Working with a traditional healer

June 25, 2012

I started my internship with Dr. Arzu today. It was even better than expected, which is saying a lot because I had high hopes!! First, her traditional healing is all about connecting with the earth. It was amazing to listen to and talk about all day. There is definitely a shift in my mind occurring here. Mom always says things happen for a reason. It is amazing to see those reasons start to unfold before my eyes. I was definitely meant for this internship and this experience was meant to be a part of my life because it’s creating a view for me. Clearly, the first half of my internship with NHI was guided by my public health goals and partly guided by my mom. As I completed it, the values of communication she is always trying to teach me were forefront in my mind. This half of my internship though with Dr. Arzu is guided a lot by my dad. I felt very connected to what she was saying today because planting is partly in my blood. My dad is amazing at it (for anyone who doesn’t already know!!) If my family was forced to live off the earth, it would take some getting used to but I have no doubt we could do it thanks to dad. So as I was sitting with her today, constantly asking questions about which plants she has and what they do, I often thought of my dad and how he has already established a connection with the earth (even if he doesn’t see it that way.)

Dr. Arzu and I spent the day coming up with a curriculum for a traditional healing certificate here in Belize. Today we worked on the syllabus for an introduction to herbalism course. If I could, I would without a doubt take this course!! But, my calling is public health not traditional medicine so I will leave the healing to her. She and I are very excited about this and plan on creating the whole degree outline by the end of the week! It is great to understand the work I am doing with her will allow indigenous populations to continue their traditional ways, and help their people where modern medicine has failed them.

Which brings me to my next important topic: diversity in Belize. There are many things the U.S. could learn from a small country like Belize. It definitely has it’s struggles since it is a young country, but the people here are like no where else. There are many, many different cultural influences here in Belize. You have the Garifuna people, the Mayans (both Ketchi and Mopan), Creole, East Indians, and many other mixes. The amazing part about this diversity is that it doesn’t separate them. They may have a village full of one heritage but they all respect each other’s culture. They are about helping each other and doing what is best for people, not their country or profit. It is difficult to see them as poor because they are so rich with life. There are no homeless people here in PG or the villages. Some may be living in shacks, but it’s still a home. It is easy to see what the U.S. values when you come to a place like Belize. 

Another Weekend Gone

It has been a pretty relaxing weekend here in PG. On Friday night we went to Bamboo Chicken, a bar here in PG. Sarah's family came in town so we all had a couple drinks and hung out. Sarah's family is great and we shared a few hiking stories! The water was also phosphorescence (that's probably spelled wrong) but it was glowing when we through in rocks. Once again, I missed Island. Definitely a fun night. Samish

On saturday one of the ProWorld staffers, Blaze Chase (awesome name!) came in town from the Cayo sight. She lived in Oxhaca, Mexico for a long time working for ProWorld. She is from Seattle so we chatted about how much we love Washington and the San Juan Islands. (I'm telling you, this trip is just calling my name to go back to Samish this summer. I am VERY disappointed that I can't.) She is super awesome and wish I could pick her brain for a day. Niki, Haley, Coi, and I walked around town to the market and shops in the morning and went to the pier to swim all day. We came back to the bunkhouse to relax in the hammocks and wait for Sarah's family. We had pizza for dinner from one of the restaurants here. They have great Banana shakes. When we got back (partly via my request) we hung a sheet, set up a projector, and watched a movie on the veranda. Laying in a hammock watching a backyard movie is only second to the actual backyard movie night. Loved it!!

Setting up the movie on the porch

Sunday, I joined the Whitman family and the girls on another trip to Blue Creek. Apparently it rained last night so the water was really high and murky. If you saw the pictures from our original pictures they were crystal clear, so it was a the exact opposite. We made it a very short distance through the cave before we had to to turn around because the current was so strong. However, we spent the afternoon jumping off the rope swings again. I had a great time and going back actually made me even more thankful for the amazing time we had on our first visit. 

I am starting my new project with Dr. Arzu tomorrow. I am so very excited for this and can't wait to share it with you all!! I have to be there at 8 am and I don't know how long I will be working. But, since I am going straight to her house instead of the bunkhouse I am not sure the next day I will be back here. I will definitely try to type up my experience on my computer but depending on my schedule I may not post for a few days. Can't wait to share!

Why I wish my Family was here and Other Life Lessons

Sunrise here in PG

Okay, I have been missing all my family and friends lately. I’m not homesick, I just think there are a lot of awesome things going on here in PG that my family would love.

Today we went tree planting with SHI (Sustainable Harvest International) in a village called San Benito Poite. It take about 2 hours to get to because the roads are so poor. This is a remote village but it was BEAUTIFUL when we arrived. We split up into 4 groups and went to a farmer’s house. Each group planted 50 Cacao trees and several coconut trees. It’s rainy season, so the area was really swampy. The guys from SHI would dig the holes and we moved the trees and planted them. I loved it and REALLY wish dad could’ve been here to plant with me. First, because he would’ve done a much better job that we did. Secondly, because I think he would’ve loved it! The SHI guys are awesome and how many people can say they have planted in the jungle!?!

Mary, Sarah, Nana, and I after tree planting

I also wish Mom could come down. I have been able to visit a few schools and I know she would love to visit them as well. I have learned so much and I think mom would be able to engage in a conversation of mutual sharing. Yesterday, we went to Sunday Wood, another village in Toledo district, so the group could do blood pressure checks and glucose checks. I tagged along so I could gather info for my project. It was great to see the village people come out and want to be tested. Since the village people eat food they grow, almost no processed food, and work hard during the day, almost all of them had great blood pressure. I loved to see that! Also, the children would come visit during their school breaks. They were really excited to get pencils and stormed me when I walked to the school for more. All I kept thinking at the school is that mom would’ve loved to be there with me!

Also, when we were listening to Dr. Palacio speak last week, we were at the university. The classroom must have been for educating teachers because there were posters and procedures all over the walls. I snagged this photo for Mom, Ms. Lynn, Ms. Mary Ellen, and Ms. Barb (I apologize if this sounds rude. It is the Belizean way to address you). I thought of all of you as soon as I saw it!!

Finally, life lessons. The other night the group had a cultural reflection session at dinner. I decided to stay because I really wanted to hear what they had to say and their thoughts on their stay in Belize. One of the MANY great things we discussed is how we would keep our stay in Belize with us when we returned home. I personally have been contemplating this one a lot lately. I have learned so much about myself and the world around me while I have been here. So with you, my readers, as my witnesses, I am pledging right here and right now to hold on to the values I have come to love about myself.

1)    Family and Friends – I have had so much support from everyone back home that I realize how many great people I have in my life! It is important to me to have at least one meaningful conversation with someone close each day.

2)    Exercise- I already do this somewhat at home, but all the biking and walking I do here needs to continue when I get back.

3)    Eat organic- While my meals are LOADED with carbs (often only carbs) the food here is so much better. I love how healthy it is and I want to start buying local and organic when I get home. If at all possible, I’d like to grow some of my own.

4)    Travel- This one is easy. I love this adventure and I realize it is the value I may hold closest to my heart. I have met so many great people, experienced some amazing culture, and learned more about myself. I want to travel to a new place at least 1 a year, more if possible.

       5)  Natural medicine – I start my work with Dr. Arzu (a doctor of naturopathy) next Monday. I know this one will become more specific after that, but I love the natural plants and herbs they use as medicine here. I think as far as prevention goes, this would be great for everyone back home.

The more Belizean, the better!

Ok, I haven’t posted in a few days so I have lots to fill you all in on. But first, I want to say thank you to everyone reading this! I appreciate everyone’s support back home as I continue this amazing journey I set out on. You guys are the best!! (Comments below are encouraged!)

On Saturday, we went to the market in the morning to get food for the day and for our snorkeling trip Sunday. We decided to make coconut crusts for the trip. (See previous post on how to make them). The market is full of fruits and veggies. Apparently the Mennonites are the best to buy from because they are the cheapest and their food is very fresh.

We also went to a cultural and history lesson from Dr. Palacio at the University of Belize. It was interesting, but a lot of the info I had learned from my past two weeks in Belize. The info also deserves its own blog post so I’ll save it for a future day when I have more input.We spent Saturday walking around town to the shops and movie stores. If I haven’t mentioned this already, it is legal to bootleg DVDs here. There is store full of movies and you just tell the Alfonzo the movie you want and he copies it for you. They are $4 ($2US). I will definitely be stocking up on some. The day was mostly filled with relaxation. That night, the girls and I made roasted veggies for dinner and cookies for dessert, plus our coconut crusts for the next day. At night, we set up the projector and had a movie theater in our room. (That made me miss home quite a bit, reminded me of backyard movie night). We discussed the possibility of setting up a sheet on the veranda and watching in the hammock for our next movie night!

Sunday was snorkeling day. Roberto was our guide and we met him on one of the piers around 9am. The weather was not perfect but they day was still full of fun! The snorkeling was amazing. I have not perfected the art of blowing water out of the mouth piece but I will work on it! The reef was beautiful and so were the fish. We also went to Snake Cayes and played around a little. Roberto found a snake that we took pictures with. (This was on Coi’s camera so I will be posting it as soon as I get it). All-in-all, it was a fun-filled day. Side note: I meant to post this on Sunday, along with a fathers day video for dad, but it wouldn’t upload. Sorry dad! Love you though and hope it was a great fathers day!

The beautiful water. The dark spots you see are the reef, otherwise its crystal clear.

One of the Snake Cayes

Yep, Snake around my neck! It's a small constrictor snake.

Yesterday, I had more villages to visit. The frustration of a developing country was in full effect. My plan was to visit 4 villages along the highway. But, with a bridge down (the bridge was washed away) the buses weren’t running on schedule. My first village was Indian Creek about 45 minutes away. When I got there, I had to walk around asking people where the village health worker was. After about a 20-minute walk, I finally found his house, but he wasn’t home. I got his wife’s cell phone number to call back later. I had to wait over an hour then for the bus to come and pick me up. I decided to skip Hicatte and go straight to Big Falls. I got there at 12:20. The clinic was closed from 12 to 1. So I waited until 1 to talk with someone. It took 5 minutes to get the info and then I had to wait another hour for the bus again. Once it came, I decided to head back to PG instead of going to Dump because I didn’t have a phone and I was worried about the bus schedule. Back in PG, I went home and read on the porch. I was so exhausted and I went to bed earlier.

 

The health post in Indian Creek. It is abandoned and no longer used.

Today, I got up bright and early. I was at the bunkhouse by 7. There is a group in town from Metro, a University in Denver. They are doing nutrition education in communities as well as blood pressure and glucose checks. I went with them because they went to Sunday Wood and that is a village on my list. I talked to the village health worker, Martin Tush, and community members to gather my info. One of the schoolteachers there lives in Crique Sarco (it sounds like people say Cricket Circle when they say it) so I gathered village info from him. A pretty successful day. I also got to walk with the group as they went house to house. This village has very little. The houses are simple and some people had solar panels but some had no electricity. We also saw the Ministry of Education pull up to the school. When we went to see what they were doing, they were passing out TOMS shoes. For those of you who don’t know, TOMS is an organization with the motto one for one. You buy a pair of shoes and they donate a pair to a child in need. I have a pair myself so it was great to see their philosophy in action. It makes me want to buy another seeing how excited these kids were. If anyone is interested in them, they are definitely worth checking out. The shoes are comfortable too!

The group handing out goodies in the Sunday Wood today

Ministry of Education passing out TOMS

There are several things I have discovered about myself while here. One is the fact that I get the greatest experience being out in the community talking with others. My best days are the days that come with both excitement and frustration. I love hearing people tell me about their culture as well as their community needs. I have one more day on my current project. While I feel like I could’ve done much more, I am proud of my work. I have hopes that it will make a difference in some lives and I know it has shaped my future in ways I didn’t imagine. 

YUMMY YUMMY COCONUT CRUSTS!

The most delicious thing you can eat here in Belize (besides chocolate) is coconut crusts. We had them for lunch when we went to Blue Creek. Since we are going snorkeling tomorrow, we thought it would be a good idea to make them for ourselves and bring them along for lunch. I would like to share the recipe with all of you and save it for future reference myself.

Side note: Belizeans are not precise people. I have no actual measurements so it might take a few tries to get it right. And without Andrea, we would’ve been unsuccessful.

First you need coconut. In the U.S. you can probably buy grated coconut, but here it is authentic. We bought two from the market this morning. If we had a machete, Andrea would’ve used that, but we didn’t so we had to scoop out the coconut with knives. Then we grated it into fine pieces. It took a lot of work, but made it all worth it!

Next, you cook the grated coconut over the stove with sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until it is brown. This took us about 20 minutes of consistent stirring so it wouldn’t burn.

To make the dough, you combine a pound of flour, baking powder, a little sugar, a little salt, and just a little vegetable oil to keep it together. You kneed it, and then roll it into balls the size of a cue ball.

Once the cocnut mixture is cooked, flatten out the balls of dough into a circle. It should be nice and evenly thin. (After making them, I’d say the thinner you can get them, the better!)

Next add the coconut mixture into the center of the dough.

Fold the dough over the mixture to have a crescent shaped crust.

Use a fork around the edges to seal it tight.

Spray a little pam or oil onto a baking sheet and place crusts on the sheet. Cook in the oven (the oven was on max so I have no real temperature for you) until a nice golden brown. It should be about 10-12 minutes and Andrea flipped it over at one point to make sure it was even.

Sarah and Andrea

This will definitely be a trial and error kind of baking. Ours were delicious but not as good as Juans. Good luck to anyone making them and let me know how it goes!!

Holding our finished coconut crust

Q&A

Since mom emailed me some questions (and I think you are the only one reading it, mom), I thought I would answer them. I don’t have much else to write about right now.

What is the number one health concern?

So I ask each community chairperson or health worker I talk to what they think is the most prominent disease in their community. I am surprised that many communities say hypertension or diabetes. We learned about this in public health classes. There is a global trend that developing countries are now starting to suffer from chronic diseases rather than infectious diseases. It makes me happy to see that people are aware of these diseases, but I hope something can be done earlier rather than later to address these issues.

How are the schools structured?

This one was taken me a while to grasp. They do not call them grades, but rather Infant and Standard. Infant 1 and 2 are similar to preschool. From there you have Standards 1-6 (you graduate from standard 6 around age 14) and then high school (which you graduate at age 17). The schools do not always get out at the same time for summer break. Right now, the high school here in PG is out but the primary school is still going. And different primary or high schools aren’t always on the same schedule. It makes no sense to me, but it does to Cordillya who just explained it to me. She also said that most people these days do go on to high school but it just depends on their financial situation.

What were the crazy chairs at the circus?

I never found this out because I didn’t attend the circus. But I did find out that everyone REALLY wanted to see the tiger that danced like Michael Jackson. It is also in Spanish.

What is the next holiday?

Well obviously, Father’s Day is this Sunday. They celebrate it similar to us. I am not sure what holiday comes after that but I will be sure to celebrate whatever it is in Belizean style.

What do they think of America?

I haven’t heard a lot of what they think of America. My home stay family loves it. Several of them have been to L.A. or have relatives living there and love to visit. Evert, the village chairperson for Elridgeville told me he has been to Chicago. He said he liked it but it was too busy for him. I know there are definitely misconceptions, but I’ll have to find out more about what they are. Although Ms. Consuela asked me last night if men in the U.S. have more than one woman. I told her most of them do not. Apparently, it is not uncommon here for men to have more than one woman or families.

How has technology influenced changes in their lives?

MANY people here have cell phones. They also have an electronic system at the hospital for keeping some records (not all). I haven’t discussed technology much with people. Not all of the villages have electricity, but most do. I will have to find out more and get back to this one.  

Traditional Spanish meal Olivia made me

Olivia's son Elvin

The bus stop in Eldridgeville

Evert's house in Eldridgeville that he welcomed me in

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good

It is amazing being here. There are so many good things I am learning through this experience. Let me tell you a little bit about the staff here in PG. First there is Olivia, who I’ve already talked about quite a bit. She is from Belize, 24 and has two ADORABLE kids. She laughs at me a lot and has been my tour guide (more like lifesaver) on my internship so far. Then there is Noemi. She is also a local Belizean who is 28 and has 3, also adorable, kids. She is always in a great mood and I love talking with her. Next there is Sarah. She works for ProWorld in the U.S. during the year talking to Universities about ProWorld and then gets to visit the sites during the summer (I think I want her job!) She is very sweet, smart, and reminds me so much of Chelsea it’s crazy! I enjoy hearing her transition to Belizean life as well. Then there is Akeisha, who got her like 2 months ago. She will be here for a year and it the volunteer coordinator here. She is awesome and has made me feel comfortable here from day one! Next is Perlina. She is quite but super nice. She is 23 and helped me with my project as well. She is also great with nails so I am hoping she will do mine at some point. Lee is the only guy at the office. He and I had a GREAT conversation the other day about changes in Belize. Nicole is the country director and has lived in PG for 20 years. Hearing many of her stories are unbelievable (like the fact that she lived in the Jungle and didn’t see anyone for a year). The staffers are awesome and so is my internship!

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The Bad

Ok I guess it isn’t bad, but there have been many cultural barriers to overcome while I’ve been here. First there is language. I cannot understand Creole, but I am learning new phrases (The only one I remember is Weh You Deh? Meaning where are you). Almost everyone here speaks English and at least one other language (mostly Creole and Spanish). They also say reach instead of arrived. “When did you reach” They say refridge, instead of refrigerator or fridge. They say “excuse” instead of excuse me. The food is interesting too. They eat beans constantly! I have had it for breakfast every morning and almost every night at dinner. (FYI Beans and rice are not the same thing as rice and beans). They make authentic tortillas, and eat them almost everyday, especially in the villages. I am not the biggest fan of tamales, but I’m willing to try it again. And finally, they stare at me pretty weirdly. In the hospital, because I am white, they don’t say much to me when I am wandering around the halls. In villages however, people often stare, since I am quite the outsider. Also, Belizeans often tell you a miss representation of distance. When Olivia tells me something is 10 minutes away, I know I will be biking for 20. A good distance = at least a mile. My favorite phrase is “Right Now, Right Now.” It’s pretty much the same response as “in a second.” I love it, just like I loved “I’m on my way coming” in Ghana.

The Ugly

The further I get into this community mapping project, the more excited and upset I feel. I am excited because I am the first one to do this. This is public health at its core. Finding out what a community needs and what should be done to address them. And they often already know what their communities needs are. I had some resistance in the beginning, and especially with NGO’s wanting to know what I was going to do with the information. But they tend to work with me in the end. The part I have come to realize though is that they expect something from me. They expect me to give them information or help in return. And while I know that help is a long time from now, they might not. Or maybe they do. While I have hopes of making a difference, in the end, I am just another foreigner coming to gather information and leaving them with nothing. I can see now why they don’t like to give up their information. They have no idea what I am going to do with it. I know I will have to follow up, if I ever want to know what really has become of my work. But, I believe in ProWorld enough to know my information is worth something. And while it may be slow, this is making a positive outcome in the end. 

I'm known as the girl who gets lost

June 11, 2012

Everyone keeps telling me I look tired. I am tired. But it’s not because I did a lot of work today. It’s because I had some public health super moments and it takes a lot to process them. First I should explain that I call public health super moments, moments that something I’ve learned comes into use or will change how I view public health. (or sometimes they are just super awesome moments that could only happen through my path in public health). In the morning, I came to the office pretty early. It was still locked so I took a short walk down to the ocean to relax for a minute and start my day. When I came back to the office it was unlocked so I sat on the porch and read before the staff came in. When Olivia arrived, she got to work making plans for my day. She called people to let them know when I would be there. We took the bikes and first when to the RC school here to gather info for the communities. All the RC schools are catholic schools in the community. Some have government schools, and some have both. The office for the RC schools provided us with info on names of schools, how many teachers and students each ones has. It is definitely important for my internship. Next we went “all the way to the back” of town as Olivia calls it. It is, but its like 4 blocks back by bike (at least from what I’ve seen). Since Boom Creek is on a road in the back of town and takes 45 minutes by bike to get there, I met with the Boom Creek chairperson who owns a lumberyard in the back of town. He didn’t have a lot of information to provide me with, but enough to fill my excel sheet. (I really like it when they elaborate on things. I can’t use it in my file but its an interesting way to learn about people.) After talking with him for 10 minutes, Olivia wanted to stop by her house for a minute. I wish I had my camera because her children are the cutest kids I have ever seen in my life!! We said hi to them and they both gave me big hugs. Her daughter, Evelyn who is 6, rode on my bike while I pushed it to the store so they could get a drink and chips. I hope to see them again because they were a lot of fun. Olivia and I biked back to the office because I had to take the bus to Elridgeville to meet with the chairperson. This bus ride was easier and I didn’t get off at the wrong stop, even though the conductor was in the back of the bus (yay me!!). When I arrived in Elridgeville it was around 1:30. The chairperson came and met me at the bus-stop. Since it was his lunch break he took me to his house. (Most people here seem to go home for lunch if they can and them come back around 2). At his house, his family was eating outside and I met them all. His two sons (also adorable. If I ever have kids, there is a chance I will just adopt from Belize. They breed beautiful kids here) and his wife. His wife told me I looked familiar and she saw me somewhere before. I told her I was staying in PG. Turns out, it was the lady who got off the bus with me the day I got off at the wrong stop. We had a good laugh about it, and it turns out she works at that stop for wildlife and forestry. This was one of my public health super moments. Evert, the chairperson, was very welcoming and didn’t hesitate to give me a lot of great information about his village. His son, E.J. who was 4, was very excited about Thomas the Tank Engine. He was fun to play with. After he finished his lunch, he took me down to Hillside Clinic to give me a tour. I love seeing the clinics here to compare them to clinics I have been to. One thing I thought was awesome about the Hillside Clinic is that they have a pharmacy there and all the medications are free. Some of the blood test people may need cost money, or things like pregnancy tests. I met a lot of the staff and found out they have a mobile clinic they take into 17 communities at least once a month. After our tour, I walked back to the bus stop to head to PG (made it back safely, this is getting easier!). In PG, Olivia said we should go see Dr. Arzu to find out information on Midwives in the villages. Dr. Arzu is the Naturopathic doctor I will be working with for the second half of my internship. This was my second public health super moment of the day!!! She is awesome! Very cool and knows what she is talking about. I am so excited to work with her. Her garden is set up in 9 areas; 7 for different systems in the body, 1 for fertility, and 1 for spirituality (they are still working on it). I hope to learn about a lot of them when I work in the garden. When she found out I was really interested in the midwives here, she decided she also wants me to go to Belmopan with her to talk about health policy! She didn’t get into much detail but I am so unbelievably excited that I will be starting that in 2 weeks. However, she did say she thinks men should be paid more so women can stay home to take care of the kids “none of this equal pay stuff” (obviously I didn’t like that statement, but I didn’t say anything. Different culture).

When I got home last night, I was happy to relax and read my book on the porch. (Mom, I’m reading Little Bee, so far it’s a good one). I also got to meet Ms. Consuela’s daughter (Luis’s mom). She is really nice and laughed a lot. Everyone in that family always seems to make me feel comfortable. We watched Wanted last night. I seem to go to bed awfully early here. It was a great day, and I am excited to get more village information this week!

Don't forget you can always comment and let me know what you want to hear about!

Filling in the Weekend

I have so much to fill everyone in on! It has been an eventful weekend for me! One of the best in my life!!

So last Thursday I had to go to the villages to gather info in my project. I needed to go to San Felipe, where Haley is staying at Cyrilla (the chocolate farm) and then Santa Ana., both of which are in the Jungle. I had to take the bus at 8 am. I told Olivia before I left that I wasn’t going to find my stop but she insisted I wouldn’t. The conductor (the guy on the bus who collects the money, and they are school buses fyi) was told I had to get off at San Felipe. He was in the back collecting money, so of course, they missed my stop. They dropped me off several miles passed it when he realized his mistake. Luckily Juan come to my rescue and picked me on the side of the road. I made it to the farm and Haley got to have the day off from the farm and hang with me. We went to the community health worker/community leader’s house but he was not home. I talked to his wife and children for a bit to gather the info and then we left. There isn’t much validity to this data; it’s just an estimate, but still great information to have. From there we had to walk to the next village over, Santa Ana. We were told it was about 3 miles and you just had to walk on the main road. The walk there wasn’t too bad since Haley was with me and we talked the whole way. We knew we had to be close but it was taking forever. After an hour and a half of walking, we finally made it to the Santa Ana Poly clinic. I talked to the man inside for about 10 minutes and he wouldn’t give me much info. We sat under the fans for another 5 minutes and decided the sooner we walked back the sooner we would get there. The walk back was awful! We didn’t say much except for the occasional, “this sucks” or “cold shower, water, and sitting.” When we finally made it back an hour+ later, we were exhausted and burnt to a crisp (yes I wore sunscreen mom). We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the upstairs deck, reading and doing nothing. It was relaxing and my body was unable to move anyway. When Juan and Abellina got back, I helped cut the cacao beans. They will soak it in water to make chocolate wine.

This is what to cocoa pods look like. The cocoa beans are covered in the white.

Being on the chocolate farm was great! They grow and raise all there own food, plus they make the best chocolate in the world!!! I will never be able to enjoy it the same way again. Their avocados were awesome! Abellina made us burritos for dinner with egg and vegetables. We had orange squash to drink, which was delicious. When the food is good here, it’s amazing. I spent the evening talking to them about their Mayan history and the community. It was awesome (another Public Health moment). Since we are in the jungle, we had to sleep under bed nets. Mine held up pretty well and I didn’t get any bites. I definitely want to go back.

Friday we came back to PG early in the morning. Niki came back in town as well, but Coi had to go to Belize City for a spelling bee since she is working with the schools. We pretty much had a free day. We went to the ocean for a bit, the water is super warm. And It was very relaxing. After that Perlina had someone she wanted me to talk to about info so I left the office to meet up with her. I wasn’t too excited since it was late afternoon and I was in my swimsuit, looking unprofessional. But, I did it anyway. It ended up being one of the offices I planned on visiting the following week, since it was the public health inspectors. The guy ended up emailing me some great info. When I told him what I was working on, he said they planned on doing the same thing at the end of the year. I am hoping to make sure this project coordinates with them since I am gathering the same info they want.

After that, it was time for drumming and cooking lessons with Jill and Emmett!! Jill is an American Belizean who has lived here for at least 20 years and Emmett is her husband who is a native creole beliziean. They own the café that is below the bunkhouse. This was so much fun. We learned to make a Creole soup that is served with rice and fish. It was fun to make. The drumming was the best part! We learned creole drumming since there are a million different kinds of drumming with the djembe. He taught us a beat and we kept it pretty well the whole time while he played all these crazy ones. It was a blast and I really wish I could do that more often. Since it was sleepover at the bunkhouse night, all the PW staffers had the dinner we made and then stayed for the movie “The Gods must be crazy”. It was an interesting movie and fit our cultural discussion. Sarah made some amazing cookies to go along with it. Overall, it was a great night.

Photo of the drumming lesson.

The stew we made.

This is what our dinner looked liked

Coconuts don't actually contain milk. You have to squeeze it after grating it to make the milk.

Saturday was the day of all days. One of the best in my life!! We got up early and Jill made us breakfast downstairs at the café. Then we headed off the Blue Creek Cave. We drove for about a half hour to Blue Creek village. From there we hiked a short distance to the mouth of the cave. The hike and the water were beautiful!! We had a local from the village be our guide through the cave. It was amazing. We wore life jackets, which was hilarious because our guide turned them into floaties instead of the way you’re supposed to wear them, and headlamps. We swam through the tunnels of the caves. It was seriously the coolest thing I have ever done. I am super disappointed that I didn’t bring any underwater cameras to take in there with me. We went all the way to the back of the cave where there was this awesome waterfall. It was definitely a powers family kind of trip and I wish the family could’ve been there to experience it. After we swam back to the entrance of the cave, we hiked a short ways back to a dock where there were rope swings and platforms to jump off of. We had an awesome time jumping in the water for a good hour or so. We had an amazing lunch prepared by Abellina which consisted of coconut crusts, pineapple, banana chocolate cake, and of course chocolate. It was delicious! The coconut crust with peanut butter was my favorite! We came back in town and decided to do a little shopping in PG. I bought a pair of earrings and a bracelet from the local shops. My favorite was the DVD store. It is legal here in Belize to bootleg DVDs. You could pick any of the DVDs in the store and he would copy it for you. They even have some more current DVDs that are in theaters in the U.S. I bought a movie called All Good Things because it had Ryan Gosling in it, I’ve never seen its, and it was $4BZ ($2U.S.) I will definitely be forming a collection before I return.

Sorry its sideways but the awesome look of swimming through the cave.

The amazing water a Blue Creek Cave.

Saturday night we went to Central Park for a candlelight vigil. Nicole, the country director, put the whole thing together in two days. It was for a girl named Jasmine Lowe who was murdered in Belize City for no reason. She was 14 years old and was on her way to get her nails/hair done since she was to give a big speech at an event and she was later found dead. I do not know all the details, but this is something that is often looked over here in Belize. To make it more known, and show this is unacceptable and won’t be forgotten, several candlelight vigils took place throughout Belize. It was a beautiful ceremony, small but I found it powerful. There was an awesome quote next to a painting of her that read “words can inspire, but change only comes through action.” After the vigil, we went to Bamboo chicken for dinner and some drinks. This is a local hot spot in PG, run by a woman from Louisiana. It was definitely a fun night.

It has been a crazy couple of days and its only week one!!

Photos to hold you over

Ok, so much has happened in the last few days I have a lot to catch up on. But I don't think I have a lot of time, so I'll post pictures to keep the blog updated. 

These are what the cherries look like in Belize. They have a sour taste but they were delicious!!

This is the Punta Gorda Polyclinic. This is where I meet Ms. Kayla to work, but that has only been once or twice. The hospital is right next door, and I explored that a little. And the public health office is behind that, which I hope to visit again and talk with the public health inspectors.

The secret spot (next to the cemetery) where Olivia and I found sea glass.

The Lubantuun ruins. Very interesting to see! I have more pictures of this, but they don't capture it very well. I will probably use some of Nikis later.

A photo of my homestay. The house is all the top floor. The veranda that you see is awesome. I will try to take a pic of my room and maybe another of the inside later.

Cant wait to fill you in on my last couple adventures. I walked from San Felipe to Santa Ana, both villages in the Jungle. I stayed on the Mayan chocolate farm and I went in the Ocean today.

Feel free to leave a comment on anything else you want to know!

The Circus came to town

Belize is hot! Hot and humid! You’d think I would be used to it with MO weather but I am sweating and gross every day. I definitely got a sunburn when we were out biking today. I got lost again today walking into work. I made it, but I took the LONG way in, and by long way I mean complete opposite direction. Olivia laughed at me quite a bit. But, there is hope for me! My bike rides to and from the house several times today were completely successful!! I am going to learn these streets before I leave if it’s the only thing I do. More work with NGOs today and we gathered a lot of data! This spread sheet is getting larger and larger with each organization. I am curious as to how the final project will turn out. I am basically getting it started for other interns to finish later. So I am hoping to get a useful spreadsheet started that they can use to enter the data they collect.

IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: The circus came to town today! I saw the big truck pull it in and Olivia told me it was the circus with rides like the merry-go-round and crazy chairs (whatever those are). When I got home, I was told the lions and tigers were in cages there and it was close to the house. So Frank and I biked over there to see. It was crazy awesome!!! There were several tigers(I saw no lions) in cages and you could walk right up to the cages. (Yes there was a man yelling if you got too close, but too close appeared to be putting your hands in the cages.) 

The Beginning

June 4, 2012

Today was my day of firsts. My first day working in PG and my first Belizean drinks. It was absolutely amazing! I took my first trip walking into town on my own. It is a short 15 minute walk and interesting to see the houses and shops. At the bunkhouse, Olivia took me to the PG polyclinic to start work. As in many developing countries, I hit a few bumps in the road. The woman who originally set up my internship no longer works there, and Kayla who took her place was unaware of my internship. This worked out better for me, as I got to spend the day mapping out the community locations and compiling what information I will need. Olivia and I spent the afternoon biking around PG to talk to NGOs and find current information they might have. Many of the NGO’s staff weren’t in, so I will be revisiting them tomorrow. I did have quite the Public Health overload when I met with several of the clinic staff. There were two public health nurses, one rural health nurse, and a man whose title I don’t remember. They were not very willing to give the information up until I (or Olivia) explained what I needed it for. Even then, they weren’t able to give the statistics we needed. But it turned into a GREAT lesson on communication within public health. It became a brainstorming session for information they felt they needed as well. They also reiterated many times that they wanted the information we collected. Many times when outside organizations come in, they talk about the data they need, but they don’t share the information they have found. Olivia said it would be best for me to go into the communities myself, as many NGO’s are unwilling to share the information they have found. The women seemed to be stating similar opinions. The women were also upset that a later group was to be providing health education in their assigned communities and they were not told about it. I can easily see how this would be frustrating. After the meeting, Olvia and I met with one more NGO, SHI, and finished out bike ride back to the office.

Walking back to the house was a little more challenging since I walked down more than one wrong street. BUT I made it J The dinner Ms. Consuela made was amazing!!! Fish (yes I am not a seafood person and I liked it), salad, rice, beans, and a spicy dish. This dish consisted of onions, vinegar, cyan peppers, and salt. It was definitely spicy but amazing when poured over the rice or fish. I am hoping she will make it again sometime. After dinner, Bartender Frank bought me a Lighthouse, Belizean light beer and made me a rum and coconut water. The bear was good, the rum not so much. But Frank said it was really watered down when I gave the rest for him to finished and laughed at me. We watched another movie, Medea’s class reunion. (I don’t know if there is an actual movie but this one was the play version.) It has been another great day here in PG! The storm is rolling in so that’s my cue to go to sleep. 

June 3,

Blogging is definitely more difficult that I thought. Today’s experiences were incredible and there is no way I can explain the awesomeness of it or get anyone to understand how empowering it is to be here. But, I want to keep anyone up to date on what I am doing, so I will start there. Today was orientation. The PG staffers are amazing!! We got to know one another for a bit and then took a walking tour of the town (always an important part of the emersion process). The beach front is awesome! Today was quiet in town, kind of reminds me Samish Island, except foreign and hotter. The town looks really cool so I am excited to learn my way around. (Sam they have these trees called Tropical Almond trees, that are mostly used for shade. Nicole told me locals believe spirits hang around them. HOW COOL?) After that we went to Juan and Abileen’s house were they make Mayan chocolate. We had orientation and lunch there. We tried spicy chocolate, one kind with cocoa pieces in it, and my favorite dark chocolate with coconut. Best chocolate I have ever had by far!! Then we ventured over to the Mayan Ruins. We went to Lubaantan, where it is believed the crystal skull was found. This is what I was looking forward to the most, and it was really interesting. Some of the stones were the original and it is amazing to me to be so close to such strong history. Thinking of the people who lived there and what they did was a truly great experience.

June 2 2012

I have made it to Belize. It has been a long and exhausting day so I will keep it brief. My flight from St. Louis left quickly without a hitch. I was hopeful the rest of the day would continue this way as well. I was definitely wrong! My flight in Dallas was delayed over 2 hours. The plane we were supposed to leave in was having engine trouble. They attempted to fix it but decided to get us a new plane instead. The waiting is always the worst part. Finally, we left Dallas at 12:30 and I arrived in Belize around 2. Two other girls, Niki and Hailey, were waiting for me to ride the bus to Punta Gorda. I felt bad my flight delay only made their day longer. We had the option of the 3:00 or the 3:45 express. We were anxious to get to PG so we opted for the 3:00. We had heard the bus rides from Belize city to PG were long but I think long is an understatement. It was a very uncomfortable 6 hour bus ride. However, I did meet some nice people. The ProWolrld office is awesome though! The porch has 6 hammocks. The staff is extremely friendly and make me feel much more comfortable. Niki and Hailey are staying in the villages so they are crashing at the bunkhouse tonight. Olivia took me to my homestay family, Ms. Consuela Black. I met her son Frank and grandson Louis as well. There home is beautiful (another hammock on the porch J ) The walls are about as close to In Vision Blue as you can get in Belize so it makes me feel a little more at home. I joined them in watching a movie when I got here. I don’t know what it’s called but its about Sadam Hussein’s son and how he makes someone be his twin. Very interesting to see what they watch! It is storming out right now. You know the kind of storm you see far off in the ocean when you are sitting on a beach? Where you can almost see the boom it’s so intense? Well that’s what it’s doing now, except its right on top of us. It sounds very relaxing, and with that I am going to bed. Excited for tomorrow!