Until reading my friend's blog, I nearly had forgot about the sauna incident.
So, I'm used to going to the korean bathhouses in Los Angeles... in fact it's almost like my body craves going ... it's like a reset button for your body and mind.. you go sit in the sauna until you're delirious and then jump into the cold pool..do this several times.. and at one point in the process you're scrubbing all your dead skin off.. so by the time you leave you're feeling refreshed and clean inside and out... the whole process is like 4 hours...
So, i was quite delighted to find a bathhouse here... They had a dry sauna and wet sauna, and a cool pool (not quite "cold", but still alright)... oh and a gym... though I won't be returning, because I think there was a chance we had visited a brothel.....
So the incident went like this... I was laying down on the bench in the dry sauna.. and the chick who is naked on the bench next to me (which I'm used to because it's like that in korean bathhouses.. nudity represents something very different than in the americas.. it's not all sexualized) so then the chick looks at me and says "quieres bajar?"... and, as usual, i wasn't quite sure what i heard.. and so i have her repeated it.. "quieres bajar?"... so i think about this for a while.. literally this means "do you want to go down?"... i'm on the bench so i'm thinking maybe she's refering to us being on the bench and she's asking if i want to leave?... like get off the bench and go outside.. and then i thought she was asking me if i wanted to "bajar" my clothes.. cuz i was wearing a bathing suit.. and maybe she was telling me that the culture is fine to be naked in the spa... so very confused all i answered with was "esta bien"... "it's ok"... so then gets up and she walks over to me like expecting something.. and i look confused .. and then she said how since i'm not from around here i don't understand..
and then leaves the room...
some other strange incidents include the drunk chick (this was at like 2pm we were there) was insisting on teaching me how to use the spa's gym equipment... and she was exercising with her high heels on...
strange strange...
hoping to find a normal bathhouse....
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
DIY Nursery
So... The past 8 years I've worked with mostly vietnam veteran vets.. mostly men.. occasionally I'll have a few women (ran a woman's group).. and occasionally i'll have someone who is a woman (but biologically a man).. occasionally i had someone who was as young as 20... there was a time 9 years ago when i worked at a group home for teens... and then even longer before that while i was in college that I worked with infants until the age of 2. That being said.. who more perfect to plan a new nursery program for 3 & 4 year olds! Heh.. anyway, yeah so here's my HOW TO guide to putting a nursery together by a person who has never worked in a nursery nor has any sort of experience with this age group.
1. Get excited about working with kids and then begin to freak out about how much work this is going to involve. (especially when you initially thought you were assisting someone else, and then it turns out you're the one doing it and no one is assisting you with the planning process and you're the primary teacher).
2. Spend endless hours reading about child development.
3. Spend endless hours reading about child development in developing countries.
4. Spend endless hours searching for an assessment tool, just to find out there isn't one available free and having to type one up yourself based on Piaget...
5. Spend endless hours researching nursery programs and what exactly it is.
6. Spend endless hours gathering ideas for lesson planning (also doing this in spanish) and what should be included in the curriculum.
7. ..... researching what the best sorts of classes should be scheduled for the day and figuring out the schedule (20 minute segments for each subject).
8. ..... researching how to setup the classroom (in regards to supplies/toys/etc) and what sorts of toys are best for learning
9. ..... researching spanish nursery rhymes and songs (and learning all of them).
10. ..... observing in a nearby nursery to actually see first hand this age group and their level (of attention, ability, etc.)
11. .... meeting with the mothers and organizing that end of it.
12. ... making posters, educational decorations and games (so you're not spending all of the small budget allotted)
13. ... researching parenting objectives (since the parents are participating and the nursery includes a parenting skills component)
14. .... planning lessons and then doing all the worksheets for all the lessons.
15. .... shopping for all the supplies (this is everything from paper to the locked cupboard to the mat on the floor small chairs/tables... educational toys.. etc...), then organizing/setting them up in the most efficient way.
16. .... writing up a guide so that the next person who takes over doesn't have to start from scratch.
17. ... translate everything into spanish so that spanish speaking volunteers understand.
I may have missed some steps, but that maybe gives you an idea... I did get some assistance with #11 and #15... and have gotten praise hehe.. which is encouraging...
My brain is fried and spinning at the same time.
Nursery starts 6 de april... wish me luck.
1. Get excited about working with kids and then begin to freak out about how much work this is going to involve. (especially when you initially thought you were assisting someone else, and then it turns out you're the one doing it and no one is assisting you with the planning process and you're the primary teacher).
2. Spend endless hours reading about child development.
3. Spend endless hours reading about child development in developing countries.
4. Spend endless hours searching for an assessment tool, just to find out there isn't one available free and having to type one up yourself based on Piaget...
5. Spend endless hours researching nursery programs and what exactly it is.
6. Spend endless hours gathering ideas for lesson planning (also doing this in spanish) and what should be included in the curriculum.
7. ..... researching what the best sorts of classes should be scheduled for the day and figuring out the schedule (20 minute segments for each subject).
8. ..... researching how to setup the classroom (in regards to supplies/toys/etc) and what sorts of toys are best for learning
9. ..... researching spanish nursery rhymes and songs (and learning all of them).
10. ..... observing in a nearby nursery to actually see first hand this age group and their level (of attention, ability, etc.)
11. .... meeting with the mothers and organizing that end of it.
12. ... making posters, educational decorations and games (so you're not spending all of the small budget allotted)
13. ... researching parenting objectives (since the parents are participating and the nursery includes a parenting skills component)
14. .... planning lessons and then doing all the worksheets for all the lessons.
15. .... shopping for all the supplies (this is everything from paper to the locked cupboard to the mat on the floor small chairs/tables... educational toys.. etc...), then organizing/setting them up in the most efficient way.
16. .... writing up a guide so that the next person who takes over doesn't have to start from scratch.
17. ... translate everything into spanish so that spanish speaking volunteers understand.
I may have missed some steps, but that maybe gives you an idea... I did get some assistance with #11 and #15... and have gotten praise hehe.. which is encouraging...
My brain is fried and spinning at the same time.
Nursery starts 6 de april... wish me luck.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
More about Porvenir, maybe some repeated stuff...
hrm.. i seem to be blog happy these days..
So I recently found out that the corrugated roofs
that most of the families in porvenir and many in trujillo are made of asbestos... they're almost exclusively used in the Porvenir's schools....
Also, in Porvenir there are many people who cook using bricks of charcoal that burn for an entire day. When walking around Porvenir, you can smell this burning.. well its either that or all the trash fires.. none of this can be good for their health... There have been SKIP volunteers who have attempted workshops teaching the mothers how to do these simple adobe ovens with metal pipes as the chimney that would save quite a bit of money, but of that the group that attended i think it was only 1 family that made one. Change is hard to implement...
Have I written about safety already? Alot of guide books talk about how unsafe Peru is... I have found that it has been safe enough for me, though that's with some common sense about safety. I hardly ever go anywhere with more than 50 soles ($17). I never use my phone in public (if i can help it... if i feel particularly safe i'll pull it out to make a phone call, though with concealing it). Although I wear a ring Brentt gave me, the bead bracelet A gave me, and my earrings my mom gave me, I'm generally unflashy with my flip flops, worn out tshirt and sweatshorts.. Though as we bring in our boxes of random school supplies to the SKIP office, we have been warned that there are certain unsavory people who have been watching "the gringos"... at this point we need to be careful to lock our door behind us and make sure the door is shut the whole time (we have high walls with barbed edges as well). There was a time, not long ago that a few volunteers were held at gunpoint at the SKIP office (some convicted murder named Pato Negro or something).. they took a laptop, leather jacket (which the volunteer shouldn't have taken to SKIP in the first place), cell phone and lots of cash. Seems that it resulted in the police taking action and some sort of shootout happening by Indoamericano one of the schools we work with. Don't know much more about that...
Britta asked me today sort of what the living is like here because it's hard to imagine. I would say it is definitely something that is hard to understand unless you're there to see it. And even then, it's easy to forget when you return to your comfortable mattress, internet, and running water. Where I live, although it looks more like the dirty part of downtown Los Angeles (in regards to sketchiness and standard of living, not in regards to having large 20 story buildings..), I'm actually in the middle-class area... It's quite different from the dirt floor dirt brick houses of Porvenir. There are random sounds of sheeps on roofs, chickens clucking, the smell of something rotton, dog corpses... at the Plaza del Armas, which is relatively nice and clean (Center of town), you'll see an old beggar woman with arthritic hands asking for money (she's sat on the same spot every time i've gone to the center of town)... you see alot of folks like this. Not to mention the children asking you to buy something.
So I recently found out that the corrugated roofs
that most of the families in porvenir and many in trujillo are made of asbestos... they're almost exclusively used in the Porvenir's schools....Also, in Porvenir there are many people who cook using bricks of charcoal that burn for an entire day. When walking around Porvenir, you can smell this burning.. well its either that or all the trash fires.. none of this can be good for their health... There have been SKIP volunteers who have attempted workshops teaching the mothers how to do these simple adobe ovens with metal pipes as the chimney that would save quite a bit of money, but of that the group that attended i think it was only 1 family that made one. Change is hard to implement...
Have I written about safety already? Alot of guide books talk about how unsafe Peru is... I have found that it has been safe enough for me, though that's with some common sense about safety. I hardly ever go anywhere with more than 50 soles ($17). I never use my phone in public (if i can help it... if i feel particularly safe i'll pull it out to make a phone call, though with concealing it). Although I wear a ring Brentt gave me, the bead bracelet A gave me, and my earrings my mom gave me, I'm generally unflashy with my flip flops, worn out tshirt and sweatshorts.. Though as we bring in our boxes of random school supplies to the SKIP office, we have been warned that there are certain unsavory people who have been watching "the gringos"... at this point we need to be careful to lock our door behind us and make sure the door is shut the whole time (we have high walls with barbed edges as well). There was a time, not long ago that a few volunteers were held at gunpoint at the SKIP office (some convicted murder named Pato Negro or something).. they took a laptop, leather jacket (which the volunteer shouldn't have taken to SKIP in the first place), cell phone and lots of cash. Seems that it resulted in the police taking action and some sort of shootout happening by Indoamericano one of the schools we work with. Don't know much more about that...
Britta asked me today sort of what the living is like here because it's hard to imagine. I would say it is definitely something that is hard to understand unless you're there to see it. And even then, it's easy to forget when you return to your comfortable mattress, internet, and running water. Where I live, although it looks more like the dirty part of downtown Los Angeles (in regards to sketchiness and standard of living, not in regards to having large 20 story buildings..), I'm actually in the middle-class area... It's quite different from the dirt floor dirt brick houses of Porvenir. There are random sounds of sheeps on roofs, chickens clucking, the smell of something rotton, dog corpses... at the Plaza del Armas, which is relatively nice and clean (Center of town), you'll see an old beggar woman with arthritic hands asking for money (she's sat on the same spot every time i've gone to the center of town)... you see alot of folks like this. Not to mention the children asking you to buy something.
Drama with SKIP! and problems with migraines and my knee :(
So, there has been drama lately with our organization for months now... but I should say that we only find out recently that there is drama because we were not an active participant in the drama.
Basically another organization here has for some reason felt threatened by us (and i'll elaborate on my thoughts of why) and created a mock website pretty much having copied the front page of ours (literally copied.. like a print screen copy or something) .. and what i mean by mock website is that they used the domain www.skipperu.xxxx (something else, ours is org) and then at the bottom they have something about the "REAL" history of SKIP and then they have a banner saying something about how our director in 2003 stole their project and named it SKIP. this eventually links to his site.. where he has yet another link to a webpage devoted solely to naming all the ex volunteers who "stole" his project, took it somewhere else, and renamed it...
So... my thoughts on why this guy feels threatened and has started to pick on us... apparently from things i've heard and read from ex volunteers of their organization (and i know a few people who used to work for them) is that despite the outragious volunteer program fees that they charge, the volunteers are not supplied with even basic materials such as paper and pencils for the projects they are doing... that among other problems (such as the organization not doing nearly half of the things it claims on it's website)... so basically the thought is that if the money isn't going towards the program... ... it's going into a particular someone's hands... so that being said i'm guessing we are a threat because recently a few people have chosen to come to our organization instead of theirs, taking away his precious income... it seems that he's been watching us for a while though because we only launched our new website format in january, and it appears (from his whois on register.com) that he coincidentally updated his mock one.
In our research to find out what else he may have been writing about skip, we came across quite a many negative reviews about that organization.. actually, an ex volunteer had told me that she had done some investigation on various projects that this guy claimed to be in the budget and turned out that these projects do not exist, but her apartment was broken into and her computer and files were all stolen... she decided not to further pursue this.
We were thinking it may be a good news story because from reading all the reviews (and from personal experience of some folks we know), it seems like theres a pretty good chance there is fraud going on.. and this is quite unfortunate because it is taking advantage of a giving community and putting a really bad slant on it. I would imagine he may be receiving grants and other sorts of funding... it is unfortunately if all this stuff is actually true that this money is going into one person's hands instead of helping a community that is really in need. I'm not one to yell and scream "DOWN WITH THEIR ORGANIZATION!" but if what's being claimed by many people is true.. then someone needs to expose what's going on... alas, none of us know any journalists... I dont even know that this would be a big enough story anyway, despite my thought that they would find out he and his wife are running a fraudulent game...
Anyway, it's annoying that he's bringing our name into it.. it just looks unprofessional for the both of us to be playing this "SKIP stole my project" game. When has helping a community been an original idea to steal? And besides, we are far from doing what he's doing... we're actually spending our money on projects that we claim to be doing.. and no one here is getting any sort of "profit" (except hopefully the families we are working with... hehe well and the intrinsic rewards for us of course; but lets not get cheesy here). :)
On another note.. ive been having quite a few migraines.. have i mentioned before i think how much MSG is in the food here.. i'm thinking this is a likely contributor.. also seems to happen on the few weeks that i have decided i need a bit more energy (such as the last 2 weeks pounding away at the nursery planning).. and divulged in some chai tea for the caffeine... and i haven't been so particular on the foods i'm allergic to (which also seem to be related to my migraines)...
another ailment i woke up with was my knee in a bit of pain.. it's right in the front of the knee slightly to the right (on my right leg) its swollen and hurts to put pressure on... probably didn't help that i attempted to surf today. i say attempted because although the waves were beautiful today, they were slightly over my level and i barely made it up for 3 seconds twice heh..
Basically another organization here has for some reason felt threatened by us (and i'll elaborate on my thoughts of why) and created a mock website pretty much having copied the front page of ours (literally copied.. like a print screen copy or something) .. and what i mean by mock website is that they used the domain www.skipperu.xxxx (something else, ours is org) and then at the bottom they have something about the "REAL" history of SKIP and then they have a banner saying something about how our director in 2003 stole their project and named it SKIP. this eventually links to his site.. where he has yet another link to a webpage devoted solely to naming all the ex volunteers who "stole" his project, took it somewhere else, and renamed it...
So... my thoughts on why this guy feels threatened and has started to pick on us... apparently from things i've heard and read from ex volunteers of their organization (and i know a few people who used to work for them) is that despite the outragious volunteer program fees that they charge, the volunteers are not supplied with even basic materials such as paper and pencils for the projects they are doing... that among other problems (such as the organization not doing nearly half of the things it claims on it's website)... so basically the thought is that if the money isn't going towards the program... ... it's going into a particular someone's hands... so that being said i'm guessing we are a threat because recently a few people have chosen to come to our organization instead of theirs, taking away his precious income... it seems that he's been watching us for a while though because we only launched our new website format in january, and it appears (from his whois on register.com) that he coincidentally updated his mock one.
In our research to find out what else he may have been writing about skip, we came across quite a many negative reviews about that organization.. actually, an ex volunteer had told me that she had done some investigation on various projects that this guy claimed to be in the budget and turned out that these projects do not exist, but her apartment was broken into and her computer and files were all stolen... she decided not to further pursue this.
We were thinking it may be a good news story because from reading all the reviews (and from personal experience of some folks we know), it seems like theres a pretty good chance there is fraud going on.. and this is quite unfortunate because it is taking advantage of a giving community and putting a really bad slant on it. I would imagine he may be receiving grants and other sorts of funding... it is unfortunately if all this stuff is actually true that this money is going into one person's hands instead of helping a community that is really in need. I'm not one to yell and scream "DOWN WITH THEIR ORGANIZATION!" but if what's being claimed by many people is true.. then someone needs to expose what's going on... alas, none of us know any journalists... I dont even know that this would be a big enough story anyway, despite my thought that they would find out he and his wife are running a fraudulent game...
Anyway, it's annoying that he's bringing our name into it.. it just looks unprofessional for the both of us to be playing this "SKIP stole my project" game. When has helping a community been an original idea to steal? And besides, we are far from doing what he's doing... we're actually spending our money on projects that we claim to be doing.. and no one here is getting any sort of "profit" (except hopefully the families we are working with... hehe well and the intrinsic rewards for us of course; but lets not get cheesy here). :)
On another note.. ive been having quite a few migraines.. have i mentioned before i think how much MSG is in the food here.. i'm thinking this is a likely contributor.. also seems to happen on the few weeks that i have decided i need a bit more energy (such as the last 2 weeks pounding away at the nursery planning).. and divulged in some chai tea for the caffeine... and i haven't been so particular on the foods i'm allergic to (which also seem to be related to my migraines)...
another ailment i woke up with was my knee in a bit of pain.. it's right in the front of the knee slightly to the right (on my right leg) its swollen and hurts to put pressure on... probably didn't help that i attempted to surf today. i say attempted because although the waves were beautiful today, they were slightly over my level and i barely made it up for 3 seconds twice heh..
Monday, March 23, 2009
10 months...
Also turns out, I'm actually here for 10 months, not the 9 that i kept saying all this time...
I plan to be illegal for 3-4 days.. heh..
Trujillo, Peru to Montanita, Ecuador and back...
Trujillo to Tumbes 9+ hours in bus (Emtrafesa) 45 soles ($15)
Tumbes to Guayaquil 6+ hrs in bus (CIFA) ($7)
Guayaquil to Montanita 3+ hours in bus (CLP) $6
Same route back home ~20+hrs $28
Hostel in Montanita: $6/night 3 nights = $18...
Total costs: $74... plus food/drink costs...
So just got back from Ecuador to renew my visa.. mostly went unscathed, however had a bit of an argument at immigration office on the way back to Peru.. at first they were going to give me 3 months.. i have about 4 months and 1 week left here in Peru.. after some argument about how i'm here volunteering (not earning money) and spending my money in their country and how i dont have money to buy another plane ticket out for an earlier date, etc, etc, etc.... ... i somehow managed to get 1 more month in there... so i'm legal for about 4 months, but that takes me to july 20th more or less and my ticket out is july 23rd.. so i'm illegal from the 20th to 23rd... basically that just means that i pay $1 each day that i'm over.. i continued arguing with the chick (however in my own head for some reason i thought i was 2 weeks over and kept saying this, she probably thought i was such a nut).. but anyway, it just doesnt look good in any way to be overdue.. and i'm hoping it doesn't affect future traveling plans, but i dont plan to be in any one country for more than 1-2 months in the future anyway...
on the way to montanita, we met this young chick from denmark who was traveling alone so she hung out with us most of the weekend... we also met a group of guys traveling together from canada/san francisco/switzerland who we hung out with for most of the weekend as well... didn't get around to surfing, though it was supposed to be the premier surf spot in ecuador.. apparently last week there were 9 foot waves, but this weekend the waves were a bit lame.. plus i ended up being a bit too exhausted to want to surf... mostly vegged out and did a bit more nursery program planning..
the food costs in montanita was quite expensive (though expensive being that it's 1/3rd the costs in the states instead of 1/9th which i'm used to in peru)... tried the cebiche which was ok... though maybe wasn't that representative, since i bought it off a cart on the beach (though didn't get sick!).. tried a cebiche right on the border on the Peru side which was very tasty..
For pictures click here.. ecuador was surprisingly very green.. I didn't realize it was so jungly right on the coast... i have just about 30+ mosquito and sandfly (?) bites on arms and legs....
On the way back, on the bus, as i'm ready to fall asleep... some guy came on to the bus talking VERY LOUDLY .. at first i wasn't paying attention but then i looked up and noticed a gross picture he was showing of someone's naked backside and a huge pile of worms.. .. and right next to it, a face of a very infected looking baby... the guy apparently was talking about worm infestation in order to sell his herbal product. Almost forgot to blog about it because I forget that that's not normal... while on the bus to pretty much anywhere, there are always people coming on to the bus selling something, whether its food or some other product... this actually comes in handy when I forget to buy water, or i'm starving... as of yet, i have not gotten sick from anything i have bought from them...
my ceiling continues to fall on me.. in general, buildings in peru are not equipped to handle rain... the house i live in is no exception.. so when it rains, one part of the ceiling in my room leaks.. the other side of my room ceiling has paint that just continues to peel whether or not it's raining... came home to a huge chunk of paint on my bed.. probably not good for my health heh... oh well...
Trujillo to Tumbes 9+ hours in bus (Emtrafesa) 45 soles ($15)
Tumbes to Guayaquil 6+ hrs in bus (CIFA) ($7)
Guayaquil to Montanita 3+ hours in bus (CLP) $6
Same route back home ~20+hrs $28
Hostel in Montanita: $6/night 3 nights = $18...
Total costs: $74... plus food/drink costs...
So just got back from Ecuador to renew my visa.. mostly went unscathed, however had a bit of an argument at immigration office on the way back to Peru.. at first they were going to give me 3 months.. i have about 4 months and 1 week left here in Peru.. after some argument about how i'm here volunteering (not earning money) and spending my money in their country and how i dont have money to buy another plane ticket out for an earlier date, etc, etc, etc.... ... i somehow managed to get 1 more month in there... so i'm legal for about 4 months, but that takes me to july 20th more or less and my ticket out is july 23rd.. so i'm illegal from the 20th to 23rd... basically that just means that i pay $1 each day that i'm over.. i continued arguing with the chick (however in my own head for some reason i thought i was 2 weeks over and kept saying this, she probably thought i was such a nut).. but anyway, it just doesnt look good in any way to be overdue.. and i'm hoping it doesn't affect future traveling plans, but i dont plan to be in any one country for more than 1-2 months in the future anyway...
on the way to montanita, we met this young chick from denmark who was traveling alone so she hung out with us most of the weekend... we also met a group of guys traveling together from canada/san francisco/switzerland who we hung out with for most of the weekend as well... didn't get around to surfing, though it was supposed to be the premier surf spot in ecuador.. apparently last week there were 9 foot waves, but this weekend the waves were a bit lame.. plus i ended up being a bit too exhausted to want to surf... mostly vegged out and did a bit more nursery program planning..
the food costs in montanita was quite expensive (though expensive being that it's 1/3rd the costs in the states instead of 1/9th which i'm used to in peru)... tried the cebiche which was ok... though maybe wasn't that representative, since i bought it off a cart on the beach (though didn't get sick!).. tried a cebiche right on the border on the Peru side which was very tasty..
For pictures click here.. ecuador was surprisingly very green.. I didn't realize it was so jungly right on the coast... i have just about 30+ mosquito and sandfly (?) bites on arms and legs....
On the way back, on the bus, as i'm ready to fall asleep... some guy came on to the bus talking VERY LOUDLY .. at first i wasn't paying attention but then i looked up and noticed a gross picture he was showing of someone's naked backside and a huge pile of worms.. .. and right next to it, a face of a very infected looking baby... the guy apparently was talking about worm infestation in order to sell his herbal product. Almost forgot to blog about it because I forget that that's not normal... while on the bus to pretty much anywhere, there are always people coming on to the bus selling something, whether its food or some other product... this actually comes in handy when I forget to buy water, or i'm starving... as of yet, i have not gotten sick from anything i have bought from them...
my ceiling continues to fall on me.. in general, buildings in peru are not equipped to handle rain... the house i live in is no exception.. so when it rains, one part of the ceiling in my room leaks.. the other side of my room ceiling has paint that just continues to peel whether or not it's raining... came home to a huge chunk of paint on my bed.. probably not good for my health heh... oh well...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
5 for 5....
So, I can't keep track, but i'm pretty sure it's been about 5 packages that have been sent to me (possibly 6??)... and i'm at 100% of packages being mailed... the motivation to post this particular post was that I received one in RECORD TIME!!... Brentt sent me a book that was meant to stay with me, but got carried onto the plane with him :) tho it was well read and sent back to me... I received it within 6 days of mailing. AMAZING...
I've also begun to send some l
I've also begun to send some l
Sunday, March 8, 2009
More on Nursery.. living conditions... and scorpion...
So, just a quick update.. i'm continuing to plan the nursery.. been doing alot of research on developmental stages, nursery programs, lesson planning, and various other related stuff like nursery songs in spanish.. etc...
We have just about 6 mothers or so who are interested (possibly more after a meeting this past weekend)... I dont think we can handle more than 10 nursery kids at this point... So to give you an idea of what it's been like to get a program like this going at SKIP.... fortunately we have a monthly meeting for all the families at SKIP... so they're supposed to come to the office (though not all do)... but if you want to get information out to them otherwise.. its this inefficient system of going out to each of their houses.. this means walking through the sand to each of their houses, which are at times .5-1 mile apart.. if you're lucky there's a bus that goes near their house.. and if you're really lucky, one of them either has a phone or knows someone who does.. so this needs to be done each time we've been wanting to meet with the mothers for the nursery program. though slowly but surely, it'll all come together...
on another note...found out the other day that one of the kids (14 y/o) has been working in a shoe factory for 70 hours a week just earning about $5 for the week. SKIP has talked to the parents and discussed how we can change this (alot of times the parents don't know the maths and don't know there may be other options available)...
We found a scorpion the other day in the room next to mine.. it was small, but just as scary as they look with their pinchers and huge spiky tail.. will need to do some research on what to do if i get stung heh...
continue to feel homesick.. though i'm sticking it through of course...
We have just about 6 mothers or so who are interested (possibly more after a meeting this past weekend)... I dont think we can handle more than 10 nursery kids at this point... So to give you an idea of what it's been like to get a program like this going at SKIP.... fortunately we have a monthly meeting for all the families at SKIP... so they're supposed to come to the office (though not all do)... but if you want to get information out to them otherwise.. its this inefficient system of going out to each of their houses.. this means walking through the sand to each of their houses, which are at times .5-1 mile apart.. if you're lucky there's a bus that goes near their house.. and if you're really lucky, one of them either has a phone or knows someone who does.. so this needs to be done each time we've been wanting to meet with the mothers for the nursery program. though slowly but surely, it'll all come together...
on another note...found out the other day that one of the kids (14 y/o) has been working in a shoe factory for 70 hours a week just earning about $5 for the week. SKIP has talked to the parents and discussed how we can change this (alot of times the parents don't know the maths and don't know there may be other options available)...
We found a scorpion the other day in the room next to mine.. it was small, but just as scary as they look with their pinchers and huge spiky tail.. will need to do some research on what to do if i get stung heh...
continue to feel homesick.. though i'm sticking it through of course...
Monday, March 2, 2009
End of Summer Camp and What comes next....
Summer camp ended over a week ago.. We took the kids to the zoo and ended the last day with an Open House.
I'll be starting the planning for a new nursery program ... something I've never done before (though i had never planned a summer camp before and that happened!)... if anyone knows anything about nurseries (better yet, a nursery in a developing country), I'm all eyes/ears...
I have about 4 months left.. it would seem this would be an easy home stretch ... but with Brentt's visit, it seems to have reset my "homesickness" and the last month has been a bit of a struggle.. though, i'm looking forward to the nursery program, trip to Ecuador to renew my visa, trip to macchu piccu (with a, e, britta, michael, nadia, anthony and possibly others?), and then ending my "Part 1" travels with the Shamanism conference in Iquitos...
Oh.. one last note.. i was really excited this past friday night; we had found an electronica party with the type of music i like (tech house)! Only took 5 months, but there is hope :) the best selection i have found of electronica has been some cheesy house music...... it was outdoors, on the beach, under the stars :) I was in bliss.
I'll be starting the planning for a new nursery program ... something I've never done before (though i had never planned a summer camp before and that happened!)... if anyone knows anything about nurseries (better yet, a nursery in a developing country), I'm all eyes/ears...
I have about 4 months left.. it would seem this would be an easy home stretch ... but with Brentt's visit, it seems to have reset my "homesickness" and the last month has been a bit of a struggle.. though, i'm looking forward to the nursery program, trip to Ecuador to renew my visa, trip to macchu piccu (with a, e, britta, michael, nadia, anthony and possibly others?), and then ending my "Part 1" travels with the Shamanism conference in Iquitos...
Oh.. one last note.. i was really excited this past friday night; we had found an electronica party with the type of music i like (tech house)! Only took 5 months, but there is hope :) the best selection i have found of electronica has been some cheesy house music...... it was outdoors, on the beach, under the stars :) I was in bliss.
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