Wow, what a crazy past…month? It`s really a shame that I´ve lost the other entries I wrote since I’m sure they were riveting. I have spent the past few weeks finishing up my primary visits to schools to introduce myself and then moved onto doing a evaluation of the conditions of each of the schools I´m working with. That means lots of introductions, forgetting names, and throwing a personal hygiene dice around. Though in the beginning I really stressed about each visit, I´m beginning to take it easier and just try to be friendly and open with all of the teachers and kids.
One thing I`ve found is that it`s difficult picking up an ambiguous job after someone just left it with two years of experience. The best thing seems to be not comparing myself to Crystal, the previous volunteer or other volunteers since everyone´s situation is different. It`s encouraging to know that she accomplished so much and clearly made a positive impact here in her two years in San Andrès. It`s also motivating to see the progress (little but substantial!) I´ve made with getting to know teachers and parents in the communities. I hear my name (sometimes incorrectly) being shouted from all directions—up on a hill, behind the fruit stand, up in a tree, or just passing in the street—making me feel like I`m a part of the community.
This is a really boring entry despite all of the events that have happened. Let`s try to catch up with some bullets. There are definitely some exciting events:
· Did I mention I participated in a choreographed dance as a cowgirl with one of my schools at Dia de la Madre Maestra (Mother`s-Teacher`s Day—why can´t I seem to translate that?)? Yup.
· Recently walked a horse through town up to the urban school`s anniversary parade.
· Got two schools to apply for water-infrastructure projects so that they´ll have enough faucets for the kids to wash their hands and brush their teeth—no small feat!
· Ate some street pizza. Bad idea.
· Broke my computer and bought another one thanks to my tax returns. Woohoo!
· Had fleas/bedbugs, sore throat, stomach problems from the aforementioned pizza all in a week.
· Dressed to the nine`s in 80`s gear for the Sololà department welcome party.
· Went on a boat trip on the lake with a bunch of other volunteers. Really magnificent!
· Improved my Kaqchikel (mayan language) skills ever so slightly—at least enough that people laugh and realize I`m trying to talk to them.
· Played in a teacher vs. students fùtbol game. Went in for the header and missed.
· Exchanged some phone numbers with young, single teachers—I qualify this because it`s pretty rare to be 25 and not married with kids. That means they have time for friends!
· Rosa and her family finally came over to my house and couldn`t believe my assortment of teas. She offered to make a curtain for my bookshelf, which acts as a dresser, bookshelf, medicine cabinet, etc. I wonder if she´s trying to tell me something…
· I continue to wear monochromatic pajamas to bed with my leggings/long johns tucked into my socks and my sweatshirt tucked into my leggings/long johns. Let`s just say I am quite a sight with my retainers in and glasses on. Tall, lanky, and monochromatic (brown or grayish-blue) trying to sneak into the bathroom without being seen. You can spot me any morning from 6-7 am.
· The six year old who lives next door likes to sneak into my house and scare me. He hides and then comes out with a spiderman mask, a pillowcase over his head, or clothespins attached to his face. Half of the time he gets me, but I`m becoming wise to his tricks.
· I just got a mountain bike fixed up that I inherited from Crystal. I`m pretty stoked about it though the guy completed ripped me off and overcharged me. Now I`ll be that crazy gringa on a mountain bike.
· My neighbor`s (the family who I rent from) dog follows me everywhere—into stores, to my friend`s house—and even waits for me so we can walk back together. It`s pretty cute except for the fact that most people here hate dogs and try to hit it. Her name is Kila though my friend accidentally calls her Tequila.
So that`s just a bit of a brief recap. More entries to come…
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