tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508740466356394712024-03-05T20:34:04.345-08:00Jess's Vida and ViajesJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-83356830391261971852009-09-16T06:38:00.000-07:002009-09-16T07:09:37.377-07:00Quince AGAINWow. I really feel like Peace Corps service is FLYING by. I can't believe another Quince has come and gone. For you non-Guatemalans or Non- PCV Guatemalans the 15th of September is Guatemala's Independence Day. We look at it as a time when schools are taking huge amounts of study time out to work on their dance routines to techno music, a time where fireworks are frequent, and a time where everybody uses it as an excuse to get out of work. With that said, it is actually a great holiday. This year I went to Xela as it is the fair there this time of year. It was really fun. I went with some PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers), some Guatemalan friends, my friend Evelyne who lives here in Tecpan, and her 2 friends from Canada. We went to some beautiful hot springs, the fair, and a futbol (soccer) game in Xela. It was a great weekend and I felt pura Guatemalteca due to the extremely Guatemalan things we did. I think my highlight was going to the soccer game. It was really fun, everybody was representing their Xela colors (which are actually the United States colors), singing, dancing, yelling, etc. On the day of the 15th I went to one of my good friend Dana's schools to watch some pinata breaking and listen to some live Marimba (the country's typical music). Then we had snacks on the grass at our friend's farm. It was a really great day. Today is a day of rest due to the festivities so all schools are closed. . . Hence my blog update.<br /><br />Work is going OK. It's really hard right now because early on in this cycle we visited the CTAs (Superintendents) that actually wanted the project in their municipalities. Right now we're visiting the CTAs that really don't care. We have to CONSTANTLY call them to confirm. We get canceled on REPEATEDLY. And when we get there they often have not chosen their schools. We have 3 left to visit, 1 appointment for tomorrow, and something tells me the other 2 have completely blocked us from their lives. No worries, we'll start visiting the good ones again and work will pick up! We have a training next week with our boss. .. He's going to be training the CTAs on Project Design and Management which means how to design and manage small project like hand washing stations, letrines, and kitchens. We don't really have a role in the training, we're mostly going to support and learn. I think it will be interesting. We hope to take advantage of the fact that all of our counterparts will be together so we can train them on how to conduct a Baseline Survey, make a Plan of Action, etc. but I'm not sure if we'll have the time. I'm realizing more and more that making a HUGE difference this year will be difficult but at least we can be as organized as possible and set things up for the volunteers that will replace us. We also hope to do another big training at the end of this year or the beginning of next year to explain about all aspects of Healthy Schools including health classes, healthy , habits, etc.<br /><br />I still love my English student Michelle. I haven't done a class in a while but we're picking back up today. We went over things in the kitchen last class so I think this class we'll make banana bread so she can use her new vocabulary. . .<br /><br />All is well in my house. Except for the mold smell. But that will be gone in the dry season hopefully!<br /><br />Ok, I'm out of ideas! I hope to update again soon!<br /><br />Ah, other current challenges. SAFETY. I actually feel MUCH better now than I did a few weeks ago. One of my good friends in Peace Corps was on a bus that was held up at gunpoint. Since travel is an integral part of my job, I was nervous for a while. Also, some guy grabbed me on the street. Gross. I will never get used to lacks of respect like that. But, I will say that I have a thicker skin than I used to! It's a shame that such a gorgeous country with such great people and so much need also has abusive people that yell at women on the street, rob buses at gunpoint, and touch women close to their homes. But, maybe the small improvements that each volunteer and NGO is making will all add up to contribute to a huge change here in Guatemala eventually.<br /><br />JessJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-15915842626178817002009-07-25T05:56:00.000-07:002009-07-25T08:03:37.163-07:00Cultural AwakeningI'm sitting in my little "living room" which is my front room that overlooks my little garden. The furniture includes a cloth mattress on the floor, a plastic table, and a plastic chair. There is a beautiful bay window from which I can see my grass, a huge freesia plant, and the other flora of my mini garden. This is my favorite place to sit in the morning and enjoy my oatmeal and tea. This morning I am remembering a time about 3 hours ago when I was awoken by a cultural event. . . I was sleeping soundly, dreaming my crazy malaria prevention pill dreams, when I heard LOUD music, drums, and fireworks. That's right, 4am on a Saturday morning and there was a parade going on. I just wish somebody would have warned me. Apparently it's Tecpan's birthday. Well, Happy Birthday Tecpan! I also get frequent window shaking music from the church next door. Between that, car horns, busses, etc. , there is a lot of noise pollution here to say the least.<br /><br />A little bit about my neighbors. As you all know I moved in April. I LOVE my new house and my new neighbors. They are all sisters in the houses surrounding mine. My neighbors that share my back wall (Dona Rosa and Family) have the most adorable daughter who I give English classes to once or twice a week, depending on my work schedule. She's 9-years-old and is named Michelle. She is so adorable, so sweet, and so smart. Next to them is another sister who has 2 adorable sons (and more children, but I interact mostly with the little kids) names Chiqui and Jorge. Chiqui is called that because that's an abbreviation of the Spanish word for tiny (Chiquito). Jorge is about 10 and always comes over asking random questions like doing interviews for a class, selling raffle tickets, or bringing over the lyrics to "Beat It" by Michael Jackson and asking me to help him with pronounciation. In front of my house is Dona Mercedes, the happy, nearly jolly, owner of the store in front of my house. Her children are a bit older and all go to school and work in the store except Victoria who is a little younger and so sweet. She also works in the store from time to time and I believe she's 10 or 11 as well. Dona Mercedes sells the BEST tostadas with avocado, makes tortillas, and sells basics like eggs, flour, snacks, etc. One of my favorite parts of coming home in the afternoon is greeting them.<br /><br />June was a tough month for work. The Ministry of Education suspended classes country-wide for 2 1/2 weeks. 1 week was for H1N1, 1 for Teacher's Day, and 1/2 for a holiday. So, as you can imagine, we had to rework the schedule and lost some valuable time. However, this month we are hitting our stride again and have had a few successful visits. Some have been less successful. The first training we gave about Phase III of the project, 7 superintendents missed the meeting. The second makeup training 5 missed the meeting. So, we've been going to them to explain the new pilot project. Right now in our visits we are visiting the proposed schools of each superintendent (which are 2 or more). Each has to pick 2 schools to run the Healthy Schools Project in. We go, make sure the schools are excited and fill out a set or requirements that our us, our boss, and personell from the Ministry of Education developed for the pilot project. If the superintendent has difficulty choosing between 3 or 4 possible schools, we help them make the decision based on the animation of the teachers, need for the program, and the adequacy for the program. We've had some great visits and some mediocre ones, but so far it is going well. At times we find ourselves saying T.I.G. because somebody doesn't show up, there is no transportation, etc, but overall everything is going well. Soon we want to do a training on how to do a baseline survey on the school, how to present the results, and how to make a plan of action to set small goals to eventually accomplish the certification of the school according to the Profile of a Healthy School. This week SueEllen (my partner) is in Spain, so I will be visiting 3 superintendents on my own or with other volunteers in those areas.<br /><br />Life as a Peace Corps Volunteer definitely has its ups and downs in work, culture, living situations, and personal lives. Work is on an up right now because we've got a good pace set and everything is flowing nicely (most of the time). Culture is great. I love living in Tecpan even though the guys in the street are extremely disrespectful at times. My personal life is great. I'm working on getting in better shape, have great neighbors, a great home, and great friends. There are actually some other volunteers in Tecpan right now, 2 from Spain and 1 from French Canada so we have a great time cooking together, hanging out, etc. Being with people from different places, cultures, and languages is an experience that I never want to be without. Living situation: this is pretty funny. Everything is great on that front except I'm dirt poor. This month started with the 4th of July. This involved spending 3 nights in Antigua, spending money on food, nighttime activities, a hostal, etc. We also had to put down a deposit on a house we're renting for Thanksgiving in El Salvador as well as pay for some T-Shirts we ordered earlier in the year. You can imagine how much all this affects a volunteer on our salary. For the last couple of days I've been eating oatmeal, pasta, and the occasional piece of fruit of vegetable but pay day can't come soon enough. It's all a part of being a volunteer though, and part of it's exciting. I'll never go hungry, but the quality of food is a little low right now.<br /><br />Something I forgot to include earlier: Teacher's Day. It happened in June and we got to participate in a ton of activities including going to a department wide awards ceremony with a lunch and dancing to a live band after, going to Santa Apolonia's celebration (our old stomping ground), and going with a group of teachers from Santa Apolonia to El Salvador for a Teacher's Day trip. It was really fun, tons of interaction with our counterparts and teachers, and I'm really going to miss this time of year when I'm back in the States.<br /><br />Other great news: I'm going home for a visit in a little under 2 weeks! I'm going home for Brittany's wedding (One of my best friends, we've been friends for over 10 years now)! I can't wait to see my family, my friends, and of course my dog Maggie. So, email me if you'd like to get together, I'll be home August 5th- 18th. Also, the great thing about working in a pair is that we won't lose time in our work because SueEllen will be able to visit communities while I'm gone just as I'm doing while she's on vacation now. I'm also watching her dog Nala which is SO fun. Nala is adorable and hilarious to watch, although she has been digging in my garden.<br /><br />I realize this is a super long post. I'm probably forgetting a ton but let me know if you have any questions!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-82833182548574361442009-05-09T07:06:00.000-07:002009-05-09T07:49:15.697-07:00This. Is. Guatemala. T.I.G.As you all know, I'm in Guatemala. So, the title of this post may seem a little silly. But, T.I.G. is a saying that we have. . . Things work a little differently here. For example, here you can hike right up to a flowing river of lava, toast marshmallows over hot lava, swim in whatever pool you want in a semi-protected area, ride in the back of a pick -up truck, etc. When people seem surprised by these things, the automatic mental response is, "Well, T.I.G." But, it can also be slightly negative. We take everything with 10,000 grains of salt. For example, a lady on the bus is throwing up in a bag next to us .. . That kind of thing doesn't even disturb me anymore. . . I just go back to staring into space. . . Maybe something will flash through my head like: "I hope she doesn't get any on me." Or, when we get street food in the park and a lady sneezes directly into her hand and then continues to prepare the food. . I said something like, "Well, at least the food is hot." All of those things make life more adventurous. . But this week we have experienced some T.I.G.s that have been less than pleasant. First, we had this huge important meeting/ training set for yesterday. . It was going to be the first presentation to the CTAs about the new project that we'll be working with them on. We were so excited and nervous. . . Not to mention anxious to begin working on the new project. . . Can you guess what happened? It's rescheduled for next Friday. . Which is actually a blessing because our APCD can participate as well as a counterpart of ours. But we worked pretty hard last week to be ready for Friday and the change happened. T.I.G. . . Everything worked out ok, and actually better. . . Well yesterday we were informed that there was a change of CTAs in our department again. . . So we're wondering now if our meeting will change again. . . Time will tell. The thing is that the CTAs just changed last month, which is why we have had such a delayed start. Oh well, This. Is. Guatemala. Here you learn to take everything in stride. When I get back to the States, whenever that may be, I will be a lot more flexible and patient, that is FOR SURE.<br /><br />I had an AMAZING weekend last weekend. SueEllen, Dana, Katie, and I went to Semuc Champey in Alta Verapaz. It was a 9.5-10 hour ride to get there but it was so worth it. It was gorgeous. Semuc Champey is a natural set of small waterfalls and pools that you can play around in/swim in that is in the jungle. . . It was formed in some way that I'm not sure of that involves a rushing river going underground and has resulted in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. We went to Semuc in the morning and had the area to ourselves! We were the only people there for about an hour until people started rolling in. We splashed around in the pools all morning. .. In one of them there were these tickly fish that had us rolling with laughter. We took a break late morning and went to get some fresh mangoes and delicious homemade chocolate with cardamom. . . After than we went to see where the river goes underground. . . That part is extremely impressive. I'm going to try and post pictures of it. Then we did about a 30 minute hike STRAIGHT UPHILL.There are staircases that feel like ladders to get up to see the view of all of the pools.It was totally worth the walk. The view of the site is striking. We had Guatemalan kids use my camara to take pictures and meanwhile the other people standing by took pictures of us with their phones. I think we're all used to that by now, although it's always at least a little annoying. After the mirador we walked down and found an empty lagoon to play around in. We found a vine to swing on haha. Anyways, our deserted lagoon involved two Guatemalan kids watching us from behind some grass and a walkway above us where everyone entering Semuc passes. People would stop on the walkway and take pictures as well. Sometimes we feel like celebrities. . Not. After a while swimming around we decided to pack up and leave. Then, the sky opened up and started raining really hard. We had no umbrellas or anything so we just walked in the rain back to where we were staying. It was actually really fun. We bought a cacao fruit from a woman on the way and ate it in the rain. . . If you have the opportunity to try it you should. It was dilicious, so tart and sweet at the same time. The rest of that day we just hung out.<br /><br />On Day 2 we did this incredible cave tour of the Kanba Caves. You wear a bathing suit and shorts and are given a candle. Then you enter the caves. It's a combination of wading in ankle to waist deep water, swimming with one hand holding the candle in the other, climbing ropes, climbing ladders, jumping off of a rock inside, and shooting down a chute. It was one of the coolest things I have ever done. Our guide was the 16 year old son of the man who discovered the caves. After the cave trip we went to jump off of a really high swing into the river, then tubed for a little bit, jumped off of a bridge into the river again, then finally landed back at the hostal. It was fantastic. The rest of the day we relaxed by the river. .<br /><br />Everything is going really well here. Despite the delays in the new job I'm confident we'll be able to give these people some valuable knowledge and really help the Healthy Schools Project be more sustainable and succeed. We are actually more or less helping out Ministry of Education with pre-implementing a public policy that our boss has been working on with the Guatemalan government. So, hopefully we'll give our department the boost they need to really succeed with the implementation of HS in every school. There is a large need for this project in this country and I feel like we will have an integral part in meeting this need. Also, I really want to pursue a MPP (Masters in Public Policy), so this is really interesting to me and right up my alley.<br /><br />Aside from work and travel, my personal life is also great. I'm so content in my new house. I'm enjoying oatmeal with banana and walnuts (walnuts were this week's splurge) and a green tea. . The rainy season is just beginning so it's a little foggy out. I feel like I have a good niche here. I have good friends, a good job, a great house, and a great network within Peace Corps. . .<br /><br />I really miss all of you in the States :) I appreciate emails for responses! I want to know what everyone's up to!<br /><br />Ok I tried to add pictures and it didn't work so email me if you want to see them and I can send some out!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-44571890053558756632009-04-16T09:33:00.000-07:002009-05-09T07:05:37.787-07:00Jungle Hike :)Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. . busy busy. . A few things to talk about. .<br /><br />1. New job! Last year my partner SueEllen and I were responsible for implementing and coordinating health and hygiene programs in 25 rural schools, every school in our district. That was going great, we had 8 schools that we wanted to certify this year, give or take. . .We were really impressed by many schools and disappointed by a few. . Now we're responsible for all of the superintendents (CTAs) in our department (Guatemala's version of a state), 23 in all! This is another pilot project in which each CTA will pick 2 schools to work in and implement the program, so we'll be in 46 schools. We're trying to make the program more and more sustainable so we're teaching the people higher up in the system how to make Healthy Schools work. . . It's a great opportunity! We're going to be responsible for training, workshops, helping pick schools, monitoring and evaluation, development of materials, technical assistance, and much more. We'll be traveling 3 days a week and have office hours in the Minstry of Education office in our department. . . It's so exciting! So, I had to move from my small town to a much bigger one because 2 girls replaced Sue and I. We are now living in Tecpan which is really close to Santa Apolonia, so we'll still keep in contact with the families and friends from Santa.<br /><br />2. Semana Santa! Over Holy Week 5 friends and I took some vacation days to hike to a really cool ruins site in the jungle (Peten). It was a great hike on which we say lots of monkeys, scorpions, tucan like birds, iguanas, wild turkeys, a peacock, and some other birds etc. The first and last day were somewhere around 23 km and the 2nd and 4th were about 28km.. Lots of walking but it was so beautiful, so secluded, and so fun. The ruins site is great because It's not totally excavated but you can see where the ancient Mayans really lived and went about their daily lives. It's a preclassic and classic site, a lot of the preclassic stuff was built over when a new generation came later. Why they left El Mirador is still a mystery.<br /><br />Also. . . On the last night we got to the last camp and the vigilante or like guard had gone fishing on a horse 2 hours from camp and came back with some unidentified fish and some catfish (called pesgato and pez means fist and gato cat which I thought was funny). They never get mean or fresh things like that. . . They started cooking. . . making tortillas which I had never seen men do. . . anyways they made fish soup and gave us all bowls! Which is crazy because they have so little yet they shared what little they had with us. .. So we were eating bowls of broth w/ onions and WHOLE cooked fish. . . It was a beautiful thing although now easy to do. . . Grant, a vegetarian in our group, ate it our of gratitude and politeness which I thuoght was cool. It was actually really good, although a little different from usual. We were just struck by the kindness of those people. .<br /><br />The 2nd night Ashleigh, Kelsey, and I slept on top of the 2nd largest pyramid. .. It was windy! But had a great view. . . Then at 3am it began to rain and we had no tent so we had to climb down in the dark using one flashlight between the 3 of us. . . We had to use a rope to get down. . . needless to say it was an adventure. . . We saw some great sunsets on that trip as well. . . The rest of the trip went smoothly and I arrived not much worse for the wear . .. I arrived with a few tick friends, blister, and minus one toenail :)<br /><br />I'm more than halfway through my service, although I'm really considering extending to finish out the school next year. . . I need to start studying for the GRE! Grad school apps aren't due any time soon but it's study time now. . .I've finally decided I think I want to get my Masters in Public Policy or something closely related. Down here we're working directly with a public policy and the process is so fascinating and appliccable to so many things . . . But we'll see. . . I have at least a year and maybe more to change my mind :)<br /><br />3. My new house. It's amazing. It's bigger than my old one and we painted it amazing and bright colors. . . So buch light gets in and I have a tiny backyard with GRASS which is unheard of out here. . . I feel so refreshed living there and I love to go home, be at home, entertain, do my laundry in the pila, sweep, mop. . . anything in my house!<br /><br />Anybody have good book reccommendations? I just read <em>Papillon</em> and a while ago read <em>The Fountainhead</em> which were both great. . .<br /><br />Miss you guys! I'll be home in August for 2 weeks fro Britt's wedding!<br /><br />Love,<br /><br />JessJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-69294331427028182412009-01-05T07:55:00.000-08:002009-01-05T08:17:19.434-08:00Christmas VacationAmaaaazing. First: Thanks to those of you who have sent me Christmas packages. I really feel the love :) And I´m going to feel the extra 5 lbs. I'm going to gain from the delicious food. . . My parents came. . . We had one of the most amazing trips. . . We went to my site, Antigua, and Belice. We hiked an active volcano, ate delicious food, cruised the Carribean, etc. They really got the opportunity to see where I live and what I do as well as see how the country is. . . Also Ron and Jeanne English came, who are really good friends of the family. They vacationed with us a little as well. . . It was great to see so many familiar faces here! I think everybody had a great time, although I was a little overwhelmed at times being the tour guide. . .<br /><br />We had the opportunity to lunch with my family in Pastores which was really fun. . . It was fun translating and having my family and Ron and Jeanne see where I lived during training. What else did we do? Well we had an adventurous bus-boat-bus-boat trip to Belize. . . We went fishing and snorkeling and generally enjoying ourselves on various Cayes in the Carribean. We chatted with some nice people, got some seafood, and walked the small peninsula of Placencia practically to death haha. My brother and I had some interesting creatures in our hotel room including a huge flying roach and a frog.<br /><br />All in all the trip was great. I´m sure I'm missing something but I'm paying for internet time so. ..<br /><br />I'm back in site now with a new school year to look forward to. True to form in thei country school will be starting at least a week late due to the fact that there aren't enough teachers signed up for the year. .. our huge training got postponed so we'll see what happens.<br /><br />I really missed my other friends and family this holiday season. . . I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and hope to hear from you all via email!<br /><br />Love,<br /><br />JessJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-62538007474811748612008-11-20T10:04:00.000-08:002008-11-20T10:50:41.155-08:00More Pictures and an UpdateHey hey. I'm a blogging machine these days. So. . .went to Chuisac, the village outside of San Martin. We finished a stove, the one in the school. It was a lot of work but really fun. It felt good to see some final results. We also had a fire outside of Katie's house that night which was AMAZING. I love campfires. . . We ate some good food thanks to Dana's cooking, played a lot of Boggle, and just hung out. I'm attaching pictures at the bottom of this update. There will be some pictures of the first phase and the second.<br /><br />Also, some random stuff. 1: Music that I heard on the chicken bus on ONE trip: Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion, and Bryan Adams. I laughed out loud. 2. I went to the market and got a bag of jalapenos, a pound of potatoes, a pound of tomatoes, a pound of blackberries, 6 zucchini-like things, a head of broccoli, and a cucumber for under 3$. Amazing. 3. It's freezing here. I go to bed with sweats, shirt, sweatshirt, socks, a scarf, and my hood up. Also my sleeping bag is on top of my bed for extra warmth. It's cold out, lots of wind, no insulation or heating in the houses. Brrr. ..<br /><br />Here are the pictures I promised. . . there are some of my house and the others are of the various parts of the stove project.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img src="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641505_6493.jpg" id="myphoto" /></a><br />my kitchen<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641506_6869.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />My front room<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641507_7171.jpg" style="" /></a><br />pila, dish keeper, outside that's inside. . . generally where i do most work like dishes, laundry, etc. The stairs lead to my roof. .<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641508_7481.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />Entryway, bookshelf. Looks almost like the states :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641509_8512.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />Shower. Pepto Pink Bathroom. .<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641510_8816.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />Bathroom again. . .<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641513_9728.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />Girls from my Girls Group making earrings. . .<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641607_2292.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />Mixing lye or lyme. . . burns the eyes and nose!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641608_2599.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />Mixing cement . .<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641610_3207.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />You have to level EVERYTHING.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641679_4717.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />Making rebar cage to reinforce cement in base. . . With Debbie and some Guatemalan kids. . .<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641713_6539.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />Leveling everything. .<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641714_6841.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />Campfire. . . Love it. .<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641734_2703.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />Girls hard ar work!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40641506&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v378/208/96/3300351/n3300351_40641735_3076.jpg" style="" /></a><br /><br />Finished product!!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-4390884829007898932008-11-16T10:25:00.000-08:002008-11-16T10:30:33.966-08:00Mas Fotos<a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=37669265&id=1500948" id="myphotolink"><img src="http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v367/215/74/1500948/n1500948_37669264_3484.jpg" id="myphoto" /></a><br /><br />More Pics from the Ruins. . .<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=37669253&id=1500948" id="myphotolink"><img src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v367/215/74/1500948/n1500948_37669252_9994.jpg" id="myphoto" /></a><br /><br />I realize it's not the best pic of me but look at those ruins :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=37669253&id=1500948" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v367/215/74/1500948/n1500948_37669253_277.jpg" style="" /></a>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-3312096288214918252008-11-15T06:08:00.000-08:002008-11-15T06:18:15.083-08:00Some Pictures<a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=32201769&id=2901016" id="myphotolink"><img src="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v332/5/73/2901016/n2901016_32201766_8642.jpg" id="myphoto" /></a><br />Seno Cony's Wedding, and SueEllen and I in Indigenous Dress<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=39283318&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v298/208/96/3300351/n3300351_39283317_4303.jpg" style="" /></a><br />A view from my roof. . .<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=39283318&id=3300351" id="myphotolink"><img id="myphoto" src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v298/208/96/3300351/n3300351_39283316_3084.jpg" style="" /></a><br />Another view from my roof. . .<br /><br />So as you can see, I live above a park. The other view I have is above the Municipal Building, which they just tore down and are rebuilding. On clear days I have views of 3 volcanoes. I just took pictures of the interior of my house, so I should post them soon.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-36642413347659923462008-11-15T05:45:00.000-08:002008-11-15T06:07:55.583-08:00Noviembre<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnCzbbKisgBjOD8VvwlVNpoX9NowVNzkYmIVQ0wypZQTygyG_qmRNEfg-qhNn9N9LZgH2wPG3ldWhJyJFEHhMYPcUhOZLViUTeONvZPDSyaZBfoRBSNGZsYDsLcBvuBIkt3mGA4tg8_a1/s1600-h/DSCN1174.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnCzbbKisgBjOD8VvwlVNpoX9NowVNzkYmIVQ0wypZQTygyG_qmRNEfg-qhNn9N9LZgH2wPG3ldWhJyJFEHhMYPcUhOZLViUTeONvZPDSyaZBfoRBSNGZsYDsLcBvuBIkt3mGA4tg8_a1/s320/DSCN1174.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268880619803290434" border="0" /></a><br />That picture above is of the ruins in Copan, Honduras. We went for Halloween. . .and to see some new sites. . . It was gorgeous. We met some cool people, ate some good food, and I spent way too much money (haha). Those ruins were great, but can't compare to the ruins of Tikal, which i went to in June with all the teachers from my school district. I hope to post pictures of that later.<br /><br />Sooo. .. November begins. I've actually been fairly busy considering there's no school right now. Last weekend I went to a friend's site to help with a stove project. The stoves in the homes and schools here are generally open fires that use a LOT of wood, create a lot of smoke, and really have effects on the lungs of the women and children that are around the cooking fires. There is not much ventilation, so the rooms fill with smoke to the extent that your eyes water and you cough when entering a room. Peace Corps has a design for a stove built with cement, cement blocks, bricks, a metal plate, and chimney that conserves the heat using less wood and allows smoke to escape the home, reducing respiratory sicknesses and diseases. For a school to be certified, they must have one of these stoves, so I went to Katie's site to learn how to build them. Also, it was about time to get my hands dirty and see some immediate results. It was a great experience. It was fun to work with the Guatemalans who were recieving the stoves. The kids were running around gophering, spreading out cement, wiring the cages we use to reinforce the cement, etc. Also, we got to work with a great group from the states who donated the money and came down to help with the actual construction. We had a great time with them, eating together, joking, talking about out lives in the Peace Corps. I'm going back this weekend to help finish with the tops of the stoves, you can only do one part at a time so the cement has time to dry.<br /><br />In site I've been pretty busy as well. I have a graduation to go to today for the son of my host family here in Santa Apolonia. I have my girl's group that meets every week to bake, make crafts, and talk about career stuff, life stuff, etc. I'm mostly working right now to gain their trust, then will talk about real issues later. Also I have an English student Odely. She studied to be a bilingual secretary in school but they don't really practice English so I'm helping her out. Also, I'm dying to plant a garden on my roof. I have the pots and the soil, I just need to get the seeds and plants. We're beginning Kachiquel classes soon, which is the Native Mayan language around here. So, although there is no school, I've been keeping pretty busy.<br /><br />I always think of things I want to remember to post on my blog, then ALWAYS forget! So frustrating. . . hope to think of more soon!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-21376201276257069382008-10-20T12:04:00.000-07:002008-10-20T12:24:04.131-07:00Que FrioHello All. So I'm really sorry I haven't updated since August 4th. . So in almost 3 months. . I have a lot to catch you up on! I'm going to go in order of events. . . .<br /><br />SueEllen came back and we have been having some really interesting cultural experiences to say the least. We went to a funeral in one of our villages. Unfortunately a teacher from one of our schools passed away in a motorcycle accident. We went to his funeral along with all of the teachers in our school district as well as the members of his community. It was really sad, but an interesting experience. We were fed a beef soup with no utensils so we were drinking from the bowls and picking up the chunks of beef with our hands and gnawing at them as well as the veggies. Also, there were tons of fire crackers that were set off during the funeral, a must in every activity here.<br /><br />That same week we went to an inauguration of a school that they rebuilt. That was also interesting. I don't know if I've told you how much respect and clout we get here but it's crazy. We sit in the front row, walk around with the mayor's entourage (which is interesting, he has like 6 or 7 guys that are always with him to get whatever he wants from wherever we are like more food, etc.), get thanked in the speeches, etc. There was also a congressman or councilman or something from the national government there. There was a marimba band (which is the music from Guatemala) and we ate beef soup again. This time we got spoons but still had to gnaw on the beef with our hands. It was actually a really nice ceremony despite the rain. I don't think it stopped raining the entire day and it was COLD. The school got 4 new classrooms, really great bathrooms (WITH SINKS!). .. this was a huge change from the house that they were holding classes in before. The event started with a little procession from the new school to the old school, anout an hour and a half of speeches (each one thanking the mayor profusely), ribbon cutting on each classroom and bathroom, then a lunch with music by the band. It was a really great day.<br /><br />We just finished up the school year so we're looking forward to our secondary projects. SueEllen and I are planning of learing Kachiquel, the Mayan language from our area, working on scholarships for a couple of kids from the villages, and working on infrastructure projects in some schools that need them. Individualy I have a girl's group that I'm starting to work on life planning and self esteem as well as tutoring a neighbor Odeley in English. She's a bilingual secretary and wants to work on speaking English. Also I plan to make a herb garden on my roof eventually as well as finish organizing my house. . . like building shelves and stuff. . This school year was great because we had the chance to get a feel for what we're gonna do throughout our service. We're starting next year with a huge training for all of our teachers. . . Should be difficult but helpful to them. .<br /><br />Let me think. . . I went on a trip last month and this month. Last month I went to El Quiche, where a few volunteers from my training group live. It was really fun. . . we had a great dinner, did a little dancing, and then the next day went and swam in this really cool in the mountains. As most of you know I LOVE to swim so it was really amazing to have that opportunity. About 2 weeks ago I went to Coban, which is like 6.5 hours from my site. That was really great too. We ate cuban food, saw some new places, etc. I do about one trip a month, and the last 2 have been great because I went and got to know 2 very distinct places so different from where I live. Coban is jungly and kind of tropical and Quiche is really mountanous and foresty. . .<br /><br />I love my house now. I painted my kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. I'm trying out new recipes and stuff, I feel like Sally Homemaker or something. I'm pretty good about keeping my house clean because I never know who's going to drop by.<br /><br />I miss everybody at home so much! I've been pretty homesick lately so any emails from you guys would be great! Also if you have any questions. . .<br /><br />PS: It's getting COLD here. You would think it would be sunny and warm in Guatemala but let me tell you. . . it's misting everyday and getting pretty chilly. . . Luckily my family and I are going to Belize in December. . . I'm going to need to defrost. . .<br /><br />Hope to hear from you soon!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-22732046122471623882008-08-04T13:18:00.000-07:002008-08-04T13:29:38.976-07:00FinallySo, I haven't written in an eternity. For those of you who don't know, my site mate/partner got sent home by Peace Corps for medical reasons. .. . but she's BACK! So I'm pretty happy.<br /><br />I'm in my own place, which thanks to my mom, is SO COMFORTABLE. It's nice to be in my own home, cook my own food, and just be able to kick back. I hope to put up pictures of the casa soon. It has one bedroom, one spare room, and a kitchen. Also, I have this random concrete room where my pila is. The downsides? Lots of white fuzzy mold. Also, I have water for between 1-2 hours each day. It comes from 6-7 am and then somewhere around 3ish to 4ish. . . it depends. So, I wake up about 6 or 6:30 every day to shower and fill my pila. Then I use the water from my pila for the rest of my chores (dishes, mopping, flushing toilet) for the rest of the day. Other than those 2 things, my house is awesome. Aunt Shelly, thanks so much. . . she gave me a portable dvd player so I can watch dvd's in the comfort of my own home. . . THANK YOU! It really helps when it's lonely or a little scary at night. . . I know, I sound like a wimp.<br /><br />What else is new? We're giving our first solo workshop at the end of this month. . we're thinking about how to insert Healthy Schools principles into their yearly lesson plans. . . it's all up in the air right now.<br /><br />I went to the states to see Lolo and JM get married. . . It was amazing seeing everyone. The wedding was beautiful. . .and then another bf (Brittany Belluomini) got engaged! So you can expect me next summer for that wedding as I am in it and all. .. and I wouldn't miss it for the world. It was great seeing my family, especially my mom. The strange thing is that it didn't feel like I had ever left. Hope it feels like that in a year!<br /><br />We just got done with Reconnect, a refresher training where we reunited with the whole training class to go over cultural stuff, work stuff, etc.<br /><br />My health is pretty good, I may have amoebas again, we shall see.<br /><br />Some people have been asking what I like in care packages. . . Here's a little list of things I REALLY appreciate:<br />-Chocolate Chips<br />-Anything from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods<br />-Pictures of you guys!<br />-Dried fruit<br />-Jiffy Muffin Mix (I just got a huge toaster oven)<br />-Burned Cd's of new music (It doesn't quite make it down here)<br />-Dvd's<br /><br />I appreciate ANYTHING! Thanks to those of you who have sent letters, packages, etc.<br />My address is:<br />Jessica Momberg<br />Voluntaria de Cuerpo de Paz<br />Tecpan Guatemala, Chimaltenango<br />Guatemala, Centroamerica<br />04006<br /><br />So feel free to email me with updates, questions, etc!<br />Miss you guys!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-61195109003352996992008-06-03T14:35:00.000-07:002008-06-03T15:00:21.198-07:00It's been a while.. .Hi everyone! I know it's been a while.. . nothing really interesting has been going on, same 'ole...<br /><br />Work: Finally finished introducing ourselves to all of our 21 schools.. . it went really well with most of the schools, some were definitely more enthusiastic than others. We had to write a report about all of the schools and give it to our superintendant. . if that's how you spell it. He's been really supportive, but he's a busy guy! Our counterpart Seño Cony is adorable. She's really a typical Guatemalan, takes her time, etc. She's so sweet. She had purses made for me and SueEllen, my site mate, out of one of her old huipiles, which is like one of the indigenous shirts. ..It was really sweet. She also took us out to an amazing lunch. . . We have a great friendship.<br /><br />Lets see. . . me and Sue went to Antigua for lunch this Sunday and unfornutately Sue has an acute peanut allergy.. . long story short she had a reaction and had to go to the hospital. .which was crazy. The people at the hospital were pretty inefficient. . . Sue was like purple and they took 20 minutes to give her anything.. . although they did ask me her age like 3 times. It was ridiculous. And they didn't have epinephrine so long story short we're going to the hospital in the capital next time.<br /><br />What else? There's a crazy tropical storm right now and it's raining all the time. . Lovely. You know us Californians, at least me. I don't like more than a couple days of rain. Peace Corps has been sending texts about how there's supposed to be rain for the whole week.. .lovely. The house that I don't live in yet but I will be living in a couple of weeks from now has 2 walls that are completely wet. Plus this other room that is kind of outside has water all over the floor. Think I should call my landlord? One of the water spots started out as an E.T. like figure, then transformed more into Jaba the Hutt or whatever. In my bedroom it started as a guitar then transferred to E.T. on skis. . . now both are huge blobs.. . Lucky me.<br /><br />Hmm... My boss is coming to our town to see how we're doing on Friday. I'm pretty excited. We'll find out what we're doing well and where we need to improve. . It should be interesting. We haven't done much except get acclimated. We've started to do baseline surveys on all of the schools so we can get an idea of where we need to go from here. So far the teachers really need to get teaching the health classes. They aren't doing a lot of that yet, and it's a big part of the program. Some schools will be able to get certified quickly, some have bad attitudes and never will certify. We need to really try and certify all of them, but there are some where their hearts aren't in it.<br /><br />Want to know what we did last friday night? Ate popcorn and made hot chocolate while reading the People mags that my mom sent me. It was amazing. Then we split a pizza and drank some vino. It's all about the simple pleasures in life. . .<br /><br />Miss everyone at home. . .I'll be home in 35 days! Just for like 6 days but still. . . so exciting.<br /><br />xoxoJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-8875511233748128532008-05-09T17:35:00.001-07:002008-05-09T17:35:33.011-07:00PicsHere are a few pics of the activities from this week. More to come later when the internet is not so sloooow.<br /><br />http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2246630&l=21f0b&id=3300351Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-57925780310019825122008-05-09T17:12:00.000-07:002008-05-09T17:30:04.535-07:00Mothers Day Mister!Ok, starting with Monday. Because there's a lot of stuff.<br /><br />Monday May 5 we gave a workshop for 2 hours about personal hygeine. It went incredibly well. We did this activity called ''La Mano Gigante'' aka ''The Giant Hand.'' We had everyone make their own materials so they could perform it in their schools on their own (so we hope). This took a lot longer than we had thought it would, but it all wend well. This particular activity also involved me calling the kids like Señor Diarrea and Señorita Amebas. It's a good activity about washing your hands. Anyways the kids loved it. We also did a story about this dirty little girl and some songs about brushing your teeth. There were 85 people at this workshop, about 20 teachers and the rest kids. . And we got carne asada for snack which was delish.<br /><br />So Tuesday we went to a school called Panatzán which was FAR. We got a ride in a pickup with the principal which was 1 hour and 15 mins. WOW. We got to know the school and what not and then before we were leaving this group of girls that were at the workshop the day before performed our activities and songs for the wholer school. It was amazing and really emotional because we felt like we really got through to them. This girl had the mannerisms and phrases down! She was like the miniature guatemalan version of me, only better at Spanish haha. It was amazing.<br /><br />We went to some other schools this week that were also FAR but the kids were adorable. We went to an aldea called Xesacap where there are 2 schools with 2 teachers and 50 kids each. . . and they are like 5 mins apart. Apparently there were problems in the community years ago and the schools split. . . odd.<br /><br />Today we went to a Mother's Day Celebration today. . . They made us speak, as usual. It was SO fun. The moms did games like a spoon race and musical chairs and this egg whipping thing. There were performances and lunch (of chow mein, really randomly a Guatemalan staple). It was great. And we made a friend who is about our age. . .<br /><br />Ok, so for the funny stuff. Yesterday on a walk we saw these guys walking on the tops of these really dense trees. It was surreal. And strange.<br /><br />One guy who drives a camioneta always calls me mister. I think he thinks it means miss but it gets me laughing every time.<br /><br />Some kids today told me they thought I was 50 years old. I freaked out and then a mom told me she thinks it's because of my white hair.<br /><br />Plans for tonight you ask? It is a Friday night after all. . . Well we just got pizza. Then we're having a dance party in our friend's kitchen. Wild, I know. Then we're going home and making popcorn and hot chocolate. If that's not a wild Friday night, I don' t know what is.<br /><br />Miss you guys!<br />xoxoJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-71552158481081118432008-05-05T15:39:00.000-07:002008-05-05T17:46:06.704-07:00Love the music. . .So today I was on the camioneta like I am everyday and the driver was playing the following amazing songs in some sort of remix: Ghostbusters, some Ace of Base song, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, the one coke commercial one that goes like ''I want to break free''. . . what a mix right? It's crazy the music you hear in these parts. . . Also yesterday a woman's bag was meowing which I took to mean that she didn't let the cat out of the bag.<br /><br />I updated my pictures! You can see them at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2223400&l=00351&id=3300351">http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2223400&l=00351&id=3300351</a> . . I need to take some more pics of my town asap so you can see exactly what it's like where I'm living.<br /><br />So the internet cafe is closing . . . I'll update soon because we did a cool thing at work today. . .<br /><br />here's my new address. .<br /><br />Jessica Momberg<br />Voluntaria de Cuerpo de Paz<br />a/c Cuerpo de Paz<br />Tecpán Chimaltenango<br />Guatemala Centroamérica<br />04006<br /><br />There is a flat rate envelope if you wanted to send anything by chance ;) that is 11$ and gets here really fast. I love dried fruit and chocolate. . . and pictures of you guys!<br /><br />I'll update mañana or Wednesday. . .<br /><br />xoxoJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-63037202988740614592008-04-29T13:45:00.000-07:002008-04-29T14:12:14.669-07:00Amoebas are not fun. . .So, I know it's been quite a while since I've written on the ole blog. . . busy busy. I'm now in site. I live with another family that is a little different from the fam in Pastores.. . I cook for myself and all that. . . which I like but I don't really feel like part of the fam like I did before. I love my little town, although there is not much to do. We go for LOTS of walks and stuff. . . And read a lot. . . But it's really beautiful. . .I would compare the landscape to the mountains of California. . .lots of trees, really green. Lots of small farms.. . every day when we walk to the schools that are FAR we see people working in the fields. . .a lot of carrots around our schools. . .<br /><br />How do we get to our schools and back you ask? We take camionetas (chicken buses), walk, or a pickup, or all of the above. The camionetas are hilarious to see because we are 2 gringas in a bus full of people in typical indigenous outfits.. . we stick out a little. I LOVE the pickups because we ride in the back and it's absolutely beautiful countryside.. especially on warm days. . . which are getting to be more and more limited now that winter is coming.<br /><br />Some interesting notes:<br /><br />We have this routine to introduce ourselves to each school. Well, last week a principal said that they shouldn't be scared when they see us, if anyone is going to rob them it's going to be a Guatemalan. . .it was hilarious. Every time we introduce ourselves at our schools our counterpart Seño Cony (Who is AMAZING) says that next time they see us they shouldn't be scared or run away, which actually happens quite frequently.<br /><br />Also, I've had about a week of interesting happenings as well as bad luck. . .<br />1) A drunk harassed me and a friend on a bus. He tried to fight the helper and then the bus stopped, everyone was staring at us (which happens daily but I'm still not used to. . . the staring that is), and the guys got up to kick this guy off the bus. It was really scary because we thought these guys were gonna pummel the drunk, they take everything really seriously here. Eventually everything calmed down and the bus started moving again. .. I'm really not doing the story justice I realize.<br />2) I got amoebas and a bacterial infection. I felt like death. I had a fever and lets just say nothing was staying in my body... at all. I had to take a bus for 1 1/2 hours to get to the training center, give a sample, and wait for the results. Well, they didn't find anything so I had to stay in Antigua overnight. I had the equivalent of 12$, no clothes, toothbrush, phone charger. . .nothing. . .had to stay in a hotel for 6$, get around which costs about 5, so i had like no money to eat. . .which was fine because I couldn't. The next day after a night of misery I had to walk to the clinic to give another sample. .. walking in that condition was not easy. Then I went to the training center and I found out I had a bacteria and some amoebas. . . lovely. But, now I'm better. . . after the bus ride from hell to get home. Imagine a fever, dehydration, no food, and the d word for 2 1/2 hours on a crowded hot bus. Yay. But I am grateful to live so close to the training center, that's for sure.<br />3) A turkey escaped on the chicken bus! It was hilarious, climbing around our feet and such. Eew.<br />4) We went to the election of the queen of the school district. SO FUN. These women (teachers) dressed up in indigenous clothing, sportswear (like cheerleaders, boxers, etc), fantasy clothing (costumes like corn and mermaids), and gala clothing. It was quality, let me tell you.<br />5) To continue my string of luck I took a chunk off of my toe on a rock. . . yay.<br /><br />So that was my week last week. I'm hoping I have a change of luck this week. Maybe I'll find 100q on the ground or something. I'm looking forward to a little r and r to recooperate.. .<br /><br />In the internet cafe today I have heard Gangsters Paradise, various songs by Ace of Base, etc. Amazing.<br /><br />I miss everybody! Feel free to email me! <a href="mailto:jesslmomberg@yahoo.com">jesslmomberg@yahoo.com</a><br /><br />also here's the link to my pictures: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2223400&l=a3fc4&id=3300351">http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2223400&l=a3fc4&id=3300351</a><br /><br />xoxo<br />JessJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-86536057313737202592008-04-04T10:23:00.000-07:002008-04-04T10:33:07.941-07:00And So It Ends. . .And BeginsTraining is officially over. We swore in last Thursday at the Ambassador's house. It was absolutely beautiful. The yard is huge, I saw carpet for the first time in like literally 3 months, Laura and Andrew gave amazing speeches. It was great. . . And there were sandwiches and brownies after. . . Then we had a weekend of celebration and goodbyes in Antigua before we separated to our respective sites. I already miss my friends and fellow volunteers and host fam!<br /><br />So, my new life in Guatemala has begun. I'm now in my site. . . It's a smaaaalll town next to a bigger town about 1.5 hours away from Antigua. It's adorable and my new host fam is great. I've taken up weight watchers again. . . I've put on 5 lbs since I've been here thanks to my old host mom Lupita and all that bread. I'm surprised it hasn't been more! So, there's a gym in the next town over that I plan to frequent frequently. . . I'm finally cooking for myself which is great because I don't have to eat carbs carbs carbs at every meal. . . they are delicious but unfortunatley my thighs think so too.<br /><br />We've basically been assimilating this week, getting comfortable, getting to know the town. My new house is great, my room small but roomy enough. I life with a woman who I think as about 40 with her 17 year old son and 6 year old daughter. The husband I have yet to meet as he only comes home on the weekends. There are 4 other houses in the same patio where Seño Dora's (The lady of my house) sisters and mom live, so it's a pretty happenin' place, if you must know. <br /><br /> We officially begin working on Monday, which is pretty exciting. It's the reason we are here, after all. Training was a great experience, but let's get to work :)<br /><br />As always, I just want to tell you all that I miss you much. . .<br /><br />XOXO<br />Jess<br /><br />PS: You can look at pics at:<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2223400&l=a3fc4&id=3300351">http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2223400&l=a3fc4&id=3300351</a>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-66378099545446757942008-03-12T16:29:00.000-07:002008-03-12T16:48:22.422-07:00Pictures. . .<a id="myphotolink" href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=37509129&id=3300351"></a>I have a website where I´m gonna put pics. . . It´s on flickr.com and my username is jesslmomberg. let me know if you can see them!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-5344674946970405872008-03-12T16:20:00.000-07:002008-03-12T16:29:18.313-07:00HiiiI´m in my site. . . just for a visit but it´s going really well. .. Today we went to a school certification which was great to see what I´ll hopefully be doing tons of times in my future. . .that is, certifying schools as healthy schools. . . there were lots of speeches and a pretty good lunch. I think I´ll really like living in this community. Everyone is so warm and open and friendly. . . I miss my friends and family at home though! Í´m at the internet while the others are working out. I know, lazy lazy. But, I wanted to REST since last week was SO LONG. To add to it I woke up at 4:45 to go to the exit of the procession with my host brother on Sunday after celebrating my host cousin´s bday on sat and then having to celebrate my host dad´s bday on sunday. No rest for the weary! It was really amazing to see the salida of the procesison though. . so beautiful! But so many people.. there was hardly room to move. I´m going to upload photos on a website I just haven´t figured out which one. Any suggestions? Okay well I miss you guys tons. . . I can´t think of what else I should write! XOXO.<br /><br />Ps for those of you who don´t know my email is <a href="mailto:jesslmomberg@yahoo.com">jesslmomberg@yahoo.com</a>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-42589717119404693162008-03-04T14:14:00.000-08:002008-03-04T15:14:35.969-08:00Por FinHey family and friends. . . I know I've been completely lagging on my blog updates and emails. It seems like I have NO time but here I am :) First, I miss all of you TONS. I love it here. . . but it's always hard leaving behind the fam and amigos. So, I'm just going to do a quick overview of where I left off. . . I'm still in training, 25 days till we swear in and I'm an actual volunteer! Finally. . . It's a lot of work, exhausting, and it seems like my time is not really my own time... but I love it... and I'm almost done.<br /><br />My Cell Phone (Call anytime:)) Country code is 502. . . then my # is 4081-5554<br /><br />Address (Write Anytime:))<br />Jessica Momberg<br />a/c Cuerpo de Paz Guatemala<br />Apartada Postal 66<br />Antigua, Sacatepequez<br />Guatemala<br />America Central<br /><br />Ok, here's a little play by play so far:<br /><br />About 3 Weeks ago (around V day):<br />Field Based Training. We went to Huehuetenango, Quetzaltenango (aka Xela), and Tecpan to see how volunteers live, look at schools, etc. It was AMAZING. The whole Healthy Schools crew got extremely close. . . We saw some great schools, ate at some good restaurants, saw some totally different parts of the country, slept in god awful hotels with like 30 people sharing 2 bathrooms, participated in a Valentine's Day activity with a Guatemalan school and its teachers, and spent some quality time in the Peace Corps microbuses. I brought my Itrip for the ole Ipod so it was a good time rockin out in the van. I was extremely tired after the trip but we learned how to deal with different situations, about different infrastructure projects, and how actual volunteers live. They have cute little houses, cook good food, and really go easier on the carbs than they do in say.. host families? We spent a week on this trip so I'm not really sure what I'm leaving out. . .<br /><br />After that:<br />Back to the training center. Me and another girl Becca in my Spanish group were awarded an advanced level of Spanish so we get to stop classes! So... we look for activities to fill our time. But, we still are working in a local school and go to the training center about once a week. What are we doing with our free time you ask? Planning a lot for our school. We have done lots of observing and what not, as well as gave a health lesson. This week we're planning a workshop on how to use different materials for the teachers (that will be wednesday)... What else are we doing you ask? We have actually started working at this pre-school called changing lives (Cambiando Vidas). We go and help cook and clean and are going to give a couple nutrition workshops to the mothers of the students. That will also be a TON of work. I can't really think of anything else in this section. Oh, yes I can. I got this other cool job within my program . .. I'm now (along with one girl who will be living in my same town) a Heally Schools Coordinator. . I'll be working supposedly more on the municipal level and we'll have 20 schools instead of 2-4. It's a LOT of work getting to some of the schools as well as a lot more responsibility and work, but I'm up to it. . .and the challenge. We'll seeee.<br /><br />Also, I planned a trip to Monterrico, a black sand beach here about 2 hrs from Antigua. It was absolutely amazing. 11 of us went and it was worth every quetzal (or $ if you're still using $'s).<br /><br />Last Week:<br /><br />I got to visit my future site and stay with the girl I'll be replacing. I saw my (hopefully) future house. My town is teeny tiny but I'm like 5 minutes in a chicken bus or a 45 min walk from a larger town with really great amenities like a gym (which is NOT like you would think of a gym. It's more like a home gym), a PIZZA place, and a couple grocery stores. . . The people we're replacing love it. . . so I think I will too. . . they've done a great job there. I can only hope to keep up that good work! We had fun with them cooking bbqing, etc. We also went to a couple of the schools, met with the town doctor, dentist, mayor, school superintendent, etc. A busy couple of days but really amazing and encouraging.<br /><br />This Week:<br /><br />This week we had training Monday, cooked for a preschool this morning, planned a workshop for tomorrow, have a workshop at a school tomorrow, have to plan a workshop for a group of mothers from the school (like 25) about nutrition tomorrow, have to do it on Thursday. . . AAAH. Busy busy. Right now I'm in Antigua because I have to type my resumee in Spanish. And we have to type some things and copy them. .. also more work than you would think. This week is crazy. So Friday we get some leeway for Spanish class and we're going to a museum in the capitol which I am looking forward to. . . a break from PLANNING AND PRESENTING. Which is what I'm going to be doing for 2 years straight so I really shouldn't whine about it.<br /><br />Also, something interesting that's going on in Guat right now is that it's Cuaresma, which is like Lent. So every Friday there is a Velacion. But anyways there are these beautiful scenes and flower/colored sawdust arrangements covering the floors in the churches (a different church each weekend) and there are tons of food booths outside like a fair. Then on Sunday there are these beautiful processions with Jesus and Mary on floats that people carry for hours and hours. Tons of families in the communities make these carpets of colored sawdust or in our case pine needles, flowers, fruit, etc, and the procession passes and walks all over them. It's gorgeous, really fun. Last we went to Jocotenango's and went with all of my host mom's (Lupita's) family. So amazing. Her fam is fabulous. They are so welcoming and so warm. This weekend it was the procession in my town so her fam came over to our neck of the woods. I made cookies and we made chicken sandwiches and she made batido which is a tradicional dirnk for this time of year. Her family obsessed over the cookies which made me feel absolutely amazing since they took me hours to bake because I could only bake 6 at a time. And they were expensive to make (only like 15$ but thats a LOT on a Peac Corps budget)... That was a GREAT day. Oh and that morning I made eggs and french toast for my family and my friend Ashleigh came over to help/eat. I love sharing with my family and learning from them as well . . cheesy I know.<br /><br />Ok I'm not sure if this blog completely made sense but here it is. Next Tues. I go to my site again which will be exciting. . . More to come after. . . hopefully. . .<br /><br />With all my love,<br /><br />Jess<br /><br />PS: Feel free to call me and/or write me whenever!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-90511563192553086252008-01-25T07:35:00.000-08:002008-01-25T07:38:17.925-08:00A Quick UpdateI´m still alive. I wrote a massive email this morning and now have no time for the blogster. I miss all of you much. Everything is going well. My home is great, Guatemala is great, my training class is great. . . Lots going on all the time. Being a trainee is a busy job! More later, I have a minute left!<br /><br />xoxoJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-36860191847505169352008-01-14T05:43:00.000-08:002008-01-14T05:45:29.751-08:002 Weddings and a BaptismOk. I have like no time to write because we have class in a couple minutes but I wanted to say a quick hello. I'm loving it here. My new host family is amazing. I live in a beautiful little town outside of Antigua called Pastores. Love the new fam, miss my own. Had a busy weekend. . . 2 weddings and a baptism in one weekend! I miss all of you and will write much more very soon!<br /><br />xoxoJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-6749445738493941362007-12-30T07:41:00.000-08:002007-12-30T08:03:29.760-08:00So Much to Do, So Little Time<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Ok. A week until departure. Last week was filled with shopping, spending time with the fam, and eating more food than i thought was humanly possible. As you may know, I have a LOT to do. One, I have to pack. Two, I have to deal with banking, car, car insurance, bills, goodbyes, etc. To help with the goodbyes most of you know people are coming to my house on the 5th for a little Farewell Fiesta. So there's some prep involved there too, not that I mind, it's going to be really fun. Beyond all the work I have to do and the stress that comes with it there is a huge amount of excitement bubbling under the surface. I'm SO excited. Whether I am sufficiently prepared has yet to be seen. I have a feeling this week is going to fly by. . .<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250874046635639471.post-30957530982709488562007-12-19T21:03:00.000-08:002007-12-19T21:11:06.987-08:00Para Empezar<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>For those of you who know me, you know that I am leaving for a HUGE trip on Jan 6, 2008, not to return until April of 2010. I am setting out for Guatemala as a volunteer for the Peace Corps in a short time. My specific title will be a School Health Facilitator, which I understand to mean that I will be working with rural primary schools to develop health, nutrition, and sanitation programs to help the overall health of these children, and eventually the following generations. I can't even begin to describe how excited I am. . . First, all of the Peace Corps Guatemala crew will meet in Washington DC for a 2 day staging, or orientation. . . Then we depart for Guatemala! For the first 3 months we have training in Santa Lucia Milpas Altas and its surrounding areas, and at the end of that I will know where I will be spending the next 2 years of my life! Oh, the suspense. . <div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> I know I will miss home and all of my friends so much, so please keep in touch! I'll post more contact information shortly. . .Stay tuned for more entries which I'm sure will be more interesting. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11150936860646258768noreply@blogger.com0