Learning about Guerilla

Tuesday was very busy!

I began my day with a nice 40 minute run that took us to the Xela cemetery. There is a slightly crowded road/hill that you have to run up, but once you turn the corner, you have a hilltop view of the whole cemetery. We have been there before, but Tuesday morning the sun was shining and it sparkled off the dew and in a creepy way, with the mountains in the background, it was really beautiful (that description sounds super cheesy!). I need to take my camera the next time we go so I can take pictures, but as always I’m sure they won’t do it justice.

At the beginning of the week, we switched teachers and I now am working with a new teacher who happens to be the head of the school. That means nothing, but it is kind of cool because she is telling me all the history of the school and her life and her children’s lives and how she got to where she is today.

We only had classes until 11. After a 15 minute break, we had a conference with an Ex-Guerilla fighter. Like at the finca, he spoke in Spanish and Erika (the head of the Somos Hermanos program) translated for us. I wrote down notes during the conference to help me remember dates and names.

His legal name is Amaro Cifuentes, but during the war he was called Robert. He worked for Orpa, one of the many Guatemalan Guerilla operations. Orpa covered Xela, Totanicopan, San Martis and essentially most of the south coast. The war began in the 1960s and lasted 36 years (the peace signing occurred on December 29, 1996). From 1944-1954 there was a period of democracy where two presidents made changes for the poor and education. But in 1954, democracy was cut off by the US and Guatemalan military. If I understood correctly, Amaro said that the president at the time, Arbenz, was a progressive leader, but that the US didn’t like him because he was threatening international investments.

As a result, suppression began. The military tortured Amaro’s father because his father was a leader in his community. This occurred when Amaro was 8 years old, and his family escaped to Mexico. At the age of 13, Amaro returned to Guatemala to work against the army, defend the goals of his father, and fight for freedom of expression and reform. Amaro said that he doesn’t think war is the best option, but sometimes it is the only option.

Amaro described some of the conditions he survived through, saying that he is lucky to be alive today. At times, he would go for 3 days without food, he often carried 100 pounds on his back as he wandered through the mountains. There were specific rules for when they could make a fire, depending on their location and cloud cover or visibility. The Guerilla got their arms by defeating army squads, and learned how to fight and survive through experience of elders.

Today, Amaro believes that the “left” side has a voice and can fight for what they want. Right now, he is campaigning to be a leader within the URNG (if you are interested, here is their website: www.urng-maiz.org.gt). Many people won’t speak of the past because they fear what government officials may do to them. But Amaro has no fear. He says it is important to speak the truth. He spends days touring around the outskirts of Xela educating people about the reforms that he supports and says education is the most important factor in creating change. He also spoke of the foreign companies that still exploit Guatemala today, resources such as mining, African Palm for ethanol, and other hydroelectric plants. He asks that we educate people about these companies, such as United Fruit Company (aka Chiquita) and the harm they are doing to Guatemala and other Central America countries. I hope to be able to do so, but I still feel that I need more education to be able to explain the situation at hand.

That afternoon, we watched a movie called Las Cruces. It is a Guatemalan movie that tells the story of an indigenous community threatened by attack from the army. A Guerilla team decides to help the community fight. The movie exposes the many emotions that can result while waiting for an attack… the way everyone sees war differently and experiences different motivations. People can predict the outcome, but it is usually not known until way down the road. The movie did include some extremely cheesy Spanish pickup lines that made everyone laugh, but it made us feel the absolute fear and anticipation, and the difficulty in distinguishing “good” from “bad” in war, when in reality it is all fighting.

After the movie, we discussed our reactions and had a chance to ask questions about the conflict. I have never really studied history (all of my classes have been science related), so I wanted to clarify the motivations of each side. In a nutshell, the goal of the army was to keep the elites (a small percentage of Guatemala) in economic power. The army forced inscription, and many were brainwashed to kill their own communities and innocent people. The Guerilla existed to fight for the rights of Guatemalan people and the freedoms and democracies they desired. While it is tempting to pick a “good” side, I feel that it doesn’t really exist because corruption and torture occurred on both ends.

It is interesting to learn all of this historical information and how it affects the culture that exists today in Guatemala, and I am excited to continue learning more.

Also…I apologize for the length of my entries. I know it is a lot to read, and you certainly don’t have to read all of it! I am including so much detail because I am also using this blog as a “scrapbook” and a way to put down all the experiences I have been having (because I’m pretty sure a 6 month long scrapbook would be far too large).

Tuesday was the 23^rd birthday of one of the girls in Somos Hermanos, so we had a little birthday celebration that night at another person’s house. The house was huge, compared to mine (the family clearly has a lot of money). There were 2 bathrooms and a large courtyard in the middle, and a separate kitchen and eating room. It was cool to see another Guatemalan house and make comparisons. I hope that as time goes on, I’ll be able to see other houses as well.

After Tuesday, Wednesday was a rather uneventful day, although I did learn how to make tortillas at the school after classes, and we had a huge lunch to go with the class. Wednesday night I went to another yoga class.

Today, I have class in the afternoon. My teacher is sick and couldn’t talk, so I got a phone call from her husband last night asking if I would be willing to take class in the afternoon with another teacher. I spent the morning studying, reading, watching SpongeBob in Spanish (yes I did that), and writing this blog. Now, I’m off to class.

Have a great day/evening/night!

More about the Finca

Hola!

I have posted more pictures from the finca weekend. I'm sorry for the delay, but there are a lot and it takes a while to post pictures.

One of the pictures is of us on the corn truck that took us from Colomba to the finca. Another is of the front porch of the old house that we stayed in. Another is the son of our tour guide.... he followed us on the whole trip and was almost as knowledgeable about all the plants as his father. In this picture, he has all the oranges he found hoarded in his shirt. Another is the "Tree of Life" and they use the leaves to make a tea that heals general pains with all parts of the body. Another is of not-yet-ready coffee beans. The harvesting season is in September. The last picture is of the outside of the house I ate at. Everything was really green, and I took a ton of pictures, but like always happens, the pictures don't do the views justice.

I also wanted to highlight some other parts of the finca trip. The experience I described in my last blog was certainly crazy, and it has humor. But there was more to the trip than just the strange circumstances. The trip exposed us to a way of life that these people live with every day. I think what shocked me the most was the lack of easily accessible healthcare. The closest hospital was 3 hours away. If a person is truly in danger, they have a very slim chance of getting the help they need.

I also couldn't help but feel guilty. It was difficult to see children running around with worn shoes, a 61 year old barely able to move because he had done so much work in his life, young people that have no teeth because dental care doesn't exist, families breathing in open wood fire 24/7. Right now, the community is using tourism to save money to help rebuild the house in which we stayed, and they said they needed the equivalent of around 2,000 dollars. They hope to collect that within the next couple of years. It is shocking because I'm using that amount of money just to apply to Medical schools. The difference is extreme.

We had a discussion about feeling guilty and how to cope with some of the things we see throughout this trip. We were warned that much of what we see will make us want to change everything, but the biggest change we are going to see in is ourselves as we gain a deeper understanding of Spanish, other cultures and collaboration. I feel that we then have the responsibility of taking those lessons and positively affecting the lives of others.

Is this real life?!

This weekend’s trip to the coffee finca was an experience I could have never anticipated. It was full of those moments where you ask yourself “Is this really happening?” I’ll do my best to narrate the story with descriptions and photos, but sadly I don’t think this blog can do it justice (I will apologize ahead of time for it’s length).

The trip began at 8:30 Saturday morning when our group met Kate at the Farmacia. Kate is the woman who is in charge of our group. She grew up in Minnesota and moved to Xela 3 years ago to teach English. She found Somos Hermanos last year and this is her first time supervising a Somos group. She is bilingual, on call for us 24/7 and is available to help us with any problems we might have. She joined us on our trip.

After meeting, Kate walked us to the microbus that was going to take us from Xela to Colomba. I’ve attached a picture of the size of the bus. In total, we were 15 people with backpacks, and we thought to ourselves, there is no way we can all fit in here! But we sure did. And in the 2 hour drive from Xela to Colomba, we fit a maximum of 30 people (plus a cat) in that one van. It was insane! Because we were the first on the bus, we were all squished into the corners of the vehicle. People just kept coming and going, fitting into the bus in any way possible and at times hanging off the edge with one foot and one hand attached, or sitting on the top of the bus in the luggage rack, or standing on the rear bumper of the bus holding on. The cat was a total surprise, and sounded a constant, cranky meow (a lot like one of Sydney’s toys) for the half hour it rode with us. Although the beginning of the trip was not exactly fun, the end was worse. The roads got windy and my stomach very unhappy. I stared straight ahead and told myself I would not throw up because that was not an option, seeing as I was in the middle of the bus, squished between people I did not know. I breathed a sigh of relief when we pulled into the main square in Colomba, a small city west of Xela.

Our trip was far from over. After using public restrooms, we walked to this large truck full of bags of corn. A nice Guatemalan man wearing a T-Shirt that said “Florida” told us to get in the back of the truck. Before getting in, I asked the guy if he was from Florida and he said “yes” so I got all excited and told him I was as well. He just smiled. The ride from Colomba consisted of the group of us standing on bags of corn, holding on to the sides of the truck. The ride was actually very fun. It was nice to get fresh air after being on the microbus, and it almost felt like a rollercoaster, standing and cruising down the road, looking at the beautiful views. Then the road abruptly switched from pavement to gravel and then to a makeshift dirt pathway. For the next 45 minutes, we put our faith in the 19 year old boy driving this massive truck as we turned hairpin corners that with one wrong move would send us tumbling over the edge of the mountain.

When we arrived at the Finca, I saw that the name was Florida. I realized that the Gutemalan man and I were not from the same Florida, and I felt a little crazy. The finca was literally in the middle of nowhere. It was a strange feeling, knowing that you were essentially unreachable. The accommodations were much like camping. There was running water (kind of) and rooms with beds. The beds were made out of straw and the house itself was very old. Hundreds of years ago, it was the house of plantation owners. It definitely needed some serious renovation. We settled into our rooms and then took a 30 minute stroll around the land as a group. We didn’t find much, but it was nice to walk around in the sun, stretch out our legs, and stand on steady ground.

The families at the finca fed us lunch. Groups of 4 went to different houses. Lunch that day was good, a soup of noodles, potatoes and carrots. We ate at the house, which was actually one large multipurpose room. There were 8 beds surrounding the edges and a large table in the middle for us to eat (I’ve attached a picture of one half of the house). The kitchen was separate from the house, but the strong smell and smoke from the open wood fire stove filled the room. We spoke with a man who lived in the house, and discovered that there were two families living in that one house. He and his wife had 7 children, the youngest being a year and a half and the eldest being 16, I believe. I cannot remember details about the other family. We sat for a while and talked, and once we finished our lunch, we weren’t really sure what to do. Kate had not told us to leave when we were finished, but we felt our welcome coming to an end as the man left the table to put his child to bed for a nap. It was an awkward 10 minutes, just sitting there with not much to say, not knowing what to do. Finally, with a “muchas gracias” we left the table and walked back to our cabin. It turns out everyone else got the memo it was time to leave because we were the last group back.

That afternoon it rained cats and dogs, lighting and thundered like crazy. We spent the time away playing cards and talking. It was weird having nothing to do but relax… no internet, telephone, TV, etc. At 3:15, the “Florida” guy came to our cabin to tell us his story and the story of the finca. He spoke Spanish and Kate translated his sentences for us. I enjoyed hearing him speak. You could tell he was proud of what his community had accomplished. He spoke in a manner that showed how much he valued hard work. His energy to face the challenges ahead was evident. Much of the time I understood the main gist of what he was saying, but it was helpful to have Katie translating for us.

He began his story in 1980, describing the horrible conditions for himself and his family, the war and civil conflict in Guatemala. In the 90s, his family and community became religious, and Catholicism helped them to understand the meaning of working for the benefit of all. Families came together to build a community that could fight for better working conditions and worked towards the goal of obtaining their own land. But, as he explained, it was difficult to form any sort of group during this time because leaders were accused of banding against Guatemala and risked being tortured and/or killed.

There are many details to his story. Some I do not remember, and others would take a lot of typing to explain. On October 11, 2002, forty families walked on to the land they own today and legally called it their own. The worked hard to pay off loans for the land, and on April 29, 2005 (I think) they officially gained ownership. Each year, this day is used as a day of celebration where everyone breaks from work and cooks and plays together. The 40 original families still work in the community together. It is a cooperative where everyone puts forth effort. New families are not allowed in, although those from “Florida” are willing to discuss their struggle and help them to understand what it takes to achieve success equal to “Florida.”

All of the coffee that is produced in “Florida” gets exported to Holland. The finca also grows bananas and macadamia nuts, although these products are sold only within Guatemala. The families work on the finca land Monday through Friday and earn 30 Q a day, which equates to about $4 a day. On Saturdays, they tend to their own small patch of land so that they can feed their families. Sunday is always a day of rest from work.

After listening to the history of the Finca, we were free until dinner at 7. Rachel, Sarah and I walked around the grounds, thinking and talking. The strong sense of community is truly wonderful, and the ability to be totally self-sustainable is a worthy characteristic. However, we wondered if the children of the community ever wanted more. They only receive school up to grade 6, and from there they become a working part of the family. While this seems to us a very sheltered and enclosed life, if it is all you know, and all your family has ever known, then is it really all that disappointing? We concluded that there really isn’t a correct answer to a question like that.

As we were walking, we passed a house that had a guard dog. We were not planning on entering the property, just walking past. We figured the dog would leave us alone. Not true. Instead he calls over 6 friends and before we know it, 7 angry dogs are charging towards us! NOT Sydney friends. We knew that keeping calm was paramount, so we turned around and walked as quickly/calmly as possible to get away. One dog actually jumped on Rachel. We did get away safely, but it was a moment that certainly got the heart pumping (We learned later that dogs are afraid of rocks, so if you pretend to pick up a rock and throw it at them, they back away and leave you alone. We discovered this as we walked past the dogs with our group on Sunday and our guide did just that. The dogs left us alone).

Dinner that night was back at the same house as lunch. We had empanadas. It was really dark, so I’m not exactly sure what was in them, but it tasted like a mix of vegetables. They were quite good! That night, after dinner, there wasn’t much to do because it was so dark. The finca produces its own electricity by running water, but it doesn’t provide much for light. We hung out on the porch for a long time, telling stories and joking around. At one point, I went with Sherry and Kate to talk to a group of children from the community. They were hanging out in one of the big rooms on the first floor of the house, doing all sorts of acrobatic tricks. We watched them for a while and ended up playing the card game “spoons” or in Spanish “cucharas.” I vividly remember playing this game at home during cross country hangouts in high school, and it is a little crazy to think that 4 years later I was teaching the same game to a group of Spanish children in the middle of nowhere.

I was extremely grateful for my cocoon Saturday night. I had no idea how “cocoon-ish” it really is! I have attached a picture, but you can literally cover every inch of your body and leave a hole to help you breath. And, it is pretty roomy too, so you don’t feel claustrophobic (thanks Don and Pat!). Everyone was very paranoid about bugs, because there were these bugs that gave some pretty nasty bites. We sprayed bug spray before going to bed, and with the combination I did not get any bug bites that night (although I’m pretty sure my lungs didn’t appreciate it too much). I did not really want to sleep on a straw mattress under very old covers, so I slept on top of everything in my cocoon. Even though I wore numerous layers, I was cold the whole night. I woke up every two hours just wishing it was daylight so I could get up and move around.

The day started early with a 7am breakfast. My group had these fried potato things and salsa. I was not so much a fan, but there were very delicious fresh tortillas, so I had three of those. After, we had a village man show us around the land. We saw coffee plants, learned all about harvesting and preparing coffee beans, learned how the community produces its own electricity and saw the most beautiful green sights. The tour was extremely buggy, but I wore jeans and my very geeky hiking button down, SPF, bug repellent, light breathing hiking shirt. I looked like a dork, but I am the only one that didn’t worry about bugs the whole time, and managed to survive the trip sans bites. So, I say it was worth it.

I took a ton of pictures, but a camera cannot do the same as actually seeing the landscape. Our guide showed us medicinal plants for everything. I found it amazing that he knew exactly what plant did what, and I could hardly tell the difference between the leaves! We were given the opportunity to pick oranges from a tree with a bamboo stick, and were free to eat them. They were a type of orange that can be eaten while still green, and they tasted so good! We also got fresh bananas from the tree. I have never in my life enjoyed such a sweet, perfectly ripened, organic, straight from the tree, banana.

Lunch was at 12, and we had a version of chicken lomein. Kate said she had explained that I was vegetarian, and that I would not have to worry about eating meat, but they must not have understood. It wasn’t really a huge deal. Out of respect I did eat what I could, because I know that meat is not a common food to be served and they were giving us the best they had. But after seeing the pieces of chicken that were mixed in with the noodles (I’m pretty sure the entire chicken was in the mixture) my stomach turned a little too much. I had visions of losing my lunch on the drive back, and I decided to not eat more.

Our plan was to leave the finca early so that we would beat the rain. Instead of the large corn truck that had brought us to “Florida,” we were taking a red pickup, and piling all 15 of us in the back. We were all packed up and ready to head out when a community member came to tell us that a pregnant woman was beginning labor and needed to be taken to the hospital. The truck drove to pick the woman up before we loaded on, and as we waited the 20 minutes, the booming thunder began and the menacing looking storm clouds came closer.

Just as we piled on the truck, the rain started. At first it was just a drizzle, but it quickly turned into a torrential downpour. Luckily, the driver had a large blue tarp that we put over the back of the truck. Although we stayed relatively dry, we were all stuck under the stuffy tarp. As we went down the same gravel/dirt path hairpin turns, we were essentially part of a river (made from all the rainwater flowing down the mountain). Then, as if things couldn’t get more complicated, the truck lurches forward (spraying water all over me), stalls out and the car battery dies.

Note: At this point 18 people are stuffed into the back of a pickup with a blue tarp covering them, half of us are soaking wet, we are stalled out with a dead battery in the middle of a dirt road/river on the side of a mountain, a woman is in the front seat of the truck going into labor, and it is torrentially down pouring.

Eventually, with the help of two others, the driver was able to recharge the battery and we were off. Once off the gravel road, the ride got smoother. But, since we could now go at higher speeds, the tarp above us started going crazy and we had to hold on to it for dear life. Needless to say, when we pulled into the main square of Colomba, we were much relieved.

The rest of the trip home was wet and cold, but otherwise simple. We rode a microbus, but it was not nearly as crowded (probably because it was Sunday and most people here don’t travel on Sunday). I took a Dramamine so that I wouldn’t get sick, and by that time the drowsiness had set in. I woke up as we pulled into Xela, and although it miraculously wasn’t raining then, I was chilled to the bone. I returned to my house extremely happy to be back. I jumped into a semi-warm shower, and quickly put on as many clothes as possible.

I was still shivering when Señora Patti called us in for dinner, and she was very concerned that I was cold, scolding me and telling me that I needed to go to bed early because I was going to get sick from being wet and cold all day. I enjoyed the warm dinner of rice and zucchini and drank a large cup of steaming hot café.

This is an extremely long post, but I hope the descriptions give you some idea of how crazy this trip was. It was a great experience and I learned so much! Although I must say, I am happy to be back in Xela.

I ran out of time to post all the pictures because it takes forever, but I'll do more later!

There was a rat in the house. But its okay, I know how to live with a rat because my parents have prepared me for everything J. I believe the rat left the house last night, because the trap was gone and Senora Patti said it had left. Marissa and I saw it last night while we were in my room, and we closed the door so it wouldn’t come in (Xela rats are more massive than Florida rats, apparently). When Senora Patti came to my door to ask us a question, we had to explain why the door was closed, because we usually keep them open. She exclaimed “It must die!” and proceeded to close all the doors in the house (so that the rat would stay in the center garden area) and set up a trap for the rat.

Apparently the power goes out every once in a while in the afternoons in Xela. I’m not sure of the exact reason, but I think it has to do with the rain. The other afternoon, a group of us were in a café when the power went out. It was kind of cool to sit in the café with candlelight, but also a little eerie when we walked home without any electronic items running. The power outage only lasted for about 30 minutes.

Tuesday afternoon we watched “When the Mountains Tremble,” a documentary about Rigoberta Menchu and the civil war in Guatemala. Although I felt that the movie was long and slightly one sided (pro guerilla), it was a good movie that introduced some of the reasons for warfare in Guatemala and the perceptions of many people (government, military, guerilla). After the movie, we discussed the role of the US in the war and what it takes to have power. Ideas were thrown around, and many felt that all it takes to have power is weapons and a following. We were then asked an extremely difficult question: “What would you do to start change in Guatemala?” Most of us felt that this question was impossible to answer, but we did discuss the importance of education and presenting a positive role model for citizens of Guatemala.

Yesterday, we went to a museum about Mayan culture and saw many trajes (traditional Mayan clothing). Our guide talked to us about the world ending in 2012. Don’t worry! It won’t…. 2012 marks the end of the Mayan cycle of 5,000 years. This only means that a new cycle will begin after 2012. The Mayans hope that the new cycle brings positive changes that steer the world away from extreme climate change (don’t we all!).

25 Mayan tribes exist in Guatemala, and we were able to see the traditional clothing of 12 of them yesterday. Our guide told us all about the dieing process and weaving. Certain tops depict the sun and moon, while other have lines and shapes that signify the cycle of life. Each tribe has a combination of colors that represent a combination of meanings, and each tribe has artwork that originated in their land. We also heard about the ceremonies that are held for moments such as planting, harvesting, births, deaths, etc. I learned that the Mayan calendar is based on 13 months, each containing 20 days. This adds to 260 days, which correlates with the amount of time needed for human gestation (but then I heard a different story, so I need to see what is actually true).

Next to the museum, there was an art gallery. One of the artists was there, and Sarah, Korrin and I started to talk to him. He had traveled to many places around the world and was very excited to show us pictures and tell us about his work (in Spanish of course). He even took us to his separate workshop, a large room full of paintings and other artwork. He spent a long time telling us about his life and work, as well as stories he has written. While it was interesting to hear him speak, he sure did like to talk. I spent a lot of time pretending like I knew exactly what he was saying, but actually being really confused. He asked us if we had any free time within the 6 months that we are here, and requested that we return so we could hear more of his stories.

The Spanish school sells chocofrutas, and yesterday I had a chocobanano dipped in peanuts. It was extremely delicious! Today I had chocofresas, which I think tasted even better. I’m going to have to ration myself on buying those! I also decided to buy some peanut butter because some days I don’t get much protein in my diet. I bought it at a bakery and actually got to watch him make it! The bottle was still warm when he handed it to me. It tastes much different that any peanut butter I have had before, and the consistency is more like a peanut paste. But, it is good!

This afternoon we had our first written exam to see who is ready to go to the next level. Tomorrow, we have an oral exam in the morning. We take exams every other week, and they help our teachers see where we need help. Regardless of how we do on the exam, we will get new teachers next week. I’ve gotten so used to how my teacher speaks that it will be interesting to switch to another Maestro or Maestra. But, that’s exactly why they do it!

Tonight we have Salsa class and then as a group we are going out to eat dinner. This weekend, we have a trip to a coffee finca. We leave Saturday morning and get back Sunday afternoon. We will be eating meals and sleeping at the finca, so it should be interesting!

I really wanted to take pictures of the trajes, but we weren’t allowed to bring our cameras in the museum. I was able to take a photo of one of the pieces of artwork in the gallery (of course it shows ballerinas!).

I also took a picture of the front of my house, and the tienda that my family owns.

Un Domingo Tranquilla

I really don't have much to say about today. I went running, got my butt kicked in a yoga class with Rachel, watched the US/Japan woman's soccer game, and spent some time in a cafe talking to my parents and emailing with people.

I decided that now would be a good time to upload pictures of the school. There is a picture of the front of the school from one of my first entries, but here are pictures of the inside of the school, the patio where lessons are held, and the library. We are done with classes by 12:30, and the rain doesn't usually start until 2:30, so it works well. If it's cloudy, its pretty cold, but with the sun it is beautiful!

Here are some of the blog addresses from my friends in Somos Hermanos. I don't know if anyone wants to look at them (because I think I provide enough wordiness for you to read), but there are other pictures of the city and group activities and houses. And, even though we are all going through the same experience, each of us is seeing it differently.

Molly:guatemolly.tumblr.com

Rachel:rachelinguatemala.tumblr.com

Marissa:http://marissainxela.blogspot.com/

Salsa class was so much fun! I forgot to take pictures, but my friend did so hopefully I’ll be able to upload them soon. I actually knew a lot of the moves (thanks to Ali and Katherine for taking me to Latin night at The Venue after MCAT!!). We also did some lifts that were scary but fun. It was a great way for everyone in the group to let loose and get to know each other. This whole week has been a little challenging just adapting to the culture. After salsa class, we went out to a bar called Pool and Beer (really authentic Guatemalan… not! Even the waiter spoke English). It was a Texas themed bar and there were all these old American songs changed a little to be sung in Spanish, which was a little weird to hear.

This morning we hiked to Baul. It wasn’t too long of a hike. We left the school around 9am and got back around 12. We also stopped a lot to take pictures (some of which I have posted). Some of the trail was tricky and steep, but other parts of it were easy. 12 of our group of 14 went on the hike, and we had 2 Spanish-only speaking guides from the school. I was able to talk to both of them for a little bit. One of them runs a lot and has been to the states to run 2 marathons. If I understood correctly, he said he got 5^th in his age group in one of them. But, I could have totally heard wrong (It is good to practice Spanish with native Spanish speakers, but a conversation that would normally take 5 minutes actually takes 20 because every other word has to be explained in Spanish words that I actually know. And even after that I’m never sure if I actually understand).

At the top of Baul there was this monument thing, but I’m not really sure of its significance. I can probably look it up in a tour book. There was also this slide thing that was fun to go down. We spent a good amount of time just running up and sliding down. I’ve put a picture of that here too.

I had salad and pasta for lunch today. It is so random how some of the meals are really authentic and others are totally American. And some meals are just thrown together with random things that are left in the kitchen. But, it is all part of the experience! I also realized that a turtle lives in the kitchen. Marissa and I were eating breakfast this morning, and Señora Patti pulls a turtle out of a cardboard box under the sink. We were very surprised and it was a little hard to not laugh. She petted the turtle and took it to the garden (in the middle of the house) and then came back into the kitchen and kept cooking. Very different than the US!

Well, I don’t have much more to say right now (and I’m sorry that this post is a little random and blab-ful). I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Pictures:

I try to upload these in some kind of order, but they usually go in random spots. So, like I did last time, I'll just tell you about them and you can figure out which is which!

One is of Marissa and I at the top of Baul. Another is of the 12 of us that went hiking this morning at the beginning of the trail. Another is a slightly embarrassing but necessary picture of the group of people that I go running with in the mornings. The final picture is of the slide that we rode today. I'm the one in the white-looking long sleeve shirt (if you can't tell).

Yesterday was the first day it didn’t rain! It felt like a miracle. It was the first time I saw the sun shine on Xela, and it was actually very pretty! They aren’t kidding when they say rainy season.

Class was good yesterday. We worked on conjugating irregular verbs, and I learned some new vocabulary, which I need to study. Today we continued practicing irregular verbs and vocabulary. I also read a magazine article to my Maestra in order to practice pronunciation. I only understood about 10% of it. But, I do know it was about papayas and their numerous valuable uses. I also practiced conversing with my Maestra. It is one thing to understand the conjugation rules and be able to write sentences with them, but it is a totally new game when you have to actually speak with them.

Yesterday after lunch we had a free afternoon, so a group of us decided to enjoy the sunshine and walk around. We went back to the market and looked around, but I didn’t purchase anything. At 6:15, we went to a yoga class. It was an hour and a half long class that cost the equivalent of about $7.00 (which I think is pretty cheap). The class was good… we did a lot of stretching and other basic yoga things. Yoga is the same here as it is in the US (and I’m sure it is the same in every part of the world!).

Today I walked to the hospital with another girl from the Somos Hermanos group. On Wednesday, she slipped in the rain and dislocated her shoulder. She is fine but needed to take care of payment details. It was very different from any US hospital. The hallways were much smaller and it didn’t have that pristine bleached feel. But, it was clean and everyone there was very nice and helpful. We can all be glad that I was not the first person to get injured on this trip!

Tonight we have a welcome party and our first Salsa class! I am very excited, so I’ll let you know how it goes!

Pictures!! One is of myself and Josi. She is the grandchild of my host mom. She loves to play with Marissa and I. Another is of a street in Zona 3 (with sunshine!) I think this picture is a good representation of what I mean when I say the city itself isn't that beautiful, but the views surrounding it are. Another is the kitchen en mi casa. It isn't very large, but we squeeze a lot of people in it. It is where we eat all our meals and where we played cards the other night.

Hola!

I started my Spanish lessons! Each session consists of one-on-one teaching and discussion for 4 hours, with a 15 minute snack break at 11. My teacher, or Maestra’s name is Vilma. So far, I get along well with her. She does not speak English (none of the teachers at the school do) but she does know some basic vocabulary, which is helpful when I am trying to say something and I can’t think of the correct word, or don’t know the correct word. Yesterday (Tuesday) we did a lot of conversing about different topics like my life and family in the United States and her life/family. We also talked about food, so I told her I was a vegetarian. Then, I had to explain why I am a vegetarian, in Spanish. It was not an easy task, but I think I got the idea across (with the help of lots of hand signaling.). We reviewed basic vocabulary and verb conjugation in the present tense. My tarea (homework) was to write a page about my Guatemalan family.

Today in class (Wednesday), we reviewed my homework, added some verbs and adjectives to my list of vocabulary to study, and worked on the verbs “ser” and “estar.” The concepts are complicated because English sentences cannot be said in Spanish in the exact same form. So, the trick is to wrap my head around a whole new way of forming sentences. I am picking up more and more as people talk, but I still don’t know how to respond very well, so I definitely need a lot of practice!

After classes yesterday, we had a walking tour of Zona 3. We walked through an extremely large market that sold everything from shoes to books to pig’s feet and cow’s liver (I especially enjoyed seeing and smelling that!) and visited a bakery that is well known in Guatemala, but only open on Tuesdays and Fridays. They had so many delicious looking items, but I decided on a carrot cake muffin. It was delicious!

We also walked to a mall that looked a lot like an American mall where I got my cell phone and exchanged my US dollars for more Quetzals. The last stop on our walk tour was a sports complex that has a track, tennis courts, basketball courts and baseball fields. After seeing that, our leaders left us to our own devices to get home. It took us an hour, but with some good groupwork we got back safely!

Yesterday (Tuesday) morning and this (Wednesday) morning, I went running with a group of people from Somos Hermanos. We have to go running in the morning before school because the torrential downpours usually start around 2pm and never end. With the combination of hills, altitude, and a significant amount of smog in the air, running is a little challenging at the moment, but I’m hoping it will get easier. The views of the city aren’t that great. Most of the time spent running is being careful to not step in a pothole, slip on a piece of trash, or get hit by a car, but when we are waiting at stop signs I’ll look up and see the volcanoes and mountains surrounding us, and that is pretty! I am looking forward to hiking them.

For dinner Tuesday night I had Ramen for the first time. Who would have thought that the first time I would eat Ramen would be in Guatemala?! I’m pretty sure Ramen has chicken broth, but I ate it because I was cold, hungry, didn’t know how to ask if it had chicken broth in it, and figured it would be extremely rude to refuse to eat.

After dinner, I did my homework and then played the card game Phase 10 with the whole family. It was a lot of fun and a great way to let loose and get to know people, especially since card games don’t require a lot of complicated conversation. We played for a good 3 hours.

This afternoon (Wednesday) we watched a documentary called Recycled Life. It is about the largest landfill in Guatemala. The movie talked about the lifestyles of those living there (called “guajeros”), the dangerous and unhealthy conditions, and those who have tried to help change the situation. But it also talked about how the people living there have families that have been living the lifestyle for many generations. That life is all they know, and they felt very strongly about not having it changed. After the movie, we discussed possible ways to combine modern healthcare with traditional views. We also highlighted the importance of understanding traditions and becoming lifelong learners in our medical professions.

Our conversation transitioned to the elections that will be happening in Guatemala September 11. There are 2 rounds of elections, and for the first election there are approximately 22 parties with a candidate for each. After the September election, the top two winners are re-voted on some time in October. We talked a little about the political parties, the governmental reforms that have occurred in the past and the reforms people are talking about for the future. It was a very interesting conversation, and I am excited to learn more about the process and be involved with the community as the election unfolds.

That’s it for now… sorry I don’t have any pictures today!

Hola!

So far, Xela is great! Although the city itself is a little dirty, the surrounding views are unbelievable, with volcanoes and mountains that go past cloud cover. The people are all very welcoming and my host family is very patient with my slow elementary Spanish.

My host mom, Señora Patricia is a very nice woman. From what I can tell, she spends her days cooking and cleaning for the many people who live in the house. This evening I asked her, in my rudimentary Spanish, what her favorite household activity was. She said cooking. She cooks very well! Sunday night we had a carrot and tomato mixture with rice and tortillas. Others had chicken in addition. For breakfast on Monday (today), we had what they call “Mush.” It is basically a very liquid cream of wheat, almost like warm milk, but sweet. You add cornflakes and bananas. It was a strange taste, something I think will definitely grow on me. For lunch, we had a salad of potatoes and zucchini on a bed of lettuce with some tortillas. Others had pork with it. There was also a fruit that I cannot remember the name of, but it tasted a lot like a peach. For dinner, we had eggs and black beans with a tomato sauce and tortillas. The food has good flavor but is very simple. From what I gather, Guatemalans eat based on availability and practicality… what can feed a large amount of people for a small cost. The portions are also not very large. I’m glad I brought some trail mix for snacks!

Señor David is my host father. I have not talked to him as much, but he is nice. Señora Patricia and Señor David have 3 daughters. One of them is named Yaki and lives close to us. Her daughter, Josi, is often at the house. She is fun to be around and likes to play “hot potato” or “papa caliente.” Today we tossed the ball around and played some basketball. I met another daughter in passing yesterday, but I cannot remember her name. The third daughter is at school in Guatemala, but not Xela. I cannot remember exactly where.

There are also other students living in the house. Like I mentioned, I am living with Marissa, another girl from Somos Hermanos. She is much more advanced in her Spanish than I. Often, she will help me by breaking sentences down. I can usually understand conversations, but I have a difficult time responding. She helps me with that as well. We made an agreement that we will do our best to only speak Spanish to each other. We are also told that Señora Patricia will scold us if we speak too much English. Steven is another student living in the house that is part of the Somos Hermanos 6 week summer program, so he only has 2 weeks left in Guatemala. He just finished his first year of Med school at Tulane. It is helpful to have him around because he can explain customs in the house and helps us understand what is going on if we are confused. Another student, Michael, is from another city in Guatemala but is studying here in Xela. I have not really had much contact with him. I met him for the first time at lunch today.

Naturally, I was the first awake this morning. I struggled through conversation with Señora Patricia using my Spanish/English dictionary. I showed her my photos, which was a great icebreaker because it is easy to make comments about family and hair, outfits, relations, etc. Like I said before, she is so patient with my speaking and helps me figure out words whenever she can.

On Monday, we had a 2 hour orientation that began at 9am. We got a lot of information about safety and health and manners. It was very helpful. We also received all of our study materials. We have a binder full of readings for each week that discuss Guatemalan culture, history, etc. Each week we discuss the articles. The earlier articles are also in English, thank goodness!

After orientation we had a quick snack of enchiladas, which were nothing like American enchiladas. It was basically a crispy tortilla with a spread of refried beans and some queso on top. It was good, but not what I was expecting when they said enchiladas! After our snack, we were given entrance exams to test our Spanish abilities. It consisted of 75 sentences with blanks and you had to fill in the correct verb, correctly conjugated. It was very difficult and my high school Spanish was not very helpful (Voy, Vas, Va, Vamos, Van is about all I remember concerning verb conjugation)! I am excited though, because it means I have a lot to learn. Already, I feel like I am beginning to think in Spanish. It is a great help to be totally immersed. You can’t get away with not speaking!

After the exam, Marissa and I went home for lunch. The distance between the school and my house is not far… about the distance of a city block. The rain began around 2PM and it hasn’t stopped since. So much rain! We had a walking tour of Zona 1 at 2:30, and the streets were extremely flooded. My waterproofed shoes, although comfy, didn’t really do the trick. My feet were totally soaked! However, my new raincoat was perfect.

Our walking tour brought us to EntreMundos, the place where we will be organizing our volunteer projects during week 10-16. We also walked to Parque Central, or the central park of Zona 1 (the city is divided into many different Zonas. Tomorrow, we will tour Zona 3). We visited a cemetery and an “Iglesia Amarillo”, aka yellow church. We stopped by a grocery store where I purchased shampoo and conditioner and the special wash that we need to use to disinfect fruits and vegetables. After, our guides left us free to wander the city. Because it was pouring, it wasn’t so much fun. We found a place called café Luna that was recommended to us by Kate, our program leader. A bunch of us sat there and enjoyed hot chocolate and chocolate café (aka café mocha). It was so rich but very delicious, and the perfect activity for the cold rainy afternoon. The café was decorated with a lot of old art and random items. Sadly, I forgot my camera, but I am sure I will go back some time in the near future, and I will be sure to take pictures.

I am actually typing this Monday night (but posting on Tuesday) in my room in a word document because it takes a long time to write down all my thoughts and I want to be as thorough as possible. So far I don’t seem to have the time to do it at the school. Tomorrow (Tuesday) I am meeting a group of people to go running at 6:30am. We are told that people who go running often do it early in the morning because the streets are not as crowded yet, and it doesn’t rain in the morning. It will be interesting to see how I do with the altitude, but I am excited to run in a climate that is not 100 degrees! There are a surprising number of people in this group who like to run and be very active, which is exciting. We are talking about planning trips to go hiking and rock climbing (and something called “the cave of death”) etc. on free weekends.

Tomorrow I will also meet my teacher and begin my Spanish lessons. I am very excited to begin! There is so much Spanish I want to learn but I have no idea where to begin, and I know the teachers are well practiced in teaching and will be very helpful.

I hope this gives you a good idea of what I have been up to for the past couple of days. Right now, the days seem sort of long because there is so much information to absorb. But, I am enjoying it all. I don’t think it has registered that I will be here for a whole 6 months though.

**The first photo attached is the street I live on. Our front door is right underneath the Crush sign. My host family owns una tienda. Every time someone comes to purchase something a bell rings. It is constant from 6:30 am to 8PM!

**The second photo is the hallway between the main part of the house and my room. It is basically an uncovered patio in the middle of the house. They don’t have heat or air conditioning, so it doesn’t matter that the house is completely open to outside air (although the no heat makes for chilly nights, especially for this Floridian. Last night, I slept in pants and a long sleeve shirt with a wool sweater and wool socks, covered by my down sleeping bag and about 5 blankets!). It is very pretty though, and the sound of the constant rain is soothing when I am dry in my room.

**The third photo is the front of the Spanish school.

I hope all is well with everyone en los Estados Unidos. I miss and love you all!

Arriving in Xela

The drive to Xela wasn't too bad. We were warned that we would be driving on twisty roads, so I was expecting tiny dirt roads that wound back and forth, but it was all paved and well kept. I didn't get sick at all, and the views were beautiful.

It was quite funny packing all of us into the short school bus that took us from Guatemala City to Xela. I've attached a picture, but imagine 15 people, each with luggage for 6 months, in one short school bus. It was not exactly the roomiest trip. We stopped for lunch at Subway. Subway in Guatemala looks, smells and tastes the same as it does in America!

We went directly to the Spanish school and met with our families. I am living with one other person from Somos Hermanos. Her name is Marissa. The house is very close to the school... probably about a city block. The house and my room is much smaller than most American homes, but it is nice. I will learn more about my family at dinner, maybe... if I can understand the Spanish.

Travel Day

Welcome to my blog! I'll be posting as often as possible about all my adventures and the exciting things I learn. Ask questions whenever you want. Thanks for following :-)