Thursday, January 20, 2011

Post Site Visit and First Night Out of Site

So, at this point, I am probably considered a ´site rat´ because I don´t leave site very often. In fact, tonight will be my first night that I don´t sleep on the same table, in the same dirt walled & floored room, listening to the same roosters crowing and music blasting, and smelling the same scents that come with living in a remote village in the hills of the Comarca since I moved there two and a half months ago. And right now, I am wanting to run back home to my community. It is familiar, and where I am right now isn´t. In addition, it is a lot hotter here. It is probably 10 degrees warmer than my site with temperatures around 90 degrees farenheit here. So why am I out of site....not by choice, but because I have my first regional meeting to attend. I am really excited about it, as it will be my first opportunity to see many volunteers that I haven´t talked to in the same amount of time. Since moving to my site, I have had two volunteers visit my site, not including a relatively close volunteer (which I call vecino) that Í run into occassionally in my community.
So how has it been? AMAZING!!! My last post concentrated on my ever looming Site Visit, which I have come to realize was all needless concern. My site visit went great, and I feel so much better now that it is over. In addition, having the boss visit was really a great day and not a day of stress like I thought it would be. She helped me with a seminar I had, and she arrived with chocolates and apples. Plus, she bought my lunch (all $1.50 that it was)! Also, it was really refreshing to receive a ´pat on the back´ and appreciation for what I have been doing. Overall, I wish she would come more often, but it won´t be for another year that she makes a trip to my site.
Now, I have six month goals. I will continue the business analysis I started with the women´s (and two men) artisan group, I will train two people to teach basic computer skills, Word, and Excel which will in turn teach at least one class during this time period, and I will teach English classes tailored toward selling good to a person who can speak no Spanish. In addition, I will continue my primary job duty, which I call helping whoever wants help. Plus, today I introduced a really simple project to one of my community counterparts, and he was really excited and wanting to start on it immediately.
So where am I heading? Besides the goals set during my site visit, I also have a hiking trip planned for next week. I am going to hike 20 kilometers with a group of boys and girls (Boy Scouts) to the top of a mountain that I look at each day with amasement and desire to concure!
Oh, and I forgot my major accomplishment yesterday! My ´junta´ went amazing well, and we finished putting up the dirt/straw on my walls within one day! Now, I have 1 month to build two doors, two windows, run water, constuct a bed and table, get approval, and move into my new house! (The walls need 1 month to dry thoroughly, or otherwise, it is really cold and causes illnesses.)
I wish I could upload pictures, but my camera and the internet connection does not allow. However, imagine a group of six guys (Panamanian), one gringo, and one gringa in a circle with arms locked stomping mud in a giant mud pit! This was yesterday and the building of my house!
Right now, the only problem I have is my language. I find myself not thinking about what I am saying as much, and I end up accidently speaking English in the middle of a conversation! ¿Por que?