Jungle Ball

 At the center of Sylvester Village is a community 'park' with soccer field, a large palapa, and plenty of room to run around and play.

Prior to our second soccer match last school year, versus the Linda Vista School from Blue Creek, we moved the school's volleyball net to the village so that the Casey Community School and Linda Vista School girls could have a friendly volleyball match while the boys played soccer.

The initial introduction of the volleyball court in the village was a success.  It created a co-ed sport opportunity that could be enjoyed by both students and community members. 

 In the late afternoon it has been common for groups of kids to come to the field to play volleyball and soccer. 

After the workday in Gallon Jug is done, groups of adults join in on the action and the games steadily grow more competitive. 

Even a parrot decided to stop by and check out the action.  As someone who has limited to no time for soccer, I've enjoyed being able to head over to the village a few times a week to get in on the games. 
In a few weeks we will begin having volleyball practices and officially add a new sport to the docket at the Casey Community School, which in the past has only had boys soccer. 


An Homage to Pouch Water

Though preparations for the impending school year have been happening since before last school year ended, today was the first day that I've been back in the school since leaving for the summer.  We have three hardworking ladies from the Gallon Jug sauce works that are helping to give the school a thorough cleaning. 
With the warm weather and hard work I picked up the first bags of pouch water for the school year earlier today.

Pouch water, for those unfamiliar with the concept, are little bags of drinking water, that happen to come in big bags.  I wont pretend to know the commercial or environmental impact of such packaging, but I do find them quite enjoyable to drink, and you can't help but to toss them when giving them to kids - which also makes them fun - though none have yet popped like a water balloon.
I've come across pouch beverages other places during my travels, but only in Belize have I seen them so closely resemble ice packs, which they do serve reasonably well as.  My go to treatment at the school for everything from headaches to bug bites is to have the ailing student hold a pouch water on the spot that hurts until it cools off, and then drink the water.  Works every time.
My favorite pouch water memory to date happened while snorkeling in San Pedro.  As people returned to the boat, the crew offered them beverages.  One guy asked for a water, just as he was biting into it an overzealous friend slapped it away, thinking that it was an icepack.

Thank you pouch water for the refreshment and entertainment!