I have had a great weekend. (september 5-7) The week went quickly; we visited a volunteer's site and toured a farm there, spoke with her women's group. On wednesday we had class and had our failed fiesta. But the best part of that day (since everything did turned out so/so) was when I got home and laughed about it with my host family. They are really growing on me. They are very kind to me, and from them I am starting to learn how to have patience with the just hanging out that is so important to this culture. People just spend time together talking or being silent, and I am learning not to be judgemental about what to me seems like wasting time. In the US, we see time and money and we think of what we produce as being the most important. I don't think I can or will let that go, but I am learning to tolerate it in other people. I am learning to have patience and do it myself, since it is so important to get to know people and spend that kind of time with them.
On Thursday and Friday of this week, we were given and then gave a workshop on Aids. Some health volunteers presented it to us, and then we gave it at a school. It was very good practice, and the workshop was well designed for highschool students, so it was fun. On Friday, as a going away gift, my host family gave me a hamock and some dishes. I was very touched by the gifts, because I was not expecting anything and these families don't have money to throw around. I didn't know what to say and just looked speachless for a while and then I remembered my manners and thanked them profusely. Anyway, Friday was a great evening, and I just hung out with my host family.
Yesterday, I had a great day. Usually the weekends are hard for me because I don't have enough to do. So I planned activities for myself to pass the day. In the morning I cleaned and packed and took a walk. When I finished I made an art project out of leftover paper from our workshop. All of my host siblings watched me (they have no hobbies like that and were very interested). In the afternoon, I made apple bread and oatmeal cookies with my sister. That was fun. All of the extended family came over to try the food we made, and they like it! Some PCV friends came over in the afternoon to do a project, and we performed our swing dance for my family (we were going to do it at the goodbye party, but since that didn't happen...). It was a great success, and really fun for me to dance! In the evening I walked through town to buy popcorn for my host family, and groups of kids greeted me by name. Other people stopped me to ask when we are leaving. Some women whom I have just met once asked me to visit them...so I'm going to stop by later today. That walk made me feel great! I love the friendliness of people here, and it is experiences like that that make me so happy to be here. I can't wait for that to happen when I'm at site!
I am feeling happy again today, although I have less to do. I will take a walk to visit those women after lunch, call my parents and go to a goodbye party that the community where we have had our training (fifteen minutes away) has planned for us.
I am looking forward to the next week. Tomorrow they are announcing our sites (so we will know for sure where we are going). Then, on Tuesday we will meet our counterparts, and on Wednesday we will travel with them to our future sites. I will bring most of my stuff there to my new host family's house. We will go back to the training site on Saturday or Sunday.
More info to come about my site soon!
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