PCV: Paid Caribbean Vacation

In case you couldn't read it the first time. I doubt they even know who Bob Barker is and the question that will forever be in my mind is "What does great dog taste like?" For those of you who don't speak a lick of Spanish... Se Vende = For sale

My little friend hanging out in my tomato plant, there is usually a huge lizard there too but he is a bit too fast to take a picture of

Part of the destruction my body took while climbing Victoria's Peak. In all there were:

• 9 blisters
• 7 ticks (1 found 3 days later between my toes)
• countless bug bites
• Many splinters
• 2 bad burns on my hips from my pack

  

I made the mistake of reaching a tree instead of falling, only problem was the tree had thorns. This is after cutting them all out

Hay mucho polbo = There is lots of dust. This is what happens when you hitch hike and have 1 leg hanging out of the truck because there isn't enough room for both of them

Speaking of hitch hiking, you know you are beginning to get integrated when you can pass out in the back of a truck sitting next to a police officer on his way to work. Classic Emily. She is classy after all


You do the math... 24 seats x 2 people per seat should = 48 right? I guess 84 sounded better. Welcome to public transport in Belize. I'm pretty sure I've been on a bus with well over 100 people. Somehow it works

The saying goes that it's so hot outside that you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. Well here in Belize, sidewalks are kind of rare but I'm pretty sure that you could fry an egg anywhere you wanted. It would taste better too because it would be fresh from the Mennonites. The egg might even still be warm, straight from the chicken.

• Last Sunday- 112 degrees with a heat index of 123
• Last Monday- 109 degrees with a heat index of 117
• This Monday- 100.9 degrees at 8:30am

Those may be the extremes but that doesn't mean we get a nice 80 degree day anytime either. It's hot everyday. It hasn't rained in weeks and I sometimes get hot showers now due to how hot the water gets in the pipe before it turns cold.

I shower on minimum thrice daily. Yes, I just used the word thrice. I don't care about cleanliness, I care about cooling my body from extreme heat.

Luckily, most of the day I sit in an air conditioned computer lab in pure bliss until I open the door and the sweat begins to pour.

The worst part are the nights. My idea of cooling off is rolling over from my back to my stomach so the sweat from my back can be cooled by the 2 fans blowing on me. I'm like a rotisserie chicken, ever 5 minutes, just turn me over.

It's a great life and I wouldn't change it for the world but I am beginning to understand why Mateo (a 3rd year volunteer) said he had to go home before the summer because he simply couldn't do another summer here.

I guess this the beginning of 2. I hope I survive. Just be thankful my water isn't metered so I can shower all day to keep cool.

I shouldn't even waste my time on this but since I did St. Patrick's Day and Fat Tuesday, I might as well fill you in on this one too.

It's pretty simple.
Nothing happened.

Once again, no one drinking, no one dancing. No need to go out and party like a fool.

I'm starting to think its more because places of the world like this have something the United States doesn't have: Culture.

Not that the US doesn't have culture, but not a unified culture. Unless you count being xenophobic or flying an American Flag outside your house having culture, but sorry... I don't.

I see culture every day. It's unique, beautiful, and inspiring everyday. Some of it may be boring, but it was created hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago when things were as exciting to watch.

Speaking of years, the US is pretty young. Only 234 years old. May seem like a long time but in the grand scheme of things we are young. Belize may only be 28 years old but the culture was here long before colonialism ever came around.

I think the most disappointing thing about how the US celebrates made up holidays that are supposed to represent other countries' culture is how unwelcoming we are of other cultures. People are busy getting drunk right now, with sombrero on, dancing salsa, trying to be Mexican while in the same country we do our best to keep Mexicans out.

The US is what it is today because of the influence of other cultures and mass immigration, but somewhere along the way, many people decided we couldn't fit anymore. Or better yet, we don't want anymore. Now, those people are Mexicans or anyone of Latin decent and Arizona doesn't want them.

I just hope no one in Arizona is celebrating Cinco de Mayo while at the same time hoping more "Mexican looking people" get arrested for being anything other than white and speaking a language other than English.

Crazy how fast we celebrate the culture of the "other" while making damn sure they don't become one of "us."

Bill Cosby used to host this TV show back in the day that I never watched but was titled "Kids Say the Darnedest Things."

Yes, they do.

I had them make Mother's Day Cards and then we would print them out. Seems easy, seems fun. Not easy, not fun, but perhaps very funny. Some of the best quotes were:

• "Mom, thank you for not lashing me, I love you."
• "Mom you are beautiful and big"
• "Mom you are fat."
• "I love when you cook for me"
• "Your eyes are the color of mud"
• "You are the best mom I have in this world"

I wish that some of these could be funny if only taken out of context, but for most of them, its simply what they wrote. When I would ask the kids if they were sure that's what they wanted to say, they were adamant about it. I asked the teacher and she said it was fine. Who knows. As much as I try to understand cultural communication, there are some things I may never get.

I may be completely wrong too and the meanings of what those kids wrote is not even close to what I think they mean. Bottom line is every single kid out of 149 mentioned either "I love you" or "Happy Mother's Day," so that has to count for something.

And on that note, Happy Mother's Day a bit early Mom. I love you and sorry I cant be there this year. I'll try my best to call you.