Passion

Well, I'll be damned! I finally got a glimpse of that fabled Latino passion this week at a teen poetry slam/bachata dance off.

Yes, that happened. I was peeved when my 9th graders cancelled English class on me AGAIN this week. I demanded to know what was more important than my classes and I got my answer- poetry. The entire 9th grade class went to the pueblo to cheer on Elmer, an 8th grader who entered in a poetry competition against other grade schoolers in the municipality.

I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into when I got on the bus with my class Thursday morning. All I knew was that our candidate needed a loud cheering section to win. When everything finally got started I was blown away. These teens were passionate! Almost every poem was about love, or scorned love, or new love. The best teens got really into their poems, flailing their hands in anguish or using a human prop to spit their rhymes at.

This is what this one girl was doing, for real. 

And then of course there was a bachata dance off. I shrieked a few times with laughter. Common! These kids try so hard to imitate the music videos, but they're just kids. The dances come off comical from my point of view but their peers seemed to think they were really sexy. Side note- I never want to hear Propuesta Indecente again. Eight times in a row was enough to kill that song for me!

I blame Romeo Santos for teenage pregnancy. 

Elmer, telling Ana how he REALLY feels. 

I had a great time. I was honored that my students invited me to go, but I don't think they'll invite me again. Apparently, I'm a viajita! I also got to spend some quality time with the municipality's teen center staff. It's a brand new building and it's perfect for charlas, youth groups and condom demonstrations. After all that passion, I think we're definitely gonna need more of those.

Peace Corps: A Lesson in Inconvenience

When your flight is delayed, be patient. 

When your bag is lost, be optimistic. 

When your day starts at 2:30am, be ready. 

When you're asked to check your brand new backpack with all of the most important things in your life because apparently it won't fit in the overhead compartment, be understanding. 

When your flight is delayed (again), be patient (again).

When you arrive in a forgien country to find your shampoo exploded and there's a slash in the bottom of your brand new backpack with all of the most important things in your life, be calm. 

When the heat index is 115 degrees, be cool. 

When you meet the country staff, be open. 

When you have a 2 hour long discussion about diarrhea, be taking notes. 

When you brush your teeth, be sure to use bottled water. 

When the wifi doesn't work, even though it worked yesterday, be tolerable. 

When you have to say goodbye to your family because God knows when you'll have wifi next, be strong. 

When you get dropped off at your rural training community, be curious. 

When you realize how terrible your Spanish is, be willing to keep speaking. 

When the initial shock wears off and you start to question yourself, be determined. 

When flies come out of the latrine hole, be very, very careful not to look down. 

When you're covered in bug bites, be sure to take your malaria pills. 

When you're certain you look terrible by American standards, but you don't care, be proud. 

When you've gained weight ALREADY because despite being surrounded by lime, mango, papaya, apple, coconut, and even more tropical fruit trees, the only foods you eat are tortillas, beans and rice, be willing to let your pants out. 

When your host brother is blasting Phil Collins and it reminds you of your mom so you start sobbing, be quiet (or at least try). 

When the culture shock is almost too much, be able to stick it out. Thousands apply, only few get in. 

But everyone gets diarrhea.