Happy New Year everyone. Quick update: spent New Year's in Cahuita with Maria and a 21 year old local. Good news: standards are still in tact and Maria and I rang in the New Year toasting (hoping) for better prospects in '06. Spent most of New Years day traveling. Holiday travel is even more exciting here since the buses barely run. I mean that both in the literal (bus died four times on the road between Limón and San José) and figurative (there were only about four internal buses running in San José) sense of the word. I finally made it back to my site at around 7pm.
I got some wonderful Christimas packages. Thank you family and friends. I will be trying to stretch them into the new year as far as I can.
On the home front, I am hosting a community meeting next week to officially introduce myself. I even made flyers with my pictures on it which I am sure will haunt me for the next 21 months. In the very least, I am hoping that when I run by in the mornings, people can say, "Ah, there goes that gringa" instead of "Who's that gringa?" Baby steps.
I am working on moving out of the house with the family and into a "cabina" out back. The PC rule is that all volunteers have to live with a family for the first year. My aptitude at finding loop-holes has not failed me and as long as I am in the same "yard" as a family, it counts as living with them. I am really excited even though it will not be unlike camping in that I will be sleeping, cooking, reading, etc. on the ground. I will also make a (hopefully) smooth transition into manually scrubbing my clothes and living without refrigeration. That should be fun. But, I do get to control my rice intake. Yeah! The big move should happen in February. I will keep you posted on contact information. It should all be the same except for the phone number, which I won't have.
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Hi Kelly,
We talked to your Mom tonight and she is so proud of you, but I think her attention is focused on her grandson - to the point of fanatacism. I am really worried about her. By the way, did you know that your cousin Michelle is expecting twins in March. Two boys...Connor and Patrick. We will see how this plays out. We are also so jealous of the sandy beaches, but not of the croc. Your writing is really expressive and from the heart. Who would have thought that any of the family would be having this Hemingway like experience? We are also so proud of you and know you are making a difference in the lives that you touch!
Love,
Uncle Spike & Aunt Loretta
spike_sef@yahoo.com
Hi Kelley,
Well, Christmas has come and gone, so has the flu and now we are waiting to hear if we move back to Colorado next month or not.
I guess I don't see the corralation between eating rice and moving out. Living on the ground is fun for about two days and then it is a real pain. Maybe a move positive thing to do would be to contribute to the family's menu by providing more variety. And I'll bet that if you spent some time working in the store and helping them merchandise, it would add to your peace corp experience. You have a vast wealth of knowledge acquired simply by living in the United States; what we take as our right to have, is a luxury to your host family. I know its hard to come from the greatest country on earth and go to a third world country, but what you do beyond what the PC sent you to do is the part that you will remember and cherish most. Remember, your host family started eating rice the day they were born and will until the day they die unless you help them have a choice. What you do down there will say far more about you then them.
Love,
Aunt Dee
Hi Kelley, Picked up some great post cards of the Utah canyon areas and this weekend I will get some more of Grand Junction and the surrounding areas and mail them off soon. Love Ya DJP
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