Hey guys!
Last week, I spent 5 days in Honduras with 3 friends, and it was awesome! We were on the island of Utila, a little piece of sunny land on the Caribbean coast, absolutely bursting with friendly people and the kindof blissful vacation spots you see in movies. This was my first Caribbean vacation, and I must say that I totally understand why people pay so much to go spend a week or two during the winter holidays...it really gets your spirits up! I snorkled in the coral reefs (breathtaking), sunned myself on the white sands of Bando Beach, sipped Margaritas on a dock with friends, hung out in bars with names like CocoLoco and Tranquila, visited this beautiful one-man piece of art called the Jade Seahorse (pictures to follow...you won't believe your eyes!), and watched the sun set on the balcony of our seaside appartment. What a beautiful time!
jeudi 14 août 2008
mercredi 30 juillet 2008
16
Today was my last day on project, and while it is nice to finally be done and have a few days off to breathe and pack before I leave, it was also sad. Over the last 8 weeks I have gotten to love the 128 children in the 6 classes I taught. I've invested in their learning, hugged them a million times, kissed their bumped knees and scratched elbows, played innumerable games of soccer (and lost every one), chastised, laughed, listened, taught, and sung. It's been great. I will miss their faces, and it was hard to answer small requests like "When will you come back?" with uncertainty and the knowledge that it will be too long until I see them again. Today, I feel like I've come full circle in my experience as a teacher. It was my first time experiencing the attachment that is created through regular interaction and an investment in the lives of students. It is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
Claudia will be leaving for Quebec tomorrow morning and that is a shock as well. With her leaving I am reminded that my time left here is limited and that I too will soon be watching the volcanoes and sprawling mountains of Guatemala recede in the distance. Again, bittersweet. I have trouble imagining how I will slip off the Guatemalan skin I've been clothed in for the past 3 months to put on my everyday "real life" garb once I'm back home. And so the countdown--another countdown--begins. 16 days.
Claudia will be leaving for Quebec tomorrow morning and that is a shock as well. With her leaving I am reminded that my time left here is limited and that I too will soon be watching the volcanoes and sprawling mountains of Guatemala recede in the distance. Again, bittersweet. I have trouble imagining how I will slip off the Guatemalan skin I've been clothed in for the past 3 months to put on my everyday "real life" garb once I'm back home. And so the countdown--another countdown--begins. 16 days.
mardi 29 juillet 2008
Tikal and yet ANOTHER change of plans
Hello folks! A "quick" note (haha) to share with you the crazy experiences of my trip to Tikal and a bit of an update on me. This past week, from Thursday to Sunday, I went with the school to Tikal, a region in the jungles of Peten in the very north of Guatemala. It took about 7-8 hours total to get there, and although I looooove long carrides *groan* it was worth it! On the way to Tikal, we stopped in Rio Dulce, a beautiful city on the edge of the water with a hot, humid, vacation air about it. We then visited Linvingston, a city on the edge of the Caribbean ocean populated by the unexpected combination of Carib Indians and descendants of african slaves (translation: Black). It was beautiful to get to meet this small portion of the Guatemalan nation that is oft overlooked, with their own brand of culture and speech. We then skipped over to Tikal, home of the oldest pre-columbian ruins in Guatemala. It would take 3-4 days to visit what has been uncovered and restored of the ancient city, and so far only about 20% of the buildings and temples have been cleared!!! I got to climb two temples (ouch for the thighs!) and got to look out over a panoramic view of the jungles and temples soaring above the canopy (there is actually a scene in Star Wars: The Emperor Strikes Back that was filmed from that exact spot!). Breathtaking. It made me glad to be alive to stand in such an ancient place, where Mayans once stood to count the stars and ponder the meaning of life. I also got to see (and hear) howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and toucans. I heard a jaguar scream, but didn't see one (although they roam free in the National Park).
On my trip I got to meet some amazing people, amongst them a lovely deaf woman named Roni and her two interpreter-friends, Caroline and Melissa. Over the course of the weekend, with infinite patience, they answered some of the questions I had about the deaf community and taught me some sign language. It was awesome! Only more proof of how many cool and unexpected acquaintances you can make while travelling! It got me thinking, and I would like to work with deaf children while I am studying in BC, during the winter semester. What a beautiful thread in the tapestry of life that I have just discovered!
As for my change of plans... for the third time since I arrived, my plans to travel around Guatemala have fallen through. Unfortunately, my travel partner had to back out and so I found myself a bit stuck. I had told my host home that I was leaving August 1st, so they agreed to have 3 new students come into the house on the 2nd, meaning that I have to move out then, and find somewhere else to stay until my flight. And to be frank, although Antigua is nice I've been here for 9 weeks and it's time for a change. So there I was, stressed out about the situation and the uncertainty...and then a ray of golden sun (AKA God doing His cool thing) appeared and a group of friends from Antigua decided that they'd like to go travel in Honduras for a week. Yayyyy!! So I am leaving Tuesday, August 5th for Hunduras, and will be coming back to Antigua on August 11th. I'll stay a couple of days and then get on a nice long (24 hours) bus ride to Chiapas to arrive, hopefully, on the 14th in Tuxtla. The next morning, on the 15th, I catch my flight in Tuxtla and will be home late that night. Needless to say I have learned a whole lot about flexibility and compromise!!! LOL.
On my trip I got to meet some amazing people, amongst them a lovely deaf woman named Roni and her two interpreter-friends, Caroline and Melissa. Over the course of the weekend, with infinite patience, they answered some of the questions I had about the deaf community and taught me some sign language. It was awesome! Only more proof of how many cool and unexpected acquaintances you can make while travelling! It got me thinking, and I would like to work with deaf children while I am studying in BC, during the winter semester. What a beautiful thread in the tapestry of life that I have just discovered!
As for my change of plans... for the third time since I arrived, my plans to travel around Guatemala have fallen through. Unfortunately, my travel partner had to back out and so I found myself a bit stuck. I had told my host home that I was leaving August 1st, so they agreed to have 3 new students come into the house on the 2nd, meaning that I have to move out then, and find somewhere else to stay until my flight. And to be frank, although Antigua is nice I've been here for 9 weeks and it's time for a change. So there I was, stressed out about the situation and the uncertainty...and then a ray of golden sun (AKA God doing His cool thing) appeared and a group of friends from Antigua decided that they'd like to go travel in Honduras for a week. Yayyyy!! So I am leaving Tuesday, August 5th for Hunduras, and will be coming back to Antigua on August 11th. I'll stay a couple of days and then get on a nice long (24 hours) bus ride to Chiapas to arrive, hopefully, on the 14th in Tuxtla. The next morning, on the 15th, I catch my flight in Tuxtla and will be home late that night. Needless to say I have learned a whole lot about flexibility and compromise!!! LOL.
lundi 14 juillet 2008
Meet the destitute
Time is flying by! I can't believe that in just seven short days, my teaching here will be over and my traveling will begin. It has been 7 weeks since my arrival here and it has been a good time, a trying time, but I feel rich in sights and sounds and experiences.
This week, I had my first close encounter with poverty in the faces of three young children who came to play with my class on Friday. We had all trooped over to a nearby field to do some pinata whacking (boy were the kids proud of getting to tear apart their beautiful creations!!). As I sat on the grass, watching the kids play soccer a ways off, this little girl of about 8 years old walked over with a bag slung over her shoulder, a baby on her hip and holding her younger brother's hand. She looked like a little mother, and she had to play that role, because as I learned later, her mother is out working all day in the fields to try and feed her family, and so Maria (the little girl) has to shoulder the mothering responsibilities. And as I sat near these children I was ashamed at my response to them. I hid it well but I was disgusted. They smelled bad. The baby had a crusty, snotty nose and the boy's pants were torn in three places. Their hair was filthy and flies buzzed around them so much I felt sure they must have lice. I sat there in my pristine white shirt, freshly scrubbed nails and clean hair and all I could think was please God don't let them get too close, I don't want lice! The shame.
The moment of truth came when Maria handed me her baby brother to watch so she could go play--something she must not have been able to do in a long, long time--and as I sat the baby on my lap I realized that I am much too hung up on cleanliness. I chose then and there to never allow hygiene or clean hair to stand in the way of being a light in someone's life, of getting to know them and reaching out. Time will tell if I've learned this lesson, but for one day, I did.
And so Maria and her little brother got to play soccer, and eat lunch, and hit a pinata, and bring home candy. They got a vacation, for just a few short hours. Their smiles made my heart leap and made me sad at the same time, knowing that everywhere across the country and the world, there a childhoods being spent growing up too fast, working hard, suffering.
20% of the population of Guatemala lives on less than a dollar a day. Over one million children leave school to work in the streets and fields of Guatemala, shining shoes, selling fruit, or sitting on street corners singing and reaching out their hands to passersby. 56% Of Guatemalans live below the poverty line. And then there are those who drive BMWs down the street and travel to Monterrico by helicopter. They say that if you are REALLY prepared to deal with the poverty of Guatemala, then you need to go "visit" the garbage dump in Zone 3 of Guatemala City, renowned for its dark, heartbreaking representation of the face of Guatemala that people try to turn their eyes from because it's gross. And so, that is now on my itinerary for my 2 weeks of traveling in Guatemala. I will keep you all posted!
Until next time...have a great week!
This week, I had my first close encounter with poverty in the faces of three young children who came to play with my class on Friday. We had all trooped over to a nearby field to do some pinata whacking (boy were the kids proud of getting to tear apart their beautiful creations!!). As I sat on the grass, watching the kids play soccer a ways off, this little girl of about 8 years old walked over with a bag slung over her shoulder, a baby on her hip and holding her younger brother's hand. She looked like a little mother, and she had to play that role, because as I learned later, her mother is out working all day in the fields to try and feed her family, and so Maria (the little girl) has to shoulder the mothering responsibilities. And as I sat near these children I was ashamed at my response to them. I hid it well but I was disgusted. They smelled bad. The baby had a crusty, snotty nose and the boy's pants were torn in three places. Their hair was filthy and flies buzzed around them so much I felt sure they must have lice. I sat there in my pristine white shirt, freshly scrubbed nails and clean hair and all I could think was please God don't let them get too close, I don't want lice! The shame.
The moment of truth came when Maria handed me her baby brother to watch so she could go play--something she must not have been able to do in a long, long time--and as I sat the baby on my lap I realized that I am much too hung up on cleanliness. I chose then and there to never allow hygiene or clean hair to stand in the way of being a light in someone's life, of getting to know them and reaching out. Time will tell if I've learned this lesson, but for one day, I did.
And so Maria and her little brother got to play soccer, and eat lunch, and hit a pinata, and bring home candy. They got a vacation, for just a few short hours. Their smiles made my heart leap and made me sad at the same time, knowing that everywhere across the country and the world, there a childhoods being spent growing up too fast, working hard, suffering.
20% of the population of Guatemala lives on less than a dollar a day. Over one million children leave school to work in the streets and fields of Guatemala, shining shoes, selling fruit, or sitting on street corners singing and reaching out their hands to passersby. 56% Of Guatemalans live below the poverty line. And then there are those who drive BMWs down the street and travel to Monterrico by helicopter. They say that if you are REALLY prepared to deal with the poverty of Guatemala, then you need to go "visit" the garbage dump in Zone 3 of Guatemala City, renowned for its dark, heartbreaking representation of the face of Guatemala that people try to turn their eyes from because it's gross. And so, that is now on my itinerary for my 2 weeks of traveling in Guatemala. I will keep you all posted!
Until next time...have a great week!
jeudi 3 juillet 2008
The hidden faces
This past weekend, I got to run away with two inspiring girls to Monterrico, a beach town on the Pacific Coast that is made up of small tropical shacks hanging with hammocks and miles of black beaches of volcanic sand. It was a weekend of getting back to the basics, finding simplicity again, and just generally getting refreshed in every aspect of my life. I needed to get away with my thoughts, and during those 2 days I looked long and hard at my plans for Mexico. For those who don't yet know, the two friends who were supposed to come with me to Mexico had to change their plans, and while I have 2 other people I could go meet there, money is getting tight and my original plans have fallen through. It's not such a bad thing, though, because at the same time as these scheduling hiccups were happening, I have been feeling that there is so much more to see in Guatemala than is possible to discover in 8 weeks, especially with a teaching contract that leaves no more than 2 days a week to travel around and see things. Antigua is a beautiful city, there is no doubt. But it is widely known that ANtigua is the "pretty face" of Guatemala. It is the tourist town, the place of quaint 'cultural' encounters and Ladies' Night 5 days a week in all the bars. It's the place where you can eat Ceviche ( a typical Guatemalan treat) for lunch and then go next door for McDonald's.
Guatemala is so much more than that. It's a country still affected by the civil war that made hundreds of thousands of missing and dead and ended just over 10 years ago. It's a country inhabited by millions of indigenous peoples who have for a long time hidden their customs from the outside world in order to preserve their culture. It's a land where there are countrysides full of garbage dumps and makeshift huts where a huge proportion of families live in extreme poverty. Guatemala is full of history carved into church walls and relics of pre-columbian history hidden in its jungles. And I want to see that Guatemala.
And so instead of playing the tourist in sunny Mexico, I have decided to stay in Guatemala until the 15th of August and travel around the country with friends, discovering the hidden faces of this country and truly living what I believe to be a raw, pure cultural immersion.
Guatemala is so much more than that. It's a country still affected by the civil war that made hundreds of thousands of missing and dead and ended just over 10 years ago. It's a country inhabited by millions of indigenous peoples who have for a long time hidden their customs from the outside world in order to preserve their culture. It's a land where there are countrysides full of garbage dumps and makeshift huts where a huge proportion of families live in extreme poverty. Guatemala is full of history carved into church walls and relics of pre-columbian history hidden in its jungles. And I want to see that Guatemala.
And so instead of playing the tourist in sunny Mexico, I have decided to stay in Guatemala until the 15th of August and travel around the country with friends, discovering the hidden faces of this country and truly living what I believe to be a raw, pure cultural immersion.
jeudi 26 juin 2008
Change
Hey everyone! Just a quick update...I'm all better! After some expensive but very strong antibiotics, the throat infection is officially gone!! YAY!! I also spent a fantastic weekend in Lago Atitlan, and it was a refreshing time of discovering the beautiful volcano-ringed lake and the fauna and flora of a breathtaking spot in the South-West of Guatemala. The birdcalls alone were enough to make me realize how exotic a place this country is! This past week has been really good. I've been off all week, because it is spring break at the school where I teach, and it was sorely needed. I got to move ahead on my final report and also just enjoy breakfast with the family (usually I'm up too early to enjoy that) and get in some Eurocup watching (my Germany jersey will be well-worn by the time finals roll around on Sunday).
The only thing that is less fun is the goodbyes. This week I will be saying goodbye to some friends that I have made and come to love and while that means changing my group of friends somewhat, there is a positive side to change: I've gained a new roommate, Rebecca, who is awesome! And I am meeting some new people from all over the world that I sense will bring a lot to my short stint here in Guatemala.
As a wise friend one loved to say: Change is good!! Amen.
Have a great week everyone! More to come...
The only thing that is less fun is the goodbyes. This week I will be saying goodbye to some friends that I have made and come to love and while that means changing my group of friends somewhat, there is a positive side to change: I've gained a new roommate, Rebecca, who is awesome! And I am meeting some new people from all over the world that I sense will bring a lot to my short stint here in Guatemala.
As a wise friend one loved to say: Change is good!! Amen.
Have a great week everyone! More to come...
jeudi 19 juin 2008
The things I miss
This week, I hit a bit of a low point, what with being really sick now for 10 days (throat infection, lung infection, cold and the usual traveller's digestive trouble) and getting frustrated with not finding apple juice...REAL apple juice...anywhere. As I sat in a comfy couch in my favorite Guatemalan Cafe, La Fuente, I decided to enumerate the things I miss about home. Here are but a few:
-Milk that is the right percentage, pasteurized, and from a true blue cow.
-Apple and orange juice, not the pale yellow water or the fake nectar stuff that abounds in the grocery aisles here.
-Salad (that doesn't need to be disinfected with Clorox and then rinsed in pure water).
-Toilets that you can put toilet paper in.
-Peanut butter.
-French Vanilla coffee cream. Sigh.
-Granny Smith apples.
-Water that is fresh from the tap.
-Whole wheat bread.
-Blueberries.
-Stores you don't have to bargain in.
-My church family.
-My family family.
-Plain tank tops (impossible to find here, folks.)
So there you have it. The beautiful things in this country far outweigh the things that I miss, but they are there regardless, and it feels good to share them with you.
More news soon! xoxo
-Milk that is the right percentage, pasteurized, and from a true blue cow.
-Apple and orange juice, not the pale yellow water or the fake nectar stuff that abounds in the grocery aisles here.
-Salad (that doesn't need to be disinfected with Clorox and then rinsed in pure water).
-Toilets that you can put toilet paper in.
-Peanut butter.
-French Vanilla coffee cream. Sigh.
-Granny Smith apples.
-Water that is fresh from the tap.
-Whole wheat bread.
-Blueberries.
-Stores you don't have to bargain in.
-My church family.
-My family family.
-Plain tank tops (impossible to find here, folks.)
So there you have it. The beautiful things in this country far outweigh the things that I miss, but they are there regardless, and it feels good to share them with you.
More news soon! xoxo
mardi 17 juin 2008
Ze Project
This week, I began work at my project, which is called La Esperanza and is an elementary school for disadvantaged children. The school provides free education that is financed by sponsors, with each child receiving education, books, a free lunch and school supplies that are paid for by their sponsor. The average cost of sponsoring an Esperanza child is 3000 Quetzales a year, the equivalent of 400$CAN.
Claudia and I teach Monday to Thursday, from 7:45am to 11:45am, and we teach three classes a day. Mondays and Wednesdays we see the 6th, 5th and 4th graders, and Tuesdays and Thursdays we teach the two 3rd grade classes and the adult students, in a class called Nufed. These 3 students are between 18 and 22 years old and are completing their elementary education over one or two years. In the past, the only English teachers they have had at the school have been volunteers who came for two weeks or so and played games with the children. Therefore, it is exciting that we get to structure some intensive, regular classes with the kids so they can really progress in their language learning! We plan our classes around their language level and the consistant nature of our teaching is really making a difference. Plus, the kids are just great!! They laugh until they fall off their chairs and smile all the time. They participate with gusto in all the activities, and they sing when we walk into the class!! It's really really cute... One of the teachers learned a bit of French in the past and has taught his students to yell "Comment ca va?" at us as we walk in!!
This week, we got to visit a coffee farm just outside of Antigua, and since I certainly love a great cup'a joe it was cool to follow the steps of coffee production. And Chantale and my Fair Trade peeps will be happy to hear that they are Fair Trade certified!!!! I took lots of pictures of the sign displaying the Transfair logo and I was so encouraged to see that trade practices are slowly changing, even in this little central american country!
I also got to travel to Semuc-Champe and Coban this weekend, where I swam in turquoise pools next to caves and listened to horrible Guatemalan polka music (don't ask) and go tubing down a river with a Cuba Libre (rum and Coke) in one hand and frantically paddling away from the rapids with the other. Good times!! Oh, and I found a giant tarantula in my clothes on Sunday morning. Never will a wimpy Canadian Daddylonglegs make me wimper, ever again. Pictures on my Facebook page!!
That's all for now, more to follow!!
Claudia and I teach Monday to Thursday, from 7:45am to 11:45am, and we teach three classes a day. Mondays and Wednesdays we see the 6th, 5th and 4th graders, and Tuesdays and Thursdays we teach the two 3rd grade classes and the adult students, in a class called Nufed. These 3 students are between 18 and 22 years old and are completing their elementary education over one or two years. In the past, the only English teachers they have had at the school have been volunteers who came for two weeks or so and played games with the children. Therefore, it is exciting that we get to structure some intensive, regular classes with the kids so they can really progress in their language learning! We plan our classes around their language level and the consistant nature of our teaching is really making a difference. Plus, the kids are just great!! They laugh until they fall off their chairs and smile all the time. They participate with gusto in all the activities, and they sing when we walk into the class!! It's really really cute... One of the teachers learned a bit of French in the past and has taught his students to yell "Comment ca va?" at us as we walk in!!
This week, we got to visit a coffee farm just outside of Antigua, and since I certainly love a great cup'a joe it was cool to follow the steps of coffee production. And Chantale and my Fair Trade peeps will be happy to hear that they are Fair Trade certified!!!! I took lots of pictures of the sign displaying the Transfair logo and I was so encouraged to see that trade practices are slowly changing, even in this little central american country!
I also got to travel to Semuc-Champe and Coban this weekend, where I swam in turquoise pools next to caves and listened to horrible Guatemalan polka music (don't ask) and go tubing down a river with a Cuba Libre (rum and Coke) in one hand and frantically paddling away from the rapids with the other. Good times!! Oh, and I found a giant tarantula in my clothes on Sunday morning. Never will a wimpy Canadian Daddylonglegs make me wimper, ever again. Pictures on my Facebook page!!
That's all for now, more to follow!!
dimanche 8 juin 2008
El sol
Hey everyone!
This week has both crawled by and flown by, and I am quickly falling in love with the people, the culture, and the lifestyle of my life here in Guatemala.
On Saturday, I finally saw the sun! When I woke up yesterday morning and saw sun outside my window, my heart leapt inside me...one can only take so much rain before becoming completely batty. After tanning for a couple of hours on the roof of my house (translation: getting a fierce sunburn), my housemates and I visited Cerro de la Cruz, a cleared-out spot on top of a hill next to my house from which you have a panoramic view of Antigua and the surrounding areas. It was beautiful!
Earlier this week, a group of us visited Pacaya, an active volcano about and hour outside of Antigua. Words do not describe the terrifying beauty of this place! I was just blown away by how incredible it was to stand on rocks just inches away from flowing lava. One guy's shoes even started melting! We got to toast marshmallows over the lava. Good times.
This morning, we got to cook an American-style breakfast for our family and friends, with French Toast, omelets, fruit salad and bacon. Yummm. It was good timing because my host family is in mourning; Flori's 17-year-old niece gave birth to twins prematurely earlier this week and one of the twin girls died last night. In Guatemala, young men and women get married very young, as of 15 or 16 years old. Because the custom here is for the whole family to spend all night watching over the body, and then come home for a few hours' sleep and then go back for the burial, our family could not cook for us and it was a joy to be able to provide some good food for them. Prayer for the family would be appreciated.
I start teaching tomorrow, so I will update you on my teaching adventures next week.
'Til next time!
This week has both crawled by and flown by, and I am quickly falling in love with the people, the culture, and the lifestyle of my life here in Guatemala.
On Saturday, I finally saw the sun! When I woke up yesterday morning and saw sun outside my window, my heart leapt inside me...one can only take so much rain before becoming completely batty. After tanning for a couple of hours on the roof of my house (translation: getting a fierce sunburn), my housemates and I visited Cerro de la Cruz, a cleared-out spot on top of a hill next to my house from which you have a panoramic view of Antigua and the surrounding areas. It was beautiful!
Earlier this week, a group of us visited Pacaya, an active volcano about and hour outside of Antigua. Words do not describe the terrifying beauty of this place! I was just blown away by how incredible it was to stand on rocks just inches away from flowing lava. One guy's shoes even started melting! We got to toast marshmallows over the lava. Good times.
This morning, we got to cook an American-style breakfast for our family and friends, with French Toast, omelets, fruit salad and bacon. Yummm. It was good timing because my host family is in mourning; Flori's 17-year-old niece gave birth to twins prematurely earlier this week and one of the twin girls died last night. In Guatemala, young men and women get married very young, as of 15 or 16 years old. Because the custom here is for the whole family to spend all night watching over the body, and then come home for a few hours' sleep and then go back for the burial, our family could not cook for us and it was a joy to be able to provide some good food for them. Prayer for the family would be appreciated.
I start teaching tomorrow, so I will update you on my teaching adventures next week.
'Til next time!
mercredi 4 juin 2008
Pictures!!
Hey everyone! I have tried putting pictures on here and due to the internet connection and my non-computer-savvyness, I have decided to just put them on Facebook! Here is the address to go see them:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55928&id=516925305&ref=mf
Enjoy! More pictures and posts to come soon.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55928&id=516925305&ref=mf
Enjoy! More pictures and posts to come soon.
lundi 2 juin 2008
I'm here!
Hey everyone!
This being a first post, it will be long...sorry, I promise the next ones will be shorter!!
After two flights and, thankfully, no motion sickness at all (although I have decided that the roller-coaster takeoff feeling is not one of my alltime favorite things), Claudia and I arrived in Guatemala to meet our driver, Leonel. His friendliness and kind, impish smile are so characteristic of Guatemalans, and it was a great introduction to what we can expect for the 9 weeks we will be here. The first thing we realized after leaving the airport is that GT (Guatemala) is rainswept as a result of the tropical storm that broke out in Nicaragua and has been making its way across northern Mexico. For the next 4 or 5 days, it will be rainy and grey all day here (yay! :P).
The next thing we learned about GT is that when it comes to driving, there are no rules!! Guatemalans drive really fast and swerve across the streets (mostly to avoid the big puddles that accumulate in one lane or the other) and they pass other vehicles to the left and to the right, whenever they want. With the torrential rain it made me a bit nervous, but Leonel has lived here all his life and these conditions exist 6 months out of the year so it is no more dangerous than driving over icy streets in Quebec in January!
I arrived at my host home, and I couldn't believe my eyes! I will add pictures soon so you can truly appreciate the beauty of these colonial homes...there are 3 levels, all concrete floors, and everything is open. As in, from all levels you can look right up to the sky, and when it rains the rain comes into the hall a bit. From the roof you can look out over the city at the mountains and volcanoes (Antigua is in a valley, surrounded by mountains, it's a breathtaking sight!). The doors are all wrought iron and massive wood, and the bathroom and shower are tiled and very clean. The family I live with are fantastic! Flori and Edgar Sr. are sweet and very comfortable with pretty much anything; we can use the kitchen when we want, invite people over, and they include us as much as we want in their everyday lives (we eat meals with them and their family, and we can help them cook and chat with them whenever we want!). They have 3 children: Denise is 18 and studying to be a veterinarian, Edgar Jr. is 17, in his last year of highschool and will be going into med school next september, and Paula is 13 and very shy. I also have 3 housemates, who are studying at the Spanish school we are associated with for our practicum: David from Germany, Nathan from Miami and John Henry from Colorado. We went out for supper with them and a bunch of other fun students from around the world last night, and I am glad to meet such fun people! I sense that we will be fast friends.
We met the principal of the school we will be teaching at in San Felipe, a small town just outside of Antigua. Her name is Ana, and we get along very well. We will be deciding our schedule and the details of our teaching placement today and tomorrow.
Other than that, some fun facts about my life here so far:
-The plumbing being very old, we can't flush toilet paper down the toilet, we have to put it in the garbage.
-I will be buying a cell phone for local calls, since a phone, and the equivalent of about 200 local talking minutes, costs around 20-25 US$ here!!
-1 US$= about 7 Quetzals.
-There are these little tractor-cars that putt-putt around the city, and they are called Tuck-Tucks (pronounced took-tooks).
Well, that's all for today!
Talk to you again soon!
Liz xoxo
This being a first post, it will be long...sorry, I promise the next ones will be shorter!!
After two flights and, thankfully, no motion sickness at all (although I have decided that the roller-coaster takeoff feeling is not one of my alltime favorite things), Claudia and I arrived in Guatemala to meet our driver, Leonel. His friendliness and kind, impish smile are so characteristic of Guatemalans, and it was a great introduction to what we can expect for the 9 weeks we will be here. The first thing we realized after leaving the airport is that GT (Guatemala) is rainswept as a result of the tropical storm that broke out in Nicaragua and has been making its way across northern Mexico. For the next 4 or 5 days, it will be rainy and grey all day here (yay! :P).
The next thing we learned about GT is that when it comes to driving, there are no rules!! Guatemalans drive really fast and swerve across the streets (mostly to avoid the big puddles that accumulate in one lane or the other) and they pass other vehicles to the left and to the right, whenever they want. With the torrential rain it made me a bit nervous, but Leonel has lived here all his life and these conditions exist 6 months out of the year so it is no more dangerous than driving over icy streets in Quebec in January!
I arrived at my host home, and I couldn't believe my eyes! I will add pictures soon so you can truly appreciate the beauty of these colonial homes...there are 3 levels, all concrete floors, and everything is open. As in, from all levels you can look right up to the sky, and when it rains the rain comes into the hall a bit. From the roof you can look out over the city at the mountains and volcanoes (Antigua is in a valley, surrounded by mountains, it's a breathtaking sight!). The doors are all wrought iron and massive wood, and the bathroom and shower are tiled and very clean. The family I live with are fantastic! Flori and Edgar Sr. are sweet and very comfortable with pretty much anything; we can use the kitchen when we want, invite people over, and they include us as much as we want in their everyday lives (we eat meals with them and their family, and we can help them cook and chat with them whenever we want!). They have 3 children: Denise is 18 and studying to be a veterinarian, Edgar Jr. is 17, in his last year of highschool and will be going into med school next september, and Paula is 13 and very shy. I also have 3 housemates, who are studying at the Spanish school we are associated with for our practicum: David from Germany, Nathan from Miami and John Henry from Colorado. We went out for supper with them and a bunch of other fun students from around the world last night, and I am glad to meet such fun people! I sense that we will be fast friends.
We met the principal of the school we will be teaching at in San Felipe, a small town just outside of Antigua. Her name is Ana, and we get along very well. We will be deciding our schedule and the details of our teaching placement today and tomorrow.
Other than that, some fun facts about my life here so far:
-The plumbing being very old, we can't flush toilet paper down the toilet, we have to put it in the garbage.
-I will be buying a cell phone for local calls, since a phone, and the equivalent of about 200 local talking minutes, costs around 20-25 US$ here!!
-1 US$= about 7 Quetzals.
-There are these little tractor-cars that putt-putt around the city, and they are called Tuck-Tucks (pronounced took-tooks).
Well, that's all for today!
Talk to you again soon!
Liz xoxo
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)