Wisconsin, Guatemala, Projects

It’s been so long since the last blog post, I’m not even sure where to start. My trip home was amazing, everything I’d hoped it would be. I was able to meet up with a lot of friends and family, be in a beautiful wedding (congrats Jordan and Ty!), do several fundraising presentations, and even go to a Brewer’s game. I was also able to get a haircut, take a hot bath, and eat way too much cheese. There are pictures posted on my Flickr page of some of these events, so check ‘em out! The time flew by, and I’m back in my current ‘real world’ of taking long chicken bus rides, drinking wet corn in a cup, and the cold nights of rainy season. The weekend after I got back to Cajolá we had a welcome party for the new volunteers, complete with salsa lessons, so I really am getting into the swing of things again.
I have mentioned previously that I’d had a hard time with my counterpart at the health center; I was hoping this break would help things out, and it most definitely did. I think we have a whole new relationship and I am so much happier. I’m sure part of it was me, coming back and feeling refreshed and motivated to start again, but also she has been treating me like a coworker rather than this annoying gringa in the office that she oversees. She’s interested in the women’s groups that I’ve been working with since August, and she’s even attended a meeting with us since I’ve been back. She’s also finally happy about the projects I’ve been talking about, instead of trying to force me to do three separate projects – wanting me to have done one last February, this July, and next February – obviously not plausible.
So projects: working with these women’s groups, the most important thing is education. We’ve been working since last August, and I just designed a 6 month program, complete with charlas and mini-projects (such as making toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and shampoo from items that are easily attainable). It helps that my sitemate, Maddie, is a Healthy Schools volunteer and is trained in these cool projects, and that she wants to help with my groups! My first goal was to build a water tank for each family; the women were all on board with this before I left, but when I came back from the states, half of them changed their mind to either cement floors or bettered stoves. This is a little kink in the fundraising I’ve already done, but rest assured all the money already raised will go to water tanks, and the other projects are cheaper so it’s a little less pressure (my original goal was $17,000, and now it’s about $11.000). I think it’s also very important to give these people what they think is best for them and their families, and what they want to make their home a healthier place to live, so I can’t be upset about a family wanting a stove instead of a water tank. Right now I’m doing house visits with my women’s groups, as well as beginning to search for various grants for the rest of funding. I haven’t officially reached out to too many friends and family members yet, so that’ll be the next step. I don’t have exact numbers yet and I’d like to be a little more prepared in that sense before I officially solicit money. However, even without the numbers, I was able to raise over $3,000 from giving talks in Wisconsin while I was home. It’s a great start, and I’m excited to really get the ball rolling.
This summer is going to fly by. My next visitor (Anna!!! WOO!!) comes on Wednesday, June 15, and is here until June 28. We’ll be mainly working for the duration of her trip since I don’t have that many days I can take off any more. She’s a middle school Spanish teacher so the trip will be good practice for her. We’ll be heading to Lake Atitlán one weekend, and heading to some natural springs the other weekend. Anna and I studied abroad in Spain together so this will be an awesome reunion for us!
The day Anna leaves, I have to report to the Peace Corps office for my Mid-Service Meds. It’s hard to believe that I’m already at my mid-service, but at the same time it isn’t. I can see how much things have changed since I moved to Cajolá last July: I call it home, and I’d like to think I’m much more integrated in most aspects of life: I am used to go to the market and bargaining for my food in Mam; I am recognized in the community by adults and kids; people know that I know what ‘xnula’ means and that I know they’re talking about me; I’m used to not showering; my host brother, Junior, and I act like brother and sister, and he comes to my ‘house’ to play daily; I’m used to little babies bursting out in tears when they see me; I’m used to traveling an hour and a half to see if I have any mail at the post office. I think I’m so much more integrated that it’s hard for me to think of any more examples of how my life has changed! = )
With this said, I have to say a huge thank you to my family and friends that have helped me get this far. I would not still be here working with these people and living like I do without the support from home. I’m sure it’s not easy getting panicked emails, phone calls, or text messages from me, but you all have been awesome in helping me through whatever situation I had at the present moment (from troubles at work, to getting frustrated that I had to take 9 busses to my house rather than the usual 4). I can’t guarantee that the next year won’t bring similar frustrations or that I won’t be sending panicked emails and text messages, so I hope you’ll all be as awesome as you have been!

Now for my favorite part of the blog, the book list:

Half Broke Horses
Running With Scissors
Tina Fey’s “Bossypants”
Methland
World Bank’s Report of Violence and Crime in Latin America (okay, not a book, but a good read)
A Million Little Pieces
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
The God Delusion (currently reading)

Not too much else to share that I can think of. My friends in site (yeah! I have real Guatemalan friends that live in Cajolá! Woo!!!) keep calling me ‘Mega.’ The wife gets my name, but the husband can’t get it right. His name is ‘Hector’ so I’ve decided that I’m just going to call him ‘Hecto’ and see where that goes.

As always, send me an email if you like (megangokey@gmail.com). Shout out to Patrick who is moving to San Diego this week!!

Love and miss you all!

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!

My New Normal

I wake up to see The Hunchback of Cajolá, or Franken-pig for short. Franken-pig is always hanging around the house. We've become very good friends.

I have had pieces of luggage fall on my head in the busses.

I was recently attacked by dogs and had to fight them off with the cooler of vaccines I was holding.

I was sitting on a bus a couple weeks ago (for 3 hours) with a bag of raw meat on the shelf above my head - dripping on me.

It is normal to be on a microbus that isn't 'full' until at least 5 people are hanging out the door holding on for their lives.

It is normal to be okay with being one of the people hanging on the outside of the bus and not thinking twice about it.

I always have black boogers.

Because of the culture differences of the Mayans, Ladinos, and Americans, several times a day I have the challenge of figuring out if I should do the awkward handshake (limp fish), the cheek kiss, or the weird shoulder touch.

I always have people pray over me on the busses. Recently, A priest got on my bus with a megaphone. After saying what he needed to in Spanish, he made sure to point out the only foreigner on the bus to say the Our Father in English. I wasn't sure what to do with everyone looking at me, so I made the sign of the cross - it was weird.

Yesterday a bird pooped on my head right before a big presentation to the equivalent of the state health department.

On house visits, EVERY child bursts out in tears when they see me since they think I'm giving vaccines (I'm not). They all scream bloody murder.

People tell me daily how fat I am, and ask how much I weigh. It never gets old. Wait, yes... yes it does!

I stepped on a scale for a group of very persistent nurses, who were very surprised. They said that I only weighed that much because I am so tall - what?!

I was recently weighing kids and this lady gave me her son while he was still sucking on her breast, and BOOM.... breast milk squirted all over me. Thankfully none went in my mouth.

I'll write a real blog post soon - happy early St. Pat's day!

Happy New Year

Hi all! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season, and are enjoying the beginning of 2011! I suppose that I'll start with Thanksgiving, as that's where I left off! A group of close friends and I went to Tilapita, which is a beach on the Pacific Coast, close to Mexico. You have to take a boat to get there, and it is a beautiful little island with no roads or cars, just the occasional four-wheeler. Cellphones don't get reception there, and I doubt there are any computers on the island. We stayed at the only hotel on the Island where, for 50 Quetzales (about $6), we had fresh fish and shrimp cooked for us for dinner. We spent three nights there, lounging around in hammocks, swimming in the ocean, and eating good food. We also cooked our very own thrown together Thanksgiving meal, and it was lovely. December really slowed down for me work wise, as Blake came and visited from November 28-December 21, followed by Joni, December 27-January 8. When Blake arrived, we stayed at a place outside of Antigua, the Earth Lodge, with an absolutely gorgeous view of three volcanoes, and overlooking the city. Following that, we went to Jacaltenango, in the department of Huehuetenango, to visit a coffee cooperative that Kickapoo Coffee in Wisconsin buys from, and where the Root Note in La Crosse, WI, buys some of their coffee. It is mighty delicious, so try some Guatemalan Blend next time you're in La Crosse = ) Next on our agenda was Lake Atitlán. We stayed in a cute little bungalow right on the water's edge, and took boats to a few of the tourist towns on the lake. It was picturesque, and very relaxing. How relaxing, you ask? We watched every single Harry Potter movie while we were there!! Blake and I then traveled to Cajolá, where I was able to show him how I actually live. I had two presentations with my women's groups, where Blake, who doesn't speak Spanish, helped me put on a puppet show. A great time was had by all! I also had a lunch set up with a group. They cooked for us and we had a great time with the women. We met up with Peace Corps friends and had a Paca White Elephant Christmas Celebration. Pacas are stores that sell donated clothes from the states, and there are some awesome clothes, and a lot of ridiculous clothes. We dressed up, made dinner, and played a lot of ping pong - it was a very nice way to celebrate the holidays with all of my friends that flew home for the holidays. Blake flew back to snowy Wisconsin on the 21st. I went home for a couple days to clean/relax, and spent Christmas in bed watching movies and wearing my Christmas socks. Junior and I made faces at each other for about an hour, so although it wasn't the same as being at home, I wouldn't have wanted to spend it any other way down here. Joni flew in on the 27th. We spent that day in Antigua, then went to Tilapita, the same beach I went to for Thanksgiving, for three nights. We spent New Year's Eve there, but had so much sun that we were sleeping before midnight. After our relaxing trip to the beach, Joni and I went to Cajolá and saw the sights (well, there are none, but she saw my house!). Next, we were off to the lake to stay at a hostel, sit in the sun, and go for boat rides. I think both Joni and Blake had a nice time in Guatemala, and there will be pictures on facebook and flickr to prove it!

I was able to do a lot of traveling with them, and hopefully January will pick up right where I left off with work. This week will be full of cleaning (hand washing all of my clothes from these great adventures will not be fun!), and I think I'll get a couple Mam classes in as well. I'm part of the Volunteer Advisory Council (yes, this is the student council of Peace Corps), and I represent the Xela and San Marcos volunteers. I am in charge of putting on the welcome orientations when new groups swear in (every 3 months) so this saturday we're doing a meeting and a chocolate factory tour in Xela. It will be great to get to know the people that live near me better.

Nothing too much else to share, except the fun bus rides I've recently had. My first one is on the way back to Xela after Blake left. I wasn't feeling the best I could have been, and there were no seats on the bus. This is not abnormal, but usually seats open up. This time, however, they did not. I stood on the bus, sweaty and tired, feeling a bit sick, when the driver kept cramming people in. I couldn't move a limb, and suddenly the little boy standing next to me starts vomiting. Luckily it was in a bag, but a clear plastic one. It was not a pleasant experience for either of us. On this same bus ride a lady (who was SITTING mind you) kept elbowing me in the back, like she wanted me to climb on top of the bus so that she could be comfortable. Finally 2 hours into my 4 hour standing bus ride, I said "I can't move!" With one more big elbow to the back, she finally quit. After a couple more standing-for-multiple-hour-bus-rides, I was finally sitting on one minding my own business, when someone's huge bag falls on my head. I didn't know what to do, so I stayed still and silent for a minute, hoping the owner would grab it. I was wrong, the owner did not, but the guy behind me who kept calling me 'baby' did. ahhh the life of a chicken bus rider.

I wasn't able to read as many books as normal with visitors here, but I did manage to get through these ones:
The Glass Castle
An Ethical Slut
A Round Heeled Woman
Invisible Man (currently reading)

All for now, happy early birthday Dad = )

oh yes, new phone number: 011-502-4013-3400

Hello friends! It’s been longer than I had planned to get another post up, but here goes. To begin, I want to inform you all that life in the Peace Corps has a lot of ups and downs! Between culturally integrating, learning new languages, and having not so supportive people assigned to work with you, it’s an emotional rollercoaster. I would prefer to keep my blog on the lighter side, though, so if you have any questions about the other stuff feel free to send an e-mail!
October flew by – had meetings with my committees that I’m on in Peace Corps, had a couple women’s groups presentations, more Mam class, more hanging out with my awesome host brother (4 year old Junior), lots of time to read, and not so much rain. At the end of the month, a group of friends and I went to Copán, Honduras, to celebrate Halloween. Peace Corps Honduras has a get together this time every year, and we were invited to partake. We went zip-lining (where you’re harnessed up and strapped to a cable to fly down a mountain), played beach volleyball, and went to the Copán Ruins. It was beautiful and HOT there! As I’ve stated, I live in the highlands of Guatemala and it is cold, so sweating and getting sun burnt were nice for a weekend! I dressed as Chunk from the Goonies, by far my best costume yet.
As we’re nearing the end of November it looks like I’ve been in Cajolá for about half the month and other places for the other half. After 3 months of being a volunteer, my training group and I had to attend a ‘reconnect’ conference where we share what we’ve done and receive more training. It was really great to see everyone I hadn’t seen in 3 months, and catch up about our lives. It was also an opportunity for us to load up on everything we needed from the medical office! This is also the week I learned I’m integrating more than I thought: my friend Audra and I went to a vendor for some food and ordered burritos. They were honestly the best we’ve had since being in Guatemala, and we were so excited to have found this place. Well, I looked down and saw a cooked bug in my meal, which turned out to be a cockroach. We looked at each other and weighed our options: ask for our money back- that would never happened, ask for a new meal, which most likely would also have cockroaches, or look harder because food is expensive. So, we shrugged our shoulders, looked harder, finished our burritos, and walked home fat and happy.
My women’s groups are moving along, not going in exactly the direction I was hoping, but moving along nonetheless. I started working with teens last week and I have to say that the presentation I had with them on Friday was by far the best I’ve had in Guatemala. This teen group is going to be focused on sex, family planning, abstinence, STI’s, HIV/AIDS, and everything that goes along in that category. I have two more teen groups Monday afternoon, so hopefully they go as well as the first one.
Thanksgiving is coming up, and I’ll be spending it with my good friends at the beach! It’s about 5 hours away from Cajolá and not nearly as cold, so I’ll bring my swimsuit and see what I can get away with. I have my first visitor arriving on the 28th of November, so I’m excited to get a little taste of home. Not quite sure what my plans are for Christmas – I’m hoping to spend it with Aura, my Mam teacher, and her family.
Not too much else that I can think of right now. As always thanks so much for those of you who keep in touch – I really appreciate it! To the Gokeys out there reading this, you will be jealous when I tell you that Gram just sent me the 1980’s version of the Snuggie. It’s called “Warm Wrap” and the tag line is “The blanket you wear like a robe!” It is awesome, looks like Mexico, and of course she sent the original wrapping. Ahh it’s hard being the favorite grandchild = ) Thanks Gram – I’m wearing it as I type (I actually decided what to have for dinner based on what I could cook and eat while still wearing it!)!!!!

A HUGE shout out to Ms. Smith’s 8th grade Geography class in Napoleon, ND! I received your awesome package and letters, and I’ll be sending my reply soon = )

Happy Turkey Day to all, and a very happy birthday to my sweet Mom!!!

Oh yes, and to update you on books recently read:

Enrique’s Journey
Sand County Almanac (okay I skimmed it… It was way too boring to read the whole thing)
The Garden of Eating
The Virgin Suicides
The Autobiography of Santa Claus (currently reading)
Let the Great World Spin (currently reading)

Things I've learned in Mam class...

...other than Mam.

If you burn a caterpillar your baby will be born and stay bald.

If you put a peach in a child's belly button, the child will not be able to climb trees.

It's not good if a person goes outside with a lit fire when there is a full moon because his or her baby will get a skin infection.

If there are little hairs around a baby's penis when he is born, the mother will not birth any girls.

If a person eats a chicken heart, they'll be afraid of the dark. (This confirmed by Aura, my Mam teacher, who loves to eat chicken hearts and is afraid of the dark)

Heading to Copán, Honduras, for Halloween - Blog post + pictures to follow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATRICIO!

Hi friends! I suppose it’s time for the monthly blog post. Another whirlwind of a month here in Guatemala started off with an accident involving two of my friends. Both of them are in the States right now getting the medical attention they need, both with hopes of coming back. Keep them in your thoughts! Because of this, Mich and I had a five night hospital slumber party with them, where we were able to witness the differences in the ways hospitals and medical personnel work here in Guatemala. To say the least, it was very interesting.
In more positive news, I am slowly becoming busier. I started Mam classes and have had more than 30 hours thus far. My teacher is a 23 year old woman, married with a 3 year old daughter. She teaches Mam in the afternoons at a nearby school, and she was given a scholarship to study language for three years from the European Union, which she had completed by the age of 20. She is a demanding teacher and Mam is challenging, but we get along well and I learn a lot from her.
I have 3 women’s groups formed that I meet with every other week. I have given presentations on nutrition, mainly which nutrients people in the countryside tend to lack and how to fulfill those nutritional needs, hand washing, and water purification. I also planted blackberries with the groups, as they have two of the three things people lack most (vitamin A and iron). Because of the Mam I know, I am slowly gaining the confidence of these women. They love the fact that I’m attempting to spit out this language and definitely tease me. Yesterday during a presentation I was trying to say I like to eat torillas and I said either “kids eat tortillas” or “I like to eat kids” – I’m not sure what exactly came out. Luckily they have a sense of humor! Slowly I’m getting better though, as this week I went to the market and bought my vegetables in Mam – I was pretty darn proud of myself.
I went to my first Quinsiñera this month; Mich’s doctor’s daughter had a huge party. A Quinsiñera is the coming of age party, celebrated in some Latin American countries, when a girl turns 15. The family rented a huge room in the city, had a live band, a sit down meal, and a dance. It was very strange to be in the countryside in the morning, with people who can barely afford to eat, to then be in a banquet hall surrounded by suits, fancy dresses, and lavish gifts for the birthday girl. Mich’s doctor made a point to tell us we had to dance, and when we didn’t jump up right away she decided to pawn her nephews on us; they were brothers, and I swear it was a scene directly out of Night at the Roxbury! It was a fun time, but we were glad to leave at the end of the night!
I am on two committees that are taking up time, as well as introducing me to volunteers in other programs. It’s nice to be able to meet other people to get ideas of different ways to work with the community.
I’ve finally started making friends in my communities, mainly with the women I work with. They are very sweet and genuine, usually either asking me over for a meal or giving me food to take home. It’s funny – moving to a new place you usually assume that making friends is part of the deal, but in this culture it’s a lot different. The women my age are married with kids, platonic male/female friendships don’t exist for a multitude of reasons, and on top of that, people are suspicious of me.
Not too much else going on, so continue with my reading list, I will tell you the books I’ve read since my last post:

Middlesex
Destined to Witness: Growing up Black in Nazi Germany
Water for Elephants
In Defense of the Religious Right (it was a struggle to get through that one…)
Bait and Switch: The Futile Pursuit of the American Dream (currently reading)

In more exciting news, I finally cancelled my cell phone in the States, I found a brand of toilet paper I like, my sister turned 27 (man she’s old), and I still hate Malaria pill Mondays.

A big thanks for the awesome birthday cards and packages! I got a whopper of a package that was a struggle to get to the house via camioneta, but definitely worth it, even with a thick layer of spilled nutritional yeast flakes ;)
As always, thanks for keeping in touch!