PST Begins

August 31 – September 6, 2014

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 1^st 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.

Staging and Arrival

August 26 – August 30, 2014

Tuesday morning, I flew to Miami, where we had Staging, which is a brief orientation to Peace Corps service where Peace Corps Invitees officially become Peace Corps Trainees and where volunteers get to know each other before they venture to a foreign country together. Wednesday, we travelled to Barranquilla and moved into the Hotel Caribe, our temporary home where we had introductory trainings, vaccinations, and paperwork-related activities before we met our host families on Saturday.

- Tuesday – I woke up this morning at 3:30 to prepare for travel to Miami. After running around trying to get my life together for who-knows-how-long in Colombia, Mom, Dad, and I went to the Pittsburgh airport for my 8:40 AM flight. We had breakfast together before I hugged them and waved what must have been a million times as I passed through security. I headed off toward my terminal knowing the hardest part was done – I had said, “see you later,” to everyone and God would handle the rest. I arrived safely in Miami, checked into the Crowne Plaza Hotel alongside my roommate for Staging. That afternoon, we had Staging, which is an orientation to Peace Corps service – we learned (or, rather, re-learned) about the 3 Goals and Core Expectations that would guide our service and participated in team-building activities that showed the strength of our newly-formed volunteer family.

- Wednesday – Today was our big travel day from Miami to Barranquilla – I say “big” because there are 33 people in our group and we had to try to get all of them and their luggage to the Hotel Caribe 79. With lots of waiting, a few really nice people at the airport, surprisingly little drama, and friends to talk to on the plane, we made it. Awaiting our arrival was not only the Country Director, but also a big group of volunteers who have been here the past 1 or 2 years. They cheered as each of us came out of the airport and gave us signs with our names on them welcoming the volunteers of CII-6 (our group, since this is the second time the Peace Corps has to Colombia and we are the sixth group since we came back). We took a huge bus to our hotel and, after quickly moving into our rooms, went down for dinner, where the volunteers from CII-4 and CII-5 sang us a song about being Peace Corps trainees (to the tune of Smashmouth’s “All Star” – I really liked the song) and demonstrated a few popular local dances. Of course, we all went to bed completely exhausted from our day, but excited to finally be in Colombia.

- Thursday and Friday – Training, training, so much training: blood tests and vaccines; interviews for language proficiency, host family preferences, and medical paperwork; Colombian cell phones, bank accounts, and immigration papers, oh my! And that’s not including the presentation in the afternoon. Wow, no wonder I’m still exhausted!

- Saturday – Finally, after a few more presentations in the morning, we got to meet our host families! I met my host mom in the hotel lobby and we talked a bit and filled out Peace Corps paperwork before heading home. There, I met my host dad and moved into my room. Later, I also met my host sister and her son, who is two years old. We also have an adorable Yorkie named Sony. I don’t think my host nephew/brother (I haven't figured out what to call him, yet) has said anything to me, yet, but everyone seems happy to have me here, especially Sony, who greets me by wagging his whole body and licking my feet.

- Children and pets make life happier, at least, in my opinion.

- “Cerca” is very relative. If someone says it’s 5 blocks, it may be 5 or 20. When in doubt, consult a map…or a taxista.

- Juice is served with almost every meal here, since there’s an abundance of fresh fruit. As delicious as the juice is, be sure to eat enough fruit, as well, to get the fiber you need.

- Speaking of fiber, if you ever really need fiber, eat papaya, which is particularly delicious with lemon juice.

- Other things that are served with almost every meal: rice and/or arepas, which are kind of like really dense not-sweet corn pancakes. Both are extremely filling, so don’t be afraid to tell your host family, “Thank you, but I can only eat one/a little.”

- Deodorant is expensive here and you will be sweating all the time (probably for the entire time you are here), so bring lots.

- I haven’t had to buy them, yet, but apparently, razors are also expensive, so again, bring lots.

- “Papaya” has a lot of meanings here that have nothing to do with fruit. One is, “opportunity,” like, for thieves to take your stuff. Though I haven’t figured out exactly how they say it, yet, people often tell others not to “give papaya.” Essentially, don’t leave your stuff around and always be aware of where your belongings are. Some of the best thieves in Latin America live here, so if you look away from your stuff for a moment, you can be almost positive whatever it is will be gone. Try not to be too upset with the culture, though – you live in a big city after all, so it’s not that much different from the United States. Just always keep an eye on your stuff, especially on buses and in crowded areas.

- If you have a card that has your blood type on it (like a blood donor card), bring that because you will need it almost immediately after you arrive. Immigration wants to know your blood type, so you either need to have that card or have a blood test.

- Unbelievably, you can drink the water here, in Barranquilla. That said, I highly recommend seeking out filtered water for the first few weeks you are here…unless the filter hasn’t been cleaned in the last six months…then, tap water is better.

- “¿Cómo amaneciste?” is a greeting you will hear almost every morning and is an important part of the day. (It also translates literally to something like, “How did you sunrise?” which is adorable.) Remember how your parents told you to always say, “Good morning,” first and then start talking? Well, if you don’t exchange the customary, “Buenos días, ¿cómo amaneció?” with others, they may think you are mad at them, so just like your parents told you, don’t forget to say, “Good morning,” and ask how they (sun)rose. J

Introduction

“Not all those who wander are lost.”

“Life is calling. How far will you go?”

Hello, Everyone! My name is Casey and I am a Peace Corps trainee in Barranquilla, Colombia, preparing to become a Peace Corps Volunteer in Barranquilla, Cartagena, or Santa Marta. I’m writing this blog for family, friends, and future Peace Corps members traveling to Colombia so, in each entry, there are three sections:

1. A brief summary of what happened that week or period of time for those who would like a general idea of what I’m doing.
2. A more detailed description of what happened that week, for those who want more information about what I’m doing. This may be more or less “detailed,” depending on how much time I have to write.
3. “Cultural” bullet points, for future Peace Corps members traveling to Colombia and anyone else who is interested and wants to know a bit about the culture and what we do in Peace Corps Colombia.

This is my second time writing a blog, so we’ll see how it goes. I currently have relatively regular access to the Internet, but that may change over the course of my service. An important part of being a Peace Corps Volunteer is being willing and able to adapt, so whatever happens, I’ll make it work. To everyone reading, “¡Bienvenidos a Colombia!”