INTERNET PROBLEMS

Sorry!! I will have to post the pictures at another time because the wireless internet is slower than molasses in January. I am the only one on it and it still has been 20 minutes of trying to post one picture. The signal is strong, so that is not the issue. Imagine 20 students, some working on projects at the home campus, and not being able to get anything done. The atmosphere is getting a little touchy here.

South Water Caye

Last Saturday morning, bright and early, the group headed out for a weekend field trip. After a two hour bus ride, we arrived at Dangriga and climbed aboard a boat for another half hour ride on the ocean. The boat ride was the first of several firsts for me. I had seen an ocean before, but had never been on it and out of sight of land. Actually if you looked hard enough, there was a faint image. It gave this non-swimmer a bit of an uneasy feeling. Hitting the waves and catching some air was a bit bumpy, but no one got seasick. The two man crew showed no signs of anything being out of the ordinary, which was comforting. We went past a couple of islands and the unusual sight of trees growing in the middle of the ocean. I found out later about mangroves, since South Water Caye has them.

We were greeted at the dock by the lady that owns the resort. She gave us a little history of how she came to the island and how the school (college marine science) was started on the island. She had taken a summer job while teaching high school science. She liked the job so well that she did it for three years, met the man building the school, married him, and stayed. The island is one of the few that are privately owned. South Water Caye was first discovered by pirates and used for R&R when needed. I am guessing that they were British, since Belize history says that the French could not keep British pirates and squatters out of the area. I won’t go into the whole history, but it is interesting to see how British Honduras came to be.

There was snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, volleyball, fishing, sunbathing, relaxing, and a five minute ride in a little boat to the nearby island. This tiny island is Carrie Bow Island, a Smithsonian science research lab. We got a tour of the island and its history from the volunteer “overseer”. Originally the island was approximately two acres, but now it has eroded to .6 acre. That is another subject I can not expound on here. If you are curious, you’ll have to look it up.

In this trip my firsts, along with the boat ride, included:
1. being able to see the ocean in all directions
2. eating rice cooked in coconut milk and fish – and liking them!
3. petting a Pelican – he had to be caught and moved away from where a guy was cleaning fish for supper because he was trying to steal it.
4. actually being in the ocean – just piddling around; I can’t swim.

It was a once in a lifetime trip for me, but I was ready to get back to solid land by Sunday noon. If you need a break from a life of rushing, I would suggest this little island. It is so peaceful and interesting. I have put some of my pictures on the side.

Feeding My Curiosity

Being in a new culture has my curiosity going a hundred miles an hour. That means I am asking questions of the staff at college, the owners of this resort, and talking to others on the campus bus. So far I have found an interesting preschool on the bus route which happens to be run by the resort owner’s aunt. I am now volunteering there one afternoon a week helping the ones that are just learning English. They need it in order to advance in the English speaking school system. Miss Juanita, the owner, is setting up activities for me, and two other exchange students, to do with the children. The two students heard me talking about what I was doing and asked if they could help too. Miss Juanita was glad to hear and said she could use anyone that wants to work in the afternoon.

I knew that the Peace Corps had workers in Belize. By talking to an American girl on the bus I have now made contact with a lady who is working here at the Department of Education. My plan was just to get a first hand account of what it was like to be in the Peace Corps. Maybe the fact that she is in Education is a sign. We have only emailed each other, but have set a date to meet at a local café to talk. She sounds like she is really looking forward to meeting with me.

Next I will work on feeding my curiosity about the school system here. I have heard that there is no teachers’ college here. I only have that from one source so I am not taking that as fact yet. The elementary and high school is set up on the British system. Makes sense, doesn’t it! The British have only been out of Belize since the 1980’s. When I get into the schools doing my ESL Practicum, I will learn much more. Also I am joining a group trip to visit a Mennonite school. The purpose is to see how different cultures affect the schools.

Who knows what other subjects will stir up questions. If you have any thoughts that could be interesting, leave a comment. I just may grab on to it and do some digging.

The People I’ve Met

I had been told by a lady at the college that the people of Belize are quiet and reserved, but friendly. They said we would have to start the conversations. As I am walking around San Ignacio, getting to know where everything is located, I am finding out that the description needs a little adjustment. I have been approached by at least 3 people each time I go out. I have not been the one to initiate the conversation. I won’t write about each one, but here are some of the interesting ones.

I have been approached by two different people who spoke high speed Spanish. It would not have mattered if they slowed down; I only speak English so far. One was a little guy that saw I had a cigarette and wanted to bum one. When I let him know I no habla espanol, he said some words in English and went right back to Spanish. I gathered it was a good story from all the smiling, waving of his hands, and moving around. I was polite and smiled and nodded – and ended up giving him a cigarette. The other one was a skinny older lady carrying a toddler. She didn’t understand when I tried to explain that I didn’t speak Spanish. She walked along with me for a while; talking the whole time. The only thing I understood was comida (food). I just said sorry and shook my head. I have since learned the name of the organization to refer them to if food is the issue.

The local taxi drivers are always asking if you need a ride, but one just wanted to talk while I was waiting at the bus stop. He is a pretty nice little guy and I will probably chat with him more since he is parked in that area. I may be able to find out quite a bit about the area.

One lady in her forties approached me to talk about my see-through book bag. As she walked up to me she laughed and said she liked my scandal bag. I hadn’t known that they were called that. She said she was an artist from Canada and had done an exhibition using the scandal bags filled with things that people would not want others to see them carrying. We didn’t talk long enough for me to find out if she had a “studio” in this area.

I have even been approached by a guy in his mid-twenties (with dread locks). I think he was just bored because he just asked about how I was doing and how I used my leisure time. I talked to him for a while and asked him questions. He answered questions easily; not that I believe everything he said.

This is just a sample, but it shows that people are not as reserved as I was led to believe. I will agree that they are friendly and are quiet in the respect that they do not speak loudly or yell.

First Days in Country

It has now been 10 days since landing in Belize City. My brain is still reeling from all of the uniqueness and information. Of course that includes starting school on Monday. I hope they give a little allowance for the brain overload. I am having a hard time getting into any kind of routine.

Friday and Saturday were full of orientation activities. Friday we went to campus and they introduced us to the professors and some Belizean students that are to be the mentors. Our laptops were configured to connect with the campus and last minute changes were done to some of the class schedules. One instructor recruited for the yearly Ruta Maya, which is a four day canoe race down the river. I decided to join, not as a paddler, but as ground crew. We are responsible for food, minor medical issues, and entertainment at the end of each day. After the meeting I met with the instructor that will be coordinating my ESL Practicum here in Belize. Dr. Penados wanted to meet with me to get an idea of what I was expecting and form ideas on where and how I will be integrated into different schools. He mentioned his class, Education and Society, which meets on Saturdays. I picked up that class since it sounded interesting and is full of current and future Belizean teachers. The credits will not transfer back to WSC, but it is not an additional cost and it will be a great source of first hand knowledge for my Junior Honors paper.

Saturday we were taken downtown to the weekend market and then to the Xunantunich ruins. Of course it was a hot, humid day which we Northerners were not used to. But there was very little complaining; we remembered the cold and snow we had left in the states. The site is very peaceful and beautiful. From the top of the king’s building you have a view of Guatemala and if you are lucky you will see monkeys in the trees around the site. The guide said the monkeys move back farther from the site if there are too many people. A few of the girls did see a couple monkeys. I will go back when I can look and move around at a more leisurely pace. We have been told not to go alone because of the border squabble with Guatemala. I guess rebels cause trouble once in a while, but there are some Belize troops of some kind at the site. To top off the day we ate at a local restaurant that could actually hold all of us and got a lesson in how the bus system works.

Sunday was cleared for relaxing by the pool, putting our clothes away, walking into town to explore and a lunch with some Belizean students. I walked into town early and found some boys playing basketball. I sat and watched them for a little while before one of them came over to talk. They were very curious about the strange white lady. It was a great conversation about basketball, school, girls, languages, families, friendship, etc. I told them I was an American teacher and might visit their school. Also I wanted to know if I started a school in the park, would they come. They all said yes, but I don’t believe them. I asked if I could take their picture since they were my first Belizean friends. They were more than willing and had a good laugh at their pictures. The oldest one is 14 and out of school; no money for high school. The youngest one I would guess is 10, but I have found that they are older than they look. They are shown on the side.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I was told ahead of time that the airport was small, but I honestly did not expect it to be as small as it was. Of course they do not have the traffic that U.S. airports have and it doesn't need to be massive. I did not see the one story, long building until we disembarked from both front and back doors. The humidity hit me as we came down the steps into the open air. There were four lines to go through security, which didn't take long even with answering questions like why are you in Belize and where are you staying. After getting our luggage from the only luggage belt, we went through customs, which was also fast. I like the small airports because the whole process takes less than ten minutes. You can't say that about Omaha or Chicago.

The college had sent a van with a small uhaul type trailer to pick us up. I was on the first flight in and we did wait until about 3 for other students. During that time I did whip out my sunglasses, get a bottle of water, and put my light jacket in the luggage trailer. Thank goodness I switched from my heavy jacket to the light one in Omaha and asked Brenda to keep it till I come back. I am not complaining about the heat and humidity. Not after freezing in Nebraska. It was like walking into instant summer and I am loving it.

The ride from Belize City to San Ignacio took two hours. The van did have an airconditioner up by the driver (where I was) but it was only enough to keep the temperature bearable in a completely full van. There were close to twenty of us. The major road is paved, two lane, and highly traveled by everything from pedestrians to semi's. That includes the horse and buggy of the Mennonites. After watching all of this action, I understand why they say you should not drive unless you are used to the local driving habits. Walking is the best option for short distances and safest to face the traffic.

The view after Belize City alternated between small villages full of pedestrians, dogs lounging, and clothes on the line to orchards or tropical trees and plants with occasional hills in the distance. My first thought was one of living simply. I have since been told that many people see only poverty. This is insulting to the people here because they do not feel poor if they can pay for their children to go to school and offer food to any and all visitors. The value system is different here.

For this exchange program the students are lodged in a log cabin resort. As we pulled in I was impressed because of the tropical colors and the natural setting. We can still hear the traffic on the highway, but do not see it. The rooms are all simple, but include a shower, apartment refridgerator, wood floors, and yellow walls with a local style painting. I personally dislike yellow, but it fits in the tropical scheme of things so I will handle it. The owners are the third generation in their family to run Log Cab Inns and are fluent in English, Spanish, and maybe other languages. They are very nice people and help with any questions about the local area.

Galen University, where I am attending classes, is very small by U.S. standards and things are quite a bit different than what I am used to. There are only three buildings with a total of five classrooms, a computer lab, a library, and a little cafe. They do have courses from 8:30am to 8:30 pm and the student body is active in the community. There is no way to miss class without the instructor noticing; most have 8 to 15 students. Of course the place is surrounded by an orchard and plenty of folage. In a short time everyone will be acquainted.

There are restaurants and stores in town, but no sign of any kind of chain store. The owners or workers often lounge just inside the doorways till a customer comes in. I wonder if they will be able to keep the giants out as they grow as a country. It would be a shame to ruin this way of life by bringing in outside standards.

Overall, I would say this is the perfect place to slow down life and be introspective.

The Struggle To Get Here

This adventure started by reading the Go Abroad newsletter on the internet which sparked a tiny flame of interest that turned into a forest fire. I have always thought about traveling and learning Spanish; Belize filled the bill. It took a whole semester to check out the program and figure out how to afford it financially. Luckily I found out about the Gilman Scholarship and applied for it. I didn't have much hope since the competition was fierce, but I went for it and----GOT IT!!!!! Without the scholarship I would not be here.

During the long process of paperwork for Gilman, Galen University, my home college (WSC), insurance, etc, and figuring out how to manage things at home, I went on an emotional rollercoaster ride. It would look like all was going smoothly, then suddenly a problem would send me down a slope in panic. The closer it got to being a reality, the worse the ride got. A few times it almost made me sick. It finally became a reality as I boarded the plane. Before that I knew something could go wrong and my dream would disappear. But it didn't, and here I am in Belize!!!

This blog will be my journal. I hope you enjoy it and maybe it will spark a little fire of wanderlust in a few of you. Some days I will be long winded and others days I may only write a little. It depends on the school work and my wandering around the country.