First Week

We arrived safe and sound in Belize to a balmy 86 degrees with a lot of humidity. After just relaxing the first night here classes began bright and early the next day and this first little more than a week has been full of training which has involved us being in a classroom from 8-5 learning about safety, Belize, Peace Corps expectations, and how to identify diarrhea and what to do when we get it. That being said, we have done a couple of fun things.

Last Saturday we had a culture day where we went to Dangriga to learn about the Garifuna culture. There we got to go in the Caribbean Sea, see a drum made, and dance some Punta.

Sunday we had a free day and went to the Belize Zoo, which is probably the 2^nd best zoo I’ve ever been too following the Zoo Lujan (it is hard to beat a zoo that lets you into the cages). The Belize Zoo is full only of animals native to Belize and is plopped down in the middle of the jungle so the animals are more or less still in their native environment.

Other than dancing, playing with animals, running with locals, and swimming in jungle rivers we have been trying to be good PCVs and make a difference even in our short time here in Belmopan. We have been spending most nights playing with the local kids and spent some time cleaning up the garbage in the park with them.  The kids also taught us their local “Patty Cake” games or whatever they are called which are hilarious. I don’t make them up though so don’t judge me. They are as follows:

My Muda Your Muda live across the street

1819 Blueberry Street

When they get to fight

This is what they say:

Boys are rotten

They made from cotton.

Girls are sexy

They made from pepsi.

Boys go to Jupiter

To get more stupider.

Girls go to college

To get more knowledge.

Boys take a bath

They smell like fart (yea I don’t understand that part either)

Girls take a shower,

To get more power.

Inky-dinky-soda pop

Inky-dinky-do

Inky-dinky-soda pop

Boys (or Guys) love you.

Lemonade

Icy cold

Feel it once

Feel it twice

Lemonade

Icy cold

Feel it once

Feel it twice

Turn around

Touch the ground

Freeze

Please don’t show your big yellow teeth

Then the first one to smile loses. As you can see in the picture that I clearly know what I am doing in that game as they are clapping and I am trying to high-five.

Mailman Mailman do your duty

Here comes a lady with an African booty

She can do the pop-pop

She can do the twist

But most of all she kiss kiss kiss

K-I-S-S

Repeat

There were a couple more but I can’t remember them right now. Anyway, tomorrow we go to our CBT sites where we will be with a host family and the whole experience will really start.