Sunday, we went to the Museo
del Caribe to learn about the history, people, and cultures of the
Colombian coast. Then, our first week of pre-service training (PST) went by
fast – a whirlwind of Spanish classes and technical training on how to be
teachers and work within Colombia’s diverse cultures.
- Sunday – This morning, I went to Mass at the neighborhood
church with my host family. The church was very large and open and very hot,
even though they had a lot of fans going. I couldn’t really understand anything
(I can tell I will definitely need to relearn “microphone” Spanish), but the
music was nice and I could look over the readings on the handout that
parishioners are given for Masses. In the afternoon, I went with the Peace
Corps to el Museo del Caribe to learn
about the landscapes, people, history, language, and dance of Colombia. The
museum was very neat and hands-on – I appreciated all the exhibits of things to
read and do that gave me an overview of culture along the Colombian coast. I
also met Sr. Ricardo, the taxista my
family usually calls to take us places when they really want someone they can
trust. He was very nice and took Jimmy and me to the museum and then home.
- Monday – Happy September and Happy Labor Day! Because
today is a holiday in the US, we will start classes tomorrow, but today my LCF
(Language and Culture Facilitator, my Spanish teacher) came to pick up 4 of us
who live close together and show us how to use the buses. We really just need
to know how to get from our houses to the Peace Corps office and the Colombo, but that’s scarier than it may
seem when you really have no idea what you are doing. It turns out that Jimmy
and I just need to take an Urbaplaya
bus to the Colombo and that the 4 of
us should probably take a taxi to the office, so everything worked out well. We
also had a chance to explore a few local malls and discuss commonly used slang
over lunch, which was fun.
- Tuesday – Today was our 1st day of classes at
the Colombo, which is a lovely
university complex that’s kind of in the middle of nowhere and has several
buildings, as well as a little snack shop, open area to eat, and a side area
for cookouts. There’s also a lovely pond with lots of fish and there are
iguanas that hang out in the gourd trees that grow in the main part of the
complex, as well as lots of birds and a few cats. We had Spanish classes in the
morning and learned about typical formal and informal greetings and
introductions and gestures that people use. In the afternoon, we had technical
training, which is training about how to be an English teacher in Colombia –
today, we learned a little about the Colombian educational system.
- Wednesday – In technical training, we talked about
language awareness and Colombian culture(s) around the country. Besides the
culture discussion, though, the highlight of the day was probably the early
afternoon thunderstorm, which consisted of pouring rain, lightening, and very
loud thunder – it also brought down the temperature, which was great.
- Thursday – We went to the Peace Corps office today to talk
about food and water preparation, as well as what to do in case we do get sick,
which was really helpful, since I felt terrible. In fact, after that talk was
done, I went with our medical officer to the medical office and slept for 2
hours, after which I felt much better and went back for a presentation about
theft prevention, which is important, since some of the best thieves in Latin
America live here – don’t be upset with the culture, just learn.
- Friday – Well, I’m still sick, but feeling much better
now. We talked about different methods of transportation in Spanish classes and
discovered that the neighborhood in which I live is not listed explicitly on
our map (though the neighborhood right next to ours is, so I could still find
my street). In the afternoon, we learned about different approaches to teaching
and I was excited to be able to help my group teach a 1-minute lesson using
Krashen’s Natural Approach.
- Saturday – This morning, we gathered at the Peace Corps
office to talk about living with host families and several things volunteers do
that tend to drive host families crazy. In particular, people clean differently
here because of the heat and humidity. It may never have occurred to you that
you didn’t know how to clean, but you really have no idea until you ask. Later,
I went with a few other volunteers to the actual Peace Corps office (instead of
the conference room) and a volunteer from an earlier group gave us a quick
tour. We hung out in the volunteer lounge to use the computers and pick out
books from the “library” of books donated by previous volunteers.
- Remember how I mentioned needing fiber? Well, if you have
the opposite problem, skip the papaya and substitute apples and bananas. Also,
until you are better, try to avoid eating legumes and raw vegetables…especially
raw vegetables…
- We get a lot of vaccines, so definitely bring your yellow
WHO card and your immunization history to avoid some of them. The medical
office may already have these documents on file, but it’s best to have a copy
anyway.
- The Peace Corps Office is awesome. There’s a computer lab
with a mini library (the Volunteer lounge) and a jar in the director’s office
that (almost) always contains Oreos. Volunteers have pictures posted on the
walls and, as the other volunteers say, it’s your space and you are “accepted
for who you are.”
- The Peace Corps medical staff are amazing. When I felt
like heck and just wanted to sleep, our medical officer walked with me over to
the medical office and just let me sleep in a side room for 2 hours, after
which I felt much better.
- Here, lemonade can be made much like it is in the US, or
it can be made with panela, which is
sugar cane sugar (kind of like raw sugar). That lemonade tastes totally
different than the stuff with white sugar, but is equally as good, especially
since both are always made with real lemons and limes.
- A few ways to
prevent theft: Always be aware of your surroundings, especially on buses and in
crowded areas. Look at what time stores close in your neighborhood – you should
be home before that time. When possible, go with a buddy. Avoid poorly lit
streets, especially when it seems like there is no one there. Walk on the side
of the street closest to the road, but keep your purse on the side away from
the road. Do not use your cell phone or any other electronic device on the
street. When in doubt, trust your instincts – if you think it might be
dangerous, don’t do it.
- Safe taxis: Check all three copies of the license plate –
front, back, and side or top – and make sure they all say the same thing. Look
for an antenna (this isn’t a surefire way to decide whether a taxi is safe or
not, but if it has several antennas, that’s usually a good sign because it
means its location is tracked). Or, even better, just call a taxi company and
they will send you a safe taxi.
- (An introduction to) How to clean in
Barranquilla: Mop the shower after you use it. (You may need to shower more
than once a day – see how many times a day your family showers and go with
that.) Hang your towel outside. Also, hang your clean laundry and your sweaty
athletic clothes outside. If you sweat a lot, you may even need to store your
dirty laundry somewhere other than your room. Use deodorant every day without
fail – forgetting is not acceptable. When you sweep, sweep more than just your
own room. Same goes for dishes – anytime you clean, clean more than just what
is yours because that’s polite. And when you do wash dishes, always do so with
soap – consult your host mom for exactly how she does it (and that goes for all
of this). Don’t forget to throw toilet paper in the trashcan, not in the
toilet.
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