Over the river and through the woods to Comalapa we go!

Yesterday we made our journey through the pouring rain, up the winding winding roads, up and up, around and around to the smallish town of Comalapa. We were greeted by a beauitful woman with long black hair pulled up, wearing a traditional traje, holding an umbrella and waiting. She will be my host mother for the next 10 months. She led us to our house where her father in law and brother priest were sitting waiting to welcome us. The house is brand new, only 4 years old, and they are still building. After a few minutes of discussion about the separation of the Catholic church in Comalapa and yet another go around of introductions that are really useless because I can never remember names until I see them written, especially names that I have never heard before, we headed to her parents´house for lunch.

At lunch I assisted in the making of tortillas where I sucessfully made two, broke 2 others, and dropped yet another. All in all it was a successfull attempt. Our lunch was delicous, chicken broth with several squashlike veggies and a piece of chicken. And of course tortillas tortillas tortillas. For dessert we had sweet bread and coffee. I am becoming quite the coffeholic, and I NEVER drank coffee in the United States. I hope I can break the addicition upon returning. Although the coffee that most people drink here is NOT the good coffee that many people pick for a living. That coffee is shipped to places like the U.S. and sold and coffee shops for lots of money. No no, here we drink instant just like the rest of the world. But anyway... During lunch, we made the comment to the family that I would like to try to kill a chicken to eat sometime during this year. I read a book called Änimal. Vegetable. Miracle. this summer and it made me really want to become more aware of the origins of my food, including meat. I figure if I´m going to eat the stuff then I shouldn´t be such a baby about killing it. Besides, it is much more humane to kill a chicken in your own back yard than to buy preprocessed coroporate farm raised mutant chicken, in my opinion. So anyway, the family misunderstood the time frame in which I was talking and before I knew it, she was holding a chicken in the air ready for me to take a blow!!! In 6 months I said...
The chicken thanked me for postponing his execution and went back to play with his friends.

After the tortilla and chicken incidents, it was time for us to visit the school in which I will be working at this year. Wow. This school is very special. It is called CEFORMA and is only 2 years young held in a small small space off an alley. The children greeted us with enthusiasm. The class officers stood up and gave us a tour, boldy, with confidence unusual for children their age in front of strangers. The girls also wore traditional trajes and sang us songs in the Mayan language Kakchiquel. Unlike most schools in Guatemala that ingnore Mayan culture, this school is different. They teach the children Spanish first, then Kakchiquel, and then English. They also incorporate Mayan cultural practices into their education. The children and teachers wear traditional trajes. I am hoping that I also have the opportunity to wear the traditional traje there, it depends on what my school and host family thinks about that. In addition to the Mayan incorporation, the school is very progressive in its pedagogy as well. For example, the children sit in circles, rotating each day responsibilites within the classroom. The children are encouraged to participate in discussions as well. My short time visitng left me with the impression that the environment there was very loving and encouraging. Many schools here are based on punishment and strict rules. What a breath of fresh air this school is!!!! I CANNOT WAIT TO WORK THERE! However, the school year is over the end of October, just after I arrive to Comalapa. It begins again January 2nd. So, I´ll be spending their break helping them to move the school to a larger space somewhere else in town. I am excited to be able help in the process of creating the classroom environment, also, I am happy to be there right from the beginning of the new school year.

There is also a chance that I will be able to be part of the Catholic church while I am there. My host uncle is a priest, and seems to be a very interesting man. I am looking forward to learning more about Catholism in a Latin American context. I think I might take advantage of this opporunity.

Oh well, that is all I have to say about Comalapa at this moment. Now, I will make a list of top 5s and bottom 5s.

Top 5 things I am loving about Guatemala right now.

1. TRIPLE day for my cell phone. On these days, which are about twice a week, you can buy a phone card and it is worth triple the amount you paid for it!
2. Spanish School. Never in my life have I had such one on one attention from a teacher. I am learning so much from going there for 5 hours every week day! I will be so lost when it is all over!!!
3. The Snack Lady that comes carrying a bowl of delicious homemade goodies on her head to school every morning at 10 am for our break!!!
4. Playing UNO EVERYDAY with my host brothers.
5. Learning how to make tortillas...I try so hard. The women do it soooo fast and so perfectly. I am going to learn by the end. I am determined.

Botton 5 things am I dealing with in Guatemala right now.

1. COLD SHOWERS. I have to forget about my cold shower everyday after I take it so that I am not too chicken to do it again the next day!!!
2. hot dogs without condiments. enough said.
3. Playing UNO EVERYDAY with my host brothers.
4. Machismo....yuck
5. the rainy season raining everyday!!!!! I washed my clothes by hand for the first time last week, hung them out to dry and then it rained for 5 days straight. They are finally dry but moldy smelling once again!!! Que horrible!!
   

Okay that´s all for now. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!

bienvenidos a guatemala, volcanoes don´t really exist

BUENOS TARDES MIS AMIGOS AND MI FAMILIA,

I have now been in Guatemala for 11 days. Let me back track and try and tell you all what has been going on!

I left for my orientation in Lousiville, KY on August 26th. It was held at the Theological Seminary just like the Placement Event in April. It felt a little strange to be back there with all of the familiar faces and places. The week was surreal. We spent long days discussing and digesting all that we were about to see and know. We talked about tough issues such as globalization, interfaith relationships, personal health and safety, oh and so much more that I can´t even remember! The orientation prepared us as much as it could before we left. I felt like my mind was ready to consider and reflect on what I would experience in Guatemala this year. And boy let me tell you I did NOT know what I was going to experience. And then, like a raccoon in the night, Team Guatemala made its way to the airport for our 6 am flight.

Our arrival in Guatemala was overwhelming. As soon as I stepped into the airport, the smell of the air hit me and I knew I was no longer at home. If you have ever travled to another country, you might know what I mean. Each country has a different smell. The mix of the heat, the humidity, the food, the pollution, the sewage, and even the soap culminates into a unique essence or perfume. Cologne au Guatemala. Here it is the maiz. The Maya are the people of the maiz and you know it by its smell. Grilled corn on the cob. Fresh corn tortillas. Corn tamales. Corn things that I haven´t learned the name of yet. All things corn. Anyway, when I arrived in Guatemala City, I was surprised at how few people were in the airport. I was taken aback by how smoothly everything went! I got a stamp with no questions asked. Customs were basically nonexistant. And Marcia, our supervisor, was waiting for us outside easy to find. I expected an entrance more like my experience in Ghana. When I arrived in Accra almost 3 years ago, the electricity had gone out, and so everything was madness by flashlight. Our baggage was put into a pile in a dark room. And I was sweating profusley upon touchdown....and I didn´t stop sweating until I returned to Pennsylvania 5 months later. But here in Guatemala, everything was juuuust fine, fortunately.

Our first 3 nights were spent in an old monestary in Antigua, which is 1 hour from Guatemala City. The monestary was beautiful. A few nuns still live there, and I think a few monks as well. Each morning we had breakfast in the old Comedor. Typical Guatemalan breakfasts may include beans, eggs, and fresh bread with coffee. Or they might just be fresh papaya with corn flakes and hot milk. Either way, they are delicious. I never drank coffee in the United States, but I am already becoming an addict here! We spent our afternoons touring the city and getting to know one another a little better. There are 6 of us here from the same program.

Antigua is an old Colonial City. It was the 3rd capital of Colonial Guatemala. The city is an almost perfect grid with cobblestone streets, broken sidewalks, and red, yellow, blue, and white walls lined with doors that take you into hidden worlds of cafes, museums, gardens, restaurants, and homes. The red and yellow walls represent the Spanish flag and the blue and white walls represent the Guatemalan flag. Despite several earthquakes which have destroyed several buildings, churches, and monestaries, Antigua works hard to keep its Colonial feel. One could certaintly feel as though one has stepped back in time to the 1600s. As for Antigua´s population, there are so many expats! It is quite ridiculous really. Almost every restaurant, store, or hotel is owned by an expat. And every major European language is being spoken somewhere in Antigua at any given moment. You just have to see it for yourself! Before I left for Guatemala, I made sure to have some of my favorite foods that I just knew I wouldn´t eat again until I went back to the U.S. But boy was I wrong. Since I have been here, I have eaten my favorite Thai food, French food, and tried Korean food for the first time! What a confusing place.

After those first 3 days, we moved 15 minutes outside of Antigua to a town called San Juan del Obispo. San Juan is a whole different world from Antigua. We are living here with host families for 5 weeks while we attend the town´s Spanish School called APPE. The school is really quite awesome because we have our own tutors 5 days a week for 4 hours a day! In addition, we each live with a different family. The family I live with has been very welcoming and calls me ¨Nena.¨ Our families feed us each day and have been able to try all types of different Guatemalan foods including muchas tortillas. Another phenomenon in Guatemala are licquados which are basically fresh fruit smoothies and oh are they delicious! Of course the bananas here are so fresh and I can´t get enough of them. Even though I never liked bananas in the States! The freshness of a food makes alllll the difference really.

Each morning we have been attending Spanish School and each afternoon, the school provides an activity. So after lunch with our families, we hop on the camioneta which is an old school bus painted lovely colors and full of Guatemalans, pay our 25 cents and hit the town. We have been able to tour some places in Antigua, climb up to a beautiful cross above Antigua, take salsa lessons, and learn more about the Civil War that lasted 30 years in Guatemala. Last Saturday, we were able to hike up a volcano and were just feet away from actual lava. I thought that lava was make believe like dinosaurs and octopi, but apparently it is real! And let me tell you, that climb up the volcano was haaaarrd! It was raining and cold. It was so foggy that we couldn´t see 10 feet in front of us. By the way there are cows mooing outside the interenet cafe right now. haha Anyway, the hike up the volcano took 2 hours. Most of the hike was through forest like terrain and I didn´t think I could make it. But then, out of nowhere, we we found ourseves outside of the trees. We were walking in a desert of volcanic rock pebbles, slipping with each step. At any moment, I could have fallen and rolled down the volcano! Did I mention we couldn´t see 10 feet in front of us...hmm there is no question mark. Anyway, if that wasn´t enough, we then found ourselves climbing on all fours up large volcanic rocks that avalanched beneath us with every step. Right when I thought that all of this was just too much and it was time for me to wake up now, we saw right beside us flaming hot molten lava!!!! It is real! Lava is real! And with all this to comprehend, I turned around to see a stray dog climbing beneath my friend´s legs. Un perro climbed up the volcano behind us! What a sight that was. Tomorrow we are going to Santiago Atitlan which is a town on a beautiful lake surrounded by MORE VOLCANOES. I really can´t comprehend all of this ancient beauty.

Sorry for such a late update. I will try to be better from now on. It is hard to find enough time to devote to the internet cafe to write an entry. I promise I will have more stories to tell. And if I can update often enough, they won´t have to be so long and rambling. But for now, it is 6pm and the sun is setting. By the way, there is no such thing as dusk here. It is daylight and then it is dark within 20 minutes. Darkness that fast is sort of unsettling. And I feel like around 7pm everynight, I am in my slow process of getting ready for bed. Boy have I been tired! All of this Spanish is been tiring me out!!! But, luckily, I have not gotten sick yet. I have been brushing my teeth with the water here and who knows what else I have been eating and drinking. I am just trusting in my antibodies big time now.

Ok until next time..
oh and maybe i can get some pictures up later (HERE THEY ARE!!)
and my foot is soooo itchy from mosquitoes!

paz y amor