I love the East just
Because I got to watch the
Yankees! Finally!
Officially survived Field Based Training! Although “survived” is probably not the best word, since that implies some sort of suffering or hardship in the process, which there really was none of (with the exception of EXTREME sweat and occasional oxygen-less salons). The East was really beautiful. Well, the city of Chiquimula was a loud, dusty dump, but the aldeas we visited were all gorgeous. We saw four volunteers’ sites and learned about all of their projects, etc.
Three favorite experiences of the week:
1) Seeing a second year volunteer’s Library project- she literally redid the entire thing. She said that when she got to site customers weren’t even allowed to touch the books; they had to ask the librarian to go find them a book they needed. Now there’s a kids corner, a Dewey decimal system, and new computers. I’m pretty sure most of you know my obsession with libraries, so that’s absolutely a dream project for me. Is it bad that I really hope wherever I wind up has a really crappy library?
2) Going with the same volunteer to work with her youth group at the town’s orphanage. We were supposed to help them paint their playground, which we were in the process of doing until a HUGE storm interrupted. We wound up just hanging out in the carport playing games and learning Spanish hand jives- including the best new game ever. It’s called Pikachu, and it’s kind of a version of rock paper scissors, only you get to hit people. Awesome.
3) Our last visit was to another second year volunteer, who started the day by taking us up on the roof of the town’s church for a gorgeous view. See pictures below!
We wound up having to come home a day early due to an impending storm (who apparently is named Mateo). It was a bummer because we had to cancel our pool party, but when I got home Wilson was soo excited to see me, and we played together the whole afternoon, which was probably more fun than a pool party and inevitable sunburn anyway.
Backtracking a bit, the Friday before FBT was my site mate Noor’s birthday. We had presentations in the morning and class allllll day, but after that the other site mates and the host moms and I had planned a little surprise party- Frank and I had to go pick up the cake in Antigua immediately after class while the moms made Chuchitos. We wound up coming home at rush hour on the camionetas, and let me tell you this bus made 1-90 on a Friday afternoon look pleasant. It was certainly an experience trying to protect the poor cake from the mounds of people smushing into every single spare molecule of air- so much so that the ayudante (the man who takes the money) was hanging off the outside of the bus by the window. We got home about a half hour late, hot and exhausted but with an intact cake. The party was really nice; it was great to have all of our families together and I think they were pleased that we included them. Frank’s birthday is this weekend and they are all very excited to do something for it, as well.
I’m hoping that the next two weeks go by just as fast as the last month has. I am at the point where I really just want to know where I’m going. I don’t really have a preference- the East was really gorgeous, and the people are a bit more laid back and liberal, which I like. But, it’s grossly hot (and it wasn’t even the hot season while we were there) and there are a lot less volunteers out there. As for the West, I don’t even know what it’s like, so I can’t really compare. I’m just running on the theory that I’ll wind up wherever I’m supposed to.
noor's birthday party
Jocotan
me on top of the church =)
again
view from the church
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