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Tag Archives: Florida

Catching up

Posted on by under ECHO

Phew…life in the ECHO whirlwind can leave me gasping for breath sometimes. It’s been more than a month since I reported on the triplets’ birth and I feel like I’m still playing catch-up with paperwork, meningitis emails and the like…

Am working on a goat pregnancy seminar, to present on Wednesday afternoon (yep, tomorrow…*sigh*) but am really distracted. I suppose this is my “assuage the guilt” posting – to let y’all know I’m still here. OK…I don’t want to stay up any later than I have to so will post baby goat pics soon.

Signs of intelligence

Posted on by under Thoughts + Musings

In a counterpoint to my previous post, information pills I’ve discovered that there are rather intelligent beings in the circles in which I travel, pfizer here in the metropolis that is North Fort Myers/Fort Myers/Cape Coral.

The pastor of the church I attend (Evangelical Presbyterian Church) presents the Gospel intelligently, generic critically and with a “wise” world-view (he talks about living life, not churchianity). The music leader at church presents the Psalms re-arranged to original music. My lovely ECHO family is comprised of very witty, well-read and well-thought-out people who constantly demonstrate compassion and practical action. My goat partner, A, is punnily funny (or is it funnily punny?) and keeps me in stitches morning and afternoon.

I have to conclude that there are signs of intelligence in America.

Speaking perfect English

Posted on by under ECHO

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Last weekend, melanoma for the third time since I moved to Florida, recuperation an older gentleman mused out loud that I spoke “un-accented English” and that it was “really good”.

The first time, a church leader commented that I spoke “perfect English”. The second time, someone at a tree sale I was helping out at asked me where I learned to speak English.

Context: obviously ethnic-looking Asian girl speaking “perfect”, “un-accented” English in North Fort Myers, where the ethnic groups (mainly Mexicans and Haitians) apparently don’t speak “perfect”, “un-accented” English “really good”. Eh.

The nexus of all things

Posted on by under Thoughts + Musings

I finally got my US social security number last week. Having lived in Florida for a month without it, hospital I learned just how important it is for everything: receiving pay cheques, being insured, applying for a credit card…

It was a bit iffy when I first applied: the social security administration couldn’t find my name in the “system” (that great, amorphous thing). I was worried because I received my working permit at the border in Toronto and all my information was entered (I hoped, correctly) by a friendly customs and border control officer. But all is well and I’m officially a “legal alien” here (love the terminology Americans use).

The reality of goats

Posted on by under ECHO

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Photo from http://www.natural-history-pictures.co.uk/goat.jpg

Animals require a lot of work (especially for a reformed suburbanite like me). Morning and night. Weekends too. Insatiable appetites for food. Deworming. Trimming hooves. Cleaning out manure. Fortunately A is a great partner with whom to share the work. The animals: A buck (Curry), search two does (Lily and Girlfriend) and two kids (Shaka and Khatuk). And a zebu (miniature cow) called Princess. I’ve fallen in love with Shaka – he’s cuddly and nuzzley. But I may have to eat him later on this year. That’s the reality of agriculture.

ECHO

Posted on by under ECHO

I’m attempting to present a more serious side of myself on this blog (please, somnology muffle your laughter!). There is a humorous entry on the ECHO blog about me.

I started working at ECHO in December 2006. The focus of my year is getting hands-on experience cultivating tropical crops and animals. The idea is to become equipped with tools to work with people in developing countries particularly in the area of growing food in difficult conditions. I’m directly responsible for a 1/2 acre piece of land that showcases food crops and techniques that respond to needs of farmers in semi-arid climates (places that surround the Sahara desert in Africa, for example).