Peace Corps with Greg and Kevina: May 2011

Saturday, May 14, 2011

States: "Is that real life?"

Easter with HUNTER!!!

We flew into Raleigh at 10:30pm with both sets of parents waiting there (minus my dad)! We spent almost the first week in Raleigh eating up time with our nephew, Hunter and everyone in the family. Entertaining ourselves with stories and antics, photo-shoots, continuous awesome food (even though my mother-in-law is down to one good hand) and so much laughing. I literally gained a pound a day for 5 days straight.

After not seeing most of the family for a year it was surprising how you just slip back into life, into America and into proper english. Well all except saying me for I (kriol) which drove Uncle Bob CRAZY! I had to catch myself when speaking to Hunter, I interact with most babies in Ketchi and that's what would come out, "kanab"-stop, "jowan"-wait, ect. After getting some (never enough) quality time with the Casaletto side we headed down to Wilmington for some friend/Hughes time.

Wilmington-Home Sweet Home

My favorite night was camping with our friends on north end (the north end of Carolina Beach). Kaylyssa and her boyfriend Mike came from Charlotte and Anthony came with us so it was just DELIGHTFUL!

We played telephone, shared our favorite point in history (Mike's idea), and sang mormon girls camp songs. Tell me that doesn't sound like the greatest night out!

Kaylyssa and Mike in their residence.

Kaylyssa and her graduation present!

We were so tricky with her grad present. After some facebook coorespondence with her boyfriend it was agreed a new bike would be awesome and confirmed that she was not sentimentally attatched to her old bike. Operation- custom bike began. We decided to build a custom bike for her from http://www.republicbike.com/ and to get the colors she would like I asked her for her top five favorite colors (that she'd want together) in order of most liked to smallest liked. She thought, as I had carefully planned she would, that I would be sweating and breaking my back weaving a hand made bag, cuxtal, for her with said colors. Oh how wrong she was, we sure got her when we wheeled in, okay carried in with a sheet over it, her bike! She loved it, we were happy.

Talking at a schools:

-"Do they go to school every day?" Grade 5

-"I killed a chicken" -me "oh no! why did you do that?" -school child "Pause...Because that is where meat comes from." -me

-“is that real life” in response to telling them about Belize's hour for lunch where children walk home

Children in the states thought the chores (and division of said chores) were the most interesting part

Chores of states: Chores in Belize Girls Boys

Do homework Iron all uniforms clean pig pen

Make your bed make tortillas chop fire wood

Put away your toys wash dishes haul water

Unload dishwasher wash clothes and little siblings

Sweep houses

Take in clothes, fold and put away

Feed the chickens

Shell corn

So What's New in the States:

1. Airport's full body scan: just talking about it last year, now I am personally aquainted with it, thanks Miami

2. The back of the US penny

3. No air hand dryers in airports (can you confirm, are they being discontinued??)

4. $1 taco night is now TWO to THREE DOLLAR TACO NIGHT!!!! NOOOO!!!!!!!!

5. Everyone, like EVERYONE has smart phones (see photo below)

6. No ticket booth at the movie theater, had to buy at the concession counter *select theaters

7. 3D TV!!!! REALLY? Okay it is confirmed we are now in the future.

Charlotte

Bowling buddies

Charlotte was all about baby sister, her awesomeness and now (university confirmed) smartness! She graduated Saturday with a GPA of 3.81. We are so proud of her!