Saturday, February 12, 2011

Second year coming to a close


I realize I have basically failed at being a good blogster. It has been months since my last post. No excuse other than laziness really and perhaps a busy schedule. But here it is, February of 2011, only a few months away from my close of service date- May 30th is the official last day of work for my Tico 19 group. All the clichés are true about time. It feels now like it truly flew by even as I remember times that it felt like time stood still and I wasn’t getting anywhere. I think the work of Peace Corps is the only job about which one can say they are both bored and busy at the same time. It’s a strange state of mind, and an oxymoron really, but I’ve lived it first had.
Since writing last I have had visitors and taken a few trips of my own. In October I traveled to Panama with fellow volunteer and friend Jessica Robinson. We explored Panama City, Bocas del Toro, and the San Blas Islands. In January I met my mom in Nicaragua and we packed into public buses to make our way to the Jinotega Highlands, the capital of Managua, the artisan town of Masaya, and the architecturally grand city of Granada.
In November Aunt Cheri, Aunt Lauri and Cousin Suzanne flew down with new shiny passports to experience my life here in rural Costa Rica. They stayed nearly three weeks and we spent significant time down on the beach as well as hiking the trails and swimming in the river of my site.
The travels and visitors began as the rainy season faded away. During the months of April through October, travel is not ideal as frequent downpours make roads impassable and dangerous. During this time I continued English classes to several groups. One group finished their course in December, winning a certificate of completion. My children’s classes continue and the other organized course is due to finish right before I leave. The kids school year just began and thus second year English has begun as well.
We hosted a 3 day drug education course for which a Costa Rica police official stayed in our town and gave presentations to the youth of the community. The children followed along with a workbook and graduated with a certificate in the end.
In April of 2010 we hosted a kid’s soccer day camp that was a total success. All kids came to the soccer field for a day of soccer technique training and fun with volunteer help from community youth and parents. We will be hosting the second annual kid’s soccer day camp in late March of this year and this time, we were able to get funding for t-shirts.
I completed Chicas Poderosas (the girls youth group) early last year and began the young women’s group entitled Voces Valerosas. This group was comprised of similar themes regarding self-esteem, health, drug and sex education, etc. The end of this course also included a competition of the works of the young women during the course. I sent in several homeworks from my participants and one of them won a spot in the soon to be published Voces Valerosas Magazine. She and I will travel to San Jose for the young women’s conference in March which will be comprised of all winning women throughout the country and their respective Peace Corps volunteers.
I flew home in December for a cold and slightly snowy Christmas at the home of Aunt Julie in Omaha, Nebraska. It was very nice to see the grandparents, parents, cousins, and aunt and uncle for a traditional family Christmas and delicious food!
The coming of the end of the year also brought the anniversary of my birth 25 long years ago. I now carry around with me a quarter of a century worth of experience on this planet. I guess that is supposed to make me an adult. ;-)
Right now the future is quite uncertain. I only have plans in place until May 30th. I should soon find out if I have a third year extension job in the Peace Corps office in San Jose that would begin in July of 2011 and span until June of 2012. The position is Peace Corps Volunteer Leader and involves living and working in the capital city. Several volunteers are applying, so we will just have to wait and see. Whatever happens, my next step is sure to be an exciting one.

a recent poem:

Untitled

In my dreams I make love to a future

To a faceless perfection that holds me tight,
Defends my plight,
Gives me intelligent insight

That patiently accepts my passion and fire,
Listens with a smile as a scream my desire

Who calms my fear and anger,
Tells me everything will be okay,
And touches me in a manner
That my body simply turns to clay

Who sweats like me in the spirit of competition,
But can end the day with an intelligent conversation

About religion, politics, the existence of our species,
Knowing when a black and white answer is simply too difficult to seize

In my future I make love to a dream

Because perfection is not a real possibility

2 comments:

  1. I love reading your posts, they make me want to travel!

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  2. What an adventure, K-Ten! Can't wait to read your next post.

    ReplyDelete