So I’m a little overwhelmed right now…
Just got back from a meeting with a co-op of farmers getting into the tilapia market. They want, not quite a market analysis, but information about demand for tilapia. And a lot of other things, too, actually, but I think that’s what we’re going to focus on. There were just so many people, the co-op is made up of 35 farmers, and about 9 of them were at the meeting. They all came from super varied backgrounds, too— diplomats, government officials, farmers, business owners— just a lot of impressive and powerful people in Belize and 3 business undergrads who just this semester finished pre-req classes. Yeah, overwhelming. It’s exciting, there will be a lot of resources to tap into, a lot of meetings are being set up, particularly one tomorrow that should clear things up, it’s just right now I’m in the information overload stage and a little stressed (not a Belizian attitude at all!). I just don’t want our group to get over-stretched, it seems like the exciting business group opportunities and projects are growing much faster than the actual business group. We’ve made a lot of prior commitments to teaching, to the microfinance program, to POWA— and I don’t want those projects to suffer.
Speaking of which, teaching today was better than expected. I’ve never really been a kids person (I’ve only babysitted once in my life), but I enjoyed teaching more than I thought I would. My favorite part was the interaction and input both with and from the teachers. They were all very participative, helpful, and really nice. So far I love the people here, it reminds me of the South, everyone’s so warm and friendly.
Also, amazing food. I’ve been taking pictures of everything I eat. I’ll have to start a food photo album!
Anyway, I need to get to bed, I have a really full day tomorrow. We have our first POWA meeting tomorrow morning, teaching in the afternoon, a tilapia meeting after that, and I want to go to a church service here tomorrow night, I think it’d be really cool, and necessary— sometimes I can get so wrapped up in wanting to do things that I lose perspective, and I think the doing of things is pretty ineffective if that perspective is lacking. Complicated sentence, this blog definitely leans towards run-on sentences, I think I have problems with finishing a thought!
2 years ago