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.

Goodbye English, Buenas Espanol

March 5, 2010

Stationed next to my bed are a pair of tennis shoes and a fleece because there is a possibility of another small earthquake in Tres Rios, Costa Rica and I am prepared. The key word being “another.” Experiencing my 1st earthquake (along with 6 other women in my retreat room) involved us remaining immobile for 30 seconds. Finally, we got up and just stood around. Common sense would have been to go outside, but we didn’t associate the moving of the earth as an earthquake. Smart girls, right?

The California ladies just diagnosed it as a 4 on the measuring scale. Let’s just hope that we have no more tonight because I am too excited about meeting my host family tomorrow to focus on my safety in an earthquake.

Retreat is coming to a close. Throughout, I’ve found it draining on my energy. Sitting around all day receiving information, drinking lots of coffee (perhaps 4 cups per day), and socializing with my fellow Tico 20, I was mentally drained! But today has been the best day of retreat and marks the start of life with my host family.

We finally received our host family assignments and community assignments! Drum roll…For the next 11 weeks (3 months), I will be living in San Juan Norte with the Quiros Hidalgo! Family members:

• Maria (Mom)
• Jorge (Dad)
• Jorge (Son)
• Briggitte (Daughter)
• Dogs:  Sami

March 6, 2010

Donde Estoy?

Dear English,

I started to tell you a story about how Peace Corps blind folded and dropped me and my 2 suitcases off randomly on a mountain, telling me to fend for myself. But as I stated before, the integration process is thoughtfully planned and implemented.

Retreat ended at noon and then we loaded the bus to begin the 1 & 1/2 travel away from San Jose to a rural community called San Juan Norte. San Juan Norte is located in the mountains and is a drive with great scenery. The roads were well paved, so there wasn’t any danger. The bus dropped four of us off in San Juan Norte and our host families met us there.

Meeting my host families, I had two concerns: 1)the language barrier and 2) their reaction to receiving an African American volunteer. We didn’t talk much on the ride to their house but I did hear them say “negra” and “like to dance".” I laughed at this and the mother (Maria) turned around and said “You understand Spanish….” Both fears were short-lived. (I later learned that they hosted another black volunteer)

Arriving at the house, I was thoroughly impressed. It is a cute log cabin with a breathtaking view. Jorge built the house for his family and focused on giving it character and modern conveniences. The kitchen is large and has everything that a US kitchen has. But its the tile and craftsmanship that stands out and allows it to retain the Costa Rican flare. The bathroom is tiled as well and the focal point is a glass shower. Before I forget, my bedroom resembles my room in Suitland. But instead of being lavender, it’s Carolina Blue!!!! My room also is also off of the balcony, which faces the incredible view. To give you a visual, I would say to think of a vacation cabin in the mountains of the US.

                                                        

(A view of my house from the main road…Look at the top left hand corner for my house.)

Enough of the house, la familia es mas importante. Communication is not a problem. I understand 85% of the language (when they speak slowly) and when I do not understand it, they repeat it.

• Maria, the mother, is a sweet and loving woman. She is a stay at home wife and prepares all of the meals as well as keep the house spotless. She is very patient and I just found out that she sews.
• Jorge, father, is a crafty man that seems to be very much about family. We usually sit at the dinner table together waiting for dinner to be served and he is really good about engaging me in conversation.
• Briggette, sister, is a 24 year old art teacher. She is talkative, which makes it easy to communicate. She is also patient and speaks a little English. She actually traveled to the US to visit an older brother in New Jersey, so we had lots to talk about. She loves American music as well.
• Jorge, brother, is a 19 year old that works in an auto store. He speaks a little fast, but I will catch up eventually. He rides a moto (motorcycle).
• Danny, brother, lives in NJ but travels back and forth often. He has two little girls with his wife in NJ and works for a translation company.  Danny speaks fluent English. Maria has nicknamed him “My walking dictionary” because when I struggle for a word, Danny provides it.
• Carino lives about 10 minutes away with her husband and son, Sebastian. Sebastian is an active 5 year old that drinks coffee. He beat me 5 times in a game of Jingo.
•  

Oh, did I say that this family is very modern? Electronics are very much dominant in this house: PS2, Xbox, Dell computers, video games. Oh, did I mention that there is internet in this house? I’m being spoiled.

 

Well, that’s enough for now. Goodbye English. I am using you less frequently except in writing this and my thoughts. Buenas Espanol.

 

-Q

“Oh The Places You’ll Go”

Dear Dr. Seuss,

Let’s just say that today’s been a long day. Six hours of flight has left me less than delight. The entrance to San Jose has been a sight. Ending our destination at 8…

Alright, enough with the rhyming. Traveling from the US has been pretty uneventful but the company has been great. I’m getting to know my 55 fellow Tico 20 volunteers. We are an interesting, lively and diverse group.

After arriving at our retreat site (PS: It was a convent but converted into a retreat / conference site), we met our Country Director. Understanding our long travel and desperate need for rest, his welcoming message was a bedtime story: Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. Easing our fears and anxieties about being in Costa Rica, he sent us off to bed.

All of that was to say that I made it safely, now off to sleep under these sheets.

(No more lame blogs, I promise.)

Small Case of Anxiety

Dear Life,

After waking up at 6:30 am on a Sunday morning, I must admit that my anxiety has increased to a point where my body is showing signs: stomach rolling, tossing and sweating in bed, and finding it hot enough for me to open a window in Winter.

This anxiety is not a sign that I’m second guessing myself. Since beginning the Peace Corps application process in November 2008, I knew that this was the right path for me: a combination of traveling and helping others while learning (or improving) a foreign language. The source of this anxiety is more so a final realization that Life is about to change significantly. That I am leaving those that have been constant factors in my life (either briefly, few years, or my lifetime) and Washington DC / North Carolina for the next 27 months

But as I write this, I am reminded of the friends and family I fellowshipped with in the month of February and that brings a smile to my face and calmness to my stomach. I won’t go into details of how I spent this month, but know that if I saw you, it meant the world to me (special shout out to LSOL, Line Sisters, Theta Nu Xi, CCE and of course, Family. The calls, cards, emails and facebook messages also hold a special place in my heart.

Just realized that some might not know the details of my two year adventure:

The simplified version is that I’m going to Costa Rica for 27 months as a Peace Corps Volunteer. My job description / program is Rural Community Development, meaning I will help a community create sustainable projects and I will teach English. Vague, right?

March 1, 2010, I meet at a hotel in DC for orientation and to meet the other 55 Peace Corps volunteers (to be known as Tico 20). (Tico is the indigenous name for Costa Ricans and “20” represents the program sequence). March 2 at 6:30 am, Tico 20 will depart for the airport and officially leave the United States at 10:20 am.

The first week will be spent at a retreat site for in-country training. At the end of the first week, I will meet my host family and live with them in San Jose, Costa Rica. I have no idea who these people will be. But they have been carefully selected by the Peace Corps office as a reliable and appropriate family with a spare room. Living with this family for three months, I will continue my training: cultural, language, technical skills, etc…

At the end of the three months, I will take a language exam and be sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer. From there, I will receive my site assignment. This is most of the information that I “officially” know, meaning that the Peace Corps has communicated to me. But through research (reading blogs from current volunteers), I know that I will spend the next three months living with another host family in my site. My activities will include getting to know the members of the community, inquiring about their needs as a community and assist them in implementing projects. The ultimate goal is to become a part of their community. To shed the title “tourist” while encouraging a cultural exchange. My actual job responsibilities will not become apparent until I have lived in my site for a few months. It will all depend on the needs of the community. This could be having a women’s club, organized sports, improving the library, etc…The community will need to sustain these projects but l will lend them my experience and training in community activities to help them.

Questions that I have received thus far:

Communication: Yes, I will have internet access. During the first three months, I will be in an urban area and should be able to check my email at least once a week. When I am able to connect, I will probably visit my gmail account and blog. I encourage you all to communicate with me throughout this adventure. You can either leave me a post or email me at qfullard@gmail.com. Letters and care packages will also be appreciated. Skype me: q.fullard

Visiting: I can receive visitors after the first six (6) months, which is around September. Also, visitors are not allowed the last 3 months of my service (March – June 2012). If you are serious about visiting, let me know and arrangements will be made.

Returning to the US: Vacation time is accrued and a visit to DC is likely.

I am completely calm right now! I guess that means I should start this day, my last official day as a regular citizen. Tomorrow, I embark on my journey as a Peace Corps volunteer!

-Q