So I feel pretty settled in now, and I am getting used to my daily routine. I have been quite busy which is good, but sometimes I wish I could have a little more time just to relax and hang out. From what I hear from other volunteers that I trained with I am one of the busiest right now. Many of the volunteers that went to the more rural parts of the country are not even supposed to start doing things untill the three months in. They are just supposed to get to know people. I feel like ive met so many people that I will never get all their names strait. Some of the volunteers from my training group get mad at me because they say I am missing out on the "real" peace corps experience, and they say that they are mad at me because I have so many things to do in my site and so many resources. I guess I agree with them to some extent. I really havnt had to change my lifestyle all that much. And I even found a supermarket in town that has a couple isles dedicated to american food imports. I bought pancakes and syrup the other day. But then again whos to say what the real peace corps experience is.
I have been trying really hard to get some projects going both in the Dequeni foundation, and the school ive been working with, but I feel kinda like im just spinning my wheels. I am still trying to get the school garden started, but all the teachers in the entire county went on strike and I wasnt able to do anything for a while. And now they are on winter break, so it wont be till august till it finally gets rolling. I was feeling really discourage one day because it seemed like all that I was working for was just in vain, but the next day the principle and the teacher I was working with started working on my project when I wasnt even there, preparing the space for the garden, and that made me feel a lot better about the work Im doing here. I guess I just need to do my best and realize that things arent always going to go the way I envision them, and that I cant force the people here to do what I want. I think if I relax a little more I might actually get a little bit more done.
As far as the foundation, some days I feel kinda useless there, but I do still like haning out with the kids. They are really great, Most days when I come to work, five or six of them will run up to me and give me a big hug. Usually brightens up my day. My supervisor gave me a big project to organize in a couple weeks. She wants me to plan an entire day of games and activities for about 170 people, and I have to be the one coordinating it all. I asked for a bunch of help from my fellow volunteers, but I am nervous that it is all just gonna blow up in my face. We shall see I guess.
I am finally going to start working with the adolecent part of the foundation, we are doing a leadership camp, and the people I am working with gave me about three hours to fill with workshops. It is kinda funny being a volunteer because usually when someone gives you more work to do and doesnt increase your pay you get angry, but as a volunteer you just get excited when you get more and more work.
That is about all I have for now, but if you would like to know something specific please let me know. I dont really know what to write most of the time, and I and not sure if people really read these blogs, so I have been slacking on keeping up on them. Bye for now.
