TravelStream™ news feed for member pcvmonroebelize on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/pcvmonroebelize en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 17 Mar 2006 09:38:26 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1142606040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1142606040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1142606040/tpod.html Fri, 17 Mar 2006 09:38:26 -0500 Peace Corps in Belize

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San Ignacio, Belize

I wrote this particular story awhile ago and decided to let it sit because I wasn't sure if I really wanted to send it out. It is about frustration and inequality and yet again I am reminded that the simplest and most basic thing of being born, where and to whom, directs so much of what our lives are going to be.

I spent this last weekend up in the village that my friend Ben lives in. It is one of the most rural placements of any of the volunteers in Belize. The village has about 150 people and there is no electricity or running water in the houses. Only 2 buses run there a week and it takes 2 and a half hours to make it the last 40 miles because the roads are so bad. Its rurality is one of the reasons why I love it so much, but it's isolation from the outside world means isolation from choices and information.
The last time I was there about 2 months ago, a woman who I had gotten to know fairly well from the village, came to Ben's house the night before I left. She came to ask me about ways to "control herself" without pills, meaning her options for natural birth control. She explained to me that she didn't want to have to take pills and she was worried that one day her children would need something and she wouldn't have the money to pay for her pills. She said she didn't want anymore children because she already had six and her daughter is already having children and it would shame her to have another.
I had researched that topic some what, but did not feel qualified to say anything at that point. I told her that I would read up about it more and that the next time I came, I would tell her everything I had found out. After speaking to the nurse that I work with and also doing much internet research, I began to have doubts about giving all this information to her. Temperature readings and cervical mucus monitoring . . . I am sure she did not have a thermometer and I did not at all feel qualified to teach her about her own cervical mucus. I had serious doubts that it would work for her because even if she learned to chart her ovulation cycle and take her temperature, the fundamental aspect of natural birth control is abstaining from sex for at least 10 days a month, if not more.
In Belize it is a man's human right to have sex with his wife. It is his RIGHT.
I felt that so much which natural birth control hinged on would not work for her. The first full day I was in San Carlos, she called me over and asked me if I had found out anything about the "natural way." Trying to simplify it to the easiest terms, I told her that she had to chart her period every month and that she would not be able to have sex with her husband for 11 days in a row. Immediately she began to shake her head. "no, no, that would not work. Maybe the man could go 2 or 3 days, but not so many in a row." I tentatively ask about the possibility of condoms. "yes, they are good protection, but sometimes the man not want to wear them." Forget telling her husband that she didn't want to have any more children so this is what was going to happen. Forget even the possibility of discussing it because it wouldn't work. Inwardly, a part of me sighed relief because I believe the pill is much more effective. But another part of me is saddened because despite the fact that it is HER body it is not her choice.
She had her first child at seventeen and described her child birthing experience as, "as soon as the first is holding himself up, and walking a little bit, the next one is coming. You try to get them ready and while you brush the hair of one, the other one needs its diaper changed and they are all crying and you are crying and going crazy." It would be foolish to think that her husband helps her with any of the responsibilities of raising the children.
After her fourth child she starts "controlling herself" with the Depo-shot, which is taken every 3 months. One month she does not have the money to buy the shot AND the fare to take the bus, so she gives her card to a friend and hopes that her friend can get the shot and bring it back to her. The friend loses her card and she cannot get the shot. One month later she is pregnant again. After this fifth child, she again starts to "control herself," but after six years, she goes off of the pill. Soon after she stops, she is pregnant again. She delivers this baby like the rest in the neighboring village where they have a midwife, but this labor is difficult. The afterbirth will not come out and so the midwife forces her to drink vegetable oil and then tries to get her to throw up because it will give her the strength to push it out.
As I am listening to this, a slew of emotions are bubbling up inside of me. I am angry that she had to birth those children that way. I am sad that she did not want so many children, but did not know how to stop if from happening. I am resigned to the fact that this is the way and I am encouraged that she had the knowledge and financial ability to start taking birth control and did not end up with ten or twelve or twenty children like so many women end up with in this country. I am grateful that I am an educated, well brought up woman who understands my choices and will fight for them. I am grateful I am not her and I am ashamed that that particular thought goes through my head.
"The man is the problem," she says and laughs, "the man is always the problem," and laughs again. I laugh with her.
We talk about other things and I come to find out that a resort from San Pedro wants to build a golf course very near to here and a resort on the lagoon. [San Pedro is a caye off of Belize and very popular with tourists. It could be Jamaica or costa rica or Mexico or Belize. It has been de-culture-fied.]
I find out that an oil company came up here and blew up dynamite in the lagoon. I sigh deep and swallow the fury rising from my stomach. Those people don't think about the people that live here. Somewhere people are desiring oil or a golf course or money and nowhere in their thoughts is that they might make a decision that could effect hundreds or thousands of people. Or maybe they do and say "its for the good of the people. We will bring them electricity and televisions and cell phones and better clothes. We will employ the people from this village and give them a steady income." The fields are abandoned for jobs that pay 17 US a day, but won't break a man's back. The children never learn their father's trade. They stop remembering how fun it was to make your own fun or the family's laughter at night under a kerosene lantern because they're eyes are glued to the TV. They are employees to a white man who brought a white world to their world.
Those people with the golf course don't think about that because they have found something unique, something untouched, something beautiful and they want to destroy because they have their eye on their prize. It is a concept drummed into us from a very young age: Work hard enough and you can be rich, you can be successful, you can be famous, you can expand, you can feel good about yourself. You can be happy.
They don't think about the ruination of the lagoon or the animals or this pristine place where I sitting across from a woman, like any other woman in the world. I am sitting in an old plastic chair and she in a homemade wooden stool, and next to her, is the cement hearth where she cooks every meal for her family. We are in front of her house, which is made of sticks. We are content because this particular day has been good to us.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1139251860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1139251860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1139251860/tpod.html Tue, 07 Feb 2006 15:10:36 -0500 Peace Corps in Belize

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San Ignacio, Belize

Its me already again! This is another article I wrote for the toucan times about being asian in Belize. its not serious or anything, just silly.
And i posted some pictures on the christmas story posting that go with the christmas story.
Much love.

La Chin-eeee-ta Bon-eeee-ta
By: Keely Monroe

I'll say, its not so easy being a chinita. People have expectations of you and I rarely fulfill them. For example, being able to speak Chinese, and/or being able to perform karate tricks or being related to Bruce Lee. I can't even make rice.
Or that time the guard from the shop below the Royal Orchid asked me if I was Chinese.
"Actually No. No, Im Korean," sorry that I was disappointing him.
"So does that make your parents Chinese?" he asks.
Yeah, he actually said this. "Yes, yes it does." I reply, unable to disappoint him yet again.

Yet, I appreciate my chinita-ness because it allows others to distinguish me easily from others. Men can yell out to me with a simple "chinita!" or "chinay gyal!" My favorite is when a man is walking past me and says casually, "chinita," as if he was saying, "there is a dog in the road."

It also separates me easily from my neighbors. One day I hear a distinct "China! China!" [pronounced Ch-ee-na] coming from outside my house. Clearly this hail must be for me because no one else on the hill is chinita. Ah, yes. The gas men have come to fill my tank and are shouting from my gate for me to let them in. Why waste time with such phrases as "afternoon," or "hello," when "china" is so much more effective?

The simple fact that I am chinita can spur cultural awareness. While on a bus in Guatemala with Katy Redd I noticed a small girl sitting across the aisle staring at me. I turned to Katy, sitting next to me, and informed her that a little person was kind of creeping me out. Someone steps on my foot, and as I turned around to see who it was, I do a sudden head jerk back because the little girl is now leaning across the aisle, in my personal space, staring at me. I turn around and again feel a stomp on my foot. Uhhh, I think a pattern is forming . . . the girl, so enthralled with my chinita-ness, thought that stepping on my foot repeatedly was a great way to get a look at me. I am at the disposal of others to stare at me for as long as they like.

Being chinita is a great way to interact with children. One hot day, Dom and I decided to swim at Sandy Bay, and jump from the cliffs into the water. We arrived and saw many kids there playing in the river, but didn't pay much attention to them as we swam across the river and climbed onto the cliffs. After getting to the ledge, I stopped to catch my breath. I hear beneath me a chant, "abajo chinita! Abajo chinita!" [abajo means down or come down] Ahh, they are cheering me on as I perform my death defying feat of jumping into the water. I jump off and as I re-surface from the water I begin to hear, "Arriba chinita! Arriba chinita!" [arriba means up or go up]

In conclusion, being chinita is great!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1139068380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1139068380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1139068380/tpod.html Tue, 07 Feb 2006 15:03:59 -0500 Peace Corps in Belize

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Belize City, Belize

Hey y'all. Its been awhile since I last wrote. Sorry about that. right now I am in Belize city at the peace corps office, enjoying the volunteer lounge. I have internet, TV and AC. what could be better then this?
Lately I have been working hard on the toucan times, the peace corps publication that my friend, aaron and I edit and publish every three months or so.
I wrote an article about christmas at home and new years in Belize. Thought i would share it with you as well as some pictures:

Sooo, my family is kind of crazy. And there are a lot of us. Grandma and her boyfriend Dougie. Aunt Kathy & Uncle John, Aunt Patty & Uncle Frank, Aunt Kim & Uncle Frankie, Uncle Jimmy & Aunt Mindy, plus my mom and dad. Then the cousins: Kerry, Don, Ellie, Colleen, Corey, Erin, Meghan, Eileen, Joey, Michelle, Frankie, Andrew, Peter, Johnny, Thomas, Kelli, Danny, Tay, Samantha, Patrick, Julia, Aidan and ME. 34 of us in total. Since a time before I can remember, every year, on Christmas eve, we gather for "Cousin's Christmas" to celebrate, eat and open presents. These family events are usually loud, joyous, and marked with games, talent shows, eating contests, karaoke sing alongs and/or gossip fests about other family members.
This year was no exception . . .
The Eating Frenzy
When the food is brought out, the talking stops. Seriously. It's actually very similar to the way peace corps react to the food at swearing-in or thanksgiving.
If any of you were to stop by a "Cousin's Christmas" please heed the following tips:
Aunt Kim's Spinach Dip: No one leaves the spinach dip until it is gone. Once a member of my family is within a twenty foot radius of the dip, we are pulled to it like gravity. I think the longest a double batch of spinach dip has ever lasted is fifteen minutes.
Grandma's Shrimp Cocktail: Our motto is "Load Up and Stuff them in your Face" because once you leave the shrimp, if you come back, there will be none.
Uncle Jimmy's Chicken Wings: They're spicy. "oooh that's hot!" grab another. "God, my mouth is on fire." Grab another. "I can't feel my tongue." Grab another. "it hurts, but it feels so good. WOAH. That's my wing." Grab another from the fingers of my 55 year old uncle.
Aunt Kathy's Swedish Meatballs: convenient because it takes the same amount of time to chew and swallow one as it does to reach into the crock pot with a toothpick for another.

The Fashion Show
Two nights before the party, my aunt patty came to my house with the most amazing surprise for my mom. She had bought three identical $5.00 on-sale shirts in the mall and excitedly told my mom that they as well as my aunt Kathy were going to wear them to "Cousin's Christmas." So they do, and its ha ha because the three sisters have the same shirt on. But it gets better. My aunt patty insists that they run-way the shirts for all the cousins and then we have to vote on who looks the best in the shirt. So one after the other, my mother and two aunts sa-shay into the room of judges. Then my aunt patty peed her pants which resulted in my mother and aunt Kathy peeing their pants.

Red Team GO!
My mother not only came with a bag full of presents, but a bag full of fun. She calls me over, throws a red yarn over my head, declares me the "red captain," pushes five pieces of red ribbon in my hand and tells me to get people on my team. Of course im at a disadvantage because the green team captain and the yellow team captain were let loose before me and all the "good" members of the family were taken. Good thing I was cast out before the white team and the blue team. During this time my mom has been walking around with this huge roll of raffle tickets (I have no idea where she got it), selling them to family members for a 50/50. 50 percent goes to the winner of the raffle and 50 percent goes to the winning team. Turns out my mom had printed "holiday trivia" off the internet and now we were all competing for the big prize. My team didn't end up winning because half of them were too interested in the cheesecake and not the questions.

The Book
As we were all getting ready to go, hugging everyone and saying goodbye, my aunt patty burst onto the scene with a forgotten surprise. A book. A secret book that she's going to give away to the winner. We all start to oooh and ahhh and yay!, because let's admit it, we love games. So here we are, my aunt patty in the center while we stand in a circle guessing numbers. 1 to 20. "3." "18." "7." "8." "3." "I just said that dummy!" "Shut up poop face." (that was me calling my 22 year old cousin Frankie a poop face) "FINE. I get another number. Uuuuuhhh. 11! Shit. I totally thought that was it." "4." "13." This seems to go on for ten minutes, impossibly. Then something happens and we have to start again. Finally after another ten minutes, my cousin Kerry triumphantly holds up the prize. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
What will next year hold? Nothing more and nothing less. Food, drink, laughter, family and lots of love.
PS. My family is all white because I was adopted.

New Years in Sittee River
Really when you think about it, it always comes down to food, doesn't it? We were hungry and Nick meant to do something about it.
I guess this whole story can get traced back to a moment in San Jose, Toledo when Nick bought three "triangles." "triangles" being huge freaking firecrackers that do not crack. They boom. The first one he lit up the night before new years at my house. I was unprepared and actually screamed.
The second one was lit on the road from Sittee River to Jaguar Reef, a resort south of Hopkins. Its about a mile walk from Jon's house to the resort so we were walking along in the dark, when all of a sudden, "guys, where's nick?" We hear a quiet chuckle from behind us, the click of a lighter and BOOM. Number two is gone.
We arrive at jaguar reef happy and a bit tipsy after a bottle of one barrel and a bottle of absolute raspberry. The party is in full motion when we arrive with all the resort guests watching garifuna dancers perform. After ordering drinks we stand and watch the women, when someone on the other side of the room catches my attention. Its Nick. He's trying to tell us something . . . making motions with his hands . . . what? . . . a triangle. He makes the shape of a triangle with his hands and then mouths "boom." What a wonderful idea to let the third one blow while they are performing.
But he waits because I believe he knew that the fire cracker gods had a bigger and better plan for that last triangle.
The women are done performing and the crowd dissipates. Now its only us and the staff and we observe that they are setting up tables, dishes and those silver trays that keep food hot. Ooooooh. Maybe it's time for coffee and dessert? Nick gets up to investigate.
We can't actually hear what he is saying and then katy gets up to provide some moral support for him. La la la, time goes by, they are still talking while Bree, Ben, Jon and I entertain ourselves. Suddenly they come back sans triangle. Nick had traded the triangle for food. Although I did not hear it, I feel like the conversation went something like this:
Nick: "hey. You think we could get some food?"
Guy: "no. I don't think so. The kitchen is closed."
Nick: "Really? Because we are really hungry and in need of food."
Guy: "Really. I can't help you. There is no food here."
Nick: "well . . . what about for this?"
And according to Nick, the guys eyes opened wide, and before nick could negotiate the terms of the agreement, the triangle was out of sight and the man was back in the kitchen putting something together. We were hoping for a feast, expecting some crackers.
And a feast it was! A basket of rolls, heaps of steamed veggies, chicken in a mushroom gravy and pork in a spicy tomato sauce. Really my mouth is watering just thinking about it right now.
Bartering firecrackers for food . . . I remember looking over at Nick while chewing on my chicken and thinking "you are a GOD."
The next day Nick, Bree, Jon and Katy returned to jaguar reef for some pool time. Nick sought out the man he had bartered with the night before.
Nick: "so, did you like the firecracker?"
Guy: "awww man! Didn't get to use it. The cops pulled me over on the way home. Took my rock, my weed and my firecrackers."

The other pictures posted are from a going away party we threw for our Peace Corps country director Bill Barbieri. It was very sad to see him leave and we will miss him very much.
A lee story about Bill: Maybe three weeks ago, Bill came to cayo for a site visit. To see all of us volunteers, bring us out to lunch and say goodbye. I had been having troubles here in belize and was not feeling productive or happy. I voiced all this to Bill and in his calming voice told me that everything was going to be okay. That peace corps shouldn't be about feeling bad and that i can't expect to have work everyday. That last part is kind of humourous to think that your boss is telling you that you won't be working everyday. But its that support and understanding that i think i will miss the most. Understanding that when a volunteer feels bad, we don't need to hear "well, try harder." we just need someone to listen to us and to know that we are trying our best.
Well, that's it for me.
Hope you enjoy the pictures and the stories.
much love
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1132593060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1132593060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1132593060/tpod.html Mon, 21 Nov 2005 12:42:02 -0500 Peace Corps in Belize

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San Ignacio, Belize

Happy Holidays Everyone. Can you believe its that time of year already? I hope that this finds everyone happy and healthy. If you are in the North East, are you getting ready to bundle up for the winter?
My mom said that it might be a big year for snow this year. I miss the snow and the cold! Although its still "cold" down here. I can tell how much my body has acclimated since last year. Im wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts in the evenings and mornings and need to drink coffee or tea to warm myself up. In reality, its probably between 60-65 in the mornings, but man it feels like its icy out. Next winter will be a tough one for me in the Adirondacks!
Today marks a momentous day in my Peace Corps experience! I finished 50 books!
I read a lot down here, although I have begun to read more lately. Everyone keeps a list of the books they have read, and I have finally hit 50. Many of my friends are in their 60's or in phil's case, he is probably already over 100. Some people say that they have heard people finishing 200 books within the two years, but I think that is a Peace Corps reading myth, because that seems impossible. Anywho, thought you all might want to see what I've been reading (i put the list at the bottom of this entry).

But, back to life. Things since I returned from Nicaragua have been good but challenging. I am amazed at how much I am still learning about myself. At night I spend my time writing in my journal or lying in my hammock thinking or reading. I often contemplate the life I lead down here and also the life I lead in the states that seems like it is just on pause until I return. Have I come up with any profound thoughts about life? Sadly, no. I have realized I am not a philosopher. But I do know that I have a family that loves me and I want to live my life in a fresh way. I want to keep challenging myself and seeing amazing things. I want to have a family of my own someday and that I always need to remember that the options in life are infinite and not to settle. I see some many people here that HAVE to settle because they get pregnant or just because life is hard. I can see that I am different because I DON'T have to settle and I can be anything in the world. That is a gift we should all appreciate.
Yesterday, I went to visit the Chi family, who I have become rather close with. Miss Rosa, the mother, had been in the hospital for almost a week because her diabetes was so bad. The doctors thought that she was going to die. When I saw her yesterday, I was shocked at how sick she really looked. She couldn't walk and she had lost so much weight while in the hospital. It was sad to see her like that. I also found out that Awe, the 16 year old daughter is pregnant. Shelli, the 18 year old daughter, who also had a baby when she was 16, now has all the responsibilities of the house because her mother is sick, and that also is hard for her to get used to.
When Miss Rosa was still in the hospital, I ran into the father, Oni. We were talking about Miss Rosa and he seemed genuinely upset and emotional over the whole thing. He kept saying "Rosa HAS to get better, she HAS to get better." But then he said something that made me realize yet again how cultural different I am. He told me he was scared that Miss Rosa would die and she wouldn't "attend" to him anymore. He went on to explain how he never has to wait for his food and never has to clean. That he always has clean clothes and that his two daughters cannot attend to him like Miss Rosa can. Maybe it was the language barrier because he speaks mostly Spanish and cannot express himself very well in English, but maybe it was because that is really how he looks at his wife.
I thought to myself how lucky I am to live in the US. How grateful I should be that my husband will want to be with me because he loves me and we want to share our lives together. So often in situations here, people are married because someone gets pregnant (Awe is planning to get married to the father of her baby) or because the man can provide a life for the girl. I can't blame them though. Here it is just the way life is.

Today I am doing three sexuality sessions for 15 year olds at Eden High school which is an Adventist school. My first went really well and we had a good time. Its difficult to teach at religious affiliated schools sometimes because I want to talk about so much, but also need to be respectful of the schools beliefs on Abstinence, contraceptives and sex.
I was talking to the class about self-respect and asked them how self-respect relates to their sexuality. One girl who hadn't said anything yet, spoke up and said "self-respect means using a condom every time you have sex." I didn't expect that to come out of her mouth, but I was happy that it did and prompted a great discussion about how self-respect not only is about respecting yourself enough to not have sex until your ready, but being responsible if you decide you are ready for sex.
Even though it is still very challenging to be here, and at times I believe it is getting increasingly difficult to be here because I miss my family and home so much more everyday, I am glad that I am.
Yesterday I had a bad day and wanted to just come home. I talked to my mom and while I was talking, I thought to myself that I was being really self-absorbed. I do miss all of you desperately sometimes, but I didn't choose to be in the peace corps and come live in belize for two years for myself. I came to try and help where I could. Its not about me down here. That's a hard thing to swallow, especially because I want to improve MYSELF, do things for MYSELF, make MYSELF happy. I need to do that, but I also need to balance that with doing my part to make things better. I really hope that coming and teaching youth has or will make a difference. If maybe one girl doesn't get pregnant or one person doesn't contract HIV, that would be enough.
Ahh, but I want to stop talking about such things.
I've been thinking about possibly becoming a teacher when I return to the states. Not right away of course because I have many plans post-peace corps and I want to fulfill those as well. I have looking into teach for America. It is a two year commitment like peace corps, but you teach in schools in the united states, either rural or urban areas in need. It would be good for me because I would get my feet wet before committing myself completely. Its just an idea, and I wouldn't do it for a couple years after I got back, so who knows. I get very excited when I think about my future because the options are limitless.
I love you all! Have an amazing Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year.

PS. I attached some pictures from around Halloween. I know that mom always complains that I never put up pictures of me working, but a lot times it would be too distracting to take pictures while I am. But enjoy these!


Book List:
1. The Story of B - Daniel Quinn
2. The Alchemist - Paulo Coehlo
3. Rivertown - Peter Hessler
4. Nickel & Dimed - Barbara Ehreneich
5. I know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
6. Beloved - Toni Morrison
7. The Bonesetter's Daughter - Amy Tan
8. White Oleander - Janet Fitch
9. Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now - Maya Angelou
10. White Teeth - Zadie Smith
11. Spending - Mary Gordon
12. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
13. Ghosts of Boyfriends Past - Carly Alexander
14. Lost in Translation - Nicole Morris
15. Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom
16. Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
17. The Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris
18. Like Water for Chocolate - Laura Esquirel
19. Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan
20. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
21. Desert Solitaire - Edward Abbey
22. Dear Exile - Hilary Liftin, Kate Montgomery
23. The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison
24. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent - Julia Alvarez
25. Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
26. Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
27. Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris
28. The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
29. Different Seasons - Steven King
30. The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck
31. Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse
32. The Woman in the Dunes - Kobo Abe
33. Random Family - Adrain Nicole La Blanc
34. Wonder Boys - Michael Chabon
35. Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince - JK Rowling
36. Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
37. Of Love & Shadows - Isabel Allende
38. Harry Potter & the Order of the Pheonix - JK Rowling
39. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
40. The Toughest Indian in the World - Sherman Alexie
41. High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
42. Resistance - Anita Shreve
43. All the Wrong Men & One Perfect Boy - Spike Gillespie
44. Watership Down - Richard Adams
45. All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy
46. The Reader - Bernhard Schlink
47. The World According to Garp - John Irving
48. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
49. Alive - Piers Paul Read
50. The Woman Warrior - Maxine Hong Kingston
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1127598420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1127598420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1127598420/tpod.html Tue, 27 Sep 2005 14:46:46 -0400 Peace Corps in Belize

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Managua, Nicaragua

hey everyone, sorry its been too long since i wrote last. Right now im in an internet cafe in Managua, the captial city of Nicaragua. Tomorrow I will be taking a 12 hour bus through Nicaragua and Honduras, making my way back to belize.
Ive been in Nicaragua for almost a month now. It is absolutely beautiful here (the country, not Managua), there is incredible history and the people are amazing as well.
Ive begun to realize that my spanish is painfully improving, but my goal of becoming fluent will not happen unless i spend a good year in a spanish speaking country. which is fine with me, for i am sure that it would bring me many more beautiful adventures.
To highlight the trip:
- ive been travelling with three other peace corps volunteers from belize, Sarah, Ben and Phil. We have had a great time together and great times alone. thank god for both the times together and alone. either i would have gone crazy or made them go crazy.
- i climbed a non-active volcano and swam in the lagoon inside its crater. the volcano, called maderas, is on the middle of an island in lake nicaragua. the four hour hike up 1300 meters was gruelling and at times i wanted to to lie down, but i made it. on the way back down we got in a ridiculous mud fight that left sarah and i covered in dirt and the boys of course untouched. apparently, sarah and i are unversed in the rules of combat.
- i also swam in the deepest geologically measured point in central america. there's a fun fact for you. laguna de apoyo, another crater lake in nicaragua.
- rode a horse, swam in a waterfall, saw some fantastic views. trust me when i say that me riding a horse is not a pretty picture.
- i ate a lot of gallo pinto (rice and beans), swam in the pacific ocean and got scared i was going to get lost in the waves (they are huge), went and saw two movies in ACed theaters, and walked around in a mall which feels weird.
- i realized that travelling alone is NOT as scary as one might think and you are always meeting incredible and interesting people who are travelling and have the desire to explore the world like i do and that is always a good feeling. i met a girl from germany who has been travelling for ten months and has two months more. she has been all over the world and chose to do it alone. she really gave me hope that i, or anyone, could do it as well.
- i realized the incredibly small amount of things that you actually need to be able to travel. when you have to carry it all on your back for a month, its a lot different then just being able to throw it in your car.
hmm, dont really know where this is all going. im actually waiting for sarah, she decided to go see another movie, one with ashton kutcher, which is less then desirable for me. i guess im just trying to say that ive realized a lot about travelling on this trip and how easy it is. and that there are some really amazing places and people and experiences out there waiting for you to grab if you're willing too.
that's it, although i will be posting some pictures as soon as i get back to belize
i hope that everyone is doing well. happy and healthy and enjoying life.
nine months till im back in the states
much love, K
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1127751840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1127751840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1127751840/tpod.html Tue, 27 Sep 2005 14:28:15 -0400 Peace Corps in Belize

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Puerto Cortes, Honduras

hey guys, just waiting for the boat that will bring me back to belize, my house and sanity.
Last night, the last night for all of us before returning to our lives after a month of vacation, was possibly the worst spent night that ive ever had. okay, maybe im being a little dramatic with that, but bad just the same.
Its funny that yesterday, Ben and I were joking around about the things we used to expect from hotels.
Remember when you used to expect . . .
A telephone in the room
A clock in the room
That the bathroom and the room with the bed would actually be two separate rooms
That if you had a toilet and a shower (which in the case two nights ago), separated from the room by a plastic shower curtain, you would as well have a sink. I guess you could rationalize that the shower could second as the sink.
That a TV would be in the room. Now its considered "super high class" if there is a TV.
Towels. What kind of places don't have towels? Actually a lot.
ELECTRICITY

Granted, we do only pay between $2 to $7 a person to stay at places, but its nice to think about what it will be like when we return to the states.
But back to the night of misery.
To begin with, the room is about big enough to fit a bed, a small TV, the toilet, sink and shower. That translates to very hot and stuffy cement box. Im lying there in bed, trying to will myself to sleep because I have to wake up early so we can go to immigration so we can get on the boat so we can get back to Belize and end the vacation. And of course, the power goes out. Even with the fan going, it was almost unbearable. So now there is no fan. No breeze because the window is teeny tiny and you cant open the door because well, its not the safest and the bugs would attack.
The bugs, like bugs always do, find a way into the room. I cant have a sheet on top of me because its too hot. Im lying in a pool of my own sweat, barely able to breathe because there is no ventilation and im just re-breathing my own already used air, being bit in the most uncomfortable spots by mosquitoes, like my heels and in between my toes. Misery doesn't begin to describe it, because the day had started with a 3:30 wake up call to catch a bus for an 11 hour ride, followed by another hour bus ride to get through all of Honduras so we could catch the boat that will take us back to belize.
And after all that traveling and crappiness, all I wanted was a good night sleep before waking up again early, going to immigration, getting on a boat for three hours of rocky riding, to a three hour bus ride to my house.
But who really expects to have electricity. Maybe that´s the best lesson ive learned. Never expect what I used to expect.
Needless to say, I made it through the night okay. And i have to laugh, because well, its funny. Funny now that im in an ACed room without bugs.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1123095180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1123095180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1123095180/tpod.html Wed, 03 Aug 2005 15:20:33 -0400 Peace Corps in Belize

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San Ignacio, Belize

Well kids its been a while since ive written and now I feel like so much has happened that I don't know where to begin. I'll try to highlight the most important things:

1. I went home. It was glorious. I ate at The Place, saw friends, caught up with family, swam in the lake, sat on the porch with mom and weezie, taught Aidan how to pound fists, drove the boat around the lake, I DID NOT let my mother give me a pedicure (you've all seen that woman with her hand gesture, would you trust her with a razor?). Sometimes I felt like I had never left and sometimes I felt like I never wanted to leave.

2. the trip from belize and the trip to belize. Both quite memorable. Picture me. Im excited because im going home. I just want everything to go smoothly, but little did I know . . . My taxi driver never showed up in the morning to drive me to the bus station. My neighbor and I end up chasing the bus down in his car, but luckily I make it on and I feel good. I cry in a bank in belize city because they won't let me exchange my money. I miss my connecting flight in Miami because that airport is the devil. The next flight im put on is delayed by two hours and I have to listen to some guy next to me talk about how his dog has doggie health insurance and a cardiologist. After hearing that I thought to myself, "ahh yes, I must be back in the states. Full of ridiculous people with too much disposable income." We have to fly into JFK instead of LaGuardia because LaGuardia has a curfew. Unfortunately we didn't find this out until we were in the air. Thankfully mom and dad were waiting there for me at 1:30am. "let's go home," I say, "I just need to get my bags . . . where are my bags?" Yes, as a last straw on my trip from hell, American Airlines lost my bag and I didn't get it for five days. The glory of traveling.
The way back I flew to Dallas where the southern hospitality was practically dripping it was so heavy. I hear over the loud speaker something about my flight. I give up my seat, hang out in a hotel all night with free food, fly the next day business class and get a $700 travel voucher. Score for the chinay gyal.

3. I almost peed my pants five times, maybe even six, when I flew business class to Belize. Its completely NOT worth the extra five thousand or whatever you have to pay. BUT if its for free, you feel like a Grecian God. Big cushy chairs with cool little tables that swivel in and out, complementary drinks in real glasses, warm nuts, steamy towels, a magnificent lunch of tortellini, salad with kalamata olives and mozz and white wine. I thought that the guy pouring the wine MUST have a crush on me because he kept filling my glass up, but realized that's his JOB. Silly me. As I curled up to watch the movie with my cozy blanket and a slight wine buzz, I thought to myself, I could get used to this.

4. The other day was a said day in the life of Keely Monroe, Peace Corps Volunteer, Cayo district Belize. It all started with Tarah. Tarah has put her two years in and was leaving for good. To demonstrate my gratitude for her friendship and my sorrow concerning her leaving, I decided a few drinks were in order. We went to a place called Rolson's with Matt, a friend of ours, to drink Minchaltas. If you are a person who likes to punish yourself with rancid tasting beverages, then please, indulge yourself in a minchalta the next you happen upon a Mexican restaurant. If you have any sense of the difference between right and wrong, please do not. Beer, tomato juice, lime juice, salt, pepper, chile pepper, & habanero sauce with a salted rim. Who ever thought up that drink clearly had had one too many shots of jose that night. Im full of sadness because Tarah is leaving. Im full of sadness because my mouth is rioting against the putrid drink. We leave the establishment and go to Matt's house, across from my house. I decide to go up on the roof to look at the stars, to ponder such thoughts as World Poverty (the g8 was still on my mind), the immeasurable effect that peace corps has had on my life, and how to warn the world of the nastiness that is a Minchalata. Suddenly I feel as if someone has put a cigarette out on my arm, as I clutch it tightly to my chest and turn to run down the stairs I hear a faint scuttling that puts fear in my blood. I make Matt take care of me, which consisted of putting a topical anesthetic on it. Which did nothing. I stop dead in my tracks. "Is this really happening? Is my tongue really going numb?" As I can start to feel a panic attack rising from my stomach, I abruptly leave matt's house and do the only thing I can think of. Go to bed. 4am I wake up and in my half slumber, feel some how peculiar. Oh yes. My entire face had gone numb, as well as my hands and feet. I throw my sheet aside to get up and pace. I think best when I pace. As soon as my feet touch the ground I start to buckle. Tip of the day: don't try to walk if both your feet are numb. Its not so great. Also, try not to get bitten by a scorpion. Its not so great.

5. The one year anniversary of my arrival in Belize came and went. Craziness.

6. My next travelpod will most likely be from Nicaragua. I will be going there with two other peace corps volunteers for a month to attend a Spanish language school.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1116947820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1116947820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1116947820/tpod.html Tue, 24 May 2005 11:19:27 -0400 Peace Corps in Belize

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San Ignacio, Belize

Well well well, its been quite some time since I wrote anything for you all and to be honest, a lot has happened since then. Some of it not so great, and some of it fantastic. Let's see if I can catch you up on the last two months of my life.

I flew to the states on April 14th to visit my father in Wilmington, North Carolina. Last November I found out that he was diagnosed with brain cancer, which is a difficult and intense thing to deal with when you are what feels like a million miles away. As the months progressed from when I found out, my father's health began to decline rapidly. My brother's and I decided we would all go together to see him. The time I spent there was amazing. I am so grateful I got to spend the time I did with my father, time when he was still coherent and conscious. Four days later, the day I was supposed to leave, my father passed away. There is nothing I can say that will do justice to the way I felt or feel about it. Only that it makes my heart very sad and sometimes I still catch my breath when I realize again that he is really gone.

But as that cliché saying goes, after every storm there is a rainbow or whatever, good things did come out of that trip. I was able to spend twelve days with my brothers, my sister-in-laws, and the most fantastic nephew ever, Aidan. And the thing is, I got to REALLY spend time with them. We went to the beach, went out to dinner or just hung out at my brother Tay's house watching movies. I think about this time often here in Belize. It was a time when I needed my brothers the most and they were there for me. We were all there for each other.

Pickles. Pickles, pickles, pickles. Baby dill, dill spears, bread and butter, sweet, I couldn't get enough of them. Krispy Kremes, Doritos, Pepridge Farms Milano cookies, Cape Cod chips, SANDWICHES. Marble rye bread, ice cream, hushpuppies and places where everything on the menu is fried (although now that I think about it, that aspect is quite similar to Belize). Salads, crab cakes, wine, sam adams oh how I love you. Honey Dew and strawberries, kalamati olives, muenster cheese, swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, provolone cheese. Grocery stores larger than I ever remembered. Candy that hasn't already melted in its package. Being amazed at the size of things. Feeling like a kid who has stepped into Disney world, wide eyed and full of wonderment. Places that are white and clean and airconditioned. Automatic toilets that flush themselves three times before you even sit down, doors that open without you touching them, those things that you use if you don't feel like walking. Cell phones. New cars, new clothes, people with pretty shiny hair and perfect nails. The desire for Perfection. I had forgotten about that emotion.
Impatience. With driving, with waiting in line, and more importantly with me: when I can't figure out how to work the credit card thing at the cashier, when I take too long in a store (it came to the point where my brothers wouldn't let me go in a store alone because I would be in there for an hour), when I take too long to get ready, when I can't make a decision RIGHT NOW, when im amazed at television and when im disgusted by it, when im amazed at all the food and repulsed by the waste.
The surprising and a little scary realization that I am not the same person that I was when I left. My brothers kept teasing that I had turned into a hippie with my long flowy skirts, unshaved legs. No make up, no cute bags, no cute shoes, no hair products, no trendy jewelry, no Michael Kors perfume. And I guess the thing that surprised me the most was that I started to feel bad about myself. I started to be conscious of the fact that people look at me and judge me by what I wear and how I look. I felt like a bum wearing the clothes that I felt good in when I wore them in Belize.

But enough of that. I guess it comes down to me realizing that when I return to the states for good there will be things waiting for me that I look forward to like my family and friends, and things waiting for me that make me cringe.

Just in case any of you are wondering . . . Im happy here. Really Happy. My friends are amazing and here for me when I need them. A few good things:
I was interviewed for a television program. I know a lady who produces the show uncommon comments which is aired on the Cayo television channel. She asked me if I would be willing to be interviewed at my house about my Peace Corps experience. The day of the shooting was really fun. There were five volunteers all together including myself and we just talked. About our experiences, our jobs, our thoughts on Belize. It was really nice. Unfortunately I couldn't watch it when it aired because I was returning from Belize City from a conference, but im going to get it on DVD.

A fellow Peace Corps volunteers and good friend of mine, Tim O'Malley is leaving in a month or so because he's done. But that's not the point of this story. The point is that one of his last projects is to record the rhythms of the garifuna culture. The garifuna culture is one here in Belize whose descendents originated from Africa and brought to the Carribbean. Their culture is heavily influenced by drumming and it accompanies any major ceremony. Tim asked me if he could shoot it at my house, to which I of course said yes. Two days ago I had two amazing drummers at my house and Andy Palacio, a very well known Garifuna artist in Belize. It was crazy cool.

I love my work. I got the highest compliment the other day when I was doing a session on sexuality for a high school class. At the end of the class a girl said to me, "miss, this class was hype." To which I said, "hype? What?" "Miss, like, hype. It wasn't boring at all." I was touched.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1116788280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1116788280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1116788280/tpod.html Sun, 22 May 2005 15:07:44 -0400 Peace Corps in Belize

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San Ignacio, Belize

Okay, I actually wrote a travelpod, but I forgot to save it to my thumb drive. Which means I'll have to send it this week sometime.
Small news, I have taken over as co-editor of the Belize Peace Corps publication called the toucan times with Aaron, another volunteer. One of our first tasks was to create a welcome section for the incoming volunteers. One of the articles I wrote was on all the skin crap I have had since coming to belize.
I thought you all might find it funny.

The rashed out Chinay:
Welcome First years! This is your resident in rashes, chinay gyal up on the hill in cayo.
Now I don't want to create any unneeded apprehension concerning your skin and its inevitable rebellion against our new tropical environment. I merely want to introduce you to what I like to call "the ongoing warfare between your skin and Belize."
1. BEWARE OF THE CASHEWS. My first affliction is one that my friends and I like to refer to as the "rash that tried to eat my face."
One of the first cultural days you will go on will bring you to a beautiful place right on the lagoon called Crooked Tree. It was a splendid day filled with roasting cashews, sleeping in hammocks and eating wonderful food. Looking back I now refer to it as "the place of devilry and evilness."
The next day I woke up with a lee rash on my face. This lee rash grew and grew and then took over my body for the next week.
First on my face. "hey guys, what's this on my forehead?"
"hmm, just some heat rash. Don't worry."
Then worse on my face and on the inside of my elbows.
"still heat rash?"
"nope. Reaction to the cashew smoke. Let's go and get some pills for you at the doctor's."
Then even worse on my face. It's inside my nose and ears, and my left eye is halfway shut because it's all over my eyelid.
Starting to grow on my lower back.
"Maybe tomorrow I'll wake up and it'll be gone?"
"Let's bring you to the hospital again and get some more pills."
Somehow it gets even worse on my face. I have no chin because my neck is so swollen. My back and the inside of my elbows have turned into red mush. I'm told not to sweat. What? Its 379 degrees out. Sure no problem.
The story ends with me going to a dermatologist in Belize City who took one look at me and told me I was going to have to be admitted into the hospital, where I spent the next five days hooked up to IV drips of Hydro Cortizone and Benadryl.
Moral of the Story: Don't get too close to the cashew smoke.
2. Fungus. There are plenty-o-fungus down here in Belize. My vast experience with them so far:
Ringworm. Not really a worm I learned. Will go away in three to four weeks with cream.
Fungus on the tookas. Don't spend your entire technical training in a wet bathing suit. Also will go away with cream.
Another fungus on the tookas. Didn't learn my lesson the first time.
Fungus on the face. Apparently there is nothing to do about this fungus. It will just grow back, so the only thing you can do is to deal with it.
3. Drug induced acne. During one of my check ups with the dermatologist after the rash that tried to eat my face, I inquired about the zits ALL OVER MY FACE. To which she replies, "Oh, it's because you've been on cipro for so long," which I was taking for the rash from hell. Oh really? Fantastic. Now I have acne because of the rash. That's really great. Why doesn't my nose just fall off or something?
4. Scabies that weren't really scabies. Advice: don't run around in the jungle at night with a skirt on because you may get attacked by teeny tiny ticks. Which happened to me. I am one of those people that cannot NOT itch something if it itches. And since I had a skirt on that fateful night, the ticks made their way to the warmest, comfiest area that they could. My ass.
"Why does my butt itch so much?" I wondered to myself the day after said tick attack. Scratch scratch scratch. More scratching the next day . . . and the next. I scratched so much that I infected all those nasty tick bites to the point where I couldn't really sit down without it hurting and had to go to Belize City to have a doctor look at it. Yummy.
5. My latest development . . . Something is killing my toe nails and turning them yellow. Mmmmmm. According to Jackie I have two choices: go on meds for 12 weeks or have those suckers pulled out. Both sound extraordinarily appealing, don't they?
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1111617120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1111617120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pcvmonroebelize/belize-2004/1111617120/tpod.html Wed, 30 Mar 2005 08:56:06 -0500 Peace Corps in Belize

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San Ignacio, Belize

As my good friend Nelly says "its getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes."
Its hot. Hot hot hot. And miserable. Right now I am sitting in a restaurant, drinking an overprices watery ice coffee and trying to visualize everyone at home freezing. Yesterday it must have been 95 or 100 and the humidity was so thick I could barely breathe. All I wanted to do was give up, lie down on the side of the road in a pool of my own sweat. Ahhh, but such is life. And a good life I have.
I have lots - o - news! I officially have a roommate for the next five to six months. Dominic was living in Belize city and transferred out to Cayo where I live. Since we both are into saving money, we decided to live together until summer and then he'll move out. Which turns out, he'll only be moving across the street.
Its really nice to have Dominic around. One night I don't know why he decided or let me do it, but Dominic decided to cut all his hair off. His hair is about the same length as mine, but decided he's done with it. I enthusiastically offered to do it for him, assuring him that I knew what I was doing. Of course I had no idea what I was doing, had never cut a person's hair in my life, most likely because no one would ever let me near their hair with a pair of scissors.
As Dominic put his hair in a ponytail for the last time, I began to feel a lee nervous. But then again, it couldn't be too hard, right? Well . . . things ended out fine, although dominic started to get scared when I said that there might be a few holes in the back. Fortunately we found a buzzer and all is good.

Last week I had another friend come to visit. Im not sure how many of you know Henry Steinberg, a good friend of mine from high school. We hadn't seen each other in four years, mostly because Henry was studying in Vancouver for two years and spending his summers in Germany. It makes me feel old to say that im old enough to have good friends that I haven't seen in four years.
The entire visit was amazing. It was really great just to sit and talk with a person who knew me before peace corps, before Fordham. When I was still a girl living out in the woods wearing carhart overalls and singing to garth brooks around a fire in the middle of the woods. Its good to have people like that, people that knew you then and know you now and still love you. Love you through all the infinite changes and decisions you've made, good and bad.
I just watched Stand By Me for the first time the other night. Both Ben and Dominic couldn't believe that I had never seen it, but I just think that their Stand By Me is like my Dirty Dancing or something. The movie made me think about childhood friends though and Henry. That friends you have when you are younger will always know you. The bare qualities that make it so that no matter how long you go without talking or seeing each other, you will always be able to connect again. And as we get older, we become more layered through experiences. So the friends we meet down the line don't necessarily see those bare qualities for a long time, if ever.
Hmmm, I don't really know what im trying to say here. Only that it was amazing to see Henry again and that it is comforting to know that he will always be there for me, no matter where in the world we are.

The other thing is that work is going really well. This past weekend I spent Friday and Saturday across the Guatemalan border in Melchor. Friday people working in the cayo district of Belize, including myself, went to meet with people working in the peten district of Guatemala as a sort of meeting of the minds. To discuss how we can collaborate together to strengthen HIV awareness in both Belize and Guatemala. On Saturday we did outreach work on the border and then in brothels in Melchor. It was an intense experience. I have never been in a brothel before. I guess in my naïve and biased mind, I always thought of commercial sex workers as hardened women. Women who are too skinny, that wear trashy clothes and addicted to crack or something. I now realize how ignorant I was to think that way. The girls that I met were just like me. And maybe that is what shocked and scared me the most. How is it that life leads to so many directions. That I ended up they way I am and they ended up the way they are.
I don't want to say that it was sad because although it was, it is also just the way of life for them. The girls were giggly when we were talking about condoms and making sure that they knew how to put them on correctly. They laughed with us and made jokes. It felt like just another group of women, talking and laughing with each other. Yet it was different. Because these girls are doing things and have done things I can't even begin to comprehend. Why did I get to enjoy my childhood. Why was I blessed with a loving and supporting family and always enough food on the table. How is it fair? I guess we all are confronted with this issue and there is no answer. Only that we live with what we have and learn through the decisions we make.

I was going to write more, but its so hot I can't think.

ciao
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