This past week Peace Corps volunteers from all around the country are filling out their VRFs. Essentially, the VRF is a way to quantify the work that we do as Peace Corps volunteers. As with any job, you need to be held to standards and you need to prove your work, especially when you’re being funded by government tax dollars. But what’s been difficult for me to grasp is how to quantify development work. It’s an age old question and certainly not one that I’m going to solve. But the bigger issue here is whether or not I want to spend the rest of my life trying to prove value.
The people I work with are “pilas” basically on the ball. They’re very driven, busy, motivated and I believe that they truly care about the work that they do and doing it well. So then clearly I’m not going to be going around the office giving workshops on how to help empower women when they know better than I do. I’m a fan of subtleties. I enjoy leading by example in a quiet and humble manner. I think it’s catching on as well. But how do you measure that? How do I say, the fact that I’m always talking about water and exercise has caused my co-workers to drink more water? Or that my counterpart now goes running in the morning. I didn’t give a taller (workshop) about running. It just catches on. I can’t put in my VRF that every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon I go with my other counterpart to her K’iche’ lessons and essentially serve as a teacher’s assistant. Is that helping my community necessarily? No. But the ladinos are certainly interested as to why this American actually cares enough about K’iche’ to go to these classes.
On the other hand, you have these large institutions that are in the business of development. They’ve got metrics and deliverables…but what does that really mean? How does one measure impact. Furthermore, how does one measure long term impact? To measure means that the impact has to be quantifiable, it has to be tangible. How can you measure morale? How can you measure confidence? How can you measure pride?
As I’m sure all of you know by now, I’ve become incredibly interested in the Mayan population. The culture is fascinating to me and I’ve always been drawn to issues concerning race. Here, the culture that differentiates Guatemala from other Central American countries and what really draws tourism is the Mayan culture; yet, most people find the Mayan population to be slow, backward, and worthless. This culture created some of the fundamental principles of society! And they’re slow? Perhaps it is difficult for them to grasp modern technology…but it would be for anyone that spends the majority of their time still doing manual labor and without access to education, health services, and technology. I ran into this guy on my way to Nebaj (a region in Northern Quiché) who said “it’s great that our ancestors didn’t write anything down; imagine what would have been stolen from us.” I never thought of it like that. There must be an incredible amount of knowledge within the Mayan population (especially among the elders) that is in threat of being completely wiped out. So what do they do? Continue to preserve their oral traditions that could diminish completely due to modernization or encourage to take the oral into written form? Something to definitely keep in mind.
But I digress. The point is the Mayan population. So I’ve done a handful of talleres with the Mayan Council but I really feel as though my impact is my presence and my continued interest in wanting to learn about their culture, customs and giving value to what they do and how they serve the community. How can I put that in a VRF? My counterpart thanked me the other day for taking the time to be with them for pushing them to become better. I wasn’t exactly sure how I did that, I’m usually sitting in a room while they all speak K’iche’ and I try to follow along with the splash of Spanish they throw in. But if that’s what it takes for a group of people to feel valued, wonderful!
I know there’s no way to fix how I have to measure my service, it has to happen. I just wish there was a way to communicate the intangible, the immeasurable, the aspects of service that truly make this rollercoaster ride of emotions, ideas, experiences worthwhile and meaningful. The reason why I decided to dedicate two years of my life to the Peace Corps.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Vagina Monologues in Guatemala
I had never seen the vagina monologues before but it’s safe to say that I had a pretty good idea about what this type of “play” would consist of, thus, I immediately wanted to invite my counterparts along to expose them to such a taboo topic. First let's set the scene a bit about sex and women in Guatemala. I've gone to plenty of classrooms where young girls the age of 14 are bringing along their children, so clearly girls are having sex, but it is NOT discussed. Furthermore, I'd bet a hefty sum that the majority of Guatemalan women don't even enjoy sex and find it as a chore. To top it all off, the men here are completely machista, typically have more than one woman to sleep with and enforce very traditional gender roles.
So, a couple weeks ago, I found out that some Peace Corps volunteers were putting together a bilingual version of the Vagina Monologues complete with PCV actresses as well as Guatemalan actresses. I knew it was something I wanted to see but how awesome would it be to bring my counterparts! When would I have the opportunity to take women who probably have never talked about sex to people outside of their close circle of friends (if that) and live in an incredibly machista culture to a candid and somewhat flamboyant celebration of sexuality!? In addition, I feel myself constantly wanting to bring my counterparts to events or activities but because of a lack of money, it’s usually not even worth mentioning. For some reason on this particular day though, I figured it wouldn’t hurt just to mention how nice it would be if the mayor would drive us to Antigua to see a play focusing on women’s issues. She decided to ask and, to my surprise, the mayor said definitely, we’d make a day out of it. So it was a lady’s day out: me, my two counterparts, the mayor’s wife, and our muni driver (so he’s the oddball, a typical machista man with a wife and plenty of mistresses).
I found myself being nervous that entire day. First, I was sure that the mayor was going to cancel on us last minute because it’s Guatemala and it’s pretty rare that things go according to plan. But five-thirty rolled around and we were bumping around the twists and curves on the road to leave Canillá. Once arriving to Antigua, I learned a little bit about how my Guatemalan counterparts like to travel. In my head I’m thinking we can go site seeing, eat some new delish food, and completely expose them to this new culture that lies within their own country. Yea not so much. Turns out walking isn’t really on the list of things fun to do, even if it involves seeing ruins or beautiful churches. So we walk for a little bit, sit in the park for a while, buy scarves (the mayor’s wife bought me a pretty purple one which was very generous of her) and then get in the car to drive around Antigua (not the most car friendly place). For lunch we had the oh so exotic Pollo Campero (the equivalent of a KFC) and I of course giggled in my head for even thinking that we might try to eat at a good pizza place or pick up something completely new. Then at lunch I dropped the bomb. “So this play might be a little fuerte (strong) because it’s about women and sex and sexuality so yea just warning you ahead of time.” Immediately Mito (the muni driver) starts laughing and is like “Shit, I’m going to wake up tomorrow with a husband after this girl’s day out activities and this play”.
We walk over to the small but cute theater and I hand them their tickets. My nervousness is increasing, what if the play doesn’t include enough Spanish? What if they think this is wildly inappropriate? What if they want to walk out in the middle of the play? I hand them their tickets and I notice they’re pointing at the ticket and snickering to each other. “Que pasa?” (what’s up?) and my counterpart points to the word “Vagina” with a giggle and perplexed look on her face. “les dije” (I told you guys!) and I shrug my shoulders jokingly back at them. “Here goes nothing” I think to myself.
The volunteers did an amazing job putting together the play and it was a perfect blend of Spanish, English, laughter, seriousness and interesting facts (did you know the female clitoris has twice as many nerve endings as the entire male penis!? 8,000 vs. 4,000 for a man; did you also know that in January of 2011 a woman was raped every day that month in the department of Alta Verapaz? Heavy.) What was the best part of the entire day/event was the reaction of my counterparts. They seemed pumped, energized, totally on board with the fact that it is incredibly sad how women do not talk about their vaginas or their sex lives. They all also were like “Carolina, you totally didn’t mention what this play was about on purpose until right before hand huh? You’re sneaky!” to which I replied that there was a little bit of truth to that statement but I honestly thought if I had mentioned what the play was completely about, no one would have been interested. They definitely acknowledged that and also acknowledged the fact that never in their lives did they think they’d see a play about vaginas. Our muni driver didn’t involve himself in the conversation but during the play he laughed along with everyone else and he didn’t seem to have fallen asleep which means he was paying attention (and who knows perhaps it even made him think! Gasp! Perhaps for once he thought about his wife and pleasing her instead of just his, well, his “self”). We got in the car and discussed the possibility of starting our own girls groups to help empower young women before it’s too late, we made vagina jokes, we bonded. I feel like we achieved the goal of the Vagina Monologues…we talked about it! Even today (the day after) my counterparts are still discussing the play and how true it is that we don’t talk about sexuality. How awesome! In the afternoon we were celebrating a birthday at the muni and our mayor even joked about it, “why don’t you share what you two learned about yesterday?” he jokingly asked us.
In sum, I feel awesome to have been able to share this experience with the people I work with and see every day. I hope, even if it’s in a miniscule way, that my counterparts remember our day in Antigua and that it inspires them in some way; whether it’s being more open about their sexuality, being more open to participating in events about topics that may make them uncomfortable, or even if it’s just sharing the experience with other women.
So, a couple weeks ago, I found out that some Peace Corps volunteers were putting together a bilingual version of the Vagina Monologues complete with PCV actresses as well as Guatemalan actresses. I knew it was something I wanted to see but how awesome would it be to bring my counterparts! When would I have the opportunity to take women who probably have never talked about sex to people outside of their close circle of friends (if that) and live in an incredibly machista culture to a candid and somewhat flamboyant celebration of sexuality!? In addition, I feel myself constantly wanting to bring my counterparts to events or activities but because of a lack of money, it’s usually not even worth mentioning. For some reason on this particular day though, I figured it wouldn’t hurt just to mention how nice it would be if the mayor would drive us to Antigua to see a play focusing on women’s issues. She decided to ask and, to my surprise, the mayor said definitely, we’d make a day out of it. So it was a lady’s day out: me, my two counterparts, the mayor’s wife, and our muni driver (so he’s the oddball, a typical machista man with a wife and plenty of mistresses).
I found myself being nervous that entire day. First, I was sure that the mayor was going to cancel on us last minute because it’s Guatemala and it’s pretty rare that things go according to plan. But five-thirty rolled around and we were bumping around the twists and curves on the road to leave Canillá. Once arriving to Antigua, I learned a little bit about how my Guatemalan counterparts like to travel. In my head I’m thinking we can go site seeing, eat some new delish food, and completely expose them to this new culture that lies within their own country. Yea not so much. Turns out walking isn’t really on the list of things fun to do, even if it involves seeing ruins or beautiful churches. So we walk for a little bit, sit in the park for a while, buy scarves (the mayor’s wife bought me a pretty purple one which was very generous of her) and then get in the car to drive around Antigua (not the most car friendly place). For lunch we had the oh so exotic Pollo Campero (the equivalent of a KFC) and I of course giggled in my head for even thinking that we might try to eat at a good pizza place or pick up something completely new. Then at lunch I dropped the bomb. “So this play might be a little fuerte (strong) because it’s about women and sex and sexuality so yea just warning you ahead of time.” Immediately Mito (the muni driver) starts laughing and is like “Shit, I’m going to wake up tomorrow with a husband after this girl’s day out activities and this play”.
We walk over to the small but cute theater and I hand them their tickets. My nervousness is increasing, what if the play doesn’t include enough Spanish? What if they think this is wildly inappropriate? What if they want to walk out in the middle of the play? I hand them their tickets and I notice they’re pointing at the ticket and snickering to each other. “Que pasa?” (what’s up?) and my counterpart points to the word “Vagina” with a giggle and perplexed look on her face. “les dije” (I told you guys!) and I shrug my shoulders jokingly back at them. “Here goes nothing” I think to myself.
The volunteers did an amazing job putting together the play and it was a perfect blend of Spanish, English, laughter, seriousness and interesting facts (did you know the female clitoris has twice as many nerve endings as the entire male penis!? 8,000 vs. 4,000 for a man; did you also know that in January of 2011 a woman was raped every day that month in the department of Alta Verapaz? Heavy.) What was the best part of the entire day/event was the reaction of my counterparts. They seemed pumped, energized, totally on board with the fact that it is incredibly sad how women do not talk about their vaginas or their sex lives. They all also were like “Carolina, you totally didn’t mention what this play was about on purpose until right before hand huh? You’re sneaky!” to which I replied that there was a little bit of truth to that statement but I honestly thought if I had mentioned what the play was completely about, no one would have been interested. They definitely acknowledged that and also acknowledged the fact that never in their lives did they think they’d see a play about vaginas. Our muni driver didn’t involve himself in the conversation but during the play he laughed along with everyone else and he didn’t seem to have fallen asleep which means he was paying attention (and who knows perhaps it even made him think! Gasp! Perhaps for once he thought about his wife and pleasing her instead of just his, well, his “self”). We got in the car and discussed the possibility of starting our own girls groups to help empower young women before it’s too late, we made vagina jokes, we bonded. I feel like we achieved the goal of the Vagina Monologues…we talked about it! Even today (the day after) my counterparts are still discussing the play and how true it is that we don’t talk about sexuality. How awesome! In the afternoon we were celebrating a birthday at the muni and our mayor even joked about it, “why don’t you share what you two learned about yesterday?” he jokingly asked us.
In sum, I feel awesome to have been able to share this experience with the people I work with and see every day. I hope, even if it’s in a miniscule way, that my counterparts remember our day in Antigua and that it inspires them in some way; whether it’s being more open about their sexuality, being more open to participating in events about topics that may make them uncomfortable, or even if it’s just sharing the experience with other women.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Updates after a 3 month hiatus!
I know it’s been a while. I’m sitting here in Antigua at the end of what is known as “Reconnect” which basically entails all the volunteers from my training class coming together or reconnecting to share experiences, have a good time, and make sure we’re all doing okay. This is the longest time I’ve spent outside of site and I feel very strange. I want to go back home. Yep, home, not the United States but the lovely little town of Canillá. Antigua is great but it’s basically like the United States, everything is at my fingertips: internet, good food, clothes, bars, etc. I mean hell the other day I went to a gym, a real gym, and took a bike class. Nuts! I’m not even sure where I should start at this point since I haven’t written a single entry in my blog since I arrived in my site but here it goes!
I’ll start with my first time taking the bus to Canillá. So after swear-in we all said our goodbyes and went in groups to our cabecera (department capital). That experience was surreal. You have no idea what to expect, what you’re getting into, you’re saying goodbye to the familiar yet again. It’s difficult to properly describe the mental state I was in but a blend of fear, excitement and nervousness is probably the best description. I distinctly remember arriving in Quiche and looking for the bus to my town. I ask around and someone shockingly asked me why I was going there and then informed me that the bus that was already leaving the terminal was the last bus into town and what I needed to take. Shit! Luckily they whistle and shout for the bus driver to stop so I can get on. Life saver. The moment I step into the bus, I get 50 Guatemalan stares at once. I try to remember all the advice from other PCVs and so I just say hello to everyone and smile as much as possible (gotta make a good impression!) Every now and then when I get on that bus a smile to myself and remember that story; it’s comforting to know that what seemed so unfamiliar 3 months ago is routine now.
Every volunteer has a different type of experience and thus far I’ve been quite busy and I love it. I love that this is a job. Sure, sometimes it gets old to have to continuously make small talk in Spanish (I hate small talk in English so to have to do it in another language is even more laborious). My first month in site consisted of working long hours to help put together an event to elect a Mayan Princess. My town is a fascinating mix of cultures, pretty much half and half with Ladinos and Mayans. Then my next month consisted of planning for 2011 with our projects and activities. This brings me to my second point, my counterparts are super “pilas” (aka ambitious and hardworking). So for all of you out there that think that all Guatemalans are lazy or don’t know how to do anything…you’re wrong. Come on over to Canillá and I’ll show you a great group of co-workers. Sure it takes twice as long to get things done because we stop to gossip or tell some random story but we’re a team. That’s something you don’t get in the States and I know I’ll miss terribly when I go home. The other day we were talking about elections (if a new Mayor gets elected basically all of my co-workers are fired and replaced with the new Mayor’s people) and one of my co-workers said “don’t worry Carolina, if we don’t work here we’ll still help you out because what’s important is that we help the women and children here and that our five year plan keeps going”. I’m incredibly lucky.
I also have a wonderful family and sitemate who is basically part of my family now too. When I first arrived to site I lived with this one family that was okay but I didn’t necessarily feel too comfortable. The lamina roof didn’t connect with the walls so birds were constantly in my room and it would get incredibly chilly at night. Also there was a man who lived in the room next door whose snoring was INCREDIBLY loud. I can usually sleep through anything (bombas, dog barking, camioneta noises) but this dude took it to another level. Thus, all of those things added together just made me feel uncomfortable. Justin reminded me of advice that he heard from another volunteer that in Peace Corps we have enough situations of feeling uncomfortable so there’s no need to make it worse. If you don’t feel comfortable in your own home, life’s going to be pretty rough. There are a couple situations that seem to stand out in my mind in regards to living in that house. The first day I arrived in site I read for hours and cried. Change is hard and even though you know it’ll get better it’s still scary. All I had was a bed (thank God I had that!) and emptied suitcases. Alone. Another situation that was strange for me was cooking. It’s like I had put up a wall or something in regards to getting cooking supplies and cooking for myself, some sort of mental roadblock. I’d make so many excuses so that I wouldn’t have to cook for myself. It seems ridiculous now looking back but at the time I just didn’t want to do it. I think I thought that if I started setting up my kitchen and everything then I’d have to stay in that house. I just didn’t want to settle in so for that first month I just told myself that everything was temporary. Even though my living situation wasn’t ideal, things at work were great and my co-workers made up for the lack of feeling at home in my old house.
By the beginning of December I moved into my new family’s house. I definitely have to thank Peace Corps for coming out to my site so quickly to approve my new living situation. I told them I wanted to spend Christmas with this new family which meant I had to move in that week; they arrived the next day. I live with a great couple and my “mom” reminds me more of my abuelita which is great and her son and daughter-in-law live next door which is where my sitemate lives. So we’re all a big family and it’s perfect. I never want to move out and I’m thrilled that I have a family now. I always knew I wanted to live with a family during my service. I know Americans love their privacy and all that jazz but I miss my family at home incredibly and it’s important to me to have a close connection with a family here to help deal with that separation. Obviously no one can replace my mom and pop but I can already tell it’s going to be incredibly hard to leave my Guatemalan family after two years.
This is getting pretty long and there’s still so much more to say, I’ll have to put up another post describing the work I’ve been doing and plan to do next. But in general, Peace Corps is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. I know I’ll have my lows and difficult moments, but I know this is where I belong. Isn’t it an amazing feeling when things just connect? When you know what you’re doing at that moment is exactly what you need to be doing at exactly the right time.
I’ll start with my first time taking the bus to Canillá. So after swear-in we all said our goodbyes and went in groups to our cabecera (department capital). That experience was surreal. You have no idea what to expect, what you’re getting into, you’re saying goodbye to the familiar yet again. It’s difficult to properly describe the mental state I was in but a blend of fear, excitement and nervousness is probably the best description. I distinctly remember arriving in Quiche and looking for the bus to my town. I ask around and someone shockingly asked me why I was going there and then informed me that the bus that was already leaving the terminal was the last bus into town and what I needed to take. Shit! Luckily they whistle and shout for the bus driver to stop so I can get on. Life saver. The moment I step into the bus, I get 50 Guatemalan stares at once. I try to remember all the advice from other PCVs and so I just say hello to everyone and smile as much as possible (gotta make a good impression!) Every now and then when I get on that bus a smile to myself and remember that story; it’s comforting to know that what seemed so unfamiliar 3 months ago is routine now.
Every volunteer has a different type of experience and thus far I’ve been quite busy and I love it. I love that this is a job. Sure, sometimes it gets old to have to continuously make small talk in Spanish (I hate small talk in English so to have to do it in another language is even more laborious). My first month in site consisted of working long hours to help put together an event to elect a Mayan Princess. My town is a fascinating mix of cultures, pretty much half and half with Ladinos and Mayans. Then my next month consisted of planning for 2011 with our projects and activities. This brings me to my second point, my counterparts are super “pilas” (aka ambitious and hardworking). So for all of you out there that think that all Guatemalans are lazy or don’t know how to do anything…you’re wrong. Come on over to Canillá and I’ll show you a great group of co-workers. Sure it takes twice as long to get things done because we stop to gossip or tell some random story but we’re a team. That’s something you don’t get in the States and I know I’ll miss terribly when I go home. The other day we were talking about elections (if a new Mayor gets elected basically all of my co-workers are fired and replaced with the new Mayor’s people) and one of my co-workers said “don’t worry Carolina, if we don’t work here we’ll still help you out because what’s important is that we help the women and children here and that our five year plan keeps going”. I’m incredibly lucky.
I also have a wonderful family and sitemate who is basically part of my family now too. When I first arrived to site I lived with this one family that was okay but I didn’t necessarily feel too comfortable. The lamina roof didn’t connect with the walls so birds were constantly in my room and it would get incredibly chilly at night. Also there was a man who lived in the room next door whose snoring was INCREDIBLY loud. I can usually sleep through anything (bombas, dog barking, camioneta noises) but this dude took it to another level. Thus, all of those things added together just made me feel uncomfortable. Justin reminded me of advice that he heard from another volunteer that in Peace Corps we have enough situations of feeling uncomfortable so there’s no need to make it worse. If you don’t feel comfortable in your own home, life’s going to be pretty rough. There are a couple situations that seem to stand out in my mind in regards to living in that house. The first day I arrived in site I read for hours and cried. Change is hard and even though you know it’ll get better it’s still scary. All I had was a bed (thank God I had that!) and emptied suitcases. Alone. Another situation that was strange for me was cooking. It’s like I had put up a wall or something in regards to getting cooking supplies and cooking for myself, some sort of mental roadblock. I’d make so many excuses so that I wouldn’t have to cook for myself. It seems ridiculous now looking back but at the time I just didn’t want to do it. I think I thought that if I started setting up my kitchen and everything then I’d have to stay in that house. I just didn’t want to settle in so for that first month I just told myself that everything was temporary. Even though my living situation wasn’t ideal, things at work were great and my co-workers made up for the lack of feeling at home in my old house.
By the beginning of December I moved into my new family’s house. I definitely have to thank Peace Corps for coming out to my site so quickly to approve my new living situation. I told them I wanted to spend Christmas with this new family which meant I had to move in that week; they arrived the next day. I live with a great couple and my “mom” reminds me more of my abuelita which is great and her son and daughter-in-law live next door which is where my sitemate lives. So we’re all a big family and it’s perfect. I never want to move out and I’m thrilled that I have a family now. I always knew I wanted to live with a family during my service. I know Americans love their privacy and all that jazz but I miss my family at home incredibly and it’s important to me to have a close connection with a family here to help deal with that separation. Obviously no one can replace my mom and pop but I can already tell it’s going to be incredibly hard to leave my Guatemalan family after two years.
This is getting pretty long and there’s still so much more to say, I’ll have to put up another post describing the work I’ve been doing and plan to do next. But in general, Peace Corps is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. I know I’ll have my lows and difficult moments, but I know this is where I belong. Isn’t it an amazing feeling when things just connect? When you know what you’re doing at that moment is exactly what you need to be doing at exactly the right time.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Site Visit!
Through winding roads on crowded chicken buses and VIP rides in the mayor’s 4WD truck, I have survived my site visit! I have to honestly say that I’m incredibly pumped to live in my new town and despite some minor setbacks; I’ve got a very positive vibe. Last Monday was counterpart day which consisted of a sort of blind date kind of feel to it. We all had name tags and had to walk around trying to find someone who also had my town’s name on it. I was running a little late but found my counterparts ( a guy and a girl) who will be working with me in the Oficina Municipal de la Mujer (the women’s office, OMM). They are both young and informed me that most of the people at the office are also young. My counterpart is awesome, she’s super cute, energetic and incredibly friendly – seems like the perfect type of work setting for me! After enduring lots of PC presentations and tons of delicious coffee and breads the day was over and I prepared to pack all of my stuff into my suitcases to haul to site.
Tuesday morning we were able to mooch a ride off of another volunteer so that we only had to take a camioneta (chicken bus) for a short amount of time. We arrived in Quiche around three which is our big city. It’s got a bunch of stores, a big market, lots of Pacas (woohoo thrift stores!) and a pretty large central park. We were getting a ride from the muni so we had to wait a little bit until the truck got out of the shop and the driver ran some errands. In true Guatemalan fashion, we ended up waiting for four hours! Haha so we just hung out at the bus terminal with all of my luggage until about eight at night. We ended up getting into town around ten thirty. So this brings me to the “adventurous” part of my journey: THE ROAD! So PC warned me that it was a bumpy road and wasn’t paved so I was prepared but whoa! I wish I had pictures but basically it’s two hours of crazy bumps and winding turns. You know this motion simulator rides where the seats move and you’re in a movie theater? Yea that’s my ride. All you can really do is laugh at the fact that you have to endure such bumpiness just to get home (you must have a sense of humor to do PC…pretty much mandatory!) When it’s rainy season…I’m not leaving my town, I don’t see how it’s possible! So if there’s anyone out there that’s reading this who knows someone who would love to donate a paved road to my amazing town…hit me up. I know there’s some engineering firm out there that would love to put that on their resume we would be forever grateful!
When I arrived late I decided to stay with one of my host family options. We got there and come to find out…they don’t have a bed! Thank God for my sitemate!! Susan you are the bestest. I called her up and she had an extra bed for me to sleep on and I just stayed there for the days that I was in site. I was also excited to find out that my sitemate is super busy with work, goes running, and loves to listen to music. Perfect match! I was so worried that my sitemate would be weird, or we wouldn’t get along, but we’re totally gonna rock our town!
After an awesome breakfast, I met some people at the muni including my mayor and then went to the salon to see the Mayan Princess contestants. Our muni is having a Mayan Princess pageant to select who will be the Mayan Princess for our feria (town celebration) which is in December. I thought it was awesome that we’re putting this together because these young girls don’t usually have a chance to do public speaking or anything like that so it teaches them how to present themselves and gain some confidence. After that in the afternoon we went on a house hunt. I’m pretty bummed about my housing situation actually. I love my family in San Antonio, they are amazing; so it was really important for me to have an equally inviting and loving family in my new site. That’s not gonna happen. I’m renting a room from a family (no hot water) and it will basically be a tenant type of situation. The old volunteer who lived their previously did not have a good experience and advised for me to just go ahead and find my own housing asap. So that’s what I’ll do and because my muni is so awesome they’ll be my family to welcome me to town. Which is fine, you can’t have it all! The best part of the trip was that my counterpart organized a welcome dinner for me! The muni bought awesome roasted chicken, beans, salsa, cream, etc at the warm pilas where they are also building a pool (supposedly they will be ready be Christmas…I doubt it will be done by then, but it’s all good).
There’s more to write about but I’m running out of time!! So more to come about the rest of the week! I don’t have my computer so I can’t share my pics but as soon as I can I will share!!
Tuesday morning we were able to mooch a ride off of another volunteer so that we only had to take a camioneta (chicken bus) for a short amount of time. We arrived in Quiche around three which is our big city. It’s got a bunch of stores, a big market, lots of Pacas (woohoo thrift stores!) and a pretty large central park. We were getting a ride from the muni so we had to wait a little bit until the truck got out of the shop and the driver ran some errands. In true Guatemalan fashion, we ended up waiting for four hours! Haha so we just hung out at the bus terminal with all of my luggage until about eight at night. We ended up getting into town around ten thirty. So this brings me to the “adventurous” part of my journey: THE ROAD! So PC warned me that it was a bumpy road and wasn’t paved so I was prepared but whoa! I wish I had pictures but basically it’s two hours of crazy bumps and winding turns. You know this motion simulator rides where the seats move and you’re in a movie theater? Yea that’s my ride. All you can really do is laugh at the fact that you have to endure such bumpiness just to get home (you must have a sense of humor to do PC…pretty much mandatory!) When it’s rainy season…I’m not leaving my town, I don’t see how it’s possible! So if there’s anyone out there that’s reading this who knows someone who would love to donate a paved road to my amazing town…hit me up. I know there’s some engineering firm out there that would love to put that on their resume we would be forever grateful!
When I arrived late I decided to stay with one of my host family options. We got there and come to find out…they don’t have a bed! Thank God for my sitemate!! Susan you are the bestest. I called her up and she had an extra bed for me to sleep on and I just stayed there for the days that I was in site. I was also excited to find out that my sitemate is super busy with work, goes running, and loves to listen to music. Perfect match! I was so worried that my sitemate would be weird, or we wouldn’t get along, but we’re totally gonna rock our town!
After an awesome breakfast, I met some people at the muni including my mayor and then went to the salon to see the Mayan Princess contestants. Our muni is having a Mayan Princess pageant to select who will be the Mayan Princess for our feria (town celebration) which is in December. I thought it was awesome that we’re putting this together because these young girls don’t usually have a chance to do public speaking or anything like that so it teaches them how to present themselves and gain some confidence. After that in the afternoon we went on a house hunt. I’m pretty bummed about my housing situation actually. I love my family in San Antonio, they are amazing; so it was really important for me to have an equally inviting and loving family in my new site. That’s not gonna happen. I’m renting a room from a family (no hot water) and it will basically be a tenant type of situation. The old volunteer who lived their previously did not have a good experience and advised for me to just go ahead and find my own housing asap. So that’s what I’ll do and because my muni is so awesome they’ll be my family to welcome me to town. Which is fine, you can’t have it all! The best part of the trip was that my counterpart organized a welcome dinner for me! The muni bought awesome roasted chicken, beans, salsa, cream, etc at the warm pilas where they are also building a pool (supposedly they will be ready be Christmas…I doubt it will be done by then, but it’s all good).
There’s more to write about but I’m running out of time!! So more to come about the rest of the week! I don’t have my computer so I can’t share my pics but as soon as I can I will share!!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
I know my site!!!
I'm going to go to Quiche!! My pueblicito is pretty small, a little under 2,000 people and it's a mix of indigenous and ladino people. I imagine it will be like San Antonio in that everyone speaks Spanish but that culture and language is still very much a part of the community. I'm incredibly excited! There are a couple of reasons why I suppose, the biggest reason why is because I ran into the muni volunteer that I'm replacing and she said that whoever replaces her is really like and the counterpart is great. So that's the biggest reason why I'm excited because that was my number one priority...working with a team that I can be happy with. Also, I'm super excited because the weather is like here in San Antonio! That means I can still work out and I don't have to worry about being too freezing or too cold!! The site is also super safe which is a huge relief because being a woman that's a huge concern, especially if I plan on living alone. And the final reason that I'm super pumped is supposedly it's within the three hour range to Lake Atitlan! So even though I'm kind of out there, it's exciting to know that I could potential escape to one of the most beautiful places on earth (I'm told, have yet to visit), on a semi regular basis! I'm also really excited that there is a Mayan culture there. I find it absolutely intriguing and even though at first I wanted to be placed in a Ladino site, I feel that I'm going to learn a tremendous amount culturally. When else will I have that kind of opportunity!? Sure it will be a challenge working with the more timid women's groups, but it's a challenge that I'm ready to face. There's also a family living there that's from the US. Pretty sweet! The biggest down fall is the fact that I'll be basically trapped in my site during the winter when it's the rainy season. The road to my town isn't paved so when it rains...it's pretty much impassable by chicken bus. So for all of you planning to visit...don't plan on coming May to August (I think that's the rainy season?)
I'm so relieved to have this information! No more stress, no more what will life be like. The journey is about to begin! I go on site visit next week so I'll have much more first hand details on what life will be like there and where I'll be living. From what I know I have two housing options. One is a room with a couple (or maybe just a woman?) where I will have more privacy the other is a room with a family where next door the daughter lives with her kids. I'm thinking I want the one with the kids because they make life so much better in so many ways. Also that one has a door to the street or to a patio so I won't have to go through a house to get to my room which could be nice as well. Both situations I think I'll be able to cook for myself which will be nice, although I do think I'd have the option of just having dinner with one of the families if I want to pay more. We shall see!!
So, for those of you who are in the training phases or about to ship off to your Peace Corps country, the best piece of advice I have is to keep an open mind. A lot of times you think you know what you want, but really during training you don't have that much time to develop a good sense for what the different possibilities are. I'm glad that I didn't limit myself by saying I want to be in the Oriente only or I want to be in a big town only. There's a reason why they put me where they put me and I'm excited to explore all the various opportunities that there are in my new site/home!
I'm so relieved to have this information! No more stress, no more what will life be like. The journey is about to begin! I go on site visit next week so I'll have much more first hand details on what life will be like there and where I'll be living. From what I know I have two housing options. One is a room with a couple (or maybe just a woman?) where I will have more privacy the other is a room with a family where next door the daughter lives with her kids. I'm thinking I want the one with the kids because they make life so much better in so many ways. Also that one has a door to the street or to a patio so I won't have to go through a house to get to my room which could be nice as well. Both situations I think I'll be able to cook for myself which will be nice, although I do think I'd have the option of just having dinner with one of the families if I want to pay more. We shall see!!
So, for those of you who are in the training phases or about to ship off to your Peace Corps country, the best piece of advice I have is to keep an open mind. A lot of times you think you know what you want, but really during training you don't have that much time to develop a good sense for what the different possibilities are. I'm glad that I didn't limit myself by saying I want to be in the Oriente only or I want to be in a big town only. There's a reason why they put me where they put me and I'm excited to explore all the various opportunities that there are in my new site/home!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Staying in Shape: Physical Edition
As a Peace Corps Trainee or Volunteer it can be incredibly difficult to stay in shape. As a female PCT or PCV, it's even harder to stay in shape. So for all of you soon to be trainees, know that you're going to have to make a conscious effort to stay in shape and sometimes get creative. When I was applying, this was definitely something I thought about so I figured I'd post a quick blog to give my summary of dietary and exercise issues.
Your diet is going to change dramatically. You're going to find yourself loving the most random combinations of foods you'd never thought you'd try. For example, chow mein sandwiches using white bread...for breakfast. It's good, try it! Is it good for you?...Probably not. Either way, it's offensive to not eat something that's served to you, so DO NOT be picky! Just go with it. I've eaten more fried chicken here than I have in my life (and I'm from the south!) and for some reason the idea of American fast food sounds like heaven (I hate fast food chains). But hey, when you're in a new country...your outlook changes sometimes. Many families and volunteers have told me that the women typically tend to gain weight and the men tend to lose weight. I'm happy to report that I haven't gained weight while I'm here and despite the massive amount of carbs that I've consumed I think the biggest reason why is because the food that we eat here is FRESH and the portions are regularly sized! That chicken you're eating...it was probably killed that same day or the day before. Those beans you're eating...they were picked last weak and they've been boiling on the stove for two days. What will get you here are the unhealthy snacks that are so cheap and so yummy in the tiendas such as sweet breads (no not that nasty meat kind of sweet bread, but literally bread that is sweet), chips, french fries, fried plantians, ice cream, etc. So good, So comforting...but try to indulge only once in a while.
But the point of this post is about exercise. I typically have three different types of exercise routines. The easiest for me to do involves a wonderful set of fitness bands called Rubber Banditz (www.rubberbanditz.com) which was developed by someone who needed to stay in shape while serving in the Peace Corps. These bands are a lifesaver as they come with all the needed gadgets and a booklet with exercises, routines, and a dvd with routine explanations. Apparently they also have workout and pilates online but since it takes an hour to load youtube I have yet to explore that route. I also run in my site. I didn't start running until I was able to observe what the community was like, if other people run, and where some good routes would be. When I have the strength to wake up early, I go running in the morning which is nice because not too many people are in the street to stare at my as I run past them. I always carry my cell phone with me and if I were super pilas I would also carry a stick with me to fend off the chuchos (street dogs that lie on every corner of the street). Thus far, the chuchos haven't given me a problem and I haven't ever felt insecure while running. I stick to streets that have people on them in case I get injured and my town fortunately has a large park and central streets so I stay in that main area. You get used to the stares after a while. I ONLY run when it's light outside. I would never run if the sun weren't up.
When it rains, when it's too cold, or when I don't get a chance to work out in the morning, I get creative and figure out ways to bounce around in my room. My thinking is, if your heart is pumping for at least thirty minutes that should count as exercise. I actually draw upon exercises and routines that I learned way back in the day when I took kick boxing classes in high school. I tend to do things for a full song. So jumping jacks, running in place, side kicks, front and back kick combos, punching combos, side kicks without touching the ground for a minute alternating feet, ups and downs and mountain climbers are typically what take up a half an hour. Sometimes, if a song comes up on shuffle that I like to dance to, I'll alternate and do some easy dance combo that's pretty jumpy.It sounds pretty silly and I definitely felt a little self conscious when I first started bouncing around in my room but it definitely helps! The best part is that there are usually people outside of my room who can probably see me randomly jumping and kicking, so Lord knows what people in San Antonio think of the crazy gringa who jumps around in her room!
It's definitely worth staying active and in shape. If I ever find myself in a down mood, even if I don't think it will help, I ALWAYS feel better after I get my heart pumping for a little bit.
If anyone has questions about PCT life (not a PCV yet) and how to stay active, feel free to hit me up, I'd love to share!
Your diet is going to change dramatically. You're going to find yourself loving the most random combinations of foods you'd never thought you'd try. For example, chow mein sandwiches using white bread...for breakfast. It's good, try it! Is it good for you?...Probably not. Either way, it's offensive to not eat something that's served to you, so DO NOT be picky! Just go with it. I've eaten more fried chicken here than I have in my life (and I'm from the south!) and for some reason the idea of American fast food sounds like heaven (I hate fast food chains). But hey, when you're in a new country...your outlook changes sometimes. Many families and volunteers have told me that the women typically tend to gain weight and the men tend to lose weight. I'm happy to report that I haven't gained weight while I'm here and despite the massive amount of carbs that I've consumed I think the biggest reason why is because the food that we eat here is FRESH and the portions are regularly sized! That chicken you're eating...it was probably killed that same day or the day before. Those beans you're eating...they were picked last weak and they've been boiling on the stove for two days. What will get you here are the unhealthy snacks that are so cheap and so yummy in the tiendas such as sweet breads (no not that nasty meat kind of sweet bread, but literally bread that is sweet), chips, french fries, fried plantians, ice cream, etc. So good, So comforting...but try to indulge only once in a while.
But the point of this post is about exercise. I typically have three different types of exercise routines. The easiest for me to do involves a wonderful set of fitness bands called Rubber Banditz (www.rubberbanditz.com) which was developed by someone who needed to stay in shape while serving in the Peace Corps. These bands are a lifesaver as they come with all the needed gadgets and a booklet with exercises, routines, and a dvd with routine explanations. Apparently they also have workout and pilates online but since it takes an hour to load youtube I have yet to explore that route. I also run in my site. I didn't start running until I was able to observe what the community was like, if other people run, and where some good routes would be. When I have the strength to wake up early, I go running in the morning which is nice because not too many people are in the street to stare at my as I run past them. I always carry my cell phone with me and if I were super pilas I would also carry a stick with me to fend off the chuchos (street dogs that lie on every corner of the street). Thus far, the chuchos haven't given me a problem and I haven't ever felt insecure while running. I stick to streets that have people on them in case I get injured and my town fortunately has a large park and central streets so I stay in that main area. You get used to the stares after a while. I ONLY run when it's light outside. I would never run if the sun weren't up.
When it rains, when it's too cold, or when I don't get a chance to work out in the morning, I get creative and figure out ways to bounce around in my room. My thinking is, if your heart is pumping for at least thirty minutes that should count as exercise. I actually draw upon exercises and routines that I learned way back in the day when I took kick boxing classes in high school. I tend to do things for a full song. So jumping jacks, running in place, side kicks, front and back kick combos, punching combos, side kicks without touching the ground for a minute alternating feet, ups and downs and mountain climbers are typically what take up a half an hour. Sometimes, if a song comes up on shuffle that I like to dance to, I'll alternate and do some easy dance combo that's pretty jumpy.It sounds pretty silly and I definitely felt a little self conscious when I first started bouncing around in my room but it definitely helps! The best part is that there are usually people outside of my room who can probably see me randomly jumping and kicking, so Lord knows what people in San Antonio think of the crazy gringa who jumps around in her room!
It's definitely worth staying active and in shape. If I ever find myself in a down mood, even if I don't think it will help, I ALWAYS feel better after I get my heart pumping for a little bit.
If anyone has questions about PCT life (not a PCV yet) and how to stay active, feel free to hit me up, I'd love to share!
Visit to San Marcos
Yesterday I arrived home from the ever so beautiful department of San Marcos. On Wednesday morning we took a long ass camioneta ride (long ass technically means about six hours) over to the Occidente (west). If I weren't squished in between people, I would have noticed the incredible beauty of the mountains and landscape. What I was able to notice though was the incredible amount of road damage caused by the massive amount of rain we've had recently. On several occasions, roads were completely gone thereby forcing cars and trucks to use a two way highway into a two way road. The sad part is that by the time they clean up all the mudslides...it'll be rainy season again!
But I digress.
As expected, the community we visited in San Marcos was quite chilly. For those of you who know me, you know I hate the cold. We gathered for dinner at the volunteer's prior host family's house and all huddled around the stove as it was the only source of heat around. After dinner we headed to bed and I was delighted to find that the room was actually somewhat warm since it had been closed off for the day. A fellow trainee and I were visiting a male volunteer so it was crucial that we stay with a family instead of at his apartment to avoid the ever so common "chisme" phenomenon (chisme means gossip which runs rapids throughout the mountains and valleys of Guatemala). We were fortunate enough to view what it is like to work with a DMP (planning office), economic development office, public relations office, and a woman's office. Unfortunately, the head of the woman's office decided it was best to bail on us last minute to conduct a workshop on self esteem which only highlighted a frustration that I've heard often about the women's office: they don't take themselves seriously. Quite unfortunate if you ask me as there's much work to do in this regard. Another surprising aspect was that the community was Ladino. I saw absolutely no traje (traditional dress) and was informed that someone a long time ago actually declared the municipality as officially "Ladino". Talk about a shame, clearly this area of the country has a strong indigenous cultural history but it was somehow eradicated by a superficial declaration. All in all, it was an interesting aspect of training and one that I'm glad to have experienced. The volunteer we visited admitted to not really ever leaving his site, which is definitely easier to do when your girlfriend lives in town, but either way the important aspect was that he seemed happy and was able to make friends and connections in his town...despite the freezing cold (apparently it can get as cold as 20 degrees). I definitely loved San Marcos, it was gorgeous, but I really would love to be in a slightly warmer climate.
The day we left San Marcos, Peace Corps gave us a ride to a neighboring community that was having a grand opening celebration for a bottle school. More and more volunteers are engaging in projects where you can build walls and eventually schools with recycled plastic bottles stuffed with trash. Pretty awesome if you ask me and it was incredible to look at the pictures of how the bottle school progressed. The PC volunteer partnered with a US non profit called "Hug it Forward" (what an amazing name! don't you love it!?) who found the funding for the school. It was certainly an inspiring morning and reminded me about the importance of integrating physical projects into one's service (it helps motivate and is a tangible success that oftentimes feels more rewarding). It also reminded me of how I'll need to set up dates for events just like how I did in the States to enforce deadlines and help achieve goals.
I'm definitely happy to get back to my beautiful CBT community. Today was an absolutely gorgeous day. One of those days where you feel incredibly grateful to be alive and on this beautiful earth of ours.
Just four more days until I find out where my site is!!! By a process of elimination, Carmen and I have determined that we're probably going to the East (Oriente). For betting purposes, I'm going to say that I'm either going to Quiche or El Progreso (no reason why really, just a shot in the dark). Keep your fingers crossed that it's not the freezing site in San Marcos!!!
But I digress.
As expected, the community we visited in San Marcos was quite chilly. For those of you who know me, you know I hate the cold. We gathered for dinner at the volunteer's prior host family's house and all huddled around the stove as it was the only source of heat around. After dinner we headed to bed and I was delighted to find that the room was actually somewhat warm since it had been closed off for the day. A fellow trainee and I were visiting a male volunteer so it was crucial that we stay with a family instead of at his apartment to avoid the ever so common "chisme" phenomenon (chisme means gossip which runs rapids throughout the mountains and valleys of Guatemala). We were fortunate enough to view what it is like to work with a DMP (planning office), economic development office, public relations office, and a woman's office. Unfortunately, the head of the woman's office decided it was best to bail on us last minute to conduct a workshop on self esteem which only highlighted a frustration that I've heard often about the women's office: they don't take themselves seriously. Quite unfortunate if you ask me as there's much work to do in this regard. Another surprising aspect was that the community was Ladino. I saw absolutely no traje (traditional dress) and was informed that someone a long time ago actually declared the municipality as officially "Ladino". Talk about a shame, clearly this area of the country has a strong indigenous cultural history but it was somehow eradicated by a superficial declaration. All in all, it was an interesting aspect of training and one that I'm glad to have experienced. The volunteer we visited admitted to not really ever leaving his site, which is definitely easier to do when your girlfriend lives in town, but either way the important aspect was that he seemed happy and was able to make friends and connections in his town...despite the freezing cold (apparently it can get as cold as 20 degrees). I definitely loved San Marcos, it was gorgeous, but I really would love to be in a slightly warmer climate.
The day we left San Marcos, Peace Corps gave us a ride to a neighboring community that was having a grand opening celebration for a bottle school. More and more volunteers are engaging in projects where you can build walls and eventually schools with recycled plastic bottles stuffed with trash. Pretty awesome if you ask me and it was incredible to look at the pictures of how the bottle school progressed. The PC volunteer partnered with a US non profit called "Hug it Forward" (what an amazing name! don't you love it!?) who found the funding for the school. It was certainly an inspiring morning and reminded me about the importance of integrating physical projects into one's service (it helps motivate and is a tangible success that oftentimes feels more rewarding). It also reminded me of how I'll need to set up dates for events just like how I did in the States to enforce deadlines and help achieve goals.
I'm definitely happy to get back to my beautiful CBT community. Today was an absolutely gorgeous day. One of those days where you feel incredibly grateful to be alive and on this beautiful earth of ours.
Just four more days until I find out where my site is!!! By a process of elimination, Carmen and I have determined that we're probably going to the East (Oriente). For betting purposes, I'm going to say that I'm either going to Quiche or El Progreso (no reason why really, just a shot in the dark). Keep your fingers crossed that it's not the freezing site in San Marcos!!!
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