Between today & tomorrow

not dead yet

2009-12-16T14:21:03Z

Julie asked for an update, so here it is in its every so uninformative form. (Really, Julie, just get facebook. There's less info but it's more frequent. You can hear how all I'm doing is waiting.)

Anyway, everyone else in my G31 has now gone to site. I have not, I am stuck here waiting to go to site. In fact, I'm stuck here waiting to figure out what's wrong with me. Or, just to get test results. Will these things be helpful? How should I know, they're all alphabet soup, in spanish, to me. They'll just all come back negative and they'll frown and ask how I'm feeling. I feel the same, which is very unpleasent for me. But I am being patient and waiting.

And waiting.

However, much fun was had over the weekend. The despadedo was a huge party and many people got trashed. I had fun at the guitar session, swimming, and staying up ridiculously late. Spent lots of time the next day hanging out with people, and at the office, eating good food, finding our hotel, going out, crashing as soon as we reached the bar, and then chatting with Racheal. Sunday was much the same, I moved to the Chaco hotel, with has a small pool on the roof, and bought a neat outfit.

I am not dead!!

2009-11-29T12:40:29Z

In general, this is a rather exciting statement. Naw, I´m happy and excited, and I think the heat will kill me soon.

Anyway, that´s my life. chao

Hi All!!

2009-11-27T20:55:01Z

Okay, what was my last post? Was I unhappy and plotting to leave or excited and impatient to get to my future site? I hope you all enjoy the roller coast of emotion I put you on. The ride is a lot less bumby for you guys but it´s still worth it here.

I´ll try to type something up and bring in a nice long post later. The big news is that I love my site, the people are great, it looks like Kansas (or whatever flat, farmland state you want to pick), but there are computers and internet and a cell phone tower. They don´t have running water but everyone has a well pump... this may be more reliable. There are hardly any people there, only a hundred houses or so and I haven´t seen them all.

Fun for all!!

well, fine

2009-11-21T13:04:12Z

After this weekend, I´ll know if I can do this or not. It´s sad that I am still so indecisive. I don´t think I´m in the right place, for me, but I´m not sure it´s the wrong place either. Does that make sense?

Anyway, that´s just a heads up in case I turn up for Christmas. I probably won´t. I´m sure I´ll be fine here.

cheers

oblong28 @ 2009-11-14T11:17:00

2009-11-14T14:18:38Z

I´m hot. It´s hot here. And humid. Hot and humid is Paraguay. I´m in a building with AC and just sweating. It´s all good.
I´m uploading pictures to flickr right now, so you´ll finally get to see some of Paraguay. It´s mostly from our long field trip, which is where we break into smaller groups (only 5 instead of 13) and work with a volunteer. That´s what we´re going to talk about; isn´t that exciting!! (shut up and be excited)

So, we spent a week in Iyu (pronounced eeeeww, which is very funny and, apparently, means black water. Y means water.) We taught a charla (class/speech) and then it rained a lot. ... maybe I should back up...

We left Monday morning around 7 am and had a five hour car ride across some rather scary roads. My stomach was not entirely thrilled, I was in the back seat of a ´nice´ jeep/car/vechile thing. (right out of the states) We needed it because the roads were so bad... dirt roads and it´s been raining. Lots of rain, gullies deeper than the tires. I was in the back, so my knees were in my face. Much fun was had.

We showed up for lunch, ate, and then hung out at the school and dug a hole for the trash. (They really just dig a hole for their trash there, Katie? No, they normally burn it, which is worse. It´s right in front of their house. But, seriously, what is that compared to what we do? Where does your trash go? They bury or burn it, you just can´t see it. That plastic bottle, grocery bag, or wrapper on your food? That´ll be around for the next five hundred years. 2509. Just like here. But burying that crap is a lot better than burning it, because burning releases the toxics into the air where we can breath it. We need to get over our plastic addiction. ... Anyway...)

We only did a little digging, the kids mostly took over. The kids do most of the work here. Childlabor is what it´s all about - dig a hole, get more water for terere, walk with me because women can´t walk alone (a small child makes me totally safe?), carry the board outside, clean out the classroom (sweep and mop), whatever. However, the children are also ridiculously spoiled, so it works.

We had class (I had the best teacher all to myself, but we really only talked. It was fun.) And in the evening, the power went out in the middle of my shower. (Apparently, it´s something that I do because it happened EVERY TIME). I played my mandolin for the family and it was fun.

Tuesday, we preped and gave our charlas. We started outside but it was too windy and went inside. We did the dangers of burning trash, check out the pictures and you´ll see the one of me covered in examples of the dangers. In the afternoon, Dan and Jen gave their charla, which was also interesting. That night, Brenden had his English Class and we helped out with that (saying our names and everything - no one believes I´m 30 and I can´t really blame them.)

Wednesday, it looked like rain so I headed to the school early. I didn´t bet the rain, and there was only one boy there. The directora vica showed up shortly after and then Brenden, so we hung out, drank terere and I played my mandolin. Brenda eventually arrived and then Jen and Dan came, they were given a ride. We all took that (and picked up Lora) and crashed Pabla´s morning to practice spanish.

...
We did a lot more... went on an amazing walk, milked a cow... Thursday, we hung hung out at the school and did icebreakers (games) between reforestration presentations for high school students. Much fun was had by all. I am now leaving. chao

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44649812@N06 ... go here for fotos!

Greetings from Guarmbare: food

2009-10-26T21:03:48Z

Hey all.

I don´t know how many people even keep in touch this way anymore, but I thought I´d give it a try (otro vaz). Life here is nice, I don´t recall what I´ve told you already. The food is mostly meat, pasta, rice and mandioka. Occasionally there is a salad (I had a veggie salad the other day) and there is, rather often, juice from freshly ground fruit. (for lunch today, it was beets. That is not a fruit but that is not my fault. Actually, it is my fault, I brought the beets back after this weekend from a graden.)

Normally, for breakfast, I have chocolate con leche (chocolate milk) and pan. (Did I mention pan earlier? I eat so much white bread now.) The chocolate is a mix (nestle, in fact) so the richness varies with the day. I do not put sugar in but Mariam (my host sister) tends to put one or two large spoonfulls in. I do that if they serve cafe con leche. The milk is, basically, fresh. They always boil it before surving it. (It´s not pasturdized, after all). So yeah, whole milk all the way.

Lunch is a large meal here. It tends to be some kind of pasty-soupy meat thing. Today was pasta shells with beef. Not my favorite. I like when it´s the soupy thing with dumpling things (they´re about an inch big) but that tends to come with chunks of meat. ... Meat on the bone, that I am supposed to cut off and eat. Normally, there is nothing worth cutting off and eating. I am not a fan of that and tend to put in a poor effort in trying to eat it and then give it away. There was a salad with today´s lunch, there is occasionally - lettuce (lachuga) , tomatoes, onion y green peppers (locotas). Fortunately, mom was there so Sara did not put on the salt, she just did that with her own. It is disgusting, but at least they have never tried to serve me the salad with salt and mayo. Double-thousand icky.

Like I said earlier, they tend to jucie their fruits and drink them. Today was an exception, with the beets, though I believe with had a carrot and manana juice once (manana is apple). That was bizarre but not bad. This isn´t a daily thing but it is not infrequent either. Really, the food is not all that different. The boiled carne (beef) is not yummy.

Dinner tends to be smaller. Most often it´s empanadas. My favorites are the choclo (corn) and jamon (ham). The pollo (chicken) is just a bunch of meat, the other two have quiso (cheese) in them as well. Speaking of quiso, the most awesome thing here is the yogur, which is drinkable. I cannot tell you how yummy this is. My mom works in a dairy factory and comes home with a 1.5 liter bottles of yogur - vanilla, frutilla (strawberry) and coco (coconut). The last of which, I do not love lots. But it is so GOOD. They should invest in drinkable yogurt in the states.

My favorite snack here? Fiber crackers. I kid you not, they´re 7 grain crackers or something like that. We get tons of pasta, white bread, and meat, but not so much vegetables or dark bread. In fact, no dark bread. I love my crackers. (My mom brings home cheese and I put that on them. I don´t know anything about cheese but, if you are a cheese person, you should be jealous of me. I astound everyone with my yummy cheeses.)

I think that´s about it. I hope everyone is alive and well, and eating as much as me. (okay, I don´t actually hope that. Finishing off my plate of food is really rather difficult, and I rather miss my veggies. sigh.)

Chao!

not dead

2009-10-16T20:22:56Z

Just an FYI. Someday I´ll write something here but not right now. I´m having a low day. Yesterday I was pretty excited and life was good. It´s warm down here, often hot, but it´s also spring time so, occasionally, we´ve had some bone chilling days. Not so many of those now. A couple of nice storms as well.

The food is nothing exciting. Training is boring and my spanish sucks. Poco a poco.

Love ya all!

(if you want me to talk to you, email me. When I have emails, I answer them)

a real post?

2009-09-21T21:49:34Z

Okay, so I mean to sit here and do this instead of running off (as has been my habit as of late). In fact, you'd be surprised how many times I've had to give up.

So, obvious big news, the flight leaves at noon tomorrow and so the journey begins around ten-ish. Now let's talk little things

I've not finished the paper work yet. I hate paper work.
I bought a netbook. It's a minicomputer, much more powerful than my old one, much smaller and only 3 lbs. It doesn't have a CD player (that's how small it is) and most of that weight is battery life (which would be 9 hrs worth of power). I'm still getting used to it. Incidentally, it comes equiped with skype. I haven't played with that yet but I think you should all email me your skype names. (Don't point out that I'll be gone before I (most likely) recieve your reply. To use skype, I'll need the internet, which includes my mail or lj. Send it to my email, that works a lot better.)

I've given out my address to those who asked for it. If you want it, you'll have to ask again. I don't know when I'll be connected to the internet again. I have to look up Carol and Julie's address, because I can't find them easily. Silly girls.

Other news... I've had to repack my luggage for two solids days. I hate luggage. Luggage sucks. I almost hope it all gets lost so I never have to see it again. In fact, I've already started my mental list of what IS NOT coming back with me. Curious? I knew you would be - my sheets, my... I forgot. Whatever. (mom's phone won't stop ringing.)

Oh, I've given my phone to my dad. I'll still have my number, technically, for another year, and my card is in Dad's old phone but it'll be sitting here, in gr, in storage.

I've downloaded all but two of the radio labs (from npr). I wanted all but they're not titled and I'm not sure which ones I missed. If you haven't listened to them, you should check them out - http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/. I was going to get some "This American Life" but they have so many. I also, of course, have Johnny Dollar, who I enjoy even if no one else does. (He's on my mp3 player. Yes, I know you're not impressed Jenni, but I will survive. Also, I've got the netbook.) My guilty pleasure, at the moment, is trying to download Dr. Who from iTunes. (I don't know how much it costs, I have to get all this iTune stuff first and it's slowing the computer down lots. I'm going to copy this thing before I hit the post button.) WIll I be able to play it on my other computer? I don't care. I probably won't buy it. I just want to pretend I'm going to.

What else? Not much. Sorry, I have been really dull as of late. I finished up my spanish on Friday, saw Mimi and Aunt Grace on Sunday, the pictures I printed are being picked up, and I'm all packed. My room isn't clean but I'll do that while I can't sleep tonight. Jo, I just remembered that I'm supposed to be working on Kitch's first story so I'm working my way through it again. I make no promises about when you'll get it. (maybe I'll just get it published and mail you a book? yeah, right. I'm sure I can arrange that while in Paraguay.)

Well, have a wonderful night all, I'll see you around.

TWO DAYS MORE!!

2009-09-21T01:43:53Z

And then I'm gone.

I feel I should say more but it's all down to waiting now. Got a little bit of laundry and... ugh, I've no concentration. I just want to go. Vamos! Ahora!

THE STATUES ARE GOING TO EAT US!!

2009-09-07T01:12:30Z

(as in, eating our potential energy by sending us back in time. that part was a little confusing. also, I forgot why, but they could only move when you weren't looking at them, except they could move very fast if you stopped looking at them. Hence, blinking was bad - AND THEY WERE SCARY!!!)

Las estatuas van a comiandos nuestros!!
AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

(las estatuas estan comiandos nos? las estatuas estare ir a comiandos nuestros? I don't know, but very scary... also, I need accents...)
regardless -

AAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

Books (libros)

2009-09-01T14:13:51Z

Among the many things I have to do, none of them is play around on the internet chasing larks. But I like this lark and thought I'd pass it on. A curiosity, but it's a list of books assigned in high school from around the world. I may check into the Mexico and Venezuela one. (After all, I definitely have time to read a book in a foreign language before I go.)

vientiocho semanas

2009-08-24T23:40:34Z

For one of my spanish lessons, they said "28 days, weeks, months, years" And I was supposed to click on the appropriate picture.
While I recognized vientiocho anos (years) easily, I couldn't tell the rest apart. I don't know the difference between a 28 day old baby and a 28 week old baby, or a 28 week and 28 month old baby. (I could blame the pictures, as days was a foot, the weeks was looking over dad's shoulder and not until the months did I see the whole kid, but, really, I am just that pitiful)

Now you know what my days are like. (mis dias)

another one bits the dust

2009-08-22T13:50:39Z

I am nothing but a bunch of little projects that are being ticketed off, one at a time.
This time, it was my Resume and Aspiration Statement. (I kid you not, they named it after breathing. I had a hard time not hinting at deep, meditative breaths when they asked what my aspirations were for serving and adapting to Paraguay.) Yesterday, it was arranging plan tickets to Miami, which is our staging city before departing for Paraguay.

I'm gone this weekend (it's really sad when friends become part of the check list - Jenni and April in NYC before leaving DC, Julie and Tracey while visiting England, all sorts of college friends at the Ren Faire. Next week is Mom's family; at some point I'll have to say bye to Dad's but that's only four, all of whom live in east Grand Rapids. easy peasy, that one.) Anyone up for one last ren faire, let me know. Otherwise, I'll probably let it slide.

Next week itself is room cleaning - packing for storage and traveling, as well as making shopping lists. (I can leave the shopping for the week after. I hate shopping.) Mostly, I'm just doing a lot of writing and swimming (except now it is not even warm outside, making swimming more difficult. I might have to start walking or I will turn into a lump with a laptop.)

I wish I had something exciting to tell you but I don't.
Chau!

Hola!

2009-08-19T13:13:58Z

I have started doing that annoying habit of all people who study a foreign language - putting up random posts in thelanguage which none (or very few) of their friends understand. So far, I've kept it only gmail's status bar/chat-thingy, but it may spread in the coming days. I apologize in advance.

Yesterday, for the first time, I timed my study time (as in, I looked at the clock, on the computer, when I started) and discovered I wasn't spending as much time at learning Spanish as I'd thought. So I put some more effort into it and, though out the day, spent a total of 4-ish hours at it, concluding that that was A LONG TIME. I felt like I did it all day, but... really? Four hours? That's a morning at work, prep and teaching time for TAing, a relaxing evening writing, a long conversation with friends, dinner and a movie... that's not A LONG TIME. It would be if I'd done it all at once but it was, mostly, in hour long incriments. Time is an interesting thing.

To make you laugh - I can't pronounce 'Hola' correctly. It takes me at least two, if not five, tries. Yup, that Spanish thing is going well for me...

muggy = bad, fan = good

2009-08-17T18:25:05Z

In case you are curious (which you're probably not but, if you're like me, you may be bored and therefore interested in a little time wasting; that I can help with) do not mistake a basil leaf for a spinach leaf. Even if has just come out of the garden, a basil leaf is not a spinach leaf and the entire time you (or I) eat it, you (meaning me) will think "what an odd flavour. This would be so much better with something else." Also, you're stomach may think it odd as well, which is normally not a good sign.

Guess what's going on in my life!?!? SPANISH!! Guess what else! Kitch! (I'm going to be gone for two-ish years, I've got to get some things straightened out. As soon as I do, you'll get them to you Jo, I promise. And then you've got all sorts of time to get them back to me. I think it took more than two years for you to edit it though. I write way too much.)

What am I not doing and should be doing? Updating my resume and writing a new essay/statement in a specific format thing for the Peace Corps to give my host country (grumble, brumble, one more stupid "purpose statement"). Cleaning/packing my room and belongings. Selecting/packing what I need to bring. Listing/finding/buying what I need and don't have. More studying of spanish. Not spending any more money whatsoever if it's at all possible. (Not broke, not yet, but they're two-ish years when I'll not be making any noticeable money. ... Of course, I think last semester was the first time I ever made noticable money and I don't think anyone but me was impressed with the amount.)

And that is my life. When Laura goes job hunting, I will start back into spanish (castillano); until then I get to write some more. (If the grammer of this posting is any indication, my story may be in serious trouble. I keep leaving words out.)

PARAGUAY!!

2009-08-10T19:10:38Z

I'm leaving on Sept 22nd. I'll be back Dec 11, 2011. I'll be doing environmental education instead of forestry. It's a lot of community based outreach. Good stuff, yes?

I have lots more information on it, but you'll here about that later.

Jack Ridl

2009-08-10T11:17:28Z

He's just come out with a book, apparently, and the Grand Rapids Press has a section on him in the "Your Life" section. I know he meant a lot to many of you so I thought I'd mention it quick. (I don't think anyone else gets the GR Press...)

Anyway, here's the website: http://www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/08/profile_of_poet_and_teacher_ja.html

ciao

the fridge is broken

2009-08-05T13:17:53Z

So I'm worried that if I open the door, the food inside will spoil (already trashed everything in the freezer, which was likely a bad idea because it was still cold and that cold was spreading to the fridge and at least helping a little. there is no help now.) After nine am, which happened a few minutes ago, I can call up places and ask how much it'd be to check out the cooling unit and fix it. (Can I convince them just to have an extra cooling unit on hand when they come so they don't have to leave and come back again? How much does a new fridge cost anyway? let's find out... ack! these things are expensive! well, that's depressing. I bet a new cooling unit will be much cheaper, even if we have to pay for the man to check it out and then again to come back and put it in.)

But, you know, if I don't eat the food, it might just get tossed out anyway. Let's go find out if the unit has magically started working again. ... nope, just the fans. Now it's unplugged and I can't get to the food regardless because it's pushed up against the island. :(

And it's supposed to be hot, so they'll be no baking unless I want to super heat the kitchen, which is normally the coolest room in the house. (well, not actually, but of the rooms I'll hang out in, it's either this, the living room or my room, the last of which becomes stuffy and warm even in slightly more than mild weather and makes me fall asleep. I have a hard time being productive while sleeping.)

Drat, now I'm just hungry and entirely uninterested in telling you the interesting things I had to say. I'm leaving.

hi!

2009-08-03T19:45:55Z

I'll write more about England later, but I'd like to say that I enjoyed it immensely. Not only was it wonderful seeing Tracey and Julie (and Nick) but I had a wonderful no matter what we did. I've now been to London (with Tracey) and then Scarborough, Leeds, York, Cambridge and Manchester with Julie. (My favorite was the times talking with my friends.)

I talked to the peace corps lady today also. I have learned nothing new. This is rather frustrating.

Now Ginny and I are going to make lists.

One more day

2009-07-16T01:15:05Z

Tomorrow at this time, I'll be on an airplane. Friday morning, I'll be waking up (I'd better sleep) on an airplane and disembarking at Heathrow. I will then be in England and run about London for two days with Tracey. YAY! And then I will spend a week and a half with Julie. YAY! (poor Julie)

Right now, I need some food. it's hard to be excited while hungry

What does katie do on Friday nights?

2009-07-11T00:29:58Z

A. Sit in bathroom with cat to make sure he is able to widdle
B. Sit with cat he's not lonely
C. Write story while keeping cat company

Also note, cat is drugged so is mostly only sleeping and hopping in and out of the kittylitter.
And sitting on the floor hurts my butt.

what are you doing?

2009-07-10T00:27:04Z

This is what I'm doing...

Yesterday I got two booster shots (Td and Polio) for the Peace Corps which I'd missed earlier. Then I called the AU health depart because I needed the doctor's signature on a couple things so it would be official. (also, one of my tests was dated in -08 instead of -09, and needed to be fixed.) However, the doctor is gone until next week so it's another week until I can possibly find out about the Peace Corps. This means I'll have to check my email while in England to find out if there's anything else. Then I washed many windows (because I am strange) and took a nap all afternoon because I hadn't slept the night before. (No, I don't know why. I can only suppose that my body decided to boycott sleep because it was bored. I know I was bored while being tired, laying in bed and not sleeping.)

This morning, I got to take Ivan to the vet's because he'd an obstructed bowel. I don't know what's wrong with my cats. He's better (we learned this afternoon) and is spending the night at the vet's. I'm sure he's having a great deal of fun. For most of the rest of the day I watched 'Rick and Steve the Happiest Gay Couple in the World', all of Season 2. I blame my sister (netflix let's us watch it online), but I laughed a great deal.

In case you're curious, I've writers block and it's driving me nuts. (note the washing of windows, excess sleeping, and online TV watching.) Life could be more exciting.

back again

2009-07-06T00:00:27Z

Life away from the cottage is not fun. There is no beach to walk, no huge sky to watch, no waves to hear, no forest outside the door, no kayaks to paddle, no fires to burn. The internet comes back and there is too much information and people connected through it to deal with. Days can't as easily be spent reading. Chores are waiting, heat is waiting, dullness is waiting. bah humbug.

You can't tell, but I've decided to be excited about what happens next instead of sad about what I'm leaving behind. I'm doing a lot of leaving behind this summer but also a lot of happens next. I'll be excited tomorrow. Tonight I'm going to edit a friends story and write my own.

Perhaps, later, I will actually update about all the fun I had (do you know how difficult it is to go skinny dipping on a cloudy night? we could hardly find the water! There was also the potential concussion from playing spoons, and the ridiculous ways I like to scatter them and get people to yell at me.) Tomorrow, there is Peace Corps chores and travel plans. (Polio and Td boosters, and signitures from people at AU in DC. Joy is me. Traveling is more complex and I'm avoiding complex because my brain is still simple. I will tackle that tomorrow.)

Now you know that I'm still alive. Are you?

hi

2009-06-16T20:12:45Z

I think I'm living on a different planet than the rest of the world.
I know what's out there, but I just don't see it the way everyone crying about it does.
Stop using your voice. Use your hands. Offer one or accept one.
I'm going to take a nap.

Anyone else have these conversations?

2009-06-08T16:42:37Z

Sometimes, especially when I'm feeling lousy or useless (aka - right now, stupid head made of paste), I wish that I could just get a job, have a garden, be part of whatever community, and write my story. (Okay, the story should go first - I don't want to have to plan things, I just want to sit about and write.) At this point, I tend to be irritably and think: "Why couldn't you just settle down and live a normal life? Why go all the way to DC to get a Masters? Not only don't you like cities, but all the friends you made there are now very far away. If you'd just stayed in Michigan, you could, at least, visit them and the places you'd been. In fact, if you'd just stayed ANYWHERE in the past half dozen years, you'd belong somewhere (by now), you'd have a place to live, and friends around you, and you could sit and read or write whenever you liked without worrying that you won't be having books or a computer (for writing) in another four months. But no, being you, you had to run amok and accomplish... what exactly? You're a breeze and nothing more, you might make a day too hot more bearable for your friends, but you'll be gone the next day. Can't you just sit still and stay someplace for more than a few years? Can't you find a place to belong?"

At this point, my brain tends to reply with an exhuberant: "APPLESAUCE!" which is utter nonsense. If that isn't distraction enough (yesterday, the war cry was "ASPARAGUS!" Normally, it's "POTATOES!" any of which tend to make me hungry so I either go try to find food or wander off to another thought), I tell that part of my brain to shut up because I have better things to do. Sometimes, however, I have nothing to do and that makes the nagging voice a bit more persistant. Then there is another reply, and that one is a rather serious: "Okay. What will we do then?"

See, I've got a rule, and the rule says I can't leave any job (or school or whatever path) until I've got a new one, or at least I got a substantial idea for a new one. Chasing (however bizarre) dreams is fine, running away from reality is not. I will not bore you with the details of my examining old jobs or possible alternatives. Sometimes (as with staying at AU to finish the stupid degree) the conclusion is a sigh and acceptance. Other times, it is a cry of "APPLESAUCE!" and a run on the fridge because doubts are natural but I like being me and, if I am to be a zephyr, I should eat my applesauce before I breeze past.

(ps: that wasn't at all what that was supposed to read like. However, I really want applesauce now and my head feels like it's floating away, so I'm going to be done.)