Post Title: 005_Hang In There!
Written Date: 15/05/10
Posted Date: 15/04/10

This is REALLY going to be short! It is almost impossible to find time to write a blog while we’re in PST (the initial 8-9 weeks).  We had an all-day “Cultural” event on Saturday, where the host parents came over and prepared traditional dishes in the traditional, open fire, ways. We slaughtered two goats (yup – live in the back of a pickup in the AM, cooked and eaten by 4:00 PM, and we did it all), six chickens, and a whole slew of “worms” which turn out to be really tasty and good with the spices they use. They aren’t really worms, they are caterpillars. Big relief, right?

Tuesday we (the CED folk) teach classes to the locals on business plans, Registration with the government, and associated topics. Wed – Friday we cover marketing, financial management, management structures, etc. with the intent of giving them at least an introduction into how to establish and run a new business. I really, really want to write about the existing knowledge (not much), the existing businesses (gobs of them, but nothing you’re used to thinking about as a business), and the changes in how I perceive business in this culture. But it will have to wait. My portion is two classes, one Tuesday and one Wednesday. They Friday we have language “mid-terms”, and other activities during the week. The Health volunteers teach an equivalent set of classes on HIV/AIDS, and other health topics.

PST is, in fact, very stressful mostly because of the minimal amount of time available.

Right now, Group 41 is collecting in the café to have lunch together and most of us will go off to play soccer as a stress break – it’s a good one.

So – not much interesting to pass on. One cultural difference is that few of the host families (31 of them in our class) have more than one house key. So if they go out for the evening, we are either stuck outside (not good), or we have to coordinate with them to get the key. In my home, they will just come home about 1:00 AM and knock on my window to have me open the door for them. It genuinely isn’t safe to leave the door unlocked, apparently.

I can go on – but I have to stop to get ready for the classes. Oh, and I forgot I have to get comments to a business plan for my partner here (he wants to start a shuttle business) for this evening.

Start dreaming about what you’d want to include in a “care package” – it takes about 6 weeks for a package to arrive here, so don’t send any frozen carrots or ice cream! I still owe you all some address information.

Andy

Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.