PUCHICA!

PUCHICA! (WOW!)



I've been in-country for a little over a month...Here are some random observations:



Sometimes when we touch- the honesty really is too much- camioneta rides.



Refresher Vocab:

Camioneta: "Chicken Bus" aka an old US school bus that has been transformed into a public transit system.

Ayudante: "The Helper" aka the guy who you pay which is generally carried out once the bus is full. He maneuvers his way through the bus to collect money and get intimate with all aisle-dwelling passengers.



As a Peace Corps Trainee, when I learned about the policy on pregnancy and how best to avoid pregnancy while in service I thought- "this is silly, we've been to college, we know how to not get pregnant." Then I rode on a crowded camioneta and was like, "oh, THATS how people get pregnant." Mystery solved.

Let's do this!



I am on the fence about camioneta rides...sometimes I feel like a little cuddle, so it's nice; other times, I'm sweating profusely, stuffed into the aisles with my butt at someone's face level thinking, "there's got to be some way around traveling like this..", "Gee, I hope I hope i dont get robbed," or "I know we don't know eachother well but, would you mind if i sat on your lap?" It's been interesting to say the least. I've been really lucky a couple times to get on a camioneta that is playing some SWEET dance tunes and if i close my eyes and nod my head, it's almost like i'm not there...



You know you're in a crowded Camioneta when:

- you don't even need to hold on because there are so many people crammed up in your junk that even if the bus takes a corner too fast there isnt a problem because where would you go?

- there are people standing on the stairs BEFORE you board it but the Ayudante insists there's more room.

-you cant see where your stop is and consequently miss it.

-someone could potentially rob or molest you while you stand fully aware and completely unable to do anything about it (because you can't move your arms or legs).

-you can smell what the person next to you: ate for lunch, does for a living, frequency of bathing...

-you leave the bus smelling of above frangrances.



Other than that...

Training is going along swimmingly. I learned how to teach HIV/AIDS education and prevention in Spanish, so...Obviously pretty stoked on that. (Also learned really awesome way to explain a bodily fluid that involves hamburgers...if you're curious i'll email you).



This Gringa belongs to _____. It turns out there are people in my community/my extended host family who've seen me on the camioneta or around town who then report back to their families that they saw, "Dona Betty's Gringa" (nice).



Victory is mine! I figured out how to reorganize my ipod playlists through my netbook! Now i don't have that awkward Michael Jackson song come up in the middle of my, "bedtime random" mix... Can't even tell you how many times i've been on the cusp of sleep and "Black or white" has come on and hit me in the face like a wet fish.



That similie was real weird but i'm keeping it.



Tomorrow is Valentine's day and the birthday of my host mother's deceased husband, it is also coincidentally my mother's birthday whom is also deceased. Very strange.
My host mother told me that she used to buy a new dress and cook a big dinner but that now she buys flowers and takes them to his grave.
I am so struck by the mental image I have of her in the graveyard. It breaks my heart that we are all bound to lose the people that we love someday, or already have. It makes me want to squeeze you all real tight! (Virtual hug).



Enough of that.



I have been a little sick. I am actually hoping that i've got the gripe (cold) because if not it means that my allergies are in full effect and as there are only two seasons here...I can look forward to feeling gross for half the year if I'm allergic to something during this season. Crossing my fingers.

I will say that i miss being sick in my own bed in my own house. Not being able to fix my own food or have access to the types of things that normally make me feel better (aka Harry Potter and vegetable soup) is a real bummer; I plan to make these things available when i live on my own again.



Speaking of Harry Potter... My external DVD player that I bought to compliment my netbook won't work and i have to ask what the deal is. WHY WOULD YOU SELL AND EXTERNAL DVD PLAYER WITHOUT THE SOFTWARE?! I ask you SONY! It's rude and i dont like it. I needed a pick-me-up; wanted to put in some Bridget Jones but no, not possible because i dont have a DVD decoder installed. Luckily for me I can download a DVD decoder from the internet for only 19.95 onto my computer OH WAIT, I can't get high-speed internet in my current site...I hate you SONY (but i love you Cher). So if any of you know a way to get a DVD decoder onto a disk for SONY external DVD drive I would love you forever and beyond.



Starting tomorrow I embark on Field-Based Training. Basically a little microbus comes and picks all of us Healthy Schools kids up and we head out to visit Volunteers in the field to carry out training activities where real volunteers are working. I am jazzed to get a better idea of what we're going to be doing and I am pumped to spend some time getting to know the other volunteers better because i am going to be paired up with one of them when we finally get our site assignments (less than a month!) I am also really excited to stay in a hotel where rumor has it, there are showers. Yay!



In case you don't know, my skype name is "kmorty" - if you'd like to skype with me on the off chance that i have internet strong enough to carry out that operation; I'd love to!



Here's what i'm thinking right now:

- I would still really like a good cup of coffee/dark beer simultaneously.

- I have borrowed some books from the Peace Corps Volunteer library: currently reading, "at first sight" by Nicholas Sparks.

- Wish my DVD player would work.

- Excited to be in Antigua for a little relaxation today.

- REALLY excited for Field Based Training.

- Hoping that skype will work this afternoon so i can catch up with people. BE ONLINE!



As usual I miss and love you all. I hope that everyone is doing well. In the meantime I'll be stalking you all on facebook (keeping it classy) till i get to see your smiling faces! Happy Valentine's Day!

PEACE & LOVE!