Photos of the Clausura (graduation) of my Curso de Ingles, of the Catholic youth party, of pinata making and my counterpart, Emma and her kids, Kenddy and Adrian and in the other: Adrian, Kenddy, Brenda, Fatima and Nery (my cousins!)

I accidentally mixed up the numbers and loaded a photo of Sarai, from my family in Palacios as well. Having trouble with the program...

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

Photos of my host family: my brother Walter (who is visiting for the day), Inez and Daniel holding el nino Jesus. The others are of the piscina where they raise fish and apparently swim! The other is of the land which another NGO is donating to the community to start a forming cooperative with the jovenes or possibly with kids from the school. Its already got a drip irrigation system, and yes, its practically on the side of a mountain...

Swearing-in with Ag4/EE 2006 and my host family!

Post PCV T-day soccer game! ...Whipped by the staff and locals.

But somehow a perfect Thanksgiving thanks to great food, good wine and some amazing people. =)

Pictures from the Campamiento Ambiental with the other EE aspirantes. And a trainee field trip to Mayan ruins.

Sitting at the table of honor at the Carrizal clausura (grad) ceremony just after my summer break English camp was announced (say what?) and my improv graduation/introduction speech.

Let's just say I'm in for it.

So three weeks left of training, and I finally finally know where I'll be crashing for the next two years. Site Assignment: Canton-El Carrizol right above Santa Maria Ostuma in La Paz. All I've heard so far is that (1) it is steep and beautiful (2) famous for pinapples and (3) disorganized. As far as work goes, there are enthusiastic kids ready for anything--sports, environmental activities, cooking.. and the Alcaldia (local govt) of the town which already has a municipal volunteer is hoping to start a garbage management program in my village. I have my actual site visit next Monday-Thursday, so I'll have more sense of what all this means, what my house might look like etc. yikes... =)

Pictures from last weekend's trip to Playa El Tunco, a gorgeous relatively empty black-sand beach near La Libertad. The weekend was classic beach vacation--thatched roof, surf culture, Bob Marley- "Legends" on repeat, fresh fish and plenty of beer. It was a blast, and a good reminder of just how accessible that beach culture really is. Surfing anyone?

Edenilson's 6th birthday!! In photo: (back) Estellie, Mayra, Evelyn, Raoul, Sarai, Kevin y Jonathon (front) Anderson, Edenilson and Franklin. Did I mention, I love my family!

Mayra's floral masterpieces--the hoop is made up of crepe paper flowers dipped in hot wax and the other arrangement is made of flowers and plants growing in the yard.

Created to honor ancestors on the Day of the Dead.

More pics from Field-Based Training...you can see parts of Honduras and Nicaragua across the Pacific

Photos from Field Based training at Nate's site in La Union. There's one of the San Miguel volcano from a highly contaminated geothermal lake and the other two are from a reforestation charla for 1st and second graders--reading The Lorax and planting fruit trees.

More soon..

Suchitoto!! Aka dia de vacaciones estilo gringo. Last Sunday my community group and I took a day trip to Suchitoto, a gorgeous clean colonial town sitting above a stunning lake, that I should probably be able to identify, but nope. We drank choco-coffees that topped anything I've had stateside (fresh dark roast beans and slightly textured dark chocolate). We looked at a local art exhibition, visited the luxury hotel, the 18th century church, had tacos and pina coladas for lunch... simple pleasures. Perfect day.