Definitely frustrated

Well, I never expected this to be easy but right now my frustration level is over the top! I’ve been negotiating with my host family for a change in housing which when it actually happens will mean that I have half of a small house to myself complete with my own door and toilet. However, despite many promises and a chunk of change, nothing is materializing except my host mother’s latest brainstorm, a kiosk where she sells hamburgers on the street at night, I’m angry and having serious problems getting enough rest. So there’ve been some tough discussions with more to follow.

Then today, the very amiable internet café guy came to the house to tell me he’s closing the business after tonight because he doesn’t make any money on it. This has been such a great place to take my laptop, talk over Skype and get away from the continuous uproar in my house during the evening.

So I went to the beach to get away, get perspective and hope that a little more patience would appear over the horizon. The waves were huge, a few kids were surfing and the sky was gorgeous. All was well until a drunk guy threw himself at my feet pleading for something from the gringa (probably money). I said something in Spanish and scrambled off the beach remembering that the families I’ve talked to about HIV tell me that the addicts use the beach to shoot up cocaine and leave their needles in the sand. So today, this Peace Corps volunteer is closely related to the beach crabs that scuttle along at the surf’s edge.

Now I do know that “this too will pass”. That sooner or later, my host family will fix up my house and I’ll move. There will be another internet café for me to use. That next time I go to the beach, I’ll go to a more central location where there’s always someone I know in the vicinity. And I remember to practice yoga several times a week, meditate daily and keep track of my sense of humor.

On a brighter note, I’m finally doing a little more work in the community which feels great. I’ve been going house to house doing information gathering in a format prescribed by the Peace Corps. What I’m learning is interesting and my Spanish is slowly improving. This is background work for what is called a community diagnostic after which I will discuss the results with various community partners to establish priorities for my work here. I’m already biased because I want to work with prenatal education and HIV prevention. That will be enough for one woman for the two years I’m here. That is if I don’t go stark raving nuts first!


Peace Corps motto: The toughest job you’ll ever love.