Yesterday I came into the capital for a little R & R time. It think it was long overdue. I got a room at a hostel, checked in, took my second hot shower I have had in country and relaxed. It was great. Amazing though how used to the cold bucket showers and no running water I am becoming. And I think the several hot showers I took yesterday and plan to take today and tomorrow might even hold me over for the next 3 months or so!
My life in my site is going well. I think that every day it gets a little better. I am getting to know everyone and I spend a lot of time with my family and the youth in my community. I am also teaching 3 English classes a week...which are not easy. Imagine teaching a class for something that you have the utmost knowledge but no training or book to guide you in how to teach or where to start. Add that to the fact that my only supplies are a chalk board and chalk. Two of the classes are for the youth and one is for the adults. The adult class is a little better than the youth because they actually listen and participate. The kids spend the whole time talking and I don't know how to get them to pay attention. And its not just me, they are like that in school as well. It is because the students have little to no discipline in class from the time they start kindergarten....well the combination of all that is not adding up to the best English classes. Anyone have some advice? Kendall~more advice for me? Haha.
Some of the fun things I have done in my site which made for some great pictures:) I learned how to wash clothes by hand. Its a great workout for your arms. Mine were sore for a day or so afterwards.
I also made cashews. We tumbled the fruit all down from the trees, picked the seeds off and dried them for about a week. Then we set them on fire in our yard and burned them.
After that you smack them a few times with a rock or board to get the outer shell off and you've got cashews. It was pretty great. The outer blackened shell did dye my fingers black, and I had to use this soap that burned the skin off my fingers....but it was worth it:) Right now the cacao is drying in the sun and hopefully soon I will get to make some chocolate!
I also have been working to create an association of students in my sector (the larger community). This is so that we can support those who go on the University and hopefully solve some of the problems the high schoolers have. There is no HS in my community or for miles around. In order to continue after 8th grade, you either move into the city and live with a relative, or you pay 120 pesos per day to get yourself to and from the HS. Which 120 pesos equals approximately 4 dollars. And if you get hungry too...well its quite pricey for the kids in Sierra Prieta, which is an extremely poor community. If we can form an association, we can solicit the government for a bus to drive them to the school or even better if we have enough kids of that age we can get a High School built. At one of the meetings, we invited the local politicians and a lawyer to help us. That day I got two marriage proposals. And I think they were completely serious too. Yikes these people move fast. And ironic that it was a politician and lawyer that asked...
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