I discovered, quite accidentally, that in Microsoft Word 2007 when you create a new document you can choose between a document and a blog post. With the blog posts, I can connect word to my blog site and automatically publish them when I connect to the internet. This is just one less barrier between my adoring public and me, or between the few people who read my blog and the obnoxiousness that is constant blog posting. ;) The only issue with this is that my blog cannot tell the difference between when I am writing my blog and when I am posting my blog, so I will try to remember to put a date in here somewhere or other to keep everyone on some semblance of a timeline. I have to say that when I am not fighting it tooth and nail, I love technology.
The other big news in my little world is that I have started taking classes with INTECAP in Guatemala City. INTECAP is a national organization that is a little bit like a technical school in that they offer courses in various tracks like pastry chef, mechanic, and hotel receptionist. It is a much-needed service here, and I personally think that they are doing a wonderful job. It seems to have a great impact. In addition to these tracks, they also do continued education for professionals in things like management. They also do training of trainers, and send individuals out into rural areas to teach classes like basic computation to groups of 15-20 students who are willing and able to pay the several hundred quetzals class fee. The class I am taking is a certification of trainers, and the process that they use to certify teachers in this class was ISO9001 certified in 2002 and recertified in 2006. I am not going to go into ISO certification here, but I recommend that those of you who don't know what it is look it up on Google because it is a pretty awesome detail of my class. I am taking the class to certify myself as a trainer with INTECAP so that the English classes that I will be teaching for the guides will count towards their hours of class to keep their guide certification with INTECAP. This is all ending up sounding rather diluted and complicated, so you may just have to take my word for it that this is a neat opportunity for the guides to whom I will be teaching English and me.
So, aside from all the wonderful benefits of being certified, the classes themselves are amazing! The classroom has huge windows and it is in the capitol where I feel like if I just kept walking South I could end up in Uptown. The instructors are all careful to ask me if they are talking too fast or if I need any help (since I am the only non-Guatemalan in the class), but they have asked me during a break and not in front of the whole class. My classmates are people from all different professions. In the class, there are; a veterinarian who works with dairy cattle, a teacher, a mechanic, a man who teaches English for INTECAP, someone from corporate Dominoes, and a woman who works for a chain of water parks. Saturdays feel like life in the states. I have made many friends in class, and I hope to keep in touch with them throughout my service. I chat with them as I would chat with many of my friends in the states. We go to McDonalds for lunch or bring our own, and we sit on the benches at the end of the hallway near the windows and look out at the city.
I have dedicated this morning to homework, keeping in touch, and relaxing after nine hours of class yesterday. Since I had to be out of my hostel at 10:00 I went to the market and then over to a friend's house where I used my newly purchased pancake mix to make strawberry crêpes. This can be done by following the recipe on your favorite box of pancake mix (NOT the add water only kind) but adding twice the eggs called for. Then, put the mix in the blender with a cup(ish) or two of chopped strawberries (or other soft fruit) and blend as desired. Put butter in a hot pan and spread evenly, then add a dollop of the modified pancake mix to the middle of the pan and swirl the pan until the mix forms a thin layer over the entire bottom of the pan. Bubbles will form on the top. When they have popped and the top of the pancake/crêpe is spongy, it is ready to turn over. You only need to cook it briefly on the second side. The whole process is much easier on low heat. I like to put the rest of my batter in a Tupperware in the refrigerator so I can make one quickly in the morning. Now there is just the matter of the toaster oven I would like to get my hands on and I may actually be on my way to some semblance of cooking. I will have to be careful or I may recoup the 30 pounds I have lost since getting here.
Well, adventure calls. We are heading out on a quick hike to work of the wonderful breakfast that we ate. Then we may be heading back to the market to buy some of the beautiful avocadoes they have there. Guacamole is on the menu for a light lunch. In my album of My Life as a PCV, I have pictures posted of my most recent hilarious attempts at cooking. If you have yummy, easy, and cheap toaster oven recipes they would certainly make the purchase of a toaster oven well worth my while.
So, despite the continuing frustration of being unable to get my computer to connect to the internet (although I now think is a problem with the internet and not my computer), the last several days have been very rewarding. On Friday we had our first big rain of the season, complete with hail. It decided to start while I was visiting the new Despensa Familiar (a WalMart owned grocery store chain). Before you hit me or congratulate me on my visit (depending on your individual view on WalMart) I would like to be very clear that I will not be going back. I only went to see if I could find peanut butter or instant hot chocolate which are the two things I miss most that cannot be found in the local market alongside pineapples and carrots. They had neither. WalMart is back to being completely useless and a giant eyesore. However, I did get to try out the awesome lime green lace-up rain boots that I bought at the market in Antigua. They make all the rain completely worth it.
Friday night I had a candle-light meeting with our tourism committee (CAT which is made up of representatives of many different tourism and artisan organizations that we have here). Not many people showed up, but we were productive none-the-less, and I feel like I have some really concrete steps I can take to keep moving forward. I was also told, by the president of the committee, to take a weekend vacation outside of my site to have a breather, which makes me feel like my work and need for downtime is recognized. It won't happen for several weeks, and it will be filled with errands and work, but I do have a weekend away on the books.
Saturday I honestly have no idea what I did, but on Sunday morning I got up early to go out and observe a school that we have here that is held only on Sundays. The woman with whom I share an office (who has been a godsend in navigating the municipality) is a volunteer math teacher there. It is really amazing; different members of the community volunteer their time on Sundays from 8-12 to teach subjects like natural sciences, math, typing, and Spanish in an old building on the edge of town. She invited me knowing that I was working on environmental education. Before Sunday morning I really had no idea what they did there and I was just planning on observing to see what type of education the community was already offering. Instead, I ended up teaching an hour-long natural science class to 25 14-year-olds. Not to pat myself on the back, but I think it was really empowering for everyone involved. We did an interactive activity that illustrated the interconnectedness of everything in our environment. They are not at all used to interactive activities since nearly all the classes here are lectures, so they were taken aback at first and very shy. However, by the end of the class several of the students were asking me about global warming and what the environment is like in the United States. We also talked about the power that they have in their homes and with their friends. I can only hope that some wheels may start turning about the little changes that they can make that can have a BIG impact here.
Sunday afternoon Chase came to visit me, and since we didn't have a whole lot of time we just wandered around the city and chatted. However, we did find a restaurant that has really good burgers and even better French fries (they were almost like fries in the states). Also, he brought me another blanket which will be much needed now that the rainy season has started and it is a little chillier at night. I have certainly slept better the last couple of nights.
Yesterday I went to work for just a few hours in the morning, and spent the rest of the day sleeping. Thank goodness I haven't gotten seriously sick yet (no giardia), but there have been a few days here and there where I have no energy and just feel generally shaky and blah. So far I have just let myself sleep when I feel like that, and maybe that is the reason I haven't gotten anything worse. Haha! I have such good little white blood cells.
Today was back to action. I got into the office really early and got some writing done on my manual for the teachers on non-formal and environmental education. Then, for the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon, I went to a meeting of all of the groups of the municipality. We had presentations on electrical and water development projects, reforestation projects, HIV and AIDS education projects, presentations from the municipal firefighters and many, many others. The alcalde (mayor) also presented me to the whole group. However, sitting with me through the whole meeting (in my lap) was a little baby bird that just about literally fell into my lap while I was waiting for the meeting to start.
Baby, as of yet, does not have a name. I looked and looked for a nest, but all of them were far too high up in the ceiling to reach, and leaving him/her was out of the question with all of the big feet and wild dogs running around. I think it is some sort of sparrow or chickadee, but I am not quite sure. I have sent pictures out to several people to help me identify the species so we can find out what baby's favorite foods are. So far I have been using a syringe to feed a watery corn mixture, and it has eaten a few fruit flies that I so skillfully managed to catch. At the moment, baby is curled up with its head under its wing in a towel between two old pop bottles filled with hot water inside a box next to my bed. Poor little thing has had a really big day and is downright exhausted. I didn't really plan on having a pet here, but I guess one has found me. Anyone have suggestions for names?
Well, it is about time for me to put my head under my wing as well. Tomorrow is lots more work and more meetings. One of the other volunteers has a workshop here in my site tomorrow and Thursday so I will have company here tomorrow night. It is pretty exciting having another volunteer here to get to know and it will be nice to have someone to visit with since the woman who owns the house I am living in is in Norway for three weeks. Her brother and the house keeper are here sporadically, but we don't visit quite so much. Okay, my battery is almost gone and the power just went out so it is time to sign off for now. Vaya bien!
First of all, I have to send out a big "Hooray!" to Dad for the fact that I am sitting in my comfy bed (thanks to Doña Juanita), eating a peanut butter and honey sandwich (for which I owe a big thanks to Chase), and typing on my new computer (this is where Dad comes in). My computer (an HP mini which I have named Black Bean), I have to say, is just the cutest darn thing with an AC adapter I have ever seen, and it works like a dream. I am well aware as I sit here that, while I still have troubles from time to time, any sacrifices I am making pale in comparison to those made by individuals like Eric's brother and his wife, Jon, and Craig (among many others) when they served in the Peace Corps in the days before e-mail and Skype. Even people serving in Guatemala several years before me didn't have the now mandatory cell phone. I am truly blessed to be in such a wonderful site (it gets more and more amazing here every day) at a time when technology still allows me to stay in touch with all of the people who are so important to me back in the United States (and even a few more thanks to the viral-like presence of Facebook ;)).
So Dad is the genius behind the computer, but even he couldn't overcome the Guatemalan Postal System. How, you ask, did my computer get here? Well, it just so happens that my Training Director at the Peace Corps is from Minnesota, and his parents and some friends of theirs came down to visit for Easter. The friends (since my Training Director's parents are living in FL) were kind enough to carry my computer down here for me (they have even been described as guarding it with their lives). It was even brought out to me in my site, the added bonus being that I had my first ever tour group. We had a great morning (although we were a little short on time). Our first stop was my house where we had a quick snack of some of the tastiest pineapple I have ever had. They are able to assure anyone who still has doubts that I am living in an above-par location. Next, we went out to Jimmy and Ingrid's house to see how they process and dye the cotton yarn that they sell and use for weaving. Of course, after that we had to go to Jimmy and Ingrid's store to see the final products (several of which have a new home in Minnesota). The store is amazing and took plenty of time so we made just a quick stop at the house Maria Elena, the granddaughter of the famous painter Andres Churuchich. Sadly, we didn't have time to listen to all of the history, but we did find a few more treasures that will be making their way back to Minnesota. Last, but certainly not least, we had an amazing lunch waiting for us at another house. The Doña there also makes textiles and beautiful napkins, one of which was given to each of the women as a gift. I have to say; my eyes leaked a little to see the wonderful and heartwarming interaction between the amazing people from my home state and the amazing people that make up my new home.
Also in this edition; before I left I made a mix that I gave to a few close friends and family members. However, I didn't have the time (or rights) to give it to nearly as many people as I would have liked. It is a series of songs that have inspired me and/or kept me going through the whole process of applying to the Peace Corps (which is much tougher than it sounds) as well as songs that have little bits and pieces of how I see the world. I can't type nearly fast enough or take even close to as many pictures as I would need to share this experience with everyone, but some of these songs bring me one step closer. I am also adding songs that were not in the original mix (in italics).
Blog Bonus: Morgan's Peace Corps Mix
Now that I Know (Acoustic) – Shannon McNally
Every Single Soul – Michael Franti & Spearhead
Little Victories – Matt Nathanson
Don't Wait Too Long – Madeleine Peyroux
Oxygen – Willy Mason
Extraordinary Machine – Fiona Apple
Shroud – Ani Difranco
Life Uncommon – Jewel
Rise – Flobots
Hard Hand to Hold – Willy Mason
Better Way – Ben Harper
Let It Be – The Beatles
Where is the Love – Black Eyed Peas
Backbone – Wookiefoot
With My Own Two Hands – Jack Johnson
Joy to the World – Three Dog Night
After two and a half long months of training I have recieved my site assignment from the Peace Corps. Idealy, this is where I will be for the next two years. I am working on cultural tourism in a city in the department of Chimaltenango, and I am on my first full day here. I met my counterpart (my host country national half) the day before yesterday and arrived here yesterday afternoon. I have a week here in the city to find a place to live, meet local authorities, get to know the place where I will be working, conduct an analysis of current tourism conditions, meet my other counterparts, and generally get my ¨site legs.¨ Then, for a week I go back to the Peace Corps training center to review my site visit, learn some Kaqchikel (the Mayan language that is spoken here), and swear in as a Peace Corps Volunteer!
Having blonde hair, blue eyes, and a mysterious inability to tan, I have always been and always will be a Gringa. Where I live doesn´t change that. The difference is that living and working in Guatemala I am noticed for it. When I turned in my application for the Peace Corps I knew that I wasn´t going undercover. The differences, I thought, would be one of the greatest parts of the adventure. People, I was sure, would see me and inevitably wonder what I was doing, where I was from, and how I got to where I am. It would give me a chance to share my story and be a wonderful oportunity to learn theirs. As it turns out, I got it half right. I have no doubt that people wonder who I am and what I´m doing here, but rarely does it turn into a cozy conversation.
At first I thought that peoples´reactions, though not what I had expected, were quaint. Little kids stroked and tugged at my pigtales while I was teaching a class, locals looked a little shocked when I greeted them in Spanish, people at the bus stop would flag the busses for me (which is more difficult than those of us accustomed to designated bus stops might anticipate). Unfortunately, it hasn´t taken long for the novelty to wear off. There have been times that I have wanted to stop people and tell them (and myself), "My name is Morgan. I work here... I live here." It´s not that it´s offensive, or even particularly difficult. In fact, most of the time it still makes me giggle, but each times it happens it reminds me sharply that being a part of a community here is going to be a job.
Today the bus almost flew past my stop (with me stuck on board) because the bus driver assumed I was headed to Antigua (a favorite spot for tourists). Today the barista stared at me, open mouthed, for the better part of the hour that I was sitting reading my paper (in Spanish). Today someone shouted "Gringa" at me in the parking lot of the shoping center. Today the gringos were out en mass. Today I realized that we gringos stare at each other with the same wide-eyed, open-mouthed look we get from most other people here. We are just as eager to know what that person is doing here and where they are from, and we are just as reluctant to ask.
So, for those of you who are not familiar, field-based training is a week of Peace Corps Training where they pull us out of our comfy training communities for a week of intense (and intensely cold) technical training. In place of four hours of Spanish class we have a week of eight hours a day of learning all sorts of surprizingly fun stuff like making park signs and trails. Don´t worry we had plenty of just plain ol´fun mixed in there too. I´m going to skip over the details of the lectures and highlight the fun stuff. There´s plenty to write about without giving you a crash course in eco-tourism.
FEBRUARY 14: Happy Valentine´s Day! I think I have pictures of the almost 80 valentines that I made for our training group, my whole family, and the staff at Peace Corps Guatemala. We were picked up by the Peace Corps vans again this morning to drive way the heck out into the highlands. I don´t normally get car sick, but this was one heck of a trip through the mountains. It was well worth it because once we got there we helped build the first wall of a building made of plastic bottles. All of the framing is done pretty tradicionally with either wood or metal and then the walls are lined with chicken wire and filled with plastic bottles packed tightly with chip bags and other plastic trash. Later the whole thing will be covered with a thin layer of cement mix so it will look just like a normal wall. It cleans up the community, it´s cheaper than block, and the bottles are more forgiving than block durring an earthquake. Granted, I don´t think it would fly in the states (though it might work for a chicken coup) but it´s pretty darn nifty here. When I got home from my day trip there were several Valentine´s day presents from my family waiting for me. My host mom, Kelly´s host mom, and my host sister got me hand towels (they are a very popular gift for all occations here ). One of my host cousins brough me a beautiful iris. One of my host aunts bought me a bag of cookies that were a lot like Grandma´s jam bars, and one of my host uncles drew me a beautiful card. Also, I got to have a really tasty dinner with Kelly and her host mom, complete with cake and hot chocolate. And to top it all off I learned to cut leña (firewood) with a machete! It was a wonderful day that captured the spirit perfectly! P.S. Start saving up those bottles and chip bags so I can build a house for my chickens when I get back to the states. ;)
FEBRUARY 15: We left for FBT. Lots of crazy driving again. We were just plain exhauted by the time we got to Totonicopan and went to sleep after a quick lecture and a not-so-quick campfire.
FEBRUARY 16: Today we learned how to make paths and trails and park signs. That meant I got to use lots of tools (including power tools, YAY)! We even learned how to make tools to measure the slope of the trails out of sticks and string and rocks. Again, maybe not a life-skill, but something that comes in handy here.
FEBRUARY 17: Today we spent the afternoon taking turns for our first bath of FBT. The women working in the kitchen boiled copious amounts of water so we would have warm bucket baths since it feels like Minnesota in September right now. While one person took a bucket bath, another guarded the door that didn´t stay shut and the rest of us learned how to make arts and crafts from garbage. This included mats made from woven newspaper, candle holders from pop cans, piggy banks made from 2 liter bottles, and flowers made from the tops of 20 ounce bottles. It was just like being in elementary school all over again, which is perfect because the kids here don´t really get exposed to arts and crafts. This is a great way to let them play and clean up the community at the same time. Not to mention what great mother´s day gifts they make. Moms love anything. Thanks moms!
FEBRUARY 18: Today we got to go to a school near the park we are staying at and teach the kids some of the crafts that we made yesterday. Erin and I were in a first grade classroom making bottle flowers. There were 32 kids in the classroom and they were amazingly well behaved and VERY affectionate. As we were working I was going around the room checking on everyone and after each step each of the kids would run up to me, proud as punch, saying ¨teacher look.¨ I need to expand my vocabulary for well done. After finishing our project with the kids, singing a song, and washing a metric ton of glue off of our hands we went outside for recess and snack with the kids. Some of them, usually little girls, would come up to us and give us pieces of bread. Being a rural area I am fairly sure that that was all some of them had brought to suplement the hot milk and corn flakes that the school provided.
FEBRUARY 19 : Today was worth sleeping in the freezing cold for the first part of this week. We got to go on the biggest zipline in Guatemala! This being Central America, and slightly lax on liability laws, we were able to go Superman style attached to the zipline by the back of our harness. One of the other volunteers took videos of each of us, and I´ll be posting mine soon. Words could not do this experience justice. The flight had a great view of lake Atitlan, and I felt just like a bird. When we got back from that we had an ecocamp with a class from one of the local private high schools. We all had a blast, and I think that the kids learned a lot.
FEBRUARY 20: All we really had today was a lecture, but it was pretty amazing. It was given by a man who has his PhD in Environmental Interpretation, which means that he figures out ways to make signs, paintings, demos, or what have you to interpret both environmental and cultural tourism sights! How awesome is that? I even wrote a pretty stellar little piece of poetry as part of a quick assignment he gave us... masters program anyone? I will certainly have to keep it in mind!
That about covers Field Based Training. As usual, I am behind in my writing and I have lots more to share, but that´s all for now folks.
There is a joke here that if someone is half an hour late they're on time. Apparently I have adopted this ideology where my blog is concerned. I realized this morning that I haven't really shared anything that has happened since late January when we had the tremor! I will try to highlight all of the wonderful things that have happened since then without turning this into a novel!
JANUARY 31: In the morning we had a community interchange with one of the Health Schools groups. We made a little treasure hunt for facts around our Municipality. I have to say it was much more interesting for me to see the other town than it was for me to lead people around ours, partially due to the fact that the town that we went to was Pastores. Pastores is on the other side of Antigua and it is known for boots. There are stores upon stores lining the streets where you can see people cutting and dying leather to make any kind of boot you could possibly imagine, although the majority are cowboy boots. They aren't terribly expensive either. Certainly something to keep in mind if you are planning to head down for a visit. In the afternoon Kelly and I went to a festival in San Luis with her host mom. I am still a little confused about the occasion, but we ended up leaving 15 minutes or so after we got there. I guess I was expecting lots of people milling about, things to do, and neat things to see. It ended up being a pickup with large speakers on the back followed my a crowd of dancing men in drag. I wish I could answer your questions, but I am really baffled on this one.
FEBRUARY 1: Today Kelly and I were invited to my "uncle's" birthday party. It was fairly small, but lots of fun. Everyone ate like crazy and, of course, there was cake. As horribly as we eat in the states, there is a chunk of sugar and salt in everything here. This evening there was another birthday at home so we were graced with even more wonderful food... and cake. When it rains it pours, huh?
FEBRUARY 5: This afternoon each of the four people in our group gave charlas at the park at which we are working. This has been a stress factor for all of us for several weeks, and I think that we are all quite glad to be done with it. While our Spanish is getting good enough to communicate our thoughts and feelings on a daily basis, giving a semi-formal half-hour presentation to nine park guides and several managers from the muni is another animal all together. My charla was on how to write an effective mission statement. We started with a puzzle that I made from a piece of construction paper (that was darn difficult, if I may say so). I handed out a piece to each person and then asked if they could put it together alone or in small groups. "Of course not, we wouldn't have all the pieces." Then I asked them to work together to try and put it together. They got pretty far, but couldn't quite get it all to fit. Then I gave them another piece of construction paper with the solved puzzle outlined on it (representing a mission statement) and asked them to try again. Pan comida (piece of cake). We talked for a while about the similarities between a company and the puzzle, and then we looked at the mission statement for Polaroid (which is something along the lines of helping people capture their memories), and how it really gets to the heart of what the company is doing and allows them to evolve with technology. No, I didn't use that phrasing. I used pictures that I cut out of the newspaper. Also, no one needs to tell these guys that Polaroid isn't doing so hot, it was the thought that counted.
FEBRUARY 7: Today was one of the most exciting days for me since we have been here. All 32 of us were picked up in our communities this morning and we drove out to a Mayan site to be a part of a Mayan ceremony. It was a private house where they had unearthed an old Mayan altar. Originally the owner of the property had built his house over the altar, but upon moving in he suddenly began drinking heavily. He tried unsuccessfully to quit several times, and the problem got so bad that they called a Mayan priest to the house. The priest explained that the reason he was having issues was because of where he had built his house. The house was moved and the site excavated, and according to the owner of the house, he hasn't had the urge to drink since. The ceremony itself was very intense, even though we didn't use the altar. The fire was made in the common area outside the owners house. We were all allowed to participate by placing candles in the fire at several times during the ceremony. I ended up very sunburned but it was vale la pena (worth the price).
FEBRUARY 8: Kelly and I had a sleepover at her house last night. She and her host mom were at a baptism yesterday afternoon, and they came and got me after dinner. We went back to the baptism (which was more like a wedding reception and kept going long after we left at 8), and I had my first dance in Guatemala. Before any eyebrows go up I would like to explain that my dance partner was a short, stout, and fierce Guatemalan woman who rocked from side to side so vigorously that I thought she was going to tip me over.
FEBRUARY 13: Today we (Anthony and I) went into Antigua with the Marketing Director of Senderos De Alux. I had been under the impression we were going to shadow him while he presented the park to various Spanish Schools in the city. However, when we got there we were each handed a stack of pamphlets, assigned several blocks, and told to meet back at the car in two hours. Not only was it hotter than sin, but there weren't enough Spanish schools to occupy two hours, and the car disappeared until it was time to meet up again. I still love my job, but I didn't think that "Tourism Evangelist" was on the description. Still, it gives us lots of good suggestions that we can include in our POA (Annual Operating Plan) for the park. I do have to say it was a good thing that I was able to find a good cup of coffee today, because I was up half the night last night making 70 valentines for my training group and some of the staff at the Peace Corps office. However, the lack of sleep has been well worth seeing the smiles on peoples' faces (even if I have had to explain the occasion to some of the staff here).
Well, that about sums it up for now. I am going to be at Field-Based Training for the next week, which means that I will be out in the boondocks. If I don't get back to you, know that I am still alive, I'm just spending all my time in classes and zip-lining down mountains. You can bet that I will have lots of pictures and plenty to write about when I get back!
Vaya bien,
Morgan
So, plenty of people have been asking about my family, living situation, daily rutine, etc. This is my attempt to address just a few of those.
I am currently living with 6 other people in a single-level house. My host mom is the head of the house, and I live with her, her husband, their daughter and her husband, and their one-year-old son and one-month-old daughter. It isn´t particularly crowded, but I don´t think we could fit many more. I do have a room to myself with a bed, a nightstand, a desk and stool, and some wire racks where I store clothes. I also have a window right next to my desk which is great for airing out the room, but the view consists of the bars over the window and the VW bus that has been parked outside since I arrived. We do have power constatly (thus far) and I am able to plug in my iPod and speakers now and then to listen to a little bit of music. The only real shortage I´ve run into relates to the bathroom. With five adults in the house it is in high demand, but no crisis thus far. :)
Though reserved, everyone in my family is very friendly. The only tension was with the one year old boy, but I can hardly blame him. I am living in what used to be his room, and I arrived barely one week after his baby sister. Talk about some major changes for the little guy! However, we are getting along much better and this week he started to put his arms up for I hug when I came home. I´m looking forward to doing more playing in the recent future!
My daily schedule is a little bit more difficult because it changes a bit depending on the day. Mondays I am at the Peace Corps office for medical, technical, safety, and cultural training. On those days we are in Santa Lucia all day so our lunch is packed for us (it´s a little bit like being in kindergarten again). There are also random days for technical training, meetings, and activities, but an average day with Spanish class looks something like this;
6:00am - Wake up, shower (hopefully not too cold), get dressed, clean room
6:45am - Go outside and around the house to the kitchen door, and go into the kitchen where breakfast is usually waiting for me. Average breakfast: eggs, hot milk, and bread.
7:30am - Go back around to my room to pack my bag for school
7:45am - Leave the house and go to get Kelly (the other female volunteer) so we can walk to the house where class is being held that day.
8:00am - Spanish class
10:00am - The Doña of the house brings us a yummy snack
12:30pm - Go back home for lunch. Average lunch: soup, vegitables, atol (any thick hot drink), and bread.
2:00pm - Leave the house and go to Kelly´s to work on whatever project we are currently supposed to be working on and Spanish homework. A snack is usually involved.
6:30pm - Go back home and visit with my family
7:00 - Eat dinner. Average dinner: beans, atol, meat, more bread.
8:00 - Bedtime. I usually read a bit and review more Spanish words while listing to the really loud music from the evangelical church with which I share a wall.
As you can see food, and bread, are in good supply here. Needless to say, the Peace Corps diet is more likely than not a myth. I have heard rumors that the average weight change of a Peace Corps volunteer is an addition of 13 pounds. Drat. Still, some of you have asked my about care packages. I know that mailing things internationally is expensive, so I certainly don´t expect anything (except maybe a letter now and again), but here is a list if you feel so inclined:
- Sugar-free speramint gum
- Sunflower butter
- Cinnamon Teddygrahms
- Cheddar Goldfish crackers
- Dark Chocolate (I promise, it doesn´t exist here!)
- Nonni´s biscotti
- Hot chocolate mix
- Your hugs
Vaya bien,
Morgan
First of all, this is much safer than it sounds. I felt my first earthquake today! It wasn´t really an earthquake (terrimoto) so much as a tremor (temblor). It wasn´t even enough to rattle the cupboards, but we were definitely able to feel it. I was sitting on a bench at the time, and it felt like someone was shaking the bench back and forth rather slowly. Actually, I think we all felt a little dizzy and really excited about it. There is one person in our group of four from California, but I am fairly sure that this was something new for the rest of us. We´re easily amused and very well informed about earthquake safety.
Today being a Sunday all of the Peace Corps volunteers had the day off (with the exception of mass most Sundays), and one of the volunteers was wonderful enough to coordinate a group expidition to Pacaya. Pacaya is a volcano that was dormant for over 100 years prior to 1965. It erupted violently that year and has been fairly active since. We hiked up to and on the lava flows today and even roasted marshmallows and warmed our hands over the vents.
Our morning started at 5 this morning with getting up and getting ready for a big day of hiking. My group met around 6 to head into Antigua where we met the rest of the group at 7. We had hired a minibus to drive the 40 minutes or so to Pacaya, which was much more comfortable than riding in a crouded camioneta. The hike was intense since we were some 8,000 feet above sea level. The terain is also rather dusty, and I ended up having some problems breathing about half way up. However, I did make it all the way to the lava flows (which were not flowing today), and all the way back down safely, though I think I will be talking to the medical office in Santa Lucia during training tomorrow. They warned me during my medical intake interview that asthma may be a problem here due to the air quality and altitude, but they have an amazing staff here and are able to accomodate a variety of respiratory issues.
Most of the walk was through forest type terrain, though the pitch was sufficiently steep. It was well worth it ´vale la pena´and the lava flows themselves were amazing. We were able to see for miles and miles! I have pictures of cities and lakes miles away that I will be posting soon. We could also feel a lot of heat from the vents and siting on the ´cooled´lava was only possible for 15 minutes or so and then it got a little too toasty. While we are working extremely hard here on new Spanish vocablulary and technical abilities, Sundays give us the chance to get to know other parts of the country. We are strongly encouraged by the Peace Corps to take trips with our families to get to know all we can about Guatemala, and there is plenty to keep us busy for two years of weekends. For how small the country is it offers an amazing variety of landscapes and cultures. I am sure that Pacaya, in all its glory, was only the beginning.
Vaya bien,
Morgana
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