http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/31/honduras.storm.emergency/index.html?hpt=C2
This is the CNN article of what's going on. I'm safe, but this is a very tragic time for Guatemala - keep the people in your thoughts.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
May 28, 2010
Since I’ve last written, there have been a couple wild incidents. First, and scariest (of course involving the toilet), I was in the loo, having a staring contest with the big black spider, and the room started shaking. After realizing that it wasn’t normal, I hopped off as quickly as I could, only to find Duly laughing. It was a tremor! After seeing me jump off the toilet so fast, I wouldn’t be surprised if I soon come into the bathroom seeing a web that says “Some gringa…” (You know you love Charlotte’s Web).
The next experience is actually kind of scary: as some of you know, I have a soy allergy, as well as some other mild food allergies. Little did I know, I’ve recently developed an allergy to mango. Last Thursday, after spotting a mango on my counter and telling Duly how much I like mangoes, she cut it up for me to take on my bus ride to Antigua. I ate about five quarter-sized pieces and shared the rest with my crew. About 15 minutes later, my hands started itching, followed by my arms. One of my friends mentioned that my face was bright red, so we decided to get some Benadryl. I assumed I’d be fine and ignored the fact that I was getting itchier by the second, as well as developing hives all over my body, thinking that the Benadryl would soon kick in. Our language group and teacher got on the bus headed for a coffee museum, when I realized I was having a hard time breathing. I called the Peace Corps nurse in a panic, who instructed me to get off the bus and head to the hospital. Less than 15 minutes later, I was struggling for air and receiving injections. The next couple hours are kind of grey, but my friend Michele stayed in the hospital with me. I was kept for 24 hours and given 7 or 8 injections. After they released me, I headed back to San Antonio, where all of my symptoms started coming back. I called the nurse, took more Benadryl, and ended up having to be picked up and brought to the Peace Corps Medical Office where I was given more steroids and antihistamines. I was on steroids through yesterday, and I am physically back to normal. I’m a little anxious to try new fruits, though, and I’m super sad about not being able to even touch another mango.
The big news here is that the Pacaya volcano erupted in Guatemala this week. Guatemala City was covered in ash, and all schools across the country were closed. Guatemala is on high alert, as three people are confirmed dead, five are missing, and about 1,800 were evacuated from villages near Pacaya. This hasn’t affected me too much personally, other than the fact that we were supposed to attend a Mayan ceremony in Tecpan tomorrow. Peace Corps is on “Steadfast” alert, so we’re now not allowed to leave our towns for 48 hours. It’s affected my good friend Michele, though, as her step father passed away yesterday and she is stranded here until at least Monday (please keep her in your thoughts). We’re supposed to get some pretty bad tropical storms here this weekend, so I’ll try to keep safe.
My daily life isn’t too exciting; lots of language lessons and technical training. We’re kept very busy, giving charlas (presentations), studying, and learning about diarrhea. Next week I’m giving my first public charla on handwashing; my Spanish is certainly improving, but I’m sure I’ll stumble in this presentation and learn from whatever mistakes I make. June 6-12 I have field based training in San Marcos. A group of 6 of us will be working with 2 volunteers, doing at least 2 charlas each, as well as writing and performing a skit in front of a school and for the radio. It’ll be a jam-packed week, but in a new setting and with a mostly new group.
The lovely Miss Molly left a comment asking me some questions about Guatemala that I think might be good to share with everyone. 1.) What were your expectations going in, and are you finding that your experience is matching up to your expectations? Wow. Well, my expectations going into the Peace Corps were basically to hand my services over for 27 months. After applying in October of 2008 and not being officially invited until March of 2010, I was just happy to make it here. I feel like a person really doesn’t know what he or she is getting into, and there really is no telling how an individual’s experience will be since there are so many different countries and programs. I did, however, expect to be living with a dirt floor and a bucket bath, with a large host family, and eating fruits and vegetables all the time. I am living in a nice place with tile floor and a shower, with one host brother, eating a very large amount of carbohydrates – which are catching up to me!
The next question asked what stereotypes I’ve broken since I’ve been here. Well, no one likes to admits that they have prejudices, but everyone does; I probably have a lot that I haven’t even realized and that I might not realize. I wrongly assumed everyone was living in poverty, and not American standard poverty, but lots of homeless and starving people. There certainly are malnourished and homeless here, but everyone helps out where they can. Neighbors give each other food and places to sleep when times are tough, so I have yet to see people begging on the streets. I didn’t think that Guatemala would be very technologically advanced, but they are, more so than the United States. People don’t have shoes, and they have cell phones. They choose not to have shoes, though, which is something that’s changing my perception of different amenities. I think those are pretty big questions, so if anyone as any further questions or would like me to elaborate, let me know.
Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone, especially the Gokey family who will be hosting the annual Memorial Day fundraiser at Pete’s Hamburger Stand. If you’re in the Prairie du Chien area on Monday, stop by and have one with = )
New photos have been added to my Flickr page, check 'em out.
The next experience is actually kind of scary: as some of you know, I have a soy allergy, as well as some other mild food allergies. Little did I know, I’ve recently developed an allergy to mango. Last Thursday, after spotting a mango on my counter and telling Duly how much I like mangoes, she cut it up for me to take on my bus ride to Antigua. I ate about five quarter-sized pieces and shared the rest with my crew. About 15 minutes later, my hands started itching, followed by my arms. One of my friends mentioned that my face was bright red, so we decided to get some Benadryl. I assumed I’d be fine and ignored the fact that I was getting itchier by the second, as well as developing hives all over my body, thinking that the Benadryl would soon kick in. Our language group and teacher got on the bus headed for a coffee museum, when I realized I was having a hard time breathing. I called the Peace Corps nurse in a panic, who instructed me to get off the bus and head to the hospital. Less than 15 minutes later, I was struggling for air and receiving injections. The next couple hours are kind of grey, but my friend Michele stayed in the hospital with me. I was kept for 24 hours and given 7 or 8 injections. After they released me, I headed back to San Antonio, where all of my symptoms started coming back. I called the nurse, took more Benadryl, and ended up having to be picked up and brought to the Peace Corps Medical Office where I was given more steroids and antihistamines. I was on steroids through yesterday, and I am physically back to normal. I’m a little anxious to try new fruits, though, and I’m super sad about not being able to even touch another mango.
The big news here is that the Pacaya volcano erupted in Guatemala this week. Guatemala City was covered in ash, and all schools across the country were closed. Guatemala is on high alert, as three people are confirmed dead, five are missing, and about 1,800 were evacuated from villages near Pacaya. This hasn’t affected me too much personally, other than the fact that we were supposed to attend a Mayan ceremony in Tecpan tomorrow. Peace Corps is on “Steadfast” alert, so we’re now not allowed to leave our towns for 48 hours. It’s affected my good friend Michele, though, as her step father passed away yesterday and she is stranded here until at least Monday (please keep her in your thoughts). We’re supposed to get some pretty bad tropical storms here this weekend, so I’ll try to keep safe.
My daily life isn’t too exciting; lots of language lessons and technical training. We’re kept very busy, giving charlas (presentations), studying, and learning about diarrhea. Next week I’m giving my first public charla on handwashing; my Spanish is certainly improving, but I’m sure I’ll stumble in this presentation and learn from whatever mistakes I make. June 6-12 I have field based training in San Marcos. A group of 6 of us will be working with 2 volunteers, doing at least 2 charlas each, as well as writing and performing a skit in front of a school and for the radio. It’ll be a jam-packed week, but in a new setting and with a mostly new group.
The lovely Miss Molly left a comment asking me some questions about Guatemala that I think might be good to share with everyone. 1.) What were your expectations going in, and are you finding that your experience is matching up to your expectations? Wow. Well, my expectations going into the Peace Corps were basically to hand my services over for 27 months. After applying in October of 2008 and not being officially invited until March of 2010, I was just happy to make it here. I feel like a person really doesn’t know what he or she is getting into, and there really is no telling how an individual’s experience will be since there are so many different countries and programs. I did, however, expect to be living with a dirt floor and a bucket bath, with a large host family, and eating fruits and vegetables all the time. I am living in a nice place with tile floor and a shower, with one host brother, eating a very large amount of carbohydrates – which are catching up to me!
The next question asked what stereotypes I’ve broken since I’ve been here. Well, no one likes to admits that they have prejudices, but everyone does; I probably have a lot that I haven’t even realized and that I might not realize. I wrongly assumed everyone was living in poverty, and not American standard poverty, but lots of homeless and starving people. There certainly are malnourished and homeless here, but everyone helps out where they can. Neighbors give each other food and places to sleep when times are tough, so I have yet to see people begging on the streets. I didn’t think that Guatemala would be very technologically advanced, but they are, more so than the United States. People don’t have shoes, and they have cell phones. They choose not to have shoes, though, which is something that’s changing my perception of different amenities. I think those are pretty big questions, so if anyone as any further questions or would like me to elaborate, let me know.
Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone, especially the Gokey family who will be hosting the annual Memorial Day fundraiser at Pete’s Hamburger Stand. If you’re in the Prairie du Chien area on Monday, stop by and have one with = )
New photos have been added to my Flickr page, check 'em out.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Continuing the chronicling of my bathroom fears...
Although I’ve overcome pee stage fright, I cannot bring myself to go to the bathroom at night. This is not helping out my goal of staying hydrated, as I try not to drink water after 8pm, but I have a very good reason: our parrot. You may think, “Oh Megan it’s just a bird,” but wouldn’t you be scared if you went to the bathroom at 3am and heard “Hola, Amor??” I certainly am, but it’s something I’m working on. Also, there is a HUGE spider that stares at me while I'm in the bathroom. He makes me super nervous, like he's going to jump at me and I won't be able to do anything because I'm on the toilet... YIKES!
This week went a lot faster than last week, and if I’m lucky it will keep going fast. Our language teacher, Miguel, took us to Antigua on Saturday to get cell phones. After a few long conversations with a couple different providers, we picked “Plan Gringo.” (Gringo means white person) I’m not kidding, and I think it’s ridiculously funny! Side note – high five to PCVs who did this without technology – even my post office has been out of stamps since I’ve been here. Anyhow, Antigua was a nice city, lots of European and Americans, as well as pushy vendors. I will certainly be taking all of my visitors there for an excursion = )
Sunday was Dirk’s birthday, so after he killed the chicken for dinner, we all walked to the pool. It was beautiful – a tropical lagoon in the next village over! The pool is full of natural water fresh out of the mountain stream, so it’s a little cold. It was a nice excuse for me to get out of the pool, though, as I felt a little scantily clad… no one told me that most Guatemalan women don’t wear swimsuits, but shirts and shorts, so I have to say I probably reinforced a couple of stereotypes about American women.
Language class on Monday was pretty interesting. We went to the Women’s Artist Cooperative where they explained the patterns and colors of their weavings, as well as explained the traditional dress to us. We had a mock wedding, and, big news – I got married. Sorry I had to break the news to you all this way, but they move fast here in Guatemala = ) Really though, it was neat to understand the ceremony and the symbolism.
Tuesday was our weekly trip to Santa Lucia for the whole group training session. I got horribly bus sick on the way there and back – I feel like I’m 9 years old again. The only Dramamine I have here is drowsy, so I’m hoping my beautiful parents mail me some non-drowsy! (And if they wanted to throw a small bag of M&Ms in I wouldn’t be the least bit upset!) Yesterday I had a miserable headache and literally laid in bed the entire day. I was nauseous because it hurt so bad; I’ve never experienced it before and I didn’t do or eat anything out of the ordinary, so hopefully it was a one time deal.
Today we went on a field visit and hung out with a current Healthy Homes volunteer. It was nice to ask her questions and see what her typical day is, but it sounds like everyone in my program does something different, so odds are that my experience won’t be like hers.
I’ll leave you with the a bit of wisdom from this week’s Peace Corps training:
1.) Don’t get poop in your mouth.
2.) Try not to get pregnant.
3.) If you have unexplainable night time butt itches, you probably have pinworm.
I also am pretty sure I am now the expert on Diahrrea from all of this training, luckily not from experience, so if you have any questions, I’d skip Dr. Casey and come right to me = )
P.S. The pictures are: two from the pool, two from the top of my house, and one from Antigua. It only lets me post 5, so check out my flickr page for more (www.flicker.com/photos/megangokey).
P.P.S. Congrats to Patrick and Casey for finishing school!!!!!!! Wooohooooo!!!! I’ll be there in spirit!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
I've arrived..
...and if one thing is for certain it's this: I am over my "pee stage fright." You know when someone else is in the room and you are too nervous to pee? I'm over it. My host mom, Duly, has a curtain to block the door, and when you've got to go, you've got to go. It took me about 48 hours to get over this "fear" that has built up for 23 years. I've already accomplished so much!!
I arrived last Wedensday and moved in with a 34 year old woman (Duly) and her 7 year old son (Carlos). Duly is an entrepreneur - she owns a beauty salon across the street, she weaves, and she makes and sells ice-cream out of the house. Her husband lives in the US, but I don't think they have a relationship currently.
From now until July 16, I'm a PCT (Peace Corps Trainee). I wake up around 6:30am, and have 4-6 hours of Spanish 6 days a week, as well as 2-4 hours of technical training. I live in San Antonio Aguas Calientes, and it is a beautiful little town. We travel by bus once a week to the Peace Corps HQ in Santa Lucia, where we have more training. I live in the same town as 5 other PCTs, and we all get along great.
The things I thought I might have a hard time getting used to are the ones I've seemingly almost forgotten about: the toilet paper goes in the trash can, NOT the toilet; the water needs to be purified before drinking; I have to be home by dark; etc. There are certainly things that will take some getting used to, including the fireworks going off during ALL hours of the night, the 4am masses that last 2 hours, the rabid dogs, the machismo, and the conservative nature of the people.
I'm excited to learn what the people here have to teach me, including the many interesting aspects of the Mayan culture. I would love to work with some of the midwives here, but I won't know my real assignment until the middle of July. I have learned a few things from my language teacher, who is also a Mayan spiritualist: if you're in a room with a baby and you don't touch it, you and the baby have a bad connection and the baby will get sick; chewing three orange seeds will cure a fever; if you are stung by a bee, place a small stick behind each ear and the pain will go away; pineapple will get rid of kidney stones; if a scorpion bites you, you are to suck on a sugar cube and bite a machete; and pomegranates cure cancer. The Mayan midwives have the real secrets, but these are some common ones that Guatemalans know and use.
I had my first experience on a 'chicken bus' the other day. I suggest you Google that, because I don't think it's possible to describe the ridiculousness of these buses!! We're taking the bus again to Antigua on Saturday to get phones. If you'd like my number feel free to email me (megangokey@gmail.com) and I'll give it to you!
I've been pretty lucky thus far, I'm one of the only PCTs that has yet to get sick. After my lunch today, however, I might not make it.
The house that I'm living in is very nice - I have my own room that opens up to a courtyard. The kitchen is very open, as well as the bathroom and shower. I am lucky to have a real toilet and a (sometimes) hot shower. Some of my fellow PCTs have dirt floors and bucket baths, so needless to say I am easing in to the Guatemalan way of life rather than being slapped with it.
That's all for now folks, hope all is well will you all!!!
I arrived last Wedensday and moved in with a 34 year old woman (Duly) and her 7 year old son (Carlos). Duly is an entrepreneur - she owns a beauty salon across the street, she weaves, and she makes and sells ice-cream out of the house. Her husband lives in the US, but I don't think they have a relationship currently.
From now until July 16, I'm a PCT (Peace Corps Trainee). I wake up around 6:30am, and have 4-6 hours of Spanish 6 days a week, as well as 2-4 hours of technical training. I live in San Antonio Aguas Calientes, and it is a beautiful little town. We travel by bus once a week to the Peace Corps HQ in Santa Lucia, where we have more training. I live in the same town as 5 other PCTs, and we all get along great.
The things I thought I might have a hard time getting used to are the ones I've seemingly almost forgotten about: the toilet paper goes in the trash can, NOT the toilet; the water needs to be purified before drinking; I have to be home by dark; etc. There are certainly things that will take some getting used to, including the fireworks going off during ALL hours of the night, the 4am masses that last 2 hours, the rabid dogs, the machismo, and the conservative nature of the people.
I'm excited to learn what the people here have to teach me, including the many interesting aspects of the Mayan culture. I would love to work with some of the midwives here, but I won't know my real assignment until the middle of July. I have learned a few things from my language teacher, who is also a Mayan spiritualist: if you're in a room with a baby and you don't touch it, you and the baby have a bad connection and the baby will get sick; chewing three orange seeds will cure a fever; if you are stung by a bee, place a small stick behind each ear and the pain will go away; pineapple will get rid of kidney stones; if a scorpion bites you, you are to suck on a sugar cube and bite a machete; and pomegranates cure cancer. The Mayan midwives have the real secrets, but these are some common ones that Guatemalans know and use.
I had my first experience on a 'chicken bus' the other day. I suggest you Google that, because I don't think it's possible to describe the ridiculousness of these buses!! We're taking the bus again to Antigua on Saturday to get phones. If you'd like my number feel free to email me (megangokey@gmail.com) and I'll give it to you!
I've been pretty lucky thus far, I'm one of the only PCTs that has yet to get sick. After my lunch today, however, I might not make it.
The house that I'm living in is very nice - I have my own room that opens up to a courtyard. The kitchen is very open, as well as the bathroom and shower. I am lucky to have a real toilet and a (sometimes) hot shower. Some of my fellow PCTs have dirt floors and bucket baths, so needless to say I am easing in to the Guatemalan way of life rather than being slapped with it.
That's all for now folks, hope all is well will you all!!!
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