October 2014 updates

Work:

I attended two 2-days trainings with my coworkers for Community Involvement and GAACs groups at the beginning and end of the month. I was getting frustrated with work this month because all I mostly did was sit around at the office 40 hours a week with not much to do while all my coworkers are really busy with their work and there's not much I can do to help with their work either. I just help out with computer questions like usual and small stuff here and there. I spent a lot of the time at work just watching tv shows (thank goodness for the new cheap unlimited internet data plan!), making bracelets to help out my REDES girls, and anything else I needed to do. After several attempts to find time to talk, I successfully bugged my coordinator to get going with the Juventude e Saude program! We're FINALLY meeting up with 3 school directors in Ancuabe, Metoro and Mesa to introduce the program to them next Wednesday. Just an introduction to present what we want to do since we can't form any groups until next year because the students have school break soon but it's a start! I also got to meet my new counterpart for the program. Oh one exciting new is that I got my org to agree to fund a malaria TOT I want to do next month at my site!! I'm just waiting on confirmation for the budget and a time to sit down and discuss the details of the TOT.

Helping my coworker learn how to type!

REDES:

10/3/14- 10/5/14 Dance practices
10/7/14 We made matching bracelets for fun as we talk more about income generation projects we could do to raise fund for our Montepuez trip. We came up with a plan to make more bracelets and sell 5 for 10mts (about 33 cents) and headbands. 

Then we bought capulanas (with the money raised from selling hair clips.. thanks again to my friends who helped supported by buying one!) and went to the tailor to get it made into shorts for the dance performance.

10/10/14- 10/11/14 Final dance practices!
10/12/14 Dia dos Professores aka performance day! The girls came over to my house in the morning for breakfast and to get ready. They got to try pancakes for the first time! :) We went to the praça where they do all the ceremony and met up with the school director. We participated in the flower ceremony and then we were told we weren't performing until 6pm so we all went home and met up again later in the evening. It was also day of campaigning so there was a huge parade going around town which I tried to avoid.

Me and the dancing girls! Missing Sonia in the picture.

Disclaimer: Not meant to show support nor am I on any political party. They wanted matching tshirts and these are the free ones we can get haha

We met up at Quinta Tropical at 6pm and of course it didn't start until almost 8:30pm. The girls did an awesome job and everyone seemed to enjoy their performance :) It was dark so I couldn't get a good video of them so here's a video from their final dance practice:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10102686526401384&l=8785206129734428334

10/14/14, 10/21/14 & 10/28/14 We agreed on a date for our Montepuez trip! We need about 550mts more to make the one day trip happen. We made a bunch of bangle bracelets, beads bracelets, and headbands so far. We still have to make a lot more before trying to set a booth at the school and the market to sell our products :)

We decided to sell the headband for 15 mts, bangle bracelet for 10 mts, colorful bead bracelet for 2.5 mts and pink bead bracelet for 2 mts.

Hora das Crianças:

10/9/14 Letter J and Cinderella coloring pages

10/23/14 Letter K and Wonder Woman coloring pages

10/31/14 Letter L and Halloween coloring pages

Other updates:

- We were on stand fast from Oct 8-20, meaning we're not allowed to leave our site since Oct 15 was election day. After stand fast, I finally was able to make a trip to Pemba for a much needed break from site to do banking and shopping. It was also a despideda weekend for Moz 19ers so I had a fun relaxing weekend hanging out with other volunteers. 

-Rainy season is coming soon! There was a couple days of rain this month. I love it when it rains! Free water + temperature is a bit cooler. The only downside is that there are more bugs and mosquitoes =/ 

-I gave away 4 kittens this month, 1 goodbye left to go before Zambie's back to being an only child hahah and she's definitely pregnant.. Again.. For the 3rd time in a row

-I'm planning to start my Vovinam classes again in Nov! This month I was busy with the dance practices and income generation project with the REDES girls so I haven't taught a Vovinam class since I got back from the states.

-My coworkers been wanting to do English lessons again and I told them sure, anytime!.. but they're been really busy with work so that hasn't happened yet

-Spent a lot of time this month decorating my house more and reorganizing things. I also started working on Christmas presents for my coworkers, REDES girls, and neighbors :)

Starting Year #2

I'm done with my 1st year of service! I started my 2nd year of service by going home to California to visit first :) Here's a quick summary of my trip and I've been up to since I got back.

Visiting Home
8/31/14- 9/19/14 I flew home to visit right after I had my mid service conference. I had an awesome 3 weeks of seeing my family, friends and vovinam family again. Some highlights of my trip are: eating mom's bitter melon soup and home cooked meal, camping trip and performing with vovinam, super date with the boyfriend and crossing off jet skiing off my bucket list, hanging out and playing board games with friends, attending 2 aerial silk classes, drinking starbucks almost everyday, and eating.. a LOT of eating. After being away for 15 months and coming back to America, I realized how good we have it here. A lot of things we have available in America would be considered as privileges or luxury in many other countries. I definitely took a lot of things for granted that I wasn't even aware of until my Peace Corps service. For that, I'm grateful for my experience making me more appreciative of everything, even the smallest things. The first couple of days were definitely hard to readjust! I went to walmart the second day I was back and left empty handed because I was too overwhelmed with the many choices and variety of things haha Here's a list of the top things that I've miss about America and got to 'rediscover' during my visit:

1. free wifi practically everywhere!
2. hot running water
3. FOOD! fast food, restaurants, drinks, desserts, everything!
4. driving
5. toilet that flushes.. and toilet paper
6. diversity of people
7. speaking English
8. walking around in public with my iphone and not having to be on guard 24/7
9. walmart and grocery stores
10. laundry machines, microwave, gas stove, oven, pretty much all basic appliances

Work
9/23/14 First day back and it was back to the grind. We went out to the Miriangone community to do malaria outreach. There's been an increase in the number of malaria cases so we talked to the community leaders about prevention methods and the importance of seeking for care at the first sign of malaria symptoms.

REDES group
9/24/14 & 9/25/14 Back to dance practice! They're getting better and better! :) more in unison and less bumping into each other and doing opposite things hahah

Hora Das Criancas
9/27/14 When my friend Caroline came to visit in April, she brought over a bunch of crayons for me. I finally got around to distributing it to the kids. I gave out 63 boxes of crayons and they loved it! I gave out Winnie the Pooh coloring pages for them to try out their new crayons right away.

9/28/14 Bryan's awesome dad bought a bunch of snack like Hello Panda, crackers, and granola bars for me to bring over. The kids went crazyyy! Trying to get them in line was impossible so I had dozens of kids surrounding me. They ate it right away so I couldn't snap a photo ):

Other updates
-The kittens are so big now! They're soo cute!! I'm giving them all away soon though ): Oh and I think Zambie might be pregnant again...
-Starting English and Vovinam classes again next week! I was jetlagged the first week I was back and then I got sick with a cold ):
-All my tv shows are back!! I've been spending a lot more money to buy internet credits but it's totally worth it! I'm just going to spoil myself this way hahah
-I reorganized my closet as well as made other changes to the house.. will post pictures next blog! :)