3/28/10
Well I’m here. I took a 3.5 hour miserable, hot bus ride and arrived in Metapan. I threw up on the bus… it sucked. But I made it and I didn’t get robbed. After the bus ride I waited for about 4 hours at a fast food restaurant until the pick-up truck arrived to bring me to my village an hour away on a dirt road. I sat in the back of the truck with a lady who was about 75-80 years old. She stood and leaned on the cab of the truck for the entire hour. I sat and stood and breathed in the dust as I took in the sights of my new home. My assignment is rural health… and when they say rural… they aren’t joking. I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE! My village has 500 people and one road/path that was paved last year… they are still talking about how great it is to have a paved road. It’s very squiggly and about as wide as a back alley. For the first 2 months I’m living with a host family. They are super nice and have 3 kids. Last night I was out playing with the kids in front of the house… and a little crowd started to form across the road at the neighbors. The kids started giggling and I asked what was going on over there… they giggled some more and finally said… they are here for you. They want to know who the new gringo is. I am starting to feel like I just landed from mars on a space ship. But I guess I can understand where they are coming from. They live in a tiny village in the middle of know where and all of a sudden this 6 foot 2 inch white guy shows up. I would be curious also.
We are not supposed to work for the first 2 months. Just do a community census and if you want very small projects are ok. Right now it’s all about gaining trust and building relationships. Last night my host mom came into my room and she told me she doesn’t know how to read or write. I asked her if she was able to write her name for me. She couldn’t. So I wrote her name and had her copy it… she put her hands over her mouth with a big smile. She is 48-years-old and she just wrote her name for the first time. Tomorrow we are going to learn the alphabet. I found my first small project. Angelina is going to learn to read and write.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Summer camp is ending. 3/27/10
3/27/10
Summer camp is over. On Friday we had our swearing in ceremony at the American Embassy in San Salvador and in the morning we met with our counterparts at a local hotel. Our counterparts are people that live in our communities who will help us get acclimated and will be there in case we have questions or need something over the next 2 years. Some of them had never been to San Salvador. To give you an idea how crazy that is.. El Salvador is the size of Massachusetts.
Swearing in was at the ambassador’s residence at the American Embassy. It was pretty nice to say the least. Our host families were invited and I wish I could explain how they felt about it. I don’t think they have ever seen anything like it. After taking the oath we had dinner and our host families INDULGED. Not only did they eat... but they packed enough food in their purses and bags for the rest of the village. It was hilarious. I think my host mom left with at least 7 hamburgers and 15-20 small deserts in her purse and little bag. It’s not very often that they get to go to a free buffet style dinner and not have to pay.
Later in the night we all went out to party at an open bar. All the volunteers from around the country came in for the party. So there were about 150 of us. It was really fun. At one point as the music was blasting and the drinks were flowing I said to one volunteer…”something tells me Peace Corps Botswana is not having the same party tonight.” Overall it was a solid night. I didn’t get back home until 5 a.m. I had to be up at 7 to get my bus to the town I am going to live in for the next 2 years. I was not in any shape for that bus ride.
Summer camp is over. On Friday we had our swearing in ceremony at the American Embassy in San Salvador and in the morning we met with our counterparts at a local hotel. Our counterparts are people that live in our communities who will help us get acclimated and will be there in case we have questions or need something over the next 2 years. Some of them had never been to San Salvador. To give you an idea how crazy that is.. El Salvador is the size of Massachusetts.
Swearing in was at the ambassador’s residence at the American Embassy. It was pretty nice to say the least. Our host families were invited and I wish I could explain how they felt about it. I don’t think they have ever seen anything like it. After taking the oath we had dinner and our host families INDULGED. Not only did they eat... but they packed enough food in their purses and bags for the rest of the village. It was hilarious. I think my host mom left with at least 7 hamburgers and 15-20 small deserts in her purse and little bag. It’s not very often that they get to go to a free buffet style dinner and not have to pay.
Later in the night we all went out to party at an open bar. All the volunteers from around the country came in for the party. So there were about 150 of us. It was really fun. At one point as the music was blasting and the drinks were flowing I said to one volunteer…”something tells me Peace Corps Botswana is not having the same party tonight.” Overall it was a solid night. I didn’t get back home until 5 a.m. I had to be up at 7 to get my bus to the town I am going to live in for the next 2 years. I was not in any shape for that bus ride.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Just Some Stories
Just Some Stories
Many of the volunteers have been eating fish. I definitely have not. They don’t chop off the heads here. They jus t serve them whole. No thank you. Anyway, a lot of the volunteers have been commenting on the size of the fish. Well we got an explanation as to why the fish are so big here right now… last November there were really bad storms here. Hundreds died inland and near the coast. Well in a developing nation someone apparently thought it was a good idea to put the bodies in the sea. That being said, the fish had more than enough food and they are now VERY big because of it. So more or less the volunteers who are eating fish are also eating human.
During the first week I remember people talking at lunch about their diarrhea and I couldn’t believe they were talking about that over lunch… and I said something to them and a staff member just laughed and said “Sam…get used to it… this will be your dinner conversation in a couple of weeks.” Well she was right. We talk about it; we tell each other were going to the bathroom before we go… we discuss it after. And it’s all normal. Today we were lucky enough to get a ride home back to our village because one of the other volunteers in a nearby village broke her toes and she doesn’t want to take the bus.. so we all get a ride. It’s actually really nice when you don’t have to take the bus. Anyway, our conversation was all over the place, but at one point it started from the rats in Emily’s house last night who ate through the rope that holds her mosquito net up causing her to have to turn on her flash light though out the night to scare them… none of us were phased and neither was she. Then Jordan shared about the tarantulas in her bathroom and her bedroom. Again, none of us were phased. I then said out loud… isn’t this weird that none of us even thinks it’s strange that any of this is happening.
Last night I realized that not one of my family members except for my sister is able to read. I have 3 brothers and a sister and of course the mom and the dad. The two older brothers are 22 and 24. They both left school after 6th grade. Which I have come to find out is not out of the ordinary. I asked my mom about why they did that and she just shrugged her shoulders and said they aren’t students. I was shocked that in this day and age a 22 and 24 year old can’t read. A lot of the neighborhood boys come to my house at night and ask my sister to read magazine articles to them if it is accompanied with an interesting picture.
Many of the volunteers have been eating fish. I definitely have not. They don’t chop off the heads here. They jus t serve them whole. No thank you. Anyway, a lot of the volunteers have been commenting on the size of the fish. Well we got an explanation as to why the fish are so big here right now… last November there were really bad storms here. Hundreds died inland and near the coast. Well in a developing nation someone apparently thought it was a good idea to put the bodies in the sea. That being said, the fish had more than enough food and they are now VERY big because of it. So more or less the volunteers who are eating fish are also eating human.
During the first week I remember people talking at lunch about their diarrhea and I couldn’t believe they were talking about that over lunch… and I said something to them and a staff member just laughed and said “Sam…get used to it… this will be your dinner conversation in a couple of weeks.” Well she was right. We talk about it; we tell each other were going to the bathroom before we go… we discuss it after. And it’s all normal. Today we were lucky enough to get a ride home back to our village because one of the other volunteers in a nearby village broke her toes and she doesn’t want to take the bus.. so we all get a ride. It’s actually really nice when you don’t have to take the bus. Anyway, our conversation was all over the place, but at one point it started from the rats in Emily’s house last night who ate through the rope that holds her mosquito net up causing her to have to turn on her flash light though out the night to scare them… none of us were phased and neither was she. Then Jordan shared about the tarantulas in her bathroom and her bedroom. Again, none of us were phased. I then said out loud… isn’t this weird that none of us even thinks it’s strange that any of this is happening.
Last night I realized that not one of my family members except for my sister is able to read. I have 3 brothers and a sister and of course the mom and the dad. The two older brothers are 22 and 24. They both left school after 6th grade. Which I have come to find out is not out of the ordinary. I asked my mom about why they did that and she just shrugged her shoulders and said they aren’t students. I was shocked that in this day and age a 22 and 24 year old can’t read. A lot of the neighborhood boys come to my house at night and ask my sister to read magazine articles to them if it is accompanied with an interesting picture.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Things are changing
March 9th 2010.
It’s funny how quickly things change. During the first few weeks when I would write in my blog, I think I did it as an escape. I was writing to friends and people who were of the same mindset. Now things are different. I feel normal , at home, comfortable. I feel as if I don’t even have to write here anymore, because this is normal life. Why would I write about my usual, mundane schedule? It has only been 5 weeks and I rarely ask myself why I am here anymore. Hopefully the feelings of being at ease continue after March 26th when we move into our permanent sites. If I have learned anything thus far… it’s that it is all about adapting. We can adapt to anything. I cringed when I first saw the house I am living in now. This past weekend we went away and I said out loud “I’m ready to go home”, and then I thought about what I had just said… home... And I was referring to my home stay family.
Al though our assignment is “Rural Health” we will be doing much more than that. Today in training we were learning about working with and starting local governments. Many of the towns we are moving to will have a local government already set up and some may have nothing. Some also may technically have a government established but it really does not do anything or even exist. That said our job will be to help organize and create substance within these administrations. We will not only be helping launch new governments but also teaching the locals how to correctly and honestly run the operation. More specifically we need to make sure they are following their bylaws and having fair elections and that they have and maintain a relationship with the provincial mayors. It’s interesting how life works. This time last year my biggest concerns were what I was doing for spring break and getting my journalism assignments completed. This year I’m helping institute local governments in Central America and encouraging sustainable change within them so they can better the communities in which they exist. What Will I be doing next year?
It’s funny how quickly things change. During the first few weeks when I would write in my blog, I think I did it as an escape. I was writing to friends and people who were of the same mindset. Now things are different. I feel normal , at home, comfortable. I feel as if I don’t even have to write here anymore, because this is normal life. Why would I write about my usual, mundane schedule? It has only been 5 weeks and I rarely ask myself why I am here anymore. Hopefully the feelings of being at ease continue after March 26th when we move into our permanent sites. If I have learned anything thus far… it’s that it is all about adapting. We can adapt to anything. I cringed when I first saw the house I am living in now. This past weekend we went away and I said out loud “I’m ready to go home”, and then I thought about what I had just said… home... And I was referring to my home stay family.
Al though our assignment is “Rural Health” we will be doing much more than that. Today in training we were learning about working with and starting local governments. Many of the towns we are moving to will have a local government already set up and some may have nothing. Some also may technically have a government established but it really does not do anything or even exist. That said our job will be to help organize and create substance within these administrations. We will not only be helping launch new governments but also teaching the locals how to correctly and honestly run the operation. More specifically we need to make sure they are following their bylaws and having fair elections and that they have and maintain a relationship with the provincial mayors. It’s interesting how life works. This time last year my biggest concerns were what I was doing for spring break and getting my journalism assignments completed. This year I’m helping institute local governments in Central America and encouraging sustainable change within them so they can better the communities in which they exist. What Will I be doing next year?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
photos
If you want to see photos here is a link...enjoy
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2627132&id=10022432&l=30975d8e75
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2627132&id=10022432&l=30975d8e75
Monday, March 1, 2010
49th Anniversary of Peace Corps
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 1, 2010
Since 1961, the men and women of the Peace Corps have carried forward our finest traditions of service and embodied the United States’ commitment to forging partnerships and solving problems around the world. Today more than 7,600 Peace Corps volunteers from all fifty states serve in 76 countries, putting their skills and efforts to work on behalf of others. They follow in the footsteps of generations of dedicated volunteers whose hard work has changed lives, created new opportunities, and deepened understanding between cultures. Their example has inspired millions of other Americans to serve their communities through organizations here at home such as Americorps and Teach for America. And for many, the Peace Corps has been the start of a life-long commitment to service and engagement with the world. The State Department and USAID are filled with returned Peace Corps volunteers who draw on their experiences to serve our country and help build a more peaceful and prosperous world.
On this anniversary, we honor the nearly 200,000 Americans who have answered the challenge first laid down by John F. Kennedy a half-century ago and volunteered in the Peace Corps. Let us recommit ourselves to the vision they championed, the example they set and the work they began.
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 1, 2010
Since 1961, the men and women of the Peace Corps have carried forward our finest traditions of service and embodied the United States’ commitment to forging partnerships and solving problems around the world. Today more than 7,600 Peace Corps volunteers from all fifty states serve in 76 countries, putting their skills and efforts to work on behalf of others. They follow in the footsteps of generations of dedicated volunteers whose hard work has changed lives, created new opportunities, and deepened understanding between cultures. Their example has inspired millions of other Americans to serve their communities through organizations here at home such as Americorps and Teach for America. And for many, the Peace Corps has been the start of a life-long commitment to service and engagement with the world. The State Department and USAID are filled with returned Peace Corps volunteers who draw on their experiences to serve our country and help build a more peaceful and prosperous world.
On this anniversary, we honor the nearly 200,000 Americans who have answered the challenge first laid down by John F. Kennedy a half-century ago and volunteered in the Peace Corps. Let us recommit ourselves to the vision they championed, the example they set and the work they began.
Feb 28th
2/28/10
Wow… where do I start? I just got back from spending the weekend in a remote village with a current Peace Corps volunteer named Adam, who has been here for about a year. His site was relatively nice. He had a dirt road (meaning we didn’t have to walk to his village like some other volunteers did). My friend Mya took a 3 hour bus ride to a town near the Guatemalan border and then had to walk up a mountain for 3 hours to get to her village. If that was me… it would have been GAME OVER! Next bus to the airport PLEASE! Anyway, I had a relatively nice weekend. On Thursday we went to the school and taught an English class. After we gave the students, ages 12-18, an assignment and I was walking around the classroom and individually checking their work I thought to myself…. Holy shit if someone were to have told me five years ago that this is what I’d be doing 5 years from now I probably would have laughed in their face. I will never forget when I walked out of my last Spanish exam in high school… I was the last one finished and I yelled in the hallway “YESSSSSS I WILL NEVER EVER TAKE A SPANISH CLASS AGAIN”…. Not only did I take another Spanish class again, I minored in it in college and am now living in El Salvador teaching English, health education, youth development and learning Spanish every day. Funny how things work. On Friday we gave a presentation on HIV/AIDS to about 20 guys from the village. They ranged in age from 14 to 35. It was really interesting to see what they actually knew, thought they knew, and the things they had never even thought about. Nearly 100% of them thought you could look at someone and tell whether or not the person had HIV. They also thought HIV could be spread by mosquito. After presenting some facts to them we hung 8 beautiful models that we cut from a maxim magazine on the chalk board with blank pieces of paper below them. We had each guy put their name under 3 of the girls in which they would like to sleep with. After they were all sitting down we told them that one of the girls had HIV, trying to establish the point that you cannot simply look at someone and see if they have HIV. After telling them which girl it was that had the disease we made the guys stand who were now “infected” while all the others in the room giggled and made fun of them. But because they each signed up for 3 women, the other 2 girls they picked were also now infected with HIV, thus all the other guys who signed up for those women were also now infected. Long story short by the end of it, all the men in the room were standing. We made our point and they understood the dangers and how easy it is to contract HIV if you have multiple sex partners and don’t use a condom. Mission complete. We may have just saved one life. As the men walked out of the hot and sweaty classroom on a Friday afternoon with smiles on their faces I quickly realized how awesome that was and how much happiness it brought me. If this is going to be the next 2 years, I am going to be happy.
After I wrote everything above I spoke with my grandmother on the phone…she recommended that I add the fact that I slept in an empty cinderblock room with only a hammock and 3 50 pound bags of corn. I also had no door. Outside the room there were ducks quacking, roosters crowing, wild dogs barking, and a parrot that continually repeated “hola”. After I described this to my grandmother she simply asked “and why do some many people work so hard to join the Peace Corps? I just can’t imagine begging to live like that.” “Please please can I go somewhere where chickens peck at my suitcase and keep me up all night?”
Wow… where do I start? I just got back from spending the weekend in a remote village with a current Peace Corps volunteer named Adam, who has been here for about a year. His site was relatively nice. He had a dirt road (meaning we didn’t have to walk to his village like some other volunteers did). My friend Mya took a 3 hour bus ride to a town near the Guatemalan border and then had to walk up a mountain for 3 hours to get to her village. If that was me… it would have been GAME OVER! Next bus to the airport PLEASE! Anyway, I had a relatively nice weekend. On Thursday we went to the school and taught an English class. After we gave the students, ages 12-18, an assignment and I was walking around the classroom and individually checking their work I thought to myself…. Holy shit if someone were to have told me five years ago that this is what I’d be doing 5 years from now I probably would have laughed in their face. I will never forget when I walked out of my last Spanish exam in high school… I was the last one finished and I yelled in the hallway “YESSSSSS I WILL NEVER EVER TAKE A SPANISH CLASS AGAIN”…. Not only did I take another Spanish class again, I minored in it in college and am now living in El Salvador teaching English, health education, youth development and learning Spanish every day. Funny how things work. On Friday we gave a presentation on HIV/AIDS to about 20 guys from the village. They ranged in age from 14 to 35. It was really interesting to see what they actually knew, thought they knew, and the things they had never even thought about. Nearly 100% of them thought you could look at someone and tell whether or not the person had HIV. They also thought HIV could be spread by mosquito. After presenting some facts to them we hung 8 beautiful models that we cut from a maxim magazine on the chalk board with blank pieces of paper below them. We had each guy put their name under 3 of the girls in which they would like to sleep with. After they were all sitting down we told them that one of the girls had HIV, trying to establish the point that you cannot simply look at someone and see if they have HIV. After telling them which girl it was that had the disease we made the guys stand who were now “infected” while all the others in the room giggled and made fun of them. But because they each signed up for 3 women, the other 2 girls they picked were also now infected with HIV, thus all the other guys who signed up for those women were also now infected. Long story short by the end of it, all the men in the room were standing. We made our point and they understood the dangers and how easy it is to contract HIV if you have multiple sex partners and don’t use a condom. Mission complete. We may have just saved one life. As the men walked out of the hot and sweaty classroom on a Friday afternoon with smiles on their faces I quickly realized how awesome that was and how much happiness it brought me. If this is going to be the next 2 years, I am going to be happy.
After I wrote everything above I spoke with my grandmother on the phone…she recommended that I add the fact that I slept in an empty cinderblock room with only a hammock and 3 50 pound bags of corn. I also had no door. Outside the room there were ducks quacking, roosters crowing, wild dogs barking, and a parrot that continually repeated “hola”. After I described this to my grandmother she simply asked “and why do some many people work so hard to join the Peace Corps? I just can’t imagine begging to live like that.” “Please please can I go somewhere where chickens peck at my suitcase and keep me up all night?”
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