What a week can do...

I got home on Sunday Evening after working on Peace Corps 50th Anniversary exhibits and what not all weekend. I walked into the gate and approximately 4 mins later there was a knock at the door…To my surprise it was my landlady, Dookram. Dookram is a 70++ year old woman that sells at the market. She is large, has few teeth, and wears few articles of clothing.
I open the door, “Hi, Dookram, how ya day go?” I say.
She walks away, her back turned towards me and sits down on the bench, away from me.
“ Two kids came by yesterday…I told them you weren’t home and that they shouldn’t come back….. Then 8 kids came back minutes later…I told them that I don’t wan them in my yard and that they cant come back here. I don’t want to have kids in my yard. I don’t want to see them here.”
I’m speechless for a second. “ Okay, you don’t want them in your yard, that’s okay. They are still going to come over though, because I teach them lessons every week and we have play time.”
“ You shouldn’t be teaching them lessons, their parents should be, not you. I don’t want kids here.” Was her response.
I repeated that they are going to do lessons here…and she began to rant about how she wants to find someone to live here that doesn’t “deal with children”…And that’s the beginning of my week.

Monday I go to school with optimism in each pocket..and a little in my bra too for safe keeping, and face the school day.
3 teachers are gone. I get all their classes. About an hour into the day the HM comes in. She interrupts me reading a story to say “ Your hair doesn’t look good.”
So I am apparently having a bad hair day, teachers aren’t coming to school because there is no leadership, and once again I feel the optimism seeping through my pockets onto the floor.
I cant make anyone care. That’s true.

I can change attitudes to make people happier, and hopefully care a little more?!??

I sit down with the HM on Tuesday. Im nice, I don’t use any negative statements eventhough I feel a lot it, and the day ends with a plan to improve, things to work towards, people feeling like they can accomplish things. Improvement. This is the 3rd time we’ve been down this road, lets hope 3rd times a charm?!?

Wednesday flies by..and soon Thursday comes and off I am with two of my students to see a probation officer, the social worker and their mother. We walk in after a 25 minute walk, into the room with the probation officer, Ms. Shephard. The mother comes in a second later, whom I have never met, and whom we walked by seconds before without a word being exchanged to her or her sons. After almost, but not being slapped, I get her permission to take them to the psychiatric hosipital. I set up an appointment for 10. We don’t get there till 10:30, but the doctor isn’t there anyway. The doctor in fact doesn’t come til 12:30, and even though they asked about 8 times for me to come back with them, we waited. Dr. Mayda walks in. She is Cuban, like most doctors here. She meets with the boys for 15 mins. Asking them questions about how they are, why they are here, what have they been doing. And she keeps all the notes in a file for just one of the boys, even though they have both been here, there is only one file. She decides on medication. 3 different pills.
I ask her, “What medicine are giving them? What is it for? What is the diagnosis?”

Oh they are Mentally Retarded. These pills will help their mood.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Really?!?

I wanted to swear but didn’t. Thanked her, and now had pills in my hand and a 40 minutes walk back to the school.

They are not mentally retarded. They are smart, and funny and honest…and just need someone to guide them.

Ayyyiiiiayyyyiiiiii


Friday came. Awesome day with the Sign Class. Discussed girls and boys and relationships. Its funny in sign. I signed the word sexy and Anthony, (who is 14) told me I cant say that word because I am not married and its bad.

Friday night came. Kids came over and we colored. I bought a new Scooby Doo Coloring book. So cooolllllllllllllllllllllllllll


The Brewers 2 for 3 victory over the cubs this weekend was my favorite part.

Peace Love and a Week

Peace Love and Meaningful Moments

Meaningful Moments

I have many of them here. Maybe because I search for meaning in things and places and people more now. Maybe because I am just lucky.

I have moments here that I’ve realized I'd like to share. Moments that can’t be captured really just in pictures or words, but feeling and smells, eyes and exchanges.

I want to start sharing them with you. Maybe 100 of them. Maybe 100 meaningful moments and with that I will write a book. Why not?

Gotta Start Somewhere:

One.
I was walking home from the market on a Sunday morning. The time was about 8:30 a.m. and the sun was already doing its trick of warming up the space around me. I was swallowing the air..it was thick enough to chew, as one my boys rides up on his bike to cycle with me home. His name is Steffan, he is 11 years old and happy happy happy all the time. He asks where I am from again , and if it is hot there like it is here. I take in the heat and surroundings and with that moment I realize it is spring in Wisconsin. Early April . I ask him, “have you ever heard of seasons?” he replies “ yah” and I respond with “ can you tell me the name of one?” He thinks for a minute, the sun making his eyes squint and he now moves down from the seat of the bike to the bar to sit(which looks completely uncomfortable if you ask me) and then he says “Guinep Season?”.
And with that I realize so much. That my entire life I lived in seasons that guided me throughout the year and they all pertained to weather. And now, I am living my 2nd year in a place where all year long the weather is hot hot hot and the seasons are guided by food. Foods are the seasons of change….Its a fat kids dream..and Mango has to be my favorite season of all..well, I guess its tied with fall.

Random 2011

I was Aprils Fool!!!

So I woke up to go barefoot running yesterday morning with one of my friends, Jason, who was in the Bush with me this week. I got back around 6:50am(Jason beat me and was waiting upon my return) to which he greeted me with an urgent, “Steph just called and said the only vehicle for the week is going to be here in 10 mins to take us out, otherwise we are stuck here all weekend!” He asked if I was going to shower..but I had to pack up my stuff and pee so I just scrambled, wiped the sweat off, and piled things in!!
He had to go pay the lady that cooked for us, so he left as I was packing and I waited for him. While waiting I said goodbye to the family that so graciously hosted us, telling them of the change of plans. He still had to get his stuff together, but told me Pierre was in a hurry and I should go wait for him over there. I carried my heavy bags( you know I am not a light packer) over to Stephanie’s house(training manager) and was greeted with a “Hello?” Hey, I said, "Jason just told me we gotta get going, Im sad I don’t get to do the sessions today" She responded with, “What? I didn’t call Jason? Did i? I don’t think so, what are you talking about?! At that very moment Jason walked through the gate with a smirk and a “April Fools!” shout!

awwwwwwwwww Shucks!!!! I cant remember ever being fooled before..and the best part was, I didn’t even realize it was April yet!!!

Owowo, ill be a fool for you April! As long as I can start everyday with a barefoot run in the sand!!

HAPPY April!!


Peace, Love and Foolish-ness!

Rainbow Fish

You know its going to be a good day when you wake up and immediately start filling water balloons. This good day happened to be last Sunday for PHAGWAH!!! Phagwah is a Hindu holiday that is celebrated to show “ your blood is my blood and lets share with each other”. People play with powder that is like colored baby powder and water filled with dye to color your skin and clothes with the meaning. If you stand outside you will see the brightest colors all over people, as well as water dripping off of them non-stop.

Last year I was in Georgetown playing with the President…this year I got to be with all my favorite kiddos! The city water comes on in the morning and then again at 12..so this is the time that most of the watering begins. I answered the door to water guns and kids who drenched. I tried to avoid getting soaked as long as I could, but at some point in the morning I had to walk down the street to see some friends.. As it turns out there is no way to avoid buckets of water with 16 children just waiting for you to leave your home. I think it’s one of the funniest feelings you can have; walking down the road as children come running at you with water and dye!
Even though I was soaked, I officially started playing at 12 when the water came back on. Throwing colored powder, smooshing it in peoples hair, taking buckets and washtubs and pitchers full of water and blasting it at children…and they did not hold back. It was the biggest and longest water/powder fight…. this year though I didn’t come out like rainbow fish!!!
If you’ve never had a big water fight with children, plan one. There is nothing like it in the worllllllld.


Peace, Love and Phagwah!

The BUSH!!

Well hello there tarantulas....could there be more of you in one spot?!?

After driving through 3-4 feet of mud on a 4 wheeler for an hour, you land in the bush!!
I went in for training the remote newbies! I was always told that Amerindians are quiet people, and was kinda fearful of going there and being tooooo loud, just cuz, well you know me. but man did i feel at home. I never wanted to leave the shower outside, peeing outside, 6-10pm electricity even! The people were so welcoming!!

Bathing in the black water, doing the dishes down by the stream, oh the simple life...i just wanted to learn how to fish with a bow and arrow!!!

I ran in the mornings barefoot too!! Can you imagine, hard to soft sand, not a thing in the distance and the only sounds you hear are your own breathing and thudding of the feet!!!?!?!? ohhhhhhh man, how does life get better than that?!

But ultimately I had to go back to my own "home", and the kids make it easy to be here. Lots of rain, play and coloring on Saturday with my "crew" = 6 kids under 11. Love it, love them.

Miss the Bush already...but am happy to be home and busy busy busy with work!


Peace Love and BUShyyyyyynesss

This Past Week