Getting Settled

So far I have been in my site for almost 2 weeks right now, and things have been going well for the most part. I have been settling into my room, organizing my clothes, reading alot, reading some more, eating rice and beans, using the latrine, and then read for a little bit more.

New developments this week include the beginning of my english classes at the primary school. This week I taught english from 9-10 AM on Tuesday and Wedsnesday. I will continue this schedule for who knows how long, maybe two years if time allows. Since there is only one classroom with grades 1-5 in it I am teaching them all at once. It is slightly difficult to plan for a class with such varying grade levels but it really is the only way to get it down. The students are very responsive and are learning things relatively quickly. This week we went over introductions, greetings, basic questions, and salutations. Some students are willing to participate more than others but that is just natural. They seem to be enjoying the class, and when I come home I hear my host sisters speaking the new phrases I taught them in class earlier that day. So it seems like it is is sticking. Also next week I begin to teach english to the Kindergarten class of 9 students. This will be interesting to teach 9 4-5 years olds a brand new language, but I am up for the challenge. Recently I have been getting rides into the nearby town with the Kindergarten teacher who ends at 11, so I dont have to do the 90 minute walk to town. I asked her what the school needs improved the most and one of many things she said is a new classroom for the kindergarten because they recently and in the past have had problems with poisonous snakes, scorpions, and huge spiders making homes in the classroom. Hopefully I will be able to help them with this problem.

This Friday I have arranged for another community meeeting in my town. With this meeting I would like to make it a little more interactive and find more about the town, existing commitees, problems, areas of growth, and wishes for the community. Then next week I will start my door to door interviews with members of the community to see what kind of projects they want to start working on. I feel that very soon I will also need to begin an english class for the adults, because that is something as well I have heard from community members which they strongly want.

I look forward to mid June where I will be able to see some other volunteers at the beach for our VAC meeting. VAC is sort of like Peace Corps student council where we get together and talk about issues relating to our job and such. It should be a fun time and then a week later I will be meeting up with my Tico group, Tico 16 to most likely party it up in San Jose.

Overall things have been going well here. The loneliness is still an issue here as well as the boredom, but as projects start picking up it should fill up my time better.

I miss everyone so much and I think about you all (my friends and family) all the time.

Much love and respect,

Rudy