Tuesday, September 30, 2008

9.23.08 The beach and more…

Emelina kicked my butt this morning…well figuratively at least. I went running with her and oh man am I feeling it…but along with the soreness comes that runner’s high so I have no complaints.

After traveling for 10 days, it was so glorious to sleep in my own bed and be back in mi pueblo. Little did I know, only a few days later, I would be on a bus again, this time with members of the HIV Committees from El Negrito and Morazan, on our way to La Ceiba. Granted, one cannot complain about an all expenses trip to the beach, but really…I was perfectly content sweating my butt off at home sweet home. Nevertheless, I sucked it up and had a wonderful time. We spent 2 days talking about behavior change and planning the Exposida, not to mention soaking up the sun. We stayed at Palma Real, this super lujo resort that was –right- on the water, all included buffet and drinks, 5 swimming pools…it was amazing. I also had an epiphany while I was there…I was getting frustrated because we were talking about the general strengths and weaknesses of the Committee and I felt like I wasn’t being listened to so I sort of sat back and listened to everyone else when all of the sudden I realized that is what I need to do. I am not here to take over the drivers seat and lead everything for the next 2 years. I am here as a support to this committee and this town in general…to help them figure out how they can do these things on their own because in 2 years, I won’t be here anymore and they are going to have to do things without me. So from now on, I am trying to take a more backseat approach to things. And to just chill out…cuz I sort of freak out sometimes and Peace Corps is definitely not the place to be all stressed and weird. Haha. Plus, as Luis Estrada (the training director) said at swearing in… ‘’Don’t make heroes out of yourself, make heroes out of the people in your community’’

Exactly…

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

9.23.08 As promised for my mother...

Top to bottom:
1. The Obstretics Emergencies Workshop, look at my adorable midwife in the green skirt.
2. Yes, I made -all- those tortillas, by hand. And yes, I rock
3. Tom, Emelina, and myself at a gringo get-together in Yorito
4. My kitchen!
5. Women cooking at the nutrition class in Las Brisas
6. Myself before one of the fiestas during the feria, in July
7. A float during the parade for Independence Day
8. Stealing eggs from a chicken
9. My dining room!


















Tuesday, September 16, 2008

9.14.08 Traveling galore...

I hosted a very successful housewarming party a few weeks ago, complete with homemade guacamole, special punch and lots of music. We danced, ate and drank and had a wonderful time. Next up…Christmas party?

The following week was filled with traveling…

-I spent the first week of September helping with the HIV ToT for the new group of PAM (Protected Areas Management) trainees. They were finishing up FBT in Monte Redondo, which is about 30 minutes outside of Tegus. There are no hotels in the area and I stayed with the sweetest host family. They gave me guava jelly when I left and made me promise that I would come back and visit. The ToT went well…some of the trainees said they would be interested in doing HIV work in their site so hopefully I can help some of them do that when they get settled.
-Myself and the other volunteers who were helping with the training spent Friday night in Tegus so Allison and I took the opportunity to go out. We had dinner at Ruby Tuesday´s and then headed to Sabor Cubano, a Cuban restaurant with awesome mojitos and lots of salsa music. We ended the night getting down with 3 professional Honduran dancers at some random bar. Tons of fun…
-Then I headed to Santa Lucia for the weekend to see my host family. I had a great time catching up and eating delicious food. My sister Waleska and I went to watch the Honduras vs. Canada soccer game on Saturday and then shopping at the mall on Sunday. My mom told me that I was welcome there whenever I want and that my room is always open to me. Yay.
-Monday I jumped on a bus to Yarumela to spend the night with my FBT host family. It was so great to see my niece and nephew, I miss them so much. Josue and I went swimming in the river and then Karen and I cooked dinner and gossiped on the patio until bedtime. I got a jalon with my boss to Siguatepeque for Reconnect-Project Workshop the following day.
-I spent Tuesday-Friday with my fellow health volunteers, catching up on life and listening to some new info. I gave a presentation on sexuality during a round robin that we had which was a lot of fun and hopefully informative to some. It was really great to see everyone and find out how everyone has been doing. We also got to experience a mini Exposida put on by an NGO here in Honduras so it gave me some great ideas for ours, which is coming up quickly.
-I finally returned to home sweet home on Friday. I spent the weekend catching up with Emelina and just relaxing. Saturday night was the birthday party of the owner of the Club, Oscar, who is a good friend of mine. I had a great time…dancing and meeting people. BTW…my –entire- town knows that I –love- to dance…it cracks me up.


I need Halloween costume ideas!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

09.02.08 Work Hard, Play Hard

Another month gone by…and suddenly its September. I know I haven’t been very vigilant about updating, so here goes nothing:

-The Obstetrics Emergencies workshop in Gracias went really well. It’s a cute town and it was really good to see some of my friends and meet some new PCV’s. The nurse and midwife from my town enjoyed themselves as well and we are going to replicate the training we received here in El Negrito. A group of us went to the Hot Springs the last night in town which was a nice way to end the trip.
-I spent last week with groups of campo women and their children in different communities in the area. Along with 2 other WorldVision employees, we showed the women how to make nutritious food using local products. We cooked together, side by side, and made delicious sopa de frijoles con arroz, junyapa guisado, and this really delicious desert of cooked bananas, milk, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon.
-Trudy, the Country Director for PC Honduras came to visit Emelina and I last Friday which was a plesant surprise. We had lunch together and we had a nice talk at my house. She offered some good insight on some of my recent frustrations. She also brought me the check with my PEPFAR funds so we can start making purchases for the Exposida.
-I finally threw my long awaited housewarming party on Friday which was a definite success. We ate, danced and drank and everyone seemed to have a really good time. I love being a host and having my house full of people. The following night I was invited to a quincenera (15th birthday party, big deal in Latin culture.) The birthday girl was the niece of my friend’s wife so I was completely flattered that they invited me. I wore my adorable new dress and got to practice my merengue and punta dance moves.

I have an incredibly next 10 days of traveling that I will fill you all in on when I return. Also, less than 3 months until I get to come home for Thanksgiving! Yay!

08.31.08 Some Food for Thought...

I would like to know why the government is interested in giving more benefits to the military and still none to the Peace Corps volunteers. A Peace Corps volunteers takes the same oath as all military personnel. Also, it is my opinion that both jobs are similar.
Where Peace Corps volunteers live, they live alone. They don’t have luxurious beds to sleep in; they don’t have access to cell phones, Internet, gyms, or good old fashioned American food. The Peace Corps thrives in places that the military would never send their personnel alone. Peace Corps volunteers are on the front lines promoting capitalism, democracy, and liberty.
Both job are equally important to the United States, yet one gets all the attention, and funding. The Peace Corps is essentially the equivalent to any Special Forces-Civil Affairs unit, minus the M-16 and camouflage. The conduct similar jobs, yet receive no recognition for their own duty or service. Peace Corps volunteers deserve the same benefits as the military, or something comparable.
Listed below are the benefits for both the Peace Corps and the military. Can you tell the difference?
Peace Corp Benefits: Peace Corps Volunteer Service Credit for Retirement, access to fellows program.
Military Benefits: GI Bill, signing bonuses, life insurance, memorials and burials, military education, military pay, space ‘A’ travel, survivor benefits, TRICARE-Military Health Care, VA home loans, veteran benefits, veteran benefits by states, veterans health care.
In conclusion, it is vitally important to the nation and the world to offer more benefits to Peace Corps volunteers. Without their courage and determination to change the world on the grass roots level, the world would be a much darker, and much less secure, environment.

Casey B. Welch
Peace Corps Volunteer, Nicaragua 01-03
Phoenix, Arizona

(Taken from the Summer edition of Worldview, the magazine of the National Peace Corps Association.)