Well, since I last updated, I moved in with my family. I must admit, when the van drove away without me on Monday, I had to fight back the tears, but my host sister/roommate, Karla, sat on my bad and talked with me for awhile, and I immediately started to feel better. Then she showed me all around San Juan Ostancalco, which is pretty small. We met up with some of her friends and they planned out my whole week (Xela, the zoo, hiking, etc). My host brother, Ishmeal, who is five, is my new best friend. He is constantly showing up in my room offering to help me learn Spanish.
Sara, the oldest sister, took me to her youth group at the church. It was almost like being back at WCF, except that everyone spoke Mam and I had no idea what was going on. But they were very welcoming to me and i look forward to getting to know them.
On my second day in San Juan, I was reading in the living room when my host mom walked in with a huge sack of corn. She asked if i wanted to help, of course! SO she and I and a few other members of the family sat around the kitchen table peeling corn. I wasnt very good at it. After it was all peeled, we removed all the kernells (how do you spell that word?) one by one. I was better at that. This operation took a little over an hour. Then we boiled and mashed about a third of the corn into a liquid, and added 1/2 lb of sugar. This family is serious about sugar. This mixture is called atol de elote (corn drink). Then we made tomales (corn, sugar, margerine, and eggs). Then we made tortillas (corn and water). My host mother explained that in Guatemala, a woman who cant make tortillas will never get married. Good thing Im not Guatemalan, because my tortillas were the joke of the day. The last bit of corn we cooked by itself (unmashed).
Then came lunchtime. I was served AN ENORMOUS BOWL OF LIQUID CORN! To which I was told to add my cooked corn! THats right, corn in my sugar corn. I am currently in a corn coma. At least four normal bowls could have fit in this one. Oh, and tortillas.
Yesterday I visited the women`s group at the church, they were also very welcoming, but im not sure what I am supposed to be doing there. I think that may be a theme for this year, being unsure. Also, yesterday, I experienced my first tremblor (mini earthquake). It wasnt dangerous, just strange. It felt like I was sitting on a trampoline.
Ok, top and bottom 3 things about Guatemala right now:
Bottom 3
1. It is FREEZING and there is no heat. I wear all of my clothes all the time.
2. Our shower has only hot water, it`s kind of like being tortured. I go as long as I can between showers. I think it´s creeping out my new family.
3. Im missing Halloween! I love Halloween, please send pumpkin candy corn and other treats (to share, of course)
Top 3
1. MY FAMILY! The sisters are so nice to me, the mom is really spunky, the older brothers are sweet and the 5 year old is adorable!
2. Helping my host mom in the kitchen. That is the part of the day when I laugh the most and feel most at home. Even though I have no idea what I am doing.
3. The sense of community here is really beautiful. Everyone knows everyone, everyone takes care of everyone. It`s a very different feel from the United States.
I start work at CEIPA on Monday, wish me luck, I miss all of you!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
mucha lluvia
Warning: some parts of this blog are not for the faint of heart/weak of stomach.
A great deal has happened since my last update. For starters, I thought it would be a good idea to use the tap water to brush my teeth. OK, mistake of my life. Several days of almost-being-dead later, i found out I had amoebas. Seriously? I thought amoebas were just things you looked at under a microscope in tenth grade. I told them ( the amoebas) that it just wasnt working out and that they couldnt live here ( in my stomach) anymore. Then i killed them. (On the bright side, you really drop pounds when youre eating for 1,000) Gross. TO all concerned family members: I promise I´m fine now, and I will be more careful.
On Saturday we visited my site in San Juan Ostencalco (near Xela). I´m in love! At the (2 hour) church service, they had me get up in front of the entire congregation and say a few words (like seven or eight). Then my host father got up and welcomed me on behalf of the church, then my host sister welcomed me on behalf of the youth group, then everyone said a prayer for me. I´ve never felt so welcome in my life! The service was a mix of Spanish and Mam (so i was totally lost) and almost all of the women were dressed in the traditional traje. It was beautiful. After church there was a huge snack time (truly, these are my people) and we went to my house. I love it! It´s very cozy and there are many different rooms for various activities (sewing, embroidery, cooking, hanging out, etc) I have my own room and there is definitely enough space for some Pilates. My host father works at the church, but he is trying to start a restaurant out of the house. My host mother does emroidery work and she also runs a maternity health clinic in the room next door. There are two older daughters, Sara, who has finished school, and Carla who has promised to get lost with me Xela! There are three younger boys, Mario, Daniel, and I´ll have to report back about the third one. Im so happy to be living there, I could move in tomorrow (I actually move in October 13th, yikes!)
THis week we are in Xela and it has done nothing but rain. Xela is a very cool city, we have already discovered an amazing place for hot chocolate and a Mennonite bake shop. We also visited CEIPA, where I will also be working. They took us to one of their schools which is located in one of the markets. Every student there works in the market all morning and can attend school from 2-5:30. Public schools are open in the morning, so this is a wonderful oppurtunity for these children, I am very excited/nervous to be working with them.
We only have a week and a half more of language school, while I´m excited to start working, I hope that is enough time to learn all of the Spanish that i will need (it isnt, but I´ll manage)
OK, I will leave you now with the top and bottom 5 things about Guatemala (so far)
Bottom 5:
1.Amoebas
2.you cant drink the tap water, it isnt a huge deal, you just have to be careful about eating fruit that has been washed, or off of plates that have been washed
3.cold showers. it is not hot here
4.the rainy season
5.did I mention ameobas?
Top 5:
1.Corn flakes with hot milk. Im serious, try it.
2.If you say "hello" to someone in the street, they will say "hello" in return. always
3. the rainy season is almost over!
4.Tortillas, liquados (like smoothies, but better), hot chocolate, etc.
5. The culture here is beautiful, which sounds cheezy but there´s no other way to say it. I love it.
Special thanks to Asia for the post cards, Jeffrey for the phone calls, and all the email support! A big hug to all the other YAVs, WCF, my family, and my friends in Tallahassee!
A great deal has happened since my last update. For starters, I thought it would be a good idea to use the tap water to brush my teeth. OK, mistake of my life. Several days of almost-being-dead later, i found out I had amoebas. Seriously? I thought amoebas were just things you looked at under a microscope in tenth grade. I told them ( the amoebas) that it just wasnt working out and that they couldnt live here ( in my stomach) anymore. Then i killed them. (On the bright side, you really drop pounds when youre eating for 1,000) Gross. TO all concerned family members: I promise I´m fine now, and I will be more careful.
On Saturday we visited my site in San Juan Ostencalco (near Xela). I´m in love! At the (2 hour) church service, they had me get up in front of the entire congregation and say a few words (like seven or eight). Then my host father got up and welcomed me on behalf of the church, then my host sister welcomed me on behalf of the youth group, then everyone said a prayer for me. I´ve never felt so welcome in my life! The service was a mix of Spanish and Mam (so i was totally lost) and almost all of the women were dressed in the traditional traje. It was beautiful. After church there was a huge snack time (truly, these are my people) and we went to my house. I love it! It´s very cozy and there are many different rooms for various activities (sewing, embroidery, cooking, hanging out, etc) I have my own room and there is definitely enough space for some Pilates. My host father works at the church, but he is trying to start a restaurant out of the house. My host mother does emroidery work and she also runs a maternity health clinic in the room next door. There are two older daughters, Sara, who has finished school, and Carla who has promised to get lost with me Xela! There are three younger boys, Mario, Daniel, and I´ll have to report back about the third one. Im so happy to be living there, I could move in tomorrow (I actually move in October 13th, yikes!)
THis week we are in Xela and it has done nothing but rain. Xela is a very cool city, we have already discovered an amazing place for hot chocolate and a Mennonite bake shop. We also visited CEIPA, where I will also be working. They took us to one of their schools which is located in one of the markets. Every student there works in the market all morning and can attend school from 2-5:30. Public schools are open in the morning, so this is a wonderful oppurtunity for these children, I am very excited/nervous to be working with them.
We only have a week and a half more of language school, while I´m excited to start working, I hope that is enough time to learn all of the Spanish that i will need (it isnt, but I´ll manage)
OK, I will leave you now with the top and bottom 5 things about Guatemala (so far)
Bottom 5:
1.Amoebas
2.you cant drink the tap water, it isnt a huge deal, you just have to be careful about eating fruit that has been washed, or off of plates that have been washed
3.cold showers. it is not hot here
4.the rainy season
5.did I mention ameobas?
Top 5:
1.Corn flakes with hot milk. Im serious, try it.
2.If you say "hello" to someone in the street, they will say "hello" in return. always
3. the rainy season is almost over!
4.Tortillas, liquados (like smoothies, but better), hot chocolate, etc.
5. The culture here is beautiful, which sounds cheezy but there´s no other way to say it. I love it.
Special thanks to Asia for the post cards, Jeffrey for the phone calls, and all the email support! A big hug to all the other YAVs, WCF, my family, and my friends in Tallahassee!
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