Who run the world? GIRLS

I woke up today to the bright sun shining on me through my window. Blue skies and the promise of high 70's weather making me feel happy and content with Guatemala at this time of year. If I were home, it'd definitely be a different story with the weather; highs in the 20's with snow around the corner. Although, it is a very strange feeling being in warm weather during Christmas time. It confuses me but I guess if I'm going to be away from home for Christmas I want it to feel different so I don't get too many nostalgic reminders of Christmas at home. 

Before I get more into Christmas stuff, let's discuss recent events. About a week and a half ago I went to this annual event that takes place close to my town called Bolas de Gas, which translates to Balls of Gas. This event has allegedly been going on for hundreds of years. I was told it consisted of people running through the center of town kicking a bunch of balls made of cloth soaked in gas and aluminum that were lit on fire. Sounded interesting enough and the sight of this intrigued me. Well, it was definitely a sight to see indeed! When I was there and the balls came rolling down the streets from every corner, I thought I was in a some action movie where I was stuck in the middle of some Spartan war with men throwing fire balls everywhere. It was pretty unreal. As I stood inside a tienda with a bunch of other spectators watching outside of the line of fire, a ball flew into the store and landed under a foosball table they had. I guess we weren't exactly outside the line of fire. In the end, I thought it was crazy that something like this could go on but, then again, it was Guatemala. I ended up leaving before it ended because it started to get a little out of control with people throwing fire balls everywhere. Anarchy much?

Lighting up the streets

Following that, I had a pretty busy week with my GLOW camp (Girls Leading Our World). I had been planning it for some time now and the week was finally here. My friend Allison came over from Xela (a 9+ hour ride) to help me with it. It was 3 days of fun-filled activities that focused on self-esteem, leadership, career-building, environmental awareness, and a state of well-being. It was amazing to see how excited these girls got at such simple activities and things that kids in the US just expect. One of our first activities was making collages about who they are and what they wanna be when they grow up. I brought the girls markers to use and they just lit up when they saw them. They were so excited to have so many different materials to use. It was also great to see them open up a little and just be themselves. We played different games with them that made them do silly things that they were at first shy to do but then they just embraced it.

Collage making

I had the opportunity to work with the older girls and talk to them about stress and ways to release it in a positive form. I introduced them to journaling and meditation which I think they both enjoyed very much. (They especially enjoyed decorating the journals because I brought them stickers to use.) We also did a yoga introduction workshop. They had never heard of yoga before and it was fun showing them these poses for the first time. Of course they giggled and stared around at each other but it was fun and they really enjoyed it. I gave them some sheets with simple poses on them so hopefully they try to do it sometime on their own. Other than that, we had some guest speakers that came to talk about the importance of continuing education. Finishing school is such an important issue here for girls. The school we did the camp at goes up to 6th grade (as all primary schools do here). I had one girl in the whole camp that was from the incoming 6th grade class. I asked her where all the other girls from her class were and she said she was the only one left. Giving these girls a chance to be inspired and dream big is not something they are used to and so hearing them open up about what they wanted to be when they grow up was so great. In the end, they all loved the camp. They were so excited about it every day and loved getting lots of prizes. There was one little girl who was Allison and mine's favorite. Her name was Reina and she was the cutest little girl ever! She said she was 6 but I'm not sure about that. She hardly spoke Spanish because she was in the Kindergarten class and at that level they speak mostly their indigenous language still, Q'eqchi'. Regardless, there was never a day she wasn't excited to be there with a huge smile on her face even though she didn't really know what was going on half the time.

Warrior 1!

Reina with her camp t-shirt <3

The camp was definitely a highlight of my service so far. Planning something so far in advance, executing it successfully, and seeing the girls' reactions to it was awesome. Now I'm in my final days of the year. On Friday I am going down to stay with my host family from training in Pastores for Christmas. I haven't seen them in a couple months so it will be nice to reunite and see them. I definitely have been feeling nostalgic and missing home around the holidays. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I do miss my family and our traditions. But, at least I have the chance to spend Christmas with a family and it will be a new and different experience I will take forever with me. Shortly after, I will be traveling over to El Salvador to do some end of the year/beginning of the year vacationing. I hope to spend the new year in San Salvador and am excited to visit a new country and, of course, go to the beach! I can hardly believe that my first year in the Peace Corps is already coming to a close. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year filled with so many blessings, love, peace, and joy. See ya next year!

Catching up

It's been almost exactly 2 months since I last wrote. After skimming my last blog post, though, it feels like that was more than 2 months ago. So much has happened since then! Everyone talked about how school vacation is boring and long but mine has surprisingly been busy and is going by super fast (it's pretty much over after this month). So, I finally went home and experienced the luxuries and fast-paced lifestyle of America for a few weeks. I don't want to dwell on my trip home but I'll sum it up in a few words: family, new nephew, friends, delicious food, yoga, meditation, beach runs, parties, Halloween, reunions, shopping, Autumn. It was a good recharge and I definitely ate too much, but it was also terribly sad and difficult to leave behind my adorable little nephew. I miss him tons.

After getting back from the States I got to spend a little time with my friend Allison (another PCV) and her family that was down visiting Guatemala. It was a nice way to ease back into Guatemala's lifestyle and pace, since I had been gone for 3 weeks after all and it is surprising how fast one can fall back into a routine. Her family rented an amazing house in Antigua with a pool and a hot tub. So even though I had recently returned to Guatemala I didn't quite feel like I was totally in Guatemala yet. I had the opportunity to hike the Pacaya volcano with them which was surprisingly really amazing. It's one of the easier hikes so I guess I didn't anticipate it being as good but I was proven wrong. Once you get about 300 m from the top (total height is about 2,600 m) there are no more trees and just all black volcanic rock everywhere. I honestly felt like I was taken back into the movie The Land Before Time (awesome childhood movie!). There were areas where geothermal vents formed and you could just see the steam coming out (it's an active volcano). There was one hole that you could drop down and stand in. The steam and heat form a natural sauna that feels good but also pretty hot. We also went down into a nearby cave by the top that was big and was like a giant sauna. Our guide even brought tortillas and chile rellenos to cook in one of the thermal vents. We also had marshmallows that we roasted in the vent. Delicious and fun. Also, the view up there was incredible! You could see so far out that you could even spot Guatemala City in the distance. 

The Land Before Time

Allison cooking tortillas and roasting marshmallows 

So after that fun-filled weekend I went back to site where I had to resettle, finish unpacking, and get my life back in order. First of all, I was greeted by some dear little mice hiding out in my bedroom and kitchen. UGH. They are super cute for sure but that doesn't mean I want to share my space with them. So I had to deal with that and get rid of them. I guess the bright side of that problem is that i have decided to get a kitten but am going to wait until January. So I was home for about a week and then I was off again to leave for a Thanksgiving vacation.  I went to the town of Rio Dulce and then Livingston for some Thanksgiving relaxation and fun. Rio Dulce was a cute little town on the river. It's a pretty chill and low-key place. The highlight was definitely a waterfall we went to called Finca Paraiso. Supposedly, it is the only waterfall in the world in which the river it falls into is cold but the waterfall itself is hot, hot water. I've never been to anything like it and it was not only beautiful but so nice to swim in. We walked up to the hot spring where the waterfall originates from and, once there, a local guide showed us an area of where natural clay forms under the hot spring. He told us the clay is used for medicinal purposes on the skin. We then took some of the clay and rubbed it all over our bodies and looked like awesome jungle women. Once you washed it off, your skin was oh so smooth. From Rio Dulce we took a boat down the river to a little town called Livingston on the Caribbean coast of Guatemala. It is a different world from the rest of Guatemala. It has a very chill, laid back, Caribbean vibe where the locals speak Garifuna and are of African and Carib descent. We were there precisely for the weekend that celebrates Garifuna culture and so it involved lots of dancing and street festivities. We also had great seafood. The typical dish there is called tapado, which is a seafood stew comprised of fish, shrimp, and crab cooked in coconut milk with curry. So delicious! A different Thanksgiving from what I was used to for sure, but regardless a great one.

The hot waterfall into the cold river

Livingston

The thing that amazes me the most after visiting other places like this in Guatemala is how unique and different each department here can be. I have been in such totally different and opposing climates and landscapes here in Guatemala that it sometimes is hard to believe you are still in the same country! You go from a tropical beach town with a Caribbean feel to a high altitude-residing town that is cold and mountainous but both equally as beautiful. I've heard that Guatemala has 40 different micro-climates. It is amazing that one little country could have so much diversity and beauty in so many different shapes and forms. 

After much traveling, I have finally settled back home for at least a few more weeks. This past week I had the opportunity to help out with a medical mission from the US as a translator. The organization is called Partners for Surgery. They are doing a week long mission in which they stop at a bunch of different towns in the Verapaz departments and host medical clinics and do screenings for patients that will need surgery. It was an amazing and unique experience. I was paired with a female doctor that coincidentally is from my hometown - I could not believe that! So I translated for her with the patients for an entire day. Seeing these patients and hearing their problems made me feel sad and grateful at the same time. So many of these patients had been suffering with their ailments for years and years with no resource or outlet to get help from. It made me realize even more than I already have that Guatemalans are such strong people that persevere through the toughest conditions because there is no other choice at times. It also made me realize how fortunate I have been to have grown up in a country where I am offered top of the line medical services with specialists of every kind. Yet, that also made me sad because these patients don't have those same services offered to them and it's unfair that they don't. However, when a patient did get approved for surgery it made me happy to know that someone was doing something for them to get medical attention and help. I left feeling inspired and excited to pursue my own career in helping and healing others. To be able to offer someone something that no one else can or will give, is a gift and an honor. I know that's still some time away for me but it definitely is a feeling of excitement to imagine it all one day. I'd like to think that my job here in Peace Corps is a small step towards doing that though. With the days and weeks to come I'll be preparing more workshops with my women's group and will be putting the finishing touches on my girls' camp plans, which should be happening next week! Phew, now I feel caught up on everthing that's been going on. Oh, and happy December :)

Picking up the pieces...

Happy October everyone! Incredible, isn't it, how the months just seem to fly by.  I am definitely missing the autumn weather as it is one of my favorite seasons. But I will be home in exactly 13 days (unbelievable!) to visit family and friends, and my new nephew (!), for 2 weeks. Hopefully I can still do some Fall things like pumpkin and apple picking. 


Getting back to business, these past 2 weeks have been a whirlwind for me. It all started 2 weeks ago. I went to my favorite school, Monjas Panimaquito, to have my first workshop with the women's group I had started there. I was excited to finally get started with them. The workshop was a success with about 30 women showing up. Afterwards I got to hang around the school and play with the kids, whom I love there. When it was time to head home, I left with a teacher in the back of a pick up and prepared myself for a 25 minute ride on a bumpy dirt road. We had been driving for about half the trip's length with big truck behind us that was carrying merchandise for local stores (chips, sodas, etc.). We were about to go up a big hill and so our driver decided to let the truck pass us so as not to slow him down. The truck passed and went around a bend in which we lost sight of it for a minute. All of a sudden, as we are chugging uphill, we hear a loud bang. Now, this is Guatemala folks, you hear loud noises allllll the time from either someone setting off a massive firecracker or shooting off a canon ball (not really but it sure sounds like it at times). So no one really thought twice about the noise. As we round the bend there is a man stumbling in the road with an oversized hoodie on and his face completely obscured by said hood. At this point we driving really slow due to the incline and partly due to this man being in the way. As we got closer I realized the man had a gun in his right hand. Initially, denial hit, "No, that's not a gun." Then shock. Holy shit, he has a gun! We were going so slow it felt as though we had stopped. He started waving the gun, first in the air, then at us. I was terrified. I remember thinking, "Oh my God, please don't let him shoot me." I closed my eyes and put my head down and just prayed because it was all I could think to do. For some reason unknown to me, he put his gun down and waved it on with his hand signaling us to pass. As we drove by, still in fear for my life, I refused to open my eyes, frightened still by the fact that he might shoot from behind. Once we were well far off from him, I opened my eyes and reminded myself to breathe. After a few minutes we ran into that truck that had passed us earlier. The driver was out of the car and wanted to check if we were alright. Apparently, after we had let him pass he went around the bend and was confronted with two armed men in the middle of the road, one of whom shot at the truck. The truck driver swerved to hit them and one man jumped off the mountainside while the other got knocked to the ground. The man we saw stumbling was the man that had just recovered from being hit to the ground. After much discussion everyone assumed that they were probably trying to rob the truck. All I know is that I am so thankful that the truck passed us in the last minute and that it was the truck that faced the men first and rattled them before we did. 


I got home that day and was a complete mess. I was in shock, scared, confused, angry and upset. In shock as to what had just happened, having a gun that close to me and putting me in danger. Scared because of the reality that I was so close to getting hurt and possibly even having my life taken. Confused because I've been to that school so many times and nothing like that had ever happened. Angry at the violence that prevails in Guatemala and makes my living and working here difficult and frustrating. Upset because it happened and because it most likely meant I wouldn't be allowed to go to that school or community for some time. 


Turns out I was right. I had a duty to report what had happened to PC so as to take the proper safety and security precautions and so that they know what is going on. After talking to various people on the phone, I finally talked with my boss from the program. He decided that since the school year was finishing, that it would be best to postpone going to that community until January, when the new school year starts. If this had been any of my other 11 schools, I would have been fine with this. But it wasn't. It was not just my favorite school. It was the school I had made all my work plans for keeping busy during the school vacation. It was where I had just started and established a women's group with whom I had just made a month's worth of plans with. It was where I was planning to host a girls camp in December and had been talking to the director about it. It was where the students knew me and trusted me, so the camp would have been fun and successful. I now felt like everything I was excited for, had been working on, and had been passionate about was just stolen right from under me. It is the biggest blow and setback I have experienced in my whole Peace Corps experience as of yet. I don't think ever in my life I have felt so defeated and so hopeless. The thought of having to tell my women's group I couldn't come back this year would just continually bring tears to my eyes. This was the biggest obstacle yet and the biggest challenge PC had ever given me. 


I cried for days and didn't leave me house. I tried to distract myself from thinking about it and avoided confronting my reality. After a few days I realized I had to get out of the funk. I was happy and thankful to be alive. After all, I didn't get hurt and was still here now to work and help others. I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason and I just knew I didn't understand just yet why this was happening to me. Yoga and meditation got me through that troubling week and cleared my mind and got me re-focused. First of all, I decided to go to the Office for Women at the town's municipal building; a place I had once considered going to but once I had my own women's group decided not to go. I got there precisely when the women in charge of the office was about to have a meeting with the women's board. I briefly talked to her asking about what sort of things they worked on and explained my role as a PC volunteer and that I would like to help and get involved. I ended up introducing myself to the board of women and explaining what services I could provide and support them with. I left with a feeling of excitement because they wanted to work with me on several things. If all works out well, I will be working with about 16 women in a nearby community teaching them how to read and write. Post depression days, I also went to give a workshop at one of my schools that is nearby and that I also really like. I pitched the idea to them of doing a girls camp and they were really interested. I was so excited about the idea of doing a girls camp and so the new prospect of being able to do one again was great news for me. 


Now, don't think that I totally forgot about my other school, Monjas Panimaquito, because I most certainly didn't. I wanted to find a way to still work with them and so I wrote the women's group a letter stating what had happened and that I could no longer make it to their community until January. I also proposed that I would be willing to host the workshops at my house on Thursdays, which are market days, because I knew most of them came into town to sell. Turns out they were very willing to do that because they wanted to keep receiving the workshops. We made a plan to have the women come in two groups. Today was actually my first meeting with the first group. We ended up having the workshop in a municipal salon in town that I got help arranging with the woman in charge of the Office for Women. The workshop was on nutrition, malnutrition, how to disinfect vegetables and fruits, and nutrition for newborn babies. It was a success and the women enjoyed it. Next Thursday group 2 will be coming to receive the same workshop. As for the girls camp with this school, I still haven't figured that out. I am trying to see if we can also somehow host it here in town but it proves to be more complicated. I'll have to keep trying and see what I can get. 


All in all, things turned around for the better. It's crazy to think about how I felt two weeks ago and how I feel now. It was a true test of my determination and will to keep working here when it had felt that everything had broken apart. I somehow managed to see the light through it all and persevere. I picked up the pieces that were left from that mess of a situation and put them together in a new way. I now am thankful that I have another school in which I can bond closer with the students and that I have broader connections with women's groups through the Office for Women. My crisis forced me to reach out more and now I have more doors open then previously before. Man, I knew PC was gonna be hard but it does not cease to amaze me with all of its leaps and turns it sometimes throws at me still. 

Elections, Relocation, Independence

The controversial presidential elections of Guatemala finally took place last weekend. YES! That means no more of: pick-ups with speakers so big that they can spread noise throughout Madison Square Garden blasting political propaganda, large and obnoxious political posters everywhere, and political party marches at 7 am past my house. So, if you couldn't tell, I am quite excited and happy that the main elections are over. Unfortunately, they are not completely over yet since the presidential elections have two parts. Since no one single candidate received 50 plus one percent of the vote, there is a second election in about a month and a half between the top two candidates to decide who will be president. 


So, as we all know, Guatemala isn't the safest country in Latin America. It has corrupt politics and plenty of drug-related violence. According to news sources, this past election has been the most controversial in the past 25 years. One candidate couldn't run because she divorced current Guatemalan president a couple of months ago and was accused of doing so just so she could run for presidency. Another candidate, one that is in the top two for running, was a military general during the horrific and very deadly civil war in the 80s and, therefore, some believe he may have played a part in the deaths of the many indigenous people that were killed by the military during that time. There was speculation that some communities across the country would have protests and violence due to unhappiness and disapproval of the elections' results, not just presidential but mayoral as well. As a result, Peace Corps decided to take precaution and relocate volunteers that were in communities that posed such a threat. Unfortunately, my community was one of those. And so my site mate, Lohmo, and I had to leave on Friday the 9th and weren't allowed to come back until the 13th (yesterday). We stayed with another volunteer about an hour away. All of the volunteers in Guatemala were in Standfast mode, which meant we weren't allowed to leave the community we were in for anything. So we spent Friday to Tuesday locked up in my friend Evan's house passing the time by playing copious amounts of Uno, some other card games, watching Glee Project, eating, and sleeping. It was definitely a long weekend. Turns out nothing happened in my town (thankfully) but instead there were protests in the town we were staying in (one that was supposed to be "safe") and on Monday night they blocked off all the road entrances into/out of town. Luckily, they cleared by Tuesday and no emergency evacuation was needed. So, there it is, I made it safely through the elections and my first standfast! 


Now, tomorrow is September 15th and that is Guatemalan Independence Day. Since last week, schools have been doing various activities surrounding the Independence. I had the pleasure of being invited to observe and partake in some activities at my favorite school, Monjas Panimaquito. Lohmo and Midas (the dog) also came along. The day we went, the school had a big volleyball tournament. Each grade played, girls then boys, followed by the secondary school playing the teachers, including us. It was fun and I haven't played volleyball in awhile so I enjoyed it. It was nice to hangout with the kids and watch them play and have fun too. Afterwards, they had a bicycle race, and a pretty long one at that. Of course, Midas had a great time as well running around all day playing with the kids who loved him.

1st and 2nd grade girls' volleyball game

Lohmo and I at the start of the bike race

Other activities that have been going down around the town's center for the Independence include a torch race that has been going on all day and night today. The secondary schools all over the country do these runs where they have a "torch", which is pretty much a stick with a big can on top filled with something that they throw gas on and set on fire. Safe? Not so sure. Anyways, it's cool cause they run all over the country. As I was cooking dinner tonight, I would hear the blows of whistles and car horns signaling a group was about to run by. It was fun to watch from my window. At about 8 pm a group ran by from a school in Tactic, which is about 15 minutes away by car. Pretty far running. A lady in town today told me that one of our schools ran to Petén today. That is REALLY far. I don't know if I believe her because that literally means they'd be running allllll day, if not more. Tomorrow for the actual Independence day there is big parade in town with all the schools participating and also some other activities going on that I will soon find out about. All in all, it seems to be a pretty fun and happy time in Guatemala right now and it's rubbing off on me :)

A teacher of sorts

Sadly, all but three of my schools are STILL on strike. This is going on week 4 of strike meaning almost a month of no classes for so many students. The end of the school year is rapidly approaching in October, and September has the pleasure to host not only the controversial presidential and mayoral elections but is also the month thats holds Guatemalan Independence Day. In Guatemala, that translates as excuses to either cancel classes (some are required to close due to election polls being hosted at schools) or to host activities and events at school in honor of the independence, which means no classes. This constant absence from classes used to drive me crazy (and still does a little bit) but I have grown to accept it because that is just the way Guatemala is and I am not going to be the one to change it (let's be real here). Instead, I have been adjusting and flowing to work with what I got. 


For instance, since school vacation is around the corner I know that means that these next few months until October are my last ones to get any work done in the schools until the next school year starts in January. That also translates to mean that November and December are long months with lots of free time for volunteers. I don't want to be twiddling my thumbs for 2 months so I have been trying to plan for ways to keep myself busy during that time. I have previously mentioned that I was trying to start some women's groups and what but a perfect time to really get them going. Last Friday I had a meeting scheduled with all the mothers in the community where my favorite school is to go over what they wanted from the meetings/workshops and to pick our first date to meet. The meeting, however, wasn't until 1pm and since there is no transport on non-market days this meant I had to leave at 7am with one of the teachers and stay there all day to wait for the meeting. Well, knowing Guatemala I knew I wasn't going to pass the time sitting in a room by myself. And, of course, I was right. 


The school has four teachers as follows: one for Kindergarten, one for first and second grades, one for third and fourth grades, and finally one for fifth and sixth grades. The teachers are all friendly and really welcoming and I enjoy visiting them. My day started by being asked by the third and fourth grade teacher to work with his class for a little while since I had never worked with them (last time I was there I worked with the fifth and sixth graders). I didn't have material or lessons planned because I didn't know what grade I'd end up working with. Therefore, I ended up just playing some games with them and teaching them a song about brushing your teeth. It proved to be successful for such an impromptu lesson plan. Afterwards, I went to the classroom that the director teaches (first and second grade). She had told me she wanted me to help her with her second grade lesson plan on the difference between natural and chemical medicine. I agreed since I was interested in natural medicine and thought it might be an opportunity to learn. Well, things turned out a little differently. She gave me her lesson plan book and showed me the page on natural and chemical medicine. It literally had about two sentences for each type of medicine and a couple of examples. She said okay just work with them on that and I'll work with first grade. What?? I didn't know I was going to be teaching a class by myself to second graders on this! So improvise Natalie. And so I did. It went fairly well and some of them seemed to grasp the difference. Others did not but that may have been due to other things. 


Spending the whole day with the director in her classroom meant sharing stories about all the students and their families (everyone knows everything in these small villages). I soon realized that story after story was equally as disheartening and sad. Many of the kids in the class suffered from malnutrition and as a result had a hard time learning. Malnutrition causes the brain to not fully develop as it normally should many times leading to not only stunted growth but a decrease in learning capabilities. To top it off, almost every child in that room either lived with only one parent that barely managed to support the family (most of the kids were one of 8 or 9) or had an alcoholic father that didn't contribute much to support the kids or the mother. Some of them were from abusive families and others had to take care of younger siblings. One story hit me the hardest. There are two sisters that are both in the second grade. One of them is 8 and the other 10. Both suffer from malnutrition and are from a family of 8. The 10 year old has gotten left back twice in the second grade because she has not been able to advance and grasp the material. Their one year old sister just passed away a month ago due to malnutrition. They are beautiful young girls full of energy and life and somehow manage to get through each day. Their story is not unique in this community or even in Guatemala. From what the teacher told me, the problem, at least in this community, stems often from the men. They are the sole providers of the house and usually give very little to their wives to buy food and whatever other necessities for the family. Some of them are alcoholics and spend most of their money on booze. Others are prone to the common machismo culture and abuse their wives either physically or verbally. Most of the mothers have little to no self-esteem and it kills me because I can see the same developing in their daughters. The teacher told me she has gotten in fights with fathers before because they don't want to send their daughters to school because they say they are stupid and it will serve them no use. The teacher fights for them to stay in school and many have as a result. It's a terrible thing to hear and see all of these stories take place. Yet, here they are, still children, still eager to learn and go to school, still excited to play with each other. School is their escape from daily life. Therefore, after hearing most of these stories I felt honored to have the opportunity to have an impact, even if small, on these little humans' lives.


I later was asked to be the gym teacher for the first graders and had a great time exercising and playing games with them. After school ended, the director and I were invited for lunch at one of the families' houses. After finishing our bowls of rice and tamalitos we headed back to the school to prepare for the meeting with the mothers. The meeting was successful in that we chose our first meeting date and I had 31 mothers sign up! That is more than I expected and so I guess we will see how many actually show up. I'm excited to work with them especially after hearing the daily troubles and obstacles they have to deal with. I also spoke with the director and am planning a girls' day camp for 3-5 days during the school vacation to work on their self-esteem, puberty, and reproductive health. At the end of the day, I got home and had one of those Peace Corps days where I feel satisfied and moved by my day and remember why I am here. You might have some bad days but then you remember you only live like this for 2 years while others live a lifetime of it. Peace Corps never seizes to surprise and challenge me. Who knew I was a teacher of many wonders after all? Here are some pictures of the beautiful first and second graders I had the opportunity to work with. And here is an article that I read when I got home that day and rang true with my day: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/health/110714/ghi-targets-chronic-malnutrition-guatemala 

Handwashing for snack time - yay Healthy Schools!

The handsome boys of first & second grade

The whole bunch

Madre comes to town!

Just a mere 3 weeks ago I was preparing for some busy following weeks: PC Reconnect meetings in Antigua and the arrival of my mother in Guatemala! I was filled with so much excitement and energy I thought I would burst. The Reconnect meetings weren't that exciting, just touching base on work stuff pretty much and getting some random trainings and resources that were useful. The real excitement was looking forward and preparing to see the leading lady of my life. It had been seven months since I'd seen my mom, the longest time I have ever gone without seeing her. I missed her but I talked to her everyday either through cell phone or Skype calls so it made it bearable. I picked her up at the airport and happy tears unexpectedly clouded my eyes. There is nothing like a hug from your mama. 

Post airport we headed to Antigua, where we were planning on staying a few nights. Antigua is really good at some things: food, shopping, and sitting on roof terraces. We did a lot of that. For me, it was heaven. Continuous good food is a blessing and a nice break from those nights where I don't really feel like cooking (or, for that matter, have anything to cook) and eat cereal or oatmeal for dinner. We also walked around a lot. If you ask her she'll probably complain a little and say I made her walk TOO MUCH, but Antigua is small enough that you can just walk everywhere. Although, the cobblestone streets did cause her to almost twist her ankle more times than I could count. She survived though. Since Antigua has many old churches and ruins, we also checked out a bunch of those. Crazy to think I have spent so much time in Antigua since being here and most of the places we went to go see I hadn't even been to yet! The ruins are truly a beautiful sight and quite remarkable. I also had the opportunity to take my mom to my training town, Pastores, where I lived for the first three months in country. We had lunch with my host family and I also took her to meet another host family in town that has shown such great hospitality to me. It was nice to have her meet the people I had spent so much time with. Going to Pastores meant I got to take my mom on a chicken bus, or an old American school bus painted bright colors that drives as if your destination is going to leave before you get there. I think the best ride, however, was the tuc tuc. Tuc tucs are the little motorized vehicles with one wheel up front and two little ones on the back. (I'll have to get a photo.) They are the same as Indian auto-rickshaws. It's one thing to ride a tuc tuc and a whole other thing to ride one in Antigua. The cobblestones made for an adventurous and bumpy ride and my mom kept making jokes that her boobs were gonna pop outta her shirt. Haha I wouldn't have been surprised...it's bumpy. One of the last things we did in Antigua was go to a coffee farm and go on a coffee tour. My mom is an avid coffee drinker and needs her cup (or two) daily. I think she was satisfied with the free cup of coffee at the end of the tour. 

La Catedral at night in Antigua

After Anitgua, we headed out to my site Purulhá. Mom got a bit carsick on the way but we eventually made it. I was excited to have her stay at my house and for her to see where I live and experience my lifestyle and routine here. Well, that made her kinda sad. Living on the meager PC salary and not inheriting any household goods from a previous volunteer meant that I didn't have much in my house to work with, just the bare necessities. She was determined to make that better. I was happy to comply. We made a few trips up to Cobán where we went on quite a few shopping sprees purchasing items for my house that I was missing. We also decided to move my bedroom into one of the other smaller rooms in my house. It made more sense and now that it is done I like it so much more! She helped me paint my new room yellow and orange before moving all my stuff. I love my new room so much and it feels so much more cozy. Thanks ma! After my mom's visit my house itself just feels a lot more homey. I now have a hammock in one of my rooms that is very nice and relaxing. I also have acquired the following: a dining table and chairs (yay), a blender, a pressure cooker, a small vacuum (she brought that from home), a mop, pots and pans, food, and other small necessities. All those new additions to my home were great (and I am ever so grateful for them) but it still doesn't compare to the time I just had to hangout with my mom. We did a whole lot of nothing, just hanging out, relaxing, feeling the flow of life. We went out to a hotel nature reserve a few minutes from my town one day and had a day of swimming and lounging which was also nice. I also did some work stuff and took her to one of my schools. It was great to show her what the schools I work with here are like and to show her what a day of work is like. All in all, I really enjoyed her company and it was so nice to just share in laughter and cooking with her. 

My beautiful madre in my new room

The day before my mom left we spent one last night in Antigua since her flight left early the next day from Guate. Her farewell was bittersweet in the sense that I was sad she had to leave but happy she came and I had the opportunity to spend time with her. We both shed some tears for our goodbyes, but I'll see her soon since I am planning on going home in October for the birth of my first nephew!! Coming back to my house was harder than I thought it was going to be. Older volunteers had told me that post visitors and post trips home make you a bit depressed for a few days. When I got home I cried because everywhere I looked in my house I saw my mom. I got so used to having company that the first two days I felt incredibly lonely and sad. It made me really homesick. I was jealous she was back home and I was here alone. But, as all things do, the feelings passed and I remembered why I am here and the value in the experiences and events that occur to me here. I woke up today with a new wind behind me. Guatemala is a beautiful place with a lot of need. I am taking each day as a blessing and am going to live it to its potential. Every day is an opportunity. I love my family but I know I will see them all again very soon. Peace Corps means making some sacrifices but most meaningful things require some sacrifice. I'm okay with that. Here's a quote I stumbled on yesterday that I really liked that I will leave you with 'til next time:

“Wearing shoes too tight

she set out on the journey

knowing her feet would

hurt along the way.

Oh, but how

she learned

to tread

more lightly.”

-Leela Vox

Unexpected Surprises

Much has happened since I last wrote and I don't even know where to begin. Well, I guess I'll start from where I left off. Things with work have been going well but there was also a big lull in work last week (due to my absence this time, not schools canceling for once). I have been continuing to visit my schools, one at a time, to do my initial baseline surveys and to do my first workshop with the teachers. The schools I have been going to have all been really responsive and it's a great feeling you have when it feels like the teachers actually care about the work you are trying to do with them. One of my schools in particular I went to last month went surprisingly well. Based on my first visit with them I did with Lohmo when we first got here I couldn't get a read on them if they were interested in the program or not. Partially because the day we went they were having this big Mother's Day activity at the school and didn't really pay attention to us. Therefore I was hesitant and wary of my visit. The school consisted of three female teachers and they were all super pilas (really with it and determined). The workshop was successful and I actually ended up staying for an extra hour afterwards just chatting with them. We chatted about things I didn't think I would be talking about with Guatemalans for some more time once they gained more trust with me (for cultural reasons). So you can understand my surprise when the conversation openly turned to talking about sexuality, reproductive and sexual health, to homosexuality and bisexuality, to pornography. It was awesome! It was refreshing to hear female Guatemalan teachers address these topics because a lot of times it is taboo in the cultural here to talk about these things, especially in small, indigenous communities. We had a great discussion about the injustice the parents of the students are doing them by not giving them any sexual and reproductive health education. The teachers were aware that it was their responsibility to give them this education because it would most likely be the only place they'd be receiving it. They told me that many young girls in the school get their periods and have no idea what is going on in their body. That must be so terrifying! It's a great opportunity for me to work with these teachers on reproductive health and education and I love how it presented itself to me rather than me have to somehow introduce the topic. 


Another school I went to at the end of last month also consisted of a surprise during the visit. The school is an hour away by microbus and so I took the only bus that goes out in the morning with all the teachers. When we got to the school, the director starts telling me how she didn't really want me to come that day. I was confused and a little shocked she was telling me this since I had just called her the day before to confirm the visit. Well, turns out it wasn't that she didn't want me there, it was that there was a problem going on in the school. The school currently had a Tuberculosis outbreak. WHOA! Way not to mention that to me on the phone the day before. I was obviously surprised and a little upset with her for not telling me because she was putting me in direct risk of being exposed. So we discussed TB for a bit and had a meeting with community health representative for the school. The day before I came to the school the Health Center of the town came and pulled out seven students that were confirmed to be infected. The problem was that they didn't know who else and how many students (or teachers) were infected and still in the school. I really did not want to stay any longer at that school but I had already went all the way there and getting a ride back is very hit or miss so I figured I might as well do what I came to do and then leave. So I did and then swiftly left afterwards. After talking to the Health Center and to Peace Corps, we came to the agreement not to visit that school, plus three others who also have the outbreak, for a month until the outbreak passes. Meanwhile, I will be having a TB test to make sure I didn't contract it. Most likely, though, I didn't since I wasn't directly around anyone coughing. Sadly, a woman in the community I was in has already died from TB. After meeting with the director and the health representative for the school that day I realized that the local community really had no idea what TB was and the severity of it. I was also surprised that there existed no kind of alert system for the school to advise community members of the outbreak. After talking with one of the medical officers from Peace Corps, I was given some useful material in setting up TB awareness and an alert system. When I go back to the school I am going to see if the school in interested in implementing the system not just for TB but for any infectious diseases because outbreaks happen often in these communities. So although it is unfortunate the outbreak has happened, I once again have been presented with another opportunity to try to help in the community in some regards. 


After that school visit I was actually away from my site for about a week. Fourth of July quickly approached us and we had some Peace Corps sponsored activities going on in Antigua and at the office. It was nice to have a mini vacation and to see all the volunteers. I hadn't seen most people for three months and so it was nice to catch up and see how everyone was doing. Post Peace Corps activities a bunch of us went to down to the Pacific Coast to a beach town called Monterrico. Ahh it was EXACTLY what I needed. One of the hardest things about being away from home right now is knowing that I am missing summer and the beach at home. I miss my beach days and the ocean terribly and being able to escape to a beach was lovely and refreshing. I definitely recharged and it felt gooood. It's crazy how diverse Guatemala is. Being down at the beach had such a different vibe and it's quite amazing how many different ecosystems Guatemala has. So beautiful. Monterrico has mangroves and I have always wanted to go see mangroves. I went on a tour that took us through them on a boat and it was beautiful. So many birds. Monterrico is also famous for having big sea turtles. It's not turtle laying season so you couldn't see them out but sadly one night while we were there a dead one came up to shore. They are quite large but lovely creatures. 

Monterrico

In other news, Lohmo, my site mate, bought a puppy! His name is Midas and he is a golden retriever. He is also the cutest thing you will ever lay eyes on. He is only 3 months old and so playful and just puppy cute. Lohmo went home to the states for a wedding and I've had the privilege to dogsit Midas since Thursday. It has had its challenges but all in all it's been pretty great. Training a dog though is not easy, especially in Guatemala. I've been battling fleas with him and trying to keep him clean and trying to prevent him from being attacked from street dogs. It's a battle. It has made me realize that getting a dog here is a lot of work and constant work. It's also hard because when you have to leave somewhere you can't just leave the dog alone all day. I was considering getting a dog but now that I got this experience I'm not so sure I will. And plus, now that Lohmo has Midas I can just mooch off his puppy love.

Midas

Next week I have to go back to Antigua for some more meetings at the Peace Corps office and then my Mom is coming to visit!!! I am SO excited to see her and spend time with her. She will be here for 2 weeks and it really is going to be great. So I will keep you updated and until next time I will try to stay alive and healthy :)

Yeehaw

Whoa, two posts in less than 24 hours?? Well, I bought the fast speed internet for the day for some other needs I had and wanted to take advantage by uploading a video I had earlier tried to upload but couldn't due to the sluggishness of my internet speed. So, here is a video I took of the rodeo I went to during the feria in my town that I talked about in an earlier post. Enjoy :)

Loud rain.

I think I will start this post with some random accounts of things that have happened to me in the past few days. 


1. The other night I went to go pee before bed. I turned on the light, sat down, peed, and as I got up and turned to flush I see a giant cockroach (because small cockroaches don't exist in Guatemala) in the bowl very close to wear my butt was. Naturally, I jumped and freaked because I really dislike bugs and it was so close to my bum that the thought of it having the opportunity to crawl up my backside is very frightening to me. I flushed. Sorry cockroach. 


2. I have a mosquito net over my bed. It allows me to sleep peacefully in my bed without being eaten alive by mosquitoes and also prevents me from waking up with a spider on my head (close encounter already experienced). Well, that's what I thought at least until tonight when I got in my bed, tucked the net in around my bed, prepared to update my blog, and what do I find to my surprise? A mosquito in my net. Fail on the net. How did that happen? Saber, but I got it out and my net is working to its potential again.


So anyways, the rainy season has slowly crept in. Right now, it's not so bad. During the day it doesn't really rain, sometimes it's sunny sometimes it's cloudy but it's still a nice, warm temperature. Then in the late afternoon or later at night, it POURS. The torrential downpours here are intensely insane. I don't know if I have ever experienced anything like it. Also, I have a roof made solely of aluminum sheets. Here are the two lovely consequences of such: 1. When it is gorgeous and sunny outside my roof acts as an oven and heats my house up like no other. 2. When it downpours, it sounds so incredibly loud on my roof. No matter how loud I turn up my iTunes I can't hear a thing while my computer is on my lap. Headphones it is. But ya know what? In the end, I don't even really mind. I have my own lovely little space that is all my own so I can compromise.  


With the start of the rainy season also comes other things; some good, some not so good. Let's start with the good. There is water all the time! Hooray! I remember when I first got to site, I only had water early in the morning until about 8 am and then not until after about 5 pm. Now I have water all of the time and don't have to plan what time I can shower or wash dishes. The not so good part about the start of the rainy season? Because of all the new copious amounts of water coming through a lot of contamination that was sitting in rivers and immobile for awhile gets pushed through for the first time in months. What does that mean? Well, for one, it means that a lot of times when you turn the water on to fill the pila (stone sink thing every house in Guatemala has) the water is murky and brown. Yeah, sound gross? It kinda is. And there is no running it to see if it clears up because that is all there is. What can you do? Not drink it that's for sure. The other problem with all this newly moving water is that it leads to a lot of diarrhea in communities. Since the water is contaminated it is easy to somehow get it in your mouth and, hence, get sick. Fortunately, I hear this only lasts for the beginning of the rainy season so I guess we will see how long that just means.


Lastly, I want to mention how work is going. Work is going really well, I'm happy to say. Schools have surprisingly, and to my pleasure, been in session and I've been doing my visits. Today in particular I had a great visit. I went to one of my best schools, meaning the teachers are really motivated and the community is really supportive. I did my baseline survey to get an understanding of where the school currently stands. They don't have any water and right now collect rainwater to use for the school. Then I did a small workshop with the teachers training them on specifics of the program. Then I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with a good amount of the mothers of the students. The director of the school had scheduled a meeting with them to discuss some points she needed to address and to present me. It went well and they seemed really receptive of me. I'm excited because from what the director tells me, the women in the community, specifically these mothers, are very active in the community and like to work on projects and learn new things. One of my hopes is to work with a women's group here and I think these are just my ladies. I brought the idea up to them and that I would really love to work with them on projects, talks, activities, etc. every month and they were interested. My plan is to do my first activity with them next month on dental hygiene. I'm so excited! I will keep you all posted on how that goes. Side note on my trip to that school today. I got a ride with a teacher to and from the school today, which was nice or else it would have been a two hour walk. Well as we were going to the school I notice a dog running alongside us. Turns out, it was the teacher's dog that had gotten loose right before he left. The ride took about 20 minutes but as I said before it would have been two hours walking. That dog ran all the way to the school with us. He then proceeded to come into his classroom and lay down beside where he was teaching all day. Then, he ran back home along our side again. What a loyal pet! Not to mention that he has some great endurance. I thought it was really cute and funny. 


Anyways, so you can see that things are going pretty well right now and happily so. It's funny how in Guatemala you can have one really great week and then somehow get hit low the next week. But that's how things are here. I miss the beach at home yet there are still waves in my life in this aspect. Just gotta ride em out. I leave you with a quote from a book I once read called "Geography of Bliss" by Eric Weiner. "Periods of good fortune naturally alternate with periods of adversity, just as sunny days are interspersed with rainy ones." Mmm, ain't that the truth. 
 

Long days, short weeks

Well a lot has happened since my last post but at the same time not much has happened at all. Let me explain. To begin, I have MOVED! This is h u g e news. Remember that flea episode I had during my last post? Well...a week later I went to Antigua and got bed bugs. Then a week after that I borrowed a blanket from my host family (mistake) and got fleas again. Let's just say, I kinda lost it. I was frustrated, upset, SO itchy and broke from spending so much money on sprays and laundry. I was so stressed out even my body felt out of whack. I was miserable and couldn't stand living in that house anymore - it was making me so genuinely unhappy. Well, the Universe works in wonderful ways and and one of the following days I was walking through my town and noticed (for the first time ever in Guatemala) some flyers on the windows of a house that said "House for Rent" and a phone number. You're probably thinking, "I thought you had that other house being constructed for you?" Well, yeah, I did. But Guatemalan construction isn't like US construction and when they say it will be ready in 4 weeks they mean 8. At the point I was at with everything, I couldn't wait anymore for a house that would most likely take another month to be built. So long story short, I went to look at the house, really liked it, got it inspected/approved by Peace Corps, and I moved! It is incredible how much happier and relaxed I feel since moving. Life is better and I feel sane again. Not to mention a whole lot cleaner now that I have total control over my living space. Well, almost. Right now I am sharing a bathroom with the family next door I am renting from because they are going to construct me my own bathroom. But for now everything has been working out really great and once I am done settling in and decorating I will post pictures of my new home!

So aside from the crazy mayhem of moving and all that, I haven't worked in the past two weeks with schools. First week because of planning I had to do and then teachers' meetings causing the teachers to be absent from schools. The second week (last week) was our feria, or fair, in town. This happens every year for one whole week and is a pretty big deal. Obviously, school is not in session during this time. (I say obviously because Guatemalans cancel school for everything.) It worked out well though because it gave me time to move and I also got to attend some different activities. For instance, I went to my very first rodeo on Sunday. Man, cowboys are crazy. Apparently the rodeo that came here is some internationally acclaimed group (or so they said). The cowboys were from a couple of countries, not just Guatemala. It is scary watching them ride those bulls and then get thrown off them with the fury of the bull. You can feel the tension of the crowd as everyone watches to see if the bull will hurt him or if he will just escape to safety. A few of them got tossed and charged at pretty hard but no one was seriously injured, thank God. I really don't know how they ride those bulls without throwing out their backs or just falling off instantly, but I guess that is their job and they do it all the time. Crazy. 

I also had the opportunity to help out a fellow volunteer during that off week, a friend and eco-tourism volunteer named Winfrey. He works with an alliance that does eco-tours at a bunch of different sites in the area. During that week, INGUAT, the national tourism organization in Guat, was visiting 17 sites in total to take videos of the sites as a promotion for community tourism in Guatemala. They are combining all 17 sites into one video and making 2,000 copies, which they are then sending out to countries all over the world. So of those 17 sites, two were close by to where I live and they needed volunteer "tourists" for the videos to go on the tours with them. Pretty much I got to go to two really cool places for free and have them count as "work days" because I was helping a fellow volunteer. First I went to the Salto de Chilascó, which is the highest waterfall in Central America. It was absolutely amazing and beautiful. The hike wasn't even too bad either and we got to swim a little in another waterfall that was smaller. Then we went to Chicoj, where Winfrey lives at a coffee coop, and got to go on a coffee tour of his site. This included getting to zipline, which I love and had so much fun doing. I really got to see some natural beauty and culture of Guatemala and that's what I'm here to do right? Well, part of it at least. 

Now this week schools are finallyyy back in session and I have started working again (yay!) and getting busy with work again. Peace Corps has this motto (in Guatemala at least) that there are long days and short months in Peace Corps. Well, that is certainly true but to be even more specific I think it is more like long days and short weeks. It's crazy how long a day in Guatemala can feel sometimes. You can spend all day doing nothing or all day being really busy but no matter what it always feel like the day is never-ending and like you woke up yesterday as opposed to this morning. But then, before you know it, the week is over! It can be Thursday but it feels like Monday was yesterday. I can't really explain it but that's just the way life is here, or more so, feels here. I can't say I mind it. Time is a strange, strange thing. 

It's a buggy world.

As happy and excited as I was to leave for the Peace Corps and to start my service and make a difference, I knew that at some point I would get overwhelmed and frustrated, and have to ride out the wave. I have learned from only being here for almost five months that there are definitely waves of highs and lows. I hit a low point last week with a lot of things happening at once and just feeling overwhelmed; overwhelmed with my project and with Guatemala. To begin, I had been going on my school visits each day, getting two done a day on average. The more schools we visited, the more I realized how much they all lacked. No water, kids coming to school dirty, no money, no motivation. I started to realize that I was telling each school we were there to work on hygiene and also, hopefully, water projects for those schools that didn't have water. Well, almost all of my schools don't have water. So that's when I realized that there is no feasible way in getting all of our schools water. Impossible in two years. So then I felt like I was lying to them and felt guilty. That was the start of my low week. Then, I got fleas in my bed. Fleas are not fun. My ankles, feet, and arms were covered with flea bites that would not stop itching no matter how much I scratched them. As if that weren't bad enough, I had to deal with the problem of getting rid of them...in Guatemala. Not an easy feat. I ended up having to buy lots and lots of an insecticide spray and spray EVERYTHING. I sprayed my blankets, my clothes, and my mattress, twice. I had to sleep on my floor for three nights. I was itchy, upset, defeated, and felt dirty. Then, I had to deal with an influx of spiders in my bathroom and the random, giant cockroaches that decide to visit my bedroom. The amount of bugs here in Guatemala still impresses me day to day. Where do they all come from?? By the end of the week I had felt hopeless, defeated, and wanted to move to a place of my own where I could feel like I had more control over my surroundings. 

Well, you will be happy to know that I survived my low week and things have turned around since then. After finishing all my initial school visits finally I have found that we have a group of some really great schools that have a lot of potential. And, in reality, that is all that matters. Having a few good schools I can really focus on is what can make my service here effective. Doesn't mean I will discard the rest but it does mean that I can get something done with some, while others struggle to make a move. I've also realized that I'm not expected to bring all my schools water. Healthy Schools is supposed to be a 15 year program and we are just starting it here in my district. Therefore, whatever we don't get done it is hoped that the replacing volunteers in the future will. As to the bug situation, I think I have exterminated the fleas. I have slept in my bed two nights now since the flea week and so far, so good. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they don't come back. All the other bugs were easy to control with a little bit of spray. I no longer feel dirty or defeated. Hooray! As for wanting to move, well, I found a pretty good deal. The woman whose house I live in now is building a small house right next door on her property. She told me if I liked it she could have it finished be built for me to move into. Well I most definitely liked it and the building has ensued, so I should have my own space soon and I am so looking forward to it! Patience, patience, patience.

Now, my worries are focused on the violence going on in Guatemala. Drug cartels are getting feisty and a lot of murders are taking place nationwide. The department of Peten has now been declared in a state of siege. Ever since that siege was declared by the government a week ago, things over here in Alta and Baja Verapaz have been getting worse. Murders and arrests of drug cartel associates are taking place and it is not comforting. Things are happening too close to home and it makes us all wonder what is going to happen next. I am under the impression that Peace Corps is keeping close watch on all the recent events and are investigating on security issues, yet, communication is lacking a bit right now. Perhaps, though, that is because our regional security meeting is next week and we might as well discuss everything in person. Regardless, I am hoping things turn for the better because I really like my site and would hate to have to leave due to safety and security issues. I do want to let my family and friends know, though, that I am safe and not to worry. 

I hate that this entry was a bit depressing and bleak but I want to reflect all the experiences I go through to give you a better idea of what my life as a Peace Corps volunteer is like. Not every day is happy and feels like you are going to save the world. You hit your slumps and gotta stick it out until you feel able to get back on your feet again and realize everything will be okay. You will always miss certain comforts from home, such as bug-free bedrooms, the abundance of water in schools, clean kitchens, etc. But those things are waiting at home and will always be there until you are ready to go back. To leave off on a happier note, I am going to leave a couple of pictures from some of my hikes to schools. My schools seem to be in one of two environments:1. Mountainous, agriculture-rich land covered in green vegetation. 2. Tropical, cloud rain forest land teeming with rivers, birds, and flowers. So enjoy the beautiful views I am so blessed to see everyday. 

“Real life isn’t always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgement of what is working in our lives can help us not only to survive but surmount our difficulties.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach

Guatemalan Funky Town

I've always loved cooking and making good food but I didn't realize before leaving for the Peace Corps that one of the (many) rewards I would receive as a result of doing the Peace Corps would be becoming a better cook. It's true when volunteers tell you that we have A LOT of free time as volunteers. Since I am still in my beginning stages of work I usually get home from working (i.e. school visits) by 11 AM and then have the entire rest of the day to myself. After being in site for about a month and a half I have already spent a good amount of time cooking and making fun, new dishes. It's great really because back in the US I would talk about wanting to make certain things but the time some dishes take is intimidating and makes you say, "Yeah...next week I'll make that." Well, now I have no excuses because what else do I have to do? So I have so far made a few things, such as, lentils from scratch, some delicious vegetable curries, roasted red pepper hummus, some inventive but delicious vegetable wraps, and even french fries - which was my first. So I've been having fun and from the looks of it I am going to be a phenomenal cook when I leave here in two years. Or at least one would hope right? One more reason for you all to come visit me because I know you want my food :)


So last week we did not go on any school visits from Wednesday to Friday, aka 2 day work week. Great. Obviously, the reason was because school was cancelled those three days and, naturally, school was cancelled for the ever important interscholastic sports games all the schools compete in against each other. Sports games' importance over education? Hmm...one would think this would be clear but it is quite surprising how in Guatemala these things seem to be valued more. So it was a pretty chill, low key week last week. Today we started up again and visited two schools. The first school was pretty nice and I think will be pretty good to work with. The second school was a 30 minute hike up another mountain, which wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the sweltering heat from the sun and the humidity. Once again, arrived at a school dripping sweat looking great as ever. The teacher brought us chairs to sit in and "cool off" when we got there. Wonder how she knew we were hot... Anyways, the teachers at this school were really great and cooperative. The school is made out of sticks though because it is only two years old, but I think it has really great potential for being a bottle school. They have a lot of space and the teachers and community seem to really want a building so I am definitely going to keep that in the back of my head. We had a couple of little boys be our guides again from one school to the next and then from the second school to the street where the microbus passes. I enjoy it when we have these "guides" because I like to try to talk to the kids more. It's like our one chance to actually talk to them and not have them stare at us while we present ourselves at the front of the classroom. Today as I was talking to the little boys I had one of those moments where I thought, "Wow, Guatemalan little boys are so different from American little boys." At one point, they were asking me what kind of food they ate in America and if they had tortillas (a Guatemalan staple). Then proceeded to ask me if they have corn, just like the corn we were passing growing on the side of the road that most likely one of their families works in cultivating and selling. I told them yes and they seemed surprised by this. Then one of the boys asked me how much a pound of corn sells for. Well, I had no idea. Honestly, your typical American does not know that. So I asked the little boy how much a pound went for in Guatemala and of course he knew! It's just crazy to me sometimes how different the lives of little kids here are from those of the US. I mean obviously, every culture is different and, hence, the lives of those people are different, but that doesn't mean I don't get moments of this brief realization from time to time. Most of these kids work in the fields with their parents and so they experience having to work at a much younger age. One of our schools we went to last week was about half empty because, the director explained, it's the season to plant new corn and so most of them have to go out with their families to plant and prepare the new fields. Meanwhile, they have to miss school. 


On our way home from the school visits today we got a ride with a passing pickup that was going into town. It's a beautiful ride through dense green mountains but really bumpy because it is not paved. So here I am, bumping around admiring the beauty around me. I take a look around at the other passengers riding with me: to my left are two Guatemalan men speaking in Q'eqchí, in the front row is another Guatemalan man in the passenger seat just chillin, then there's the driver maneuvering the pickup shirtless looking like the boss, and Lohmo sitting in between them. As I'm taking this all in, what song comes on the radio? None less than, "Can you take me to...Funky Tooown? Can you take me to...Funky Tooown?" Man, I looked around expecting everyone to laugh because 1. it is such a random song and 2. it was a funny song that seemed so inappropriate for the present company. But I obviously forgot that I was in Guatemala and that they had no idea what song it was or what it was about and everyone kept on as if nothing was even on the radio. I look over to Lohmo, who has his back to me, but I still manage to see a grin on his face at the start of the song. At least I wasn't the only one being entertained by the current scene.