I decided it is well past time for a blog. It’s about 12am here in the campo and you can only begin to imagine what would trigger me to feel like writing a post. I’ve been listening to my neighbor snoring for a good hour now....it woke me up. (nope..that is not a joke, this is a true night in the campo…). As soon as I typed that out her snoring stopped, which means I’ve stopped smiling. Actually, it isn’t the first time I have smiled tonight. I smiled all 5 times the electricity came on tonight too, even if the longest stretch was for 10 minutes! Something strange happened with the electricity here since I left and came back from my vacation to the USA..it comes and goes like crazy. It will come on for a good 5 minutes and then literally leave for an hour and then come again for 10 and then gone again for 2 hours. Can someone please make me understand the electricity crisis here, because after 2 years I still remain clueless as to why it is like this. People tell me it’s because no one pays there bill—but if I never get one then how can I pay it in the first place??
Going back to the States for 3 weeks made me come back here and wonder how I have been doing this for 2 years. Part of that has to do with a herniated disc and muscle spasms that I am currently trying to bed rest my way out of..which the muscle spasms are way intense and started in my lower back 3 months ago..went away..came back stronger and more paralyzing and in the last few days of bed rest have traveled to my right upper butt cheek..hopefully that means they are headed down to my toes and will be all the way gone soon. I’m trying to be positive about the whole situation and I really truly believe that is what is going to happen. Okay so..the other part is because I’ve now realized the problems that exist in this country or in any other developing are MUCH more complicated than a 20 something year old Peace Corps volunteer can resolve. I have come to terms with the fact that I certainly cannot save the world as I originally believed upon my arrival. When I talk about how I don’t know how I’ve done THIS for the last 2 years, I am not talking about not living without 24/7 electricity and not doing my business for the first year y pico in a latrine and bathing outside, but I am talking about living without my family and people who truly understand me, don’t judge me for every little thing I do and care about me. Sure, other volunteers understand, and are like my family but it’s not like I get to see them as much as I would like to. I miss living with people who speak English. I miss living with people in general. Living alone was fun for awhile but I really just want an American roommate. I do prefer living alone though to living with Dominicans. I’d even go back to my college days right now and live in the same room as one for the next 4 years (MEL if you’re reading this—I mean that…I can truly say right now that I would looove to be back in the Pods in our little tiny room together…even on our messiest days. I’d do it all over again…)
So, it’s official. I think I am going insane. I am thinking the 3 week trip back to the States officially made things 100x more difficult for myself. Not because I had hot water, but because I realized how wonderful it is to be surrounded by all of these amazing individuals that I love so dearly and could not get enough of in just 3 weeks. Especially my mom………….yes I’ve gone insane. Just kidding, I have the best mom in the whole world who has been so amazing to me ESPECIALLY since I’ve been here listening to my countless anxieties over the telephone twice a week, and refilling her calling cards for those special nights when I need longer than 45 minutes to vent.) Thank you mom, you have been my biggest supporter.
Back to the herniated disc and muscle spasms. How did this happen? People keep asking me what I did, so here it is. I really have no idea what I did to myself, but if I could pin point one thing it is this. LISTEN CLOSELY NEW/FUTURE VOLUNTEERS. MUY IMPORTANTE PA’ K SEPAN. ESCUCHA BIEN. 2 years ago, I bought my bed at a store that apparently puts old springs inside of a new mattress. I had no idea that people did that—and no one seemed to care to warn me about it..SO IM WARNING YOU. Save your money BEFORE you go to Peace Corps for a bed because you don’t get enough to buy a decent bed…unless you can live without a stove, gas tank and plates..then you might have enough. Thankfully, a volunteer that was leaving gave me a good deal on a tempurpedic bed that he splurged on for his service (why hadn’t I thought of that?) and I am finally resting in peace without a spring jammed into my hip.
Good thing I still have enough work to do and even a little time for procrastination before I leave to keep me here. And a good bed too—that helps. You know what- Actually there is more than that that is keeping me here. My Dominican neighbors are quite amazing. Two of them came over and cleaned my entire place without me asking for help because they knew I was incapable of doing so. The same with my laundry. I even have a few that come over to lay in bed with me to chat during my bed rest times. Women of course…God only knows the gossip in this campo would hit the roof if it were anyone else.
Ok so back to the work in store for me. Right now, I am looking for yellow clay for this oven we will be building (On July 28th and 29th to be exact if anyone wants to stop out we are building it right on the shore line). No one seems to know what that is, but if they want their oven they are going to have to figure it out. They know better than I do where to find it. I’ve asked over 50 people in the community and every construction store in town and everyone just has the same blank stare on their face. My director thinks they should know where to find it. That is my number one goal for the week is to locate this supposed yellow clay that exists somewhere on this island. My other task is to get these women organized in our meeting this week to build our base for the oven and a little shack for it before our Peace Corps handymen come out for building day.
Another task that I am doing is updating this composting latrine manual, which will be wrapped up over the next few weeks. I don’t think I’ve written anything about that on the blog but it’s actually been a process. My friend Marite and I began brainstorming in March on what we were going to do about this out of date manual. We decided it needed to be completely reformatted. WELL finally after many attempts with PHOTOSHOP and even recently attempted to understand the complexities of INDESIGN through countless unhelpful youtube videos, I’ve decided it is beyond me to reformat the manual the way we want it. I think that reformatting would require a graphic designer, which is not me. SO, that actually makes my job a lot easier. I have decided only to update the manual so that it fits with the composting latrine that Peace Corps Dominican Republic is building, instead of Peace Corps Bolivia (the manual is one used before in Bolivia). Phew, when I came to terms with the fact that I am no graphic designer…you have no idea the weight that was lifted off my chest.
SOOO that leaves me with a little less than 3 months after these next few weeks of work. What to do what to do what to do. Well, some of my time will be occupied with helping a few people get latrine projects off the ground..which will require some traveling..possibly back up to the border and to Puerta Plata. Also will be finishing up all of my grant reports…been slacking, haven’t reported on any of my grants, but I have until my close of service date to get those wrapped up….It will get done.
Then that brings me to September. September is our Close of Service conference for a few days in the capital with all of those crazy trainees that accepted the same invitation as I did for August of 2009 and entered this journey with that are making it out alive. The conference is basically just to help us figure out our next step in life and to help us edit our description of service paper (a description of our work here and then a little signature at the bottom that tells whatever employer to be that we are eligible for the noncompetition for government jobs)..and resumes.
Then October. I won’t think that far yet. One day at a time is how I will get through this. Back to the present…the snoring continues.
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