I Am Belize!

Let me just get this over with right off the bat. This blog has nothing to do with making a difference by some significant work I'm doing here. This is September in Belize City!! For months ,whenever I tried to plan a meeting or an activity, my co-workers would say, "We can't do it then, it's September." Now I understand what they meant - it's 10th Day, it's National Day, it's Independence Day and it's Carnival time in Belize! This year's theme for the September Celebrations is "United and proud. Moving forward. I am Belize!"

I have been trying to acquire a piece of art by a Belizean artist every month, and this piece of folk art was painted on a cardboard box by a young man from Hopkins. The figures are actually painted and cut out of cardboard and adheared to the background. It depicts a "Bruk dong" band, including the tumbas, three turtle shells of different sizes that hang around the musician's neck and are hit with drum sticks, and a "boom and chim" drum. To me, this piece is the perfect addition to my collection this month, with its cut-out statement at the top of the painting, "We Are Belize".
On September 10, 1798 after seven days of fighting, a small force of woodcutters, called Baymen, assisted by slaves, fought together - for their land and their livelihood - to defeat the Spanish on St. George's Caye. Two hundred twelve years later, as a new observer to the events and activities connected with the September Celebrations, I have felt a level of patriotism in Belizeans from every village, town and city, of every diverse culture and every socio-economic level that is inspiring. (And, we haven't even gotten to Independence Day celebrations on September 21, when in 1981, Belize was granted independence as a colony of Britain.) Here, in a country where many people suffer and have numerous reasons to feel as though their government is failing them, they put their grievences aside and celebrate a bigger vision - freedom, independence and pride. It's real dam refreshing coming from a land that has more than any other nation in the world, and yet we think things are so bad in America because we deserve more!!! OK, off the soapbox - let me tell you about the fabulous things I've been enjoying.

The month actually started with my Peace Corps friends, Tracy, Roger and Dickie P, coming here for the monthly Wine Club. We toasted the upcoming celebrations by tasting a few champagnes from France and the US. The next night was the opening of a great art exhibit, 29: Artists, Works, Years. After visiting the Smithsonian, the Met, the Guggenheim and the Chicago Museum of Art, one forgets that at some point a newly independent country must "begin" it's own collection of art. Belize is without a National Gallery of Art, so in 1989 an effort to formally collect, preserve, document and disseminate the visual arts of Belizeans was undertaken. In this, the 29th year of independence, 29 Belizean artists were featured from the National collection of painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media. I was so excited to see a beautiful pencil drawing by my friend Gilvano Swazey, whose wood block, "Out to Sea," I purchased last month for my own little "National collection."

The next night I attended a concert by the country's most renowned pianist/composer/director, Francis Reneau. In every event I've attended, I have noticed how Belize's future - the youth of the country - have been included, starting with this concert where some of Belize's talented upcoming artists played the piano and violin. Reneau played some of his favorite classical pieces, some patriotic songs and returned for an encore playing an amazing piece for left hand only that had the crowd on it's feet.

Throughout the month, carnival events have been blended into the mix of patriotic events, and Saturday night kicked off Carnival with the crowning of the King and Queen of the Carnival. This is NOT a "sit on a throne and wave" king and queen, but the best Carnival costume King and Queen! The costumes are actually constructed of rebar covered with fabric, trim, feathers and beads, and the heavy costumes are supported on wheels. Each entrant takes their turn dancing and rolling around the stage, and the more their costume bounces to the beat of the soca music, the more the crowd roars. The fish is the junior king winner and the bee is the junior queen winner.

Sunday was the Lionman Triathalon, (which of course I did not participate in) but several Peace Corps volunteers joined teams with US Embassy staff, and one of the teams came in fourth. After the triathalon, two Peace Corps volunteers here in Belize City, Pat and Keri Robinson, hosted all the participants, and us observers, for a fabulous brunch at their home - complete with mimosas, salmon mouse, caviar and eggs benedict! (Are you sure we're still in Belize?) It was great to see so many volunteers in town and celebrate their hard work and accomplishment.

On Monday the celebrations kicked up a notch with a Patriotic Concert at a historic church, featuring two choirs, soloists, and the National Band and a steel band booming from the balcony of the Wesley Church. The Governor General, the highest ranking official in the country, played the piano and lead everyone in a sing-along to culminate the concert. On Tuesday, I attended a wonderful play called, "Belize: A Play From Settlement to Nation", which depicted in acting, music, dance and video, the events from the battle of St. George's Caye to winning independence from the British. Florence Goldson, my co-worker at WIN Belize, took me to the play; and I think I felt almost as much pride as she must have felt when her father was depicted in the play as a leader in Belize's fight for independence. A newspaper editor, politician and activist, Phillip Stanley Wilberforce Goldson, was a founder of the four political parties in Belize and was even imprisoned for a year for his activism. Relentless in his efforts to improve Belize, he taught prisoners how to read and write while he was in prison. The Belize International Airport is named after him and in 2008, he was post-humously honored with the country's highest honor, the Order of National Hero.

The children were again the focal point on Wednesday in the Literacy Parade. Almost every school in Belize City decorated a float, and students who have made the greatest improvement in reading, dressed like characters from their books and paraded down the streets with their school's band following.

On Thursday, Florence again took me out - this time to the Soca Bashment. Soca music emerged about 30 years ago in Trinidad and Tobago as a soulful calipso. Today, soca has a heavy percussion presence and lots of dancing and jumping up and down, or "jump-up" as it's called.

Unforunately, we couldn't stay and party all night because we had to be up bright and early for the National Day festivities starting with the Opening Ceremonies, attended by the US Ambassador, the Governor General, Prime Minister of Belize, and the many Ministers and dignitaries of the country. The Queen of the Bay, who oversees all the "10th Day" festivities, was crowned. The Queen of the Bay works all year to advocate for equality for women, encouraging them to further their education and take leadership roles in the country, and has been chaired for over 20 years by Florence's mother, Emma Boiton.

Then it was off to another parade down the streets of Belize City with citizens joining in the parade, dancing and reveling to "I am Belize", the song that won the music competition in the campaign to encourage citizens to adopt social values that will restore Belize to a safe, peaceful and productive home for Belizeans and visitors.

I know you must be tired of reading, but indulge me one more story. I think the multi-cultural fair that followed the parade, really took the word "multi-cultural" to a new level this year, when yours truly won the punta dancing contest. If you know me well, you know I avoid attention in public and I NEVER dance! So, when the master of ceremonies pointed in my direction, I looked around me to see who he was signaling to come to the stage. When I realized he was pointing to me, I said, "What the heck. I don't know anyone in this country," and up on the stage I went. It wasn't until he asked me if I knew what punta was that I began to worry. Anyone who has lived in this country for more than a day knows what punta dancing is, and if they also know me, they know I don't have the hips, the wiggle, or the rhythm to do the punta. But dance I did, ace bandage on my sprained ankle and all! The crowd cheered and laughed, and to paraphrase Andy Worhol, I enjoyed my 15 "seconds" of fame!

Remember how I said I don't know anyone in this country? Well, the next day at Carnival, three strangers stopped me on the streets and told me I did a good job dancing the punta. I guess...I AM BELIZE!