Catching up

I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I know I should be writing more often. The truth is that I’ve been wrapped up in a weird combination of work, sickness, emotional trials and integration. It’s a totally valid excuse; allow me to explain:

On the work front, I’ve been keeping pretty busy. I’m in and out of meetings a lot, trying to get things moving. I’ll be teaching a couple summer classes: A life skills class in the high school and Basic English class in the primary school.

I’m working with a local youth group in developing a peer educator program for the health post, which will last throughout all of 2009.

The health post is training in 11 new health promoters for the community and has asked me to help with the sessions. Once trained, the promoters will be able to go out into the community and assist families in really whatever basic health needs they come across (and most importantly how to prevent them): nutrition, hygiene, clean water, respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS – you name it.

And somewhere in the middle of this, I am doing a diagnostic of the community, where I have to go to 100 houses (yea … 100—I know, right?) to survey the current state of health in the community. I’m incredibly intimidated, but I have kind of a plan, so we’ll see how it goes.

As far as sickness, I’ve just accepted it as part of the Peace Corps experience. I clean my water and watch what I eat, but little changes the fact that this environment is totally new to my body. It’s really cute how my host family tries to help though. It’s never the water or the food, they tell me, it’s the shower I took after lunch, that I walk too much, or I ate a mango and an egg during the same meal. *shrug* What can you do?

The emotional trials have actually caught me by surprise. We unfortunately, had to say goodbye to two of our friends in Tumbes because of security reasons in their sites. As Tumbes is the smallest department in Peru, we were really grateful that they were moved somewhere safe but super bummed that they had to leave. It brought our numbers from 10 total in the area to eight and took a big chunk out of support system. With the whole shock of starting in our sites by ourselves and missing everyone and everything during the holidays, it gets a little rough. But everyone seems to be taking it in stride. My saving grace? The Office on DVD, Harry Potter, and Dame Chocolate (the best latin soap opera EVER).

Integration, however, I think has been the most fun. Integration is what makes all of the above worth it. December is a month of quinceñeras, weddings, graduations and Christmas parties. But it’s also about lazy afternoons with cold Pepsi and mangos, lying on a hammock, or slow walks to the river. Good long conversations or just sitting in silence, watching the evening go by. And the beach … oh, man the beach is amazing …

A group of kids and I made a deal in my first week: I teach them English, and they teach me how to dance. Since then, we’ve had a series of impromptu English/Dance classes at the health post. Brandon, 9, is my dance partner. He’s about a foot and half shorter than me and is absolutely adorable. Not to mention that kid can move.

Anyway, so that’s my life so far. I’m 3 weeks into my service, and I know this is only the start. It’s going to get harder. But with an embracing community, amazing volunteers and a warm beach nearby, I really can’t complain.

Now … here’s hoping I don’t get malaria.