Yes, thats right, the name of my site is Gracias! I am very excited to be passing this news along, it was a long wait, but also very worthwhile. We were all incredibly anxious on Monday morning while waiting to find out our sites, and I got the distinct impression that our supervisors like to see us squirm, and therefore dragged it out even longer! :) But, we were each finally handed a manilla envelope with our name on it, and (on the count of three) all tore into them to find out what our lives had in store for us over the next two years. I was absolutely thrilled when I saw my site; it is in a region of the country that I really like, has lots of projects that I am really excited about, and is close to where a number of my friends were placed. Although, I do want to give a shout-out to those people who were placed farther away (they know who they are), because I will miss them very much...its sad to get split up after 2 months of being together everyday...but, it is for the purpose of finally starting our work in the communities, which is why we all came here :)
I am currently in Gracias, for a short site visit, learning my way around and meeting the counterparts with whom I will work. There are a number of projects I would like to get involved in, but we will see how things start out once I officially begin my service. Everyone here has been really nice and welcoming, and I can´t wait to move here and get started! However, there are some things that we need to take care of in Santa Lucia and Teguc. before our service can officially start. This week will be full of final training stuff, and our Swearing In ceremony in Tegucigalpa (hooray!). Then, next weekend, we all make our final and permanent move to our sites. I feel very ready to start my service, which is a testament to the training we have been giving. Its hard to imagine how you can make someone feel so prepared to start working in such a foreign situation, but somehow, they do it! :) Keep us all in your thoughts this week as we close our time together and take the big leap out into the unknown!
PS. Thanks to my parents for the packages and Sara, Troy and Rishi for the awesome card. Love you guys!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
more pictures!
Thought I should post some more pictures for everyone! Hope you all enjoy, I plan on writing more next week when I find out my site.The first two are just to give a glimpse of what life looks like for us here. The landscape shot is actually from Santa Lucia (where we will be returning tomorrow!)
The picture of food is my very first hand-made batch of tortillas! (yay me!) It's also a shot of a typical dinner here. Also thought I should include a picture from our very first Honduran rain storm. Joel and Kristina were nice enough to walk me home to shut my window...but we all got drenched in the process!
The last two pictures are of what happens when you make cookies here! haha Sarah, Kristina and I made a batch a few weeks ago, and they were eaten within 15 minutes. The last picture is from my cooking for our going away party. I had a whole herd of helpers for my chocolate chip cookie making, and again, they were a big hit! :)
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Waiting Game
I feel like I have alot to catch everyone up on, so I will do my best to summarize what's been happening since my last post!
Last week, we had our final Tech Interviews with the Program coordinators who will determine our site placement. This monday, we will finally know where they are sending us to live out our two years of service. I am so excited to find out my new home, and counterpart agency with whom I will be working. Its almost time! :)
Last week, we had our final Tech Interviews with the Program coordinators who will determine our site placement. This monday, we will finally know where they are sending us to live out our two years of service. I am so excited to find out my new home, and counterpart agency with whom I will be working. Its almost time! :)
As much as I am looking forward to finding out my site, I also can't believe that we are almost done with FBT. Next weekend, we move back to Santa Lucia. It's going to be sad to leave Yarumela, my family is very sweet and the town has grown on me! The trainees who live in Yarumela have gotten really close, and its going to be odd to be all spread (geographically) out again in Santa Lucia, and then be split-up and dispersed throughout the country. Right now we all live within a block and a half radius of eachother, and spend many evenings sitting on the corner just chatting. The weekend before last, we went (with some of the rest of the group) to the river outside Yarumela. It was a great day of just hanging out on the banks, listening to music and eating mango sauce. The following work week was good, we had our training and practicum in Men's Health, which was interesting. I was actually really nervous before we had to do our practicum, which was a HIV/men's health presentation in a local agriculture school. I think I was nervous because I have never worked with large groups of men before. It's usually been kids, or women... But, the presentation went pretty well, and I actually enjoyed myself! These experiences are definitely teaching me not to make any assumptions about what I want to do, or will be good at doing, until I try it at least once.
I think that is about all I will write for today... I want to post more pictures soon, but for some reason things it's not working right now. As usual, Im thinking of everyone. I got my very first package in the mail yesterday, Thanks Mom! Miss you all, think of me as we go through the mixed emotions of saying goodbye and moving onto the final phase of training.
Much love to all.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Life
The other day another PCT and I were chatting about how fast time has flown by...and how much our perspectives of time have changed since we got here. In the scope of two years, the last 6 weeks are hardly a dent... but so much as happened and changed in the span of this last month. Its amazing.
Everything is going very well. We have been assigned our projects for the Avanzada spanish class, and, it turns out that myself and another trainee will be spending about 4 days a week of the next three works working in a Casa Materna associated with the hospital in La Paz. We went and introduced ourselves last week and this Tuesday went to a meeting with the committee in charge of the house and it´s finances. The Casa is a place for pregnant women to come live for the weeks before they give birth. Its similar to the place I visited a few weeks ago on my volunteer visit. Anyway, Sarah and I are both VERY excited about working there. On monday we are going back to give a chat about Family Planning. It´s going to be great :) On that note, if anyone has some health education material in electronic form (hint hint PCC friends!) I would be forever grateful for any emailed info...or packages! Also, Sarah and I are going to be attending the finance meetings regularly and hopefully helping out with their fundraising. This is important as the Casa gets no money from the hospital itself, it is all from private donations and fundraising. Sarah and I have both been really vocal about our desire to work with Maternal and Child health aspect of our program, so it is really exciting to have this mini-project where we actually get to be involved with and speaking to preganant women.
All is well in Yarumela, we are bonding and having fun...and I think my spanish is even improving.
Oh also, an update on Harry the spider from my room...yesterday I was trying to find a receipt that fell off my nightstand so I pulled out a drawer and out popped Harry. Apparently that is where he lives now. EW. I put the drawer back in and ran away....maybe I´ll deal with it later.
:)
That´s all for now,
Write me letters, send me emails...
I miss everyone
Everything is going very well. We have been assigned our projects for the Avanzada spanish class, and, it turns out that myself and another trainee will be spending about 4 days a week of the next three works working in a Casa Materna associated with the hospital in La Paz. We went and introduced ourselves last week and this Tuesday went to a meeting with the committee in charge of the house and it´s finances. The Casa is a place for pregnant women to come live for the weeks before they give birth. Its similar to the place I visited a few weeks ago on my volunteer visit. Anyway, Sarah and I are both VERY excited about working there. On monday we are going back to give a chat about Family Planning. It´s going to be great :) On that note, if anyone has some health education material in electronic form (hint hint PCC friends!) I would be forever grateful for any emailed info...or packages! Also, Sarah and I are going to be attending the finance meetings regularly and hopefully helping out with their fundraising. This is important as the Casa gets no money from the hospital itself, it is all from private donations and fundraising. Sarah and I have both been really vocal about our desire to work with Maternal and Child health aspect of our program, so it is really exciting to have this mini-project where we actually get to be involved with and speaking to preganant women.
All is well in Yarumela, we are bonding and having fun...and I think my spanish is even improving.
Oh also, an update on Harry the spider from my room...yesterday I was trying to find a receipt that fell off my nightstand so I pulled out a drawer and out popped Harry. Apparently that is where he lives now. EW. I put the drawer back in and ran away....maybe I´ll deal with it later.
:)
That´s all for now,
Write me letters, send me emails...
I miss everyone
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Finally Some Photos!
Well, I don´t have much time to write, because it took me a loong time to upload these pictures. BUT I figure that I should include some brief discriptions! Pictures 1 and 2 are from a hike we took while in Santa Lucia, a group of us climbed up a nearby mountain, and had an amazing view of the valley from the top!
Pictures 3 and 4 and from our trip yesterday into Comayagua. The eight of us who live in Yarumela took a bus (owned by one of the trainees families) into the city to see their Semana Santa (holy week) celebrations. They have a very famous tradition of making carpets on the roads out of colored saw dust. They are incredibly elaborate and very beautiful (see pic 4). After they are done, a procession comes through and marches over them recreating all the stations of the cross. Its really interesting and pretty.
Next, picture 5 is of one of our daily trips in a Peace Corps vehicle to/from Yarumela...not sure when, but I thought it was cute. Picture 6 is from Comayagua again, after the procession went through. Picture 7 is from the top of some pre-mayan ruins where we went a few days ago. And the last picture is of me really really happy eating Pizza Hut yesterday after the procession. It was an awesome day. I dont have time to write more, but if you want to read more about the events for Semana Santa just google Comayagua Alfombras and you should find all kinds of info and pictures.
Hope people are holding up in the snow! Last week, it hit 97 here..... :)
Monday, March 17, 2008
Yarumela
Again, I am sorry for being a neglectful blog poster...but the negligence has not been entirely my fault. I live in a little area outside La Paz called Yarumela, there is no internet there..so this is the first chance I have had since the move to tell everyone how I have been.
The move went fine, my host family in Santa Lucia let me leave one of my big suitcases there with all my sweaters and extra stuff in it, so I didnt have to haul as much here to La Paz. We arrived last Sunday night and I met my new host family. They are wonderful and take very good care of me. Yesterday, they even took me on a family picnic to a pool. It was great.
I technically live with my host mother, father, sister and cousin. But, my host mom has like 6 daughters, so things can get busy at our house! My host ¨siblings¨are all much older than me, as my host mom is about 75. Occansionally, when the whole big group is together, I just sit and smile because the sisters´interactions remind me very much of my aunts in the states! Some things are just true across all cultures :) The picnic on Sunday with them was great, they are very fun and were feeding me as much as possible. They keep telling me that when I leave my stomach ¨won´t be so nice and flat.... I tell them that this is ok, because all the food is so good! My tortilla intake has increased exponentially in the last month. ha.
Over the weekend, I also went into a nearby city called Comayagua. My host sister (aunt) took me on saturday and we went to a supermarket (that had all kinds of exciting things) and ate in the main Plaza. After lunch, on our way out of town, we (coincidentally) ran into some other PC people and ended up spending the rest of the day in the city with them. We walked around all afternoon and went shopping. (for Sara L and Jessy P; I bought a bootleg version of Enchanted! Ill let you know when I watch it. hehehe). It was a very nice, very hot, day.
Training also continues to go well. We have gotten a number of presentations from current Volunteers, which is really nice. It is fun to hear from people who are actually applying the things we are trying to learn. Language is also going well, today we had our second interview to see if we are improving at all. He told me that I definitely won´t go down a level. Phew. :)
Also, I have pigs at my house. My mom takes care of three giant swine things in our backyard. In addition, I have a giant pet spider in my room. Actually, its not a pet, because if I find it, I will be squishing it as fast as possible with a nearby shoe. Although, when I say big, I mean about the size of the palm of my hand....so maybe I need a large boot to really get the job done.
I called my (real) dad the other night in a traumatized fit because I had discovered the nasty little sucker, but he scampered away when I tried to kill him.... He is still MIA...and I occasionally wake up at night with a jerk, thinking he is crawling on the bed preparing to attack me. (I think the malaria meds are doing a number of my imagination/dreams).
Anyway, aside from my hairy little friend, everthing is going just great. If anyone wants to write me a letter (hint hint) my address is still the same as in the previous posts. Letters get delivered to us from the capital every week or so.
Hope everyone is having a great Saint Patty´s Day! I am sad to be missing the magic of the green Chicago River... :( Love to everyone!
Happy (belated) birthday mom!!!
The move went fine, my host family in Santa Lucia let me leave one of my big suitcases there with all my sweaters and extra stuff in it, so I didnt have to haul as much here to La Paz. We arrived last Sunday night and I met my new host family. They are wonderful and take very good care of me. Yesterday, they even took me on a family picnic to a pool. It was great.
I technically live with my host mother, father, sister and cousin. But, my host mom has like 6 daughters, so things can get busy at our house! My host ¨siblings¨are all much older than me, as my host mom is about 75. Occansionally, when the whole big group is together, I just sit and smile because the sisters´interactions remind me very much of my aunts in the states! Some things are just true across all cultures :) The picnic on Sunday with them was great, they are very fun and were feeding me as much as possible. They keep telling me that when I leave my stomach ¨won´t be so nice and flat.... I tell them that this is ok, because all the food is so good! My tortilla intake has increased exponentially in the last month. ha.
Over the weekend, I also went into a nearby city called Comayagua. My host sister (aunt) took me on saturday and we went to a supermarket (that had all kinds of exciting things) and ate in the main Plaza. After lunch, on our way out of town, we (coincidentally) ran into some other PC people and ended up spending the rest of the day in the city with them. We walked around all afternoon and went shopping. (for Sara L and Jessy P; I bought a bootleg version of Enchanted! Ill let you know when I watch it. hehehe). It was a very nice, very hot, day.
Training also continues to go well. We have gotten a number of presentations from current Volunteers, which is really nice. It is fun to hear from people who are actually applying the things we are trying to learn. Language is also going well, today we had our second interview to see if we are improving at all. He told me that I definitely won´t go down a level. Phew. :)
Also, I have pigs at my house. My mom takes care of three giant swine things in our backyard. In addition, I have a giant pet spider in my room. Actually, its not a pet, because if I find it, I will be squishing it as fast as possible with a nearby shoe. Although, when I say big, I mean about the size of the palm of my hand....so maybe I need a large boot to really get the job done.
I called my (real) dad the other night in a traumatized fit because I had discovered the nasty little sucker, but he scampered away when I tried to kill him.... He is still MIA...and I occasionally wake up at night with a jerk, thinking he is crawling on the bed preparing to attack me. (I think the malaria meds are doing a number of my imagination/dreams).
Anyway, aside from my hairy little friend, everthing is going just great. If anyone wants to write me a letter (hint hint) my address is still the same as in the previous posts. Letters get delivered to us from the capital every week or so.
Hope everyone is having a great Saint Patty´s Day! I am sad to be missing the magic of the green Chicago River... :( Love to everyone!
Happy (belated) birthday mom!!!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Phase 2
Yesterday, I talked to my (real) mom on the phone and she told me to stop neglecting my blog. Sorry mom! The days seem to be flying by here and I find it surprisingly difficult to write emails, letters and blog posts. But, I will try and do a little catching up today. I have lots of things I could talk about...so here is some of the top news from my life right now...
1. Tomorrow we begin the next phase of our training, called Field Based Training. Our group will get split up by project, and each smaller group will be heading to a different city to spend 6 weeks getting more technical training. My group, health, is headed to La Paz. From what I have heard, it´s a nice city...but very warm...so I will be leaving all my sweatshirts here in Santa Lucia!
2. Last weekend all the trainees got sent to visit actual volunteers who are in the field, working. I was in a city called La Esperanza, it was really fun to get to meet other volunteers and see what life is like when you are finally out in the communities, and have more control over your own life! During the visit I got to help translate for a medical brigaide who came down to the area. It was interesting, albeit a little odd... but definitely a great chance to practice my medical spanish. The volunteer I was visiting also took me with her to a kind of shelter/bunker thingy attached to the local hospital where pregnant mommies come for the last few weeks or days before the give birth. She chatted about breast feeding, nutrition and family planning...and it was great to be there with her. I love pregnant ladies, and the more I think about it, the more I hope this is the area where I will be able to work about focus during my service.
3. Doing laundry is hard. I learned how to wash it by hand at my host family´s house. My host mom likes to watch me do it and laugh at my poor technique. There was also a similar situation the other night when she taught me how to make corn tortillas. She kept laughing because mine just didnt seem to be forming into nice little appetizing circles...but Im getting the hang of it! My host mom is very nice and patient with teaching me how to do things that come very easily to her. My whole family is very nice and try to make me feel at home...
host family #1 has set the bar pretty high... so we´ll see how it goes for the next six weeks with a new family... :)
4. I got a cell phone!!! The number (calling from the US) is 011-504-9660-9194. Calls and texts are always welcome!
I think that is a pretty good summary of the last week or so. I have still managed to avoid getting sick...knock on wood... which makes life much happier and easier! haha
I will try and be a better blogger when we are on FBT. Wish me luck with the move, and the new host family!
Much love
PS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Tomorrow we begin the next phase of our training, called Field Based Training. Our group will get split up by project, and each smaller group will be heading to a different city to spend 6 weeks getting more technical training. My group, health, is headed to La Paz. From what I have heard, it´s a nice city...but very warm...so I will be leaving all my sweatshirts here in Santa Lucia!
2. Last weekend all the trainees got sent to visit actual volunteers who are in the field, working. I was in a city called La Esperanza, it was really fun to get to meet other volunteers and see what life is like when you are finally out in the communities, and have more control over your own life! During the visit I got to help translate for a medical brigaide who came down to the area. It was interesting, albeit a little odd... but definitely a great chance to practice my medical spanish. The volunteer I was visiting also took me with her to a kind of shelter/bunker thingy attached to the local hospital where pregnant mommies come for the last few weeks or days before the give birth. She chatted about breast feeding, nutrition and family planning...and it was great to be there with her. I love pregnant ladies, and the more I think about it, the more I hope this is the area where I will be able to work about focus during my service.
3. Doing laundry is hard. I learned how to wash it by hand at my host family´s house. My host mom likes to watch me do it and laugh at my poor technique. There was also a similar situation the other night when she taught me how to make corn tortillas. She kept laughing because mine just didnt seem to be forming into nice little appetizing circles...but Im getting the hang of it! My host mom is very nice and patient with teaching me how to do things that come very easily to her. My whole family is very nice and try to make me feel at home...
host family #1 has set the bar pretty high... so we´ll see how it goes for the next six weeks with a new family... :)
4. I got a cell phone!!! The number (calling from the US) is 011-504-9660-9194. Calls and texts are always welcome!
I think that is a pretty good summary of the last week or so. I have still managed to avoid getting sick...knock on wood... which makes life much happier and easier! haha
I will try and be a better blogger when we are on FBT. Wish me luck with the move, and the new host family!
Much love
PS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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