Hello everyone!
Jimbo here, alive and kicking. Before I start, I might have some crazy typos and all that... the Spanish keyboard is different, so bare with me.
It has been stressful... lets start here. Everything is slow, everything is Spanish, and everything is uphill (the walk, the pressure of learning the language, and the pain of starting work).
Not only am I knew to my site, but the idea of having a Peace Corps Volunteer. I never even thought about the transition for my community... but all because an areas needs a volunteer it does not mean that emotionally they are ready. I am just a 23 year old kid, and more or less I am in charge of aided the lives of every single person here. From 99 years old all the way down. People are nervous to talk with me, just as I am nervous to talk with them. Slowly but surely I am starting to break down some walls, walls within my community and walls within myself.
I play soccer pretty much everyday. This is helping me get in with the younger guys... which is huge. I get picked first everytime, not because I am good... but because I´m white... I think.
I spent Monday and Tuesday this week in the school in my site. It is a two room building that teaches up to 5th grade, post-fifth the kids walk to the neighboring town everyday for class. Teaching english is fun yet stressful... EVERYONE TALKS SO FAST HERE... màs despacio por favor.... MUCH SLOWER PLEASE... this is my frase here, haha...
This Monday I went to Mozote to teach two basketball classes. The teachers there saw a 6ft2 gringo show up and I could have sworn they thought I was Michael Jordan. Anyway, I LOVE teaching the class. One, playing ball makes me feel like Im at home, two, I have to do it in spanish, and 3, it puts me in a situation where I need to talk in front of a large group. Right now, I have pena. Pena is spanish for embarrasement... and I am for sure a little nervous speaking right now.
Last weekend, a huge group a college students from Seton Hall rolled up to take a tour of Mozote, I was in town charging my phone... so I had the pleasure to hang out with them for a while. They all thought I was a badass peace corps volunteer... I informed them that I was a rookie and not as cool as they thought I was. However, they will be coming back sometime this year and will be bringing me treats... i hope? haha.
I made a community map the other day with a few girls from the community, I will use this to do my cenus. Some of the houses in my community are a bit off the beaten path... so this will be helpful.
COOL THINGS THUS FAR...
I live in the mountains... I have dreamed of doing this, and I finally am.
I found a spot where the river nearby forms a little pound and I have a place to swim and baith when I want to... this is really really cool!
Every morning I wake up, study spanish for an hour or two and then I head out to visit with my community. Building trust here is going to take a long time. There is not a huge community vibe here, and before I can help make a sustainable community project there needs to in fact be a community. Poco a poco... I have two years, so I just need to have some patience and keep trying!
My birthday is coming up, and I am planning on getting out of dodge for a lil bit... just the night to spend some time with some peace corps friends... man the other volunteers can be such a great support when you need it!
I am doing great, a little homesick, but glad I am here! I am giong to try to update biweekly if not more.
Keep sending the emails!
jimbo
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4 comments:
jimbo....very jelouse your living in the montains!!! :)
quick joke from Zac..
there is a bird in his cage, and the cage breaks...what does the bird say??
"CHEEP-CHEEP" :)
meghan........ that is my joke....i told you that at the game!!
Jimbo dont listen to her...
P.S. the reason you get picked first in Futbol, is cause you got
S-T-y-L-E STYLE.
Sounds like you getting to know the area a bit. Like you said poco a poco. Had not considered the transition for the community either, very interesting. Who is this gringo and why is he here?
The soccer and the basketball sound excellant. A great outlet. And a swimming hole to boot!
It is so good that you can see other volunteers from time to time. And a little get-away for your birthday is a great, great idea.
Hope the pace of the language slows eventually. Hang in there and keep posing when you can, we love to hear what's going on.
funny caue i forgot billy told me that joke...I really did..and we were driving in the car and i went to tell bill that joke...and he was like "meghan seroiusly thats my joke"....goodtimes... :)
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