A Musical Week

Today marks the end of a week full of great music.  On Tuesday, February 21st, half of my "studio" of students performed in a Student Recital in the NAVSTA Chapel.  We had an audience turnout of approximately 60 people, which exceeded my expectations.  All of my students (both young and older) performed well and showed great stage presence.  It confirmed my belief that I have found the perfect niche for myself in GTMO.  MUSIC--what else?? :)  Our recital made it into the GTMO Gazette complete with article and photo!

Over the weekend MCSFCO (Marine Corps Security Forces Company) hosted The Bart Walker Band to make up for their unfortunate absence during the Marine Corps Ball in November.  Best concert I've heard in GTMO since we've been here!!  Their first performance was Saturday at Marine Hill.  Great weather and excellent blues music.  All four of the musicians in the band have amazing technique.  Will was able to get an autographed CD from Bart and we also had the pleasure of meeting his wife who is a flutist/music therapist!
On Sunday the band gave a guitar/drum clinic at the high school and Will was able to play what he'd been learning in his guitar lessons for Bart.  Later that afternoon we grilled out and then headed over to O'Kelly's for another BWB performance.  Another fun show!

Between the recital and the blues concert, this is about as much culture as this island has had in over a year.  Looking forward to more!!
MV

6-Month Catch Up

I suppose I've put this off long enough considering the blog hasn't been updated since June!! The last six months of our first year in GTMO proved to be as busy as the first.  All three of us were able to participate in activities we never had the time or opportunity to do back in the States.  Andy joined a softball team composed of co-workers from PWD (Public Works Dept.) and JTF (Joint Task Force) members.  They had a winning season, but lost the championship game.  People are very serious about their softball leagues around here.  The dedication to practice, focus and winning was amusing to me.  Some players viewed it as coming as close as they ever will be to playing in the Majors which included wearing knee high socks in various colors.  Andy became the team's third base coach and overall "cheerleader" at each game.  You could hear his voice booming morale-boosting one-liners all the way across the field.

Will has played every sport offered by the CYP (Children/Youth Program)--basketball, soccer, flag football, baseball.  And, I have had the pleasure of joining an all-female dodgeball team (Chicks with Balls).  We've played in two tournaments so far and haven't won one game yet. :)  Our best asset is our uniforms!  Each time we face all-male or co-ed teams made up of extremely fit active duty guys who throw bullets that are almost impossible to catch.  Despite our many defeats, we have a great time!

The fall season in GTMO is quite fun. Seasonal activities provided by MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) are non-stop.  We took a trip to Disney World in October with our nephew, Garrett.  In November we attended the Marine Corps Ball on Veterans Day.  It was nice to be so close to the ceremonial aspect of the national holiday as well as the rituals of the Marine Corps Ball itself.  Thanksgiving and Christmas were the highlights since we had both holiday dinners out at the beach.  Christmas activities included a parade in early December, a holiday church concert, school performances, tree lightings, and various parties.  We don't miss the snow.  We are perfectly fine wearing shorts and tank tops through the Christmas season.  We are just now getting a "cold front" in January where the highs are in the low to mid-70's! 

My private teaching load has increased considerably in the past couple of weeks.  Teaching at Columbia College has dwindled since the Academic Director left GTMO in November.  I had applied for the position, but it was not meant to be.  I've turned my focus to teaching private flute and piano lessons to all age groups.  I started out with 6-8 students in the summer, and I'm close to 25 now.  I enjoy it, and our first Student Recital is coming up in February.

That about sums up our first year in GTMO.  Stay tuned...

Cardboard Boat Regatta

This is one of the more unique events here in GTMO.  The Cardboard Boat Regatta takes place once a year in May and is open to anyone who wants to build a boat completely out of cardboard.  The idea is to row your boat around the buoys without sinking.  However, the audience usually hopes to see one or two boats fail just for the entertainment value.  The entries this year included a pirate ship with a working cannon, a "love boat", and some boats that were only big enough for two people.  The races are run out at Ferry Landing Beach.  The winner from each preliminary race advances to the final race.  This year the pirate ship was the big winner.

Thinking about working in Gitmo? Read this!

I was inspired by a comment on my first blog post to write to those who might be thinking of working in GTMO as a civilian or active duty.  Here is a list of things to consider.  This is not complete by any means, but it should help with the decision making process:

1.  It is at least 80 degrees here year round.  Leave all of your winter gear in the States, you will never use it here (unless you're from the northeast and need something to visit home).
2.  Earthquakes do happen, but I haven't experienced one yet since I've only been here a little over three months.  I hear they haven't been a big deal in recent years.
3.  You will save money here.
4.  There are job and volunteer opportunities.
5.  There is no decent hair salon for women.  Seek a stylist out amongst the Gitmo community.
6.  It takes 4-6 weeks for your household goods and cars to arrive.
7.  Forget about streaming video over the internet.
8.  Bring a VCR and tapes (no DVRs here from local cable provider).  That's right, you heard me. :)
9. Bring small furniture.  Unless you or your spouse is a high ranking officer/GS (GS 12 or above) of some sort, your housing will be on the small side.
10.  Appliances are provided.  Our high efficiency front loading washer and dryer was a great surprise!
11.  There is always something to do here. MWR rocks!
12.  The community is very welcoming and supportive.  You should be able to make friends fast.
13.  The beaches are not surfing friendly. However, the exchange sells surfboards for CHEAP (i.e. 7' board $40), so if you want to put one away for when you go back to the States, then get a board here.
14.  The clothes and shoe shopping is mediocre.
15. This is a GREAT place to raise kids, especially if they're not in their teens yet.

16.Dining out is par at best with a few exceptions.
17. There are fast food chains here.
18. We have bowling, boating/sailing, kayaking, and scuba diving.
19. The fishing is awesome!
20. Schools are good, both K-12 and college.
21. Gossip runs rampant at GTMO so never tell what you do not want everyone to know.
22. Sea glass is everywhere!
23. We have a great baby sitter.
24. We get first run movies free everyday including double features on Fridays and Saturdays.
25.  Keep reading blogs like this and do as much research on GTMO as you can on the internet before you get here.  That's what we did, and we were well prepared.

Overall, it is what you make of it. Embrace it or be miserable. Either way it is up to you.

First Impressions

I should have started this blog about a month ago, but how did I know how busy I would be upon arrival in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba?

Most people's views of the base here are based on what they've seen in A Few Good Men and televised news stories about the prison camps.  The truth is that the majority of the residential part of the base is very family-friendly, mountainous, and conducive to a laid back lifestyle.  We were smart and did extensive research on the daily living conditions in Gitmo before we arrived, and were pleased to find that our expectations were met, and often exceeded. Imagine time traveling back to the early 1990's, and you will have a pretty good idea of how life operates around here--basic cable (no DVR unless you're willing to pay $$$ for it), slow internet, limited to no cell phone use (unless you're employed here on base), no texting, VCR's for sale in the thrift store, paying bills in person instead of online, etc.  The weather is always warm during the day, and pleasant in the evenings (low 70's).  We have free first run movies available to us daily in the outdoor theater with double features on Fridays and Saturdays, and cheap concessions!

We have the pleasure of sharing this space with active duty men and women from all branches of the US military.  We witness how much they are giving to our country and the positive attitudes they display while doing their job.  I like being surrounded by certain military rituals (i.e., public broadcast of the National Anthem at 0800 and Colors at 1900 everyday).  If you are outdoors during either of these rituals, you are expected to stop your car if you're on the road, or stop walking if you're outdoors, and face the nearest American flag.

When we arrived on January 29, 2011, our "sponsor" (a co-worker of Andrew's) was waiting for us at the check-in gate.  He drove us to our house pointing out important places of interest along the way.   We were also able to borrow his car until our cars were delivered off the barge (that took approx. 6 weeks!). Our house is a two-story 950 sq. ft townhouse in a cul-de-sac neighborhood.  Will has plenty of kids to play with near the house, and it's comforting to know that he can run around outside and play all day like we used to do "back in the day." The following weekend we were invited to a "Hail and Farewell" get-together at the Dock of the Bay (basically a boat dock).  From then on, we've been to more social events, including the SeaBee Ball, than we've ever been to while living in Massachusetts the past two years .

The schools here are great and Will is enjoying the experience having only 12 kids in his first grade class.  I've started teaching for Columbia College and Andrew is now overseeing construction projects on base. I've started attending fitness classes on a regular basis for the first time in my life, and I'm liking it so far.

After being here for 2 1/2 months, we have no complaints.  I will post our adventures and pics to prove them in future posts.  Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!

Melissa