There's a New *Shan Saq' in the Vill!
*Ms. White
Meet Miss Meredith!!
Here's some fun facts:
*She has her undergrad in Psychology and Masters in School Counseling
*We are the same age and were both living in NC before Belize
*She is excited to work with the school garden and HFLE (health) program
*Her dad has pet sugar gliders (flying squirrels)
*She loves art but can't draw
*She was also a vegetarian before she came to Belize!
Meredith and 37 other volunteers arrived March 24th to their new home of Belize.
Finally, after nearly two months of training, their site for the next two years was reviled! There were three people in Education learning Ketchi, and our money was on Meredith, we were right! They let all the PCT's (Peace Corps Trainees) come to their future site for a four day whirlwind visit. Starting with a counterpart workshop and a bus strike.
I was asked to come and speak on a panel with my principal about how we communicate and work together during the workshop, so we got the 6am village bus to town. After arriving we heard every radio and every TV blasting the play by play of the first national bus strike. Soon after, the texts came in from our PC warden (fellow volunteer Nate) we are now on 'Standfast' and not to move or leave our site. Burning tire blockades effectively slammed all transportation to a screeching halt. The toledo James bus drivers agreed to participate in the strike but refrain from setting ablaze any barricades.
The workshop forged on and Greg and I got a ride with TFABB back to the vill. I immediately went over to Meredith's future host family to check out the digs and see if they were excited about meeting her. I wanted her to make her own bonds and have space so I went home before she arrived. We met up at night and made our plans for the four days. Her host mom, Ms. Florintina, quickly 'fixed' her name. "I fix your name, xMary." In kriol the 'th' is pronounced 't' so her name proves very tricky. Mostly it sounds like Mereda, or
“I agree with the bus man dehn because dehn man mortgage, dehn wife and pickney dehn just di get pitch weh. Ah mean Novelo’s slip down with this thirty-five million and all ah that stuff [and] dehn man ya step up to the plate. Ah mean the minister mih need dehn now because this other guy step up now dehn wah pitch weh dehn man ya. No man that outta order, di minister wrong mein.”
Top 5 Questions Villagers Asked While Showing Around Meredith:
1. What is her name again?
2. When are you leaving?
3. How old is she?
4. Does she have babies?
5. Is she married?
Here's a recap of her first four days:
Saturday:
-5:30am go and make tortillas at the Saki's
-1:30-4:30 meet all village leaders
Sunday:
-First rain storm of the rainy season
-1st holy communion
-Catechist announces 'Ms. Mary' as the new Peace Corps
-Principal introduces her to the entire Catholic community
-Meet the staff for the first time over snacks provided by the parents
Monday:
-Principal presents her to the school, explains psychology as 'reading minds'*
-Yvette introduces herself as the librarian, and asks for volunteer assistants for the summer
-Observe Preschool, Infant I and II, Standard I, and Standard II
-Girls football team wins district championship
-Ride bikes to Big Falls and eat lunch at Colemans
-Go to Big Falls Lodge, tube down the river then walk and swim back up it
-Swim in a real pool then play bananagrams with the owner
Tuesday:
-Meet during the living rosary and discus the breakdown of the Belizean school year
-walk and look at some potential houses, talk to Ms. Yatz in Ketchi, eat choco-bananas
-Observe Standard III and IV, and Standard V and VI
-Catch the bus to Lubaantun, hang out on the ruins chatting
-Play with ancient whistles found on site, bounce rubber ball (from rubber tree), walk to San Miguel
-Enjoy snacks, ride the bus back, stop at the Baptist preacher's wife's house, visit at two other houses
-Say our goodbye's
Wednesday:
-Catch the early early bus out back to Belmopan
*Yvette confesses she is scared to work with her, "is it true Mrs. Kevina that she can look in your eyes and read your mind?" Great. Knew that would be lost in translation.
Welcome to the village Meredith, I know you'll do great work and look forward to the next 5 months!
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