Don't Take the Pass for Granted

9th - 13th May
So we made it to Grants Pass...and I met my host family Walt and Leona Cauble. Walt is a lawyer and Leona is fabulously French! She is from New Brunswick and she is everything I think Aline and all my other female French friends will be as they get older...graceful, elegant, funnily sarcastic...French...slim! She took me walking on the 12th May for a little 3 mile ramble...and she put me to shame...she even wanted me to go up some climb called "Vertical Road" - uh uh! Of course the ramble came after we sat in the garden and had a Bloody Mary! I love it! Vive la Republique!


Leona and I and those Bloody Mary's


Ok, so Grants Pass is a really quaint little place. On the 10th May we did a tour of The Bear Hotel which was awesome. I really wish I could put all the photos here!!!! The Grants Pass posse had us hopping, they really packed a good schedule, we had lunch in a Tepee tent!!! I rode a Harley, saw Harry Potter...I mean...really now! I really like how this concept has evolved...my oh my!



Milking the cow



Back off Hermione!


Bikerz Rule!

I learnt so much from the Applegate Trail Museum - I wish museums in the Caribbean could be so interactive. I really got a feel for what it was like for those people crossing from the East to West Coast to claim their piece of Oregon...wow! Truly pioneers...



On the 11th May, I had a really good vocation in Illinois Valley with their Entrepreneur Development Centre and they are doing some of the same stuff that I am working on the Small Business Association of Barbados - so I see some potential to keep in touch. They also gave me a package for the for Ford Foundation, where I also have a vocation coming up, I am so excited, but this means hard work. Any contact with Ford Foundation means tweaking my grant writing skills and well getting down to generating revenue. I really have been blissfully living these first 6 months of the year (Guyana, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Northern California, Southern Oregon, Washington DC) ... now while traveling and having other people pay for it is great...it also means I am not generating as much as I should be, could be...so looks like I have to get down to DYKON business for the next 6 months :) *spanks*

Until that time...I am making connections which I believe will come in handy down the road...meeting people and most importantly, really happy and enjoying life!

We did a presentation at Illinois Valley Club on the 11th May - their club is cool, the President throws a football to who has to speak!

And I got to tour a lumber mill! w00t! Men at work!



On the 12th Ine and I went to Firemountain Gems and what a company! Got loads of beads from them but most importantly - I love this company's work ethic, met the CEO and just got an awesome tour! I have never seen a company of 500 employees where EVERYONE was enjoying what they were doing! Got to go in the bead bunker too!!! Oh man!

We presented at Grants Pass Club and surprise surprise...those Medford Rogues showed up! Ken was coming because he had Olivier's computer...and while I had sent subliminal messages to my parents I wasn't sure if they would take the bait, they are very busy people after all...but when I saw Greg there I thought "Maybe just maybe...I guilted dad into coming since he missed the presentation in Medford", then lo and behold I see Sam, Lisa and Kingsley hahaha...Aww got the bestest and longest hugs from my mom and dad...was sooo happy, and got the pink cloud living, warm fuzzy feelings...we aced our presentation for the club and of course Southern Oregon is as small as Barbados since Sam knew my current host Walt! I got a great picture with "my two dads"! Good times! We brought the sunshine as my rogue parents were able to take the top down on their way back to Medford! :) Can't wait to meet up again and it felt great to say "See you next week!"


Happy family reunited :)



Walt and Sam (Grants Pass and Medford - and they know each other!) Small world!



Those rogues from Medford

Walt gave me a tour of his law firm and I met Christopher his son and business partner...having the brush with the law here and in Klamath has "tinged"..."excited"...got me thinking about practising...I dunno yet - we will see....

We had dinner chez Cauble 2 nights and then at one of the Rotarians (amazing lasagne) then at one of the "Bear Restaurants" - food food, that three mile hike barely made some inroads! I really enjoyed meeting Walt and Leona and being let into their family - their grandkids are adorable! And Leona rocks - she was so intent on not forgetting to pick me up, that she forgot to pick up her grandson from school!

On Thursday morning VERY early, we proceeded to what is now the very dodgy Rotary handover, empty car park...early morning, a group of 5 people and lots of suitcases...I am surprised we haven't been stopped by Highway Patrol as yet...
Thought I would sleep on the journey since it was sooo early but Steve had me rocking the entire trip - we covered politics, politics, and some more politics! He's so funny - he should have his own radio show to discuss the ins and outs I tell you! We were dropped off - in another car park...and well that's for another blog...the journey day!

Deep Blue

7th - 9th May 2010

On Friday 7th May we left Klamath (again) and headed to Crater Lake to see this deep blue wonder of the world that everyone has been talking about since we got here. Th journey was a 2 hour drive from Klamath and back into snow! It was worth the trip...my oh my!


Deep Blue


On top of the World

After seeing this spiritual wonder - very calming, and I do hope to come back there someday to just meditate - cycle around or ski around and just really embrace and get lost in it...this experience has been great getting to see so many places in such a short time but it must be my old age - I love the immersion into a community where I get to know people and fall into their routine (like in Ghana)...thing is too everywhere I go I think "I could live here" and that list is getting a bit too long now! The vibe in Ashland reminds me so much of Brighton with a mix of Stratford upon Avon...even now in Grants Pass I am reading the papers and seeing plays and shows on in Ashland and it just reminds me of that bohemian existence I love!

After Crater Lake we continued driving with my host Jim to Aspen Ridge Lodge for a weekend of rest and relaxation, down time, regroup time. You know me I love that! So I monopolised that and read and slept as much as possible. Read an amazing book by Greg Mortensen who will actually be the speaker at the Rotary International conference in Montreal this June (tempted to go just to hear him cuz he is AWESOME!) (please read "Three Cups of Tea" and "From stones to schools")...

The Lodge was a nice get away...got some time to think abit about injustice and racism and all those other heavy things you think about on a restful and relaxing weekend...I have been blessed to be colour blind and I think I will continue in my blissful pink cloud living...Overheard: "What's so big about the Native Americans anyways - what did they give to the country?" Reply "Alcohol"...Hmmmm...

On Sunday morning we left and headed back to Klamath to pick up our stuff and leave again (for the third time!) I sent an S.O.S. out to my newly adopted parents about this turn of events in case I needed rescuing! We had an interesting drive from Klamath to the hand over point which turned out to be the same one almost a week ago that I had said my teary goodbye to Sam and Lisa - I was this close to being back in White City - I was tempted to run away from the group and head back home hahaha! I kept my eyes peeled for their cars but no such luck - so close yet so far! If only I had known before I could have planned my escape better hahahaha!
Our driver from Klamath gave me great insight into Zimbabwe and what is't reported in the media!

We got handed over to our Grants Pass family and on to the next part of our adventure!

Ziggy Marley and the Wailers?

5th May

Day 2 in Lakeview (Wednesday) we did a geothermal tour of the place and then had a presentation at noon followed by a walkabout tour of the town. There are some pretty historical buildings around and I was most fascinated with the bank which was a saloon!
We got caught in he snow but were in a nice cafe to warm up. Was a bit perturbed by the Obama jokes on the wall. Sean then noted he was the only Democratic in all of Lakeview - so it was really insightful into small town America. Hmmm - here was I thinking that everyone was as happy as pie that Obama was President?!?!?! Silly me!

We had dinner at the Huffstutters - in itself a culinary treat and the scale in the bathroom did not help. We all went for a walk after that meal...and with good reason!



6th May
We did a tour of the Forestry office and then skated off back to Klamath for a noon presentation at the Klamath County Club. We got there with 9 minutes to spare - and boy am I glad we got there - look at their programme for the meeting!!!!!



I mean what Rotary meeting have you been to that has Ziggy Marley as the presenter? To our utmost disappointment - it was the programme editor's error - he had done the programme 2 months ago and had inserted Ziggy Marley's name until he could confirm our names - too bad he forgot to check again before printing - but it made for the best programme ever, filled with disappointment and all, no Ziggy Marley! But for that brief moment I really thought this GSE was gonna rock internationally!!!! Hahahaha

After the meeting, got a little nap before dinner social at Jim and Wendy's house. All in all a good back and forth, 3 presentations in 3 days and traveling from Klamath to Lakeview and back...Friday was going to see us head to the famous Crater Lake and then to Aspen Ridge Lodge for a weekend of rest and relaxation - just team GSE, kind of a regroup at the halfway point before we face the next two weeks.

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold

4th May

Yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn 7am meeting with the Klamath Sunrise Rotary Club! I am surprised I made it out of bed and was able to speak coherently. Barely.



After that I headed to court to meet Eve again. My following her was great. Two of her clients allowed me to sit in on their meetings with her. I wear my heart on my sleeve and would never make a good lawyer. I felt like bursting into tears with some of the cases being presented. I believed everything that the accused was saying and I just felt so blinking sorry for many of these "children" who were standing before the court.

Melissa and I also sat in on a motion to suppress. God bless America and its laws and protection of rights! That is all I can say! We met for lunch and then headed to Lakeview driving through places like Bend (where I read subsequently someone moves to ever 2 hours?!?!) and Bly (where if you blink you will miss it)...we truly are in rural America and it is absolutely amazing. I have been humbled by the sheer beauty that surrounds me.

We got to Lakeview and met Sean who was the GSE coordinator there. We got a tour of the Blackcaps - where people hang glide and it is about ... well a lot more feet in the air! I have to keep remembering to drink loads of water - this is not like Ghana where you hot and sweaty - because it is cool and even cold you forget you can get dehydrated, plus the altitude!

We drove around Lakeview which is really small and everyone know everyone. Dinner that night was with my host family. Olivier and I were staying with Don and Sharon and Sharon's mom and step dad were there. It was nice to have a lovely meal of stuff pork with strawberries and just catch our breath from our very hectic day! Don is fluent in Russian and was a spy!!!!! Well that sounds very dramatic but yes he did intercept messages for the US Government during the Cold War and had some hairy situations. He also was Team Leader for a GSE team that went to Russia back in the 1990s - very interesting! A spy is amongst us!

Back in Time

So still using this weekend to catch up on the GSE experience so hopefully here's a brief summary so that some day looking back I will find this page and remember all the wonderful things I did!

3 May 2010
Can't believe already we had to leave the Medford Rogues...Our time with our new friends went so quickly. Who will laugh at Kingsley's jokes now that we are gone? I cried like a baby at the drop off point - maybe I am getting too emotional in my old age - all 29 years of it now - but I felt really sad to leave my host family - Sam and Lisa really opened their home and hearts to me and I hope I can return the home part when they come to visit (hopefully in the Caribbean but wherever in the world I am). The tears show they already have seeped into my hearts already, such a wonderful couple! Mwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

It felt like just yesterday Greg was picking us up from Lithia Park when Vinnie handed us over and now here was Greg taking us to meet up with the Klamath Falls gang. It was of course raining, there was snow and it was icky - perfect weather to be piling suitcases in and out of cars!

Our first stop after handover to Guy and Gerry of Klamath Falls was to Lake of the Woods, a really pretty lake in the middle of the woods - I am sure it is gorgeous in the summer, but unfortunately we saw it through a sheet of rain - however there was potential and I am glad the drivers stopped there to give us a bit of the "off road" adventure!


(Lake of the Woods)

We got into Klamath and went straight to the Daily Bagel to meet our host families and grab lunch. After this I headed to my vocation with Eve, the kookiest and coolest lawyer I have ever met! We went to Klamath County Court and I got to meet a few judges, including Judge Osbourne who did a GSE to Nigeria...or Namibia?...a few years ago. Their legal system is so laid back - I almost, briefly, for a second, got the urge to get into the profession...

I had dinner at a lovely Thai Restaurant with Jim and Wendy my host family and Eve and her partner Mark (who is a prosecutor)...I then crashed so hard - and had a good sleep! This week we were going to have presentations and traveling back and forth so I needed it!

What a Weekend

1 May 2010

We conquered Lower Table Rock which was a "short hike" that took us from about 9:30am to 3:30pm. Good thing we had snacks and a First Aid kit on the way! It was a very informative hike and I learnt a lot about American History that I did not know before - but it was longer than anticipated. Well worth the trek though and the mimosas for lunch just capped it off! Lunch was great by the way - Lisa and I left Sam at home to prepare it and he did a good job! When I was filling Sam in on the myths and stories of Lower Table Rock about the shaman and the Beaver and the drought and the flood - I think I got my stories mixed up as it sounded incredulous to my ears! It really made me think about our own Caribbean history and how it has been interpreted and misinterpreted over the years. I am not a history buff but there is some merit in reading up and I always admire people who know so much about everything. I can now identify ponderosa pine, douglas fir and poison oak! Did not see any cougars, beers or rattlesnakes! The view from the top was amazing though and there is another Table Rock to climb so I guess I will be back in the area while I am still capable - watch this space :)

So of course the evening activities were null and void as I was soooooooooooo tired I wandered around the garden and took some pics and then crashed for an evening nap which lasted until midnight! All in all a great day - laughs, exercise, great food and of course new found friends! What more can a girl ask for?

(GSE Group conquers Lower Table Rock)



(Nothing like spending quality time with my host mom)

2 May 2010
Brownies for breakfast rock! Followed by hash browns, bacon, eggs - a real slap up meal! Gotta pack those pounds on as Sunday was a day of wine tasting. Yup literally we were wined and dined by those rogues of Medford...so we hit three vineyards on a beautiful Sunday afternoon...yum yum! Throw in a Porsche and really - la vie est belle eh?


(Cruising in my first Porsche ride and it was loverrrrrrrrrrrleeee!)


(Sam my host dad prepping the ride)

Rogue & Ready

Time flies when you are having fun! So let's try to catch up with this GSE Princess.

Last time you checked in I had turned 29 years old and had a fantabulous day...this is what happened next:

30th April -
Had a vocation visit at Access Inc. in the morning followed by a presentation at the Medford Rogue Rotary Club and then another vocation visit in the afternoon with Goodwill. Both of my vocational visits on this day were very interesting. Please check out the web links to see what these non-profits do as I was blown away.

Now the presentation at Medford Rogue club - where do I start? First of all, President Kelley needs to just run the country! But I can see why incoming President Carol has been talking about the "takeover"! We just fed off of the energy of this club with our presentations and frankly we ROCKED! Whether it was the poem that Kingsley did about the head table (remind me to get a copy of that from him - I think he should get those poems published and sold to raise funds for Rotary!) or the song we sang "Georgia" because it is so close to the Caribbean hahaha - this club has membership of over 200 persons and we just enjoyed the vibe. We got a standing ovation, we ribbed Kingsley during our presentations and got the most laughs then too! What a lovely group of people and a wonderful club..I got to shout out my host family Sam and Lisa but Sam wasn't there unfortunately...which made it easier to confess that I was swimming at 3am in the river! (not true since some people really believed this!)


(President Kingsley, GSE group, President Elect Carol...the takeover is near)


We then wandered over to Jacksonville after my 2nd vocational where I got a ride with Burke who is like the suavest guy I met. Met up with the group and we went to David Gibb's (a member of the "rogue" club) studio to get some professional shots done. Melissa and I recognised in his portfolio Bruce Cambell from Burn Notice and Brisco County Jnr. - apparently he lives in the area...plus Ken had mentioned some Johnny Depp stories...hmmm Medford/Ashland/Jacksonville - I think I dig you! I love that they have a 10 month Shakespeare Festival as well as an Independent Film Festival...kinda reminds me of Brighton mix with stratford upon Avon, trendy yet laid back...friendly people...

That night we had dinner at Nerys' host family Greg and Allison and it was lovely - hmmm salmon to die for...great convo, laughing too hard with Kingsley around. We gave them diabetes on a plate as Nerys had tamariind balls, sugar cake and guava cheese so we got them to sample some. President elect Carol in renegade style drove up on a golf cart and we GSE gang got to play with Ken's toy...

A wonderful evening with great people and it would only continue as "uno de Mayo" we were about to take a "easy hike" up Lower Table Rock followed with lunch at my host family Lisa and Sam followed with "chill out time" or a "uno de Mayo party"...little did we know how this would unfold....stay tuned for the adventure on Table Rock!