Message for Ella

I have to make sure that my granddaughter Ella doesn't forget about her Papa, so the video provided below is specifically for her!

The Strikers

Since I've been going for morning runs around the Savannah, I've met a lot of people. I usually say hi and wave to everyone I meet. Sometimes they stop me to ask where I'm from and why I am in Trinidad(white people really stand out around here, particularly when we are wearing shorts...). The other day in the market a lady asked me, "Aren't you the white man who runs around the Savannah in the mornings?" One guy I met is Richard Harrison. He coaches a soccer club (although they call it football here) on the Savannah, the "San Juan Strikers." We have become friends and he even goes to Church with me on occasion. I have been adopted as the team "spiritual advisor." Richard asks me to open their practices with prayer and a spiritual thought. I have been surprised at the positive reaction I have been getting from the team. These young men are mostly inner-city youth from gang infested neighborhoods. Richard likes to target these young men to give them a positive alternative. Most have no money. In fact, a lot of them showed up for the first practice bare-footed. I have been trying to assist with time and a little money, but Richard also finds other sponsors to ensure that all the boys get new shoes and uniforms.

I had a picture taken with the team. I'm pretty easy to pick out on the left. Richard, the head coach, is on the right. By the way, for those of you that don't know, if you click on any of the pictures you can see them full size.

Working

I thought I should throw in a couple of pictures that show that I work down here also.

The following are a couple of pictures of police stations I have worked with. Some are a little better, but most of them are pretty "humble."

One of my primary responsibilities is training police personnel how to do crime analysis. This picture was taken at one of the seminars I was teaching.

Our project has a pretty high profile in the country. There is a lot of news and media coverage. Most educated adults have heard of our project. Consequently, we have the opportunity to meet a lot of government leaders. The first picture is taken with the Commissioner of Police, Trevor Paul. The second is with the Minister of National Security, Martin Joseph. The last picture was when I met the President of Trinidad, His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards.

Regards to all, Dan

Liming...

In Trinidad, getting together with friends for food and drinks is a significant part of the culture. The call it "liming". Or, "goin' for a lime wit me bruddas." Two of the most popular spots are the beach and the river. Beaches in Trinidad are not as extravagant or "touristy" as most of the Caribbean. Trinidad depends on the petroleum industry as opposed to the tourist industry. It's sister island, Tobago, is more typical of the Caribbean tourist spots. I haven't been to Tobago yet, although it only costs about US$16 for a 2 hour boat ride to go over there. If I can just get some time set aside I plan on going over and checking it out. I'll post some pictures when I do.

However, Trinidad does have a couple of beaches that I enjoy. The most popular on the island is Maracas Bay. I've got a picture of it below.


The other place they like to go is the river. A family that has befriended me at Church, the Rojas, took me to the river for a lime. It's called the Coura river and is real popular.



Food is always a big part of Trini activities. They bring these big iron pots and either cook them over an iron gas grill that they drag along, or the build a campfire out of dried bamboo and cook their meals over that. Almost everything they cook is in the big iron pots. A couple of favorites are "pelau" and "fish broth", pictured below.


By the way, here is a picture of the Rojas family. The kids kind of adopted me and call me Uncle Dan. I think it's because I invite them over to swim in the pool here at my apartment.

Trinidad Apartment

This is my apartment in Trinidad. It's a relatively nice complex with a pool and a tennis court. I have a small 2 bedroom apartment. It's all provided for me by the Ministry of National Security as part of my contract here in Trinidad.



The apartment complex sits next to a large field that they call a savannah. It's used for cricket and soccer games. There is a running track around it. One lap is a mile. I've been running around it in the mornings to try and stay in shape a little bit.

Staying in Touch

Ok... I'm going to try and start a "blog" so that I can share my experiences with friends and family. I have had some pretty interesting experiences working with police agencies across the United States and in various parts of the world, but have not shared those experiences as effectively I probably should. I hope you find some interest and enjoyment out my postings.

Dan