GRowth

This past week I finished with the improved cooking stoves project. Thank goodness because it was almost the death of me. Very physically demanding and a pain to coordinate. The community garden is completing its planting today. I think it is just in the knick of time. The raining season is definately coming. On an exciting note the first plants are already popping up. I love when you can see progress. I have being interviewing the authorities and members of my community to try to determine what the main issues are here. Looks like malnutrition, diabetes, alcoholism, domestic violence, unplanned pregnancy, and unemployment. Some of these I feel qualified to conquer the others I suppose everyone will learn together. I also started teaching yoga this week which is great because my practice has been sort of inconsistent. There appears to be a decent amount of interest. This week will be all about christmas. I have a bunch of secret santa parties. I think that it will be a rather enjoyable holiday it appears that everything is the same as in the states except there is no snow and that something similiar to fruit cake is not only very popular but desirable. I am working on finding friendships and solidifying my work here. I found out today that I am apparently much more socialable than the previous volunteer but there will likely be down falls to that. I have to be careful on the differences in gender roles and how friendships function here. This is definately a conservative society and we are just a bunch of crazy liberals in the states. Things that I would never have thought about are a big deal. So I keep dancing and keep planting seeds literally and figuratively. Mostly about how women can do things too, that punctuality is important, that it is possible to set and achieve goals in the future, and the hard work and planning pays off. I will write again to tell stories about the holiday week of adventures. I love you all and merry chirstmas.