It feels like it was forever ago that I was with my first temporary host family in Yanacoto. I no longer recall how I felt that first day. So, as a mean to comemorate my first day at my new permanent Peace Corps site--the place that I'll be staying in for the next two years--let me just say this: I'm currently hiding in my bedroom from my new world, my new host family, etc.
That's bad...I know! Hopefully, one day I'll look back at this and laugh. We are now without friends and the other volunteers, my host family and I don't have much to say to each other (I can't understand them and they can't understand me...It's like a whole new dialect here and I'm so frustrated with the Spanish all over again), people in this small town all know one another so they are staring at me like I'm weird, and I feel like I constantly have to make a good first impression since I'll be here for, like, ever.
On top of that, my new host mother, a woman who is so unbelievably good to me and who has hugged me 15 times today (probably more to compensate for my lack of Spanish skills) asked me to talk to this high school drop-out (graduate? See above for blurb being Spanish skill-less) to give her advice about staying (advancing?) in school. Ugh...I have no idea what to say right now that would even translate well. And who am I to be like, "School is cool?"
And then my host dad (who is a really kind feller and tells me all the time that the house is now my home, too) wants me to start working right away. This is probably because I told him (when I first visited two weeks ago) about how I wanted to work and learn right away blah blah blah. Quite frankly, don't we all just say stuff like that sometimes because you thought that day would never come? But, holy crap, that day is here and people actually expect me to do something in this town. So now I start teaching on Thursday with my crap Spanish and I'm teaching because the community has identified that as a need from the Peace Corps volunteer. And then they somehow found out about the dual degree thing and some people has started calling me "Profesora." WTH. It is my first official day here!!
So for these reasons, I'm hiding in my bedroom and I have no intention of coming out until I absolutely 100% need to go pee tomorrow. Yes, yes, I'm lucky to be in the Peace Corps blah blah blah and I truly couldn't stop smiling on the bus ride up, but it's a lot to take in, ok? I'm just a little bit (a lot bit) overwhelmed right now and could use a little bit of everyone's good juju.
P.S. Oh yeah, hope you guys are doing well in the states. Please be sure to update!
It's VERY ok to be scared and be intimidated, especially if you feel like you know something (Spanish) and are all shaken up again. And to be alone in a new environment is NOT trivial! Don't ever feel like you're not doing ok!!
ReplyDeleteNow - I don't know what your environment is like, but when I traveled to Ecuador, I found that Spanish was mostly useless because people spoke Quichua (Quechua in Peru) - which is an ancient Inca language. If that's the case there, and people speak Q, impress them with this phrase: "Emanella" - which is hello.
And if that doesn't impress them, this did wonders for me in Ecuador - tell the kids you know kung fu! I was HOUNDED for lessons! I told a white lie and said I was related to Bruce Lee. This made me an immediate star! Haha! And I had to give kung fu lessons - not that I know anything, so I just did some lame-o moves and added some yoga like moves. Haha! Really. It's a true story.
And if THAT doesn't impress people, find kids playing soccer and ask to play. It doesn't really matter - just try.
And if THAT doesn't work - do your damned best!! If people think you're weird, that'll probably be a part of your new experience. At the end of the day - trust in yourself and your intention to do good in the world. Let that guide your experience!
Om....Namaste!!
Your sister