oh host brother....

So I hit a rough patch of training.... it gets tiring being a teenager again! I like my independence! So I was kinda a pill all day.... just quiet & blah. But as classes started & such, I always get in a better mood.... Oh I love my fellow PCTs! We learned some Mopan songs in class & it was helpful material! I can actually understand some of what my host family says now!!! I'm practically a native.... hahaha.
That night I did some homework & busted out my computer again.... Well, that was a fail move b/c all the kids flock around to look at your computer... So I showed them some pics & then let them have a field day watching Sleeping Beauty... After that was over, Choni asked if he could listen to my music...Well, "listening to my music" turned into him hooking his phone up to my computer & downloaded stuff that made my computer explode..... you better belize it! Oh man.... bad day! So I was kinda crushed by that! So now I am computer-less & am starting the Mallory needs to by a new computer fund.... feel free to contribute.

I think I was in denial about my computer the next day.... We had a morning meeting with a local principal for teaching HFLE classes at their school.... It made me feel so productive! I'm so excited for our presentations!!! It's gonna be great! So that took up most of the morning & Mr Cal was in a really good mood for some reason, so he brought us coke & ice cream to class! (I'm gonna rot my teeth away!) haha We had an easy morning session & a quick & easy afternoon session. Now I drink coke a LOT because my family saw me with a coke & they think I'm obsessed.... Never show a Mayan that you like something.... Between that and bologna sandwiches, I can't escape anymore!!! hahahaha Mr Cal took us on a truck trip to Belmopan in the afternoon, always fun! I bought a new memory card b/c I apparently take millions of pics & used all of mine up!!! jeez! That night I had a serious girl night! I painted my nails & toenails, which all the neighborhood girls watched & joined, and EVEN plucked my eyebrows.... it was a seriously needed escape from boys club...hahaha. That night I also helped Alana with a homework 3D project of an airplane, car, & boat... I was impressed with my teacher innovation! hahaha I guess it runs in the Guizzetti blood.... I made an airplane out of a coke bottle & corn flakes box!!! go me! Alana told me I was her best friend that night.... It was sweet. I was glad to be a helpful hostee. Choni also told me not to leave b/c they like me..... Ok, I forgive him for exploding my computer..... maybe.

That night i woke up at 4am to rain & rats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I freaked out! They got all in my stuff! I think they liked my bubblegum flavored dental floss! yikes! what a night! I was so upset I couldn't sleep... I even made a frantic call to my mom.... I'm sure she appreciated! hahaha. I hate rats!!! I'm the only one I know of our group who has a rat problem in their room & stuff! gross. Rats have diseases! So now I'm getting rat poison, b/c I'm at war!!!  This is not over!!

Though I was exhausted from rats, still mourning the loss of my dear laptop, & we had no electricity or water, the next day was surprisingly great again! All HC (Healthy Communities).... sidenote: if you haven't noticed, the PC (Peace Corps) is obsessed with acronyms.... one day I will make you Americans a key so you can always be in the know.... ahhahahaa.
Anyway, we went to Belize City! The most dangerous city in Belize!!!! Wohoo crime! It was a GREAT day! In the morning we had two meetings with organizations our group will be working with: the Nat'l Drug Council & COMPAR, which might be the organization I will work with in Toledo! (One of the Mopan ppl will be). Anyway, there talks were so interesting & exciting because you got a feel of what PCVs will be doing once we start our service! So I got back on the "honeymoon" bandwagon & loved my life again! hahahaha
after our "serious" morning.... we went to Crocland! woohoo! Crocland was deserted! all to us!!! yea! it was basically a big pool with waterfalls.... apparently there was one croc somewhere, but only Dan & Owen saw it.... hahaha. I did see a jaguar! It was caged up & sad.... haha but we had a great time in our own private pool for the afternoon!!! awesome!
when we got home I hungout at Dan's house for a bit to play with his cute little host sister, Charlene (she's 3 yrs old!) & to check my email on his comp. I went home for dinner & some down time before we headed into Belmopan to meet ppl at Perk Up! Georgeville ppl were in town this time & we had a few beers and talked til it was time for our curfew again.... oh I love being a teen! hahaha. But, AS ALWAYS, great to see people!!!
that night i woke up to rats again.... but this time I didn't freak. I think you officially become Belizean when you don't even bother to try to chase away the rats rummaging through your stuff.....I'm there! hahahaha.
Nonetheless, I was pretty tired Friday after being woken up by rats 2 nights in a row.... So I struggled through group training... Luckily, Friday we were heading to our mini vacas with other PCVs for the weekend! So we got through our sessions & we had the Ambassador from the US come talk to us! (His wife is friends w/ Obama from college).... he was a cool guy.... His wife got 5 Bot Flies in her scalp! GROSS! anyway, he was a good speaker & seemed pretty nice.... He gave us some good info. We got a lot of information Friday, from volunteers about secondary projects & HIV information & all that jazz... We even all got to use a condom on bananas! Can we say repeat of 7th grade health class??? I think so! haha Finally, we left for our sites visits!!!!
Me, Heather, Shannon, Larry, & Colleen were all heading west. We luckily caught an express bus around 4 and got into San Ignacio pretty quickly! It was so nice! We met up with the volunteers we were staying with and all headed out for a beer! Oh, I love town life! hahaha. We enjoyed a weekend of normalcy! Away from our host families & away from being a Mayan radical! hahaha It was a good break. The first night we talked and hung out in a blackout watching the heat lightning! So cool. We went to the river a couple times, which is amazing and gorgeous! We could jump off a rope bridge.... it reminded me of that game with the Golden Monkeys? Someone help me out with that game?? With the big Mayan stone that shook the bridge? Anyone?   Anyway, we saw pigs that were the size of giant cows!!! I thought they were elephants.... no joke. They are on steroids or something!!! oh man. We also got up to the Cahal Pech ruins.... my first Mayan ruins!!!! They are not very tall, but so amazing! And the best part is how free you are in the reserve! You can climb all over & up the ruins... it's very cool! I took lots of pictures, even though my camera was having a heat stroke! We had to climb a MASSIVE hill in San Ignacio in order to reach the ruins.... I'm so tan though!!! hahaha. San Ignacio also has the most AMAZING market on Saturday mornings! We got some fresh veggies and food and we combined to make an awesome dinner on Sat night! It was bbq chicken & salad with REAL ranch dressing & even croutons! (sent from the States)... & then we had mashed potatoes & watermelon & pineapple!!! SO SO SO SO GOOD!!!!! best meal ever.... hahahaha. I also ate a cheeseburger one night!!! Haven't had one of those bad boys in so long!!! I also got to watch pretty much the whole season of Glee at Christa's house! Gillian will be so proud!Basically, San Ignacio was an amazing weekend of fun! 

OMG I think I have finally caught up!!!! I am back in Belmopan & hanging out here til later when I have to go back to San Martin! So I am going to HANG OUT with people now!!!!! til the next lizard bites my toe.....