Mostly about my Tuesday

Wednesday 9/10

Hey Everyone!!

First, I want to respond to some of your great comments. Thanks so much for all the feedback, its really nice:) Sarah, I got a prepaid cell phone, you can get the number off of mom or Rach. The phone at my Dona’s house doesn’t work anyway so this is better. Call anytime you’re free though. Call at least 2 or 3 times because sometimes I miss it, and sometimes it just doesn’t go through. Call when you can, I’d rather you try and miss me then not get to talk to you guys, I miss you!! Denise, thanks for the encouraging comments, it’s good to know someone else eats peanut butter on the beach! Karen and Uncle Greg: thanks for your support:) I sent out a letter last week on Labor day so let me know when it gets there. It’s really hard to get stamps here!! One girl asked like 20 people in the super market and they all gave her different answers. In this culture it’s more acceptable to lie and “save face” than to say you don’t know the answer to something. Even my awesome Dona does that to me sometime I find. To Dad: thanks for all the long comments, call sometime would ya!?? Lol. To Aunt Claudia and Drew: thanks for the message, I never know what the weather is here until it’s upon us. I don’t have internet at home or anything and the news is not helpful but my family pretty much is always watching soap operas anyways. It’s nice to know you guys are thinking of me. It takes a LOOOOONG time to upload photos here so I put them all up on myspace because that seems to go the fastest. If you can get to it I have several photos up. Also, to everyone, if you’d like to call me I’d love to hear from you. My mom and Rach have the number like I said earlier so if you can afford it, feel free. I got a prepaid phone to last me until after CBT which starts on Friday. After that on October 20^th they give us PC issued phones so my number will be different. Calling cards are expensive so I was talking about looking into global phone plans with my mom and John. If anyone has any info on them please let me know. To everyone else who has been leaving me comments, thanks so much!! I really love reading them!!

Whew! Now that all that is taken care of it’s time to get down to business!! To begin, yesterday was kind of a bummer. We got to Entrena with all of our stuff in hand to go on our trips and we were supposed to be informed by 10 what was going on. In the meantime I figured I should pay a visit to the nurse since I had been having issues with my digestive system since Saturday. I had been trying to eat light, easy foods for my stomach but nothing seemed to be helping. I told the nurse that my Dona made me a cheese sandwich the night before and surprised me with a salami sandwich the next morning, which I ate half of. That was the most food I had really eaten since Friday. Well, the nurse didn’t like the stuff I ate at all! She told me that since I ate that stuff I would have to “start all over” and that I could only eat “white, bland, flavorless food” for a few more days. Then after a few more days I may be able to introduce white rice and after that yogurt. Well, you know what I thought? I thought I had been babying my stomach since Sat and where did it me? Nowhere. I knew we were driving by a McDonalds on the way to my PCV visit and also was holding out hope that they were going to make American food. Nothing was going to stop me from eating that stuff!! So, I humored the nurse and sipped my Gatorade (which costs more than my daily allotment of money) but in my mind I was wondering if I should go to McDs once on the way there and once on the way back or just once total.

We all sat around and talked until 12:30 when they finally were able to let us know what had been decided. Our trips were canceled. We were all really disappointed. We wanted a change of scenery so much! I personally feel like my host family is getting sick of me lately. Not my Dona but the sisters. So, it was going to be nice to get away. So much for that. So much for McDonalds and American food. As a substitute I ate 8 cookies (not the best but good enough) and had some hot chocolate- all a BIG no no (he he he).

None of us wanted to go home after lunch (which I didn’t eat- the spaghetti here is NOT something I chose to partake in) so we hung out at Entrena from 10 am until 5 pm doing nothing really. Thanks to being homeschooled while living in the middle of nowhere with no friends or tv, I have the great ability to never be bored, to endlessly entertain myself. This came in handy yesterday as my counterparts were pretty much all bored. We had dominos tournaments, played a game called Big Booty, and watched a movie (the Bourne Identity, sweet!!! If you would like to send DVDs please feel free since we can watch them on our laptops!! ) I was reading a magazine called Gingo Grita which is put out by PCVs in county. I happened to come across an article about reflections of people’s PCV visits. What are the odds that I was at that time supposed to be on my PCV and instead I was sitting on an couch with stomach pains while it was pouring rain outside? The irony.

We all walked home and when I had to slit with my group and walk alone I realized I was running low on patience. People were doing the normal things; men were staring and making their “hissing” noises (which I decided yesterday sound more like “Tsssssssst”) and some men were testing out their English with words like, Hello Baby, How are you?, and I love you. One guy told me that he spoke English and he loved me. I was tempted to say somethings back to see how well he spoke English. There is one thing particular hand gesture I think is universal but there’s just one way to find out for sure… don’t worry, I didn’t do it!

When I got back I stopped b y my friend’s house to see what they were doing the rest of the day. We ended up having a discussion about all the food we missed. We unanimously decided Taco Bell would be divine right then and one of the Dona’s knew where one was and how to get there. She offered to take us there!!! My dreams were all coming true!!!! So, I ran home and told my Dona I didn’t need dinner that night and gathered my stuff. Kenzie came over and informed me that her Don didn’t have any gas and we weren’t going now. What a bummer. So, I ate a cheese sandwich for dinner.

Needless to say, it’s pretty easy to feel bad for myself here. I was super excited to get a phone call from my mom but we don’t get to talk for very long since it’s pricey for her. I was still feeling pretty sick so I just stayed in my room, contemplating when the best time would be to put my mosquito net back up around my bed and unpack my stuff. I was about to go to bed, feeling defeated when I got a text from my mom telling me she loved me and hoped I felt better. It was just a little thing but it made me feel sooooo much better!! I started thinking about all the things I have to be happy for, and there are a TON! I have a great host family in Los Cocos and I’m in the Caribbean!! I am so lucky to be in the DR, we are the only PCVs who are able to get cell phones. I’m super lucky that I’m not disconnected from everyone at home. So, as I turned off my light and tucked my mosquito net around my bed I was feeling pretty good.

Hope you all are doing well and can't wait to hear from you!!

love
Betsy

Thankfulness and Peace of Mind

Sat 9/6

So, here I sit in my bed, as I have been doing all day since I’m a little sick, and I can’t help but think about everything that’s changed in the last couple weeks. I have to say that I am so lucky to be here!! There isn’t a day that goes by though that I don’t feel at least a little out of place as the other trainees seem to be so much more qualified than I. Almost all of them are very good at Spanish or fluent in at least one other language than English, most were straight A students, several have master’s degrees, all but me have been out of the county before, tons have studied abroad for at least a semester but most have been out of the country for several sessions of abroad living. These are people who are in the same decade of their lives as me, many the same age as me or even a year younger.

So, as I sit and think about all the reasons I’m not qualified in this group I’m hit with a realization: if I were so under qualified I wouldn’t be here either. The PC must have seen something I’m not aware of yet but I think it’s not so much about what has been accomplished but about the potential to accomplish. I also think that I am so lucky to be here with so much talent. Everyone has to start somewhere so I guess this is my start. I’m really glad I’m so young and I can get used to the fact that I see my self with little to offer for now since when it’s time to come home I’ll see myself with more to offer.

It’s jus been two weeks and I’ve already been very surprised with how my perceptions are different than I had thought they would be. I’m not even homesick yet!! How is that possible? I know it is because you all are so supportive and also because of all of your prayers. There is not even one day that passes that I don’t feel blessed to be in the DR. This is the only country in the PC that distributes cell phones to their volunteers. This is because they are able to and also because it helps out a lot when there is a need to get in contact with volunteers during times like these, hurricane season. I am grateful everyday when I get to talk to family and when I get to use the internet. Something I don’t take lightly is that I get to charge my computer and sit here in a room with the tv loud in the next room. Sure, this makes me need ear plugs but I was also lucky enough to get a free pair during a training exercise! Everything always works out:) Sure the tv is in Spanish which I don’t pretend to comprehend yet but my point is that, as of now, I’m not washing my clothes in a river or literally only living off of rice and beans. I’m super close to the states and I have the luxury of living in the Caribbean. Yes, it is sooooooo freaking hot right now, well more humid than anything, and my room is pretty much always 90 degrees (thanks for the cool whistle/thermometer/compass guys at BCHD:)but that makes me enjoy the bucket baths! I simply can not find the same appreciation for the ice cold water (which we collect off of the roof and I learned in my med class that there is a certain breed of worm that thrives in water on roofs, ick) after a nice cool day.

Yes, cool days happen here. In fact one day this last week I was downing hot cocoa since I was FREEZING. Rain makes it a lot colder here. So, while there is always some bad that can be focused on, there is way more good in my circumstance! I thank God everyday that he chose me for this and that I am lucky enough to be here. So, feel free to send me the fruit roll ups (tropical tye dye is my fav by the way:) but don’t worry about me- although I never turn down sympathy:)

I feel so taken care of here, the staff is very caring. How many people can say that they really like their boss? (don’t read into that Bill or Molly:) The country director, the highest person in the PC in country, personally greeted us at the airport terminal and helped us get our bags when we arrived! We don’t even need an appointment to see him.

Yesterday I was having an extra super frustrated day and the technical trainer for the health group, who had no idea how I was feeling, just happened to ask me if I had some time to talk to her. She said she was a little worried about me after our last conversation since I don’t like the food and expressed concern about a new host family for CBT (mine is so good now, how can any family really have a fair chance to compare?) as well as concern for the prospect of being homesick during CBT since there are no phones available. So I wouldn’t be able to talk with my family for the 5 weeks of CBT. I thought it was so nice that she noticed all that and took the time to see how I felt a few days later. I noticed that others in my group often just randomly ask each other how they’re doing and it’s not a generic question. They really want to know and offer help if possible. I told Ann (my tech trainer) that I purchased a pre paid cell phone so people can call me if they want, and I already bought a jar of peanut butter to get CBT started. I went through a whole jar last week! But after talking with her I felt so much better!! It’s true I may still get homesick but even though I don’t know all the volunteers well enough yet to picture myself crying to them if I get homesick I feel like Ann is already there for us. It’s a great feeling.

I was invited earlier today to study by Richie (another volunteer from Chicago who speaks Spanish so good that I think my Dona is in love with him) but I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea to be far from a bathroom today since I’m not functioning at my best. A few hours later, after I had been in my room with the lights out pondering how my eyes were able to adjust to the darkness so well, and my Dona knocked at my door to tell me I had some visitors. There were 6 volunteers who heard I wasn’t feeling well and decided to stop by for a visit, how nice is that?!

So, I know this is long and rambling but after my Dad’s comment a couple days ago about rescuing me by plane or boat (by the way Dad, if I want to leave I just have to say so and they’ll fly me home so rest easy.) I figured it was a topic that I should maybe cover more thoroughly. Thank you all for your support because it really means a lot to me. I’m still nervous about this and that and my Spanish pisses me off endlessly but I am my own worse critic. The upside of my Spanish is that people really get a kick out of me so they like to talk to me. Today I was trying to talk to my family about the “art” of flushing the toilet and they were laughing hysterically at me. Turns out I was saying winter when I was trying to say toilet. I could get offended by this but I’m not sure if I’m past that point or perhaps not up to it yet. Getting laughed at, whether by other volunteers because of my “cute” Spanish or my family because of my “I don’t know what they’re saying” Spanish or just by random people who think a poncho is the funniest thing ever, is a very normal part of my day now. Sure, I got laughed at a lot in the states but this is a LOT more for sure. So, thanks to all of you back home who were never shy to laugh at me and helped condition me for it here. Way to think ahead! Talk to you all soon I’m sure.

Love

Betsy

Spanish, dengue and more

Hey there everyone :)

Hope you are all well there. We just finished lunch here and the internet isn’t working so I decided to write you all yet another blog. Everyone is sitting at a toilet right now thinking about their pooping habits now vs before. One girl is giving an example of how a person is supposed to poop if one can not go- like how you are supposed to sit. Interesting.

So, Dengue has claimed yet another victim here in the group. This time it was a technical trainer (the people who teach us what to do next week at CBT) and there are just four of them total- one for each sector. So, we hope he gets better soon!!

To answer some questions, the girl who got Dengue is doing better. At first we were all upset about our PCV visits were going to be moved to Tuesday- Thursday but now we’re all pretty happy since that girl won’t be missing her trip. That would be a BIG bummer. She thought she was having symptoms when she was sitting in the lecture the nurse was giving us about Dengue and Malaria but she wasn’t sure if it was just in her head. I guess she had a headache and her eyes were hurting. She said she just didn’t feel well. Poor girl, glad she’s on the recovery now though.

I guess there are 4 strains and once you get one your more prone to get the others. One of them is really bad where your organs hemorrhage, so that’s not good. But, people typically (well PCVs) die or go home or anything due to it.

With all the rain that’s coming I guess this weekend is going to be pretty dull. We’re all talking about going to a car wash to party it up on Sat but not if it’s pouring. (Note, here car washes are transformed into dance partys at night). It may be a good thing though since I have a bunch of tests on Monday. They won’t kick any of us out for not performing well on these. They’re to monitor our progress, and I don’t feel like it’s much so I need to study study study!!!

Yesterday my Spanish group practiced calling realators in the paper. We need to know how to get housing so we thought this would be good practice. The first girl got through the second sentence and then started laughing so hard she hung up on the guy. I went next and did really well till I started reading off of my sheet. Turns out I used too many new and big words so when I tried to pronounce them they had no idea what I was saying. They passed the phone from person to person till finally I started laughing so hard I couldn’t talk. I said I was sorry and meant to say I was sick but accidently said they were sick. I have no idea what she said but it wasn’t nice and then she hung up. Whoops.

The next girl did a good job but the last girl didn’t have good results. She got through a few of the questions and accidentally asked if there was gold in the kitchen instead of an oven. She didn’t know what the guy was saying in between her questions so she just kept asking new ones. Finally he told her she needed to learn how to speak Spanish and he hung up on her. We think she may have had the wrong number anyways.

So, yesterday was fun in my 6 ½ hours of Spanish. We played Monopolio (Spanish monopoly) and got better with our numbers. I thought it was going to suck soooo bad being in Spanish that long but my teacher did a great job keeping it interesting.

Well, that’s all for now. Dad, I don’t need you to come and rescue me but thanks for the offer. It’s seriously not bad here so don’t worry about me. They take care of us here. The worst thing I have to deal with is my own frustration, which was in full swing today. But thanks for all the comments, I love reading them. Sarah, whats the deal with not calling me on Sunday you butthead? Good thing I didn’t stay home from the beach for the call!! If you call and I’m not there just try a few hours later. I’m always home by 8 or 9 but generally by 7.

Ok, hope to hear from you all soon. Miss you tons!!

Love

Betsy

Dengue Delirium

Hello all:)

Well, it's raining yet again, and I just heard that one of the girls from my group already got Dengue. She lives in my neighborhood so I know those little buggers are buzzing around close! I've heard that while the rain here is common it's pretty excessive lately. The Director said that last year there were just 2 hurricanes or whatever they're called but that this year in the two weeks we've been there there have already been like 6 or we're in line for 6. Jeesh! I'm supposed to go on a trip this week to visit a PCV waaaay up in Puerta Plata and they may not be letting us go. Noooo!!! I wanted to go to the bea- I mean I wanted to see what life was like for a PCV after graduation! We're just sitting around in the training office right now waiting for people to show up. A lot of people are late because when it rains the public transportation stops (seems weird since they get a lot of rain you'd think they'd be used to it but their drainage systems can't handle it) and plus a lot of people's families get kind of crazy about them leaving in the rain. They worry about us a lot. Oop, time to go. Talk to you all soon. Thanks for the comments:)

love
betsy

10 Facts

9/1/08

Well, now that I’m at home I thought of something else that happened I feel the need to share. Today in our medical lesson the country nurse, Jo, went over lots of interesting things. You all know how I just love nasty things so I can gross everyone out but this was something even I could have done without. Here are some facts which, against my will, are permanently burned into my memory and hopefully will be in yours as well:

1) Tarantulas can jump up to 6 feet.

a. NOTE: Although mosquito nets are somewhat complicated and annoying, I have to admit I am grateful for the protection they give me from these monsters- forget the mosquitoes. I keep having reoccurring daydreams/nightmares that I wake up to discover a nasty tarantula on my mosquito net but I guess that’s better than waking to one on my face- ok, that made me shiver.

2) There is a great variety of worms a person can acquire here. You can get them simply by putting your nails in your mouth if you have bad timing. Some worms can grow really long and some kinds come out as little white guys flailing around. Others, as Joe put it, may come out some of the way but then “could need some help with the rest of the travel” due to their length.

3) Worm eggs can be around a spot you don’t want to be scratching and you can’t even see them. You just itch.

a. NOTE: Thank you BCHD for the hand-sanitizer. I don’t want to think about this but if it could itch like those mosquito bites I had before I left…

4) We are so lucky here in the DR because we have the kind of Malaria that “generally doesn’t kill” (unless something ruptures)

5) Dengue is also known as “break bone fever” since it is so painful it seems as though every bone is broken. (For those of you who may not know, Dengue is also caused by a mosquito bite. These mosquitoes bit during the day and the malaria one’s at night so they’ve got it covered.)

6) 1/3 of volunteers here get Dengue. Bug spray is my new cell phone, always with me.

7) Soda is better to drink that water when you’ve got the runs. So is broth.

8) There is a kind of worm you can get that lives under your skin and eats your muscles. You can see them moving under your skin.

9) Don’t ever eat lettuce. It’s just as bad (or risky) as the water and like everything else it seems will give you diarrhea or worse.

10) I will never eat uncooked (deli meat) pork here- it’s a possible worm hang out hot spot.

So there you go 10 facts you could have lived without yet kept reading. Like a car wreck- awful but you just can’t turn away. If I get a worm, I may be coming home, not that it would help. It would be an uncomfortable plane ride that’s for sure!

Another interesting note, lots of people here are afraid of frogs. How weird is that?

beaches and peanut butter

Hey guys:)

I'm at the internet center here, paying for internet again. I was super happy when the training center got wi fi for free for us but today I went to use it and, like everyone else, found that it doesn't work very well at all. So, I'm going to make this short and sweet.

Yesterday I went to the beach. It was pretty sweet. I didn't spend even one peso!!! I got to go with my friend's family. We crammed like 14 of us into a van with no seats in the back and drove over an hour to the beach. Safety is a hug concern here you know. It's ok though, here they don't need seat belts because with so many people in one place, we can't move anyways!!

Well, thats it. Short and sweet like I promised. I'm tired and it's time for a siesta then homework and peanut butter and crackers for dinner. If I eat pb and crackers, drink juice and water and makes sure to keep up the sweets (my best job) then I should have the food pyramid or stairs or whatever covered right? Hope so!! Lol

love and miss you all!!

love
betsy

Rain and hurricanes and other things

Tuesday 8/26/08- Thursday 8/28

Today seemed like it would be an awesome sunny day until we started walking to class, then it began to downpour! We got soaked!! Thanks for the poncho guys at BCHD- it REALLY helped!!! My thighs to my feet got drenched though. Ah well. I was super lucky and a Dona gave me and some volunteers a lift but by that time we were already really wet. Still, it was waaaay better than walking the 30- 40 minutes to class!

When I arrived to the training center all the rain made me have to go to the bathroom. So, I did my business and was reaching around for the TP when I saw it. I had no idea what it was but it was NASTY!!! It was a big wormy thing that was like 5-7 inches long (hard to tell because it was winding on the ground like a river in the Earth… and I sure wasn’t going to touch it to stretch it out!!) and it had like a million legs. It was wiggling all around on its back, legs flailing and kicking- YUCK!! I screamed a little when I saw it (whoops) and then calmed down, stepped over it, and calmly washed my hands. As soon as I got out of there I began to yell to the director that there was something in the bathroom!!!! She cautiously walked to it and yelled for a national to come see what it was and to please take care of it. He came over saying it was a centipede and it was dead. Dead?! It soooooo was NOT dead!!! No esta muerta, esta vive!!!! I yelled over and over!!! He needed to know it wasn’t dead!! Danny took care of it for us this time, and next time I know (thanks to Richie) not to worry “because those things are clean. People eat them and everything”. Great, good to know.

Speaking of eating, dinner was a real treat. I was wined and dined to something interesting. I have no idea how its spelled but I know that it sounds kind of like magoo, a fitting name if you ask me. I came out of my room to be greeted by a steaming pile on my plate of yellow mush with half boiled eggs on top. Appetizing. Turns out the steaming yellow blob was boiled bananas all squished up. I had this thing where I was going to try really hard to eat whatever I could that was put in front of me until I wasn’t hungry anymore. Well, after just a short week in this country I am discovering that my little motto isn’t working too well for me as I am ALWAYS really hungry and other volunteers tell me that their Dona is talking about how I don’t eat enough!!!

Wednesday we all went to the capitol to test out using public transportation. Scaaaaaary!!! Not the getting around part but the psycho drivers!!! More than once I found myself holding my breath and realized it wasn’t due to the foul air but because I was braced for a crash!!! Anyways, I knew there was a McDonalds in the capitol and was REALLY looking forward to eating there!!!! Ah, I could taste the burger, the fries and the huge sweet tea. I was going to get a delicious hot fudge sundae and life was going to be good. One problem- I’m with a bunch of health nuts!!! No one wanted to go to McDs!! How depressing. I needed that Big Mac.

We went to this place that gave me diarrhea instead, what a trade off!! I learned an important lesson that day, never think because it looks like American food that it’s going to taste like American food. I got a hot dog, fries, an iced tea, and followed up with a soft serve cone. Where to start… the hot dog wasn’t too bad except that the meat was sweet and it weirded me out so much that I needed to wash it down with my tea but discovered quickly that the tea was not what I thought it to be, no me gusta. Ok, at least the fries were mediocre. I can deal with that, I can even learn to be happy with that and convince myself I loooove the fries. I was getting the hang of this whole the-food-seems-the-same-but-isn’t thing when I went up to get some ice cream. I got a twist although I really wanted a chocolate. Who knows how it would taste though so I played it safe and got half of each. Good thing too because the chocolate was frothy. Yuck, again. The theme of my life now!!!

I have hope still, I know we are going to the capitol Saturday and maybe tomorrow too, I’m not really ever sure what’s going on because all the directions are in Spanish. But I found out after asking a lot that there are a lot of other food places next to the McDonalds that taunted me as we drove by on the guaga. Including a sandwich shop- hold the lettuce please, a vegetarian place, and a chicken place among other things super close to the heavenly place I so desire. Its not that I’m craving it or anything, I’m just hungry and want something I can maybe trust to be familiar. I guess the longer it goes eluding me, the better it will taste when I get it, and that’s no joke!!

I’ve been hitting the comadas up for candy. Gotta eat something. Kenzie and I decided it was important to conduct a diagnostic of all 50 of the little stores in the barrio (I don’t know how many there are but there are a LOT) to see which have the best prices and stuff. It was a necessity after buying out the one on the corner of his Snickers Bars. I found peanut m & m’s today, yum!! (Makes me think of the Environmental people at BCHD, hi guys!!!:) I’m saving the treat for tomorrow. I’m hungry now and just “ate” about an hour ago. Thus, to sum it all up, I need another plan of attack for this food thing because I’m pretty sure I’ve already lost weight- at least that’s what my pants tell me. I can’t afford to buy more clothes!!

So, what’s my next plan you ask? As soon as I can figure out how to get there and back, I’m going to the big store which I have been told is similar to Walmart and has “everything”. Including peanut butter I bet!!! I’m lucky that my Dona is super cool and doesn’t care that I go there and get food but just in case I misunderstood I’m bringing my backpack and hiding the goods in my room when I get home. I plan on bringing my new found source of nourishment to CBT as well.

CBT, community based training, is FIVE WEEKS LONG!!! I just found that out today although I suppose I have had the information for a week now. I’m going to Las Tapas which is near Bani (which as I understand is super close to the beach:) The bad part? Well, I guess landlines are like nonexistent so that means no phone contact for those 5 weeks. I’ll be living with another host family (whom I will be hiding my food from in my locked suitcase until I feel them out) but most of my stuff will stay here in Los Cocos. I guess a lot of the people have cell phones but they may not be charged due to the sporadic electricity. So, my health leader told me I may be able to coordinate something through her cell phone but I feel kind of bad doing that. She said I’ll be able to get to a town to check my email and stuff once a week though so I can at least let everyone know I am alive!!!

After CBT I think I just have like a week or a week and a half of training left and then I’m booted out into the real world- aka another host family somewhere in the country (my site) to begin my community diagnostic. That’s to far off for me to worry about though. Right now I’m concerned about my PCV visit to waaaaay up north in Puerta Plata on Thursday and also with how I’m going to get to the store to get pb. I tried to plan to go today but my plans were foiled.

Well, this is one long and rambling blog. I’d really like it if you guys left me some feedback so I knew who was reading this!! Thanks to Rach, Mom and the Harnisch herd lately:) It’s been pretty smooth going so far, I’ve even learned to appreciate my bucket baths!! Maybe I’ll appreciate the food one day…

Love and miss the food so much… and you guys too of course,

Betsy

PS: Thanks for all your comments Harnisch herd!! How’s school going for you? Good I hope!! Wish I was there to go school clothes shopping with you!!

PPS: This is so random but I was thinking that just four years ago Rach and I were wandering around Kish (the college, not the hospital) to find where we could register to vote!! It was my first time voting with Rach later:) My, how things change in just 4 years!! I’ve lived in 6 places since then, graduated school and live in a whole different country where there’s no running water, and a foreign language so I don’t know what people are saying hardly ever! Imagine what’s going to have changed by the time I get back. It makes me sad to miss so many changes of so many people close to me but I’m trying to accept it. I know I’m going to change a lot too, maybe I’ll like mushy boiled bananas when I get back!! Hahahaha, no.

8/25 Monday

Hello all:) Today was not my day. I woke up feeling ok but before breakfast even I was not too well. I wanted to get out of the house and to the training site because there is no running water here and I have never flushed the toilet!! This sounds weird but they all just pee in it and then when it starts to fill up someone flushes it by holding a bucket of water really high and dumping it in. Theoretically the stuff is supposed to go down but I just don’t trust that method yet. The bathroom never never smells though, I have no idea what my Dona Carmen does to keep it that way. I think they mop every day but I don’t know besides that. We are not allowed to flush our paper anywhere so far. There aren’t the best pipes here and so we have to put our paper in the trash. Which again you would think would smell but not in my Dona’s casa!! Lol.

So, for my breakfast I was served a salami sandwich and mango juice- both of which I would have enjoyed but nooooo, I couldn’t bring myself to touch food!! I walked to training with the others and had to stop off of the road to vomitar. Awesome. Two more times at the site and I was good as gold. I’m not sure why this happened, but I have my theories.

A little bit after training began the weather person but a thing up telling us there was a storm (tormenta) on the way. Turns out its like 5 miles too slow to be a hurricane but it’s a depression. Well, they call then cyclones here anyways. But there are tin roofs here and it was soooo loud we couldn’t hear each other. So we packed into a room and waited.

It’s a bummer because today we were supposed to learn how to take public transportation but the streets flooded and we weren’t allowed to go out in the storm anyways. All PCT/Vs (PC trainees and volunteers) were played under homestead, meaning they weren’t supposed to go more than 5 minutes from their houses. It’s not good we didn’t get to practice though because we have a field trip to Santo Domingo Wednesday and need to know what to do. I’m not too worried about that since I’m sure someone will know what to do but next Thursday we have to travel alone to a PCV site!! That’s a little nerve racking!! By the way, I plan on taking my air mattress Uncle Greg and Karen so thanks so much!!

Today we were told how we did in our Spanish interviews. There was a level system used I guess and we have to get to level 5 by the end of the ten weeks. I’m in level 3. There are two other level threes and 7 people lower than that. That means that out of 51 people, I’m at the same level or less than 16 others. Doesn’t sound so good but it actually makes me feel better. I was afraid I would be in the lowest group. Another cool thing about my 4 person group is that they all live in my barrio now, Los Cocos, cute name- I know:) One girl lived in another place but I guess some in-law or something was being inappropriate so they moved her today. It’s pretty neat, the PC staff goes into the house and packs all her stuff for her so she doesn’t have to go back at all. Then they moved it to her new place, in my neighborhood! I would be worried they would forget something but she didn’t seem concerned so maybe she never unpacked like a lot of volunteers.

One good thing that happened today, well one GREA T thing- I was talking with the girls in my Spanish class and they told me they think the tienda on the corner sells sweets. So, first thing we did when we got home was investigate and sure enough, they had Snickers!!! I got one for 25 pesos (I’ve already come to the conclusion I’m going to have to dip into the pesos Lisa gave me- thanks Lis:) as well as some chocolate wafers and a donut. The donut I enjoyed right away since I didn’t eat lunch or breakfast. The Snickers bar I just ate and the wafers… who knows how long they’re safe for!! Lol

As far as getting home goes, PC didn’t want us walking (even though today was supposed to be our first day walking without a family member with us) so they got a bus to pick us all up and take up to our doors practically. It was really nice, they dropped me, Jessica and Kenzie off right in front of their houses and the store!! Those little stores are all over! I also found out today that there is a place with internet somewhere in my barrio. A volunteer went there with his Don. That would be better than trying to walk an hour and a half to one.

Well, I think that’s it for now. I love you all lots and miss you. I miss being able to flush paper and miss warm water but it’s really not bad here at all. A PCV talked to our group today and she said she requested electricity and running water for her site placement and she got it. Awesome!! I’m trying to get my hands on some stamps but they cost more than my daily allowance so I’m not sure how many I’ll get but I’ll try to send some letters. Hope to hear from you all soon!!

Love,

Betsy

PS: When I heard the name of the Hurricane I thought of you Mary Alice!! Hahaha!