People always ask what a typical day is like. The answer is that all the days are kind of the same and no two days are alike. I mean, whenever I try to think back about what I accomplished in a given week, it blurs together. But, here’s a schedule from Yesterday
6:30/7 am: woke up. My puppy was whining outside, but I tried to ignore her. I knew I could sleep in today. I probably slept in until like 7:30. I then fed the puppy and started making my breakfast of coffee and cereal, the normal. I then frittered away a few morning hours sweeping, looking through English teaching materials, reading Jerry Bridges, and keeping alert for any havoc the puppy might wreak.
10 am: caught the bus. I needed to by some screen because tomorrow in the school we’ll be making recycled paper. Since asking at the agropecuaria store in Potrerillos was fruitless, I needed to look elsewhere. I could have gone to David, but didn’t feel like it. So, I decided to just go to Dolega. Luckily, my friend and “comadre” Rebecca was on the same bus so I could chat with her and my “goddaughter” Astrid. We both got off in Dolega. I used the time to buy the screen, some groceries that can’t be found in the local tienda, and call my parents since the pay phone in town in broken.
12 noon: caught the bus from Dolega back to town. I hadn’t wanted to stay out long. Was back in town within a half hour. Made some lunch, which was reheating a tamale I’d bought at a community event the day before. Played with the dog. Started to read a little. Decided to go Pasear before it got later.
1/1:30 pm: left house. Called Marina to let her know I’d stop by her house so she could chain up the dog that has tried to kill me. Walk up the dirt road about 10 minutes to get to her house. Chat with her parents. She feeds me some lunch (my second) and some coffee. We chat about the environmental group and planning a meeting and what she had done while going to the environmental network meeting.
3 pm: leave Marina’s house. On my way down the hill I stop by to talk with Jose and Amarilis. Jose is president of the environmental group and Amarilis is school chef extrodonaire and member of the group. I ask Amarilis the same questions I’d been talking to Marina about. And we all talk about planning a meeting for the environmental group (which they haven’t had since I’ve arrived). While I’m there, it starts to downpour. This means I’m pretty much trapped in the house, plus, rain on a zinc roof ensures we can’t hear each other.
4:30/5 pm: The rain finally stops. After we’re sure it won’t start again, and the approaching night ensures we have to leave anyway, Amarilis and I venture down the hill and I return to my house, where my dog is super happy to see me, and more happy about the food she will be fed.
6 pm: Make myself a delicious dinner of rice and lentils. Enjoy some reading in my hammock. Listen to “Blanco y Negro” the best radio program that is pure 80s rock magic. Take a shower. Then, I went about preparing some screens for the papermaking the next day in the school.
9:30/10 pm: Go to bed
Here’s Today’s Schedule
7 am: wake up. Feed the dog. Make coffee and cereal breakfast. I notice the water is being tempermental, and the faucet is starting to dry out. Thus, I don’t wear my contacts.
8:30 am: I get a later start to the school than I had originally planned, but I carry my screens and head to the school. I plan to use the first couple hours to set stuff up, and then make paper after recess. When, I get to the school, I discover that the school is without water. The construction up the road cut the pipes so the community will be without water the whole day. Without water, we can’t make paper. Plus, the kids will be let out early to avoid the bathroom mess and lack of drinking water. I hang around the school for a few hours helping Amarilis make the crema (fortified drink all school children are given everyday to ensure they aren’t malnourished.) and wash the dishes and shoot the breeze.
11:30am: I leave the school. One girl Paola, that lives across the street, tells me I need to come to her house. I go. It gives me the opportunity to chat with my neighbors, and I end up getting a soup lunch out of it, which was delicious.
12:30: go back home. Play with the puppy a little, read a little
1 pm: I go to visit Rosa and “comadre” Rebecca. Rebecca and I had previously talked about going to church that night so I ask if they’re still planning on going, and if they know what time. Chat a little. I head back home. It starts downpouring rain as soon as I arrive, so I just hang around my house a little.
3 pm: Once the rain has cleared, I put my laptop in my backpack and start walking to “the gringos.” There happens to be another American couple living in my town. They are very nice, occasionally give me family time eating lasagna and watching U.S. TV shows. They also have wifi internet. They bought extra laptops to allow community kids, or peace corps volunteers , to come to the house and use internet. I check my e-mail, send a message to my parents about what we’d discussed the day before, try downloading some stuff on iTunes (too slow).
5 pm: knowing I have to go to church later, I head back home. Cook a little dinner. Feed the puppy. The house is still without water. Luckily, it’s been raining, so the jars a left out and are at least full of rainwater.
6:30 pm: The bus shows up to take us to a church service in a nearby community, about 10 of us go.
10 pm: Leave the church and return to my pueblo. Super tired, and the house still dry, I go straight to bed.
