Monday, April 26, 2010

You May Have Noticed......


..…..….I haven't posted lately.


Well, after my youth group and I being on Buen Día, nothing seemed quite as exciting. And then my mother nagged me to write something, anything!


So here I am. Writing.


I think bullet points will be best for this blog post…for complete utter lack of inspiration:


1. I got a job! Okay, not really because as a Peace Corps volunteer we're not allowed to get jobs. But I did apply for the volunteer position within Peace Corps Costa Rica to be one of three editors/designers for our quarterly magazine, and I got hired. This means I will be serving as co-editor/co-designer/writer for La Cadena, the premier Peace Corps Costa Rica magazine for three issues during my last year in Peace Corps.


2. I won $500 dollars! Okay, not really because we all know that's almost impossible. But I did get a $500 dollar grant from the Peace Corps Costa Rica country fund. We will be using this money this friday at the regional Art for Peace conference where 50 youth from the central valley will be getting together for a day-long conference to do workshops with other youth on themes of peace and anti-violence through art in San José. My fellow Peace Corps volunteer and I have been working day and night to plan it (okay, not night, that's a lie).


3. I saved the world! Okay, not really because that's almost impossible. And why does the world need savin' anyway? But I did make container gardens with the preschoolers on Earth Day! We will continue with larger gardens for Dia del Agrícultor in May where we will be grown' lots of goodies like carrots, lettuce, and cilantro with all the grades and parents!


4. I took lots of pictures! (See below).


'Gracias a Dios' Lindsay returned to Peace Corps after five months of medical leave! Sipping tea in San José!



A really old photo of election time in Costa Rica (he didn't win):


A horse parade in my town (gran tope):


Traditional Costa Rican Dance (José Afredo on the left is in my Art for Peace youth group):


Then I made puppets with children!


A friend from Missoula visited and we went ziplining in Monteverde (Clearly, I can't leave Costa Rica without doing that):


Then I took a picture of a fiddlehead fern in the rainforest:


And then it was Semana Santa (Holy Week) and every house looked like this:


And so I continue... Hasta pronto!



5 comments:

Unknown said...

What about your other blog? When are you going to update that thing? Get on it Reebs!

Tom Stumpf said...

Reebs, you've got too many blogs to keep up! But, I will say, you do fabulous work wit the ones you do maintain! :-) G'nice!!!

Chris said...

We Need a Few Good Writers!
*Travel with purpose after COS and author a travel guide for your country of service.*
Other Places Publishing, a start-up publishing house created by RPCVs, is actively recruiting PCVs in their final year of service to remain in-country after COS to research and write travel guides for their country of service. Our guides provide unique local insight, highlight those spots off the beaten path, and show the real country to travelers. If you’re up to the challenge, we’d love to hear from you. We’re particularly interested in hearing from R/PCVs in Central and South America. Check out www.otherplacespublishing.com for more info, or email Chris at editor@otherplacespublishing.com. Please pass this information along to other PCVs in your country. Thanks!

See our job posting in the May 15 issue of Hotline and check us out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Other-Places-Publishing/197817465785?ref=ts

Karrie said...

Hi there,

My name is Karrie Hraban and I am an RPCV from Peru. I recently returned to the US and will be taking a group of high school students down to Costa Rica this July to do some volunteer work in a colegio outside of Heredia. I was really hoping to find a PCV who maybe lived close by or would be in San Jose during that time and would be willing to come and talk to the group about their projects. It could be very informal, maybe just show some pictures and talk about their experiences, but I know how well PCVs get to know the country and the culture, and it would be amazing if these kids could get even a small glimpse of that. (Plus, it would give the volunteer something to add to their annual report =o))

If there are any volunteers around there that would be willing/able to help me out, I would really appreciate it! My email is kchraban@gmail.com, or they can send me a message on facebook, my name is Karrie Hraban (the one with the girl standing by a waterfall).

Hope you are having a great experience in Costa Rica!

Thanks,
Karrie

Oh, and PS - that fiddlehead picture is AMAZING!

Averill Strasser said...

Rebecca:

I am COO of Water Charity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that does water, sanitation, and public health projects worldwide. In July, 2009, we started our Appropriate Projects initiative to fund small water and sanitation projects very quickly. Applicants are limited to Peace Corps Volunteers, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and Peace Corps Response Volunteers.

I am a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Bolivia ’66-’68), and am well aware of the difficulties Volunteers face in the field. Appropriate Projects is an addition to our regular Water Charity model that is allowing us to provide project resources to PCVs in the field immediately.

Often there is that little project that must be done now (before the rains start, before school begins, or in response to a critical need), but there are no funds available. Traditional funding sources are cumbersome, and there are long forms, detailed requirements, limited resources, and long delays.

PCVs working in water and sanitation usually have potential projects lined up. For those working in other program areas, there may be water components to their projects, or improvements needed where they work or teach.

Sample projects may be: rainwater or spring catchments, handwashing stations, water systems, piping, tanks, pumps, latrines, wells, etc.

We like to do the water and sanitation parts of projects for schools, clinics, and community centers. So, if you can get funding for the building and other stuff, we can help with things like the water supply, filters, sinks, plumbing, and drainage.

We like to finish projects that have been started, and fix things that have ceased to function.

We encourage follow-up projects that expand upon the successful completion of the first small project.

If you have a project in mind, please fill out the application form. We want this to be easy for you, so we have developed a simple form that you can fill out in one sitting.

If you have any questions about the appropriateness of your project, or you need some time to get it together, just let us know.

We pre-fund projects, so you don’t have to wait around for donations to roll in.

If you do not have a project that qualifies, please pass this message on to your fellow Volunteers who may have an interest. Finally, if this initiative resonates with you, please let others know what we are doing through your social networks, websites, and blogs.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Averill

Averill Strasser

Appropriate Projects
http://appropriateprojects.com

Water Charity
http://watercharity.org