Written on August 9, 2009
Since we started FBT (Field Based Training) on Monday, August 3, our training has intensified. We now have training from 7:30 to 4:30 everyday, which includes 4 hours of Spanish class in the morning and 4 hours of technical training in the afternoon. Usually, we arrive at INFOP—the training center we are using in Talanga—at 7:25 and work through lunch. FBT is divided based on project so I am only with 17 people right now. The other two programs are in other sites around Honduras. It was a big change going from 50 to 17…and it will be even more difficult when we go from 17 to ALONE! Most of us think training in counteractive in preparing us to live on our own because we have everything prearranged for us. For example, I wake up at 5:40 to meet a friend to run at 6:00. We run until around 6:30 when I come home, take a shower, and eat breakfast. My host mom prepares my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although I try to help her by washing my dishes, my responsibilities are limited. I come home to eat lunch everyday and then after training ends at 4:30, I return home to eat dinner and do my homework before going to bed. My schedule seems very similar to that of many high school students!
I do have to wash my own clothes (one advantage to PC Dominican Republic, the host family was responsible for washing my clothes!). My first hand-washing experience happened today at 5:00am. I usually wake up early since my bed time is between 9:00 and 9:30. When I woke up this morning without any clean clothes, I decided it was time to finally try my luck at hand-washing. I have been avoiding washing my clothes for this reason—how do you hand-wash clothes? Well, I quickly learned. I spent about 2 hours washing a weeks worth of clothing. My towel is as stiff as a board and most of my clothes smell overwhelmingly like soap. I will have to try again next time since rewashing is NOT an option!
Some of my friends from Muni-D came to visit us today. Municipal development is one of the other projects along with youth development and PAM (protected areas management). The Muni-D group is completing FBT in a site about an hour away from Talanga. Since the towns are close to each other, they took a bus into Talanga to see us. We decided to take them on a hike to a cave that is a popular local destination. First, you have to climb up to a white cross then climb another hill before veering to the left and finding the cave. Some of my friends from YD and I went to find the cave on Saturday but we did not bring headlamps. The cave is too dark to explore without headlamps or flashlights so today we came prepared. There were a ton of bats flying around inside and it smelled strongly of sulfur. We walked in and looked around but we could not find a pathway to take us deeper into the cave. We headed back down the mountain a different way than we came up in order to see more scenery.
This is a beautiful country and I am loving my time here. So far, I have very few complaints. For instance, I wish they cooked with less fat and more vegetables. But, this is a change I can make when I live on my own. I have 4.5 more weeks of FBT before we return to Zarabanda for the final stages of our training. I will keep you updated.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Dominican Thoughts
Written on 7/30/2009
Here is a recap/summary of my time in the DR:
1) It took me about two weeks to figure out the family ties that connected my family with my neighbors. By the time I figured it out, it was already time to leave. I learned that my host mom did not get along with her husband’s family. This is problematic because my host family lived in the same building as my host dad’s parents and sister. His sister lived in the apartment next to ours and his parents lived in the house below us.
2) The DR is probably the hottest place I have ever visited. I sweat more than I thought was humanly possible (and I was not the worst!). Water had more value to me than other products. Unfortunately, the water was not potable and even if it were potable, it only came once a week to the house.
3) The education system did not seem very strong due to my host brother’s age and literacy level. He was learning to read in fourth grade. I thought he may be the exception but on our volunteer visit, the volunteer explained to us the sad truth about education in the DR.
4) We went to El Ramón to visit a youth development volunteer. She was doing multiple projects including a women’s group, HIV/AIDS awareness, a book club, English classes, a library project, a world mural project, etc. Mountains surrounded her house which overlooked an incredibly beautiful valley. Her site was exactly what I expected in a PC site. I hope to live in a site similar to hers.
5) We frequented the Car Wash. It is actually called the “Car Wash” in Spanish, but in reality, the concept is foreign. People bring their dirty cars to get washed and while waiting, they drink a few beers. When their car is ready, they drive home! However, it has turned into a place to drink more than a place to wash cars. Typical as it may be, they play music extremely loud and people dance until 2 am.
6) One night after going to the Car Wash with my host mom and her brother, we walked back to Los Cocos at 2:30 in the morning. My host brother and his friends started talking “Dominican” (meaning: virtually impossible to understand). They kept saying, “Queremo arro” but I did not know what they were trying to say. I finally deduced that they wanted to eat rice…but how? Well, this is how: (1) You make a fire in the middle of the street using cinder blocks, sticks, and a large pot. (2) Each person runs to their house looking for the ingredients to make the rice. One guy ran to find a pot, another found rice, another brought oil, etc. (3) Begin cooking and wait! At 3 am, we were cooking rice in the middle of a dirt road! My host mom and her friend were in charge of cooking! The rice took forever to cook but it was worth the wait! (4) EAT! We ended up eating around 4:30 and I went to bed at 5! It was an amazing experience. We enjoyed it so much that our families made us a “locrio” (rice with meat) for our going-away party.
7) Living without electric and water is probably not what I am looking for in my Honduran site. I hope to have the basic essentials; however, I have redefined “essential” in my time living abroad. Tomorrow, I am buying a cell phone! Yes…it is essential with the current political situation and the potential for hurricanes!
8) Both the training center and the training staff in the DR were amazing. I enjoyed my time there and I hope to return at some point. I loved living by other volunteers (something that is not the same here in Honduras). The days seemed to pass faster in the DR than they do here…I have not figured out why.
Here is a recap/summary of my time in the DR:
1) It took me about two weeks to figure out the family ties that connected my family with my neighbors. By the time I figured it out, it was already time to leave. I learned that my host mom did not get along with her husband’s family. This is problematic because my host family lived in the same building as my host dad’s parents and sister. His sister lived in the apartment next to ours and his parents lived in the house below us.
2) The DR is probably the hottest place I have ever visited. I sweat more than I thought was humanly possible (and I was not the worst!). Water had more value to me than other products. Unfortunately, the water was not potable and even if it were potable, it only came once a week to the house.
3) The education system did not seem very strong due to my host brother’s age and literacy level. He was learning to read in fourth grade. I thought he may be the exception but on our volunteer visit, the volunteer explained to us the sad truth about education in the DR.
4) We went to El Ramón to visit a youth development volunteer. She was doing multiple projects including a women’s group, HIV/AIDS awareness, a book club, English classes, a library project, a world mural project, etc. Mountains surrounded her house which overlooked an incredibly beautiful valley. Her site was exactly what I expected in a PC site. I hope to live in a site similar to hers.
5) We frequented the Car Wash. It is actually called the “Car Wash” in Spanish, but in reality, the concept is foreign. People bring their dirty cars to get washed and while waiting, they drink a few beers. When their car is ready, they drive home! However, it has turned into a place to drink more than a place to wash cars. Typical as it may be, they play music extremely loud and people dance until 2 am.
6) One night after going to the Car Wash with my host mom and her brother, we walked back to Los Cocos at 2:30 in the morning. My host brother and his friends started talking “Dominican” (meaning: virtually impossible to understand). They kept saying, “Queremo arro” but I did not know what they were trying to say. I finally deduced that they wanted to eat rice…but how? Well, this is how: (1) You make a fire in the middle of the street using cinder blocks, sticks, and a large pot. (2) Each person runs to their house looking for the ingredients to make the rice. One guy ran to find a pot, another found rice, another brought oil, etc. (3) Begin cooking and wait! At 3 am, we were cooking rice in the middle of a dirt road! My host mom and her friend were in charge of cooking! The rice took forever to cook but it was worth the wait! (4) EAT! We ended up eating around 4:30 and I went to bed at 5! It was an amazing experience. We enjoyed it so much that our families made us a “locrio” (rice with meat) for our going-away party.
7) Living without electric and water is probably not what I am looking for in my Honduran site. I hope to have the basic essentials; however, I have redefined “essential” in my time living abroad. Tomorrow, I am buying a cell phone! Yes…it is essential with the current political situation and the potential for hurricanes!
8) Both the training center and the training staff in the DR were amazing. I enjoyed my time there and I hope to return at some point. I loved living by other volunteers (something that is not the same here in Honduras). The days seemed to pass faster in the DR than they do here…I have not figured out why.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Honduras Arrival
Written on Wednesday, July 29.
¡Bienvenidos a Honduras!
I finally made it! Yesterday, around 11:40 AM (Mountain Time), my flight from Miami landed in Tegucigalpa. Tegucigalpa has one of the world’s shortest international runways. Since it is a dangerous airport, the PC only allows us to fly with an American company. Thank goodness! When the pilot told us to prepare for landing (in 30 minutes), I had no idea what was in store for us. The plane started descending from the clouds causing more turbulence than I expected. Adding to the bouncing plane, the runway is in a valley surrounded by small mountains. I do not know how it works but the airplane feels like it is coasting above the ground for at least 5 minutes. I could practically see inside people’s houses, watch their TV, and say hi to their kids! A few volunteers mentioned the thought the getting stuck in the power lines…You get the picture! But, I am here and I am safe.
When we got off the plane, we had to go through immigration. They gave us 90-day tourist visas. During training, we go through the process of becoming residents which allows us to stay for the two-year service. Our training director was waiting for us by the baggage claim, happy that we finally made it. He flew to the DR to train us but has been waiting since then for us to arrive in Honduras. Some PC staff helped us get our bags through customs which involved scanning our bags for suspicious items. The staff led us outside to six PC land cruiser SUVs where we put our luggage based on our ‘pueblo’. The fed us Pizza Hut pizza, Quaker oatmeal cookies, juice, water, and fruit. I have a feeling that will be the last American food we have for awhile!
We piled into the vans to be escorted to the training center in Zarabanda. Zarabanda is about 30 minutes from the airport. It is a quaint, small town in the mountains. For the first time in a month, we did not sweat when we walked around outside. It was incredible! The temperature here is amazing—around 70 degrees with a breeze. The training center is similar to the DR Training Center but mostly indoors. Instead of cooking food for us at the center, our Honduran host families will pack us lunches in Tupperware!
My host family is amazing. I was unsure about my situation at first because my host mom is only 23! It turns out that her mother has been living in Spain for the past few years. Her father, two brothers, husband, and daughter live in the house. My host brother (age: 9) is adorable. He loves to play Frisbee, baseball, Power Rangers, etc. We already have plans for the entire week! My older host brother (age: 18) is very cool. He enjoys watching movies, reading, playing video games, playing soccer, etc. He has an entire movie collection that he offered to me! Since there is a PC and country-wide curfew, I know what I will do after 9 pm—MOVIES! My host grandpa is also very nice. He talks to me about different issues involving the US, Spain, and Honduras. My host dad is 28 and works in construction. I do not think that I will be seeing him very often. My host mom does not work outside of the house, but she takes care of 2 year-old daughter.
My house is about triple the size of my DR house but completely different. I have a HUGE room with a double bed, a sofa, a TV, and plenty of floor space. My host family has internet and cable TV—there is hope for my service!! I watched Cinderella III with my younger host brother yesterday before my host grandpa turned on Telenovelas (Spanish soap operas). They are rather entertaining as well as good Spanish practice.
As you can see, I am having a great time. I am excited to continue training and become a volunteer on Sept. 25, 2009. I leave for FBT on Sunday—a 7 week training that is specific to youth development.
¡Bienvenidos a Honduras!
I finally made it! Yesterday, around 11:40 AM (Mountain Time), my flight from Miami landed in Tegucigalpa. Tegucigalpa has one of the world’s shortest international runways. Since it is a dangerous airport, the PC only allows us to fly with an American company. Thank goodness! When the pilot told us to prepare for landing (in 30 minutes), I had no idea what was in store for us. The plane started descending from the clouds causing more turbulence than I expected. Adding to the bouncing plane, the runway is in a valley surrounded by small mountains. I do not know how it works but the airplane feels like it is coasting above the ground for at least 5 minutes. I could practically see inside people’s houses, watch their TV, and say hi to their kids! A few volunteers mentioned the thought the getting stuck in the power lines…You get the picture! But, I am here and I am safe.
When we got off the plane, we had to go through immigration. They gave us 90-day tourist visas. During training, we go through the process of becoming residents which allows us to stay for the two-year service. Our training director was waiting for us by the baggage claim, happy that we finally made it. He flew to the DR to train us but has been waiting since then for us to arrive in Honduras. Some PC staff helped us get our bags through customs which involved scanning our bags for suspicious items. The staff led us outside to six PC land cruiser SUVs where we put our luggage based on our ‘pueblo’. The fed us Pizza Hut pizza, Quaker oatmeal cookies, juice, water, and fruit. I have a feeling that will be the last American food we have for awhile!
We piled into the vans to be escorted to the training center in Zarabanda. Zarabanda is about 30 minutes from the airport. It is a quaint, small town in the mountains. For the first time in a month, we did not sweat when we walked around outside. It was incredible! The temperature here is amazing—around 70 degrees with a breeze. The training center is similar to the DR Training Center but mostly indoors. Instead of cooking food for us at the center, our Honduran host families will pack us lunches in Tupperware!
My host family is amazing. I was unsure about my situation at first because my host mom is only 23! It turns out that her mother has been living in Spain for the past few years. Her father, two brothers, husband, and daughter live in the house. My host brother (age: 9) is adorable. He loves to play Frisbee, baseball, Power Rangers, etc. We already have plans for the entire week! My older host brother (age: 18) is very cool. He enjoys watching movies, reading, playing video games, playing soccer, etc. He has an entire movie collection that he offered to me! Since there is a PC and country-wide curfew, I know what I will do after 9 pm—MOVIES! My host grandpa is also very nice. He talks to me about different issues involving the US, Spain, and Honduras. My host dad is 28 and works in construction. I do not think that I will be seeing him very often. My host mom does not work outside of the house, but she takes care of 2 year-old daughter.
My house is about triple the size of my DR house but completely different. I have a HUGE room with a double bed, a sofa, a TV, and plenty of floor space. My host family has internet and cable TV—there is hope for my service!! I watched Cinderella III with my younger host brother yesterday before my host grandpa turned on Telenovelas (Spanish soap operas). They are rather entertaining as well as good Spanish practice.
As you can see, I am having a great time. I am excited to continue training and become a volunteer on Sept. 25, 2009. I leave for FBT on Sunday—a 7 week training that is specific to youth development.
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