WIN Belize

I should have written this last Friday as soon as I got home, but I was exhausted and fell asleep at about 9:00.  This past week has been exhausting, but that serves me right for spending a week relaxing with my family.  On Friday afternoon, I was able to give the final recommendations to Agatha at the Women's Issues Network of Belize.  The nonprofit in Belize City is struggling with having a sustainable income for the organization.  Sarah, Vanessa, and I have been working on a report to present to them.  They were looking at creating the Women's Business Network of Belize (WBN).  So, we started researching plans for the WBN. 

We decided to interview different businesses and organizations.  This is why the three of us traveled down to the Toledo district in the south.  The south is considered the poorest district in Belize.  There are a lot more indigenous people and tourism (the number one income of Belize) isn't as developed in the south.  I actually loved Punt Gorda.  Sure, the sea isn't the same Caribbean blue down there as it is in the cayes--this is because there is a lot more rain, which creates the five rivers that mix up the sea in the area. 

I still love Punta Gorda.  The Maya in the south speak English as their second language, and you hear hardly any Spanish.  The people work together a lot more, too.  I deeply appreciated this idea of community.  Sometimes it is for the good and other times, not so good.  Our tour guid told us of a story about two little children that went missing.  There was an accusation of an American, but they didn't have any evidence, so the people got into a bus, and drove to his house and burned it down.  He was not in the house, but relocated to San Padro shortly there-after. 

Although that was an example of the bad, there is still a lot of good in the communality of the people.  They create businesses and organizations and genuinely take care of each other.  This is an attribute that so many people in the world have lost.   I won't give more details about the trip down to PG because I already wrote about it. 

The presentation went extremely well, and Agatha was very grateful.  She even asked me to continuously follow up with her to make sure that she is working on making it happen.  The adjective "happy" doesn't even begin to describe how I felt.  Elated.  Maybe that comes closer.  Anyway, we took pictures and talked a little more about how much I enjoyed this project.  We then headed for the bus.  On the bus ride home, I thought about the events of the afternoon.  Working on this project was the highlight of my summer.  It was why I got to travel down to PG, and probably has a lot to do with why Punta Gorda is my favorite region of the entire country.  My parents came to visit and I drug them down there, and I think they wondered for a little bit why it was my favorite so much. 

I realized that I know exactly what I want to be when I grow up (nonprofit consulting) and then I realized that I AM DOING IT! And I have been for the past year.  I also admit that I would love to work for WIN Belize and figure out how to get this project off the ground and see it come to fruition. 

Family: Down South

This was a bit funny.  My dad saw a website online that advertised the opportunity to live like a Mayan.  My dad was under the impression that we would be sleeping in the Jaguar reserve, since it boasted that the guide grew up in the reserve.  We got there, and it was just a shack on the side of the highway.  The guide had lived in the reserve up until it was made into a reserve, at which point his family was forced to relocate.  The hut was very similar to the hostels that I have slept in all summer.  My dad was worried about my mom's comfort, and offered to take her to a hotel.  He then admitted that the reason was that he didn't want to be teased about this forever.  I took a picture of his face.  That night after dinner.  We went on a Jaguar hunt.  We did not expect to see anything more than some monkeys and a toucan; however, we are now on the official record as having spotted a Jaguar.  Yes, my friends, the Jaguar hunt was successful.  We didn't really see anything else for the rest of the night on our midnight jungle hike, but we saw the illusive and stealthy Jaguar. 

The next morning, we packed up to head to the Cotton Tree Lodge in Toledo.  The Humming bird highway remains one of the most beautiful drives that I have ever experienced!  It was indescribable.  My dad picked out a spot of land for retirement.  (this was actually before the Maya Center.) Anyway, we started the drive further down south, and went into town first.  We got some lunch and I tried showing them the chocolate factory and the shop, but both were closed for lunch.  We ended just heading on over to the lodge.  We got to the lodge and learned that it was an eco-lodge that does a lot of philanthropy in the community.  It took some adjusting to.  I am use to the heat, but my mom was struggling with the extreme heat and off the charts humidity of the jungle.  She...we were concerned about having a night without air conditioning.  It actually worked out just fine.  The jungle down south cools off a lot more at night than it does at the western boarder.  I really just enjoyed sitting in the hammock on the front porch.  We also went out to the jungle lodge to see the monkeys.  No matter how much we looked for them, we weren't able to see them. 

The next morning, we decided to go snorkeling again.  The water in PG isn't nearly a crystal clear as the cayes.  There are five rivers that meet the sea in Toledo, and that makes the water a lot more murky,  and easily churned.  The guide took us to a ranger office for the marine preserve who told us a bit about the area and what Belize is doing to preserve the water.  It was really interesting.  We then went to a beach that was crystal clear and beautiful. 

Cadie was talking about how she likes "what if?" questions.  I then asked her, "What if you wake up tomorrow and love J. Biebs."  She then promised that that would never occur… ever, ever, ever.  At which point I sang, "Never say NEVER!"  She didn't appreciate the serenade.

We then went snorkeling and saw an octapus, starfish the size of the kitchen sink, lobster, and dori fish.  It was not nearly as well known as the Ho Chen reserve, so we were the only ones out there, but I actually liked it a lot better.  PG remains my favorite part of Belize.  We started to have lunch on the beach, but the sand flees were to potent, so we just ate out on our boat and had the chance to talk to our guide for a while. 

The next day, we packed up the car and headed back to Belize City to take my parents to the airport.  :) 

Family: San Ignacio

Once we finally made it to Belize City, we started our journey toward San Ignacio.  I had my parents drop me off at my place first.  The next day, we decided to head to Tikal, which they were both very impressed with.  It's hard not to be impressed with Tikal.  That night, Mamma Kay made us dinner, and it was quite delicious.  My mom had been wanting to try homemade tortillas, but was afraid to eat anywhere that prepares fish.  They loved the BBQ Chicken and tortillas.  Then, Cadie and I took a cab back to my place and had a sleep over.  She was cute and shy.  THe next morning, she woke up and took a shower.  I thought that she had been in there for quite a while, so I went to check on her, and she had locked herself in and couldn't figure out how to get out. I was trying not to laugh too hard. 

That afternoon, we went to Barton creek to go canoeing in a cave.  It was fun and similar to the ATM caves.  I really just enjoyed being with my family. At the end, there was a rope swing and a cliff that we could jump off of, so…. We used them.  That night, I sent my parents to Ka'ana for dinner and I hung out with Cadie and Vincent. 

The next day, I got to give my parents a small tour of San Ignacio, and then we picked up a rental car to go down south.

Family Time: San Padro

I saw my family last week and we got spoiled rotten.  I got a cold a few days before and was worried about going because I didn't want to get my mom sick.  The night before, I only slept a few hours and I probably looked a little like death.  I had planned on picking up my parents, and sleeping in the hotel for a few hours.  Nope. I picked them up, and we took the water taxi to the hotel where we were greeted on the doc with cool wash cloths that smelled like Eucalyptus.  We then got a tour of the hotel and our hotel room. They gave us rum punch (without rum) while my dad checked in.  It was nice.  We then took out the kayaks and went to the edge of the reef to do some snorkeling.  It was so fun to be able to do it with mom.  I kept thinking, "I'm getting spoiled rotten! I don't deserve this!" then I thought about the last few years and decide that I may not deserve it, but mom does, and she needs someone to do it with her, right?  Anyway, I then went back to the hotel room for a HOT shower (I forgot how nice hot showers are) in an air-conditioned apartment, and we went to dinner where I ordered a salad.  Four months of burritos and the salad was wonderful!  My mom thought that I was crazy for not getting the traditional Belizean food, but understood after a week of tortillas.

The next day, we went out to the Ho Chen reserve and did some more snorkeling. It was fun because I got to see a sea turtle, some sharks, and a sting ray.  Several actually.  That night,  I was still feeling sick, so I sat on the couch and watched the Olympics. I hung out with Cadie and Vince while my parents went out to dinner.  We got Pizza and a pina colada.  (best of my life) We went to church the next morning and it brought me back to Mistretta: a tiny apartment with views of the sea, and only a hand full of members.  After church, we took out a golf cart to explore the island.  It was quite a fun adventure.  I really just enjoyed the time that I was able to s pend with my family.  I kept thinking: Family + Paradise= Paradise Squared. 

We had to leave Monday, but mom wanted to go birding first.  We had a guide pick us up at the dock and he took us out to a random island with lots of birds on it.  We then got out and got to wonder around the island. It was so much fun!  Mom thought I was bored because I know absolutely nothing about birds, but I enjoyed just going for a boat ride in the Caribbean.  We also went to another island to find sea shells.  Mom and I both fell into quick sand.  Life tile! 

We had to get a water taxi back.  We went to a restaurant for lunch, but mom was too nervous to eat there, since she is HIGHLY allergic to shell fish and it is lobster season, and just the smell affects her.  She went and found somewhere to eat, and then ended up giving it to a woman who didn't have food.  When we got there, mom brought us to go find her, but she was already gone.  I ran to the grocery store to get something for her to eat and then went to get ice cream for the family.  I looked pretty silly with five cones, and got quite a few comments.  Even though it was only a two minute walk back, the ice cream had melted a lot in that short walk, and it was all over my arm. 

We got on the water taxi, and it was the last water taxi to leave the island before the storm hit. Right after we got on, there was an 'incident.'  A man sat next to a woman, and she quickly put her hand down 'saving it for her boyfriend.' (even though there was another open seat on the other side of her)  She threw a fit and claimed that he was hurting her.  She could have easily pulled her arm out to stop the 'pain,' but she was calling for the coast guard to come arrest him.  Her boyfriend then threatened him, and he picked up a screw driver to protect himself.  I couldn't help but think about how sad it is that they were escalating each other.  She was playing the victim, but was also an antagonist.  I was impressed by my parents for their attempts at restoring peace to the boat. 

About half an hour away from the shore, the boat broke down.  They had to have another boat come out and tow us into town.  With the approaching hurricane, we were just a bit nervous to be on the last boat back to the mainland before the storm was supposed to hit. 

Garifuna Drum Circle

Friday was fun. I got a total of TWO hours of sleep Thursday night--a combination of sugar and a lot on my mind kept me up until the birds started singing.  The next day we ended up taking Sarah to the airport, and then had the taxi drop us off in Belmopan so that we could catch another bus back to Dangringa for the weekend. We wanted to go to the Garifuna drum circle.  I was so happy to get on the bus.  The taxi made me sick, so sick.  So, I got on the bus to Dangringa, changed buses, and went all the way to Hopkins.  It was one of the strangest rides I have ever been on.  So strange.  The attendant got in a fight with someone--but it started off as them laughing, so I was confused when it turned to anger.  There was a guy sitting in the front without shoes on, and then the bus over heated.  We were just grateful to make it to town.  Once we were in town, the bus attendant walked us to our hostel.  The people are so friendly, and a lot less threatening.

That evening, we went to the Garifuna drum show.  It was so fun.  I just need to share pictures.  We then had a drum lesson after that.  I was so tired.  EXHAUSTED, actually.  There was another hippy guy--dressed in the souvenir shop shorts and top (perfectly clean and obviously new) and a rasta necklace--he was super white, which makes me wonder if he knows what the meaning of the rasta movement.  He was also a little tipsy. I was laughing, and this has now led me to think, "What blogs have I ended up in for the silly things that I have done?"  I did end up dancing to the drums, and have some sweet picture of Leslie.  Other than that, we just chilled on the beach and did practically nothing at all.  The drum show and drum lessons made everything worth it!

They were so funny, and pulled us out to dance, and then a local guy danced with all of us.  He loved it, we loved it, and I would go back and do it again---in a heart beat. 

Chocolate. Need I say more?

Birthday Week!

Where to start, where to start….?  Well, I will start with Sarah.  I got home last Monday night, and Sarah informed me that she had some things back home that she needed to take care of.  I was torn with pride for the adventure that she is about to go on, but sad because--she's my friend….like a tug-a-war of happiness vs. sadness.  We decided to take off for Punta Gorda to finish up the research for the project with WIN Belize before Sarah and Vanessa left.  We left on the 5:30 am bus on Wednesday morning.  So. Early.  It worked out because we were able to make it to the connecting 6:30 bus in Belmopan, which was suppose to be "Express" but it wasn't.  When we got to Dangringa, I ran inside to get some breakfast.  Sarah decided to run to the bathroom, and I got back to the bus just in time for it to start moving.  I jumped off, ran to the bathroom, yelled at Sarah to hurry, then ran back to the bus and begged the driver to wait… he kept going but then stopped and waited.  From there, we continued on down the coast to Punta Gorda. 

I love, love, loved Punta Gorda.  Loved Punta Gorda.  There was just a different feeling there.  We stopped to talk to the Fahina Woman's Group.  Ok, this deserves it's own section:

Fahina Woman's Group

This is a group of women that  produce hand-made local crafts.  Then, there is a representative from each village that brings the products to the store.  All the products are labeled, and the women receive the proceeds from the sales.  They can also sell their products separately.  The crafts are beautiful, the shop was colorful, and the women were friendly.  I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. 

I was fascinated with the women's group in general.  They elect a representative to go to the monthly meetings, and then they decide who will watch the shop. The woman said that she didn't enjoy it.  When we asked her why she does it, she said that she was voted and it is her responsibility to the tribe.  She doesn't even get paid.  We pointed out that she can point people to her products and she said that she would rather be home with her daughter.  When she was appointed, she was single, and didn't mind going to the shop every day, but now she didn't want to travel.  I was just impressed with her devotion to her village.  I felt a lot more cohesion in the group.  I appreciated it.

Birthday Dinner

Did I mention that this was on my birthday?  Well, now is the time to segue into Birthday.  For lunch, we had a wrap from a Snack Shack and it was so yummy.  We got a burrito, but the tortilla had flavoring in it.  I liked it!  We went over to the ocean since we finished up the rest of our appointments, and swam in the ocean.  That night, we went and changed to go out to dinner.  The Belize Book recommended a restaurant, so we got there at 6, and they told us to come back at 7.  When we came back, the cooks were smoking weed and said that they decided not to open the kitchen today.  Sad day.  We went and picked up some Quesadillas, which we wanted to eat on the dock, but decided that it would probably be safer to eat it at the house since...we were 3 girls in a strange town and our hostel was on a bit of a secluded road.  We sat, read, and ate.  Sarah also got me some tres leches, which wasn't really that good.  The cake had a hint of nutmeg and the frosting had lime in it.  Strange flavors to mix together…

Scorpion

That night, mom called me as we were settling into bed.  Right when the phone rang, I saw a scorpion.  The first thing that I said to my mom was, "OH. MY. GOSH.  There's a scorpion in Vanessa's bed.  Do I have to tell her?  Mom said no.  When Sarah came in, I pointed it out to her, and she thought that it was a crab.  I may have let her think that it was a crab, but it was in vain--and Vanessa could tell what it was.  The only thing going through my head was, "If it stings us, I don't know where to go for Medical Help."  None of us would sleep on the top bunks (as if that would have anything to do with where the scorpion was.  Vanessa slept on a plastic chair.  Sarah slept on the other bed, but climbed in with me at about 3:00 am (ZION's 2012 Shout Out!)  so that Vanessa could take her bed.  Did I mention that we slept with the lights on.  The next morning, I found out that the scorpions are not poisonous, but they do hurt.  They only sting you if you step on them--they never seek you out.  This would have been good to know the night before! 

Sweet, Beautiful, Chocolate

I realized the next day that I was the only one to get a good night sleep with the looming scorpion.  Boy, oh boy… I slept well.  Sarah and I got up to go meet the Cotton Tree Chocolate Company.  It was super yummy.  We talked to the manager about how everything was structured.  It was a bit disappointing only because it was so typically American in style--even the manager was American.  Still, after the interview, she gave us a tour of the chocolate factory.  Sweet, beautiful, chocolate factory.  I loved it.  I love chocolate, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that I loved the shop.  I also came to the realization that it is possible for me to someday have a chocolate factory in my garage or kitchen.  Can you picture that… a chocolate factory IN MY HOUSE!?!?!?!!!!  Life tile.  Just wait.  Here's the process:

THE PROCESS!!

Step 1: Toast Chocolate

Step 2:  Smash chocolate beans

Step 3:  Use blow dryer to separate the shells from the nibs. 

Step 4:  Put the nibs in a juicer.  It will then come out at chocolate liquor.  Put some of this into a machine that pulls out the oils from the chocolate (I'm trying to figure out how to get this part--I'm certain that there is a kitchen aid attachment). 

Step 5:  Put it in the big machine (this is the other hard part) that grinds it down to smooth chocolate perfection for several days.  It has a big stone that crushes it. 

Step 6:  Put it into molds and eat it, or just eat it. 

See how easy it is to make chocolate?  Plus, I am now friends with the people that sell the chocolate beans, so I can get them any time!  I actually went directly to the market to get some chocolate fruit, so that I cam make the chocolate nibs.  (this is as far as I can get with my current machinery) 

TCGA - aka MORE CHOCOLATE

After that meeting, we went to the Toledo Chocolate Growers  Association.  This is another SUPER COOL ORGANIZATION.  They were really well organized and renewed my faith!  The organization buys all the chocolate from the farmers and then sells it to big organization.  This helps the local Maya farmer keep their culture and way of life and Kraft is happy to get large quantities of cocoa beans.  THe organization also provides training on how help the crop be better.  I really enjoyed interviewing them and learning--they provide a direct benefit for the services provided.  It was fascinating! 

We then went to the dock again and laid out/swam while waiting for the bus back up the coast.  Before boarding, we grabbed another burrito from the Snack Shack--this time with a cilantro burrito.  Yum!  SO GOOD! And we got lucky and had a direct shot all the way back to San Ignacio with great connectors.  When we got back to the Cayo, Sarah and I decided to tie dye some shirts so that we could 'fit in' with the 'local' Americans.  Why is it that Americans feel they can go TOTALLY hippy when the get south of the boarder.  I'm probably not one to talk--I've loved living in REI gear for the majority of the summer.

Oh, I almost forgot--

Translate this--

Yup, the little girl is playing with a mouse trap. 

Part of the Experience

Last Saturday, we had an excellent adventure.  It was one that actually brought me right back to Italy and a P-day spent in Campania. Well, last Saturday, we took a taxi out to Bullet Tree and met up with our friend, Rosi.  Rosi invited us to go to the river to go swimming with her.  We got to her house and she asked us if we wanted to go for a walk to the ranch.  It was super fun walking up to the ranch.  We walked over to the ranch.  They chopped up some coconuts and gave them to us to drink the water inside.  We then walked on and they pulled out two roosters so that they could fight.  That was actually a bit funny--one of them was trying to tire the other by running around in crazy circles.  We didn't let them fight too much.  We got to try strange fruits.  There was one that was super hard and difficult to eat.  It had a shell, and once I FINALLY broke through, it was just sticky and a little bland.

As we were leaving, they pointed out another fruit that none of us had even heard of.  Then, Rosi's brother climbed right up the tree and threw a bunch down at us.  We had to wait a few days, but they taste like sweet potatoes.  We then headed back to Rosi's, and her mom had made all of us BBQ, tortillas, and cole slaw.  They also made some fruit juice that I was a bit nervous about.  It had homemade ice cubes in it. 

We then went walking down to the river to jump in.  I was surprised by how strong the current was.  We jumped out, went upstream a little and could swim without any problems.  We found a big log and jumped in.  We may have pushed Rosi in.  I also should have been more concerned when Rosi said that her sister couldn't swim in the river because she gets sick when she swims for a long time.

  It could have been the river, or the ice cubes.  It only lasted a day, and then I felt really bad for Erin who spent most of last week home with food poisoning. 

Still, it was a lot of fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with Rosi and her family.  I felt honored to be there, and it was worth getting sick. 

"It's all part of the experience!"

Mary Open Doors Dinner

Oh, the benefit.  So, last Monday Night, the girls got news that their flight had been cancelled.  This was sad for Carly, but exciting for Heather.  Heather got to stay an extra week so that she could go to the Mary Open Door benefit dinner that she organized. It worked out incredibly well!  I felt like it was a tender mercy. 

The beginning of the night... before we were super exhausted.

Friday was a bit stressful as we found out that Anna Silva wasn't going to be able to attend the dinner, but Carmen came totally prepared!  We were trying to pull all the last minute details together and it was very difficult.  I am happy to announce that Sarah "the smoozer' and Heather "the actuary"  pulled it off wonderfully!  The kitchen staff at the hotel was at max capacity.  We had a lot of fun getting ready and I had to laugh when one of the newer participants came in and said, "Wow, I'm proud of you girls.  You all look nice."  Sarah decided against the white sequin dress and opted instead for a Moomoo with a belt (and rocked it!).  We had some of the girls sing and play the ukulele.  They sounded wonderful! And it was the perfect touch to the night.  The Ka'ana resort was absolutely beautiful. 

First Course... lamb ravioli

We did, however, learn a few lessons:

(1)  Have a longer cocktail hour that starts earlier. 

(2) Make the presentation during the dinner.

(3) Take a nap. 

Despite the new lessons to be learned, we had a lot of fun.  They ran out of room in the dining room, so four of us ate at the bar and became best friends with the bar tender.  We asked him what type of drinks he could make for us with our favorite flavors without alcohol.  I wanted something with coconut.  It was wonderful.  Sarah's was totally different and had some strange fruit juice from Jamaica.  He liked the challenge, and said that it was ironic that the girls who don't drink were the ones sitting at the bar. 

At the end of the night, we were absolutely exhausted.  I had gotten up at 6:00 to do Insanity, read, and do my laundry.  It was a glorious morning, but I was tired at 8:30, and we didn't get home until 11. To make it more fun, our trusted Taxi decided to go to bed and turn off his phone.  The resort was nice enough to give us a ride back in the shuttle.  We were calculating the cost of staying at the resort, and it would have been over $300 split between 8 of us.  Not worth it if we are all sharing a room, and most of us are on the ground.  We were so so so so so grateful for the ride back to our house. 

We tried getting a picture of the view from one of the tables. 

This morning, Heather's flight was canceled...again.  We decided that it's because she's not done actualizing.  We still have to finish up the finances of the trip.

On a side note, I added a bid from my dad on a 3 night stay at a resort in San Padro, and he won!  I also got to talk to the Ka'ana resort about what they do with guests who are allergic.  She said that they get it all the time and could totally accommodate the allergies.  I am now excited to take my mom there!  I think that she'll love it. 

Tikal

Thursday morning, I had to wake up at the crack of dawn because we had a tour in Tikal.  We met the tour guide the speed bum outside my house.  I was so excited, and I couldn't sleep.  The next morning was so fun.  We were driven to the boarder, and then we all went through customs and walked across the boarder to get into Guatemala.  We then got into another van and kept on driving.  Someone commented on how the road was so much nicer in Guatemala, but then less than five minutes later, the road turned to dirt.  The road came and left for the next hour and a half.  A herd of cows created a bit of traffic at one point in the drive. 

We then continued on the drive all the way to Tikal.  When we got in the park, the were signs warning of wild animals00one of the wild animals was a wild turkey.  I thought that it was funny.  Just after parking, there was a giant replica of the city.  They explained that most of the city has been over run, and that we only have evidence of the downtown area.  The city was established about 600 BC, and it was fascinating to see how it operated.  There were five temples.

One thing that the tour guide explained was that the Maya Calendar that ends in December 2012 states that this year will be a rebirth, or that there will be a great change in society in this year.  It was really fascinating how he explained his culture.  He told us that he is from the jungle and also explained the precautions that he has to take in the jungle to avoid snakes, and certain death.  He showed us various plants that are edible.  We saw lots and lots of monkeys.  He told us a story of a jaguar that came in and ate a wild bore in front of a group that he was guiding. I secretly prayed that it would happen again. 

I'm not sure I can adequately describe the city. So, pictures will have to do on this one.  I thoroughly enjoyed walking around in the jungle.  It was beautiful to see nature growing around the ancient temples to hide the stones.  I couldn't believe how earth could hide a huge temple so easily.  There were even a few temples that they left covered--it looked just like another hill.  There are theories that every hill is hiding some sort of archeological site in Guatemala.  I now look at the hills of San Ignacio a little differently, especially Cahal Pech, which is an archeological reserve for the area. 

What was missing?  The journey.  It was too simple to just get into a van and go.  Everything was too easy.  Nothing like the quest to find the beautiful beach.  Don't get me wrong, the destination was amazing, but the journey was too simple.  I know that it is not safe for me to travel across Guatemala by bus, but I wish that I could have.  I wish, I wish, I wish.    I probably would have been OK in a small group, but traveling with a bunch of Gringas… not a chance.

New Projects!

Belize Women's Network

 On Friday, I got up early (AGAIN!) and went to Belize City to meet with the Belize Woman's Network (BWN).  BWN is a nonprofit that works with local nonprofits that assist women.  We were hoping to work with them on the Mary Open Doors project, but we took a little different approach.  We went in there and talked to her about what we offer as an organization and told her about what some of our participants do while they are here in Belize.  She was actually very interested and asked for some help  with putting together a budiness plan as an organization to become sustainable. I feel like this would be a great organization--especially since they want the help and want to take the time to create a plan. They also gave us some other GREAT contacts for other projects that we are thinking about.  I am excited about this project! 

Children's Home

Last Wednesday, I went to the Belize Woman's Club.  I am thinking about getting a membership.  It was a great opportunity to learn about projects in the area and I liked how they were organized.  We were able to take a few minutes and talk about the Mary Open Doors project, and they were very helpful.  They did however, point out that they are invited to dozens evens just like this one.  I wish I would have replied with something about this is an organization that falls directly in their mission--helping the women of Belize!  We did have a few women contact us about purchasing tickets. 



 Proof that I live in a sorority.

While we were there, there was a presentation from a local home for abused girls.  They have very nice facilities, and the video pointed out that they do not need anything built--they need money to pay the salaries of the women who run the house.  I was able to talk to the man who gave the presentation after the meeting, and it was really helpful.  They were not even there to ask for money, they went to the Woman's Club meeting to as for support.  Many of the girls come from very broken homes, and they are living in a group home.  They asked for the women to come in and become a 'big sister' of sorts for the young girls--to teach them how to pain their fingernails, to pose for pictures, the proper way to sit, etc.  They also asked for those who can sit down and read to the children.  I couldn't help but think, "I live in a sorority.  They would love this!"  So, I talked to him about it and set up a meeting with the House Mom.

Other Tidbits from the week

Other interesting happenings

1. I fell asleep on the bus on Wednesday.  I woke up to someone trying to steal the headband off of my head.  I didn't realize how funny that was until later. 

2.  San Ignacio is building a new area just for the tourist shops.  It is going to be very nice.  I was thinking about it, and I realized that they are spending a lot more money on the tourist area than they have on building schools.  I was trying to think through both sides of the argument, and decided that they could be doing so because the tourist area would bring in revenue, which would then attract more tourists--many of which come down here to build schools.  It was just a thought from the week.

3.   On Saturday Night all the cab drivers got together for a demonstration through the city.  The all painted their cars so that they said, "Stop the Crime in Belize" and they drove through town honking their horns.  They created a huge traffic jam! 

4.  Today, we went to the branch out at Bullet Tree. Only Sarah and I went and it was a lot of fun.  The McGlaughlins (a senior missionary couple here) picked us up and took us with them.  I enjoyed it because we were able to talk to a lot of people and I felt like we were finally able to make friends with some of the locals.  One of the girls invited me to the wedding of her brother.  I, of course, said yes.  I realized that it is the weekend that my parents will be in town.  I asked if my parents could go to, and she said yes, and invited them to stay with her.  She was so sweet, and I really appreciated meeting her.  Her name was Rosie.  I also met another girl named Natalia, and a young man who is preparing for his own mission.  They were all so nice, and invited us out to go swimming with them next week end in the river out there. 

5.  Jezzele doesn't know it yet, but we took all the marshmallows out of the Marshmallow Matties.  I have tried informing everyone else that the marshmallows are in a bag under the sink, but Jezzele has yet to figure it out.  It is killing me a bit that she hasn't noticed.  I felt so clever.

Ambassadors, TV Stars, and 3 Girls on a Mission

I said to myself a few weeks ago, "If I can get through May, I can make it through the Summer."  I was referring to the unbearable heat wave at the beginning of the month--when we had to wait in our oven of a house daily without fans for the electricity to come.  Well, I am here at the end of May--more than a fourth the way done in Belize and I slept in a long-sleeved shirt last night. This last week has been fun.  Now, I just have to make it through the rain!

It has now started to rain.  We got back from working in the school today, and the clouds gathered in, and the rain came out of nowhere.  In fact, the vendor across the street had his cart tip over, so a bunch of the girls ran over with me to help him fix his cart.  By the time we got the gate open in the yard, we were each soaked to the core.  We helped him turn his cart right side up and save the fruit and other stuff.  WE then just played in the rain for a few minutes.  

I am devoting a lot of my time to the Mary Open Doors project.  Sarah has come on board and is working with us on the project and is helping us sell it.  Heather and Sarah compliment each other extremely well.  Heather is bright, heard-working and dedicated to the project.  Sarah would make a great politician--she can sell it.  It also helps that the organization has a really great reputation in the area.  Last Thursday, we went to the Rotary Club meeting in San Ignacio.  The breakfast didn't go as well as we had hoped.  We did, however, meet the guy who was on International House Hunters.  The night before I moved here, my mom had Tevo-ed International House Hunters-Belize and we watched it together.  It was exciting because they were even looking at houses in San Ignacio.  Well, we met, and it was great to talk to him.  He is retired young, but worked as a teacher at UNLV for Disaster Management.  You can imagine how excited I was to be able to ask a lot of questions about it.  He said that it is a growing field, especially in hospitals everywhere. 

Anyway, we went to Belmopan on Tuesday.  We started by going to Rotary Club meeting, and then we headed over to the British Commission office.  It went extremely well--except for the lunch, which was at a Chinese Restaurant that worried me.  Anyway, we were given a very warm welcome, and time to explain our cause.  Many people came up to us after and asked for more information and gave us more contacts that they thought would be interested in attending the event.  There is a Women's Club in Belize that works a lot with Mary Open Door as well as  CDF, which we are working with on another project.  We were also sitting at the same table as the US Ambassador to  Belize.  He purchased a couple of tickets, and got our information about a grant opportunity that would be perfect for Mary Open Doors. 

I have been reading a lot about nonprofit management this summer, and this week has been focusing on financial stability of organizations.  Mary Open Doors is a great organization that serves thousands of women, but the staff consists of two women who are stretched as thin as they can go.  The organization is trying to keep overhead expenses to a minimum, but hiring an additional fundraiser would probably benefit immensely, or getting board members to network for them.  Mary Open Doors would have never known about the grant if they didn't have people out in the area advocating for them.  The grant alone would more than make up for the costs of hiring a new employee.  I am enjoying working with Heather and Sarah on this project. 

Yesterday, we went to Belize City.  We took the early bus, and it was an express, so we got to the city in about 2 hours, which is so fast for a bus.  We didn't have a meeting until 11:00, so we meandered around the tourist areas for a while. We found one area where we had to give them our IDs to get into the area.  It was where the Cruise ships drop off tourists.  It was night and day from the world outside.  We found a chocolate shop that boasted Belizian chocolates.  I laughed because Belize is not big on the chocolate.  There's a little bit of it, but it only goes to foreigners because it is so ridiculously  expensive.  They did have lime-salt-milk chocolate, and chocolate perfume.  Even the tourist shops were air-conditioned.  We got out and I wanted to get away from the tourists.  We headed over to the Korean Embassy, which was moved, and we couldn't find it, so the taxi brought us over to the Raddison Hotel, which is where the Rotary Club meeting was suppose to be.  We waited there, and then found out that the meeting for the day had been canceled.  Luckily, some of the employees at the hotel said that the manager was a Rotarian.  We were able to talk to him and he gave us more information for next week's meeting.  We then turned around and walked back to the bus station. 

We were all craving burritos, so we stopped at a store and got three burritos.  It took forever to get us food.  The owner was so proud to serve us.  He was so nice!  The food finally came, and he asked us to prepare for a wonderful feast. The burritos came, and well…. It was shredded Chicken, Cole slaw, Kraft American Cheese, and Ketchup.  The owner was watching us, so I ate all of it because he was so nice, and soooo proud.  We then hunted for a fruit stand to find something that would put a different taste in my mouth.   The picture on the side is of Heather and I while we are waiting for lunch.  I think that the crabby-hunger is coming out in our face.  I also love the natural paleness of my arms in comparison to my face.  We were all a little concerned that we would be getting sick from the burritos or chinese food over the next few days.  We then saw a sign for "Belizian Chinese Fast Food," and all agreed that we probably shouldn't ever eat there.  So far, I haven't gotten sick here, but I have been pretty careful, and wouldn't have eaten the burrito if I didn't love the guy selling it to us quite so much.

We got on the bus, and came back to San Ignacio.  Sarah and I were laughing that it was a flashback to the mission--a perfectly planned day that completely fell through.  It's fun to have Sarah here because she  often says, "wow, this is like Korea" and it is fun to have someone else say what I have been thinking.  Now, I just have to survive the rain!