Internet's pretty spotty and I'm crossing my fingers that my browser doesn't freeze up again on me as it did the other night when I was trying to write a post.
Training is thus far both challenging and easy. It's challenging because we're going all day (starting around 3:30 am with the call to prayer, which I'm convinced is right outside my window) and at night we study and try to go to bed early. I've noticed that everyone's starting to relax a bit and focus on life outside of this Country Resort Hotel we've been put up in. At least relax enough to feel excited about meeting host families and learning about our site placement. This all happens Saturday.
After a morning of language classes with Pak Toto, my group, group B, WENT OUT OF THE HOTEL on a field trip to the Peace Corps office in Surabaya. We rode in these little red ankok (sp?) buses with low ceilings and rather tight quarters. Each of the three small buses had one visiting PCV in it along with 6-7 of us trainees. Our PCV, Matt, said that we should appreciate the space while we had it because usually these buses held 18+ people....yeah. I actually can't imagine that.
First impressions of Surabaya based on our 15 minute drive:
- bustling
- lots of motorcycle drivers who all looked like they were going to crash whenever they stopped or switched lanes (this is why we will be kicked out of the PC if we so much as sit on the back of a motorcycle)
- the fast food joints looked like the cleanest part of the city
It was very useful to venture out into the greater city because I feel like my insulated bubble started to pop a little and I got more of a feel for what I signed up for. The office was very nice. Director Sheila Crowly was there and we met all the staff. We were given a tour of the office (in particular the mini infirmary upstairs with all of the medical supplies that they will be shipping to us), weighed and then listened to a lecture on malaria and dengue. Not stuff to be taken lightly. They are staggering our medical interviews throughout this week and I have not yet had mine. After the lecture I am pretty paranoid about mosquitoes. I know for dengue it's only the female tiger-looking ones with white stripes on their legs that carry the parasite but I'm planning on avoiding as many interactions with mosquitoes as much as possible. For dengue, of course, prevention is the only cure. We have the mosquito repellent and have been promised netting for our beds. For malaria I have to choose between two pills: mefloquine and doxycycline. Everyone's been comparing the side effects - for mefloquine it's more vivid dreams, insomnia and a bit of the nausea works. For doxycycline you take it weekly (as opposed to daily), but can have all sorts of gastrointestinal issues (including chemical burns in your stomach - which two volunteers already said they had experience with). As of now, I think I'd rather deal with psychological side effects over physical. We also talked about roaches in our session today. I'm a masochist for bringing it up.
Insect and health concerns aside, the experience is starting to feel more real and I'm beginning to think about meeting my host family, school co-workers and ideas for secondary projects (besides teaching - typically community outreach of some kind.) Right now I think a book club sounds like a neat idea. On the ride back from the PC office, another volunteer and I were wistfully talking about how good it would be to have some environmental health experts in our group because water quality is definitely a concern of ours.
Selamat sore! (good night!)
Training is thus far both challenging and easy. It's challenging because we're going all day (starting around 3:30 am with the call to prayer, which I'm convinced is right outside my window) and at night we study and try to go to bed early. I've noticed that everyone's starting to relax a bit and focus on life outside of this Country Resort Hotel we've been put up in. At least relax enough to feel excited about meeting host families and learning about our site placement. This all happens Saturday.
After a morning of language classes with Pak Toto, my group, group B, WENT OUT OF THE HOTEL on a field trip to the Peace Corps office in Surabaya. We rode in these little red ankok (sp?) buses with low ceilings and rather tight quarters. Each of the three small buses had one visiting PCV in it along with 6-7 of us trainees. Our PCV, Matt, said that we should appreciate the space while we had it because usually these buses held 18+ people....yeah. I actually can't imagine that.
First impressions of Surabaya based on our 15 minute drive:
- bustling
- lots of motorcycle drivers who all looked like they were going to crash whenever they stopped or switched lanes (this is why we will be kicked out of the PC if we so much as sit on the back of a motorcycle)
- the fast food joints looked like the cleanest part of the city
It was very useful to venture out into the greater city because I feel like my insulated bubble started to pop a little and I got more of a feel for what I signed up for. The office was very nice. Director Sheila Crowly was there and we met all the staff. We were given a tour of the office (in particular the mini infirmary upstairs with all of the medical supplies that they will be shipping to us), weighed and then listened to a lecture on malaria and dengue. Not stuff to be taken lightly. They are staggering our medical interviews throughout this week and I have not yet had mine. After the lecture I am pretty paranoid about mosquitoes. I know for dengue it's only the female tiger-looking ones with white stripes on their legs that carry the parasite but I'm planning on avoiding as many interactions with mosquitoes as much as possible. For dengue, of course, prevention is the only cure. We have the mosquito repellent and have been promised netting for our beds. For malaria I have to choose between two pills: mefloquine and doxycycline. Everyone's been comparing the side effects - for mefloquine it's more vivid dreams, insomnia and a bit of the nausea works. For doxycycline you take it weekly (as opposed to daily), but can have all sorts of gastrointestinal issues (including chemical burns in your stomach - which two volunteers already said they had experience with). As of now, I think I'd rather deal with psychological side effects over physical. We also talked about roaches in our session today. I'm a masochist for bringing it up.
Insect and health concerns aside, the experience is starting to feel more real and I'm beginning to think about meeting my host family, school co-workers and ideas for secondary projects (besides teaching - typically community outreach of some kind.) Right now I think a book club sounds like a neat idea. On the ride back from the PC office, another volunteer and I were wistfully talking about how good it would be to have some environmental health experts in our group because water quality is definitely a concern of ours.
Selamat sore! (good night!)
<3, ~ dz
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're in a different world alright! I too would choose the drug with the psychological side effects over the nasty digestive side effects. Can I be part of this book club? :P
ReplyDeleteWhen do you actually take off? How's the weather?
ReplyDelete