Monday, July 26, 2010

I bit late....





This is My hopkins mom and I and myself with the fam. It was Heather (the one in brown and gold) primary school graduation.
ps.. they usually smile a lot more... :)

Work, No work, Food for the soul, and "the crazy farm"

It’s been awhile! Sorry about that! Even so I don’t have too much to update on…
Let’s see first.. Work?
Well its summer…so I don’t actually have a job…. BUT! I have been working a little bit! Last week I went up north to a town, Orange Walk town. I have a few friends (other PCVs) but m main reason for going was to help my friend Zach. I was helping his plan a curriculum for a youth group with a business focus. He knows all about business I know about youth and teaching. It worked great! Plus I got to see everyone else up there and let me tell you I love that town. It may just be my favorite place in Belize. It was food for the soul. The PCVs up there are so positive and inviting. (Not that I don’t love my fellow PCVs everywhere else, I DO!) But Orange Walk Town has a little something extra; I will for sure be making more trips up there in the next two years! While I was up there I also got to help Kevin (another PCV) in his village with a chess camp! That was really fun too, I might not have a lot of work to do in Hopkins but at least I worked somewhere! That was a great week but sadly I had to come home last Saturday. That was because on Sunday I had an event in Hopkins! We had a step Africa group come and do a small workshop. The week before I left I ran around Hopkins like a chicken with my head cut off and tried to tell as many people as I could that they were coming! Basically I got a call from the Embassy saying please find a spot and get people there! Wow I’m so important  well Sunday I went and met up with them and it was awesome. A guy from Hopkins came and shared a short history of the Garifunia people with the group and it was really cool to hear because he knew WAY more than I had heard before. Then they asked me to stand up and introduce myself. This was unexpected; they then picked my brain for a good 30 mins about what I’ve learned while I have been here and all about the Peace Corps. It was in the end, very fun. It was also really cool watching them teach some of our kids how to step, slightly different than Punta! I tried to get my counterpart to try it with me but sadly… he refused... Next time!
This past week we had summer school. There were a lot more kids than I expected! They have high school students volunteering as teachers and they are good. I was extremely impressed! I was helping out with the Infant one class, who were the 4 year olds that just graduated preschool, they were learning addition!!! So smart! Next week I’ll be helping for a day or two but I have BIG plans!!! Adrienne (we worked at Ohiyesa together for a few years) is coming down to visit her boyfriend. Well that’s what she is telling people but I know it’s really to see me! Anyway… we are going cave tubing next week so that should be, you know, AWESOME!
Other than that there isn’t a whole lot going on, unless you want to hear about me sitting in my hammock for hours each day listening to the carib sea and relaxing... No? Weird….
Next weekend is Hopkins days. Apparently a crazy big party for three days so I should have much more to tell you than!
Ps... I have Skype K4duchen… add me!

*so I wrote this blog this morning... It’s Sunday night the 25th. And I didn’t think I would have anything to add but after today I do...so here you go*
I think that thing that I love the most about Belize and Peace Corps in general is that every time I have the slightest feeling of I’m not integrating, or I’m not meeting people or why am I here… I’m shown why. Last night I was a little frustrated feel like I’m not integrating fast enough or as much as others. (Peace Corps is always telling us not to compare ourselves with each other but it’s really hard not to!) Well today was just what I needed. My host dad’s best friend is Quentin. He is a British guy who has lived in Hopkins for 25 years. He and his partner Dasha live on a farm about 4 miles from the village. I have meet and hung out with them both many times. Well today I bunch of ladies who are friends with them and my host mom was going to the farm to “have a party”. I tagged along. It was great! I’m so glad I did. It has been explained to me that these women and my host mom pretty much control the village. They are wonderful, amazing women and they always make me feel welcome. One I hadn’t met yet and my host mom introduced me as her daughter, and later on when I met my host dad’s brother I was told “welcome to our family” it’s so nice to know that when I can’t be near my family I have this one! I wouldn’t be able to stay here if I didn’t! Anyway, we just spent the day laughing and chatting. I learned all about organic farming and black Maya chickens! Seriously the meat is black! And the bones! So cool and it didn’t taste half bad either! OH! I ate jaguar! I didn’t know it while I was eating it but I did! And it was good. Apparently it’s not ok to hunt them but if one is trying to eat say your ducks; you are allowed to shoot it. And apparently there was one trying to eat his ducks and it had already been shot so there is dinner. It was nice and relaxing and pushed aside all of my doubts! I have come to realize at the end of the day it is days like today that make this so worth it! Well my cheeks hurt from smiling so much so I’m heading to bed!