Training Begins!!
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Cochabamba,
Bolivia
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Hola todos!! Well, today is our first day at the training facility, and we have been doing more orientation and our medical, language, homestay, and project interviews as well as filling out forms and taking picutres for our IDs and bank accounts.
Our scavenger hunt last night went really well, we met some current volunteers, rushed around the city to find things, and then had about 35 of us at a restaurant for a typical Bolivian dinner that was different but good. Then we finally got mostly caught up on rest and today have had a chance to meet some more of the training staff. They are super nice and had a taditional Bolivian snack for us this morning that is like stew in an empanada and they had to teach us how to eat them, but they were goooood!!!
We also got some more information about our project (microenterprise development - MED) this morning from our project director (Daniel). It turns out they are revamping the program (in a good way) and now all the sub-MED programs are lumped into MED to give us more options for our sites. We will be working on (1) business ed, (2) artisan development, (3) community tourism development, and (4) information and communications technologies. Additionally, we will be working with microcredit management, self-esteem workshops, making world maps, teaching English, helping other projects' volunteers, training teachers on business simulations, and working with local service providers (i.e. restaurants/hotels/etc...that need help with marketing/infrastructure/etc...). All in all, it sounds like our group is excited about these projects and that they will be very interesting and in some beautiful locations.
Thus far, the weather is a nice change from hot old Winston-Salem. During the days, it has been in the 70s and dropped down to the 40s at night. So we have learned how to layer quickly. The sky is clear with some nice sunshine with mountains as a backdrop.
We are in a hotel until Saturday when we will move in with our host families. We each stay with a host family outside of the city, but are all in the same general neighborhood (between the farthest 2 houses the walk is about 30 minutes).
I don't have much more information right now, but I will do my best to keep everyone updated. I have a few pictures, but forgot to bring my memory card reader today, so I will try to upload those tonight or tomorrow if I can. Also, don't hold it against me if I can't respond to each individual e-mail...I have been getting lots (thanks soooo much!!!), but do not have a long enough time on the computer to respond to them all as 19 other volunteers are waiting for their turn. But please don't stop sending them as each one makes me smile :)
Love you all, and thanks for your thoughts and support!!!
Amy
P.S. An additional note to the padded envelope rule is that it should weigh less than 2 kilos (approx. 4 lbs) and don't declare much value on any customs forms as that will increase customs duties on this end. Thanks again!
Here's my address just in case...
Amy Barnhart, PCT
Cuerpo de Paz
Casilla #1603
Cochabamba, Bolivia
South America
