February Garden

I started a garden at my school. The school gave me a large plot of land to do whatever I want. So far we've created a seed bed, compost pile and we are just about done turning the soil over. It's a lot of work and I am using forced/slave labor to help me complete the project: Suspension students. If you get suspended from school in Belize you don't go home, you work. The soil is very rich because about 10 years ago a teacher started a garden and chicken coop but it was abandoned about 5 years ago. We should be planting some seeds within the next week or so and doing some transplanting in about 3-4 weeks.

Far From Home,

Christopher Wilkins Weiss

New Week

I had a long day yesterday at school. I thought I would share:

6 am - wakeup
7 - go to school
8 - school starts
8-9 - ref 2 basketball games
9-9:50 - Life Skills Class
10 - meeting with a student
12 - lunch
2:30 - meeting with a student
3 - Sports Committee Meeting
3:30 - It's Up To Me Group Meeting
4 - ref 2 basketball games
5:30-10 pm - Disciplinary Board Meeting

14 hours at school.

In other news, the It's Up To Me received a $500 grant from Kids to Kids. I wrote the grant about a year ago and it was rejected. I reapplied, and we got it. So now the group can operate without tapping into the school's budget.

I submitted a grant application to the Belize Social Investment Fund for the Edward P. Yorke Sports Complex and Athlete Development Program last week. This one is a lot bigger than the Kids to Kids and has an impact on the entire school and community.

Far From Home,

Christopher Wilkins Weiss

Guate

(Let me state that before you read this post, there are a lot of "best ever" classifications. The Weiss' have been know to throw that phrase out from time to time, but believe me when i say "best.")

Wow! Guatemala was awesome and I can say that it was the best trip of my life. When each day seemed as if it couldn’t get better, it did:

Day 1 – Punta Gorda, Belize to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala – 1 1/2 hour boat ride across the bay. Small boat + medium sized waves = fun ride. 6 hour bus ride from Puerto Barrios to Guatemala City. 1 1/2 hour chicken bus ride from Guate to Antigua, or as the conductor put it: TIGUA! TIGUA! TIGUA! We arrive in Antigua and head to our hostel: El Hostal. We head out for dinner and find this awesome sushi place that had the best pad thai I have ever had.

Day 2 – Walk around the city and decide to sign up for the Pacaya Volcano night hike. Lunch before hand we had panini's (something we can’t get in Belize) and they were awesome. Shuttle left at 2 pm and returned at 9 pm. Best hike i have ever been on: high altitude, volcano, lava flowing at the top, roasted marshmallows on volcano lava! crazy. It was a “Humbling, Earth Experience” as i like to call them: being tossed around in a rip tide, skiing, small boats in a big ocean etc.

Day 3 – We walk around the city in the morning and took off for Lake Atitlan in a 3 hour shuttle ride. A lake that has been called the most beautiful lake in the world; and i have to say it very well may be in the running. Our hotel was awesome: we had a private cabin with a incredible view. If you got to Atitlan, stay in Santa Cruz at the Iguana Perdida. Delicious commune style organic dinner.

Day 4 – Signed up for a Mayan weaving class and it was really cool, we were invited in to their home and they taught us how to weave this backstrap/belt type thing and it takes a lot of work. Whenever Mayans pass us in Belize we always say how expensive the gifts are, but now I understand: it takes a lot of work. Julie did Yoga in the morning too, which was given to her for free thanks to her Peace Corps status.

Day 5 – Back to Antigua and as we are talking about leaving this guy comes up to Julie and I and he says “where are you heading?” We say Antigua. He says he can give us a ride. no charge! Whoa. Saved us a few Quetzales. We also met some PCV’s from Guatemala who gave is this backdoor place in Antigua for 30 Q for the night. We later ran into this guy (Patrick) in the central park and he took us out to dinner!! Awesome!

Day 6 – 4 am Antigua to Guate shuttle. 6 am bus ride from Guate to Puerto Barrios. 1 1/2 hour boat ride from Puerto Barrios to Punta Gorda. Sike. 3 hour boat ride: small boat + really big waves = pant shitting fear that your life is about to end. Scariest boat ride i have ever been on, but for some reason i kind of enjoyed it. I should have been in the NAVY, or when you feel that your life is about to end, sarcasm takes over.

What a trip!! If you ever have the chance to go to Guatemala, go to Antigua and Lake Atitlan. I truly feel blessed to have had an opportunity to take a trip like that, especially to experience it with someone I really care about! I shaved my beard finally. October – January.

Check my pictures out on facebook.

Far From Home,

Christopher Wilkins Weiss

Heck of a November

November was one of my best month’s in country:

-Merida, Mexico: read previous blog

-Garifuna Settlement Day: I skipped out on Settlement Day last year promising myself I would go down to Dangriga this year. What an experience. It was awesome to say the least. A lot of ceremonial drumming. I’ll put some pictures up on facebook. Garifuna Settlement Day represents the day that the Garifuna culture came to Belize after being exiled from St. Vincent. Let the record state that I was in the Settlement Day Parade in Dangriga. Julie’s work: The Education Department, had a float and I decided to help them decorate it. I wasn't going to hop on at first, but i was convinced otherwise and i participated in my first parade.

-Thanksgiving – All of the Peace Corps volunteers in the country were invited to the George Price Center to have In Service Training as well as Thanksgiving celebrations. It’s always nice to be around a lot of friends during the holidays. We also got to play some tennis at the Embassy, so that was good.

-Tobacco Caye – Beach Camping on a private Caye in Belize, not bad huh? Julie and I had an awesome time setting up a campsite right on the beach shore. We also did some snorkeling right off of the barrier reef. Tobacco Caye is roughly the size of 2 football fields and its about a 45 minutes boat ride from Dangriga.

-Caye Caulker – I love this place. A backpacker’s paradise. I snorkeled Caye Caulker for the first time. I was really cold and cloudy but it was still cool.

I saw Obama’s speech last night about Afghanistan, did you catch the Peace Corps shout out? Nice.

"In the end, our security and leadership does not come solely from the strength of our arms. It derives from our people…from the diplomats and Peace Corps volunteers who spread hope abroad; and from the men and women in uniform who are part of an unbroken line of sacrifice that has made government of the people, by the... people and for the people a reality on this Earth."

My beard is still going strong. It’s been about a month and a half. I am shaving on January 1. Some new comments at school: Santa, Bin Laden, Osama, Mennonite, Hobo, Amish. Check the pictures out on facebook.

Far From Home,

Christopher Wilkins Weiss

Beard Comments and Mexico

I just came back from Merida, Mexico and the beard is in full force (3 weeks). I have been at school now for approximately 1 hour and I have already received 10 comments on my facial hair. Here are just a few:

Bwai, werewolf!
Mista Weiss, did you get lost in Mexico?
Grizzly Adams
Mista Taliban
Bwai Taliban
Rasta Bwai
Don't starve the barber Mista Weiss

Julie and I took some vacation days and visited Merida, Mexico. It's in the northern part of the Yucatan. One of the best parts of our trip was a day trip to Progresso, which is a little beach community about 45 minutes from Merida. It was that typical Meixco vibe in Progresso. Two Thumbs up to Mexico, the Mexican Culture, Merida and Progresso. It was refreshing to see a new place outside of Belize and I highly recommend visiting Merida for two days if you ever have the chance. I will post pictures on facebook later this week.

Far From Home,

Christopher Wilkins Weiss

almost november

A couple things:

1. I am starting to feel the monotonousness aspect of Peace Corps service; I tend to get consumed by my primary project and it has become routine. Fortunately, I am really enthused about the E.P. Yorke Sports Complex. I see myself working on the plans, proposals and staring construction in the upcoming year. Let the record state: I am not thinking of quitting or anything like that, it's just one of the emotions/phases I am going through.

2. The new Ambassador had all the Peace Corps volunteers over for dinner the other night: it was for the new volunteers swearing-in. It was really nice and he seems like he is gung-ho peace corps so that's good news for the next couple years. It was my first official state sponsored dinner. I will post pictures on facebook so you can see some of the cool things from the dinner: plates, house, free food (indian), free drinks. The Ambassador went to undergrad with Obama and apparently they are good buddies.

3. I am growing out a beard until New Years.

4. I am growing out my hair until next Summer.

5. Cool quote: "Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope and crossing each other form a million different centers; energy enduring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." R.F.K. on moral courage

Far From Home,

Christopher Wilkins Weiss

26

So I celebrated my 26th birthday on the 12th of October. Julie set up a picnic blanket and we had a Sunrise Watercolor session. We each painted our interpretation of the sunrise. We both have different styles of painting: she has more of a creative interpretation while I am more literal translation. Let the record state that I have no idea what I am talking about when it comes to painting, I just started and I enjoy it that's good enough for me.

After painting we had breakfast at the Pelican Resort aka Julie's front yard. To my surprise, she had the staff bring out a home-made cheesecake.

It was a special birthday. It was different than all my other birthday's. I was taken to see the sunrise and got to paint the landscape. In previous years, I would have gone to a bar with buddies and drank myself stupid (nothing against that, and nothing against all of those who engaged in previous birthday celebrations, but i prefer an epic sunrise and a great breakfast to bonging beers in celebration of one's birth).

So thanks to Julie and all of the happy birthday wishes and if you forgot no worries. I mistakenly forgot my mom's birthday this year. Whoops. sorry mom!