What is that smell?

Have you ever walked around thinking “What is that smell?” You smell it so much that you become paranoid and start to slyly smell yourself? Your body begins to sweat profusely and the smell becomes stronger and stronger until your nose recognizes the smell of shit? You attempt to stay away from others to save your reputation. The only thing on your mind is a nice hot (or cold) shower. You can just imagine the dirt running off of your body and into the drainer?

Well, that was my day. Its been the past couple of days actually. I apologize for the graphic image and assure you that it wasn’t actually the smell of .... Smelling my clothes after a nice long shower, I realized that they didn’t smell at all. It was not the smell of fresh laundry that I love. Instead, it was the scent of a long, hard day of work—in the sun.

The days here are long and hot. Each day, I estimate that I do an hour of walking. Which isn’t bad and I actually enjoy it (I’ll be returning with some strong legs.) But the sun is strong and violent!

(Photo of Nisha on the mountainous road we walk every day)

Why exactly do I walk so much? More importantly, what am I doing here?

That is an easy question, and I love the answer: I am learning about Costa Rican culture. The American taxpayer probably wouldn’t like that answer but it is the Peace Corps approach to development.

On Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, I have Spanish class. Half of the day is spent in the classroom and the other half, we walk around the community and practice with the locals. Tuesdays, I go to Jerico for class. The class discusses development: different methods of development, how to use our skills and different tools in a community, how to assess a community’s needs, etc…  On Thursdays, I go to San Jose (1 & 1/2 bus ride) for medical, technical, safety training.

 

L to R: Nisha & Meredith in our Spanish classroom

If that sounds like an easy job, just remember that I wake up at 5:45. Complete a 9-5 day. Return to my community to practice and familiarize myself with the community. All done in the sun.

 

(Taking the 6am bus to San Jose)

Why are these activities important? Well, Peace Corps take an interesting approach to development: Helping people help themselves. PC volunteers do not enter communities with projects lined up. Nor do we independently determine what a community needs. Instead, we perform activities with the community to help the community identify what it needs. Then we make sure that the community has the necessary tools to implement the change. Think of the proverb: Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. But teach a man how to fish and he can eat forever. (Or something like that).

But to do such, we have to be able to integrate ourselves into the community. To understand the culture and speak the language. My success here cannot be measured by projects (especially not now.) As of now, I only have the sweat running off of my body and into the drain.

Free time: I am having a great time with my host family and my fellow Tico 20s! Two Saturdays ago was Jacob’s birthday (another volunteer). His host family had a barbecue and all of the volunteers in the area came over. Music, dancing, birthday cake, enjoying Ticos!

This past Thursday was my host mom’s bday. I had to go to San Jose that day and tried to rush home to celebrate with her and the family. As I was walking up the hill, they started to sing Happy Bday. But my host sister saw me and made everyone stop and then restart after I was comfortably placed among the family. :)

Playing Pool…Not exactly work related, but deserved.