Los Niños

INCREDIBLE first day at school today. The children were waiting outside when we arrived at the school-a half hour beforehand. I teared up as I watched them walk in for the first day of school. Sigh...I can´t even begin to explain it....

Here are a few pics. Start from the bottom up...having trouble with the formatting today!

Bananas for fruit snack today! They put SO much in their mouths...haha!

In line to wash hands before the frutas break. I have been told that this may be the only thing the children eat all day... Oh, and we start the class with a piece of bread, like a roll...to get somthing in their tiny tummies so that they can focus.

Santiago-local, he speaks to the children in their language...introducing them to us and the school. Dorreen is the teacher Kate and I are working with. Over that fence is the older class-7 and 8 year olds.

My morning class. Class is from 9-12. Five and six year old cuties that have never been to school before. We had two criers. But after handing out stickers...they were fine.

La Playa

The gorge sunset...one of the prettiest I have ever seen.

Six of us took a trip to Monterrico for the weekend--about a 2 and a half hour drive out of Antigua. This weekend I experienced my first taste of culture shock.

Coconuts for sale everywhere. Mostly children selling...

The water was SO warm and the waves a bit aggressive...but great for body surfing!

We booked ONE room at a small hotel and plopped ourselves in the sun for a little relaxation before gearing up to teach on Monday!

Spanish Class!

Karla and I teaching Kate and Alanna (from Australia) and our Español teachers...Español!

(We were practicing for teaching the little ones next week)

The Spanish School. All outdoors -- muy frio in the morning.


Alanna, Kate and myself...at morning break from class.

Los Perros

I felt almost drugged the first few nights when falling asleep here in Antigua. So exhausted from traveling, and walking, and learning it was a breeze falling asleep and staying asleep all night.

Last night...not so much. You see SO many dogs roaming around here in Antigua and at night they let themselves be heard. Non-stop actually. The constant barking does not make for a good nights sleep, but I guess this is just another something I will need to get used to!

A tired self results in a frustrated self at Spanish class today. The morning was BRUTAL....with almost a standoff between my teacher and me. She will not speak to me much in English...which makes it muy difficult when I do not understand something. We fought our way out of the slump after some cafe (and some patience) and moved on to learning words that I will need to teach when with the children next week. Today: Animales and el cuerpo. I like learning the volcabulary MUCH better than the conjucating and such. Memorization is cinch.

This afternoon we are having a mock teaching session with our teachers. We will be teaching them the colors, numbers, animals, and parts of the body. I´ll be back this afternoon to let you know how I did ;)

Also, I hope to post some photos today!

Hasta luego -- break is over. Back to jam-packing the mind with espanol!

Ready or Not...

I am here. In Antigua, Guatemala --three days now! The city is beautiful and the volunteers are great. Most in their early to mid-twenties and early thirties and from all over the world. Australia, Canada, Ireland, Philly, the UK, Chicago, Scotland, Spain. Some have been traveling for a while...and for some Guatemala is their first stop. I am staying with Silvia. She is a 60-something year old widow who lives in Candeleria, just outside of the city. She is hosting myself and a young married couple from Canada. Troy a firefighter and Nicole a Civil Engineer, quit their jobs, sold their house and decided to travel the world for year. They will be volunteering their time in most of the countries they will visit.

Today was the first day of intensive Spanish lessons. Starting at 8AM and ending at 3PM everyday this week, we are learning one-on-one. So no dozing off! We study outside, which is nice. The weather is quite cool in the morning and evenings and lovely mid-day.

Desayuno with the host family was served at ten till 7AM. Not so used to that... A whole roasted plantain and a tiny spoonful of frijoles negra were on the menu. Not quite used to that either! Silvia packed me a lunch of papaya and crema and dos jamon sandwiches for lunch at school today. The fruit here is muy bueno!

Antigua is very colonial looking and so vibrantly colorful. The doors to almost every building are so intricate and beautiful and the indigenous dress is very very cool. Flowers everywhere, cobblestone streets and two active volcanos are part of the scenery.

I have not taken the camera out much, as we were warned not to "flaunt" the electronics. I am DYING to get behind the lense and capture this place to show you all. As soon as I can, I will try and post some photos.

Hasta luego for now....

Roaming Elsewhere...

After (too) much contemplating and discussing, researching and listening I have made the very difficult decision of relocating my volunteer travel to Central America. In light of recent events over in Asia, I have chosen to spend my time a little closer to home and in an area with a little less unrest. I have been sick thinking about all that has gone into the Asia Expedition and all that I have prepared myself for over the past six months. But my family just couldn't quite come to grips with my being over there at this time and I found it selfish of me to have them worrying day in and day out for my safety. Being glued to Fox News on TV and CNN.com my fears began to surface also. Finally giving in to friends and family urging me to "please read the State Department Advisories" – I broke down. And while I was trying to be brave and challenge myself it isn't worth it to put my life at risk. In my heart I know that once over there and settled into my volunteer villages, I would have been fine. The dust would have settled and the media calmed. But seven different airports and numerous flights, it was mostly the actual traveling portion of the trip that was keeping me up at night. Also, there is no way for a light haired, 6 foot tall, American white woman to quite blend in ;)

Something didn't feel right. I didn't feel settled.

I called GVI to discuss my options and they had fielded a few other calls voicing the same concerns. I told them that my heart was still in it and I would still be giving my time over the next couple months regardless of where. They granted me the transfer (due to the extreme climate in the Far East) and the goal stayed in tact. I will be working with children still….now in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

This is actually the expedition I was originally drawn to, but had decided on Asia as a greater and more challenging adventure. My trip to these three areas will be equally as challenging but in different ways. I will have the opportunity to learn Spanish in a one-on-one environment. I will be immersed into the culture by living with a host family in each location!

Although still very sad, I have embraced my new journey and have learned SO much already. I will leave early January as planned and will be working on the projects for three months…with the possibility to extend the mission.

I so appreciated all of your support on my volunteering in Asia….
I pray it is still there with me now on this new voyage in Central America.

Sleepless...

I finally read the State Department advisories today. Not. Good. Of course my eyes have been glued to the television and the news. I have read many an article about the attacks in Mumbai, the anti-American terrorist groups, and the airport chaos in Thailand. But until now, I have avoided the state.gov website and its dramatic warnings.

What is a white American woman to do?