Double Digits

We had our COS conference this past week.  I honestly can't tell you the exact number of days we have left, it's less than 90.  On one hand, I want them to slowly go by allowing me to soak up every minute and enjoy the little things, but on the other hand, I am ready to move on to the next thing.

The plan for now is to stay another year.  I will most likely be working outside of Peace Corps.  Nothing is set in stone yet, I don't know what I'll do for work or were we will live.  It is all still a surprise!  I am trying to stay calm and be patient, but the clock is ticking.

I am not a very reflective person.  Other people can usually formulate what I am thinking and feeling into better words.  All I know is that these past 27 months have been unexpected.  I'm met some life long friends, Dominican and American.  And met a very special someone who will always remind me of my time in Peace Corps.

I am looking forward to living in the city and all things that come with that; eating out, going to the movies, shopping, and a constant supply of fruits and veggies.  Sounds expensive, right?  I'll have to pick up a second job!

Unwanted Guests

I have had a number of unwelcome visitors lately.  Mice, spiders, a tarantula, and massive grasshoppers.  It first started with these two crickets that lived behind the boards of my latrine.  I frequently saw their antennas peaking out.  One day, I decided to take care of them.  There is an spray here called Baygon, it is an all-purpose killing spray, very potent stuff.  I sprayed where they were hiding.  When I was finished, there were 7 dead grasshoppers!  They are big and disgusting.  I happily watched the chickens eat them.

A few nights later, there wasn't electricity, so I was sitting in candle light.  I saw a small shadow under the stove.  I shined my flashlight and saw a mouse.  I went directly to the colmado and bought a sticky trap.  You peel off the top paper to reveal a extremely sticky surface.  I set it up with a bit of cheese.  The next day there were 2 little mice stuck to it.  Ramon disgustingly folded the trap in two and threw it out.

After the grasshopper and the mice were gone, I felt good.  Cleaner.  Until I was going out the the latrine the other night.  I had on my stylish head lamp and bam a massive tarantula is sitting feet from my house.  I screamed like a little girl.  It scurried under a boulder that is in my yard.  For the next half and hour Ramon and I try to kill it.  I was basically standing back shining the light on it's cave.  We utilized Baygon, flushed out the space with water, and poked a stick around.  I haven't seen it since, so I am going to assume, for my own comfort, that it is dead.

Just as I was getting over the tarantula sighting, I see something scurry over the stove.  I obviously yell out.  Two muchacos (young men) are visiting, and say I'm crazy because they didn't see anything.  I see another shadow and shout again.  They get out the broom and search for the mouse.  After attacking the wall with the broom, the mouse leaves.  I will definitely be setting up a sticky trap tonight.

Brrrr.....

It rains just about every afternoon.  Sometimes it just sprinkles and other days it down pours.  Before it rains it is super hot.  Then the clouds come over the mountains and hide the sun.  Then comes the water.  

I like when it rains.  I usually past the time in my house on the computer or reading or taking a little nap.  I like that I can close up all my doors and be alone.  If it isn't raining you can't really shut up your house during the day.  One, because it would be too hot, and two, the neighbors would think your weird.  

After the rain I am freezing.  I heat up water on the stove, hobble out to the latrine with my steaming bucket, and soap up real fast.  I throw on something cozy, put on my crocs and go out to visit someone (by now I am sick of reading, my computer is dead and I'm well rested).

When I get in at night I make some tea or hot chocolate and curl up in my hammock with a blanket.  The cold nights have just begun, it gets colder December-February.  I have been brainstorming about ways to make my house warmer.  Ironically it is usually warmer outside my house than inside.  I talked before about insulating the walls with cardboard, but that still leaves a large gap between the top of the walls and the zinc roof.  I might splurge and buy another comforter too.  I go back and fourth though because I only have 7 months left.  

I did plant some lemongrass and ginger this week.  Both are great for making tea.  Here they make te de hojas, or leaf tea.  They forage for leaves from cherry trees, lime trees, chamomile, cinnamon leaves or bark, and passion fruit.  They boil everything together in a large pot with water.  When it's finished the smell makes your mouth water.  It's served super sweet, of course.  

Next Friday, Patronales, a week long community festival starts.  That means super loud music and a lot of drunk men.  

Today I might wash some clothes, if the electricity comes in the next couple of hours.  Then I am headed to Olga's house to eat some habichuelas con dulce or sweet beans.  A dish I disliked at first, and now love.  

Food and Eating

I am craving delicious food.  I want to cook and bake and shop at the grocery store.  More importantly, I want to be able to afford food at the grocery store.

Give me greek yogurt, a good loaf of bread (they sell water bread here, wtf is that?) fruit besides bananas (I heard they make you fat), a pizza!  The lack of variety is killing me.

And I'm sure you can relate, that sometimes you just don't feel like cooking.  That really isn't an option here.  All you can do is wander to the neighbors house and inquire about what they are cooking.  Or if you're lucky and it is Saturday-Monday you can eat fried chicken and toastones.

I was thinking about extending, but I would choose not to solely based on food availability.

There is this hilarious website about PC experiences.  This is me.

Do what you can. Where you are. With what you have.

Todos Leen/Yo Se Leer is a PC literacy program. There is a concentration of volunteers in my region working under the same model. We tutor small groups of elementary students and also supervise facilitators who do the same. Olga and I officially started this week working with our small groups. Another facilitator will hopefully join us on Monday. Before we began, I had to evaluate the students. The teachers provided lists of students that they felt were behind. I then evaluated them individually. Around 90% of them struggled to identify the vowels. I always feel a little down after evaluating them, but after this first week I am feeling good. They are intelligent kids who just need an extra push. I need to thank my mom for all the great tools and ideas. My alphabet playing cards, magnetic letters, and educational puzzles make learning fun, and my job a little easier.

I am able to use my house to tutor. We all sit on my floor and work. I like the informal feel of the space. My facilitators however work in the school. It isn't ideal because there are children running around, joining in on their study sessions, and making unsavory comments. My search for a space has been extensive. I tried the empty bar, the owner wanted me to rent it, the evangelical church, is ready to fall down during the next earthquake, the fritura (fried chicken shack), is afraid the kids will break the glass display case, the neighbor's house, where they may or may not be entertaining 'female' guests, was vetoed for obvious reasons. I am now crossing my fingers to use the Panaderia (bakery) next to my house. It hasn't been functioning for years except on Christmas Eve when they bake chickens.

My presence in the school has made me a celebrity with the kids. Wherever I go some little voice is calling me, “Misky”, or if they've been in my program before, “Mikki”.

I used to get upset when things didn't go as they should at the school. Until a wise man reminded me that I should just work with what I have. So my goal is to relax more and do what I can, where I am, with what I have.

We Need Your Help!

Here's the deal: several volunteer friends and I have collaborated to share a Peace Corps Partnership grant for materials and group trainings for the work that we do individually in our communities, helping children who are severely behind in an already lagging school system. Between five Peace Corps volunteers, we are working in five different rural communities with 20 local facilitators and over 300 children benefiting from our work.

PLEASE DONATE HERE: https://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?

The goal is to make our programs sustainable, so that our local counterparts will continue this work long after we leave. We need materials and trainings to make this possible. Your donation will contribute to a sustainable future for a program that helps the children who need it the most: children whose parents may be illiterate, who are at risk of dropping out of school in favor of work, who have often already been given up on, and therefore have given up on themselves.Last year, our results showed a significant improvement in the reading levels of participants. It is so gratifying to work with these kids. The ultimate goal is to keep this going, to begin a slow change that will continue after I leave. 100% of your donation will go towards materials, trainings, and facilitator support. (Peace Corps volunteers don’t really have overhead costs…)

Decisions decisions

I officially have just 10 months left of my service.  The time has flown.  There has been more talk about future plans among the volunteers.  I get excited and nervous and then overwhelmed. How do I choose?  I feel like I could live anywhere and do so many different things.  

Working with the kids at summer school is fulfilling but also difficult.  Do I want to be a teacher?  Maybe in bilingual education?  This next year of tutoring will give me a better idea if working with children is a good idea.

I would enjoy working in the non-profit field as well.  In a multicultural environment where I can speak Spanish, maybe?

As for location, I don't have a strong preference or attraction to any one city or state.  How do I decide?  

I hope that after more time stewing over these decisions will help me decide.  I welcome any wisdom.