Sonria!

Uploading pics takes LOADS of time, apologies for not writing more about these little niños the other day!

They are definitely warming up, and they LOVE the camera!

(Which is perfecto for snap happy ;)

We had music class today -- they sang the funniest songs and danced the sweetest little dances. It´s hilarious! Teaching is EXHAUSTING and I am beat by the end of the day. I have been sick for two days now...which doesn´t help. I have to run down the street to Santiago´s house, as the children´s baño is a cement hole in the ground...

This little one kept pulling out a green mango from her dress and gnawing on it! Haha.

These chicas are singing a cute song about a whale who eats a shark who eats a sardine and then the whale gets sick....or something like that...
Notice the twins? Diana and Jessica....SO shy!

Carlos, Wilmer, Alex, and...I think the one on the end is in the other class....??

Carlos is and excelent student and his smile is SO genuine. Wilmer likes to take his time with everything and it has to be perfect. Alex is a ham and laughs constantly.

Ah, Melinda. I don´t have favorites..... ;)

10 Days, 10 Things Learned...

1. Let the little things go. Example-Cockroaches in your room...NOT a big deal.
2. Being filthy dirty isn´t so bad.
3. Wild dogs are just that-wild!
4. The children do not mind that you cannot communicate with them perfectly-a smile and affection is universal.
5. You WILL get sick. Day 10, stomach rebels.
5.5 Toilet paper in other countries-VERY thin.
6. The traveler´s footwear of choice, Havianas.
7. Thou shall not judge.
8. When trying to learn a language-study, practice, study, speak.
9. When living with host family, clean your plate at every meal or you will be served considerably less next time.
10. I am ridiculously lucky.

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....