Hate the Computers, Love the Puppies

March 27, 2009

Hi, so as you´ve noticed my blog is all jacked up because I 1) never have enough time to proofread anything and 2) cannot make changes to font and size very easily, so bear with me until I have more than 2 seconds to use the computer and can figure this out. Everything is still going well, although it all continues to be in a constant state of motion and chaos. There certainly is not time to sit back and reflect on my experiences. Tomorrow I finally get to leave the San Jose area! I will be staying with a current CYF volunteer in Nicoya for 4 days, learning a lot about the volunteer experience first hand, and finally getting a glimpse of the coast. We are going to spend one day at Playa Samora, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the Pacific side of CR.

In other news, my host family has two dogs (Charlie and Luna) who recently became the proud parents of three little rat-like newborn puppies. I had never seen animals being born except for on TV, but Luna was kind enough to wait until I got home for lunch to have her second two puppies, so I got to see everything (and I mean EVERYTHING). For those who don’t know, when the puppies first come out they are totally encased in a fluid-filled sack, so you don’t actually see them until after the mother eats away at it (which, I won’t even lie, is totally gross). Then she proceeds to cut away at the umbilical cord with her teeth, which was also fascinating and kind of disgusting all at the same time. Mama and I could not take out eyes off of it though, it was pretty amazing. The first puppy was black and white, the second was brown and smaller than the first, and the third was black and the smallest of all. They make these little squeaking noises constantly and their eyes and ears are still closed, and will be for a while.

Anyway, it’s all very exciting. I will try to put photos up, but I usually don’t have enough internet time to figure that out. They will definitely be on Facebook with my other PC photos, so look for them there.

PCCR: Child, Youth and Families Program

March 23, 2009

Peace Corps currently has three programs in Costa Rica: Rural Community Development (RCD), Community Economic Development (CED), and Child, Youth, and Families (CYF). I am training to be a CYF volunteer, and for those of you who are interested in what that entails, this is your lucky day. For those of you who just want to hear me rant about the food I’m eating, I invite you to read all of my previous posts, and to skip this one.

The purpose of the CYF program is to empower children, youth and families who are living in difficult environments with “the education, skills, and resources necessary to guarantee their rights under the Convention of the Rights of the Child.” In an effort to achieve the goals of the program, volunteers serve as positive role models and facilitators to help youth and families in their communities 1) to develop life skills and healthy living practices, 2) to engage in voluntary service and development activities, and 3) to be prepared with academic and professional formation needed to succeed in the workforce. CYF volunteers work with individuals, service providers, and community organizations in their attempts to create community-based development that can be sustained once the volunteer leaves. There is a heavy emphasis on the role of the volunteer as a facilitator, as opposed to a leader or lecturer, in the community. We are not being trained to know what a community needs or how to go into a community and create change. Our training teaches us how to implement tools that allow community members themselves to identify their own areas of need, and to facilitate the creation and implementation of projects that address those community-selected areas of need.

Although I have worked with young people and families for years, the world of international development is something that is fascinating, but completely foreign to me. I learned an overwhelming amount in our first and only program meeting thus far, and am looking forward to improving my competence in this area. Over the next week we need to find a group in our training community with whom to collaborate on a service learning project over the following 10 weeks. My host mother teaches religious school to pre-adolescents, so I’m thinking about asking her if they would be interested. I’ll keep you posted on that project.

Now, if you have read all of this and feel relieved that I have yet to mention my struggle with the food, you might want to stop here. As for the rest of you, here’s my food story of the day. I was super excited because we were having soup for lunch, and it did not sound like it was a ceamy soup, so really how can you go wrong with that, right? Wrong. You can take a delicious combination of fantastic, beautiful, healthy local vegetables, and then add sliced up cow stomach to the mix…that’s how. This “meat” looks like and has the consistency of raw chicken skin and raw steak fat. As appealing as that was, I decided to eat around it. Although about 8 of us were eating together, I knew my host mother would find a way to see my bowl before I got to the kitchen, to see if I ate the stomachy deliciousness. Find the bowl she did, and proceeded to ask me in front of my abuela (who had made the soup), “Morgan, you don’t like the mondongo???” One week ago this would have embarrassed me, and I would have been mortified that abuela would be offended, but at this point I’ve established myself as loveable and adorable enough for them to look past my pickiness.

I’m off to jump rope out front while the children in the neighborhood walk by and watch me like I’m some sort of circus act. Not only am I out there jumping rope in public, but all of the houses here are engaged by strong iron gates called portons, so I look like I am in a cage while I exercise.

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

March 22, 2009

Today marks one week living with my host family, which is strange because I feel like we have known each other for years. Last night I had girls' night with my host mother, because she was mad at Papa for going out to party after work without her. First we hung out at abuela’s house with all of Papa’s extended family and the neighbors. While Mama and everyone else ate hamburgers, hotdogs, tacos, and french fries, abuela (grandma) pulled me aside and offered me some black bean soup with a boiled egg, which I was obviously THRILLED about. She said, pointing to the porch where everyone else was eating, “I know, that out there is garbage, this is food.” Finally, someone who understands!!! After hanging out at abuela’s house, Mama and I walked the 2 blocks home to have our girls' night (Papa was going out without Mama after work, which she was less than pleased about). We had a good time eating dinner in her bed while watching movies on TV. We also had a conversation about the fact that I don’t really eat junk food, because she didn’t really understand why this was so. She had me tell her everything that I don’t like to eat so that she would know, which was kind of uncomfortable for me, but I was glad we were talking about it. I’m not sure how much good it will do me though, seeing as my breakfast this morning definitely included juice, cheesy bread sticks, and a plate full of thick cream (natilla) in which to dip the cheesy bread. It’s all good though because I love Mama Tica so much!

On Sundays, Mama cleans the house all day. I am trying to help as much as I can without stepping on her toes. Now I am in my room, trying to stay awake while doing work in bed (there isn’t really another place for me to work). You can’t exactly take your work to the closest Starbucks, or anywhere for that matter, since my host parents told me to never take my laptop anywhere so long as I value my life.

I was thinking about my blog the other night, realizing that I have not actually written anything of any substance, but that is coming. In my next post, I’m going to write more about the Child, Youth and Families Program, and the kind of work that I might be doing after training.

Futbol y Mama Tica

March 19, 2009

Today we had our first day of project specific training, and my head hurts it is so filled with information, readings, and assignments. As usual, everything was organized beautifully by our staff, and they continue to provide us with excellent resources and support.

Tonight, instead of starting the massive pile of reading that I have to do, I decided to have a richer cultural experience by watching Costa Rican soccer with my family and their friends. I had the best time joking around with my Mama Tica, her in-laws, and a bunch of the neighbors who came to my Grandma Tica’s house to watch the game. My Mama Tica likes to ask me questions that she knows will elicit a response that everyone will find hilarious. So, everyone spent much of the evening laughing at me (and by “at me,” I mean “at me”). When I get home from my classes/meetings, I always tell her everything I did that was inappropriate or class-clown-like, because I adore her reactions. They usually begin with the rolling of the eyes, hand to the forehead, and some sort of saying that might translate to, “God help me, whatever am I going to do with this troubled and crazy child of mine!?!?” Please note that this is generally followed by something similar to, “She is just like her Mama Tica!” Watching the game with my host grandmother reminded me of watching Alabama Football with my Grandma and her sisters. There is something so endearing and entertaining/hilarious about watching an old women scream and curse at a bunch of male athletes on TV.

I wish I could share everything that is happening here, but it would be impossible. I have to go two towns away to get internet access, so I won’t be posting very frequently during training, but hopefully will have more time once I get to my 2-year site on May 30th. I love love love getting emails, and I love to know how people are doing so drop me a note if you can!

Peace!!!!!!!!!!

My host family is better than your host family

March 15, 2009

My host family is absolutely wonderful, so everything is pura vida!!! I was really disappointed at first because there weren’t going to be kids in my family, but I immediately loved Gabriela and Tony (my Mama Tica and Papa Tico). Tony works from about noon until 1am, and then again from about 2am until 4 or 5am, so I spent most of my first day with Gabi and LOTS of their relatives and neighbors. Gabi and Tony’s relatives remind me a lot of my mom’s side of the family (i.e. they are loud, inappropriate, fond of certain beverages, and incredibly friendly, warm, and loving).

Ok, so this would not be a post on MY blog without mentioning exercise or food, so here it comes. I have an injury that isn’t allowing me to run, which has been the most difficult challenge during this experience thus far. At the training center, I was at least able to use a jump rope and exercise bands, but my training site is going to make exercise a little more difficult. Even if I was not injured, I would not be able to run here for safety reasons. Also, there really isn’t any space even to jump rope, because the houses are too small on the inside, and outside is either on steep hills or rocky, gravel roads. Luckily, my tico uncle who lives one block away has an elliptical, and my Mama Tica dances zumba during the week at home. So, although my fitness routine will be DRASTICALLY different from what I am used to, it is going to have to do for now.

Bueno, I am completely exhausted after another long, stressful, and beautiful day here, but I will try to write as soon as I can with more stories. For now…PURA VIDA!!!

I live WHERE?!?!?

March 14, 2009

Seriously, where I am supposed to begin? I don't have time to think through this post, so please pardon the lack of articulacy and vivid, expressive language that is typically characteristic of my writing. Our schedule over the last 4 days has been so filled with information bombardment, ice-breakers, self-examination, Spanish evaluations, and gallo pinto that my brain does not function by the end of the day (which is actually night), so I will try my best to make this coherent.
My training group (Tico 19) got its first taste of the Peace Corps experience last Tuesday, in the beautiful city of Washington D.C. After a 6-hour orientation, we slept for about 30 minutes before checking out of the hotel at 1:30am on Wednesday morning. We then waited at National Airport for our flight, which did not leave until 6am. Although I was surrounded by 50 of the biggest, baddest personalities I have ever encountered, I have to admit it was pretty miserable, but we all knew this was just one of many experiences we would just have to take in stride over the next 27 months (Pura Vida!). At 11am on Wednesday morning we arrived in Costa Rica, and immediately went to a beautiful but modest training center in Tres Rios, a mountain region just outside of San Jose.

It's difficult to explain what we have been doing 12-14 hours a day for the last 4 days here at the training retreat. Basically, we have been in meetings related to everything from Peace Corps Costa Rica in general, to our specific programs (e.g. Child, Youth, and Families), our commitment to service, community-based development theories, safety/security, worries/expectations/goals, ethics, Costa Rican culture, etc. We’ve shared so much about ourselves already that I might know some of my fellow trainees, after just 4 days, better than I know some of my family and friends, which is kind of ridiculous.

The people in my training group are truly extraordinary and I feel so privileged to be here working with them. Also, our Peace Corps Costa Rica (PCCR) training staff consists of the most competent, knowledgeable, organized, gregarious, hilarious (hehe, that rhymes), and supportive human beings on this planet. I wish all of you could meet them because it is out of control how prepared they are to get us ready for this experience.

If anyone has questions or wants to know more you can always email me. I will happily respond whenever I have internet access and time. Tomorrow I will meet my host family, with whom I will live for the next 3 months while I am in training. They live in a town near San Antonio, which is about 6km from the capital city of San Jose.