Life here on the Ranch is very basic, but for the most part comfortable. I am living in a dorm room with all of the new female volunteers. There are 4 of us in a room filled with bunk beds and a large bathroom. There is a lot of dust, spiders, webs and the occassional cockroach. We sweep almost every day and are planning to get a can of raid to kill the bugs. When we arrived, we were given sheets, blanket and a pillow. The sheets are cheap and feel like sandpaper. I brought my own sheets, but it is good to have another set to use while mine are drying. We are all able to have a bottom bunk bed, which is great since alot of dust and dirt falls from the ceiling onto the top mattresses. The mattresses are increadibly uncomfortable and sink under my weight straight through to the bed frame. I have three mattresses on top of each other at the moment, which makes it a little bit more comfortable. I initally chose the bunk closest to the bathroom, but had to relocate after the frame broke while I was sitting on it. I haven't eaten anything since (just kidding mom:)
The bathroom is the most "interesting" part of life on the ranch. The tank of the toilet has a faucet over it and we have to turn it on to fill the tank before pulling the rope on the side of the tank to flush. Also, the plumbing is so bad that we are not allowed to flush toilet paper, so there is a trash can next to the toilet for the paper. Gets pretty smelly, ewwww.
When the old volunteers move out in the middle of February, we will move in to our permanant rooms, which everyone swears is much better than the dorm room. These rooms have 2 single beds, a closet, desk and private bathroom. Some of them even have hot water showers! I can't wait to finally get settled into my room! This will be luxurious after living in the dorms.
Thank goodness some group donated a washer, so we no longer have to hand wash our clothes. (This is a recent upgrade). There are still a line of sinks with hand washing stations if needed. There is no dryer so we have to hang our clothes on lines around the courtyard of the house. There are always a bunch of clothes hanging around.
The house has one kitchen, which everyone (about 20 people) share. When there are that many people using one kitchen, it is impossible to keep it clean. We all have chores and it is cleaned at least twice a week, but it doesn't last long. There are always bugs and I have seen a few roaches creeping around on the floor. Everytime I move the coffee pot or toaster a group of bugs come running out from under. The stove and oven function fairly well, but the oven door doesn't stay shut and we have to prop a chair against it to keep it closed.
I guess this all sounds a little rough, but it really isn't so bad and the commraderie in the house makes it all easier. Also, we only spend one year in this situation while the kids spend their life this way. And it is usually much cleaner and more comfortable than wherever they came from.
2 comments:
Hey, Jenny, It's Allison (your cousin)! I'm glad to see you getting along so well. What will this school be for, long-term? At the end of your year, do you have the choice to stay, or comae back to the states? It all sounds very exciting.
Dave, Jake, and I went on a 1 week mission trip to Mexico in 2005, and I have to say the kids were the best part of the experience.
Let us know if there is anything we can do to help support you while you're there.
Love, The Alumbaugh's:)
Thanks so much for the comments. I am here for only one year because after that, the government is going to come looking for me to pay the rest of my student loans. This means I have to get back to the real world and a real job. I am already dreading it.
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