In Sickness and in Health

Greg with all the puppies following him to the shower.

In Health:

Greg's trip to Cayo. Greg went up with his best friend George and his family (wife and 7 kids) to Cayo. All in one truck. I stayed back to attend and show support for our host family for the one year anniversary outdoor mass of their son Estevan's death. Erica came out to keep me company and see the village for the first time and was shocked at how we constantly had an audience of 3-7 kids even when we were just writing letters. We went on a walk through the village and visited some of my favorite families. We met Ms. Rosita on the road and she invited us to come look at her garden. We went home with 4 huge green tomatoes and fried them up for everyone to try (sending some back with her daughter). The tomatoes were a huge hit, they do a similar thing with bananas so it wasn't too far a stretch. As soon as they came out keith, erica, or I were gobbling them up. She left before the mass which was really nice. I didn't feel out of place, I knew the ketchi songs and my lady friends all sat beside me. It was a full mass, outdoors, with candles and naked bulbs suspended from the USAID tarp providing shelter for our benches. We kneeled in the grass and prayed that Estevan's soul would be at rest. Afterwards we all ate caldo and drank cacao. Around a hundred or so people came to show their support. At least someone from every family in the village...people lined the surrounding buildings and road to sing and cry. Death may happen a lot here but it is not insignificant or forgotten easily.

The back of the truck

Meanwhile Greg left early for Cayo and had to bundle up in the back of the truck due to the rain and wind. He stayed at Cicily's brother's house and they all got along great! He said the food was wonderful with the women constantly cooking something. The highlight was a day trip into Guatemala. George and his wife both speak great spanish so Greg had fun keeping up. He even showed them up at a restaurant where no one could remember the name for toothpick in spanish. Greg whipped out his phone and slyly googled it and much to their surprise was able to provide the answer: palillo de dientes. Afterwards everyone did a little shopping, which was the point of the trip (buying supplies and a dress for his eldest daughter's quincinera). Greg bought a pair of fashion jeans, two pairs of socks, and 2 nice boxers (that will last longer than four scrubbings on a rock) for 40 BZE!!! Just the pants would have been 50 BZE here. He also bought a fan. We haven't had one for 6 months but it is about to get hot again so better to prepare. Two very different weekends but two very fun times!

Greg wants to get our portraits done by this artist.

Spanish ladies know how to cook!

Steve in the sweater Kristen sent! Thanks Kristen it fits great!

In Sickness:

This month Greg got sick for the first time EVER during his PC service. For 6 days he had fevers and chills at night, feeling relatively fine during the day. We were sent to the local polyclinic for malaria testing and blood work. When he went back to check on the blood results the nurse frightenly said he needed to immediately go to the emergency room for observation and would only say his 'platelets were low'. After speaking to a doctor in the ER he determined that it either wasn't his blood or someone had messed up the test, platelets that low would have someone bleeding from their eyes, mouth, and nose...AKA dying! So the Peace Corps nurse crossed off that hospital/clinic as a place to get blood work done and went ahead with treatment for malaria (results not in yet). We are getting his dengue test now to be sure. Greg thinks it is probably just a virus, there was one going around the village that presents like a slightly weaker version of malaria with not as high fevers and only lasts a week (instead of 15+ days). He is feeling all better now, thank goodness.

I had missed some school checking on him, making sure he was eating and resting and didn't think anything of a little 'fresh cold' that was developing. I celebrated my birthday the day Greg got better (best present I could ask for). I had a wonderful birthday, no more attempts at throwing a Belizean party because I had no time to prepare. However the staff surprised me with a most wonderful day. They had an assembly and the whole school sang happy birthday. Then I was given cards and little gifts throughout the morning. AND for lunch they threw a surprise feast! Rice and beans with stewed chicken and coleslaw WITH two fat tamales each! Top that off with coke, cake and another birthday song by just my teachers (ended with, 'for she's a jolly good fellow') and there you have it. Only to go downhill from there...

My cold got worse, I couldn't hear when I helped with our booksale (we made 75 dollars on a rainy day!) and then Friday night the pain came. My ear was throbbing waking me up and forcing me to the hammock for the remainder of the night. Peace Corps wanted to fly me up to see an ENT doctor but the altitude would hurt too much...I had to wait to take the express the following day. That night my ear reached a new pinical of pain and then (I later found out) I met some relief as my ear drum ruptured. Spare the gorry details but it was kind of nasty. However I got to see the specialist, the hole is small and I should have my hearing back in a week! Insult to injury, I was already feeling old what with the birthday and now I've lost my hearing to boot! But hey it is all on the upswing now:)

Some of my cards.

Birthday feast!

The boy puppy.

Dear Diary

Journal Time:
One of my resolutions this year was to write in my journal every day. After about a year in country nothing seemed so crazy and weird anymore. I didn't feel the need to 'go write this down before I forget!' So... I have missed a few but I have been trying to write something each day. Here are a few entries (these were not shortened). I don' t know what other people write about...perhaps their feelings. But me, well I just write it what I see.

All the kids 'helping' Greg wall the dog house.

October 6^th, 2010 Wednesday 5:50 pm

Played volleyball until 5:20. It was very fun. I nicked named Carla ‘patti cake carla’ because she slaps the ball instead of setting. It was frustrating having 1 ball.

Our house with my newly planted garden!

Dec. 3, 2010 Friday 11:30am

Got to finally meet letticia to set up her email so I feel better about that. We also bought 6 baskets. I emailed Jon about the computer donations, just need to email Parham about shipping. Got a thanksgiving package from Greg’s mom!

“I’m smart with you miss.” -Margarita

Dobby with the 7 pups that we came home to...4 remain

January 16, 2011 Friday 8:10 am

Pen is dying.

Jan 22^nd 2011 9 months left Saturday 12:00pm

Greg walled and floored the dog house this morning. I washed 2 buckets, the dishes, the latrine and bathed. The police will soon arrive and we will eat with them.

Things that made me smile:

-“I like to touch you keveen. I like you.” –Morpheus

-Ofelia and I talking all through an entire bucket of washing

-Kids playing in the dog house

*I got the idea of adding what made me smile to my journal entries from my friend Amy.

5:00 update: Everyone (Nina, Andres, Vera, Fer, Ofelia, Mrs co from next door, Sofia, and 7 or so kids came to stare at our freshly finished dog house. We saw Andres chasing Vera, he said he was so tired from diving for fish last night he wanted her to back him home. Greg was quick and responded, “bwai you da get fat, Kevina can back me!” At which point he began chasing me around the little thatched house as I squealed, “noooo!” Much to the delight of everyone watching. He is faster and so quickly caught me, jumped on my back and turned and waved at Andres who was now doubled over laughing and slapping his knee. Everyone was laughing so hard, except the kids who could not understand this so un-adult-like behavior. After he recovered he took off after Vera and threw her on his back and galloped off laughing.

Phase one of thatching a dog house

Jan 31, 2011 Monday 9pm 528 days

Yesterday was great! Met Greg at the junction, rode our bikes to Columbia and had BBQ with Albina, stopped in San Miguel on the way back (impressed the shop keep with our ketchi) Greg worked on Martin’s computer and they gave us delicious veggi filled caldo. Then we stopped by Rositas on the way and they gave us juice and pan tul (banna pudding/bread) and we arrived home to our Godson and his sister with a bag full of Coconut crusts!

Today was not so great, it stunk. Two teachers were out, back to no librarian, and there were visitors and high schoolers at the computer lab. FINALLY going to bed.

Sunday funday in the neighboring village with Tracy. We bartered a haircut for a massage.

*My friend Erica told me she keeps track of how many days she's been in country. She said she was always keeping countdowns and that it was better to stop always looking forward to something. Just live your life.

Feb 4 2011 Friday 9:00am rainy 532 days

On the 22^nd of July 2011 we will have spent exactly half our marriage as Peace Corps Volunteers.

Kids working on their freshwater signs for their football team.

Feb 5^th 2011, 10:30pm Peter visiting

Ofelia “what happened to your ear ring?” to Virginia

Virginia “what?”

Ofelia in a whisper “ Look at greg’s cup!”

-Everyone laughed because this was all said in ketchi and the bit about the ear ring was to distract us about her making fun of greg’s broken and chipped mug he was using!

Kids using beer bottle taps for manipulatives to learn division.

Baby Sister Does it Again!

Kaylyssa: Round 2

December 22-January 4^th

*Mrs. Cecilia mumbles in Ketchi

“My mom says Kaylyssa looks more thin than last time.” –Lynette

“Yes Keveen. Maybe too much study?” –Mrs. Cecilia

Christmas eve:

On Christmas eve we had a busy day. We were invited to eat lunch at the Baptist church. Everyone commented on how ‘saq’ or white kaylyssa was and they stood quietly as we ate our beans. Kaylyssa unfortunately had to walk by a freshly slaughtered pig on this trip but handled it well. It was raining and cold and it was nice to eat warm spicy beans with the fire hearth crackling. We stopped to visit the pastor’s preemie baby. Even getting to hold the little (by then 5 pound) baby, who is doing well and growing bigger every day.

We watched the Grinch at the library during the holiday hours. Mrs. Venessa made holiday hats for the kids with leftover streamer from the inauguration. The children made bookmarks out of the scraps of poster board leftover from printing the report cards.

In the afternoon we headed over to George’s house. We were immediately served coke and cake, as we sat talking about the olden days with two of my teachers. We dabbled in a little ‘day-light dancing’ until the speakers blew. We ate tamales; kaylyssa would eat the corn meal part then hand the lump of meat over to me. She started to tear up when she realized as I uncovered one piece that she had been eating around a foot.

Attempts were made at singing karaoke on the small speakers but alas, George was not satisfied and repeatedly reminisced on how loud and good the new ones were. For dinner we got baked chicken with mashed potatoes! Kaylyssa got a huge bowl of potatoes and a huge bowl of cucumber salad!

“I have 800 songs…in English and Spanish. Now…they are only dreams.” –George over the busted speakers and consequently the lack of karaoke.

“Oh! Oh! And we got that movie…you know, ‘the bells, the bells, oooooh the bells.’” –Me

“It’s a wonderful life?” –Kaylyssa

Lazy day of watching movies on Christmas. We didn’t have then energy to go where we were invited so we just laid about watching movies into the night. We opened our presents in the morning and all tried some of kaylyssa’s salami looking plum circles I found in Chinese shop in Belize. Lots of kids came over and at night we watched ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and made popcorn and had a little mini sleepover!

Top 5 Reasons to Love a Belizean Christmas

5. Children will sit in silence watching your Christmas tree

4. Family and food rule the season! (If gifts are given they are practical; clothes, soap, shoes)

3. Mr. and MRS! Clause have full face, abominable snow man beards

2. Santa comes to the village each Christmas eve with an exercise book for every child (Santa being a man raised in Silver Creek who has done well for himself and has no children of his own)

1. The song, ‘Laughing Santa’ the entire song of jingle bells done just with santa laughing.

We went on a visiting walk one day just stopping at houses as we saw fit, holding babies and passing out pictures kaylyssa got printed in the states. We were having such a great day, and the weather was so nice that we decided to keep walking all the way to Big Falls and eat our lunch at the one restaurant there…Coleman’s! As we were walking out of the village each house would echo with calls of, “bye miss kevina, bye Mr. Greg” Over and over until we passed out of site. As we passed one house the boys called out, “Bye Greg! Bye Miss Kevina!.....Bye…SISTER!” We laughed so hard.

The day after Christmas I couldn’t take it anymore. I texted letticia that we wanted to meet with her father about Barsi (Dobby). Dobby was their dog, a hunting dog, and she’s been effectively ours for some time. Anyway… she said her father wasn’t home but that we could meet with her mother. We went over and the feeling was quite formal. After an awkward moment, after greg and I were brought chairs and given bowls of coffee, I began.

“It looks like Greg really loves Barsi,” I said.

“Oooh, uh huh.” They replied.

“He even wants to carry Barsi home when we go back to the states.” I venture.

“UH huh?” their faces displaying shock, most likely thinking who would go through all this trouble for a Belizean ‘pot licker.’

“We were wondering if you would let us have her, we want to give a lee stipend for she.” There I said it.

“Oh I don’t know Keveen, maybe it’s okay keveen.” Mrs. Florintina replied.

After some more convincing the deal was finally agreed upon. Barsi was bought for 20 bucks (10 USD) and her first born son. After it was settled Greg showed them how she can sit and shake. They were delighted and said how Barsi is getting smart and that Greg must have too much time. After making her perform her tricks (to the giggles and hoots of the onlookers) one last time we walked home with our dog, big smiles on the faces of both parties. The transaction was a success! Barsi (AKA Dobby) was now officially ours. We henceforth christen her:

Barsi Dobby Choco-Casaletto

This leads me to a top 5 countdown…top 5 names for a dog in the village:

Top 5 Dog Names

5. Max

4. Browny

3. Whity

2. Blacky

1. Spotty

This time in the village it was decided, for the most part, that we, “do not favor each other.” Although interestingly last trip the first thing out of peoples mouths when we visited was, “but you favor each other!” Perhaps I’m becoming too Indian?

On the bus kaylyssa saw a boy crying. A woman sitting across from him without looking just handed him a grape (a rare delicacy here since they are about 12 dollars a pound). The boy instantly stopped crying and began to slowly nibble at the unexpected treat.

On our second leg of the vacation, the tourist leg, we got invited to an ‘outdoor whisper party’ by a couple of Irishmen, went snorkeling (kaylyssa’s first time), and got addicted to a TV show called…oddly enough, ‘My Strange Addiction.” We came in third place two times at trivia winning 30 dollars off our tabs, and had a 4 hour dinner on the beach, Fran’s Fast Food.

We’ll end with one more Top 5.

Top 5 Best Play on Words

5. UnBELIZEable

4. You better BELIZE it!

3. I can’t BELIZE my eyes!

2. BELIZE it or not!

1. Don’t stop BELIZEan!