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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------{ April 04, 2007 }
I had a visitor!
I have had a busy but productive and fun month. The diagnostic period of my service is finally over- I did my report and gave the presentation at our 3 month IST (In service training) conference, which was March 21-23rd in the capital. I also got a great opportunity to work very hard on improving my patience while my project partner were elaborating the Annual Plan for the Association. It was fun, really. The conference went fairly well and is over at least. I need to work some more on my own Annual Plan but I feel like a weight has been lifted since the diagnostic is complete.
Also, we finally finished our big report at the association to send to CODOCAFE! That was a releif. Granted, we have still got a long way to go, but hopefully we will get our loan soon so that we can better support our socios as we are in the final few months of the coffee season. As I said, I am going to be working on my Annual Plan this week (especially because it is Holy Week and the office will be closed after noon tomorrow) but I am hoping to focus on 3 things in particular: the first, basic office organization and getting a lot of information about the association compiled on the computer such as how much coffee we have sold each month, ect; second, revising our statutes and establishing written rules for giving loans to our socios; and third, working on finding more outlets to sell the coffee. Accounting, which has been my biggest concern since I have been here, goes with the first category. I would like to get a program for the computer at the office so mom has been helping me look into it. Hopefully that will happen soon, and then I will have to teach them how to use it.
I just had my first visitor after the conference. SUSAN CAME TO SEE ME! I cant tell you how excited I was that she was able to come! Before starting her new job she came down for a week. We went to Bayahibe (in the south east) and then came to Juncalito. Another volunteer, David, and his mom were also there when we were so we met up with them some as well. Bayahibe is a cute little town with lots of boats and a small beach. We only had 2 days at the beach because the day we got there it was raining. One day Susan, David and I took a day tour to Isla Saona to go snorkeling. It was absolutely beautiful- think of those gorgeous brochures of crystal clear water and palm trees. Yes, that is where we went and we got to see a bunch of different kinds of fish. I would like to go snorkeling again sometime and maybe see some stingrays and other types of animals but it was still great, maybe minus getting rum poured down my snorkel by one of the guys leading the trip but hey, it is the Caribbean. David and his mom were staying at a resort while Susan and I, on the Peace Corps budget, were not, so we visited them one day. It was really beautiful and well kept, but the resort has nothing on the beauty of the beach itself. After Bayahibe we came up to Juncalito and went walking through the mountains a bit. I had a great time and hope she did too and am ready for my next visitors, my parents, who come on the 10th!
I still havent been able to move. My APCD did not approve my house yet because it only has one exit and it is above a colmado, so she has to come see it but cannot come for probably at least 3 weeks, but the owners of the house will rent it to someone else if they find someone else because even when she comes there is no guarantee that I will be able to get it, so I started looking again. It is frustrating because I really want to move and have started to buy stuff for a house because I thought I would be able to move this week. I found another house so I am sending pictures to my APCD now to see if she will approve this one. I want to jump on it because it took me forever to find the other one so I am afraid of waiting too long. I like my family, but I am ready to move.
I am gonig to try and put up more pictures on my Photobucket site so keep a look out for those. Oh, I also got to see Davids site for a day when his mom was here because it is not very far from the capital, so that was interesting. I like to see other peoples' sites because they are all so different.
Posted by katie on April 4, 2007 04:56 PM | Permalink
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Comments so far:
Gosh, I wish I could come visit...as it is, all the money's headed in one direction: to England. I'm missing you, birl and I wish I could come help you organize - you KNOW how I love organizing other people's stuff!! ;)
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Posted by:
kris |
April 4, 2007 11:16 PM
So - when are you going to update and comment about your entertaining (i hope) paretal visit? Love Dad
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Posted by:
mjdevine |
April 30, 2007 11:24 PM
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