Coffee, Music and Pictures

I will just be describing our 'extracurricular' activities today.  It is too hard to write about school, knowing our last day is going to be tomorrow.  The thought of leaving those sweet kids is too much.

Today after school, we headed off to a coffee plantation. Yes, you heard me. A coffee plantation (fair trade, of course). Luckily, we were able to go on a guided tour. The guide explained everything; how the coffee was roasted, and the long and intricate process of 'fixing' the beans. First comes the picking of the red coffee berries. Then, you dry the beans. After drying them for a few days, the paper-like covering is removed, leaving greenish whitish beans. Then they are baked, medium or dark roast. We got to taste a few beans of dark and medium roast, and then taste some hot chocolate powder. It was amazingly delicious.
Next, we headed to a music museum neighboring the coffee plantation. We learned about the materials and the ways the Mayans made their instruments, then watched a short film about the music and the dancing culture.  Photos from our trip will be posted tomorrow.
Fin
The Puffin

This is Anna.  Today, we took our camera to school.  Here are our little angels:

 I am working a "rompecabezas" with these second graders.  They love games and puzzles. 

 Sara peeled potatoes during recess today.  She used this knife.  They do not use peelers. 

 This little face....belongs to Cristian.  I want to bring him home with me.  He has stolen my heart.

 Nina and Cesi are in the kitchen.  I have learned more about Guatemalan people and culture from Cesi than anyone else.  She also taught me how to cook!  She works tirelessly to feed the kids at school. 

 Nina and the kids in the cafeteria 

 They are so affectionate!  (It took me awhile to get used to this.)

 Vitoria (3rd grade) wears traditional Mayan clothing.

Sara and Nina made this bus and taught "The Wheels on the Bus" to the fourth graders.  All classes have to sing a song in English for next week's talent show.

Esperanza Juvenil is a great school.  It is a private school, so kids here are luckier than most.  Here, they teach the "whole child."  The students do not pay tuition, however.  The school is supported by donations.  The staff at EJ chooses children from highly-impoverished or violent neighborhoods/settings, and these students comprise the school's population.  Without EJ, most would be at risk.  Here, they receive healthy meals, education and counseling.  Many of the students live at school.

Photos

 This is a temple at the Mayan Ruins in Iximche.  This temple is dedicated to the Sun.

 Nina spoke of the city dump, where many of Guatemala's poorest people forage through the trash.  The yellow trucks are bringing in the trash. 

 You can see people looking through the trash for items they can sell.  Some even live in the dump.  It is rain season now, so this makes the conditions at the dump even more deplorable.  Land slides happen frequently.

 Sara weaving according to Mayan tradition.  It takes months to create specialized pieces.

 Nina dressed in traditional Mayan garb

 This is the "wedding simulation" in which our group took part.  All are in traditional Mayan dress.

 Many Mayans wear this clothing every day - except the men.  There is tremendous racism against the Mayan men, so most have had to wear Western clothing to avoid mistreatment.  The indigenous Mayan people continue to suffer at the hands of the "ladinos." 

 Women carry goods on their heads, even in the city streets.

Sara making tortillas.  She is laughing because she dropped the "bolita," and had to start all over again.

A Mayan elder showing Nina how to make corn tortillas.  Corn is sacred here.  Guatemalan men are "Men of the Corn."

Isn't this amazing?  The bananas here are the best I have ever tasted.  They are unusually sweet.  Locals sell fresh fruit everywhere.  We've had over a dozen different types of juices, and they are incredibly delicious.

Sara and Nina at Santa Clara Monastery in Antigua.  The earthquakes have destroyed the beautiful monument, but this is what is left.  This particular monastery was only for the Spanish women, therefore it was very wealthy.  Families would give the girl's dowry to the monastery, and it was considered an honor to join.

Antigua is currently restoring the monastery.

This is a view of "Shanty Town" or "La Limonada," Make-shift shacks are piled upon one another.  To get to a shack on the bottom, one has to climb down from the shacks on top.  There are no roads.  We are told that the gangs run this city within a city.  Most drug trafficking is done here.  A lack of roads makes it difficult for the police to arrest drug dealers.  For the most part, law enforcement  turns the other cheek anyway, as locals believe that they, too, are corrupt.

My Sarita doing what she loves most

Do you see the volcano in the background?

The monastery

We are in front of the main cathedral in Antigua.  There are 28 Catholic churches here.  With the Spanish conquest came the imposition of Catholicism.  The indigenous Mayans practice Catholicism as well as continue to practice their own rituals.  

We only two more days in beautiful Guatemala.  I have fallen in love with the people here and am already looking forward to my return.  I will volunteer here again!  This amazing country is in great need of support.  

The average Guatemalan has a fourth grade education.  Higher education is a privilege because most cannot afford to attend school past "La Primaria."  Locals are so grateful for our work in the schools and hospitals.  They "protect" us, knowing that we are volunteers.  Even those who work in the clinic outside "La Limonada" are protected by the gangs.  

Teachers, in Guatemala, make very little money (about six hundred dollars a year).  They are among the hardest working, most dedicated people I have ever met. 

The city hospital does not have money to buy basic necessities, like gloves, gauze, etc.  Doctors here have plenty of patients they simply cannot treat.  Private hospitals are for the wealthy and I am told (by our host) that they are "Five-Star." 

This trip has been among the greatest of my life, and I am happy to have shared it with Sara and Nina. Thanks for reading!

Anna

martes, el 28 de mayo

Today, after creating a school bus (out of cardboard) for some fourth graders, we taught them "The Wheels on the Bus" and choreographed a simple dance for them to remember the words.  They have a big talent show in a week, and all grades must sing a song in English.  It was a feat, to say the least, but they got it!  School is getting easier each day.  We do anything and everything they need us to do.  Nina peeled over 100 ripe (like black ripe) bananas.  We would usually not eat them BLACK/SQUISHY ripe.  Dad would make banana bread or we'd toss them out, but here - nothing, absolutely nothing is wasted.  After being peeled, Cesi (the cafeteria lady - who is awesome by-the-way) put them in the freezer.  The kids eat them for dessert. 

I was finding myself very happy today, due to the fact that all three of us have learned a ton of new Spanish words. (Mom made us laugh today when, in English,  she asked, "Put me some sugar in my coffee.")  She was thrilled that she was thinking in Spanish and translating to English!  No, I'm not fluent yet, but I'm tantalizingly closer to the prospect. I absolutely love learning this new language!

The hardest part for me are the conjugations. Besides that, I pretty much have comprehension,   comparison, contrast, and cooking words down.  Comprende?

After school, we headed to Antigua to see another monastery which was also destroyed by one earthquake after another.  Then, we went shopping with our remaining hour and a half. Tons of street vendors swarmed towards us.   We were among the included targets.
"Would you like us to do these in your hair?" asked a kindly woman, holding up pattered hair pieces made out of thread. "Only five Quetzales."  (One dollar is about eight quetzales)
We decided that there was nothing to lose. So, of course, our little group agreed. They braided a piece of  hair and then braided colorful thread over that.  So now, we ave these beautiful culturally patterned hair pieces. They are supposed to stay in our hair for 3 months!
Puff

We took some cool pictures which I will download tomorrow, after getting them from Jessica's camera.  Jessica, Courtney and Emily were our side-kicks today.  We really enjoy their company.  They are all 20 years old and still in college.  We do most things with them, which makes it more fun.  They volunteer at different places.

Weekend rest

This weekend, we took a trip to beautiful Antigua.  We left Friday, after school, and returned Saturday evening.  Virginia, our home base director, gave us a suggestion for a hotel and we could not have been more pleased.  The grounds were beautiful, and we could see the volcano from the patio.  It even had potable water, which was a treat!  Once we arrived, each of us immediately took hot showers - our first in Guatemala (exhilarating).  We were so tired from the week that we spent Friday evening at the hotel, lounging, sharing stories about the kids, and relishing our special accommodations.  Saturday, we strolled the streets of Antigua and shopped at the local market.  We bought coffee and other hand-made goods from the Mayan vendors.  Donned in their authentic dresses, it was hard to resist their pleas for making a sale.

-Anna

Hi! This is Nina continuing Mom's post.

When we returned to home base, we decided to take a walk to the best bakery in Guatemala City, San Martin. When we stepped inside, the aroma of freshly baked bread hit us with the force of a tsunami. If you've never smelled Heaven before, come to San Martin! Once we had gathered our bearings, we walked through the aisles, looking at the delicious-smelling pastries, cakes, and breads. Sara got a pastry called "pan dulce" and I got a delicious looking slice of Oreo cake. Mom, a fan of salty foods, chose a cheesy bread and wheat bun. Everything was delectable!

Some of the fantastic cakes at San Martin.

P.S. Sorry these pictures are not my own, but my camera had a pretty bad fall exploring the earthquake-ruined monastery of Antigua. The pictures you are about to see are from the internet but are true to life.  Hopefully, we will solve the camera situation soon.  Some of the nurses we are volunteering with have offered to let me upload pictures from their cameras.

Aguas Calientes, Guatemala

Today, after school, we went on a day trip to a place called Aguas Calientes. Despite the name, there aren't any hot springs there anymore.  The city got its name because it is so close to the volcano and this heated the springs.  Today, those springs are dry.
First, we explored the ruins of an ancient monastery that was destroyed in the 1976 (I think) earthquake.   It was very interesting, and we took lots of pictures. Unfortunately, Nina dropped her camera (and it kinda died).  Our fellow volunteers took lots of pictures of us, so as soon as they e-mail them to mom, I'll upload them.
OHMYGOSH IT'S A THUNDER! *HIDES* OHMYGOSH IT'S A LIGHTHNINGGGGGG!
*moment of panic*
Okay, done with that. Sorry, there's like a large thunderstorm here. Lotsa rain. Very humid. :P
Right. So if I can upload photos, they'll be on tomorrow's blog.
After our group was finished 'going on an adventure' in a monastery (with 100% DEET - tons of...wait for the Spanish...moscos), we headed to....uh, how do I describe this....? It was like half of a house, one big room, made of cinder block, with a dirt floor. The upper walls were made of stalks of bamboo tied together, the top was sheet metal. It was, as described by our driver, a "Mayan Experience."
First, I was (against my will) chosen to be a volunteer in weaving some cloth, which was very difficult. A Mayan elder talked me through the process (in Spanish). I only did a few threads before we moved on to the rest of the demonstration, thank goodness.   Next (TRANSITION WORDS HA), we held a mini-example-traditional Mayan wedding. It was very entertaining, seeing some of our fellow volunteers put on the beautiful traditional clothes over their jeans and T-shirts. Nina was one of them, she was a 'flower girl' of sorts. I got to watch and laugh at her.  Mom kept saying how beautiful she looked. 
So, they explained the (year long) planning process of a Mayan wedding. I listened, interested, but mostly hoped I wouldn't be chosen as a volunteer to wear....    A.    Skirt.
Luckily, I wasn't. *Sigh of relief*
Then some of the volunteers sprinkled flower petals on the 'bride' and 'groom's' heads.
Then, one of the Mayan women brought out two smoking bowls of something.  There was lots of smoke everywhere, thick and dense, and everyone kinda started laughing. It was really funny, for reasons unknown to anyone. Mom asked (in Spanish) what the incense was and the Mayan woman told her that she was burning the 'skin' of a native tree. 
Last, we made our own tortillas, drank strong Mayan black coffee, and perused the beautiful Mayan fabrics:  tablecloths, purses, blankets, Etc.

Mr. Puffin 


  And now, finally, a picture of a few of our beloved kids:

These are the sweet little bundles of smartness (also known as the second graders that we teach.).

A great Wednesday

So, right now it's about eighty degrees, Mom's reading a book, Nina's reading some other book, and I'm sitting here writing this.
Obviously, I'm the only responsible one around here. Obviously.
Today was very much like the others. WE woke up rather early, although five minutes later then usual, and grabbed a bite of breakfast. Of course, after that, it was time to pack our bags (however small) and head to school.
Today, I probably learned more Spanish than in all of my Spanish classes combined. I think I moved from a level, like, ten to possibly a thirty-five or forty. I've been using comprehension and other language-skills-ee words much more than I ever have before.
Three little third grade girls actually gave me a quiz on veggies in Spanish. I got eleven out of twelve, but for the life of me I couldn't remember the word for eggplant.
It was a good thing we had crayons, because I did a good deal of "dibujar-ing" and "pintar-ing." AKA, drawing and coloring. It was insanely immature and fun to draw, color, and label the parts of the house in English.
All of the children are so intelligent, and such fast learners. It's amazing!
Thanks for reading!
-Puff

Guatemala has been good for us.  The people are absolutely lovely and mostly happy to have us here.  We are trying to support the staff at school, so our work varies depending upon what the director needs.  We've mopped floors, snapped green beans and worked with almost every child in the elementary school.  They have stolen our hearts with their beautiful smiles and eagerness to learn.  Some of the children have written notes to Sara and Nina and these are hung in our bedroom. 
After school each day, we take an excursion.  Today, we visited the Popol Vuh museum.  Part of the museum tour included a pottery-making session.  Of course, the kids liked that a lot.  Sara crafted a dragon, and Nina made a cup.  I tried to make a plate but it ended up looking more like an ashtray.  Oh well, I have never been "crafty."
The food here is delicious.  We eat black beans and corn tortillas every day (with a different meat).    Tonight, we ate lichee nuts.  Sara knew what they were (of course) but it was my first time seeing the exotic food.  Juices vary daily from cantaloupe to hibiscus.  Yummy.  Thanks for reading!
Anna

 This red bus is called a "chicken bus." When it's the right season, the farmers bring their chickens on the bus. It is also very dangerous.  Gangs rob this bus daily and steal the money from the drivers.  Every day, one driver dies.

 A large, to-scale model of most of Central America. It's a ten minute walk from the Home Base.

 A view of the homes from the highway.

 On city walls, there are lots of references to the recent civil war.  Guatemalans still suffer from political unrest. (Thank you, Kelly, for having me read I, Rigoberta Manchu)

This is the elusive Lichee nut, very rarely found in the wild. Notice the characteristics of this individual in particular: The green tips of the fur, the wild eyes, the pink skin. When aggravated, Mom looks just like it. (Caption by Mr. Puffin, as I'm sure you could tell as opposed to the other captions.)

Two More Stories to Share...

Hi!

This is Nina.

Guatemala has been very educational. Despite the poor economy, it is a country full of wonders. However, not everything will make you smile and laugh. And now I'd like to tell you about the heart wrenching sight we saw yesterday, after school. After the tour of the mausoleum, we walked to the edge of a ravine and looked down. The tour guide was babbling about how a dump lay beneath, but I could hardly listen. My eyes were glued to the sight below. People were sorting through garbage, taking what they wanted to sell. They knew nothing else but to scavenge, fix up, and sell to make a living. I tore my eyes away from the spectacle to the road. Garbage trucks were coming in a steady flow, one every twenty feet, nonstop. I was later told they work from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm with no salary. They make their money off of what they can salvage from the garbage heap. The tour guide went on with how children working at the dump were run over often, drivers couldn't see them through the heaps of waste. It broke my heart to see the hundreds of people down there. We looked on for a while, until I could bear it no longer. I turned away and walked back to the bus.

My mind was occupied with images of the rubbish heap until sleep, where I was grateful to be out of my conscience's guilty clutches. I had bad dreams that night.

Anyway, on to Sara.

 Today was pretty much the same as yesterday. We went to the school and helped out. We're not allowed to bring cameras, because it would be rude to snap photos of the kids until we know them well.  So sorry for the lack of pictures. You'll just have to make due with the occasional picture of the city.
One thing that was different about today was that we helped out in the kitchen. We started the day by cleaning up. I swept, and after that Nina and Mom mopped.
"Aha. Done." I said. I then saw a cockroach scurry across the floor.
Of the kitchen.
Take it in.
Anyways, I almost screamed. "Eeeeep-" but since that wasn't very Sara-like, I cut myself off. Quickly, I grabbed the broom and whacked the cockroach. Hard.
Squish.
Well, it was pretty gory. They could film it and make a cockroach horror movie on it. But just as I was sweeping up the dust, crumbs, and dead bug into the dustpan....the thing came alive again. It seriously stood up, shook itself, and I swear it winked at me before scurrying off to whatever hole it came from.
Soon after incident cockroach, we washed our hands. And we started sorting through about five pounds of black beans.
"Rock. Found one." I mumbled.
"Me too. Wait. That's not a rock...."
"Say no more. Please."
After that and helping some kids learning to read, it was on to....more beans. Green beans this time.
"Just snap off the stem and the bottom." said the cook, in Spanish.
Snapping off the stem and the bottom was rather difficult for one who doesn't have fingernails.
"Ack."
"Ha, I have LONG nails. It's easy."
"Ouch. Something just bit me."
And so it had, and now I have quite the mosquito bite on my arm. Oh well.
Today, we also went on a little "Spanish Lesson." We actually went on a short, two hour long excursion. We saw a huge, to scale model of a map of Central America, which was actually 3D. It started to rain, so we headed back to Home Base.

My favorite quote of the day:

".....Eeeep-!"

-Sara