Initial instructions.....please sign and accept

Once I was accepted, I received my official information and general instructions about my placement.  Here is what I read:

Volunteer Project Information
Project	Children’s home in Palmares, Hogarcito
Contact person	Tina
Project Description	The children’s home in Palmares is a temporary home for children who have been taken from their homes by child welfare services due to abuse or neglect.  They stay in this home until the home situation can be worked out or they can be adopted out to another family.

You will be playing with the children, helping around the house, and assisting in whatever the staff needs help with. Rules for the Children’s Home in Palmares The children’s home is located in Barrio las 3 Marias, Calle Ramirez, Palmares, which is 1 km from the center of Palmares. The times to work in the orphanage will be from 8 a.m.-12 noon. 1)     You will work only with the children, preferably with table games, crafts, coloring, hide and seek, ball games, etc.  Please bring some with you if possible. 2)    The Volunteers need to use the restrooms that are located outside of the house. 3)    Do not give expensive gifts to the children. 4)    Do not give sweets or junk food, better to give fruits. 5)    Be available to help with the staff (tias) when needed. 6)    Do not loan the children your cameras or cell phones. 7)    Do not take photos of the children. 8)    When you play games with the children, put away them away when you finish. 9)    Play with the children outside, not in the house. 10) Wear conservative clothing, no shorts, no shirts that reveal the belly or shoulders or that is low cut.

Monday-Friday, 8-12 noon.  If you want Spanish classes (highly recommended), they will be in the afternoon.

Same

Must be independent, patient, and reliable, a self-starter, Must be self-motivating. Must love children.

Bring games and things for the children to use and play with.  Wear conservative clothing, nothing too revealing as you are working with children.

Palmares (you will take a bus out, about 45 minutes and walk out to the site, so please bring the equivalent of $1 each way for each of the days, if you prefer to take a taxi from the bus to the site, it is an additional $3)

Sounds simple enough right?  But wait?  What was that about the project being a 45 minute bus ride from the town (Atenas) where I am staying?  I don't drive that far to work now....    Do I pay with dollars or colonnes?   I don't even know how to tell the driver where I am going.   And a 20 minute walk after the bus?   How will I find the orphanage?   I wonder if it is hilly there.  I am starting to hyperventilate.  

I continue to read "the rules".  Number 3 is: 

3.    I will arrive to my project on time, every day. Even if the project manager/site coordinator shows up late (is running on “Tico” time), as a guest I am expected to be there and to work all the days that I am scheduled to work.

In order to get there on time, I figure I will need to be on the bus by 6:30 AM.   Holy cow!   It will be dark then.... I have no clue how many buses there are or which one I need....and I hate getting up early....... Hear me whine????

I know they said flexibility is essential but geez....... And when are those Spanish lessons? What will I do about lunch? I was born under the sign of punctuality and I do not like to be late......  I like to know the plan, carry the map......have reservations......yikes!

I am toast!!   This is going to be harder than I thought.....    "Just breathe", I tell myself. You will figure it out. It will all be fine...........I hope!  

How can I resolve this issue?   Should I just "go with it" and see what happens?  Or will my ugly American, anal side win out? 

Stay tuned........  lol