Catch Up

So since I have updated last I have done a lot. The sauna/sweat lodge was amazing!!!! I had such a great time and it felt so good. I think I stayed in a little too long because about half hour after I got out I thought I was going to be sick. . . but I'm ok! Lesson learned. I have also taught music class, english class, and attended two different women circles.
Music class went alright. Lets just say I don't want to be a music teacher when I grow up. Also, who invented recorders. . . whoever did, mistake.
After teaching music classes in on Wednesday I went to a women circle in the community of Llano Pinal. It was my first time cooking with the women and we had a great time. We decided to cook chicken with mushrooms and tomatoes. It was delicious. We all got along really well and they are super excited for me to come back. Next week we are going to be making an "eclair cake" which is basically layers of cookies, icing, cool whip, and some other fun stuff. I think they are really excited for the new recipe and to have me come back.
Thursday I went Cantel and taught English. We learned how to express preference so I taught them the phrase "I like. . . ". We made note cards and on each note card had the phrase and an example of what the liked. For example, they had to make one for food so they would write, "me gusta pizza" and then underneath that they would right, "I like pizza". On the backside of the note card they drew a picture of the item the like. They had a great time with this activity. After teaching I had a women circle that afternoon in the same community. We made Plantain Fritters. They were so yummy. This is going to be one I make on my own. They loved it and I am very happy they enjoyed it because all of the ingredients in that recipe is very excessive to the women.
Now it is Friday. I am on my lunch break and we have been cleaning all morning. We have two groups arriving tomorrow morning, one of which will be staying here. We are almost done with the cleaning and now there is just cooking to do.
I have yoga tonight and some other fun things to do. Adios for now!
PS. I hope you all get rain very soon. I'll try and send some of Guatemala's north.

!!!!!!!HOLA!!!!!!!

Don't worry!!! I have not fallen off a mountain. I have been extremely busy and this weekend not a lot was going on. This weekend I spent a lot of time sleeping, soaking up some usually non-existent sun and hiking. It was a great weekend!!!
On Monday, we had a meeting that included everyone that works in the organization. It lasted about 3-4 hours and it was all in Spanish. I understood a lot of it!!! I am very proud of myself :). We have an extremely busy month ahead of us and we were making sure everyone was on track. For example, in the last week of July alone there will be 4 different groups here. We did the math and that makes us responsible for more than 80 people at once. So to say the least, we all want to make sure we are prepared and we know what we are all personally responsible for. I am very excited for the weeks ahead but I am just a tad bit nervous, which I think is completely understandable.
Today I had an amazing day! A group of us woke up and were out hiking a close by trail/mountain by 6:30 this morning. We got back in time for me to change clothes and grab something to eat before I had to grab a bus and go to the community of Cantel. Cantel is where I teach in the school Nuevo Amanecer. I teach 4th, 5th and 6th graders english. Both classes went wonderfully. Everyone paid close attention and they learned a lot. I am very pleased with the progress we made today. We practiced what we learned before and started learning about pronouns. They caught on very well. I am very excited to go back on Thursday and make more progress.
Tomorrow I am teaching music class in a different community and then I have a women circle in the afternoon. We will be cooking chicken with tomatoes and mushrooms. I think it will be a great experience and interaction. After the women circle some of us are going to Hilda's house. She is the director of the Mayan Health Program project. She has built a sauna/steam room in her yard and we are going to use it. I can not wait!!!! This concept of a steam room is a part of Mayan medicine and it is for cleansing your system. I think it will be an amazing experience. I am looking forward to what tomorrow brings and I am sorry for not checking in more often. Check in again soon. . . this time I mean it :)

Reflection on the week

So this week was pretty amazing, not only for me but the organization as well. I learned a ton of Spanish and some serious salsa moves too. AMA had the best group they could have asked for as their test run for establishing a health branch to the organization.
The group this week heard lectures on Mayan health, the Mayan cosmo vision, and the Guatemalan Health Care system. They met with Mayan midwives and other Mayan health professionals so in their week hear they gathered a ton of information on the Guatemalan/Mayan perspective of health. The entire group was thrilled with their experiences and very excited about the interactions they had. I over heard one of their nightly reflections this week and it sounds like they were able to share a modern perspective of health while also learning the Mayan perspective. They talked about how they taught the Mayan women how to take blood pressure and other really common doctoral practices in the states. They talked about how quickly the women picked up these new concepts and how eager they were to learn. It was an extremely successful trip. They also talked about how amazing and holistic the Mayan approach to health is and more "well rounded" the practice is.
For the future, I believe the goal is to build a program that provides an opportunity for groups of health professionals to come learn and share knowledge that can be very beneficial for all parties involved. There are some aspects of Mayan health that the current US health approach could benefit from and there aspects of current health practices that Mayan health could benefit from. This group really let this organization know that it would seem successful to add another very important and life changing program to their organization.
Long term, I know that they want to build a strong enough relationship between the communities and visiting US health professionals that they could maybe start reforming the Guatemalan health care system. I don't know enough about it to contribute my opinion, but from what I have been told there could be better ways of administering health care in this country. This is obviously a very long term goal, but one that could benefit the lives of so many. I am very excited for AMA and their ambition for this project.
As far as how I have been doing, I spent last night sleeping a lot due to my very busy week and it was just what I needed. This morning was very sunny which was so nice because it hasn't really stopped raining since I got here. YEAH hurricane season!!! Some other interns and I took the opportunity to lay out in our court yard to appreciate the rarely seen sun. It was quite lovely. Afterward at about 10:30 this morning we hiked up a mountain about 20 minute walk away. It had an amazing view and a great play ground at the top. We hiked back down and made it just in time to catch the soccer game. It has been a lovely day and this evening we are having a very nice dinner at my friend's house. I am very excited.
Check in again soon!

Very Busy Day

Today was a fabulous day!! They served my favorite Guatemalan meal this morning; black beans with a little sour cream, fried plantains, mush (like oatmeal), and eggs. It was amaaaazing! After that I ran to school but cause I was running a little late and made it just in time. I made some great progress today and I am very happy with the amount my Spanish has improved in such a short amount of time. After class I had a quick lunch in the AMA house with Claudita, Gladys, and Isabella before we headed out to a women circle about 30 minutes away.
The women circle went so well. This has been the first time I have been very excited after meeting with these groups. I am was so happy about the way things went today because today was the first time I was able to communicate with everyone effectively. Not only does that make me feel good about myself but it broke down the language barrier enough to where I have started building friendships with these women. This is the same group I went to on Guatemala's Father's Day so this was really the first time I everyone but one woman. We talked about what recipe we wanted to cook for next week and they are extremely excited! We decided we are going to cook plantain fritters and I personally think they are going to be a big success.
I just finished making the garlic bread for this evenings meal and helping with the sauce. I luckily have been able to grab a few minutes to myself in between cooking and eating!
Tonight the groups and all of the employees are going out Salsa dancing!!! I went to a salsa lesson last night so I am very excited to show off my new found skills this evening!! Should be fun! Check in again soon!

SCHOOOOOOL. . . And some other great stuff!

Today was my third day of school and I am still loving it. The excitement has worn off slightly but I think that is only because I have a lot of homework every night. Other than that though I am really enjoying it and I am learning an amazing amount in such a short amount of time. I am very pleased with how this part of my experience is turning out. . . I was just a little skeptical!
So not only have the schools been on vacation this week but it has been raining so much, thanks to Hurricane Alex, that it is dangerous to travel to the women circles I work with due to roads being washed out. So instead of working with the women circles I have been doing a tone of work around the AMA house; running errands, cooking meals, washing dishes, changing sheet. . .etc. All of which is very important and is actually quite enjoyable, especially because of the wonderful women I get to work with.
Today after class I came back to find Gladys, Claudita, and Juantia (our cook for the week. . . her food is sooooooooooo good) warming up all our left overs for their lunch. They asked if I wanted to join and I gladly did so. It was quite the bonding experience and I loved every second of it. Since my Spanish is getting better I carried on conversations with all of them through out lunch and even found out the correct way to make black beans!!! (I had quite the embarrassing mishap with a large pot of uncooked black beans last week. . . Yeaaaa. So I am extremely pleased about finding out the real way to cook them and the relationships I built today. It has been a very good and very filled day.
I have to go do homework!!! Check in again soon!!!!

spanish class!

So I just finished my second day of Spanish class and I am learning so much! I love it!!! I already feel more confident and I am very happy about my progress in the last 24 hours.
Other than that I have been super busy helping with group that is here. I have been doing such chores as helping cook, clean dishes and show people around the town. This group is very happy to be here and is so eager to learn as much as they can which I think is great. Last night we all went to a presentation by a man named Daniel Matul is a basically a Mayan philosopher. His thoughts are extremely profound and extremely interesting. I have been lucky to hear twice before, but that in no way made this lecture any less interesting! Not only did I enjoy his presentation but so did the group which made me very pleased.
Honestly, the best part about having the group here is that for while they are here we have a cook!!! She makes us authentic Guatemalan food for breakfast and dinner. I am so thrilled with what I get to eat. Last night was stewed beef in an amazing tomato sauce served over potatoes and rice. . . Easily one of the best things I have ever had! I can not wait for tonight.
Sorry I have not been checking in that often. I will try my best to be more frequent. BYEEEE!!

The group is here

So the group has just arrived and they are now out exploring their new home. They came a lot earlier than was expected but that is ok! We were ready for them. Everyone seems very nice and super excited to be here which is a great attitude to have. We spent a lot of time this weekend preparing for their arrival especially since they are all staying here!! Good news though!!! They put up a better/bigger mirror in the bathroom because of our guests so I can actually see myself when I'm getting ready. . . I am very happy.
This coming week Guatemalan public schools are on vacation so I will not be teaching this coming week. Instead I will be taking spanish classes at a local spanish school for 5 hours a day, one on one with a teacher. I am very excited and I know my spanish is going to improve so much. My first class is tomorrow. Wish me luck!!!

cleaning day

So today was an extremely intense day. We spent it feverishly cleaning the AMA house because on Saturday we have a group of women coming to stay for a week. They are all medical professional and they will be meeting with Mayan woman and Mayan medical professional to exchange knowledge and exchange points of view. I think this is a really exciting program. Not only will this program provide a new perspective on health for both parties involved, but it will also give the Guatemalans involved reassurance that their ancient history and way of life has not been forgotten. I am really excited to see what comes from this interaction, especially because I think this is the trial run for this smaller branch of the organization. Who knows what tomorrow holds?!?! I can't wait. Check in again soon!

Music Class

Today was my first day of teaching recorder classes which are small, screechy, plastic looking clarinets. I teach music classes in a different community then the one I teach English in. This school is much bigger and the class rooms are a lot more populated which makes it difficult when trying to keep the children attention. I first taught the fourth grade class. They were great!! They were super cute, very excited, and very willing to learn. We all had a very nice class and you could tell how proud they were when they were able to play notes correctly. By the end of the class we had even learned the first half of "hot crust buns" which I think is very impressive for the first class. I think they are very much looking forward to next class.
After class I went to teach 6th grade which did not go quite as swimmingly. I think it is just all 6th grade classes in general because I find at that age they become just a little to cool to listen. To say the least it was a little discouraging and very frustrating. I know that they were very excited to have me because I could see their faces light up when I walked in, but I think eventually looking cool in front of their friends became more important. The woman that took me to school, because it was my first time going, saw that the class was falling a part so she kindly ended it for me because I would not have been able to begin to in Spanish.
I have requested that the next time I go that I work with the fourth graders again but maybe 3rd or 2nd grade instead. Honestly I think recorders are a little to childish for 6th graders anyways. I know in the States, I learned how to play the recorder in 1st grade.
This afternoon I met with another women circle to discuss recipes that they would like to learn and I could tel that they were very excited about which ones I had to offer. We will be cooking our first recipe together next week! I am looking forward to it. Now I am exhausted and cooking my dinner. I'll check in again tomorrow!!!

First Day of Teaching!!!-- long post, sorry!!

So today was the day! I ventured out (on my own) to the community called Cantel and taught my first 2 English classes, each an hour and a half long. They went wonderfully. I started with the fourth grade class that has about 10 children and the were amazing! They were all so thrilled to have me and so so so willing to learn a new language. Today's class consisted of learning introductions such as, "Hello, my name is" how to express how we are feeling, days of the week and a quick review of colors. After teaching them some key phrases that went along with those topics I realized that I was only a half hour into the class. So I quickly made a memory game where they had to match the English word with the Spanish word so that they could get some context to what I was teaching them. They loved it!!! And it really enhanced their understanding of the different words.
I was extremely impressed with half the circles understanding of the days of the week, especially because the other half wasn't really grasping all too quickly. It wasn't until about half way through the first game that I realized there was a poster on the wall that had the days of the week in both English and Spanish. . . They were cheating!!! I quickly covered up the poster and not surprisingly, the half of the circle that had been so great was not anymore. After the poster was covered the game was perfect because everyone was actually learning! The kids helped each other, we talked about what each card meant in the other language, and even practiced certain phrases as words were turned over. That took us till the end of class and then they were off to recess.
After recess I taught the combined class of 5th and 6th graders. They were a little more difficult because there was more children in that class,they knew a little more English and in general it was harder to keep their attention. We worked on the same things as the 4th graders and played the same game. They definitely learned a lot but I am thinking of some ways to get them more interested and involved. Overall today was fabulous and very exciting. I am looking forward to the next time I teach.
Tomorrow I am going to a different community where I will be teaching recorder classes. I am pretty nervous but I am sure it will be ok. Wish me luck!!!

Long Day

As interesting as today I was it was just a little too long. This morning I got up and started working on more translations for my recipes. I did that until lunch at which point I took an hour off to relax and unscramble my brain. At about 12:30 I went with Gladys to a new community to participate in their women circle. It was a 20-30 minute walk to the bus stop and then a 50 minute bus ride to the community. I spoke with the women about what type of recipes they would want to cook in the coming weeks so I could get a better idea of what ingredients to stock up. It was a little difficult to say the least because not a single person I met with today speaks any English, but I made it through (shockingly). After I spoke with them Gladys taught them some different sewing techniques and gave them options for different sewing patterns that they could work on in the coming weeks. It was very interesting to watch the way their meeting was run and how in powering teaching a sewing technique can be. This program provides an option for a new way of living and really survival which I think is absolutely amazing. Although my day was extremely tiring it was also very enlightening and rewarding.
I teach my first English class tomorrow so wish me luck!!!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! (USA)

Not to much has happened this weekend which has been nice because I needed the rest, but I did manage to set off the alarm to my house, no big or anything. I only scared the living day lights out of myself, had to call the owner of the house to apologize, and got to hang out with the cops when they came to check if I was alright. There was actually no hanging out, just some apologizing and some embarrassment. But it would have been a cool story if I had become best friends with the Xela police department right?! So anyways, today and yesterday I spent the day time lounging around and exploring the town. I have found my favorite place which is a bread and pastry store that has the best chocolate eclairs ever! I wouldn't be surprised if someone has to roll me onto the plane back to the US. I have been aware of this store for less than 48 hours and have already made 2 trips. . . I am all about self-control.
What was also really great about this weekend was that I am on my way to making some great friends. Last night two of my co-workers and I went to a cool little restaurant and had a really great time just talking and laughing. I am very pleased with how my time here has gone so far.
The rest of my day today will be spent translating more recipes into Spanish for the women circle I am participating in and preparing for my recorder class that I think is tomorrow. I need to find out when that is!!!
I will be checking in again soon. I hope all of you have had an equally wonderful weekend and a fabulous Father's Day. I MISS YOU, DADDY!!!!

Xela

Hey everyone! I will first fill you in on the fun I had last night and then the exciting things I did today.
Last night the women that work in the AMA house (where I live) and I went out to a restaurant. I ordered easily the best nachos I have ever had and enjoyed every bite! There were 6 of us and we played the card game BS (my family likes to call it liar) and watched the lakers/celtics game all night. Even though the language barrier was there I had a fabulous time. We laughed the entire time. It was great.
Today I spent the morning translating some of my recipes into Spanish that I will be sharing with one of the women circles. After that I went to the market with Kirsten to get myself a cell phone for making local calls to my co-workers and friends to be made! (Good news mom!!! I was wrong about the exchange rate. Its actually 8 quetzalles to 1 US dollar and not 1.8 Q to $1. YEAA!!) After getting the cell phone we went to the market again and I helped her get ingredients for a cake we made today. After we ran errands we made the cake and she invited me to the party that the cake is for that is this evening. I will be attending! I am very excited to meet new people.
This afternoon I ran some more errands for AMA with another intern from Georgia named Katter (pronounced like Tatter from tatter tot, but with a K). After running errands we went on our own little adventure to a market that is a lot bigger than our local market that is about 20 minutes away walking. Being adventurous and confident I suggested we take the micro-bus (a van) so we did. I can successfully say I have mastered the micro-bus. YEEAAAA!!! After going to that market I have made myself dinner and some tea (which I bought today) and will be taking a rest before going out tonight. You have no idea how the altitude difference can drain the energy from you. Adios for now. I'll check in tomorrow but I doubt it will be that exciting cause it will be Saturday!!! Yo voy a dormir mucho!!! I am going to sleep a lot. Byeeeeee :)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

Yes, that is right, in Guatemala today is Father’s Day! This morning when I woke up in fear of my life to what sounded like a machine gun going off I had no idea it was Father’s Day. The sound I mistook for the end of my life was actually just fire crackers in celebration of the occasion. Other than that. . .
Today was easily one of the best days I have ever had! After I caught my breathe this morning I started to prepare for my first day of teaching English classes. I was super excited but mostly nervous. Around 9 this morning Claudita (little Claudia) and I set out to catch us some local transportation which included; the micro-bus (a 10 seater van in which they manage to cram at least 15 people) and a then a school bus (the major form of public transportation). I can confidently say that the ride to and from the community, which is about 20-30 minutes away from my house, was an adventure in itself. We’re not sure what we did wrong because Claudita is an expert, but we waited up to an hour for our school bus to come and take us to the community. Finally it came and we were on our way! We got there so late that I was not able to teach any classes but I think it was better this way because I was introduced to every child I am going to be working with for the next several weeks and they got to meet me. I start classes with them next Tuesday and I cannot wait.
After introductions Claudita and I made our way back down the mountain, via school bus, and came back to the AMA house. I had a two hour break before I was off again to the same community, this time with Claudita, Hilda, and Gladis. I would like to take this opportunity to tell all of you that none of them speak English and I am still alive! I am very proud of myself. This time we went to the community to participate in a women circle where in the coming weeks I will sharing some recipes with them. When we got to the house where it was supposed to be held only the woman of the house was there. It was quickly explained that because it was Father’s Day all of the women were at their own homes feverishly cooking for their hungry husbands. So we talked logistics of the coming weeks and set up a schedule. After that we walked at least a mile further up the mountain to meet with a Mayan doctor. We were there to speak with him about lecturing for some of the work groups that come to Guatemala. Obviously he agreed because he was speaking with Hilda. . . that woman is amazing. I am almost positive she could talk anyone into doing anything. After that we made our way back down the mountain and now I am back in my cute little room.
I have just finished eating my dinner and now I am getting ready to go out with my new friends/co-workers. I am very excited. I’m not sure what I will be doing tomorrow but I can’t wait.

Travel Day and More!

Hello everybody!!! Yesterday, June 15th, I spent hours sitting in National due to mechanical problems with my plane (which then got canceled and had to be rebooked) and very little time in Miami due to my rebooked flight being late. This left me arriving into Guatemala City at about 8:30 which a wise traveler should not do because of safety issues but, what the heck, I had no other choice and it was an adventure. From there we drove about 50 minutes to Antigua which is gorgeous! Cobble stone streets, buildings painted fun colors, and exotic plants everywhere! We stayed in a wonderful hotel with a really cool court yard in the middle which I took some great pictures of.
Today, we woke up and got breakfast. I had black beans and eggs which doesn't sound like much but is absolutely delicious. After breakfast we drove about 3 hours from Antigua to Xela where I will be living for the next 6 weeks. I have the cutest little room and I can not wait to spend my time here. One of the women, Kirsten, showed me around the town; where I can buy my food, have my clothes washed, take out money. . . that kind of thing. It is currently 2:00 here but it feels so much later to me, probably because I am so tired!! Everyone is off on their siesta so I'm going to do the same. I start teaching English classes in the morning so wish me luck!

AHHHH!!

It is currently 2:30 or so in the morning and I need to leave the house in about 3 1/2 hours!!! What am I still doing up?!?!! I am extremely excited about my trip tomorrow and my weeks ahead. I can not believe I am about to do this :) Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I am traveling tomorrow. I'll check in soon!

Getting Ready!

I am currently under high stress due to the many unknowns about my up coming travels. Although at the moment I am nervous I am also super excited about my upcoming adventures! This week I am getting in last minute meetings with a English as a Second Language teacher who has been advising me on the best way to approach my teaching project.