“This is my brother Greg”

6 Months Already??

It has been a good couple of weeks for Greg. He is getting excited about some projects at school. Namely, helping to write a grant for a projector, computer classes with standard 6 students, and trying to see if there can be a way for teachers to be exempt from duty on computers. Greg is a really great teacher of computers. He had the kids come over to all these different parts he pulled out of broken computers. Then he explained what they do and let the kids delve in to attempt to solve problems like, ‘a missing hard drive’ in another broken computer. The kids loved getting to touch all the parts (especially the boys).

Operation Integration update: Greg has made a Belizean best friend named George. His wife is the preschool teacher at Greg’s school. They’ve been hanging out a lot and seem to be frighteningly similar. Greg and George were comparing cuts and scars when George said, “that’s nothing, check this out” lifting up his right sleeve to reveal a nasty scar that wrapped around his bicep. Greg said nothing just lifted his right sleeve to reveal his own scar. Some other similarities; they have the exact same bottle opener key chain, same letter name, love of karaoke, and are both Jack of all trades and master of none. We were invited to his house for his oldest daughter’s 14^th birthday. They have 6 wonderfully behaved kids and one on the way. It was so much fun watching Greg and George as they belted out song after song as the kids quietly entertained themselves.

Greg also got invited to play football with the guys. Every evening around 5 until about 6:30 all the boys and young men come out to the school yard to play football. The kids make their own little field towards the school and the men play on the other half of the yard. Greg has often eyed the games, but they looked too good for him to comfortably ask to play. But, Peace Corps is all about pushing boundaries and comfort zones so Greg went out to play barefoot with the kids. As the guys started showing up and kicking around the PTA chairman’s son called out to Greg for him to join them!

Fajina (the monthly chopping of the village) happened again yesterday. Lynette ran to a neighbor’s house to get a machete for Greg (since we have yet to buy one for ourselves) and he set off with all the men to chop. Many people called out, ‘good morning Mr. Greg’ and those that didn’t know asked Andres who he was. Andres responded, “This is my brother Greg.” The villagers joked that he must be from another mother, which they proceeded to name a lady from another village that apparently ‘gets around.’ As they were all chopping the alcalde took the opportunity to inform the community that we should not be fishing at a certain spot anymore because it is protected. The villagers were yelling and Greg heard them say white a lot of times (he asked Andres if they were talking about him). Andres said no, and that they were angry because when white people come buy land in Belize they change the rules of the land that they’ve been using for years.

There is one Catholic Bishop for the entire country of Belize. That has made Confirmation pretty crazy with the Bishop going on a whirlwind tour of Belize doing 2 to 3 confirmations a day for an entire month. We have gone to two confirmation parties..one with BBQ and 2012 playing on a tv set up outside; and the other in the neighboring village. We saw many people from our village and rode back from that one with the Coh’s, each of us with a nane’(baby) in our arms.

I am so excited about my sister coming this weekend! All the kids will scream her name when she calls and I tell everyone I visit that my baby sister will be here next week. I even went and visited the lady who sews ketchi dresses so we could have some made when she's here. We had a fun time visiting that house, it is Virginia's in-laws. Rinelva (the seamstress) was born in Silver Creek and has lived here for 30 years. She said that up until about ten years ago there was only a bus out of Toledo every other day, and no buses into the village. Her husband used to go out and work for a month or more at a time before he could come home.

Sheldon was sitting in the hammock with me reading his book, he would reach behind him and pet my nose saying 'saq' which is white...that's life

I feel like I am getting behind in my posting...so much to talk about. I took the Std. V and VI kids on a 'village field trip' to their houses and all the important places and they will be writing up paragraphs on housing, vehicles, money, and our library which I will post for their pen pals back in the states (soon Lauren!)

Yup...23 std 5 and 6 kids and one white gyal traipsing around the village for 2 hours