Happy April!
Things are finally picking up for me in Cajolá – work is getting busier and time is flying. It only took about 9 months in site to get somewhat of a routine down, but here I am! I had a very ‘interesting’ integration period with my counterpart and doctor in Cajolá, but I’m finally starting to feel not as much as the odd ball out. After several meetings with my doctor, counterpart, and Peace Corps boss, I am being supported more by my health center, and I think I am finally on some kind of consistent schedule. Granted there are still weekly all-staff meetings and activities that people ‘forget’ to tell me about, but all in all, things are a lot better.
I think I reached my lowest of lows at the end of January/ beginning of February, and it’s really been looking up since then. For starters, Laura visited me in February, and Brooke, Lynn, and Kris came in March! When Laura visited, we stayed at the lake for two nights, and then headed to my site for 4 nights. She came to work with me for the week, and it was really nice to show her my real life, day to day. While she was here I had a couple women’s groups, and she helped us make washable/reusable sanitary napkins (super cool project!). She helped cut out at least 50 patterns, so to Mark and Katie Forsythe: she was definitely put to work! Laura was also able to witness an impromptu presentation for a group of teenagers on sex and what it is. We both had a good time, and I think the trip was what both of us needed for a little relaxation!
Brooke, Lynn, and Kris came in March over Brooke’s spring break, and their trip was a little more fast paced. They flew in on a Sunday, and we stayed in Antigua at the Earth Lodge for two nights. Sunday afternoon, we built a fire and did the Mayan sauna at the hostel. Monday, we hiked Volcano Pacaya (yes, this is the volcano that erupted last year, and no, we didn’t tell Kris that until afterwards). Tuesday, we got up early and drove to my site where the girls got to see the health center in one of my villages, as well as go to a women’s group in the afternoon. I gave a presentation to the women on the fecal/oral contamination cycle, and then we made hand-washing stations using recycled bottles. It was again really nice to show then how I live and what I do at work. The next night we spent at Lake Atitlán. We did some souvenir shopping, as well as relaxing on the lake. We had a nice private room with THE best shower I’ve had in Guatemala. The next day, St. Patrick’s Day, we headed back to Antigua and finished our shopping, as well as grabbed a nice dinner, followed by a Guinness at the Irish bar. The trip flew by, but a great time was had by all.
In between the weekend that Laura left and that Brooke, Lynn, and Kris got here, I was able to meet up with the Casey family’s foreign exchange student from 40 years ago. It just so happened that Marc had to be in Guatemala for five days and was up for grabbing breakfast with me. We had interesting conversation, and it was neat to talk to someone who knew my mom, aunts, and uncles from this time in their lives.
It probably seems like all I’m doing down here is hosting visitors, but rest assured, I am working as well! I am continuing to work with my three women’s groups, and they are my favorite part of work. I am creating relationships with these women, while trying my best to get them interested in preventative health with my presentations and mini-projects. I am currently starting to raise money to build water tanks for these women, so that they can put into practice a lot of what we talk about.
Other than these groups, I am working more in the health center. I give presentations every Monday morning. The theme changes monthly, and it’s a good way to continually introduce myself to more people in the surrounding communities, as well as to assist the health center staff. I have been giving a lot of impromptu presentations at the health center as well on any health related theme you can think of: rabies, nutrition, pregnancy, etc.
In other news, I got a site mate! Well, not exactly – she lives 10 minutes away in the village I take Mam classes in, but close nonetheless. Her name is Maddie, and she’s in the Healthy Schools program. We hopefully will get to collaborate on projects together that will target parents (my women’s groups) and kids (her schools).
Since this year is the 50th Anniversary of Peace Corps (it’s Guatemala’s 48th year), we were invited to a celebration at the ambassador’s house in Guatemala City. It was a beautiful get together, with a swear in ceremony of new volunteers, a close of service ceremony of volunteers who have completed their service, and a talk from Peace Corps Chief of Staff Stacey Rhodes who visited for this event. This weekend also coincided with the return of my good friend, Dirk, after his bus accident in September, so it was a great weekend to celebrate with friends.
For those of you who don’t know, Jordan is getting married in May, and I’ll be traveling home for the wedding!! My trip is planned for April 21 – May 12. This will be the only time I head home during my service so I’m making it count. Other than the wedding, I plan to give presentations on my service to a few groups. I hopefully will be able to do some fundraising, so if anyone is interested in a presentation let me know and I’ll be more than happy to do it.
Not too much else, so of course I’ll keep you updated on my book list. Since the last post, these are the books I’ve read:

The Invisible Wall
A Fine Balance – Don’t let the thickness of this book turn you away – it’s a quick and good read!
The Poisonwood Bible
Cat’s Cradle
The Secret Life of Bees
White Man’s Burden
Hocus Pocus (currently reading)
What the Dog Saw (currently reading)

I’m also going to add to the last post on things that are now normal to me:
- Riding in the back of a truck with 10 other people, because that’s the only transportation a person can get on Sundays, on holidays, on days people are protesting, or just because you haven’t seen a bus in a while.
- Having an animal, baby, produce, bags, or other items that are not yours on your lap, shoulder, head, etc, during crowded bus rides.
- Having people call you baby, queen, princess, beautiful, little girl, etc (in Spanish it’s easier to explain: conchita, nena, novia, esposa, xnula - that means woman who wears pants, niñita chula, bebecita linda, niña bonita; I could go on for a while).
- Having people ask you for money. This actually happens all the time, and it’s not just drunk people in the streets. Last week one of my coworkers asked me for 500 quetzales to buy some turkeys.
- People talking about you in front of you because they assume you have no idea what’s going on. Sometimes mothers tell their kids to behave or else I’ll vaccinate them - this is why all the kids are scared of me.
- Hearing people speak in tongues and/or sobbing over a microphone at the Evangelical church, and sometimes in my host family’s house.
- People asking you to bring them to the states, or to bring their kids to the states.
- Not showering for long periods of time. My longest has been a Friday to a Friday, but since I can now go to the city to shower at the new Peace Corps office, I can usually shower about every three days. I haven’t had water from the shower since January, so here’s hoping that April is different!
- Everything is blamed on the “temperature change” – if you’re sick, if the pigs won’t get into their pens, if there are a lot of people at the market today, if you have the hiccups, if you aren’t hungry, etc.
- Everyone is late. If you plan a presentation for 2pm, no one will show up until 2:30 at the earliest, and you probably won’t get started until at least 3pm. I’m learning patience, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get out of the habit of being punctual.
- Sitting and staring at one another is a favorite pastime of Guatemalans. I’ve gotten pretty good at surviving the awkward silences while drinking a glass of wet corn and sugar.
- Since you bargain for EVERYTHING down here, I am now used speaking very strongly when I shop, as well as going over the top with my facial expressions,
- It isn’t rude or gross to fart, burp, or ‘farmer-blow’ in public. For those who don’t know, farmer blowing is a way of blowing your nose without tissues. In fact, about 20 minutes ago, my counterpart let a huge fart out in the office. I almost busted out laughing, so obviously I’m not accustomed to this yet (so no, I will not be publically farting, burping, or farmer blowing while I’m home… well, I hope).

Can’t wait to see everyone while I’m home, next post won’t be until after the trip.
There are pictures on my flickr page of my visitors!