languages - all living on top of one another. It is the type of place that surprises you every day. I have seen some funny sights! It is crazy! It is also an efficient place where stuff gets done. Lots of opportunities and loads to do. I do not think I could spend my whole life here but for now it feels good!

So now I have a green card it means I can have a bank account, a social security number and a job!!! I have been looking for work for the past month and it seems to be a slow process. I have been looking into teaching over here but it turns out that my teaching qualification from the UK is not valid here! I have to become New York State Certified which might mean doing a Master's degree in education. The situation is crazy as schools are crying out for teachers here - just a lot of bureaucracy! I am looking into other options at the moment. Really, I want to work for a non-profit organisation and learn some more skills which will help me get into International Development. So, the job search continues.........

I am still here, just having computer issues!!

Hello,

I will be updating my blog soon. My lap top has died and I am desperately trying to rescue all of my photographs from it. As soon as it is fixed I will update my blog with what I have been up to for the last couple of months.

Sarah XXXXXXX

Snow, snow and more snow!

The first few days of 2008 were spent snow shoeing on the Chautauqua County trail. It was excellent! Zac and I were the only ones around and we made the first tracks in the very deep snow.

Happy New Year - 2008

For New Year's Eve we spent the evening at a big party at the Kidder's house where we played a 2007 quiz, drank lots of Champagne, watched the ball in Times Square drop at midnight and sang all five verses of Auld Lang Syne! It was an extra special occasion because Zac's good friends Jon and Liz had just had their first baby, a little boy called Grey, who we met for the first time that night. It was a great party and a good start to what I think is going to be a fantastic year!

Christmas in Lakewood!

Christmas has been going on for the past few weeks here. Parties every day, visiting friends, singing caroles and lots of snow! It was a very international Christmas here this year. We had representation from Germany, Australia and of course, England. I spent Christmas day with Zac, his parents Betsy and David, his aunt Julie and uncle Henry, his brother Toby and Toby's friends, Chris and Dan. It was a full house. We had a big Christmas breakfast, followed by a Christmas programme where everyone had to share a story, poem or experience about Christmas. I downloaded the Queen's Christmas speech and made everyone listen. After that was a never ending present opening session. In the afternoon I spoke to my mum, David and the girls which was lovely but made me feel a bit home sick!

A Christmas turkey dinner was the evening's main event which was at Julie and Henry's house. The food was great and my traditional Christmas pudding was a hit! After dinner we went to celebrate with the Idzicks, who live over the road, and then we headed out to a bar in Jamestown for a few vodka redbulls and some crazy dancing!

Let's go Buffalo!

Last Sunday the Buffalo Bills played the New York Giants at the Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, New York. This was my first American football game and it certainly was one to remember. The weather was absolutely wild with torrential rain, snow and high winds. We wrapped up well and had such fun! Zac, Toby, Chris, Dan, Gerrard, Gretchen, Jay and I struggled to leave Lakewood early in the morning following a big night out which involved too much beer! The drive there was hard work, fighting the rain and the winds and by the time we got there the car parks were already full of very wet fans with beers and barbecues. This part of the game is called tail-gating. Everyone opens up the boots of their cars, lights a fire and cooks burgers and sausages. The greatest part of all of this was the fact that all fans (regardless of which team they were supporting) partied together.

The game was amazing. The atmosphere, all the noise, the wild weather and dancing on seats! I must admit I did not follow the game too easily. I understood which general direction the teams were moving but most of the game I had to ask Zac for explanations. It is not the easiest of games to understand.

We stood in the rain watching the game for a few hours and the end score was the Giants 38, Bills 21. A disappointing result (so i am told!)

It was definitely a cultural experience, I loved it!

Merry Christmas from far away!

Hello everyone! I wanted to say "Merry Christmas" to everyone who I will not be able to spend Christmas with this year. I know for my family and friends at home this is the third Christmas when I have been far away from home. I am missing you all very much and I would love to have spent this festive season at home with you. Zac and his family are looking after me very well and we are trying out some English Christmas traditions. I hope you all have a lovely time and I am sure I will talk to you all soon. So from both Zac and I "Have a great Christmas!" Lots of love Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chicago, the windy city!

Zac, Toby and I went to visit Amy in Chicago for a long weekend and we had such good fun! It is a good eight hour drive from Lakewood to Chicago and my back is now suffering. It was great to spend time with Amy, see where she lives and works and meet her friends. She looked after us very well and we had a party every night we were there! We had time to walk round the city and explore Millennium park. We also took part in a bad Christmas jumper pub crawl which was hilarious. The whole weekend put me in the Christmas mood!

Slippers and snow!

Laura, Toby's girlfriend, came to visit us in Lakewood. We had a fun weekend cooking, walking, bowling and drinking local beer. Laura's Aunt knitted all of us colourful slippers which are great in this extremely cold weather. The snow began to fall heavily as Laura left for Boston.

The lake is now frozen, the snow has settled and it keeps getting colder! I am not sure I am ready for this winter weather. It is one extreme climate to another!

Thanks Giving

Thanks Giving is celebrated here every year on the fourth Thursday of November to give thanks for the things that one has at the end of the harvest season.

On Wednesday, December 4th, 1619, a group of 38 English Settlers arrived in Berkeley Hundred on the north bank of the James River,Virginia. The group's charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a "day of thanksgiving" to God. On that first day, Captain John Woodleaf held the service of thanksgiving. Here is the section of the Charter of Berkeley Hundred which specifies the thanksgiving service: "Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."

We spent the day with the Hampton's (a neighbourhood family) and we ate too much turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, pumpkin pie and mashed potato. It felt just like Christmas!

Winter is coming!

The leaves are almost gone and the snow has started! I am scared about how cold it gets here! This picture was taken at Zac's parents' house in Lakewood. Chautauqua lake in the background and our huge car in the garden.

Lakewood Study Group

The Lakewood study group meet once a month to hear a speaker do a presentation on a variety of topics. This month Zac and I gave a presentation about The Gambia: Culture, Development and Islam. We shared photographs, stories and opinions about our two years in The Gambia. It was the perfect opportunity to educate people about how great the Gambian people are, their many strengths and the problems they face. We also explained what VSO and The Peace Corps are all about. It was great fun, both planning and giving the presentation and we had an excellent turn out of about thirty people who all wore Gambian clothes.

Mr and Mrs Shepherd

On Wednesday 14th November at half past four Zac, Betsy, David and I went down to Jamestown City hall where the Mayor of Jamestown, Sam Teresi, married us. It was a short civil service, with Zac's parents as our witnesses. Afterwards we went out for a nice meal in Lakewood. Betsy gave me a pearl broach to wear on my dress which has been worn on wedding days by five generation of women in Betsy's family. We are both very happy and looking forward to sharing our marriage with all our friends and family in 2008.

Friends and Family

On our road trip we also spent one evening with Betsy and Jim, close family friends who live in DC and then we went south to Port Haywood, Virginia to meet up with some friends of ours who used to live in Dakar, Senegal. It was great to see them and discuss how we have all been struggling to settle back into life in a developed country.

Before we headed back to Lakewood we were very lucky to spend two days in Old Greenwich, Connecticut with Zac's sister, Kimber and his two nieces Liz and Julia. On our final journey back home we stopped off in the Catskill State Park, New York where we hiked for a few hours through the woods on Cambell and Brock Mountain, near Pepacton Resevoir.

Back to Silver Spring, at last!

After Gettysburg we headed to Silver Spring, Maryland, where I used to work as a live-in nanny for a wonderful family when I was eighteen. It was so strange to finally be back after 11 years. Zac and I spent the weekend with Andrea, Michael and Julia and we had a wonderful time catching up with each other and some of the neighbouring families. Julia, who was 4 when I looked after her, is now busy applying for university and Alex, who was 7, is now in his first year at Brown University! It made me feel very old! Andrea had arranged for me to meet with some people who work in international development and they gave me some great advise and more connections for finding work. Zac and I also spent a day in DC where we visited the National Museum of Native Americans and the World War II memorial. The War memorial was particularly spectacular which honours the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the US, the more than 400,000 who died and all those who supported the war effort from home.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

After leaving Morgantown we headed to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where we spent the afternoon wandering around the National Military Park.

Fought over the first three days of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most critical battles of the Civil War having occurred at a time when the fate of the nation hung in the balance- the summer of 1863. Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy", it was the culmination of the second and most abitious invasion of the North by General Robert E. Lee and the "Army of Northern Virginia". The "Army of the Potomac", the Union army that had long been the nemesis of Lee, met the Confederate invasion at the crossroads town of Gettysburg and though it was under a new commander, General George Gordon Meade, the northerners fought with a desperation born of defending their home territory. The Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg resulted in Lee's retreat to Virginia and an end to the hopes of the Confederacy for independence. It was also the war's bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties. It also provided President Abraham Lincoln with the setting for his most famous address. (From www.nps.gov)

Zac's Grandfather

On the 1st of November Zac and I headed off on a mini road trip, first stop - Morgantown, West Virginia. We stayed with Zac's Grandpa, Jim and his girlfriend Ann. Jim is a very active member of the Morgan Town community and has worked hard to protect local parks for many years. Jim was very keen to show us Dorsey's Knob Park, a local park which he has worked hard to obtain and protect over the past several years. It is the City of Morgantown's newest park in the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners park system. This 70-acre site is one of the highest points in Monongalia County and from its "Sky Rock" peak, you can see for miles and miles.

www.dorseysknob.org

Zac's Grandpa (Jim) is also very interested in family history and we spent many hours reading about the Shepherds and where they came from. They actually have strong connections with Lancaster, England. Jim's father (Larry Shepherd) was born in Lancaster in 1877 and Jim's grandfather (Peter Shepherd) was also born in Lancaster in 1848. They lived just outside Lancaster in the small village of Warton-with-Lindeth. Peter Shepherd, Zac's Great, Great Grandfather was a draper, milliner and dress maker.