How to Do Your Horse: Adventures at Greg's Library

So I’ve been trying to work on the library since I first arrived at my school. Wait let me say that again, I have been trying to work on this room with a large pile of books and some shelves that apparently once resembled a library. “What happened to it to make it not look like a library?” you ask.

Well over the summer the school received a donation of about 2-3 thousand books. All sorts of wonderful books, paperback, hard cover, children’s picture books, juvenile novels. Titles like ‘Judy Blume’, ‘Goosbumps’, and ‘Boxcar Children’. Authors like Robert Louis Stevenson, Roald Dahl, and Richard Scary. I told you, these books were awesome. They all made the trip from St. Louis, MO. The Priest in town is from there and I assume someone that he knew sent them to him guessing that he would find something to do with them.

After the books made it down to Belize, they were placed in the dark, humid, dusty room that was the library. This happened during the summer when there were no teachers to sort through them and do something with them.

Then I arrived. I took a look at this library and saw the potential but I also saw the task ahead of me. I attempted a few days of sorting and alphabetizing the books but I certainly wasn't making any progress all alone. The library seemed to be getting worse, or that's what I felt like until I gave up on it for a couple months. I focused on the computer lab and had some success with that. I was happy just ignoring the large room that was filled with books.

After we took our Easter Holiday back in the States I felt like I had some energy and I wanted to attempt to get this thing in working order. I had been letting some of the students come into and search through the pile of books to see what they could find to check out. This turned out to be a big motivator for me because I saw how excited the students were to get books. This was the kind of excitement that they told me about when I was getting my education degree. The same kind of excitement that I just didn’t see that much of in the states because books are so abundant.

What was I supposed to do? I wanted to get this thing in working order as soon as possible. This is when the text messaging started. Ultimately, three volunteers were able to come on the day that I requested Erica Howe, Christine Breland, and Rion Smith.

The first thing that we needed to do was clear all the books outside and sweep the place. This took about an hour, we killed countless roaches during this process. The dust looked like some one walked in with finely sifted dirt and scattered it all over the books, floor, and our clothes. Can you say ‘sneezing’?

Next we had to keep the kids from jumping on the piles of books that we had outside (by far the most difficult part). I new how much these kids like to go through these books and I also knew that putting them outside would leave them exposed to excited little hand trying to find something interesting and was therefore was a bad idea. There was nothing else that could be done and we needed to sweep the place out and rearrange the shelves to find space for the 3 new shelves that we had acquired. When the lunch bell rang the kids immediately jumped on the pile of books like seagulls on a trash pile. The only thing we could do was move the books back inside in order for us to continue working. We did it as quick as possible and what resulted was even more books on the floor of the library than was there in the first place. Panic started to set in.

This is when Erica and Christine took over and worked like book shelving machines and started putting a couple thousand books (no exaggeration) on the shelves. When they had to leave, I was left with just about a hundred books on the floor and two tables outside, no problem after what we had just accomplished. I called some of the Standard VI students to help me carry the tables and box the left over books. One final sweep and the place was done and ready business.

Things that I learned from this experience. 1) Libraries can get extremely dirty. 2) You should do something like this on a weekend when there are no students to distract you. 3) Never be afraid of calling on Peace Corps Volunteers for help.

Thanks Christine and Erica for all the hard work. Thanks Rion for the music you provided. Thanks to me for choosing the best team for this mission.

Silver Creek Catches the Spirit

“She just caught the spirit.” –Me (attempting to settle the Infant II class)
“You mean like a scorpion?” –Abraham (Infant II)

The Spirit takes hold of Silver Creek:
This past week has been one of my most interesting. Besides the head of the entire Belize Library System just 'stopping by' to talk to me, and Greg redoing his library... a student at my school became possessed. I broke it into phases, I don't really know what to think of all this so I mainly will just state what I saw. The quotes that begin each phase were from staff or religious leaders, here goes...

“She was in a trance…it seemed churchy.” Phase one:
There’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ day in the Peace Corps, for a case study let’s look at my Wednesday. After our morning break, while I was happily checking writing notebooks from my model lesson, I became aware of a crying noise. Around this time an older ketchi lady walked by, I bid her good morning and she cheerfully responded. I was now intently listening. The upper division was across the street at mass, and I thought perhaps one of the infants got hurt. As I was postulating the source of the noise it started to change to loud wailing, at which time the lady walked back by my room. I scrambled up and located the source…the Standard III & IV room. What I saw inside no Peace Corps panel could have prepared me for. Inside were three girls and one boy. Two girls surrounded the third who was seated and screaming, eyes closed, and swaying back and forth. The girl in front of her was jumping and praying in Ketchi while the boy lay slumped on a desk crying. I felt my mouth swing open; I couldn’t help but stand, unblinking, at the situation unfolding before my eyes.

“You no feel fraid?” Phase two:
I backed out of the room just as the Infant II teacher came towards me asking what was going on. I literally had no words for what was going on so I just did the lip point towards the room with a shrug. As soon as she got close enough to see, she grabbed my arm and nearly pushed me down in her effort to get away saying, “she da catch bad spirit!” We both now turned to the Std. III & IV teacher…who seems calm and collected. He explains she is praying and that the girls will try to help her. Just let them work it out. By now the screaming had really gone up and Mr. Baltazar ran over from the church followed closely by most of the village. There was now quiet a crowd around each door and the windows to the room. All the remaining teachers and women of the surrounding houses were there (even the young men who were not at work came over). The pastor of the girl’s church was called. The women of the village asked me to tell the principal to have them move to the church. I pleaded their case but, not wanting to make the pastor drag the girls, he said to just leave them be. The pastor and the girl’s parent said they needed to close up the room. Both doors and all the windows were shut as loud praying from the men blended with the screaming and crying of all three girls.

“God uses some people to call out other’s faults.” Phase 3:
The crowd moves off the school property and onto anyones' yard with a view of the school. I talked with one of the preschool moms for a while and she told me this is exactly what happened at Greg’s school a few years ago. A bad spirit moved into that school and lots of children started getting ‘sick’ throwing desks and striping off their clothes and running to the creeks. It got so bad eventually the teachers closed the school and they had to pray at the school for days until the bad spirit went away. I kept on looking around in disbelief. Was this seriously happening? Finally, since everyone left the porch, I walked back to the computer room to attempt some work. When I looked up across the street there was a large crowd just staring at the school…I picked up some exercise books and walked past the shuttered room to Ms. Delphine’s . I stayed there until the pastor came out…he then explained to us that God was speaking through her and telling the faults of the people around her (mainly that they are not in the right church and are sinning) and that he didn’t want to ‘call anyone out’ but that God uses people to help others see their wrongs. He leaves with the now exhausted girl, leaving several children quietly crying and a very stunned Kevina. Around this time mass finished and the students came spilling out. I will stop my tale here. As I am laying in my hammock typing this very story I can hear church music playing as I still ponder the strange events of the day.

Update: The parents of two children involved have come to the school asking for them to be allowed to drop out (at 12 and 13 years old). Mr. Baltazar is trying to convince them to come back to school.

There was a prayer service in the classroom and a parent meeting to discuss the events. We will see what happens...so far no other students have 'caught the spirit.'

Cacao Ice Cream... Icing on the Cake

'China Saq' The 'Little White' comes to visit:

Last weekend most of the current volunteers took in a trainee or two to show them what life is like on the outside (of training). We got Kaytlin a fellow Teacher Trainer and it started off with a bang...as in thunder. Right when her bus was about to reach a torrential down poor unleashed itself (this is supposed to be the dry season). We started getting worried because she caught the early bus and Fermin didn't know. We were going to walk over to Fermin's but Santiago said no and said he would 'call' him. This is when I saw the 'village phone' in action. Santiago stood under the thatch of the cocine and proceeded to yell Fermin's name and then do a wolf howl thing. The dogs of the village all responded right away but it was a few attempts before we heard a responding human yell. This man lived down by the shop and Santiago yelled "Se'bah Fermin!"( Hurry Fermin) which was then passed to Fermin. Fermin responded through the man that he would come right now and a few minutes later we were piled in the truck on our way to pick up Kaytlin!

Tortilla time!

Sunday we woke up at 5 to go watch/ help bake for the thatching of Ms. Yatz's house. Here's how it works:

There are two sides and you must have the same number of men as beams (this house had nine beams across so 9 per side). As the men arrive they climb up one next to the other until a side is filled. Once all 9 are on that side they can begin. They hoist up cahoon leaves two at a time and layer them alternating leaf direction then tie them every 5. The other side cannot start until all 9 men come. It is a race to the top and whichever side gets to the top first gets to come down and eat while the losers have to thatch the crest (a long and hot process since it is not around8:30 and the sun is feeling quite strong). Kaytlin and I made tortillas, well she made one and it kinda didn't work so she watched. Greg said when the men first started working one guy yelled, "Cacao uk!!!!"(cacao drink) then they all started yelling it until women tied containers or cacao to strings and hoisted them up to the workers.

Greg hauling leaves

Our village at 5:30am

Tortilla pizza's and ginger tea. Yummy!

We met up with all the Toledo volunteers and their respective trainees in town for market. We caught the bus with Tracy and Jane and ate fruit at her house until we could catch the return bus to the ruins. We played at the ruins for a long time. They were excavating some more sites and the guy in charge let us touch and blow through the whistles they dug up...from ancient Maya time!

Also there is a movie about the crystal skull found at our very own neighborhood ruins...check it out if you can find it!
It is called: The Crystal Skull of Lubaantun (1990)

The ball game...I am sure this is exactly how it looked.

But I don't wanna be sacrificed!

Our trainee...Kaytlin

Sunday was packed, by 9:30 we watched a house be thatched, had cacao and caldo, and washed our clothes at the creek. After we almost napped, and played with Morpheus we rode our bikes to Big Falls Lodge and enjoyed swimming in a real live pool!! We then went and visited Mr. Chun and his family then walked across the village to Mr and Mrs. Choco. They made us dinner last Thursday and invited us again for our trainee visit! They made BBQ! During dinner Martin (Mr. Choco's brother) kept us up to date on the Big Falls village elections. Then we learned that each village has a jail...INCLUDING Silver Creek! They thought it was hilarious I did not know this. Turns out, in the community center there is a cell and a few times a week they throw in a drunk person to sleep it off. Then after chatting for a while about their cat that just had kittens, she brings out a container and says, "You will taste my cacao ice cream?" This was the best ice cream I have EVER had!!!!! It had small pieces of cacao, was dark brown and tasted almost like dark chocolate ice cream with a hint of coffee taste.

We finished off the visit with a visit to my school and then it was back to training for Kaytlin!

Our garden's first harvest!

Our football team squashed Indian Creek Village...4-0 That is our guy in the white.

Who Knew: Hookworms

Seaford's 3 month picture...in the outfit I got him from the states


Greg's Nature Art example piece

Presentation in Dangriga:
Greg and I got asked to co-present on reading strategies to the trainees in Dangriga. It was great seeing and getting to talk to the trainees and kind of relive that stressful time of training we just recently went through ourselves. We chanted our mantra of 'just get through training' and tried to squeeze in all the advice we could in a couple hours. We had dinner with two other couples in Dangriga and stayed up late (until 9) chatting about what Peace Corps is in Belize. I have previously only stopped through on the bus and once while in training for not even an hour so it was interesting to see the town. The market was huge like you wouldn't belive and I got to taste tambrine for the first time...it looks like a brown pea pod and then you eat the stuff off the seeds (the consistency and taste of fruit leather).

Gibnut... the Royal Rat (Kaylyssa do not look at these pictures):
Tanisha and Margarita came bursting in the house both talking at the same time. All I could understand was there was something about snake and Alex and phone. Greg and I went outside where Alex (our host brother who is in the BDF) showed us a picture he took on his cell phone
of the 'Yellow Jaw' (AKA: Fer de Lance, Tommy Goff, Bothrops Asper). He was bathing in the river up north when a colleague started screaming for him to move. He was standing right beside one of these snakes and the guy shot it. He is really lucky to be alive, they kill you in minutes!

So after that exciting story we watched as Santiago and Cecilia butchered the Gibnut they bought from some guy walking through the village. It was huge and felt like human skin and I was pretty weirded out. We stayed up late listening to Fermin's stories from Easter. He told us of this guy who used to live at the teacher house before him. He would not allow his wife to leave the house unless with him. She had to wait until he came home to use the toilet (and he would walk her). Fermin said that he thought this was the cruelest thing you could do to a woman. He said he didn't agree with women just staying in a corner not being seen or heard. I was glad to hear this however, the whole night Saturnina and Ofelia (his wife) would often laugh and giggle but never share a story themselves. But, at least they're not in the corner.

Margarita holding up the gibnut so I can see his teeth. Butchering the Gibnut on a waha leaf.

Watching the process.

In the morning we were given a bowl of gibnut caldo (soup) and tortillas...it was pretty tasty:)

Oh the Benifits of Hookworms (we don't have them fyi):

Greg and I were listening to a podcast from This American Life about parasites. It talked about this one parasite that swam into a fishes mouth, ate it's tongue, then turned around and acted like a tongue! Then it got really interesting. This guy (who suffered from really bad allergies then later very sever asthma requiring hospitalization) found out about a BBC documentary that showed how people in developing countries are much less likely to have allergies and asthma and other auto immune diseases. I have not seen any kids with allergies or asthma and so my interest was peaked. The secret? Hookworms. They evolved and changed with humans over the years and as payment for letting them suck our blood/ intestines they release a chemical that kind of calms down our immune response. Long story short this guy walked in poo in Africa, got hookworms, and got cured. He then started selling his hookworms and apparently scientists are studying the potential benefits for MS, crones disease, and many other auto immune disorders...just thought you should know. Our super clean guts are proving harmful and sometimes deadly...another advantage to village life. The link to the podcast is below if you wanna hear more!
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/404/enemy-camp-2010

America with a Pinch of Perspective

WHAM! Back to Reality:
Flying back to the states! We got to ride in air conditioning, with amazingly comfortable seats that reclined! We were given FREE drinks and we were surrounded by luxury. So what did Greg and I do? Why look at sky mall for the first 30 minutes of course, eagerly elbowing each other to show the latest invention we'd missed. When we got to Miami we tortured ourselves for 45 minutes. We walked around to all the food vendors and then back to each again. we couldn't decide what our first American food should be. Also, we kept converting everything to Belizean dollars and there is just no way we were going to pay 40 BZE dollars for a meal. So we split a tuna salad wrap and a carton of milk. I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle and announcements and golf carts...inside. We found two seats farthest away from anyone and huddled by ourselves scarfing down our food like refugees...mumbling every now and again about how new and big our new world was. Everyone seemed to be in a huge hurry, I saw a very old man get grabbed and shoved by a police man. His offense? Not speaking English at customs. I know a few months ago all this was normal and I would have been running to make sure I got to my gate an hour early just like the rest of them. But we're on Belizean time now, and that's hard to shake.

More buildings than all of Belize

We had a 9 hour layover. What does one do for 9 hours and with no money? Greg and I unapologetically stood in a airport gift shop reading magazines for close to an hour. We walked around, we talked about how we were actually in the states again, and we talked to other people who had been in the Peace Corps (5 total). Finally, our plane to Charlotte began to board. We had a very hilarious flight attendant. While she was giving out drinks she pulled up to our row and instead of saying anything, looks around with a disgusted look on her face. She then looks at me. I (not knowing what to do) make the same disgusted face back and also look around. Does she smell something, is she appalled at the Euro boys behind us who have wedged their stinky feet through our arm rest in their sleep? I don't know. This went on for quite some time, until abruptly she said, "Care for a drink?" I quickly ordered my milk as she resumed her strange face scanning the people around me with aquisitory glances. Was she trying to remember who ordered the Peanut M&Ms? Did she misplace a valuable and now we were all suspects? Who knows. I was left amazed that I could still be awkward in America. I mistakenly thought after all the strange situations I'd encountered in Belize that I would some how be immune to them here...you know since we all speak English (and I am no longer the only giant white girl). Apparently you can take the giant white gyal out of Belize but you can't take the awkward out of the gyal. So, back to the stewardess...as we're taxiing to the terminal she gets on the intercom, "Stairs." she says. The passengers start to look around and she continues, "Stairs, stairs, I am sorry but you will have to use stairs to exit this plane, so sorry ladies and gentleman." I like her.

We are welcomed by a very awake and happy mummy and sister (even though it was close to 1 in the morning) and we went to my sister's new place where we ate fresh apple pie and had a glass of milk... ahhhh the America of my dreams.

Fresh apple pie!

The real deal...portions out the window this is what I call a breakfast!

My Job After Peace Corps?

On the way to Cary to spend Easter with my In-laws and my nephew I heard an interesting thing on NPR. There is a non profit named, 'Playworks' that goes out to schools and teaches kids the basics of childhood games. Apparently kids are no longer fluent in the 'forgotten language' of play. This struck a cord for me because as a first grade assistant it was part of my job to do 'teacher led play' for the first 15 minutes of their 30 minute recess. I took this job seriously making a note card role-a-dex with a pipe cleaner and after I wrote down the 10 or so games we used to play in the cul-de-sac (capture the flag, spud, 500, freeze tag, kick the can, pickle, etc) I found myself researching other play ground games in my free time. I had been appalled through my years teaching and assisting at the general absence of play knowledge and when the county said we had to do teacher led games I said, "OKAY!". The kids (much to my surprise) loved playing the games, and would often complain when I would freeze and scream 'FREEEEEEEE.' I knew exactly what this lady was talking about.

Kids today don't know how to make up rules, how to self elect 'leaders' and self police. We weren't born knowing how to do this. It took every summer since we could walk. It took us getting our feelings hurt, knees scraped, and the occasional goose egg (like when I learned the hard way not to stand too close to the batter). We learned that too many rules were no fun but that no rules were even more no fun. Perhaps that's why Belize suits me well. The kids speak that forgotten language,which is fitting since they also speak the almost forgotten language of Ketchi. I am in love with a dying way of life. I spend a lot of time worrying who my hippie children will play in the streets with. Perhaps I'll just have 15 so they can all play together?

Sorry it's sideways...but this was some of the gang from the old days (I'm second from the left)

Easter Time!

After almost 8 months I finally got to see the little person who was the reason for this whole trip home...HUNTER GREGORY!!! Boy my nephew is super cute. Uncle Bob and Aunt Camille even surprised us by coming down all the way from New Jersey. Uncle Rich came from Florida and Kristen and Huntee from California...it was kind of a big deal.

Greg got a few days with Hunter first and called me continuously to tell me what a cute nephew we had and, "I know other babies are cute and stuff, but he's really cute!" My torment was soon over and I was finally united with my only nephew...my greatest fear (him hating me) was quickly put to rest and my arms ached from holding him. You see, baby holding and washing at the creek are two totally different muscles.

Uncle Greg and Auntie Kev!

We were surrounded by friends and family and ate ungodly amounts. Gorging on meats and doughnuts and delicious home made teramasu cake. Even if I never eat meat after the Peace Corps at least I got to taste my mother-in-laws meat balls. Uncle Bob couldn't believe his eyes and 'forced' me to eat a 5th one just for a picture. The night before Easter we made 'Monster Eggs' a variation on Easter that was developed during our deployment. Greg and I stood together silently holding our eggs in mugs of colored water. Behold Kristen, Greg, and I's creation:

Can't handle the holiday stress.

I did work on Peace Corps Goal 3: Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. I taught Aunt Camille how to make flour tortillas. She was a natural, they came out round and evenly thick. I was impressed. We ate them with a variety of spreads and I left them with a cumal and a quickly scribbled recipe which sounded like, "add water until it feels like play dough..then add just a little more."

Aunt Camille...secretly part Mayan

Sweet Beach...Wilmington How I missed Thee:

The Wrights...8 years I've known these guys!

We were able to meet up with our friends still living in Wilmington and a few from out of town. Our friend Steve new some genius guys who bought a limo with karaoke and started a taxi business. It was like we were right back in Belize, belting out 80's classics.

Kaylyssa and Rachael all the way from NY!

Thinking of a way to bring this to Belize...

What is more American than beach volleyball and corn dogs?

What do we eat for our last meal? Tacos and rice and beans...

It was a great visit home. A time of lapping up American amenities and indulging our vises...sweet tea, fries, and pasta. Thank you to everyone who make the trek out to see us. Thanks for all the good food and laughs. Thanks for listening politely to our ridiculous stories.

Mummy seeing us off at 4 in the morning.

Last American treat...Cinnabon