Belizean Cuisine

This post will be short and on a focused topic (shocking, I know!)- Food in Belize. Like many cultures, food is an integral part of its identity, holidays, and traditions. One of my absolute favorite parts about Belize its diversity. To remind you, there are only about 330,000 people in Belize, and it has about 6 different ethnic groups! Belize is home to groups of: Mestizo (Spanish speaking- mixture of Spanish and Mayan), Q’eqchi, Kriol (mix of enslaved West Africans with British colonist), Mennonites (from Germany), Mopan Mayans, and Yucatan Mayans.

With Belize’s rich ethnic makeup, their cuisine has many different influences from the variety of cultures. Since I am living in a Mestizo village, of course I can’t tell you the complexities of the other cuisines, but I can tell you that there are a LOT of similarities. Despite each distinct cultural influence, ‘Belizean food’ has become a shared commonality amongst all Belizeans. At the central point of the Belizean diet is rice, beans, and tortillas (Flour and corn) and every meal inevitably has these items (in some shape or form).

The most popular meal in many houses is rice and beans, which is yes, exactly as it sounds. I affectionately (and begrudgingly), call this meal rice and beaN because it’s typically 80% rice. Unfortunately, fruits and vegetables are not commonly seen in the diet and if so, they are cooked beyond the point of viable nutritional quality (one of our project goals is to encourage and teach healthy eating). The average meal is typically rice and beans, stewed chicken, fried plantains, potato salad, and of course- tortillas. This is typically accompanied by coke or juice. Needless to say, there are a lot of non-communicable diseases here such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Though the diet is certainly a challenge, I have semi-adequately managed to incorporate enough fruits in veggies into my diet.  Despite these many challenges, I have enjoyed tasting new foods and eating things I never expected to. One of the best pieces of advice given by an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) is to always say ‘yes.’ So that’s exactly what I have done, with only occasional regret by my stomach.

Traditional Meal of "Rice and Beans"- includes stewed chicken, potato salad, and fried plantains 

One of the best things about being a local in Belize...knowing people who can get free and delicious lobster!

The famous food of Orange Walk- Belizean Tacos

 Marcia (sp?)- Stewed Pig Intestine. I successfully to swallowed one bite

Preparing for a birthday celebration by butchering a pig- Yes, I watched (or ran away)

Preparing the 'Pib'. Way of cooking the pig underground all night. 

My CHW, Manuella with her hands in a bowl (or bowel) of intestines. 

                               
                                       The Pib is ablazing!

Once the fire drops down into the 4 foot hole, you cover with dirt for the rest of the night to cook

                                     Finished Product!

Black Relleno- Stuffed Chicken with pork and eggs

                  Pig Tail and Beans...It's exactly as it sounds

Making Tamales- Ground Masa (corn) with spicy sauce and chicken wrapped in Banana Leaves and cooked over fire

"The Hardest Job You Will Ever Love"

So it looks like that time again…Can’t believe it’s been over a month since writing my last blog post! I have now been at my new home for a bit over 6 weeks. I am proud to say that my village- San Roman Rio Hondo and I are getting along quite well at this point. Of course, like everyone’s Peace Corps experience, it is full of up’s and down’s. Luckily the up’s are far more present than the downs. 

Throughout training, our PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer) gave us many sessions about healthy adjustments, warning signs of poor coping mechanisms, and the roller coaster ride of emotions we should prepare ourselves for. Needless to say, I have been preparing myself to battle (and win, duh) some rough patches.  I do not want to give the illusion that this is an easy or ‘happy-go-lucky’ experience. In fact this is without a doubt one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but as my dad likes to remind me, “If it was easy, everyone would do it!” I do love waking up every day surrounded by coconut trees, our funny looking pigs (Sorry, fella’s), children yelling my name, and a sense of purpose and commitment for the next two years. 

Since my past update, I have been busy building relationships, observing classes at school, and planning projects. I will be teaching Health, PE, and English tutoring for about 10 hours a week beginning in January. I have been enjoying observing the (extremely) different teaching styles, student conduct, and general operations of the school.  My village of San Roman has the lowest test scores and literacy rates in the district and some of the lowest in the whole country. Out of roughly ten children who graduate Standard 6 (6^th grade), roughly 1 or maybe 2 go on to high school each year. For some perspective, Valley of Peace (where I previously lived for 3 months) - nearly every kid goes onto high school. High school here in Belize is private and is extremely expensive for Belizean standards (and American standards for a lot of people). Additionally, kids must pass entrance exams and English test (remember, all school is in English), which is very difficult here since many parents do not know English. As a result of these many challenges, parents inevitably don’t see education as a possibility or of great importance for their children. Traditional gender roles are very present in this society, and many children are raised knowing their futures are predetermined. From a young age girls are trained in the tasks of ‘keeping a house’ and how to care for younger children while the boys are raised to know how to ‘chop (sugar) Cain.’ It is not unusual to see a 6 year old caring for their 2 year old sibling or to see 11 year old boys going with their fathers into the bush every day.

                                   San Roman Primary School

Next week we begin what will be one of my main projects during the next two years- establishing a pre-school here in the community. The previous Peace Corps Volunteer, Krystal, did an excellent job of initiating this project and gaining community support and dedication in providing the community with a ‘kinder.’ This is greatly important as it will be children’s first (and in many cases- only), familiarization with the English language before getting to school. We will have about 15 three and four year olds. This will certainly be a big challenge for me, as I am fairly clueless about teaching this age group….not to mention my notable lack of patience with 3 year olds (I think I can…I think I can).  These are the types of projects where I wish I could teleport my sister, Allie here to help me!  Any tips/suggestions about working with this age group while having little to no resources, and attempting to teach English as a second language, would be greatly appreciated! My long-term goal is to help establish a government funded pre-k, which would provide a full-time kinder (as opposed to my 2 hours, three times a week).  

Just kids playing with Machetes....

October brought great rains to the north of Belize. These rains quickly transformed from a welcomed and needed relief for farmers to terrible flooding. Farmers have already been struggling due to a very dry rainy season (remember BZ has only rainy and dry season) and the flooding certainly didn’t help. Because of this, Fruits and vegetables have been hard to come by and are unusually expensive, so most people are simply not eating any (aside from the occasional carrot or potato). My village is also known to flood every few years to flooding and our close proximity to the Rio Hondo (Rio-river, Hondo- Deep). When the river floods, roads become completely inaccessible, and the only way to exit the village is through boat! It sounds slightly fun, but is in fact a big problem- people can’t get to work, school is canceled, no access for medical emergencies, etc.

For those who read my last blog post, I was very excited to introduce my new friend, Brownie aka ‘Paz’. Well, I am sad to say that after 6 awesome weeks with my buddy, he died last week. For those wondering what happened, he got into some garbage and he became very lethargic and had a very swollen belly. After taking him to the vet, I found out he ate tin foil, which ended up just tearing up his insides. Unfortunately, there is no waste collection system here, which is one of many health problems here in the community. As a result, there are piles of garbage waiting to be burned and litter on the ground throughout the village. Unfortunately Brownie dying is a reality of life here. Way more dogs (especially puppies) die than survive, and those who do survive often die before they are 7 or 8 yrs old (no wonder people don’t get attached to dogs here). This experience has certainly been quite the learning process. In many ways, adopting Brownie was my attempt to bridge two worlds together. I like to think that some good came out of it. My family and neighbors observed the love I showed him and stopped filling my behavior under the ‘crazy Gringa’ thing to do and I successfully taught my 3 years old nephew that grabbing, pinching, or throwing rocks at Brownie was not a nice form of treatment to an animal. That’s what Peace Corps is all about….small victories! ‘I miss him a lot, and I am beyond thankful for the time we had together. He was my buddy, would wait for me to get home, come running with me at the field, and played until he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore! We had some great times. Rest in Peace, little buddy!

                                                Brownie Y Mi Mama

One of the most exciting days thus far was hosting and assisting 12 doctors who came to the village to provide free consultations, blood test, and medications to residents. It was a jam-packed day but wonderfully exciting to see all the services provided to people here. Every year, Belize plays host to wonderfully caring and giving doctors who come to offer their services from abroad. San Roman is fortunate enough to have these doctors come about once a year (though more would be much better!). For many people (both sick and healthy) this is their only access to health care. Though health care in this country is heavily subsidized by the government, costly rates are often unaffordable for the majority of the population which lives below the poverty level. Needless to say, we have MANY people living with unmanaged chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. 

Mi hermana, Florey y Sabrino Adam

Additionally, Dental hygiene is a big concern here in the village, with many children who have rotting teeth. It is not unusual to see people with fake teeth or no teeth at all. Flossing is unheard of here. The teachers and I are planning to start a dental health campaign, which would include dental health education and facilitation of twice a day brushing and flossing while children are at school.  But of course, in Peace Corps fashion, I want to make this project sustainable, so my goal is to figure out a way to consistently supply the school with toothbrushes/toothpaste and educational materials. We are constantly in need of additional medical supplies and services, so if anyone is interested (or knows of anyone interested) in volunteering their services in Belize….we are ready to host!

                              Our wonderful team of doctors, nurses, lab techs, and CHW's
                                              
Like in America, it is election season! Unlike in the US, the election ‘hoopla’ only began about 6 weeks prior to the election (thank god). It has been super interesting to observe the excitement, political rallies, and tv/radio propaganda for this election. There are two main parties here (UDP- United Democratic Party) and PUP (People’s United Party) and villages typically vote according to whichever party gives/bribes them with money, services, and infrastructure. Peace Corps headquarters mandates an extremely strict protocol for all volunteers during election season. As such, we can’t engage in any political discussions, must remain completely neutral, and aren’t allowed to travel out of site this week. This is both for our personal safety and security and for maintaining positive relations with all villagers- regardless of their party affiliation. My village has rallies until 2 or 3 in the morning, which has mostly involved drunk men driving around in packed pick-up trucks while waving party flags, blasting music, and screaming chants (think game day in Tuscaloosa….Belizean style).

Until Next Time~ Hasta Luego~ Buenas!

                                    My beautiful Niece, Haricely!

I am a Volunteer!

I want to start off by thanking everyone for the sweet comments I have received about this blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to read through my often very long and sometimes too long (like this post) blog posts! It is what has truly kept me going in continuing this project. Not only has blogging been a way to keep loved ones in the loop, but it has also been very cathartic to reflect and document this experience. Additionally, this project also meets the 3rd goal of the Peace Corps, to educate Americans about our country of service...whoo, it's a very multi-functional endeavor. 

So, I know I start off every blog talking about how so much has happened, but this time it’s by far the truest! Since my last post, my training class lead a health fair, taught in the school,  hosted a host family appreciation party, finished Pre-Service training, Sworn-in as new volunteers, celebrated independence day, and moved to our new homes and communities for the next two years! Whew, just typing that out is exhausting! 

Health Fair in Valley of Peace!

Host Family Appreciation Party

The week of the September 13^th was quite the whirlwind. Sunday- I said extremely tough goodbyes to the best host family I could have imagined, Monday-Tuesday morning= last minute training days in the office. On Tuesday afternoon-Wednesday Peace Corps hosted a ‘Counterpart Workshop.’ This was (part 2) to a wonderful workshop which bring together PCV’s (Peace Corps Volunteers/Trainees) along with our counterparts/workpartners who we will work day in and day out with for the next two years. These includes Community Health Workers (through the Ministry of Health) and principals of schools in our villages. This conference focused on group building exercises, effective communications, and methodology for establishing work plans. It was extremely beneficial and helped lay a foundation for which we will enhance our relationship and effectiveness for the next two years.

The following day was a day that we have all been waiting for. In many ways, the swearing-in ceremony is a pinnacle moment of the Peace Corps Experience. It is a monumental moment of every Peace Corps Volunteers service. It marks our elevation from the status of ‘trainee’ to ‘volunteer’, and with that elevation it not means that we aren't constantly referred to as trainees anymore!  It also celebrates that we successfully survived three months of Pre-Service training…a time full of blood, sweat, and tears (ok, maybe just constant sweat and the occasional tears). It also marked the time where we said many goodbyes- to our wonderful training host families and to each other- the amazing friendships and support system that was established the past 3 months. 

Having said our goodbyes on Sunday to Valley of Peace, the village and families we came to love, we spent the week in a hotel near the Peace Corps office. The morning of our Swearing-in ceremony began as we scrambled around the hotel to shower (in a real shower!), shave our legs, put on makeup, and dress in something fancy….basically all things that we would very likely not do again for the next two years! The ceremony was beautiful. There were over 150 people in attendance. From our host families of the past 3 months, our work partners (some who traveled 10+ hours to be with us), Embassy officials, Peace Corps staff, and of course Mr. Ambassador to Belize- Carlos Mareno. The ceremony included singing each country’s national anthem, speeches from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, our Peace Corps Country Director, fellow cohort members, and from the Ambassador himself. I was especially touched by a speech from the Deputy Chief Education Officer, Dr. Carol Babb, who recounted her personal story as a young girl in a rural village of Belize who was greatly influenced by a peace corps volunteer who recognized her potential and inspired her to finish her education and accomplish her goals. 

Following the many speeches, the moment came to stand, raise our right hand, and take the oath administered by the Ambassador. It was without a doubt one of the 'biggest' days of my life thus far. I am so proud to join the ranks of over 220,000 Peace Corps Volunteers before me and to serve my country in a spirit of peace and friendship. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and to be on this journey with an awesome group of people! Thank you to everyone who has supported and inspired me to get here today (especially to Mom, Dad, and Allie!).

Our Super Professional Picture

Far left- Country Director, Melanie Emerson.

 Far Right- Greg McDonald, Director of Programming and Training

This one definitely feels like a more accurate depiction of our group!

The day after our ceremony, all 17 of us said our goodbyes and embarked to our new homes for the next 2 years. Getting to San Roman in Orange Walk, was a 3 bus, and 4 hour journey….not so bad (especially considering people going south to Ketchi land had a whole day + night in a hotel of travel). However, what makes our travel stories worth noting is something that every Peace Corps Volunteer all over the world experiences- an experience that in many ways is a Peace Corps right of passage, and one that I am glad I experienced but one that I NEVER want to do again....This is carrying an inordinate seemingly impossible amount of belongings. I am very grateful that I traveled up north with my very good friends Kelsey and Matt. We got to share the joy of lugging our multiple suitcases, hiking bags on our back, and backpacks on our front... Additionally, Peace Corps was nice enough to give us multiple pounds of additional supplies. ugh. So adding to our load to transport were fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, gigantic first-aid kits, peace corps books and binders, and language materials. Thankfully, the experience was made much better by helping each other and laughing at ourselves along the way! 

Since arriving to my site 2 weeks ago life has certainly been interesting. Two days after arriving, Belize celebrated its 34^th independence (nice timing peace corps). Belizian celebrations for Independence Day is like nothing I have ever experienced, and it was absolutely wild. Many belizians go to the nearby town of Orange Walk for multi-day parties, carnivals, and parades that last all hours into the night and draw thousands of people. For a country of only 350,000 people, I am pretty sure at least 1/5^th of them were in orange walk over the weekend *maybe exaggerating*.  This was certainly quite the cultural experience but one I am glad occurs only once a year.  One of the best parts of the festivities was getting to see all the volunteers who live in the Orange Walk district…so much for those teary goodbyes just a few days before!

The grandchildren of my wonderful Community Health Worker (basically my family). So happy I get to see these kids everyday!

The sign is a bit hard to read...If one wins the game, you can get a "six-pack of ice cold beers or any rabbi"....welcome to Belize!

Now that the September celebrations have come and gone, I have enjoyed getting immersed into village life. The past few weeks have been spent meeting people, building connections, observing classes at the primary school, and developing work plans. I have recently started PACA (Participatory Analysis for Community Action). This is the Peace Corp’s approach for step 1 of conducting sustainable development work. It provides gender sensitive tools and a philosophies for assessing community needs, priorities, and perceptions in order to guide the work I will be doing for the next two years. I really enjoy PACA and the Peace Corp’s approach to development- to take a step back, observe, gather information, analyze, and thoughtfully and collectively work towards action. Really PACA is a set of tools that can be utilized in any type of organizational (community or otherwise) work in order to encourage capacity building, participation, and sustainable democratic initiatives. This is one of many aspects of development work which have distinguished the Peace Corps from other development organizations (i.e. those who practice the ‘white savor effect’). I have clearly drunken the Peace Corps Cool aide…but I am absolutely fine with that! 

In meeting so many community members, it is very interesting to see the way of life here. The vast majority of men are cane farmers. This past summer, many did not have work (out of cane season), so the men would ride bicycles into the bush every day to collect a specific kind of seed (one that builds thatch houses). In collecting these seeds (for very little money), they are sent back to America for their use in a prostate cancer drug….who would have known! Considering that the rain forest is responsible for providing ingredients in 25% of modern pharmaceuticals (and 70% of anti-cancer drugs...thank you google!), it shouldn’t have been too surprising, but it was certainly a full-circle, humbling moment.  One man who continues to do this laborious work is the Village Elder, who I was extremely privileged to meet. Mr. Vasqez is 86 years old and continues to ride his bike 2 miles into the bush every day to chop Sugar Cain or in the off-season, collect seeds for pharmaceutical companies. He speaks Spanish, Mopan (Mayan), English, and Kriol. In addition to being the Village Elder, he is also a self-proclaimed historian who has meticulously chronicled his life and the history and happenings in San Roman. It was fascinating speaking with him...learning about his life, the history of the village, and of course- his many words of wisdom. 

Another interesting interaction was with an older Mennonite (similar to Amish) couple who live on the outskirts of San Roman and are originally from Ohio. There are thousands of Mennonites here in Belize (both traditional and modern). This couple has been living in the village for 4 years and running the Mennonite church. Considering my mission for the next three months in San Roman for the next three months is to observe, build relationships, and integrate into my community, I went to go meet with her this past week. Upon arriving at their beautiful American style ranch home (aka polar opposite of homes in the village) I was greeted by a cheerful older woman dressed in very much traditional Mennonite clothing. After making introductions, she invited me to her bible study that was being held ten minutes after my arrival. For those of you who know me, you know that bible study, and I do not typically interact together. Of the many pieces of advice that have been handed down by veteran volunteers, two have stood out in particular and that is to "never turn down and invitation" and to "Embrace the Awkward." Whether it's maneuvering around awkward and embarrassing language mistakes (like when I told a stranger I loved her on accident), figuring out how to politely decline pig's tail which had been sitting out unrefrigerated for 4 days, or in a bible study session in my brand new community, what my personal feeling are on adultery vs fornication, sometimes you just gotta smile and role with the punches. Despite the topic of conversation, it was a wonderful afternoon spent meeting genuinely wonderful women in the village.

 

I have gotten to spend a lot of time with my host family, which has been nice! My mom is a hard-working and quiet woman who has raised 13 children! Currently, only one granddaughter- Daisy lives in the house and she is 15 years old. We have been spending a lot of time together exercising at the football (soccer) field here. There is also a wonderful new addition in my life (no, not a man!). I have adopted a 2 month old puppy who my family lovingly named Brownie (they already have a dog named Blackey, so I guess it makes sense). Brownie or Paz (Peace) has been a wonderful joy, despite the constant biting of everything in his sight. And yes, for those wondering…I am definitely planning to bring him home in two years! Peace Corps life can get pretty lonely and isolating at time, so I am very happy to have a canine pal by my side!

*I am sorry for the novel, if you have gotten to the bottom of this you deserve an award!*

Paz with my neighbor, Chelsea

And the Journey continues...

Written 8/24

My New Home!

I have recently returned from a very exciting week. An integral part of pre-service training is the site visit, which is when trainees visit our soon to be homes for the duration of our service. We spent four days at our site, which included about 12 different task that we were to complete in that time frame. It is hard to describe the mixture of emotions in finding our permanent sites last week. There was a level of excitement, anxiety, and eagerness that I have rarely experienced. What would be the size of my community? Which region of the country would I be placed? Would my counter-parts be good to work with? Which friends would I be near (if any)? Would I get the opportunity to work on my passion of maternal health? Learning our placements for the next two years is an extremely significant moment. The process of matching volunteers with communities is quite detailed and complex. Staff must take into consideration- community need, volunteer skills, desired remoteness, comfort with lack of amenities and isolation, language ability, etc. It is a selection process that has been a work in progress since before we arrived in country as trainees.  It is an exciting moment which marks the first of many significant moments of our Peace Corps service. It is a culmination of PST- a roller-coaster of emotions, tedious, and lengthy process of which we have been through up until this point. As significant as this moment was, I know the true pinnacle moment of my service is when we are finally sworn in as volunteers (in 3 weeks!)

There were soooo many questions that have been eating at all of us since before applying to the peace corps, but I am extremely happy that most of the big ‘unknowns’ are now out of the way!  I am proud and excited to announce that my home for the next two years is the beautiful village of San Roman in the district of Orange Walk in Belize. In visiting my new community last week, I discovered that my village is about an hour and half from the town of Orange Walk (down unpathed roads, passing a multitude of Cane Farms). It is a small village of 453 people which is about 5 miles from the border of Mexico. As far as Peace Corps sites in the north go, I am rather remote, being about 1.5-2 hours to the nearest town. Upon entering the village, I was immediately struck by its astounding beauty. The village is aptly placed on the banks of the Rio Hondo River (The deep river), which provides a prime opportunity for cooling off in hot days and trying the plentiful ‘river fish’. In fact, sitting on the couch of my new room I have a great view of the beautiful river and the many coconut and avocado trees surrounding the village. I had a great chance to meet with my Community Health Worker and teachers of the school (my counterparts for the next 2 years). There is a lot of need in the community, and I am excited to start brainstorming areas to start. As far as maternal health is concerned, there are many areas of opportunities in the village, including potentially working with the district health educator in the nearby hospital to increase awareness and implementation of safe birthing practices. One key area that I would like to address in maternal health is the frequent usage of non-breast milk during the first 6 months of life. It is not uncommon for people to give babies coke, coffee, or even tortillas before 6 months old. I am very excited to have great work partners who are motivated and excited to begin working in the community.

Additionally, my community health worker, whom I will work most closely with during my next two years, is an amazing and strong woman, health worker, and mother of 6. She goes above and beyond her required duties, and I am in awe of her desire to better her community. However, during my initial assessment of community resources and my many conversations with the community, I was saddened to realize how few resources the community really has. Community health workers are tasked with many responsibilities (defacto triage nurses), most of which she is unable to do, due to our severe lack of resources. The community does not have access to the most basic necessities (scale, blood pressure cuff, glucometer, and essential medications). The ministry of health seldom restocks community supplies, so CHW’s (community health workers) are left to ration their supplies. Every project that we do as volunteers should be in a sustainable and collaborative manner, thus if anyone has ideas or suggestions of partnerships that could provide a sustainable resources to my community, please let me know! I already witnessed a very sad moment. While at my CHW’s house, a 1.5 year old was badly burned by hot water. By the time he arrived at the CHW’s house, the child was in obvious pain (screaming and crying), and the 4 inch burn site was badly infected. My CHW was only able to provide a poorly bandaged protection and tell the mother to take him to the hospital in the morning (only transportation is once a day). It is hard to fathom that there were not even supplies to clean or provide comfort to this baby or to provide immediate and necessary transport. In addition to meeting with CHW’s, the school, and members of my community, I got to spend a lot of time with my ‘new’ family. They are wonderful people. However, It will certainly be quite the adjustment from my current family, which I have gotten sooooo close with and am dreading leaving! I am excited that my family has massive avocado and coconut trees right in the back yard! 

My goal for keeping this blog is to provide as much insight and honesty as possible into my life as a Peace Corps volunteer in Belize. Additionally by doing so, it fulfills 1 of the 3 goals of the Peace Corps, to provide insight to Americans about country of service. However, for obvious reasons, there are many things that I can’t include here, due to the public nature of this blog and my position as a Peace Corps Volunteer (or soon-to-be volunteer). However, I do feel a responsibility to portray an honest picture of life here....There are some incredible challenges that many PCV's face during our service...whether it's feelings of isolation, miscommunications, troubles integrating, ethical differences, sexual harassment,  religious challenges, etc. Having experienced all of these to varying levels, I firmly believe that these challenges will both make me a better person and volunteer. Additionally, the challenges that I face here are nothing in comparison to the warmth, hospitality, and support by my family, community, and Peace Corps staff. With all this being said, I am beyond thankful for my time here in Belize. I am falling in love with the beauty of this country, its natural beauty, cultural complexities, and rich diversity. I am constantly humbled and reminded that I am a guest in Belize, and I am incredibly fortunate to be given this amazing opportunity- both by Peace Corps and by my community which I will serve. It is incredibly rewarding to serve in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration with local communities and participate in development work which focuses on models of sustainability, partnerships, and empowerment.

update!

I am sorry for my long departure from the blogging world! The 
more time has passed, the harder to keep up with all the new and exciting things going on! So much has happened and it has certainly been a roller coaster ride of up’s and downs, but I will try and touch on the high points. There is about 3 weeks left of PST (Pre-service Training), and it’s hard to believe that I will soon be a Peace Corps Volunteer living and working in my new village.

The past few weeks have been like the rest of PST (pre-service 

training), exhausting, exciting, and a roller coaster of emotions and 

experiences. I continue to get closer and closer to my family. I 

can’t imagine leaving them in a few weeks, and I am beyond 

thankful for the relationship that we have built together. My two 

sisters, Irma (23) and Ara (17) have become two of my closest friends during my time here, and I am so thankful for our constant 

laughs, dance parties, and goofiness. Mixed in with the endless fun, they have also taught me the richness of Belizean culture, life in El Salvador (family of refugees), how to make tortillas (though poorly), and helped immensely with my Spanish (while we all laugh at my horrible Spanglish, of course!). Thankfully, this village is nearby the office, so I know I will see my family throughout the next two years when I go into the Peace Corps office. A few days ago, I even made them Shakshuka, my favorite Israeli/middle Eastern cuisine that is loaded with veggies, tomato sauce, and fried eggs cooked into the mixture (not main staple in Hispanic diet).  Though they were certainly skeptical, I think they enjoyed it! My favorite part of all of it, was how they ate it with a tortilla (eaten at every meal)! It truly felt like a blending of my two worlds!

                                                              My sister, Ara!

The past few weeks, I have had the fortune of being able to play tourist a few times and getting to see the beauty of Belize. A few weeks ago, I went with my family to xunantunich, one of the best Myan Ruins in Belize. It is truly a spectacular site surrounded by the lush dense jungle of Belize.

My sister, Irma!! 

                                                                                                                                                         The whole family (almost!).

My amazing Mama! Love her dearly! She is one of the most 

amazing women I have ever met!

 

Riding in the back of a pickup is the main means of transport in 

this country, and it has definitely taken some getting used to 

(don’t worry, mom and dad!). Additionally, twice a month, Peace Corps takes Trainees on a field trip/ Culture Day. There are about 7 different ethnic groups here in Belize (in a population of 350,000)! These ‘field trips’ provide great insight into the complex cultural and ethnic makeup within the country. Last week, we had the opportunity to visit a Kriol village where we learned how to cook their version of rice and beans (with lots of coconut milk), roasted cashews (for cashew wine), learned some traditional dances, etc. I really love the West-African Influence that has shaped the Kriol culture and remains in small ways throughout the country. Other tourist excursions have been wonderful also. From visiting the majestically beautiful Blue Hole National Park with my good friend, Jade’s family to enjoying the nearby river with my brother, sisters, and 3 good friends, I am definitely enjoying the natural beauty of my new home. These small get-aways are much needed and unbelievably enjoyable after 60+ hours a week of training and the stress of Pre-Service Training.

 My good friend, Grace- Love her dearly!!      

 Bird nest!

                        The Beautiful Blue Hole National Park!!

As looks might be a bit deceiving, I promise my life here isn’t all 

play! Training continues to be rigorous, long, and tiring. A typical day tends to be 10-12 hours, full of language learning, technical training, community development, language learning, etc. Someone described PST as trying to drink from a fire hydrant…I would absolutely agree! Thankfully, I really enjoy the training, and it has been a great balance of information learning and practical application of the material and theories. For example, following our extensive training on community development and sustainable initiatives, we were placed in groups and were tasked with conducting analysis of community needs, community mapping, community assessment, and plans for action. This involved speaking with community leaders/members to gather information and present. The peace corps has had 54 years to learn from their mistakes and refine the process of community development work. They learned the utmost importance of process, planning, observation, relationship building and how to implement sustainable projects, and I am thankful for their progressive approach to development! 

Our time living in Valley of Peace (our training community) has given us a lot of time to implement other initiatives as well. We have weekly literacy night for the community where the children come out to practice their English and reading skills. We also use this time to discuss health (as we are health volunteers!). The first session we had a great handwashing activity that the kids greatly enjoyed. After explaining germs and how to properly wash/when to wash hands, we lathered the kid’s hand with glitter ‘germs’ and they practiced their newly acquired handwashing skills- with soap for 20 seconds (length of ‘happy birthday’ song, which we sang to each child)! It was lots of fun, and I think the message really got across! Our next activity was a nutrition lesson. Starting at 1-2 years, children eat multiple bags of chips, cokes, and popsicles a day (ideals). Our nutrition lesson went well and including a healthy snack at the end. It will take a long time for behavioral change to occur, but getting the kids excited and motivated has been really great to watch.

It is so hard to believe that I only have a few weeks left in Valley of Peace and of Peace Corps training. This also means, I only have a few weeks left with my group of fellow volunteers and good friends. We have formed a support team like none other I have ever been a part of. We are there for each other through sickness, cultural challenges/culture shock, problems back home, etc. No more time to update....but stay tuned to find out my new site placement!