Our Life Here
November 7th, 2005 by MikeHere is my attempt at a brief overview of life here. Sorry if it seems long-there is so much to explain.
Use of the internet is only 1 sole (about 30 cents), for one hour. That sounds cheap but that is the same as a small bottle of water, and we need to buy a lot of bottled water. A cheap meal is 3 soles and an expensive dinner with drinks can be 30 soles.
Its very tough trying to speak in another language all the time. Last friday was the first time Alicia and I were alone other than during work at the orphanage. This was during spanish classes. We both got depressed. Its very lonely being in another country where so few people understand any english whatsoever. We miss our family, friends, and obligations! Its a bit boring because we are still trying to develop our schedules.
Work at the orphanage is fun but its tough. Alicia and I usually go to separate buildings and work with either toddlers or babies. The kids are all very happy to interact with people. Its a different kind of work because we really are just baby sitting. However, if we werent there, the babies and toddlers would just be left to themselves. Thus, its difficult to feel really needed. The joy in the kids faces reveals our value to the organization.
Living with the host family is a great experience but it is tough. I fear interaction because we are forced to speak in spanish. This is a good thing but I cant help but want to avoid it. The downstairs where we are has two bedrooms. One with Alicia and I and the other with the mother, father and 20 year old son. We share the bathroom, kitchen and living room. There is electricity and running water, but only the shower has warm water. They have a phone but they discouraged us from using it because it is expensive. They also have a small TV and cable!
This message is already longer than I wanted it to be so Ill wrap up. This week, we go to spanish class in the morning, then have lunch, then go to the orphanage in the afternoon. Thats about it. Lots of free time to walk around town. Town is huge by the way 500,000 people. In the evenings it looks like New York city with all the people.
November 8th, 2005 at 12:28 am
Are the Internet Cafe’s computers running mostly Windows, or can you find any running Linux operating systems?
I remember the time I worked for one year in a boarding school for hearing impaired children in Finland. When I started there, I hardly could sign the alphabets. It was really frustrating to not being able to communicate with the children. Later I was even left to care for some of them alone for some time, but luckily for me, some of them could hear some and translated for me to the others. I tried to learn the sign language from books, and managed some rudimentary statements, like “Now, go to sleep!”
Do not feel discouraged! You’ll learn more and more each day. How to communicate, and how to work with the children. Let your inner child take over some times, and play with them. You may not realize how much they need you.
Sometimes the hardest part of overcoming an obstacle, such as language and cultural barrier, is the first converstions. I don’t know how much you know Spanish, or how much your host family knows English, but I am sure you’ll find some mutual way of communicating, and once you start interacting them, you feel less and less awkward, and gradually more comfortable with them.
I bet you’ll be dreaming in Spanish by the time you come back to the US!
November 8th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
Hang in there guys! When I stayed in Japan for 1 month, it was in a small city without much tourist draw. The only American’s I met were teaching English and they said the first 3 months were very difficult, and then they were hooked! All of them loved living there, and weirdly all of them said 3 months was the point where they felt at home.
Take advantage of those 90 cents for an expensive meals for me.
November 9th, 2005 at 9:48 am
Thanks Tuomas. Sorry, Ive only seen XP here. However, thats a good thing because it means I can consistently connect my digital camera to get pics.