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.
mercredi 30 juillet 2008
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.
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