I spent the week moving into my humble home, my sanctuary for the next 2 years. I am slowly filling it up and finding a place for everything… attempting not to overwhelm myself! The biggest addition to my house is my new puppy, Samson. He is just over 5 weeks old, and I have had him for 2 weeks now. He is Pit mixed with ??? - and is the cutest little guy imaginable. For those of you who know me well, you might be a bit confused to hear that I got a dog, but that just goes to show that life is full of surprises! Having him has livened up my days and is teaching me to be responsible for something other than myself. I still have a lot to learn… lets just say it’s a good thing my floors are concrete and not carpet.
My village is growing on me daily. I love the students and the friendliness of everybody here. I walk through the streets and am always greeted with a “Hello Ms. Elisha,” even by people who I have not yet met. I have attended mass in Spanish at the village Catholic church and went to my first birthday party here a few weekends ago. I was able to spend some quality time speaking in Spanish with a few of the moms that attended, and I stayed around long enough for the piñata! It is evident to me that it is still unclear to the women in the village exactly where I fit in. I am unmarried, without children, unlike them. I live by myself and cook for myself, which is different from a child. I do however, work at the school and participate in activities with the children they do not- I read with the kids, play soccer with the girls after school, and chat with the children on my front porch. Does this make me a girl or a woman? Confused looks on their faces arise every time questions are answered about me living alone and cooking for myself, being so far away from home and being here for the next two years without a husband. The thought seems almost daunting to them.
The soccer field sits directly in front of my new house, which has been a blessing and a curse. There are futbol marathons on Sunday afternoons, which has provided me with entertainment and a chance to have small talk with the villagers who I would not usually see at the school, but the field is left a wreck with water bottles and trash once the day is over--- leaving it to sit and blow into my yard and the other yards on my road. Nonetheless, I LOVE the location of my village. It is isolated and small enough to give me the real sense of “village life”- the pure quietness after dark, everybody somehow being related, buying things from the one corner shop… but it is close enough to town that I can hop on my bike and ride 3 miles in whenever I need to.
Not only do I now have a bike, but I also joined a gym that sits right on the edge of town across from the exit to my village. I have been really pleased with the accessibility and amount I have been able to work out. Gym membership… sounds crazy- definitely not something I thought of having when signing up for the PC, but hey- Ive got cement floors, mosquitoes galore, and the option of burning my trash or throwing it down an old latrine pit… does that equal things out a bit?
Guilty feelings of “cheating in the Peace Corps” have risen since moving to the village. I never imagined having everything so accessible to me- the internet, foods I am accustomed to, English speaking, and all of the general things that make my life easier here. I’m accepting that regardless if this experience will never be anything like living in a hut in the middle of West Africa, my life here contrasts in many ways different from the states. I will learn a great deal from my time here and in return hopefully give something back to my village- and at the end of the day, that’s what I came here to do… Even if it means that I am reminded of home while eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and talking on my cell phone.
Things have been pretty casual at the school. I came here just over a month ago so determined to find my place immediately, to fill the void and rid the overwhelming sensation of stepping into a new situation. I desperately needed something to focus on and sought after a sense of security. I’ve since realized that there is no need to rush, and doing so is virtually impossible here. I go and hangout on the school grounds a couple times a week, staying after school to play soccer or open up the library for the kids to exchange books. I began giving reading assessments to all of the classes shortly after I arrived and was ready to start a remedial reading program, only to be reminded by my principal that there was only 3 weeks of school left before the winter break. So, since then I have been focusing more on getting my house ready and making plans of things I want to start up when school starts again in January.
Between learning to take care of Samson and getting things situated in the house, I’ve been learning to sew my pillow slips and curtains. I also have planted an aloe plant in my front yard and have already managed to burn a pot of beans!
I still haven’t met the village chairman, which may be a result of my host family belonging to the opposing political party that is currently in power. We were all informed during training how intense the rivalry is between the two political parties here, but until recently, I had not particularly realized how engrained one’s political connections and affiliations are into the lives of Belizeans.
Students sometimes receive scholarships for high school if their parents are affiliated with the party in power, and some of the brightest students miss the opportunity for a scholarship if they come from a family with close ties to the opposing party. Government jobs (anything from political office positions to teachers, policemen, border patrols, etc) can be taken away over night with new elections, leaving once middle class citizens to start over again at the bottom. Replacing them are affiliated members of the new party, who may have less or no experience in the field. Many of the other volunteers tell me stories of their villages being absolutely divided between the parties, and how nothing productive is able to take place in the village because of it. I noticed a group of villagers gathered a vacant old building a few nights back and went to check it out. What was apparently supposed to be a “village meeting” turned into a closed meeting for only the villagers that belonged to the current party in office… leaving me uninvited, even though I don’t belong to either party!
Last week my school held an official planting ceremony of the school garden. Students and the principal have been working hard on getting the soil tilled and the posts up for the past few weeks. The school was contacted by a government agency here that asked if they could donate seeds for the garden. That sounded great, but they also called the day before the scheduled event and gave ambiguous instructions to the principal on a ceremony that would be held for the planting of the seeds. Because this was instructed directly from the government and my school is a government school, he had no choice but to oblige and rush the following morning to get things situated for the orchestrated event. The ceremony started off the same as any typical Belizean occasion; 20 minutes late, unprepared and informal guest speakers, and everybody a bit confused on the main purpose of the affair. After singing the national anthem, the president of the organization took the mic and preceded to invite a small girl, around 8 years old or so up to the front. She began speaking about how “loyally and energetically” the girl had been singing the national anthem, and because the girl did “such a great job,” the president took out her purse and handed her $100.00 to help her “further her education.” Political Propaganda at it’s finest! I was shocked and a bit amused, trying to grasp just exactly what had just happened. Children in the states are sheltered from the ins-and-outs of politics. Even at the legal age of voting, many 18 year olds wouldn’t dare butt their opinions into a heated political discussion. It was strange to me how passive aggressively the event had been arranged by government officials. Now this political party can not only say that they started a school garden in my village, (which would have happened even without their seeds) but that they also care deeply enough about education that they awarded money to the child with the best national anthem singing abilities. Lovely.
Thanksgiving was very satisfying. Peace Corps set up a beautiful dinner for all of the volunteers in Belmopan. Each district was designated a dish to bring, and the dinner was a success- I managed to get my share of deviled eggs and cranberry sauce, along with some surprises like hummus and bruchetta! I am planning on spending Christmas with my host family and New Years with other volunteers, either on one of the beaches or at an eco-tourist lodge in the south. My host mom is head strong about making sure that I have a Christmas tree and lights for my front porch. We’ll see- it seems bizarre to me that Ill be celebrating Christmas in Sunny, 85 degree weather. Tree or no tree, presents are still most definitely welcome!
Holiday Wish List
*Fitted cotton shirts- solid or striped, Size S
*Dove facial cleansing wipes
*Dog training book- anything by the “Dog Whisperer”- Ive heard he’s good
*Vegetarian cook book
*Flavored green tea- surprise me!
*Bandanas- fun designs or solid colors
*Dog treats and toys- Samson celebrates Christmas too!
*Wash cloths- any color
*Crest Vivid White toothpaste
*Thread- any color
*Cooking mitt- any color
*Refrigerator magnets- surprise me!
*Newsweek magazine
*Seeds- cucumber, tomato, cilantro, spinach carrot, and any easy to grow flowers
*Anything vintage owl- its my kitchen theme, thanks to a goodwill look-alike store in town!
*School supplies of any kind- crayons, markers, construction paper, water color, anything kid friendly!
I also have a new address:
Elisha Holmes
General Delivery
Orange Walk Town
Orange Walk, Belize
Paz,
Elicia
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