During October, there have been a multitude of activities. We started off the month with my host sister Judy's birthday. She turned 15, so it was a big deal. Here's a picture of the family.
What you can't see are her 4 inch red heels. They were pretty amazing. After the cake, we went on a chiva, or a party bus. We got hats, noisemakers, and leis. Here's my host grandma, ChiChi, with my host dad in the background. It's a prime example of my great photography skills.
Later in October was my birthday. I actually had to work that day, so the family got me a cake the night before. The family again!
Then, we had Sports Day. Sports Day brings children from different foundations/non-profits to play sports during a Saturday. Although there were some logistical problems, we had students playing volleyball, soccer, basketball, and other playground games. We also give the kids water and a snack - this time they got a ham and cheese sandwich and a banana. For some of these children, it provides an opportunity to learn more about organized sports, but also about values like honesty and cooperation.
Then, it was vacation time. During the 2nd week of October, students don't have classes while the teachers have in-service and planning meetings. I took vacation days with two other volunteers and went to Bogota. (Thanks to my mom for the hotel stay!) We ate and walked a lot, visited many museums, and didn't sweat at all! It was quite different from being on the coast and a welcome change of pace. This is from the Museum of Gold, which has many gold (and other) artifacts from the indigenous people before the Spaniards came. Yes, that's gold jewelry he's wearing.
We also took a cable car up to the top of a mountain (There's a church at the top.) and got to see amazing views of Bogota and the surrounding mountains.
We visited the Botero museum, among others. He's a Colombian artist known for drawing fat things - people, animals, fruit, trees, etc...
In other news, the rainy season has started. That, coupled with work done on the dirt road in front of my house, has created some interesting dynamics. I have seen at least 3 cars get stuck in the mud - and I'm sure there were more that I didn't see.
Next week, the new volunteers arrive in my city to look at the schools they were assigned to. We'll have 6 new volunteers, bringing the total in our city up to 11, and up to 50 total on the coast. Go Peace Corps!
What you can't see are her 4 inch red heels. They were pretty amazing. After the cake, we went on a chiva, or a party bus. We got hats, noisemakers, and leis. Here's my host grandma, ChiChi, with my host dad in the background. It's a prime example of my great photography skills.
Later in October was my birthday. I actually had to work that day, so the family got me a cake the night before. The family again!
