Homesickness, Camps and August Workshops

Every Peace Corps Volunteer experiences homesickness at one time or another, but I was foolish enough to believe that I would be immune to that particular malady.  When I was much younger and was an exchange student in Costa Rica and then in Mexico City, I did not experience homesickness--not even once--so I did not recognize that black cloud when it descended upon me here in Belize.  It felt at times as if I were mourning the death of someone dear to me.  It was a physical pain in the pit of my stomach that caught me off guard at the most random moments.  Tears dribbled out of my eyes and I was powerless to hold them back. 

Today, as I write this, those inexplicable feelings are no longer plaguing me, but when they return, at least I will not be broadsided and perplexed.  I dealt with those uncomfortable feelings in various ways, and some of my methods were actually successful--temporarily.  I called, texted and emailed family in the States or I contacted Peace Corps friends here in country.  That was a temporary salve.  I walked, rode my bike and did my zumba exercise, and all those physical activities were exceptionally helpful in transforming my melancholy, although it slithered back into my thoughts as soon as I sat somewhere alone for more than five minutes.  I wrote in a journal, which gave me some perspective, at least on an intellectual level, even if the heavy feeling in my body continued to overwhelm me at times.  I finally kicked the blues away after spending lots of time with Peace Corps Volunteers who have been here in Belize for at least a year.  Their empathy and patience helped me to begin to feel normal again.  But “normal” is a little different from the “normal” I brought with me to Belize.  I feel myself changing.  Perhaps that is what is meant by adjusting.  I am just beginning to connect with some of my Belizean colleagues and acquaintances, and that is helping to transform those inexplicable pangs of sadness.   I am also spending more time engrossed in good novels and even movies that we Peace Corps Volunteers pass around on DVDs.  I am sure those uncomfortable waves of ennui will return in future episodes, but I will have more weapons in my arsenal to fend them off.

Although the Peace Corps does not allow us newbies to spend the night away from our site for the first two months, because of work obligations, I was given permission to spend some nights away.  This change of scenery probably contributed to the dissipation of my homesickness.  Also, I stayed at the homes of two experienced Peace Corps Volunteers whose recounted experiences provided me with a wider perspective and gave me hope.  My work with the Ministry of Education took me to Belize City for two days and nights to attend workshops to instruct me in the manner in which the Ministry expects us literacy Volunteers to train teachers in our sites.  The workshops were excruciatingly long, but valuable.  I spent two days with bright, committed Belizean teachers who were also being trained to mentor their colleagues.


A day later, I traveled with my Peace Corps friend Barbara to a small camp outside of San Ignacio to participate in Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World).  The camp was organized by a committee of Peace Corps Volunteers who had been planning this camp for over 11 months.  There were 20 girl campers, most of whom had never spent a night away from home.  They hailed from two different regions of the country, so it was a marvelous experience for the girls to make friends with girls from different cultures.  Barbara and I led the campfire songs and assisted the other counselors with games and activities. We even ate smores!  I look forward to participating in the planning of Camp GLOW for next summer, and I hope to start a GLOW club in Dangriga.

Camp GLOW

Learning to dance at Camp GLOW

Barbara and I led the campfire songs

After helping out at that camp, Barbara and I traveled to Georgeville, a small village where another Peace Corps Volunteer, Jenna, was conducting a Reading Camp.  We also helped Jenna with singing and games.  I came away from Jenna’s camp with ideas that I hope to use this coming school year either in classes, or in summer camps
. 

At Jenna's reading camp

Fun games at Jenna's camp

I was grateful to have the opportunity this month to be invited by my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers, Cathy and Steve to help with their projects.  I facilitated a workshop with a group of dynamic and involved community women, POWA (Productive Organization of Women in Action) on Non-formal Education.  They are being trained to work in the community promoting literacy.

Workshop with the POWA women on Non-formal Education

On one Sunday Cathy and Steve invited me to go with Steve's counterpart and a nurse from the Dangriga hospital out to a banana farm about an hour from Dangriga.  Our goal was to measure blood pressure and blood sugar levels in the Spanish-speaking migrant workers and their families.  They had asked me to go along to translate.  It was wonderful to be able to use my Spanish.

The banana farm

During the first two weeks of August teachers throughout Belize are required to attend workshops in order to maintain their licenses.  In our town of Dangriga we have been conducting workshops in the rooms of Ecumenical College for all the teachers of the Stann Creek District.  I was asked to facilitate a workshop for primary school teachers on teaching the writing process.  From feedback that I received, it seems that the workshop was practical and helpful for them, and I truly enjoyed interacting with an enthusiastic and committed group of primary school teachers.

This week I am helping out another of my colleagues here in the Education Ministry.  Therese, the Preschool Coordinator, has been so warm and friendly to me since I arrived in June, and she asked me to help facilitate workshops all week with 26 of the preschool teachers from the Stann Creek District.  I conducted a short workshop on reading aloud to children, and will do another one on storytelling tips and techniques.  Next on the agenda is a two-week “camp” at the public library.  I’ll report on that in the next installment of this blog.

I hope all my friends and loved ones are surviving the heat of this year’s summer in the US, and that you’ll continue to write to me and keep me in your thoughts…

How did you spend your Fourth of July?  Since it is not a holiday in Belize, I worked all day at the Education Center, as usual.  In the evening, however, I was able to watch celebrations of American Independence Day on the TV at home.  As I watched “A Capitol Fourth” on PBS, my heart swelled with a kind of pride that can only be described as patriotism.  I invited my host “mom” Miss Cas to watch with me, so together we listened while the Washington Symphony Orchestra played the 1812 Overture and fireworks exploded over the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.  She told me that two of her children and two sons-in-law have served in the US military.  She shared her experience of visiting the Pentagon, and proudly stated that her son even fought in Iraq.  We shared a very special moment together.

Mrs. Linda Castillo (Miss Cas) and grandkids in front of their home

Shermar, Jemeiah and Miss Cas

My host family

From July 11-15 one of my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers, DeShawna Porter, and I helped to organize a day camp at the Stann Creek District Ministry of Education Center.  The three truancy officers at the Education Center asked for our assistance and worked with us to bring the camp to life.   In the morning session there were from 30 to 35 children, ages 5-9.  Each day we had no idea how many students would actually show up.  In the afternoon we hosted from 10 to 15 older children, ages 10-13.  Our goal was to provide activities that would help to develop academic skills without repeating the same old “chalk and talk” that students would have experienced in the classroom during the school year.  We taught the children new songs, played academic games, told stories, read books, wrote stories, created arts and crafts and played games and sports outside.  It was exhausting, and more than a little challenging.  The kids attend different schools around Dangriga, so they are accustomed to differing forms of classroom management, and we had to establish our routines and rules in a short amount of time.  We also had no money to spend on materials, so we had to be creative with whatever we could find in the Ed Center to make crafts.  But all in all the children enjoyed themselves, and the parents appeared to be grateful that their children were provided with structured activities to keep them busy during the summer. 

DeShawna Porter playing basketball with the older camp kids

Angelita, the truancy officer, leading the kids in a game of "What time is it, Mr. Wolf?"

How many kids can we fit on a see-saw?

Miss Cas' grandkids, Jemeiah and Shemar, attended camp

Recently I purchased a bicycle, which has transformed my life.  It takes so little time now to get around Dangriga, and getting back and forth from work is so much more pleasant.  On Sunday, I went with my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers, Cathy, Steve and Meghan on a long bike ride to explore Dangriga, but Meghan’s bike chain broke.  While serving in the Peace Corps, we must learn new skills like changing a bike chain and keeping a bike in working condition.

How many PCVs does it take to change a bike chain?

Cathy, Steve and Meghan

Besides lots of bike riding and walking, I have also begun another form of exercise:  zumba.  Every Tuesday and Thursday evening, Cathy, who was a fitness instructor back in the States, conducts a zumba class at the Alejo Beni park.  She teaches us aerobic dances to Latin beats, Bollywood hits, hip hop and Belizean punta rock.    It’s a helluva lot of fun for an activity that is so exhausting, but as you can see from the photos, the setting is magnificent.  We are on the stage right at the seaside, with the sea breezes cooling us as we sweat.  The Belizean women who have joined us are really enjoying this form of exercise, and we’re making new friends along the way.

Zumba class at Alejo Beni park

Caribbean Sea is on the right

This week I’m back in the office planning workshops and more camps.  I will help facilitate a workshop on nonformal education for a women’s group called POWA (Productive Organization of Women in Action) who will soon begin training their fellow Belizeans in Family Literacy.  I will also attend a two day in-service training in Belize City developed by the Ministry of Education’s Literacy Unit, in order to be able to conduct workshops in August with teachers in the Stann Creek District.  Next week I will help fellow Peace Corps Volunteers in other parts of Belize with day camps and one sleep-away camp for GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) clubs.  I have a lot of work ahead of me, and plenty to look forward to.  I hope the summer is going well for all of my loved ones back in the States. 

 Relaxing in the hammocks at the Pelican on a Sunday afternoon

Life in Dangriga

Four weeks have passed since we officially became Peace Corps Volunteers and now we are all acclimating to our new sites.  Let me tell you a little about my town, Dangriga.  It was formerly known as Stann Creek Town, and was settled around 1832 by Garifuna people (Black Caribs, as they were known to the British) who were exiled from their home on the island of St. Vincent, settled in Honduras and later moved to a few locations along the coast of Belize.  Since the early 1980s Garífuna culture has undergone a revival, and the town was renamed Dangriga, a Garífuna word meaning "sweet waters".  The Stann Creek River runs through the town and empties into the Caribbean Sea.  I have walked many times along the beautiful seacoast.  

The Lonely Planet travel guide writes that the town of Dangriga has “a funky vibe about it – tumbledown and mildly untidy – and for this reason it isn’t a major stopover point for most tourists.”  The town has around 10,000 inhabitants, but has the feel of a small village.  As I walk from home to the office every day with one of my colleagues, Miss Therese, we greet every passerby.  She has taught me the Belizean standard of etiquette, which requires that we “bid the time of day” to everyone.  Belizeans, especially in Dangriga, are very friendly and really look you in the eye when you greet them.  I have even learned to say good morning in Garifuna:  Buiti binafi.  The faces of the elderly Garifuna women returning home from morning mass light up when they hear that greeting.  I have also learned that from noon to 3:00 pm you must say “good afternoon”, from 3:00-6:00 pm you say “good evening”, and after 6:00 pm the greeting is “good night,” even if you are saying hello to someone.

     The main street of Dangriga

The monument, Drums of our Fathers, at the entrance of town

There are eight primary schools in town, 2 high schools and a junior college.  There is a small hospital and a clinic, and a fairly large outdoor market place, mostly run by Guatemalans, where one can buy fruits and vegetables.  There are many small grocery stores, mostly owned by Chinese immigrants, and several furniture, clothing and household goods stores, mostly owned by Lebanese and East Indians.  Dangriga is quite a cultural melting pot, and it is the spiritual heart of the Garifuna people (the Garinagu) in Belize.  

During the summer, since school is out, I am working 8-5 at the Ministry of Education Center, which is just 100 feet from the seaside.  As I complete research on and prepare for upcoming workshops for teachers, and prepare for upcoming summer camps, I am lulled by the sound of the waves, and cooled by the sea breezes flowing through the open windows.  I am indeed fortunate to have been placed here.

During training, Peace Corps trainers advised us that our first few months would be slow and feel rather unproductive to us Americans, who are used to a fast-paced lifestyle.  We were encouraged to spend our first months listening, getting to know our new home, co-workers, and new culture, before jumping into any major projects.  Some of my Peace Corps colleagues who are involved in Business Organization and Development were thrown headlong into projects right away, but those of us in Education are still floundering a bit.  Expectations and job descriptions are not delineated as clearly as they might have been in our former lives back in the States, so as Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs), we are called on to be flexible and adapt to the schedules of our Belizean counterparts.   

My first week in Dangriga I had the opportunity to visit one of the five schools that I will be assigned to when school starts up again next September.  The school is an hour and a half away in a little village called Bella Vista.  There are 1,000 students, Infant I through Standard 6 (K-8^th grade), and the majority of students enter school speaking very little English.  Their parents are mostly Spanish-speaking workers on the banana farms surrounding the village.  The three vice principals explained that some teachers at the school have very little training and need some mentoring, especially in teaching language arts.  I really look forward to working with teachers and students in September.

At that time I will also be assigned to four other schools, but I was not able to visit them yet, since school let out for the summer.  Two of the schools are here in Dangriga, but the other two will require bus rides (mornings at 6:00 am!!).  In the meantime, I have had the privilege of attending a couple of end-of-the-year celebrations, one at a fascinating school here in Dangriga, The Gulisi Community School.  The teachers there are all Garifuna, and speak both English and Garifuna to the students.  The school is attached to the only Garifuna museum in Belize, and one of their goals is the maintenance of Garifuna language and culture.  I attended the preschool “Stepping Up Ceremony”, a kind of graduation to primary school.  20 adorable little 5-year-olds were decked out in their finest Garifuna dress as they recited poems and songs in Garifuna and English.  When they approached the principal to receive their “diplomas” they had changed into costumes of professions they hope to be when they grow up.  Miniature doctors, nurses, army generals, lawyers and teachers proudly carried their certificates back to their mothers and fathers.  The banner flying behind them read:  “Stepping up today.  Encouraging the leaders of tomorrow.”  

 Graduates of Gulisis Community Preschool singing in Garifuna

Another celebration I attended was the dissemination of certificates to the students in the two southern districts of Stann Creek and Toledo who achieved the highest scores on the PSE, the Primary School Examination.  This is the comprehensive exam given at the end of Standard 6, the equivalent of eighth grade in the US.  The mayors of both Dangriga and Punta Gorda were in attendance, as well as Education Ministry officials from both districts. These students will continue on to high school, which is not compulsory here in Belize; school is only compulsory up to the age of 14.  High school is not free, and many students, even if they pass the PSE cannot afford to attend.  There are many obstacles to completing a secondary education here in Belize.  

 The mayor of Dangriga awarding certificates to the highest scoring pupils of Stann Creek District

Over the last couple of Saturdays I was fortunate to be able to visit two lovely places.  I took a water taxi from Belize City to Caye Caulker with my PCV friend Linda.  The Cayes (pronounced “keys”) are islands in the barrier reef that are very popular with tourists.  We enjoyed swimming in the warm Caribbean Sea while listening to reggae music blaring from the outdoor bars.   

 Caye Caulker

The following Saturday I set out for the village of Independence to meet with another PCV, whose name is KC, and who has been serving here in Belize for over a year.  We took the water taxi (called the “Hokie Pokie”) over to the peninsula of Placencia, where the nicest beaches in Belize can be found.  We were there for Lobsterfest, a yearly celebration of lobster season.  I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to make these day trips by bus to such beautiful destinations.

 Placencia

But even in Dangriga there is a peaceful beach at the northern end of the town, at a small locally-owned resort called The Pelican.  The owners are Belizeans who are very civic-minded, contributing much to their hometown of Dangriga, and are exceptionally kind to us Peace Corps Volunteers as well.  They have invited us to use their beach any time we like.  It is quiet and peaceful, with a small dock and hammocks hung under a little thatch hut.  If any of you reading this come to visit, you can enjoy Belize’s beauty along with me. You would also enjoy the warm and welcoming people of Dangriga.

 The hammocks at the Pelican

The most common form of transportation in Belize

Spelunking and Swearing In

On Sunday, June 5, we Peace Corps Trainees were allowed a day off, and three of us decided to challenge ourselves with an adventure we had never attempted before:  spelunking.  We ventured out to ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal), the most physically challenging of the caves of Belize.  After hiking through the jungle to the mouth of the cave, our guide instructed us to swim into the abyss.  Two of us took the challenge, while one changed her mind and stayed back.  We left our packs behind, and swam in our clothes (and shoes!) into the cave to begin our three-hour trek through the cavern.  Our headlamps provided the sole light inside.  After finally touching dry land deep inside the cavern, our guide led us through one section with our lights turned off.  The dark enveloped us like a blanket as the guide narrated Mayan legends and intoned music by gently striking the stalactites with his fingers.  Once again we turned on our headlamps and climbed up through rocky passages, some so narrow that we had to squeeze through on hands and knees.  We were soon rewarded with the awe-inspiring vision of glittering quartz crystals covering the stalactites inside an enormous chamber.  Further along, we climbed a 30-foot ladder to another chamber filled with Mayan artifacts and calcified skeletons, some 1300 years old.   One of the human remains was of a young girl who had been sacrificed to the gods. She is known as the “Chrystal Maiden".  This was one of the most strenuous physical challenges I’ve accomplished in my life, and it gave me the confidence and courage to complete my last week of training.  

With only one more week of training sessions to go, we would finally be sworn in as full-fledged Peace Corps Volunteers.  Currently serving Peace Corps Volunteers provided a two-day workshop on HIV-AIDS, because all of us, even those not specifically assigned to the health sector, are charged with promoting HIV and AIDS awareness.  Belize currently suffers the highest rate of HIV infection in Central America, and the UN, as well as President Obama, have committed to the goal of reducing the number of new HIV-positive cases in the country.  My colleagues chose me to be the one to demonstrate the proper application of a condom using a cucumber as the intended appendage.  Other training sessions included instructions on Peace Corps policies and bureaucratic procedures, and sessions to learn how to sharpen a machete, attach a propane tank to a cook stove, fix a flat bicycle tire, survive a hurricane, and some sessions on group team-building dynamics.  By the end of our training we had bonded with one another in solidarity, and have dedicated ourselves to supporting one another throughout our time here in Belize.  Our little group of five Dangriga Volunteers committed ourselves to meeting once a month for potlucks to commiserate and share successes.  Unfortunately, one of the original 38 of us was deemed unprepared to begin her 2-year commitment, and was sent home the day before our swearing in.  We were all shocked and saddened by her departure, but realize that in every training group there is usually at least one who does not go on to service.  

The day of our swearing in ceremony and subsequent celebration at the Ambassador’s residence was like Graduation and the Prom all rolled into one.  We dressed to the nines and were transported at 9:00 am by bus to the Governor General’s official residence.  The Governor General, Sir Colville Young, is the Queen’s representative here in Belize, an independent nation since 1981, but still a member of the British Commonwealth.    There were large tents set up outside to accommodate all the invited guests, including our host families, our Belizean work counterparts, the Peace Corps Country Director, and the American Charge d’Affaires.  My new host mom, Miss Cas, honored me with her presence as well.  We stood to sing both the Belizean and the American national anthems, and then swore to “defend the US Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, and to serve the Belizean people in friendship and in peace.”  It was an emotional and moving occasion and all 37 of us sensed that we were part of something greater than ourselves.  Currently serving Volunteers, the Peace Corps Country Director, the American Charge d’Affaires and the Deputy Chief Education Officer all delivered speeches.  Four of our group of Trainees gave speeches in Spanish, Kriol, Q’eqchi, and English. Tears were streaming down my face as I was called up to receive my diploma.  We ate lunch together, snapped photos and hugged our host families and each other.
In the afternoon, several of the currently serving Peace Corps Volunteers who arrived in 2010, met us at a soccer field in Belmopan for a friendly bit of competition and gesture of solidarity.  This year one of the Volunteers began a new initiative called Volunteers Supporting Volunteers (VSV) that seeks to provide support and practical assistance to Volunteers.  Those of us in the Belize 2011 group have felt encouraged and empowered by our more experienced colleagues.  By the way, Team 2011 won the soccer game.

 Miss Cas and me

In the evening we were transported by bus to the Ambassador’s residence, an elegant and stately home in the suburbs of Belmopan, near the American Embassy.  The Ambassador himself was out of the country, but his Charge d’Affaires, Jack Diffily and his wife welcomed us and provided a sumptuous feast.  We were treated to a slide show highlighting our most memorable moments of our 12 weeks of training.  These past weeks have been challenging, rewarding, and enlightening.  The Peace Corps training staff is very thorough and diligent in equipping us with skills and attitudes that have prepared us to begin our two years of service to the Belizean people.

 American Ambassador's Residence in Belmmopan

So… armed with my diploma, my suitcase and a brand new umbrella, I boarded a bus bound for Dangriga.  To my delight, my first weekend in my new adopted town has been wonderful, because Miss Cas’ daughter, Bernadette, was here visiting from San Diego, where she has lived for the past 30 years.  She took me all around to visit the nearby village of Hopkins, and to explore parts of Dangriga that only a woman who grew up here would know about.  As we strolled along the beach and the streets of Dangriga, she introduced me to myriads of cousins, aunts, old school chums, and random villagers.  I hope you all enjoy the photos of my first days in my new home of Dangriga.

 Bernadette, Miss Cas' daughter

The Garifuna drummers in Dangriga

The mango tree outside my bedroom window

The seaside in Dangriga

Heading into my last week of training

In Peace Corps parlance, CBT has concluded.  This means that Community Based Training, or the 8 weeks of living and working in our training sites with our first host families is completed.  Sadly,  Diana, Jay T and I said goodbye, and I moved back into the Garden City Hotel with my fellow 37 PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees) in Belmopan for further training at the Peace Corps office before swearing in.  Although I will miss reading stories to that darling little boy, I feel certain that we will be able to visit one other during the two years that I am in Belize, because this is a tiny country, and it is relatively easy to travel by bus almost anywhere.  As I was leaving, Diana was preparing for a 10-day workshop in St. Lucia focusing on women in political leadership positions.   I am grateful for her generosity in hosting me and introducing me to Belize.

Diana & Jay T

Completing CBT meant that our permanent placements would finally be revealed.   After 8 weeks of nervous speculation and anxiety,  all 38 of us were uneasy the night before Placement Day, and when our sites were at last revealed, we hugged and cheered and were incredibly relieved.  To my surprise, I was not placed in a specifically designated Spanish-speaking community, but instead have been assigned the charming coastal town of Dangriga, a veritable cultural melting pot, with a sizeable Garifuna community, many Creoles, a few Maya and a smattering of Spanish-speakers who sell vegetables in the market.  Dangriga is known as the cultural center of Belize, and although not a popular tourist destination, it is known for the artists and musicians who make the town famous, such as Supa G, the punta rock superstar, and Pen Cayetano, founder of the Turtle Shell Band and a painter of some renown.  

Map of Belize indicating our placement sites

My new host “mom” is Alejandra Castillo (otherwise known in all of Dangriga as Miss Cas).  She sports a baseball cap that reads “Garifuna Mom”, and proudly wears her beautiful Garifuna dresses that she makes for herself.  She is 72 years old, has 4 grandchildren living with her, and 4 grown children in the States.  Her son’s Chicago restaurant, Garifuna Flava, was recently featured on the Food Network.  The grand kids are sweet, and love being read to as much as Jay T does.  We’ve also enjoyed playing hundreds of games of Go Fish and Uno.  

Dangriga

Now I have another language to try to master.  The first Garifuna expression I learned was “buiti binafi”, or good morning.  When I have used this one phrase while walking down the streets of Dangriga on my way to the Education Center, I have been met with big smiles from the elderly Garifuna women just returning from morning Mass.  Most younger people prefer to speak Kriol, but Miss Cass’ generation is doing its best to try to preserve the language and culture of the Garifuna people (for more information on this fascinating culture, refer to my March 31 blog entry).  My goal is to have weekly classes in Garifuna with Miss Cas.  The first night I spent in Dangriga, Miss Cas asked me to accompany her to a wake.  The women sang religious songs in Garifuna, and the drums beat long into the night.  I look forward to learning about this rich culture, their traditions and language.

Dangriga

We were sent to our new sites for only five days to meet our new host families and our Belizean counterparts, before we were expected to return to the capital to complete our training.  My counterpart is Dushinka Lopez, a woman who was a vice-principal at one of the Dangriga primary schools, but is now the coordinator of the Literacy Center in the District of Stann Creek, of which Dangriga is one town.  There are over 40 schools in the Stann Creek district, and eight in Dangriga itself.  Although it’s not clear to me yet what my specific role will be as her partner, my understanding is that I will help to train new or struggling teachers throughout the district, especially in Language Arts, or reading and writing.  It is now almost the end of the school year, so I will only be introduced to some of the schools and teachers, and then get started on workshops that will take place over the summer.  All teachers in Belize are required to spend the entire month of August in workshops and preparing for the school year.

The two days I spent with my counterpart were a special treat.  Instead of sitting in meetings discussing my job description, to my delight, we instead traveled with her boss, the head of the Education Center, to Belize City, 2 ½ hours away, to watch Stann Creek students participate in the annual National Festival of Arts.  On Monday we watched the opening ceremonies outside the House of Culture, sitting along the waterfront of Belize City.  We also took part in a parade through the streets of the city, while the students marched and danced to the beat of the  Garifuna drums.  Each of the six districts of Belize was represented by marching bands or other musicians in the parade.  On Tuesday we returned to Belize City for the second day of the festival to see our Stann Creek students sing, dance and act in short plays in the Bliss Performing Arts Center along the waterfront.  My counterpart and her boss came to see their own daughters perform on stage.  I felt so honored to be able to accompany them and witness the talents of the Belizean students.

After only five days in our new sites we returned to Belmopan for the remainder of our training.  As I write this, I am in the Peace Corps office, with one more week left of training.  On Friday, June 10, we will swear in at the Governor General’s residence, then attend a reception at the American Ambassador’s home.  On Saturday June 11 we will all be dispersed to our permanent sites to begin serving as Peace Corps Volunteers.