Current Volunteer Visit

Well hello all. All is well in San Ignacio. This last weekend I spent in the north on our visit of a current volunteer. Holly, Emily, and I got sent to Progresso to visit Laura who is a teacher trainer in the small village. I had a great time!




Friday we went to Belmopan for our tech sessions then the three of us set off on the long, long bus ride to Corozal (about 4 hours). Since the bus to Progresso doesn’t run that late we had to stay the night in Corozal at the Sea Breeze hotel. Corozal is beautiful! We were finally able to see the sea for the first time since we arrived in Belize. In the morning we had a great breakfast and walked around touring Corozal. We were even able to hop in the sea for some fun in the sun. I got a little burnt but by now it has faded into a lovely tan. In the afternoon we took a bus to Orange Walk town. Since Progresso is so small Laura has to do her shopping in Orange Walk. She showed us around for a bit and shopped then took another bus to Progresso. By that time we were all pretty much exhausted. We cooked some stir fry potatoes and then went to bed. Sunday we took a short bike ride around Progresso and Laura showed us the village. Her house is amazing. It’s a one bedroom house right on the lagoon. I’ll post a picture of the view from her patio. It’s ridiculously amazing. After the bike ride we went for a swim in the lagoon. We then cooked dinner (yummy nachos) and went to bed. Monday we got up early and Laura introduced us to the principal of the school that she works for. At around noon we had a wonderful lunch at her host mom’s house and headed back to Belmopan on another very long bus ride. It was such an amazing weekend. Now I am really excited to find out where I will be placed for the next two years. Most likely I’m going to the north but we’ll see..


Here is a picture from Laura's porch


Until we meet again….

Christa


xoxo

Swimming at Cahal Pech

First of all I'll just say that we have class and or training everyday. So instances like these don't really happen that often.

Yesterday we got out of training at 12 and decided to go swimming. There is a resort at the top of San Ignacio that has a beautiful pool and is $10BZ to swim. It was an amazing afternoon. It was wonderful to just lay out in the sun and relaxed. We are constantly gross and sweaty so the pool was lovely! It also includes a great view. Since I've finally figured out how to upload pictures i will post a couple. I have them all up on facebook though.

Everyone: YouTube "Bot fly"

Hola!!!!

We I am currently sitting in a internet cafe with a fellow trainee, Kevin, watching disgusting you tube videos about possible ailments that we could encounter during our time here in Belize. Be sure to Google "bot fly". We have been told that many volunteers have encountered such creatures. Luckily being in the second largest city in the country we don't really have as much problems with bugs as other training sites. A lot of mosquito.

I went ahead and added the video:



Basically a bot fly is a fly that bites you and lays an egg under your skin and develops into a larva and eventually into a bot fly. This video is of a guy extracting the larva from under his skin.

So I go my youth group assignment for training. I will be working with the Police Cadets with Kevin. Today we met with them all and it was awesome. I'm really looking forward to it. They looked so cute doing there drills and marches. The officer in charge, Mr. Medina, is really entusiastic and proud of the group. He showed us about a million pictures of all the things that they have been doing. I know it is great how laid back Belizians are but it can be a little frustrating. As part of the assignment we have to have a community service project. Typical answers are, "oh yeah... do what ever you want" "oh you can meet with me whenever you want, the morning would be fine, or the afternoon, whatever you want". He seems like such a nice guy. I'm happy for this project we are working together. At least from my point of view, i don't know about Kevin. I've never worked with boys really so this should be interesting. I'm very excited!!!

Tonight we're (by we I mean the trainees in S. I.) going to a block party. September is the month of Belize's independace and is widely celebrated. I'm really excited for the party.

Well I am drawing a blank about what to write about next.....

so untill we meet again...


with love, Christa


XOXO

Community Based Training

Hello!!!!

I am now in San Ignacio settled with my host family. So far so good. I really like where I’m staying. The family is awesome. They rent out rooms on their property so I’m in one of the ones they have so I get my own room with my own bathroom and everything! There is even a door that locks. It’s also nice to have electricity. It’s also in a pretty good location. I’m right next to a bunch of markets, the bus stop, and internet café where I plan on uploading this blog. It’s currently Sunday and I’m sitting in my room listening to my iPod, typing this up. Training is filled with very long days with very little time off. I think we get four full days off total and today is one of them. I have a bit of a cold right not now it’s not too bad, just a bit stuffed up.

My host family: My host family is great. They are all so sweet. Carlos is the dad. He is retired and can usually be found sitting on the porch swing. Marcel is the mom she is a stay at home mom and is very sweet. They have….10 children! 10! They altogether have 18 grandchildren so far. All of them but two are married and moved out except the two youngest girls. Lettie who just left for college today…. So I guess that makes one…. Suzy who is 12…

I’ll give you a typical day of training: I usually wake up at 6am. I get ready and read for a bit until breakfast is served at the host families at 7:15. I have to be at the training center at 8. It’s about a 15 walk there. The walk back is more like 25. From 8-12 we have Spanish lessons. A hour break for lunch. At 1 the other trainees learning Kriol come down the hill from their training spot to join us for our Tech sessions. It’s hard to explain what the tech sessions are. It’s just kind of learning how to do what we are going to do over the next two years of service. We get out at 5. It’s a trek home. There is a very large, long hill to get up. By the time I get to the top I’m drenched in sweat. Carlos is usually sitting in the swing waiting for me so I sit down and chat with him for a bit. I then put my stuff away, curse at my Spanish book, and then sit in front of a fan until I need to go to the house for dinner at 6:15. After dinner I watch Spanish soap operas with the girls (I never know what it’s about only that it’s very dramatic and there is a lot of sex). I got to my room at 8, take a shower, read for a bit, and then it’s asleep by 10 and do the whole thing over again.

Spanish is really frustrating. I know its only day two but It’s really hard not to get discouraged. Everyone else is so far ahead of me and most of the time I have no idea what he is saying. My host family really doesn’t speak Spanish around the house. Sometimes they try to practice with me but when they do it is very basic. For example today they were trying to teach me to count. I’m kind of stuck in between. It’s also frustrating because I have to ask a hundred times for the teacher to repeat how to say a work. It just won’t stick. Thank God we don’t have a Spanish proficiency test to pass. That does lower my stress levels. It’s not like I’m trying to learn it to pass a test, I actually want to learn the language.

I can say that currently my only anxiety about my Peace Corps training is learning the language.

It’s currently 2:33PM. My thermometer says its 96 degrees in my room (It’s not so bad as long as the fan is on me). The heat really isn’t so bad here. The humidity is what sucks. I hate sweating so much and here everyone sweats constantly unless you as sitting in front of a fan. I really like Belize. It’s beautiful and interesting. Sometimes it can be frustrating since the area we are currently in can sometimes be a tourist stop due to the Mayan ruins nearby. A lot of times we will be asked if we need a taxi ride or to go on a tour, especially if we are in a group. I can’t wait for the day that I’m not seen as a tourist.

Until we meet again…..

Christa

I'm here!!

At first when I got my invitation to serve in Belize I immediately searched for blogs from this country. I got frustrated when the writers would infrequently right. I wanted to know what was going on every day. Now I understand why. As trainees we are so busy that by the time we have time to write that is the last thing we want to do. Just letting you know in advance why I wouldn’t want to write.

Our trip was a very, very long one. We checked out of our hotel in Washington D.C. at 1:30am. After standing around in the lobby we left for the bus ride to the airport and arrived there at 3:30. Then we stood around in airport waiting for the check in to start. (There was a lot of waiting) Our flight left at 6:05am. We arrived in Miami at 8. Left Miami at 10 and arrived in Belize at `12. Belize is 2 hours behind so it was 10am there. This was rough because while we had been in transit for 10 hours they are just starting their day. The current Peace Corps volunteers picked us up at the airport. We then headed to the office to begin training. We got out at about 4.

Belize is beautiful and so interesting. We are currently in Belmopan (the capitol of Belize) for the next week. After that we will get to our training sights and get settled in with our host families. I really like Belmopan. Right now we are staying in a hotel and we walk to the office for training at 7am. Today is Sunday so we don’t have any training today. The food here is so good. The first day a group of us went and ate at a shack behind the office. For $3 we got a burrito 4 empanadas and a coke. Pretty good deal, right? It was amazingly delicious. There are markets everywhere that you can get everything you could need, which is good since we drink so much water and have to drink it from a bottle. The coke here has real sugar compare to the US where it is fructose corn syrup. It is soooo good! I need to stop so I don’t get addicted.

3 more months

Three more month's till I leave for Belize. I'm not very nervous, just concerned. There is so much I need to do and no time to do it. I have three more months with my friends and family but rather then being able to spend time with them I have to work so I can get all the things I need for my time in the Peace Corps. I'm going to have to work my ass off this summer. It's frustrating. I wish I could have the summer off to do all the things I want to do before I leave but I'm broke as a joke.

At least school is over and done with. I graduate in two days. Weird. Sixteen years of having to go to school and now it is over.

Belize, August 2009!!!

My invitation came! It came! I'm so happy!

I've been invited to serve in Belize. I leave for staging on August 19.. I couldn't be more excited!