The Breakdown
I am living in a village with 4 other people, Ann, DOminique, Bethany, and Noelle. We areall in similar language levels and all in the Rural COmmunity Development Program. Ann, Noelle, and me all have spanish class together. The village i live in is the metropolis of the area. IT has from wat I gather 2,300 people. It has an internet cafe, a super market, and 2 count them 2 panaderias(bakeries). THat is big especially cause the pastries here are amazing. THere is a football, aka soccer, field in the cneter of town. THere is not much going on here but it is pretty cool. I was actually hoping the town would be smaller just so the adjustment for when I go to my site will not be as stark. But i am enjoying it.
It is pretty isolated in a lot of ways. THere are only 2-3 TV channels and it is in the mountain s. I was tlakign to my host mom the other day and she had no idea who the president of america was. I do not know if i was being americentric, i might have just created a word, but i assumed that someone clsoe to a big city such as San Jose would know who Geore Bush is. It just goes to show how simple and isolated in many ways life is here. YOu can literally forget the world exists. YO ulive your whole life in a small town and your family lives close to you and you do your work and errand, talk with your neighbors, and enjoy life. What goes on outside of your sphere is really in another world and does not change your day to day life in many ways. THis lifestyle at times is tempting with all the stresses and worries about the state of the world, but i would not want to be in that situation
Rurl community development is what I will be doin g and it has 3 main components:
1. Promote leadership and organizational development
Basically we work with local community development groups, which are community members that organized a committee in their areas to improve their quality of life. We work with communtiy memebers to find out what they need and i work with them to get it. IT could be a health clinic, a community center, clean drinking water etc.
2. Enhance opportunities for income
We work with the community members to generatre sources of incom e. That could mean starting a small business and capitalizing on local talents.
3. Share knowledge and abilities to promote lifelong learning.
THis can mean teaching english to kids, after school programs, public safety and health issues.
Basically I have no boss, but i hve to show progress and report my work to headquarters. What I do is completely up to me, i of course find out what my community needs, but i am not told what to do. IT is cool, but a lot of pressure at the same time. IT will definitely be interesting.
ANecdote #1
I am going to tell everyone small anecdotes that I find amusing. If you guysdo not think htey are funny I am sorry caus e they are hilarious. This will be the first in a series.
The westside story incident
THere are roosters everywhere that kind of roam arounf, but stick to their yard for the most part. THey are cockadoodle-doing all he time. We were waiting at the bus stop and they were doing there thing. Then a rooster that was chillin by the road a few houses down was running his mouth and being loud. Then at teh top of the will there was a posse of roosters, we can call them the Sharks. They were at the top of the hill and they heard this rooster being all cocky, no pun intended. Then they stared to run down the hill, but all cool and collected. They were goign down the hill in single file and cocka-doodle-dooing on the way down. THen the rooster at the bottom of the hill styopped running his mouth and then started to slin k into the bushes. The rooster were going down the hill to regulate, to show who is the boss. They were going to have a rumble. They had to pick weapons and go at it. Then I started to sing, i n my head of course, WHen your a jet your a jet. I was thourghly amused.
Oh yeah a side note. When i went to take my first picture i found out my camera was broken. SO it will be a while til i can get it fixed, i am in the process right now. I will see what i can do in the mean time.
It is pretty isolated in a lot of ways. THere are only 2-3 TV channels and it is in the mountain s. I was tlakign to my host mom the other day and she had no idea who the president of america was. I do not know if i was being americentric, i might have just created a word, but i assumed that someone clsoe to a big city such as San Jose would know who Geore Bush is. It just goes to show how simple and isolated in many ways life is here. YOu can literally forget the world exists. YO ulive your whole life in a small town and your family lives close to you and you do your work and errand, talk with your neighbors, and enjoy life. What goes on outside of your sphere is really in another world and does not change your day to day life in many ways. THis lifestyle at times is tempting with all the stresses and worries about the state of the world, but i would not want to be in that situation
Rurl community development is what I will be doin g and it has 3 main components:
1. Promote leadership and organizational development
Basically we work with local community development groups, which are community members that organized a committee in their areas to improve their quality of life. We work with communtiy memebers to find out what they need and i work with them to get it. IT could be a health clinic, a community center, clean drinking water etc.
2. Enhance opportunities for income
We work with the community members to generatre sources of incom e. That could mean starting a small business and capitalizing on local talents.
3. Share knowledge and abilities to promote lifelong learning.
THis can mean teaching english to kids, after school programs, public safety and health issues.
Basically I have no boss, but i hve to show progress and report my work to headquarters. What I do is completely up to me, i of course find out what my community needs, but i am not told what to do. IT is cool, but a lot of pressure at the same time. IT will definitely be interesting.
ANecdote #1
I am going to tell everyone small anecdotes that I find amusing. If you guysdo not think htey are funny I am sorry caus e they are hilarious. This will be the first in a series.
The westside story incident
THere are roosters everywhere that kind of roam arounf, but stick to their yard for the most part. THey are cockadoodle-doing all he time. We were waiting at the bus stop and they were doing there thing. Then a rooster that was chillin by the road a few houses down was running his mouth and being loud. Then at teh top of the will there was a posse of roosters, we can call them the Sharks. They were at the top of the hill and they heard this rooster being all cocky, no pun intended. Then they stared to run down the hill, but all cool and collected. They were goign down the hill in single file and cocka-doodle-dooing on the way down. THen the rooster at the bottom of the hill styopped running his mouth and then started to slin k into the bushes. The rooster were going down the hill to regulate, to show who is the boss. They were going to have a rumble. They had to pick weapons and go at it. Then I started to sing, i n my head of course, WHen your a jet your a jet. I was thourghly amused.
Oh yeah a side note. When i went to take my first picture i found out my camera was broken. SO it will be a while til i can get it fixed, i am in the process right now. I will see what i can do in the mean time.