Holy shamoley, folks! Sorry it's taken so long for me to get this up! I started writing this blog a loooong time ago, but got so busy I never finished/put it up! SO. Here is a little bit about our trip to the Pacific Coast a while back:
We left at around 10:30 from Antigua, stopped at McDonald's for lunch, and arrived at our resort at around 2:00. We all got settled in our rooms (3 to a room), and got ready to go to the ocean! We got our first look at black sand, and ran into the giant waves crashing onto the shore. After playing in the water for a while and getting buried in the sand (AND made to look like a mermaid!) we decided it was time for a snack! Everything was free because we were staying at an all-inclusive resort! They had nachos, hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, ice cream....and the list goes on! After some nachos and horchata, another girl from the trip and I tested out the pool. We were joined by a few others later on, and had some handstand contests as well as attempts to duplicate Ariel's jump out of the water (Becky is an expert at this). We then all went back to our rooms to change and walked to a delicious buffet dinner at the hotel! They had an array of meat, bread, fruit, and veggies that made my stomach growl! After stuffing ourselves with food, we had some praise and worship for about an hour, which I think was much needed! Then Lauren, Brita, and I went out exploring (we had heard there was a dance party going on at the resort that night). When we got to spot where the dance was supposed to be, everything was dark! We explored further and found a huge broken palm branch! We had tons of fun taking crazy pictures, and then decided to go back to the hotel and hang out on the roof for a bit. It was so awesome UNTIL we saw bats circling...Yikes. I got freaked out and decided to see what the rest of the folks were doing. I chatted with them for a bit then headed to bed (an afternoon at the ocean sure poops you out!). The next morning a group of us woke up around 6 to go to the beach and watch the sunrise! It was absolutely GORGEOUS and completely surreal. Sometimes I get moments like that where I think "HOLY COW, I'm in GUATEMALA, this GORGEOUS and completely foreign-that-has-become-familiar country!" Watching the sunrise over the ocean was definitely one of those moments. After taking a few pictures and taking the beauty in, most of us went back to bed until breakfast. Then back out to the ocean we went! We hung out by the ocean until we had to leave around 4, when we headed back to Antigua in some pleasant drizzle. We all were POOPED, so most people slept on the bus ride back. After some dinner at a place called "Tacontento" in Antigua, I was definitely ready to go to bed for the night! The ocean really takes it outta ya!
SO much has happened since this, including 4 weeks of INTENSE language school, and moving back to Magdalena! Sorry I haven't kept you as updated as I would have liked...life just got so busy! Hopefully during these last three weeks I will have more time to write.
Con mucho amor,
Rosita
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Back at Hermano Pedro!
I know this is LONG overdue, but last week we got to return to Hermano Pedro! I'll give you a brief run-down of what our week consisted of there:
On Monday and Tuesday, we worked at the school, helping patients bead necklaces and sew. On Monday, I sat with a group of men, and on Tuesday I got to hang out with some kids! They were all super precious, and one of the girls, Yessica, especially liked hanging onto me. After helping out at the school, we fed lunch to the senoras, the older women. We got to know a group of four women, Lencha, Emilia, Maria, and Adela, who always stick together and always know what each other needs even though only Maria can talk. Lencha acts as a mom, being the only one that can walk, and makes sure the other ladies are being fed and have what they need or want. That's the kind of lasting friendships I want when I'm that old!
On Ash Wednesday, we took all of the patients that wanted to Ash Wednesday Mass. After that, there wasn't much to do since everyone was in church, so we decided to talk to the woman in charge of volunteers, Vicki, about a project we could do to make her job easier. The social work students from the previous year had made a binder of information about every patient in the hospital for volunteers, but Vicki said that they don't use it often because the patients are constantly changing. She instead suggested that we make a guide for volunteers showing how to do certain things and giving a list of common vocab words used at the hospital for the multitude of English-speaking volunteers that they get. I think it'll be fun to get involved in this way, and hopefully they'll be able to use the tools we give them for years to come!
On Thursday, we made new and improved nametags for the senoras' beds because the ones they had were just sad! We then took two women from Hermano Pedro out for birthday lunch. Let's just say wheelchairs and cobblestones don't mix well...YIKES. But we made it to lunch! We had some really good conversation, and I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to get to know both of them on a more personal level. We also learned some new "Guatemalan" vocab:
Chapin: anything very Guatemalan (ex: a bean and cheese sandwich)
Chispudo/a: someone who is very intelligent
Mango/Mangaso: a very attractive male
Chin chin: Hurry up!
Friday was INTENSE. We brought a bunch of the patients (most of whom are in wheelchairs) to Central Park, which is about 4 blocks away from the hospital. I DEFINITELY got a workout hauling everyone over there. Once everyone arrived safely, we hung out and took some of the patients on strolls around the park. I spent most of the time with Yessica, the girl I had hung out with on Tuesday. She loved looking at the dogs in the park, and really wanted to touch the water in the small fountains around the park. Unfortunately, being in a wheelchair made this difficult, so instead I would scoop up some water and sprinkle it on her hands, and she seemed to enjoy that just as much! While we were at the park, a church group from Canada came to help out, so bringing everyone back to the hospital was a lot easier. Thank God for Canadians! After sites on Friday we had class, where we watched a documentary about Guatemala and had some really good discussion afterward. That night I worked on finishing a paper for economics class so that I could enjoy the BEACH on the weekend! That is a whole other post in itself! You will be updated shortly!
Con mucho amor,
Rosita
On Monday and Tuesday, we worked at the school, helping patients bead necklaces and sew. On Monday, I sat with a group of men, and on Tuesday I got to hang out with some kids! They were all super precious, and one of the girls, Yessica, especially liked hanging onto me. After helping out at the school, we fed lunch to the senoras, the older women. We got to know a group of four women, Lencha, Emilia, Maria, and Adela, who always stick together and always know what each other needs even though only Maria can talk. Lencha acts as a mom, being the only one that can walk, and makes sure the other ladies are being fed and have what they need or want. That's the kind of lasting friendships I want when I'm that old!
On Ash Wednesday, we took all of the patients that wanted to Ash Wednesday Mass. After that, there wasn't much to do since everyone was in church, so we decided to talk to the woman in charge of volunteers, Vicki, about a project we could do to make her job easier. The social work students from the previous year had made a binder of information about every patient in the hospital for volunteers, but Vicki said that they don't use it often because the patients are constantly changing. She instead suggested that we make a guide for volunteers showing how to do certain things and giving a list of common vocab words used at the hospital for the multitude of English-speaking volunteers that they get. I think it'll be fun to get involved in this way, and hopefully they'll be able to use the tools we give them for years to come!
On Thursday, we made new and improved nametags for the senoras' beds because the ones they had were just sad! We then took two women from Hermano Pedro out for birthday lunch. Let's just say wheelchairs and cobblestones don't mix well...YIKES. But we made it to lunch! We had some really good conversation, and I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to get to know both of them on a more personal level. We also learned some new "Guatemalan" vocab:
Chapin: anything very Guatemalan (ex: a bean and cheese sandwich)
Chispudo/a: someone who is very intelligent
Mango/Mangaso: a very attractive male
Chin chin: Hurry up!
Friday was INTENSE. We brought a bunch of the patients (most of whom are in wheelchairs) to Central Park, which is about 4 blocks away from the hospital. I DEFINITELY got a workout hauling everyone over there. Once everyone arrived safely, we hung out and took some of the patients on strolls around the park. I spent most of the time with Yessica, the girl I had hung out with on Tuesday. She loved looking at the dogs in the park, and really wanted to touch the water in the small fountains around the park. Unfortunately, being in a wheelchair made this difficult, so instead I would scoop up some water and sprinkle it on her hands, and she seemed to enjoy that just as much! While we were at the park, a church group from Canada came to help out, so bringing everyone back to the hospital was a lot easier. Thank God for Canadians! After sites on Friday we had class, where we watched a documentary about Guatemala and had some really good discussion afterward. That night I worked on finishing a paper for economics class so that I could enjoy the BEACH on the weekend! That is a whole other post in itself! You will be updated shortly!
Con mucho amor,
Rosita
Monday, March 7, 2011
Goodbye school, Hello Hermano Pedro!
I did it, folks! I made it through my first month of language school! I am OFFICIALLY done with my first class in Guatemala!
This past week was filled with homework and studying to finish up the first session of classes. On Wednesday we had a talk about Semana Santa, Holy Week, here in Antigua. It's going to be INTENSE, and I am so excited! We learned about processions, alfombras, and traditional dress and food. After that, Brita and I had our "2-on-1 date" with Becky. We had some delicious dessert, and chatted about how our time has been going so far. On Friday, we celebrated being done with class with ice cream and "She's the Man" (I'm so happy I thought to bring that movie!). Then on Saturday, I slept in till 11:15 and headed to the office to catch up with people from home. That night, a few of us played cards until curfew. On Sunday, a few of us met at Dona Luisa's, a restaurant near the SI office, for brunch. I had a baked potato that was absolutely DELICIOUS. After brunch, I hung out at the office until about 5:00, when I talked to my parents on Skype! Unfortunately, our conversation got cut a little short because we had to go to dinner, but it was good to see their faces and hear their voices! Dinner was SO GOOD. I had flautas, which are tortillas with chicken and potatoes inside, topped with lettuce, avocado, and onions, along with ice cold lemonade. The rest of the night we hung out at the office, and I talked to Jesamine!
For the next two weeks, I'm returning to the hospital, Hermano Pedro, to help out. Today we helped out at the school there, where some of the patients were making necklaces. We also got to feed the Senoras, the older women, lunch. It was a good first day back, and I'm excited to get to know more of the patients. As of now I haven't been completely moved with emotion, but I'm sure when I start getting into more of the social work-y aspects of Hermano Pedro I'll have lots to share. Be praying for me this week as I get into the groove at Hermano Pedro!
Con mucho amor,
Rosita
This past week was filled with homework and studying to finish up the first session of classes. On Wednesday we had a talk about Semana Santa, Holy Week, here in Antigua. It's going to be INTENSE, and I am so excited! We learned about processions, alfombras, and traditional dress and food. After that, Brita and I had our "2-on-1 date" with Becky. We had some delicious dessert, and chatted about how our time has been going so far. On Friday, we celebrated being done with class with ice cream and "She's the Man" (I'm so happy I thought to bring that movie!). Then on Saturday, I slept in till 11:15 and headed to the office to catch up with people from home. That night, a few of us played cards until curfew. On Sunday, a few of us met at Dona Luisa's, a restaurant near the SI office, for brunch. I had a baked potato that was absolutely DELICIOUS. After brunch, I hung out at the office until about 5:00, when I talked to my parents on Skype! Unfortunately, our conversation got cut a little short because we had to go to dinner, but it was good to see their faces and hear their voices! Dinner was SO GOOD. I had flautas, which are tortillas with chicken and potatoes inside, topped with lettuce, avocado, and onions, along with ice cold lemonade. The rest of the night we hung out at the office, and I talked to Jesamine!
For the next two weeks, I'm returning to the hospital, Hermano Pedro, to help out. Today we helped out at the school there, where some of the patients were making necklaces. We also got to feed the Senoras, the older women, lunch. It was a good first day back, and I'm excited to get to know more of the patients. As of now I haven't been completely moved with emotion, but I'm sure when I start getting into more of the social work-y aspects of Hermano Pedro I'll have lots to share. Be praying for me this week as I get into the groove at Hermano Pedro!
Con mucho amor,
Rosita
Monday, February 28, 2011
Where in the World is my Voice??
Last week was INSANE. A professor from Bethel, Dr. Zalanga, flew down to Guatemala to teach economics in the afternoons. This essentially means we had class from about 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM. It didn't help much that I started out last week waking up without a voice...I've had a cough for about two months, and it just got worse! Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I woke up without a voice, and Wednesday I stayed home from school, hoping that some rest would help me out. Unfortunately I had an 8-page paper due on Thursday, so I had to stay up late working on that (me, being the procrastinator I am, hadn't quite started it yet...). I survived Thursday and Friday, and was excited to finally relax a little Friday night. Another girl from the trip, Emily, and I ended up watching A Very Potter Musical (the perfect remedy for sickness). Unfortunately, the next morning we had to wake up early because we had class with Dr. Zalanga all day. What a long day it was! I was so happy to finally be done! Saturday night I finally got to talk with my roommates (besides Michelle) on Skype! It was so great to finally see all their beautiful faces! I also started getting caught up on Glee! On Sunday I went to church at a very small Presbyterian church with Becky, the coordinator of our group, and two other girls from Bethel. When we walked in we were greeted by everyone with a hug and a kiss on the cheek! What a greeting! We sang some songs in Spanish, read some passages from the Bible, and heard a man speak about them. We then all went to a place called El Macarone for pizza. We took it to go so that we could have a little picnic in Central Park! After our picnic, I grabbed my homework and headed to the office to work on some things before I talked to my parents and Emily on Skype. Later that night I also finally got to Skype with Katie! I got to see so many people I love from home this weekend! Today, we had school in the morning, and then most of us walked up to the Cross, which is on a big hill in Antigua. We got a GORGEOUS view from there, and took some great pictures! Hopefully those will be up on Facebook soon! I am still loving it here! Hope you are all doing well!
Con mucho amor,
Rosita
Con mucho amor,
Rosita
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Halfway Through!
We are officially half-way done with our first session of classes!
Time is just whizzing by!
This week of class was pretty hard because I was so worn out and sick, and it's hard to sit back and relax in class when I'm the only one in the class. I still had to try to concentrate for 4 hours on everything my professor was trying to teach me. I also got my professor sick, so I'm sure we were a sight to be seen! Things are going to really pick up homework-wise this week because I have a big paper due, my first test, and one of our professors from Bethel is coming down to teach lectures in the afternoon. I will need some prayers to get through it all!
Anyway, this past week, after school I went to the market a couple times just to look around. I also got to Skype with Nikki for the first time! It was so good to see her face! Then, on Friday, a couple girls from the group and I went to a restaurant called Dona Luisa, where we were told has really scrumptious inexpensive ice cream...and it definitely was! After that, we all had dinner at our respective houses and met at the Students International Office to figure out what we wanted to do. We wandered toward Central Park and ended up talking to a 9-year-old boy who wanted to sell us scarves. None of us bought any from him when we said goodbye, but some of the girls went to get him a little treat. After wandering around some more, we finally decided to go to a restaurant called Mono Loco to hang out. We had a really good time getting to know each other and being loud Americans. When we were done eating our big plate of nachos, we headed out to see what we could do for a half hour before curfew. We ended up just sitting in Central Park, talking some more, and playing 20 questions. I would say that it was a successful night!
Yesterday was filled with Skyping for me. We had thought about going to a pool, but it didn't work out, so we'll probably end up doing that some other weekend. I headed to the office around 1:30, and saw that my parents were on Skype! I talked to them and Emily for a while, until my parents decided I should probably do my homework. However, after I got done talking with them, I saw that Jesamine was online!! We got to talk for about a half hour before I had to go to dinner at my house. I then went back to the office, hoping to get some homework done, but some folks were going to go to a cafe with live music! I couldn't pass it up! I did get a little done at the cafe, but I mostly listened to the dude singing and playing guitar...he played a bunch of American classics! He was so good! After he was done, we thought he said there would be a circus show coming up...there was no way we could miss that! We saw the performers getting ready and moved up to where they were setting up, just in time because it got really crowded after that! The show started and it was AMAZING! There were four performers, and they juggled, did fancy things with firey torches and hoops, and even some contortion! The most amazing thing about it was that this incredible show was absolutely free! Of course, they asked for donations at the end, but you could give any amount, and they definitely deserved it! Once again, a successful outing!
Today, I woke up around 9:30 and tried to read my economics textbook until around 11:30 when I headed to the office, hoping someone would be there with whom I could eat lunch. Thankfully there were, so we all headed to Dona Luisa where I had a club sandwich and lemonade for a really good price! Now I think I will try to get some work done before heading to dinner!
Love you all!
Rosita
Time is just whizzing by!
This week of class was pretty hard because I was so worn out and sick, and it's hard to sit back and relax in class when I'm the only one in the class. I still had to try to concentrate for 4 hours on everything my professor was trying to teach me. I also got my professor sick, so I'm sure we were a sight to be seen! Things are going to really pick up homework-wise this week because I have a big paper due, my first test, and one of our professors from Bethel is coming down to teach lectures in the afternoon. I will need some prayers to get through it all!
Anyway, this past week, after school I went to the market a couple times just to look around. I also got to Skype with Nikki for the first time! It was so good to see her face! Then, on Friday, a couple girls from the group and I went to a restaurant called Dona Luisa, where we were told has really scrumptious inexpensive ice cream...and it definitely was! After that, we all had dinner at our respective houses and met at the Students International Office to figure out what we wanted to do. We wandered toward Central Park and ended up talking to a 9-year-old boy who wanted to sell us scarves. None of us bought any from him when we said goodbye, but some of the girls went to get him a little treat. After wandering around some more, we finally decided to go to a restaurant called Mono Loco to hang out. We had a really good time getting to know each other and being loud Americans. When we were done eating our big plate of nachos, we headed out to see what we could do for a half hour before curfew. We ended up just sitting in Central Park, talking some more, and playing 20 questions. I would say that it was a successful night!
Yesterday was filled with Skyping for me. We had thought about going to a pool, but it didn't work out, so we'll probably end up doing that some other weekend. I headed to the office around 1:30, and saw that my parents were on Skype! I talked to them and Emily for a while, until my parents decided I should probably do my homework. However, after I got done talking with them, I saw that Jesamine was online!! We got to talk for about a half hour before I had to go to dinner at my house. I then went back to the office, hoping to get some homework done, but some folks were going to go to a cafe with live music! I couldn't pass it up! I did get a little done at the cafe, but I mostly listened to the dude singing and playing guitar...he played a bunch of American classics! He was so good! After he was done, we thought he said there would be a circus show coming up...there was no way we could miss that! We saw the performers getting ready and moved up to where they were setting up, just in time because it got really crowded after that! The show started and it was AMAZING! There were four performers, and they juggled, did fancy things with firey torches and hoops, and even some contortion! The most amazing thing about it was that this incredible show was absolutely free! Of course, they asked for donations at the end, but you could give any amount, and they definitely deserved it! Once again, a successful outing!
Today, I woke up around 9:30 and tried to read my economics textbook until around 11:30 when I headed to the office, hoping someone would be there with whom I could eat lunch. Thankfully there were, so we all headed to Dona Luisa where I had a club sandwich and lemonade for a really good price! Now I think I will try to get some work done before heading to dinner!
Love you all!
Rosita
Sunday, February 13, 2011
First Week of School
Hola a todos from Antigua!
This week we moved from Magdalena to Antigua, where we'll be staying until the last three weeks of the trip, when we return to Magdalena. My host family here consists of Daniela, my host mom, her husband, Rodrigo, who we don't see much because of work, and their son, Jose Rodrigo, who is 1 1/2 years old! He is ADORABLE, and I have a good time playing with him. School officially started on Monday...I was NERVOOUUSS. Four hours of Spanish class one-on-one with a professor?? Talk about nerve-wracking! However, I met my professor, Harvey, and I wasn't as nervous anymore. Everyone tells me that he is the best of the best, and I can see why! He loves to chat about life in general, and doesn't worry too much about following the syllabus exactly as long as I'm learning SOMETHING. We also get to watch movies during class-time sometimes, so that makes the time go by pretty fast. I'm taking a Hispanic Literature class, so I also get the chance to brush up on my Spanish reading skills. Nothing too exciting happened during the week, except lots of doing homework, so going on an excursion to Guatemala City on Saturday definitely sounded like a nice change of pace.
We left pretty early on Saturday morning, at about 7:45 first to SEMILLA, which is a seminary near Guatemala City. There we met the director and assistant director of the program, who would be our tour guides for the day. We arrived in the Central Park in Guatemala City, which is surrounded by a cathedral and the National Palace, and we got an assignment. We split into four groups, armed with different questions to ask Guatemalans about the city. Our group went to the post office and asked how much a stamp to send a letter to El Salvador would cost (12 Q). We also went to Pollo Campero, a popular fast food restaurant in Guatemala, and asked how many there are in Guatemala (145!) and who the owners of Pollo Campero are (the Gutierrez family). We then walked to the cathedral and saw the posts outside of the cathedral inscribed with the names of people who were killed in the Civil War. We also looked around for interesting graffiti. We found one that said "barrio roto", or "broken neighborhood" and a lot of political statements sprayed on the walls of Guatemala City. We reconvened with our big group and headed to lunch, where we were first told the history of Guatemala by a professor named Hector. I think he was a little shocked that we all speak Spanish...he was going to give his talk in English, but we told him that we would be able to understand him just fine if he spoke in Spanish! It took some major reassuring on our part to get him to understand that we would get the message no matter what language he spoke. After Hector was done talking, we had a delicious meal of soup, beef, and rice, and left for the cemetery. Now I know this sounds depressing, but it was SO INTERESTING. All of the graves were above ground in buildings that looked like small houses or churches...it was like a neighborhood of dead people! We could tell how rich families were by the fanciness of their mausoleums (the richest family in Central America is buried there in an Egyptian mausoleum!). After wandering around for a while, we walked to the landfill, which is a GINORMOUS hole....it's more like a ravine...right by the cemetery. The stench was awful, and we saw a bunch of trucks of people come to the landfill to rifle through the garbage in hopes that they'll find something of value, or at least some food. Vicki, one of our tour guides, told us that children are no longer allowed to go to the landfill because last year there was a "garbage avalanche" and ten kids were trapped and eventually died. It was a solemn experience, and made me think about how much poverty these people must be experiencing to be willing to go through a mountain of other people's garbage. After we saw the landfill, we had a total turn-around and took a trip to the mall. The mall is really nice, and has a sweet fountain, but it was somewhat tainted after seeing the landfill...the majority of the Guatemalan population can't even afford to go to the mall. We looked around for about a half hour, and then, pooped after a full day, left for Antigua. After getting back, I pretty much ate dinner then headed to bed.
Today, I went to Mass at a church by my house with two other girls from our group. I didn't know the responses in Spanish, so it was confusing at times, but it was interesting to see how Guatemalans do Mass. After Mass we went to the classiest McDonald's in the whole world for lunch (they have a gorgeous courtyard facing the volcanoes!), and here I am in the Students International Office attempting to get some things done!
I'll try to keep y'all updated at least weekly...maybe Sunday's my day for blogging??
Keep praying for me and my new adventure here!
I love you all!
Rosita
This week we moved from Magdalena to Antigua, where we'll be staying until the last three weeks of the trip, when we return to Magdalena. My host family here consists of Daniela, my host mom, her husband, Rodrigo, who we don't see much because of work, and their son, Jose Rodrigo, who is 1 1/2 years old! He is ADORABLE, and I have a good time playing with him. School officially started on Monday...I was NERVOOUUSS. Four hours of Spanish class one-on-one with a professor?? Talk about nerve-wracking! However, I met my professor, Harvey, and I wasn't as nervous anymore. Everyone tells me that he is the best of the best, and I can see why! He loves to chat about life in general, and doesn't worry too much about following the syllabus exactly as long as I'm learning SOMETHING. We also get to watch movies during class-time sometimes, so that makes the time go by pretty fast. I'm taking a Hispanic Literature class, so I also get the chance to brush up on my Spanish reading skills. Nothing too exciting happened during the week, except lots of doing homework, so going on an excursion to Guatemala City on Saturday definitely sounded like a nice change of pace.
We left pretty early on Saturday morning, at about 7:45 first to SEMILLA, which is a seminary near Guatemala City. There we met the director and assistant director of the program, who would be our tour guides for the day. We arrived in the Central Park in Guatemala City, which is surrounded by a cathedral and the National Palace, and we got an assignment. We split into four groups, armed with different questions to ask Guatemalans about the city. Our group went to the post office and asked how much a stamp to send a letter to El Salvador would cost (12 Q). We also went to Pollo Campero, a popular fast food restaurant in Guatemala, and asked how many there are in Guatemala (145!) and who the owners of Pollo Campero are (the Gutierrez family). We then walked to the cathedral and saw the posts outside of the cathedral inscribed with the names of people who were killed in the Civil War. We also looked around for interesting graffiti. We found one that said "barrio roto", or "broken neighborhood" and a lot of political statements sprayed on the walls of Guatemala City. We reconvened with our big group and headed to lunch, where we were first told the history of Guatemala by a professor named Hector. I think he was a little shocked that we all speak Spanish...he was going to give his talk in English, but we told him that we would be able to understand him just fine if he spoke in Spanish! It took some major reassuring on our part to get him to understand that we would get the message no matter what language he spoke. After Hector was done talking, we had a delicious meal of soup, beef, and rice, and left for the cemetery. Now I know this sounds depressing, but it was SO INTERESTING. All of the graves were above ground in buildings that looked like small houses or churches...it was like a neighborhood of dead people! We could tell how rich families were by the fanciness of their mausoleums (the richest family in Central America is buried there in an Egyptian mausoleum!). After wandering around for a while, we walked to the landfill, which is a GINORMOUS hole....it's more like a ravine...right by the cemetery. The stench was awful, and we saw a bunch of trucks of people come to the landfill to rifle through the garbage in hopes that they'll find something of value, or at least some food. Vicki, one of our tour guides, told us that children are no longer allowed to go to the landfill because last year there was a "garbage avalanche" and ten kids were trapped and eventually died. It was a solemn experience, and made me think about how much poverty these people must be experiencing to be willing to go through a mountain of other people's garbage. After we saw the landfill, we had a total turn-around and took a trip to the mall. The mall is really nice, and has a sweet fountain, but it was somewhat tainted after seeing the landfill...the majority of the Guatemalan population can't even afford to go to the mall. We looked around for about a half hour, and then, pooped after a full day, left for Antigua. After getting back, I pretty much ate dinner then headed to bed.
Today, I went to Mass at a church by my house with two other girls from our group. I didn't know the responses in Spanish, so it was confusing at times, but it was interesting to see how Guatemalans do Mass. After Mass we went to the classiest McDonald's in the whole world for lunch (they have a gorgeous courtyard facing the volcanoes!), and here I am in the Students International Office attempting to get some things done!
I'll try to keep y'all updated at least weekly...maybe Sunday's my day for blogging??
Keep praying for me and my new adventure here!
I love you all!
Rosita
Friday, February 4, 2011
Chicken Bus
Amigos y familia!
We are leaving Magdalena already on Sunday! Que triste!
This week has been wonderful, being able to relax for the most part, without Spanish class! What a wake up call it will be next week in Antigua! Surprisingly, I didn't spend much time at Hermano Pedro at all this week. Instead, Brita, Laura, Nineth, and I made posters to put on the walls in the girls' rooms! We printed out coloring pages of Disney princesses, and enlarged them. We then went through a long process of tracing and putting colored paper over the copies. Even though it was tiring, and took us three whole days to finish all of them, they turned out great!
This week also brought my first experience in the "chicken bus"! No, there aren't actually chickens on the bus...it's called the chicken bus because everyone squeezes so close together that they look like chickens! On our first ride to Antigua, one man was nice enough to give up his spot so Brita and I could sit together...I love the people here! It certainly was an experience! The bus rarely stops completely for people, and there are "helpers" on the bus who stand at the door and yell out where the bus is going ("Guate! Guate!"). One of the helpers collects money from passengers en route to their destination, squeezing between the multitudes of people in the aisles...it definitely must take some courage to be an "ayudante"!
And now...some vocabulario I've learned in the past week:
Brillantina: Glitter
Tuk-tuk: Guatemalan Taxis
Chuchos: Stray dogs in the street
Barrcones: Grates on the windows
There are definitely more, but those are the ones that I can think of right now!
Vayan con Dios!
Con mucho amor,
Rosita
We are leaving Magdalena already on Sunday! Que triste!
This week has been wonderful, being able to relax for the most part, without Spanish class! What a wake up call it will be next week in Antigua! Surprisingly, I didn't spend much time at Hermano Pedro at all this week. Instead, Brita, Laura, Nineth, and I made posters to put on the walls in the girls' rooms! We printed out coloring pages of Disney princesses, and enlarged them. We then went through a long process of tracing and putting colored paper over the copies. Even though it was tiring, and took us three whole days to finish all of them, they turned out great!
This week also brought my first experience in the "chicken bus"! No, there aren't actually chickens on the bus...it's called the chicken bus because everyone squeezes so close together that they look like chickens! On our first ride to Antigua, one man was nice enough to give up his spot so Brita and I could sit together...I love the people here! It certainly was an experience! The bus rarely stops completely for people, and there are "helpers" on the bus who stand at the door and yell out where the bus is going ("Guate! Guate!"). One of the helpers collects money from passengers en route to their destination, squeezing between the multitudes of people in the aisles...it definitely must take some courage to be an "ayudante"!
And now...some vocabulario I've learned in the past week:
Brillantina: Glitter
Tuk-tuk: Guatemalan Taxis
Chuchos: Stray dogs in the street
Barrcones: Grates on the windows
There are definitely more, but those are the ones that I can think of right now!
Vayan con Dios!
Con mucho amor,
Rosita
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