Last time I wrote I couldn't believe it was Febraury, now I can't believe February is almost over! Incredible. So I got back from my FBT week last Saturday. Huehuetenango, which is called Huehue for short (pronounced way-way by gringos/Spanish spoken with an American accent), was AMAZING. It was in the western highlands of Guatemala, therefore it was surrounded by gorgeous mountains everywhere. The views were breath-taking and it was difficult to not get captured in the moment where ever you were there. I really enjoyed myself that week because I felt like we really got to see and understand better what life is like after swearing in as a volunteer and being in site and working. We met a lot of different volunteers that live in the department of Huehue and each place was so different but so beautiful. I loved every place and it really instilled hope and excitement in me about my future site - hopefully it's as great as one those! It was really inspirational to see the work that these volunteers had done and are presently doing. Seeing the actual results of the program and the change taking place made it feel more real and that what we are doing here really can make a difference, even if it is just in a couple of communities. Some of the schools we went to were high in the mountains and absolutely isolated, a couple hours away from any large center or other towns. Yet, the kids in these schools were so motivated by the program and were happy to have us there. Seeing the schools, all the kids' and teachers' involvement, and the relationships the volunteers cultivated in their communities really got me excited for my volunteer service to start. During FBT, we also got to do charlas, or presentations, for a group of mothers of students at one school, another one for a class at a school (I had fourth grade), and a training workshop for a large group of teachers of a municipality. It was fun but challenging at times because the students in rural areas can be really timid, especially the girls. Girls in indigenous communities are not accustomed to speaking out their opinions or really just having a voice when it comes to issues. It was so obvious in the schools because when I gave the lesson to my class and I would call on a girl to answer a question or read something it was really common for the girl to cover her mouth or face and not talk. It is hard to deal with, not so much because they won't talk but more so because it saddens me to see that their culture raises them this way. One of the hardest things to deal with here is the lack of rights and freedom of women. I know it is far worse in other countries, such as some in the Middle East for instance, but it still is significant. Every PCV I've met, whether during FBT week or just at any time during training, they have all highlighted how being a woman volunteer in Guatemala is hard - and this was said by both female and male volunteers. I mean, I knew that already, it is obvious just from the short time being here. Us female volunteers do not have the same liberties here as we did prior to coming here in the US. It will take getting used to and it will take patience and understanding with a foreign culture. But that is part of the experience and of working here. Regardless, I am still excited, determined, and optimistic about my service here.
So a saying that is really popular in Guate is "Fijese que..." It is usually used at the beginning of a sentence and followed by some bad news. It's kind like saying "Well listen to this, so and so happened..." Guatemalans are big on being late, not showing up for things, or jsut making excuses in general; just a consequence of the laid back nature that exists here. So a big fijese que that we received during FBT from our program director was that we are no longer finding out our site locations on March 10, which was the expected date. There is a department of Guate called Alta Verapaz and it has been in a state of siege for over a month now due to violence caused from the big drug gang called the Zetas. All PCVs that were there had to be evacuated. A lot of our future site were supposed to be in Alta Verapaz and so the siege prevented PC from putting us there. This has left them with 5 site that they still need. Finding a site is a long process because they have to go several times to do site visits in order to determine security, safety, and basic ammenties and more. So essentially PC needs more time to find these other sites and so they had to push back when we get our sites. Now we do not find out until March 24, which is the day BEFORE we swear in as volunteers! That kinda blows, a lot. Because now we can't go on site visit week - during that week were supposed to go to our site to meet our counterpart we work with and meet all our schools and get our places to live and essentially do everything important. PC is still trying to figure how this is all gonna work especially since now we have to figure out how we're gonna get all of our luggage over there and what not. I'm not worried though because I know it will all work out regardless it just stinks we have to wait so long to know our site now. But this coming Tuesday, March 1st, we find out our site mate! Man, I am excited and a little anxious to find out who I'm gonna be working with for the next two years and living in the same town with. I have faith though and know that who ever I get is meant to be that way.
So that's pretty much all the major stuff going on right now. I'm giving another lesson tomorrow to my second and third grade class at Cerro Niño tomorrow on dental hygiene. And on Monday we are starting the World Map project at Cambiando Vidas so I am really psyched about that too! All is good so far and I am happy. Also, I haven't killed anymore spiders in my room and there is currently one living in my room with me. I am working on co-existing with it and hope that if I send out positive energy that I accept and don't want to kill it that it will not bite me. Until next time amigos, besos...
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