Still Schvitzing

So I finally found my power cord and figured it was time to let you all know that I’m still alive. I mean it’s only been about 2 months since my last update right? I know I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger and for that I sincerely apologize. Hopefully I can produce some insight as to what my life has been like lately.

A lot as changed since we last spoke. Right now I’m sitting on my bed, which is comprised of wooden boards, a thin sleeping bag, some semi-clean clothes, and a yoga mat for extra padding (I tried to get creative so as to avoid the process of dragging a mattress or foam pad out the village). Good news though! I think I’m going to make the big step up to a foam pad tomorrow- I’ve done enough torture to my back and its time for a change. While I’m now in a room made with concrete floors and a zinc roof, I was originally living in a thatch hut with dirt floors. Dirt floors, which contrary to popular belief, actually felt a lot cleaner than one might imagine. I’ve also downgraded from a bucket bath to bathing in the creek. It’s actually quite refreshing, but definitely doesn’t have the same effect as a nice hot shower. Oh how I miss thee, hot shower.
My host family, the Pop’s, have been wonderful to me over the past month and a half, but sadly I’ll be moving into my own house next week and out of the Mayan lap of luxury. I’ll surely miss the fresh lime juice, the incredible view from the top of their hill, the caldo, the endless entertainment (12 kids, its almost like being a counselor again), and all of the other incredible experiences they’ve given me. I know I’ll be visiting often, at the very least so I can add to the list of local delicacies that I’ve sampled thus far. So far that list includes antelope, gibnut, ground mole, chicken pancreas, and pig tail. While I am relieved to finally get some privacy after 3 nomadic months of living out of a backpack, I’m still apprehensive. Peace Corps life is about to get much lonelier, now that I’ll truly be on my own. On the bright side, I finally get to start cooking whatever I want for myself. I’ve just been through a food bender of beans and tortillas for 6 consecutive meals. Thank god that’ll be over soon.

Let’s see. What else can I tell you about Crique Jute? So far most of what I’ve been doing here falls under the category of integration (with a small dose of relaxation on the side). We’re encouraged to take things slow in the first 6 months so as to gain the respect of the community before starting any big projects. One of my efforts at integration has been making a rough but valiant effort to speak what little Mopan I know to everyone I see. My bread and butter move is to state the obvious. “Chukuh a’kin ada’a,” I’ll say. It means, “The sun is hot today.” Obviously the sun is hot every day because…well…it’s the sun, but here this statement is truly applicable at all times. The bottom line is to keep it simple. It is currently the rainy season in Belize, so one would think the rain might cool things down a bit. However, that’s not the case. It only rains for a few hours at a time, and then once the rain stops it becomes scorching hot again. Not to mention the drastic increase in mosquitoes and other annoying critters that like to bite me.

I’ve also recently been hired as the Pop family photographer. At the end of June my host dad’s younger brother graduated from Toledo Community College (note: this is a local high school in Punta Gorda), which was a very big deal because he’s the first of all of the brothers and sisters to graduate from a 4 year high school. Thus, they asked me to come to the graduation ceremony and snap some photos. The graduation ceremony wasn't all that different from high school graduation back in the states except that the master of ceremonies was a DJ from one of the local Belizean radio stations, which made for an unusually animated ceremony. Aside from photography I've also attended a few village council meetings, which are conducted entirely in Mopan, and a Fajina. This is when all of the men in the village get together once every month or so to chop all of the communal areas in the village with their machetes (note: lawn mowers aren't nearly as cool as machetes). I tried my best to pretend like I knew what I was doing, but that was kind of impossible- especially when the machete slipped out of my hand. I'd like to think that they were laughing with me, not at me, but at least I tried.

On monday I'm starting a computer camp @ ITVET (a technical school on the edge of the village with a computer lab) for some of the kids in the village. Its basically the first real contribution that I'll be making to Crique Jute as a Peace Corps Volunteer so I'm looking forward to getting down to business. Although 30 kids on 12 computers should be a bit of challenge, so wish me luck!

Finally I just want to say thanks to everyone for all the emails, letters, support, etc. thus far. You've really made a difference in keeping my sanity afloat.

Miss you ladies and gents. Take Care!

DL

p.s.- More updates and pictures coming whenever I find a stronger internet signal.

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