Antigua and the Mormon Temple

So last weekend I headed to Antigua with some good friends for the day. I had been to Antigua before, but always quick trips. And this was also a quick trip. Antigua is like an entirely different country. It is very touristy and expensive. Lots of english, etc which was weird. But very beautiful. And every now and then, it is nice to step back into American-esque places. I didn't have to worry about getting run over. And it was exceptionally QUIET. Apparently their is a fine for honking horns in Antigua that most definitely doesn't exist in Xela. Kind of nice. AND I got to have a pumpkin spice latte! We walked around, and my friends showed me the place where they got married (they got married in Antigua about a year and a half ago). And then we went to some neat museums. It was quite a fun day.

On Sunday my roommate and I spent the entire afternoon deep cleaning our apartment... even though it is brand new, we already have mold issues. Rainy season and poor construction will do that... So we bleached, and vinagered and scrubbed and mopped. I thought I was going to pass out from all the fumes.

And today I went with friends to check out the new Mormon temple in Xela. It is only open to the public for a few more days, and then only special Mormons are allowed inside. Its pretty intense. You can see the glowing golden angel on top from all over town. I was pretty curious to see what it was all about, especially since "regular" people can't go in normally. Also, I believe they are saying it is the largest temple in all of central America. And they are expecting a crazy amount of people to visit it in the two weeks it is open to the general public.



The outside.  No pictures were allowed inside the gates.


It was pretty spectacular...millions of dollars went into building it. And stepping onto the premises it was culture shock in the opposite way of what you might think. I felt like I had magically morphed back into the United States or really, more like some other planet. It was intense.

It wasn't some cathedral type thing like I was thinking. But just special rooms. Oh, and lots of artwork. Including many a painting of Jesus when he was in the temple when he was young. Although I never knew Jesus had blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair…

There was a baptism room with this giant jaccuzi sitting on top of 9 giant white oxen things. And a special room where people go before they get married. And an "eternity" room for married couples where there are two mirrors on opposite sides of the room so if you look into one it is like it never ends. And then a celestial room where you aren't allowed to talk, but you ponder heaven. And it was beautiful and white and very "holy" like, except all I could fixate on was a tiny pink stain on the white carpet floor....Because, 1)this building is brand new. 2) this is supposed to be the perfect holy room. 3)The placed booties on our shoes before we entered the temple so we wouldn't mess up the floor.

It was an interesting experience for sure. Thinking about how devoted these people are to their religion. To think about the differences. To think about how much money was put into making that elaborate building, when people just a few feet from the gates are hungry.

Anyway, it was neat. And thought provoking. And one of the most organized thing I’ve seen here in Guatemala. AND they gave us a cookie and apple juice upon leaving…

Well, tomorrow it is off to El Salvador for Thanksgiving. Here’s to hoping I actually make it across the border this year! 
Happy Thanksgiving!  We have lots to be thankful for!

Get a little, give a little

Another thing to add to the list of reasons I appreciate Guatemala...  We got our first monthly bill for electricity and it was only $4.  I'll take it. 

Also, I'm excited because I finally got the closets installed in my room.  This has been a two month annoyance of broken/delayed promises.  And I think it was one of my first experiences with genuine culture shock/ anger against Guatemalan culture.  The landlady would tell us one thing (probably just because she knew that's what we wanted to hear, instead of the truth) and then we would wait and nothing would happen.  Anyway, 2 months later I have closets!!  It's exciting because I can finally unpack my things and it feels like a real home.  It is nice!

On the other hand, I do feel like here you can only have a few things going right at once.  As soon as you reach your cap, everything else starts to fall apart.  Case in point, I was so excited about finally getting closets!  And the next day, I woke up and the water was turned off meaning no shower, or really anything that involves the use of water...quite an inconvenience.  And then, on top of that, I was half way through baking muffins from scratch when our gas ran out.  I called the gas man to come and exchange our tank, but he said he probably wouldn't be able to bring a new tank until Monday.  Which means we can't cook anything until then.  But such are the inconveniences that come along with the good of living here.

Today is the second and final round of elections here.  After today there will be a new Guatemalan president.  I don't know much about the politics here, but I know that there is a ton of corruption and this country truly needs a strong leader to pull them out of a lot of the mess they are currently in.  I've heard not great things about both candidates, but still praying that the people will be wise in their decision making.

Another wonderful thing this week was that I got to meet the girl I'm going to be sponsoring.  I mentioned this in a previous post, but there is an opportunity for me to sponsor a girl to be able to go to school who normally wouldn't.  Several teachers from IAS are sponsoring students, and these students would not be able to afford to go to school otherwise.  They work during the day to help support their families and then go to school in the late afternoons. 

On Friday we got to go to their school and meet them.  Because of the differences in the school systems between Guatemala and the States, they won't actually start school until January.  But it was incredible to get to meet Heidy.  She's 19 and will be going into 7th grade.  During the mornings she works for a family, cooking and cleaning...that's pretty common here.  She wants to be able to go to a university one day.  My spanish is still limited, but it was fun to talk with her.  I feel really grateful to be able to have more of a connection with the indigenous community here.  We exchanged info, and will be keeping in touch throughout this year.  Exciting stuff. 

So, quick slightly humourous story of just how exhausted I get by the end of the week... This Friday I was trying to say rhinoceros during science class and I couldn't pronounce it to save my life.  I literally called it out loud a "rhino-saurus",  like some kind of dinosaur.  And my ESL students had to correct me.  Embarassing. 

Halloween and All Saints Day

What a wonderful 2 days it has been!!  Yesterday was Halloween and today we had a break from school because of a holiday.  So Monday was kind of like Friday.  Super fun.

Halloween is not a big deal here.  Actually, many people are anti-Halloween.  But some of the teachers got together to celebrate after school and dressed up.  It was fun!



Tacky Tourists



Hit of the party- Justin Bieber.  And they even did a choreographed routine for us!

Today was one of my favorite days I've had in quite a while.  It was nice to have a break from school and sleep in, but my favorite part of the day was going to the cemetery.  So beautiful...all the colors, the flowers, and hundreds of people.  All Saints Day was one of my favorites last year, and this year was the same.  The cemetery here is absolutely incredible.  But on this day especially, because EVERYONE comes to lay flowers and visit family members' tombs.  But its not a super solemn day.  Yes, there are some tears.  But overall it is a joyful occassion.  One of the things people do is fly kites.  And this year we purchased kites to try.
It was so, so fun!  We had some trouble getting started...
But that was all part of the fun.  Some Guatemalan boys were watching and giggling, and finally showed us how its really done.  It was an absolute blast.  The weather was beautiful.  Kite flying was super fun.  And the view was incredible.  Such a wonderful day. 




It's finally up in the air! With our Guatemalan buddies looking on with approval.

 


This was the best my camera could capture, but the view of seeing dozens of kites flying HIGH up in the sky with the mountains as a backdrop is incredible. 


Afterwards we all went out to dinner.  It was just a relaxing, joy filled day!  Much needed...although I'm not quite ready to go back to school tomorrow.  Wish I could have a few more days like this one.  Hopefully it'll keep me going to finish this week out strong!

So I've got to get a little vent out before I can move on to the rest of this post...

Dear Guatemalan Men I encountered on the street today (and all the rest of you that have acted similarly or even worse),
I really find it disturbing the way you treat women.  And I REALLY don't appreciate it when you try to talk to me while taking a piss on the street.  First of all, do your business elsewhere.  Second, I refuse to look at you or acknowledge you, despite your degrading attempts to get my attention.  I walked to the other side of the street for a reason.  And I'm sure you think it is appealing to try to talk to me in English.  But it's not.  Especially your crappy and inappropriate pick up lines.  Leave me alone.  I have a taser.   Furthermore, until you realize that females are not meat, you should stay away from them in general.   I kind of hope you get smacked. 


Okay, done.  There's really nothing else I can do about the disgusting males here, and its even more degrading to just have to walk by and take it.   So I needed some kind of outlet. 

Glad that in this case, a few bad apples don't spoil the bunch... My roommate is in the States this week, and so I've had the whole apartment to myself.  A little lonely, but a lot of time to reflect.  And last night as I was eating my dinner of beans and eggs (huevos rancheros style, made of my own volition), I was reminded of just how much I love this place.  Although, ironically, I sometimes feel the opposite, big picture wise the thing that I love the most about here is freedom.  That's the word that comes to mind.  At least in regard to the burdens and weight that come from living in the states.  But I think you don't notice those things as much until you get out for a while. 

Anyway, this place is a gem.  It really is.  Diamond in the rough...gotta look past a few things, or maybe its just all part of the charm.  It is easy to complain about little things, but I certainly hope that I haven't misrepresented how wonderful this country is.  Its hard to put a finger on what it is that makes it such a treasure, but it certainly has a special place in my heart.

Some things I love...
1) the view.
2) the fact that I can buy fresh produce, herbs, etc for mere cents
3) Tortrix Limon
4) Riding in a micro and having the driver pull over to buy some tamales from a woman selling food out of the trunk of her car
5) the colors
6) the walkability
7) paca shopping
8) the people
9) Triple Saldo days
10) the language

So, so much.  You know what else I have loved this year?  The way I've been challenged to cook/bake more things from scratch.  You have to get creative in the kitchen sometimes, when you just can't get certain ingredients here.  Or certain conveniences that are easy and cheap in the States are crazy expensive here.  Some successes I've made this year?  A few successes I've made so far (and will continue with)-- hummus, salsa, granola, and I'm forever sold on stove-top popcorn...so easy, so cheap, and so much better.

Life at school is getting back to normal.  This is the first full week we've had in a while.  Last Friday was my rescheduled birthday after school, at none other than Pizza Hut!  Funny, I think I actually had my birthday at Pizza Hut when I was in 2nd grade...full circle.   It was fun though.  Pizza Hut is MUCH fancier here.  I was kind of shocked.  And the kids were really excited about it.  My class present was some Victoria Secret lotion and spray called Love Spell... and on the way my class mom asked me if I was single.  Hmm, trying to send a message?  Haha.  PS and by the way, my class mom who has a son in my class, is only 2 years older than me.  Scary. 

Speaking of my students, they are definitely growing on me more and more.  Today as I walked out of school to the teacher bus I was the recipient of a hug sandwich from two of my students.  I also get frequent encouraging notes from them in my mailbox.  They are super sweet.  And my students from last year stop by to visit often, which is fun too.

And on the spiritual side of things, the Lord has been teaching me a lot.  Some of the female teachers have been doing a study on the book Prodigal God by Tim Keller.  Its been pretty thought provoking.  And I have taken a pause on the church search...I was getting really discouraged.  But I've started a Sunday tradition of going to a little cafe and spending some time in the Word, which has quickly become a treasured time for me.

In other words, I'm enjoying life!  And I don't want to jinx it, but it just might officially be dry season!! :)

When it rains, it pours...

So I left off with the disastrous field trip.  And you know they always say when it rains, it pours?  Well, in this case it was quite literal.
Tuesday night we all stayed late at school because we had a silly skit night.  One of the parents and her highschooler son were driving my roommate and I home because it was late and the buses were no longer running.  Well, it had rained all day long and was still raining when we left school.  I made a comment about when we got in the car.  To which the highschool boy negated my comment about the unusual amount of rain by simply stating it is rainy season.  (Which I did know, but it usually only rains for a few hours in the afternoon,not all day). 
Anyway, I went to bed that night, and I didn't sleep well and I remember thinking many times in my half asleep state "It is still raining." 
 Well, morning came and I was ready to go to school and celebrate my birthday with my students.  That's when my roommate knocked on my door and said "Look out your window."  I did and this is what I saw...


This picture doesn't do it justice... It was literally waist deep...

Normal view for comparison purposes :)

Um, scary!  It was definitely a shock to see the water so high.  We could see in the houses across the street, and there must have been over 2 feet of water inside.   There was no way to get out of our apartment.  I was just thankful we were on the second floor!  We called the director who informed us that there wouldn't be school due to flooding all around Xela. 

Here's some pics of the water coming up the steps of our apartment.

During...

 And as the waters are receeding...  (You can see the water line on the wall)

                                     


Water spewing out of the bottom apartment... We saw literal waterfalls coming out of the houses across the street.

  There are a lot of reasons why Xela floods , but I think the reason why this one was really bad was because it was in the middle of the night and all the trash and debris blocked up the not-that-great-to-begin-with drainage system.   And everyone was sleeping, so nobody helped to clear the drains.  It really was a crazy day.  Just being trapped in side and seeing the enormous amount of damage to people's houses.  We heard stories about people waking up and their belongings were just floating around them. 
And this isn't clean water we're talking about.  The mud left behind was ridiculous.  Like literally six inches of mud on our street.  Disgusting.  That caused other problems and we didn't have school on Thursday either.  And the government here does nothing about it...either preventative or post flood.  The people that live on the street had to pay a lot of their own out of pocket money (which they don't have much of)  to hire a bulldozer to spend three days plowing mud.  The city did nothing about it. 
It really was damaging...people lost a lot of their belongings and some even lost lives.  I think the news reports said about 25 or so people died...
So it was kind of a depressing birthday.  But it was nice to have the day off of school and to relax.  And I recounted many times that day how much I have to be thankful for.  And I did have a student call me (still a mystery as to how they got my phone number) to wish me a happy birthday and "send me a hug".  That was sweet. 
My class birthday party at Pizza Hut :) got postponed.  But students have been bringing in little gifts all week.  They do make birthdays quite special here.

In other flood news, my classroom did sustain a bit of damage.  Turtle was okay... Embarassingly that was my first concern when the director called to let me know that there was at least an inch of water in my classroom.   But all of my supplemental teacher workbooks that were sitting in their cardboard display boxes behind my desk got soaked through.  As well most of the bottom shelf of my classroom library.  It was a sad sight.  But several people helped me to spread out the books in the board room with a heater and fan on them for two days... They look pretty messed up, but still functional.  As for the kids books...Another teacher and I hung string all around my room and had them drying out the past few days.  Unfortunately there are several casualties of books where pages stuck together and ripped.  Also, my classroom rug and carpet squares got soaked and have been out to "dry", but haven't yet seeing as there hasn't been sun for about a week.  My room smells pretty wretched, and there is white mold fuzz growing out of the floor.  But could have been worse.



The road to school...This one is courtesy of another teacher.

 Here's to hoping rainy season is rapidly approaching its end!!

Epic Fail.

Epic Fail.  Yep, its a term our highschoolers use, but it pretty much describes this past week for me in a nutshell.

We'll start with Monday.  Field trip day!   I was really excited about it... we had been learning all about communities, so we had planned to take a little tour of our own community in Xela.  Which I was doubly excited about, because it also tied in Guatemalan culture which is something I feel they miss out on a lot in their American school education.  So anyway, a trolley was set to pick us up and take us on this tour and we were going to make set stops along the way. 

So, morning of the trip, I find out from the school secretary that one of the chaperones has just called to inform her that she "can't make it."  And another mom that was supposed to come with us just didn't show up, neither did her son.  Okay, so about 30 minutes before the trip I'm about 2 chaperones short.  Wonderful.  But I figure we are going to be on the trolley the whole time, and we still have 3 moms and a dad that showed up, so we should be okay. 
And here comes the trolley to pick us up at school!  The kids were so excited and all the mom's had a photo shoot with us on this trolley..

Well, we tooted our horn and pulled away from school, on our way!  We drove down the big hill of our school, crossed the bridge of the river about 1 minute away from the school and then we stopped.  Just stopped.   Engine was dunzo.  Well, the driver seemed to think he could fix the problem, so we waited.  And I went into instant entertainment mode...we sang, we played games, etc.  After sitting on the side of the rode one minute away from the school for an hour while the driver had tried to go get more gas and looked at the engine to no avail, the kids were saying "This is the worst field trip ever."  And I agreed with them.  The trolley experience was the anti-climax of the century.

So the parents offered to continue the field trip in their cars.  We left the trolley and driver on the side of the road (and it was still there hours later when we returned to school....)  So we drove around Xela, and then walked around Xela which was a terror.  I was not mentally prepared to be responsible for 13 students roaming the streets of downtown Xela, where I almost get run over on a daily basis.  Stressful. 

First stop-- public library of Xela, where my class mom had arranged for the librarian to read a book to the kids.  Well, we asked for the woman and she just wasn't there.   Typical.   

Then we went to the museum  (which is ridiculous, by the way.  There are embryos of everything you can imagine in jars.  And a stuffed deer with two heads... its creepy).  But we had to rush through because we got there an hour late and it was about to close.    Kids loved it though.

Then we went to the municipal building where the mayor works. That was pretty cool. We got to meet the mayor of Quetzaltenango.

After that, we were way behind schedule and the kids were starving so we just skipped the rest of the tour and went to McDonalds for lunch.   I was exhausted, but all in all the kids had a great time and it turned out okay. 
But that crazy day was only Monday...stay tuned for the rest of the saga that was last week... A flooded birthday?  Yup.

power's out. surprise, surprise.

Yep, power's out, yet again.   It happens often, so its not a surprise, but it is an inconvenience.   How am I posting on the internet you ask?  Thanks to my trusty internet stick. 

But, I went this evening to a cafe to have wireless internet so I could skype with a friend.  (said internet stick is good most of the time, but it isn't strong enough for skype).   I got all set up, ordered dinner, and was about to get on skype when out went the lights.  Ugh.  I figured it was just contained to that block, and sometimes the lights come back on quickly.  So I waited for my food and for the power.  To no avail.  I ate my food as quickly as possible and headed out the door to try to find another cafe with internet.  No such luck.  Power is out everywhere.  And by that point it was dark...pitch black dark.  I was really scared.  Xela is not super dangerous, but it can be at times.  Especially when its pitch black and I'm an American girl by myself with a backpack... easy target.  Two men on a motorcycle scared the mess out of me as they slowed waaay down and veered awfully close to the sidewalk I was walking on to holler at me.   But I changed my route home multiple times to choose the safest, most populated way.  Still scary, but made it home safe.   My roommate and I think the massive outage is due to the fact that tonight there is this huge promotion at McDonald's to raise money for Ronald McDonald house and they probably blew some giant fuse for the city.  Hopefully it will be back on soon.

Just another one of those... I'm in Guatemala moments.  Another of which happened earlier today at school.  Our school is located right next to a rural and poor neighborhood.  There's just a metal fence separating the school from the neighborhood (and I've contemplated the irony of that fence many times).  But today through the fence there were cows grazing all day in people's yards. 

Oh, and I forgot to mention that last week I stepped on a nail in class and hobbled around for 2 days because it hurt so bad.  (no worries, my tetnus shot is up to date!). 

And on Sunday the water was off for over 24 hours (meaning no running water, meaning no shower for me)

Sometimes I forget that I'm in a third world country.  Other times its painfully obvious.  But I love it all the same. 

Day of the Child.

I simply cannot believe it is October.  Time goes by so incredibly fast.

Things at school are trucking along.  The kids absolutely love our new pet.  His name is Mr. Turtle, but we all call him Mr. T for short. :)

I really wanted to write though about something I'm super excited about being able to help with.  As most of you know, the population of students that go to the school where I teach are some of the wealthiest in Xela.  And I still consider my job there as service.  The kids that we teach will likely be the future leaders of their cities and country.  They need to know Christ and receive an education too. 
However, Guatemala has many different facets.  And there have been many times that I have desired to have more of an involvement with the indigenous community here, especially the poor.  And obviously, as  a teacher, education is something I feel everyone has a right to.
Unfortunately that's often not the case here.   I found out recently, that as a country, the average level of education here is 4th grade.  That's one of the lowest in the world.  There's a American guy here, who's lived here for years and years and has connections with IAS.   However, his main job here is working with a service group that provides education for street kids  (not kids who live on the street, but kids who have to work on the street all day to provide for their family).  Clearly, these kids don't have the option of going to school.  They can't afford private, and most often the selection process is incredibly difficult to get into the few public schools here, simply because of supply and demand.  Not to mention the greatest factor, they don't have time for school.  Most times their income is necessary for their families to make it. 
So the organization that this man works with started many years ago going into the markets and offering  free education to the kids that were working there.  As the program has developed, they have been able to expand and offer more.  Literacy was the initial focus, but the families of these kids started to say that its great if they can read, but would really help them to get a "real" paying job, they needed a high school diploma.  So now they help kids get to that goal.  Many of the students are way past typical school age, but are going back so they can get their degree.  After elementary school, they have to pay to continue.  There are many students that have interest in continuing, but don't have the money to be able to afford it.  (Keeping in mind were only talking Q100 a month which is only $12)  So that's where the opportunity came in for me to help.  These kids need sponsors.  So I get to sponsor a kid to be able to go to school this year.  I'm really excited about it.  There are lots of opportunities to help kids all over the world, but I get to meet the kid I will be sponsoring and talk with them.  Its just a neat thing. 
Helps bring my teaching experience here full circle. 

I've been looking for more opportunities to serve with my time here.  And slowly but surely the Lord is opening up more doors.

Oh, and today is the official Day of the Child holiday here in Guatemala.  What a perfect way to celebrate children  :)

Teacher's pet!

I got a pet yesterday!  Well, actually its for my class.  But they don't know yet, and he's spending the weekend with me. 
Introducing... yet to be named turtle!! 



I love his shell pattern!  He's so tiny and cute!



His home-- complete with a ramp to get him from land to water.

My kids are going to freak out!  I just hope he stays alive through the year.  And that I don't get too attatched :)  He's adorable!  I'll have to let you know what the kids choose for its name.

I'm very thankful for Nameless Turtle.  He has brought a little light and joy.  Our apartment situation has been grim lately.  Basically our landlady doesn't like us and won't give us what she promised us and its kind of a big mess.    And our apartment is falling apart around us.... our gas ran out on Friday and she told us that she can be the only one to change it.... but here's the kicker... she's out of town until "Monday", although who knows when she will finally get around to helping us.  And until then we are unable to cook anything.    And then yesterday morning around 6:30 AM I was woken up to loud banging/kicking sounds against our complex gate.  Which subsequently fell of its hinges and went crashing to the ground later that afternoon. 

Other things to be thankful for?  Well, I'll start with the opportunity I've been given to co-lead the I Am Service  club for the elementary students at school.   Since coming to Guatemala, I've been wanting to get more involved in serving the community.  We had our first meeting last week, and we brainstormed ideas for what we could do this year to help our school and community.  It was a little sad, yet encouraging to hear these mostly first and second graders pinpoint most of the major issues in their community.  Poverty, people on the streets, vandalism, pollution, and the list goes on.  But their ambitious ideas were wonderful to hear.  And the fact that they recognize that there are lots of opportunities to serve.  Sometimes I worry that the population of kids that go to our school have no idea of what goes on around them.   But some of them really, really do. 

In closing, a few extra pics I had lying around to share.



View from my apartment




Updated view of the living room/kitchen in the apartment



Independence Break

This week has been long.  Probably because last week was a half week followed by vacation.  Its always a little bit of a challenge to return after a vacation.  
But the time off was wonderful!  I went to Guatemala City with friends who also happen to be a married couple.  The husband is Guatemalan and so they know there way around.  It was nice to be able to go to the city in a car and at our own pace as opposed to a giant bus.  Also, I usually hate the city because it has a dangerous feel and you have to take taxis wherever you go.  But having a car to get around and being with people who know their way around was better. 
When we got there we went to a giant mall that I have been to before.  It is just like a fancy mall in the states.  My friend and I went and got pedicures while drinking iced coffees which was definitely a treat.  Afterwards we went to the movie theater.  I had been to that theater before but this time we payed a little extra to go to the VIP part of the theater.   It was the equivalent of $10, which is what you would pay for a movie in the States  BUT soo much better.  Comfy reclining seats which were spaced out.  AND you can order specialty food to be delivered to you.   I got sushi.   I always crave it and you can only really get it in the city. 
For dinner they took me to an amazing resturaunt a little out of the city.  It was very fancy, but had a spectacular view overlooking the city.  And the food was delicious!!  It was all about grilled meat and vegetables.  I cannot tell you how great it was.  I literally savored every bite. 
Going to the city is all about treating yourselves to the things you can't get in Xela.  And that's exactly what this trip was.  It kind of makes you feel like you are home.   We also went to Price Mart and another grocery store that carries a lot of American items.  My prized finds were canned pumpkin (excited to make fun fall baked goods),  a jumbo bag of craisins, and a jumbo bag of ghiradelli chocolate chips.
This whole trip was extravagant.  But so fun.  And I figure it is okay to splurge every once in a while.
We got back  Saturday afternoon and I headed off with another group to visit the fair (only about a 15 minute bus ride away).  Last year I didn't eat much fair food, for fear of getting sick.  But I decided to take the risk this time because everyone says it is so good.  I tried the garnachas, which everyone jokes are made of street dog meat.  But they were delicious.  And I also tried churros.  I didn't ride any of the sketchy rides this year, but did enjoy watching them.  They really are sketchy.

Pictures to come!  Too tired to upload any at the moment.  Think I'm heading for a nap!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

It's currently Independence Day in Guatemala.  And the celebrations last for about a week.
Wednesday we had a half day for students (followed by a half day of professional development) and then Thursday and Friday off!
Yesterday was the big celebration.  Last night we all got together in the park where the action was.  Lots of parades and school marching bands.  People everywhere.  Xela is like the center of the Independence celebration for all of Guatemala and everyone comes here.   There is also lots and lots of fair food (not fair as in average, but fair as in carnival).  I'm working up the nerve to try garnachas before the fair is over.  I've had them in resturaunts before, but never as street food.   I hear they are amazing, but the running joke is that the meat they use comes from street dogs...
So after walking around Central Park for a bit, we decided to walk to Minerva-- another area of town, to watch some concerts.  After maneuvering through blocked roads, crazy traffic, and hoards of people we managed to get out of the park area.  Its about a 30 minute walk to Minerva.  And that's when things got a little ugly.
Guatemala has a lot of extremes.  Extreme poverty and extreme wealth.  A beautiful environment, yet littered in trash.  Amazingly kind and hospitable people, yet some of the worst violence in the world.  And things are only intensified in times of big celebrations.  The best of times, and the worst of times. 
We were having a wonderful time walking to Minerva, until one of the uglier sides of Guatemala decided to show itself.  We walked by a quieter part of town, as two young men were in some kind of fight.  One was literally on the ground, being beaten to a pulp.  Kicked in the face and gut repeatedly.  Shouting and ugliness.  Kind of like something you see in the movies.  And we all just stood there, frozen in fear and sickened by the brutality.  We wanted to intervene.  We wanted to step in for the guy that was screaming in pain and begging for mercy.  But its not safe.  And that is one of the most difficult things about living here at times.  Having to walk past or "ignore" people that you want to help because its not "safe".  Its a very strange thing to do, especially when your instincts often tell you to do something else.  Some of the newer people in our group were really shaken up, as it was one of their first exposures to things like this here.  Its hard to move past something like that.  Being confronted with the falleness of humanity in such a graphic way. 
We ended up getting to Minerva.  But there were just so many people and I was feeling chlaustrophobic and exhausted, so one of the girls and I just went to Wendy's to sit and chat for a while. 
A little before midnight we headed back to the park.  Its almost like New Year's Eve, counting down until Independence Day.  There were incredible fireworks, literally being shot about 10 feet away from us.  So we were craning our neck because they went right above us.  But we had an incredible view.  And then I came back and slept in an empty apartment-- my roommate left for a trip yesterday afternoon.
Today was pretty relaxing.  Several girls went over to some teachers' apartment that has a great roof.  The intention was to lay out in the sun... but, we lasted all of 5 minutes before it clouded over, got freezing and then stormed.  However, I did take some pics while I was up there.



Back view from the Catholic Church in central Park



And one final picture that I stole from my host sister from last year.  It just made me laugh... aparently this ground beef sculpture was on display at Wal-mart to celebrate Independence...



Ground Beef and Cilantro Sculpture of Guatemala with the Quetzal bird!



Leaving early tomorrow to head to the city for a mini vacation trip!  And then heading back to hopefully go to the fair that is just outside of town-- complete with the sketchiest fair rides you've ever seen! 

And as an aside... nobody won the election... There is a rule here that you have to have 51% of the vote to be elected.  And seeing as how there were 11 candidates, nobody got that majority.   So... the two highest go into a run off and there will be more elections in November.

The day my students cried.

Today is the big election day here in Guatemala.  It is interesting because it falls on September 11 which, as we all know, is a pretty significant day in American History.   And as it is an election, it also reminds me of a very somber election time from when I was in Nigeria.  Lots of thinking today.
But so far things have been pretty calm.  My roommate and I did venture out to the park earlier this afternoon for some ice cream and reading.  There was even the most adorable basset hound puppy walking around.  It just seemed to be a normal day.   Hoping nothing crazy happens after the polls close this evening.  And I don't know much about the 11 candidates, but I hope that the people here select a wise leader.  Lord knows this country needs someone strong to bring about some change.
Just to show some of the propaganda, I took a pic today of the large church sign visible from town all through the year.  But since elections have been occurring, there is also a very large political sign hanging right behind it.  The church sign means Christ comes.  And the political sign... with the motto of "mano dura"/a hard hand (I think in reference to cracking down on drug trafficking).  Just an interesting combo of messages going on here...
And as a disclaimer... I do not claim to endorse this particular party, or any Guatemalan party for that matter.  I just find the political process here interesting.

In other news, I have a story that I've been holding on to for a few days now and need to share.
One of the craziest teaching moments I have had thus far...
Last Thursday, I walked out to pick up my class from recess and saw that a great majority of my students were standing in line crying hysterically.  Oh boy, this is going to be interesting.  Sure, I've had criers before.  But multiple criers, in hysterics all at the same time?  That was a new one.  In trying to discover what had happened, I realized no one was injured and that it wasn't something that was going to be solved in a quick minute on the playground.  So we walked back to class, students still in hysterics.  We got a lot of weird looks. 
So at this point, my entire class is crying.  Minus two students.  Even my two tough boys who I never would imagine crying were in tears.  I almost made a bolt for the guidance counselor's office, but decided to take a shot at it myself.  We got everyone in and seated and I had everyone attempt to take a deep breath...trying to calm everyone down before we could discuss things.  Sobbing, sniffles, and tears ensued.  Then I proceed to lay down the law for discussing conflicts.  Give everyone a chance to speak, speaking calmly, no interrupting others, how to respectfully disagree, etc.  This really felt like a therapy session. 
After about 10 minutes of debriefing on what happened, here's what I pieced together from very emotional charged, sniffled ESL English...
Apparently there had been a game of '"boys touch girls"...AKA "tag" with the boys against the girls.  Yes, I realize boys touch girls is a very sketchy sounding name for tag.  Anyway, the girl decided they didn't want to play anymore, and the boys didn't seem to understand that message.  And here's where we discussed what it means to have a miscommunication...
So somehow boys continued chasing girls, and the girls wanted to tell one of the boys a message or something.  Which resulted in poor boy being pulled apart between the girl side and boy side.  Which obviously ended badly.  Poor boy was hurt and ran to the bathroom crying and all the boys ran in after him.  To which the teacher on duty (who shall remain nameless) decides to finally kick in.  Although unnamed teacher thinks the boys are causing trouble in the bathroom and gives them all the punishment of sitting on the fence.  (side note- probably not the best way the situation could have been handled...)  Misunderstanding #2.  So the boys are mad at the girls and the girls feel bad that there friends got in trouble so they go over to console the boys.  And the boys scream that it is all the girls' fault and they hate them and blah, blah, blah. 
So basically there was just a giant mix of anger and hurt feelings. 
So we discussed all this, students are still sobbing.   We talk about how we can learn from this so that it won't happen again.  We say apologies.  We hug.  We pray.  And we're still crying.  And at that point I say that it is in the past and we need to move on.  (PS- this is 40 minutes of crying later.)  So I know I can't just transition right into math.  So I decide to read a funny story and play heads up, seven up.  Eh, didn't know what else to do at that point.  But finally we got the crying to stop and were in a better mood.  But man, it was a stressful afternoon.

Okay, going to go check and see if they have announced if Guatemala has a new president!  Staying in the rest of the night!  Excited because next week is a short week!  Although we didn't get off for Labor Day, September 15th is Guatemalan Independence and is a huge deal.  Most schools get the whole week off.  We just get Thursday and Friday but it is still a nice treat :) 

A sight to see.

I have internet! Success!!  And my roommate and I have been joking that we only get one success a day with our new apartment.  And so far, that has pretty much been true.  But I'm grateful that every day it is feeling more and more cozy.  And SUPER thankful to have internet.  Tomorrow I will have to be holed in for most of the day because it is elections here, and there is a chance things could get intense.  I'm planning to get caught up on school work.

As far as the new apartment goes, I thought I'd share a pic from the first night.  One of my favorite things about living here is we can have people over whenever we want!  The first night our neighbors, who are also teachers at the school, organized a housewarming party at our apartment.  It was so fun to have everyone over and they all brought gifts for our new apartment. 

Another success was that roomie and I have purchased some new furniture for our apartment.   First purchase was a mirror.  Trying to get ready for school without a single mirror was pretty challenging.  So we went and had a mirror custom made for us.  Then, on another day we went to the demo where they basically sell everything for cheap, and we found a place where they build everything out of wood that you could possibly want.  We got a nice wooden handmade counter/shelf thing for our kitchen to extend our counter space and have a place for storage.  It looks pretty nice and is very functional  (now we don't have everything just sitting on the floor).  And it only cost Q140.  Which is only about $18.  Gotta love Guatemalan prices.  But...to get it back from the demo (which is maybe a mile from our house) we decided to carry it back.   So as if we don't stand out enough as white girls, we must have looked like total fools as two gringas carrying a big wooden shelf on our shoulders through the streets.  Definitely a sight to see.  But, hey, at least we are resourceful.

Still more to catch up on from last week, but I'm sure I'll have a lot of free time tomorrow!  Prayers that the elections go smoothly!

New Apartment= No internet

So a LOT has happened in the last week.  I'm sorry for lack of posting.  But with my lovely new apartment, I lost the free wireless internet.  They have internet "sticks" here, and I have one, and purchased time for it, but its not working.  Believe me, I've gone to great lengths to figure it out, but to no avail.  I'm hoping to have time this weekend to go the actual TIGO (brand of phones/internet) store to figure out a solution.  At the moment, I'm staying late at school to catch up on some things, and figured I'd take advantage of the time with internet.

But anyway, I'll try to update.  So much to tell, so little time.  I might have to break this up into different posts.  Although it is all very exciting, I don't want to wear you down with so much information at once. 

So I moved.  That was fun.  Minus the fact that it almost didn't happen.  The day before I was supposed to move I had a terrible day.  Just got overwhelmed with teaching and stress and lack of sleep.  I actually embarrassingly cried on the teacher bus that morning.  But that's another story.  Anyway,  I was also supposed to meet with my new landlady, who add already handed over to me the sole key to the apartment. 
Well, I got the key out and ready in my old apartment before I left (so that I wouldn't lose it) and sure enough, by some crazy circumstance, one minute it was lying on my bed and the next minute it wasn't there.  Disappeared into thin air.  I freaked out and tore apart my entire room, bed, suitcases, EVERYTHING.  And then I cried.  Second time that day.  That was just the straw that broke the camel's back.  I knew it was in that room but I could not find it.  I spent the next 6 hours meticulously searching through my room, as I packed up, in hopes that I would find the key and could move in as planned.  Literally shaking out every article of clothing, every shoe, etc.  And crying as I thought of the possibility of not finding it.  I prayed, believe me, I prayed that I would find that stinking key. 
I went to bed after midnight.  No key.   I woke up the next morning at 5AM.  My moving helpers were due to arrive at 7:30.   I continued searching, hoping that fresh eyes would help.  At 6:45 I still hadn't found the key.  I just lost it.  I cried, and just prayed asking God to help me find that stupid little key.  I literally set out stipulations...  I said that if I didn't find it by 7 I was going to call my future roommate and admit that I had lost the only key to our brand new apartment and call off the move in for that morning.  I told God I was going to search 5 places one more time.  I literally named out the places.  And then I went to the first place on the list, the first suitcase of clothes I had packed, which I had literally unpacked 5 times the day before and shaken out each individual article of clothing and the suitcase to check for the key.   This time I got to the last two articles and mentally convinced myself, that yet again, the key was not there.  And then I reached in, and I'm not joking, out of nowhere that pesky little key just appeared in my suitcase.  It really was a mini-miracle. 
  So, moving day was back on.  Some of the Dons  (or super-hero Guatemalan janitorial staff) that we have at the school brought their truck and muscles to help me move my stuff.  It was wonderful.  And I took advantage of the time to take them out to a McDonald's breakfast afterwards.  So fun. 

The apartment is great.  I love having a roommate again.  And it feels so much more free than where I had been living.  Although, it is still not fully finished.  The carpenters will still have to return to do some more construction...  Saving that whole story for another post.  And we joke that our house should be called the Fun House because everything is crooked or just doesn't make logical sense.  Oh Guatemalan construction.
Case number 1- the brick wall.  Instead of installing a door, they decided to fill up an extra door frame in our bathroom with bricks.

More examples of the craziness to follow.  But really, I'm loving the new space.  Lots of work to be done, but its becoming more and more like a home every day.

Here are some initial photos to appease those who have asked, but know that things are not finished.  I will have to post more when my room is done. 




Our living room/kitchen.  Kitchen table, under the sink cabinets, decorations, and oven to come!

 



My room.  And I know it looks messy because of all the stuff on the floor.  They aren't coming to install the closets for 15 more days :( 

  So yes, I'm getting all settled in.  And there are lots of stories to come with that. 
Hoping to get a lot accomplished this weekend, including internet set up.  Although Sunday is the big election day, and we've been informed to not be out and about much that day, especially after the polls close.  So keep Guatemala in your prayers.  And I hope to update again soon.

Spanish as a second Language

So thankful this week is almost over.  It has been filled to the brim with stuff and stress, but thank goodness, tomorrow is FRIDAY!! woohoo!!

Things have been super busy. 

Yesterday I went to see my new apartment!  It looks pretty awesome, for Guatemalan standards.  I'm excited!  Moving in this weekend.  And someone is already throwing us a house warming party...literally the day we move in.  Pictures to follow!

And walking home in the rain I was spoken to in English by a Guatemalan male stranger and for the first time it was a phrase other than "I love you", "you so beautiful", or "wow" etc.  It was actually "I'm sorry.  Take care"  when he realized he was blocking my way in the rain.   Progress in restoring my opinion of the male population here.  Well, until 10 minutes later down the road when I was called after by another group of males with yet again more cheesy english pick up lines.  

Still getting used to my new class... my class from last year still gives me lots of love which is nice.  New class and I had a bonding moment today.  It was "choose a book" read-aloud day and the kid whose turn it was is the kid who tries to speak spanish at school whenever he can even though its a rule not to.  So of course he picks the book that is Spanish/English that a teacher from last year passed on to me.  And they all beg me to read it in Spanish.  They think it is wildly entertaining for the English speaking teachers to speak in spanish when technically everything is supposed to be in English.  Apparently I was feeling generous today because I agreed to read some pages in English and some in Spanish.  And it is kind of intimidating to speak Spanish in front of native spanish speakers, especially when they are your students, for some reason.  But I did it.  And they all giggled hysterically, and not because I was making mistakes (because I asked if I was and they said no), but just because they find it so entertaining.  One of the boys, who is quite a character just kept saying, "I can't stop smiling! I just can't stop smiling! 
And then it was funny because I would say "Oh boy, I don't know that word" when I came to unfamiliar words and they would all just yell, "Try it!  Just try your best! Sound it out!!"  As entertaining as the whole experience was, it was also a lesson learned.  It is easy to forget sometimes just how much having English as their second language affects things for them.   But I can relate with Spanish being my second language. 

Here's an actual picture of me with my class!  I had no idea it was being taken, although aparently the rest of the class did.  We were really just taking a bathroom break, but since I don't have many pics from school, I thought I'd share!

Dinners.

This post is dedicated to my very enjoyable dinners the past two nights...

Last night, the girl who lives next to me and I cooked and ate dinner together!  I had been getting lonely cooking and eating by myself, and since we share a kitchen and live right next door I asked her if she wanted to cook together one night.  Last night was the night.  After school, we went to the bigger grocery store to go shopping.  We settled on fettucini alfredo, salad (with homemade croutons-- shout out to Courtney, made those twice this week!), bread, and brownies.   It was a splurge, but oh so fun.  And let me toot my own horn a little here...I made the alfredo sauce from scratch.  I was proud because I had no idea how it was going to turn out, especially buying Guatemalan ingredients...  I was nervous about the "cream" because it had more of a mayonnaise consistency as opposed to a liquid like I'm used to.  But the sauce turned out quite deliciously, if I do say so myself.  And cooking and sharing a meal together really is a bonding experience.   AND I took a picture to commemorate.  Be proud.



On to tonight's dinner... and my dinner for the next week, for that matter (thank you Guatemalan hospitality...)    Chinese food!  

One of my student's parents own a big Chinese resturaunt here.  (Dad is Chinese, Mom is Guatemalan...love the diversity!)  I've eaten there many times, and these people are super hospitable. 

Anyway, since day 1, their son has asked me to come over to their house, which happens to be right above their restaurant.  (I promise it is not a creepy thing for teachers to do here.)  So after many times of asking, it was decided that today was the day for me to go visit.  

When I got there to play, the mom asked me if I wanted anything to eat or drink.  I, trying to be polite, said no thank you.  I believe I mentioned before that "No thank you" is never really an option.  I should have just settled for a coffee, because after many promptings I somehow ended up with a fancy cappuchino and a LARGE piece of cake.  But if you don't eat it all, then they ask if you don't like it...   After I'm sufficiently stuffed from the cake, and I finish my game of checkers with my student and his sister,  and I said my goodbyes, I was also gifted with a 5 meal sized portion of special fried rice and 4 muffins to-go.  Seriously.  And on top of that, because it was pouring down rain and the streets were flooding (really) they got one of their cooks to drive me home...  It is a little strange, all the workers there know who I am and I get treated like a celebrity.  I always feel kind of uncomfortable, but they are very kind.

Other than that, I'm basically running on empty.  Been up late these past few nights.  The way I feel, I would guess it is a Thursday or Friday.  But nope, only on Tuesday.  Its going to be a busy week.  I'm set to move on Thursday... But I need to talk and ask if I can stay here until Saturday.  It would be a little crazy to try to move all my furniture across town on a weeknight...but we'll see.   Also, I'm leading chapel on Thursday.  I always get kind of nervous about that.  Prayers appreciated.   Lots and lots of work to do for school and chapel and moving and just not a whole lot of time. 

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Blood, sweat, and tears.  That's how I'm describing my trip to church this morning.

I've been trying out some new churches with some of the new teachers and today I went to one that was pretty far away.  It was quite the trip...

I left my house at about 10:15.  I met up with another teacher and we walked to another park to meet up with some more teachers (and got slightly lost).  Then we got on a micro bus...  Craziest micro driver I've experienced so far.  And that is saying something.  I was tossed around by his jerky driving, which is pretty normal, but when a Guatemalan woman fell on top of me, I knew this guy must be really crazy. 
We got to our stop (which the driver decided was in the middle of a busy road) and two of us got out.  Then  I guess he decided the middle of the street wasn't a good place to stop after all and took off again, with the rest of our group still on the bus.  Luckily he let them off around the corner.

Then from there we proceeded to walk 20 minutes more to get to the church.  During this walk, we had to pass through a large marching band, dancing parade (our 2nd of the day),  I accidentally set off a car alarm when I brushed up against a car, and then we almost got run over/ had a heart attack as chicken bus whizzed passed and honked while we walked along the highway.
Then I tripped over a rock and scraped my foot.  Enter blood.  It really wasn't that bad at all, but it kind of stung.

Finally we got to church.  I was sweating.  A lot.  But it didn't stop.  We entered what I would call a Guatemalan mega-church.  TV screens, lots of people, entire praise and worship band/choir/dancer things.  And it was very hot and stuffy.  And we stood up for a very long time.  I continued to sweat and actually thought I might pass out. 
At one point the ushers were literally walking around with boxes of tissues to pass out to people.  Personally, I thought that was a little over the top.  But yes, there were lots of loud tears all around. 
Hence,  blood, sweat, and tears.  It was quite a service.  Several hours later, it was over.  And thankfully a family that we knew from school offered to give us a ride back.   I ended up getting home around 2:20.

This weekend has been nice.  Yesterday I took the afternoon to run some errands, including a trip to the market.  1st of all, I have learned I will never go to the Dispensa (a grocery store) on a Saturday.  Craziness.  2nd, I still have lots to learn about the Demo (fruit and veggie market).  I still don't know what prices to expect for different vegetables, and therefore am more likely to get ripped of unknowingly.  Like yesterday.  I asked to women about the price for their potatoes.  They said Q2.50 for a pound, which I thought sounded decent. Especially considering that is like 30 cents.  But then they were laughing to each other and talking in spanish like I couldn't understand and I asked for half a pound (I'm only one person after all) and they thought that was ridiculous.  And I got flustered and I think I ended up paying the price of the full pound for my half pound.  Anyway, I figured this was happening, but it was confirmed later that sure enough, they ripped me off.  Annoying. 
But this was later redeemed when I went to buy tomatoes and carrots from another girl.  She was young and by herself.  And she didn't try to over charge at all.  Acutally, I made a mistake in my math because I only wanted a half dozen carrots instead of a whole dozen and when I accidentally tried to pay her the price for the whole dozen she corrected me.  Not everyone here tries to cheat gringos. That's always encouraging. 

Well, I think I'm off for a Sunday afternoon nap! 

Officially a Guatemalan apartment tennant!

So on Thursday I officially signed the contract for my new Guatemalan apartment!!  And by new, I don't just mean new to me, I mean brand spanking new.  The last time I was in it, it was in the process of being finished.   But I'm excited... it is going to be nice!  And I'm looking forward to having a roommate and my own space and being near people again!  The apartment is ours September 1!  Which is very soon and also a Thursday.  Not an ideal day for moving when you are a teacher.  I'm thinking of asking the lady where I'm currently staying if I can stay until the weekend... you can pray that goes over well.  And that people are willing to help me move furniture and stuff.  Not having a car makes things difficult.  But all in all, I'm very excited.  And very proud that my future roommate and I signed a contract entirely in Spanish.  We read through the whole thing together, and hopefully we got everything right :)

Everything else has been going well.  School is getting into full swing.  My class kind of wears me out.  And it can be hard to regroup as a teacher in elementary because if things start off badly or the kids are working your nerves, there are no breaks.  Its not like you have them for an hour and then they switch to another class.  There's just not much time to breathe and things can just build sometimes.  But then there are those moments of grace... like yesterday.  There is a boy in my class who kind of a trouble kid.  He loves attention and is pretty funny but many times crosses the behavior line.  I feel like I'm always on him for his behavior.   Well, yesterday they were working on an activity and I was walking around.  He hands me this tiny scrap of paper, and I look and it says "You are the best teacher."  Instant re-evaluator.  Instant reminder of things you sometimes lose sight of when you get overwhelmed and frustrated. 

Hope all you east coasters are staying safe in the crazy weather.  Earthquakes and hurricanes... those are Guatemalan commonalities.  But a little strange to be hearing about those things happening back at home.  My students prayed for you all yesterday! 
It is currently sunny here, but we do have power outages quite frequently and it is rainy season so it rains just about every day.  Just the other afternoon, I was still in my nice school clothes and when I came out of a meeting it was pouring down rain.  Luckily I had an umbrella.  My shoes got destroyed, but I was able to remain pretty dry.  Up until  I got three quarters of the way home.  A car came zooming by on the street and there was a giant puddle and no where to hide.  I got drenched. 

Thinking of you all!  Hope you have a relaxing weekend indoors!

Star Struck Take 2. Also- WATCH THE VIDEO :)

Apologies to anyone who read my post from last night...
I started typing it, and then the girl who lives in the room next to me go on skype.  And that killed the internet.  Some how it posted what I had and then when I tried to fix it, the page wouldn't reload.  I waited for a while and then just gave up.  Internet connection here can only withstand so much.  TIG (This is Guatemala.)

Anyway, what I had been saying was that yesterday was Open House at school.  Which can be a little intimidating-- meeting the parents for the first time and hoping to not sound like a fool with your Spanish.  But I think it went well.

As far as being star struck, I had mentioned that election season is in full swing.  The actual elections are early September and the campaigning is crazy!!  You see all of the candidates names and faces EVERYWHERE.  Well, one candidate (not for president, but for congress or something of that equivalent) is a parent at the school.  I see her name and face everywhere on signs, but I had never met her because her child is in middle school and I don't have much interaction with those guys.  But the other day at open house... I saw her!  I knew it was her immediately because I recognized her face from the millions of signs.  I stopped dead in my tracks, a little star struck :)

And now for the video!! This is exciting stuff!  There's a teacher on staff who is really big into (and very talented at) making movies.  I believe I showed one of his on here before.  Anyway, he made a promotional video for the school and I wanted to share it!  I haven't watched the whole thing yet... It takes a long time for videos to load here, but I do make an appearance!  Its my class from last year.  Also the frogs with names are from my class too :)  But from the part I've seen so far, it seems really well done.  And you can see my school and some of the teachers and kids I work with.  So here ya go.

http://vimeo.com/28125381

Well, headed off to a meeting with who I hope is my future landlady.  I'm hoping the next time I post I will be able to say I finally signed a contract on an apartment!! We shall see!

Awkward things...

I was walking home today and encountered an awkward moment...  And that reminded me of the many times there have been awkward moments here in Guatemala.  Thought I'd share a few with you, beginning with the one that happened today.

Its awkward when...
1)  You look up and realize that if you continue a few more feet on your path you will walk right into a man relieving himself on a lamp post.   This happens quite regularly actually.

2) You basically are forced to sit on strangers' laps on microbuses. 

3) Someone goes in for the traditional kiss on the cheek greeting and they catch you off gaurd. 

4) Crawling into the back of the teacher bus or any crowded bus in a skirt/dress. 

5) Seeing highschool students everywhere.

6) Sitting behind, in front of, or beside a couple that is seriously making out.  It seems to happen to me everwhere I go, especially on long chicken bus rides...


Something else that was awkward today, but not in the laugh about it later kind of way, was the Guatemalan church service I attended this morning.  I've been trying some churches out.   There is only one English service in Xela that I know of, so I've been looking into Guatemalan churches lately.  Its hard because my Spanish is limited and I feel like I'm not able to get a lot of "meat" out of sermons in Spanish.  I can usually get the gist, but not like I would be able to in an English service.  Anyway,  I thought I got a good idea of the Spanish sermon today and I wasn't super impressed...
First of all, I'm more of a fan of when pastors take a chunk of scripture and preach from that...breaking it down and really diving in.   And perhaps adding in some supplimental scripture.  But the guy today was totally picking out random verses...trying to make the point he wanted to get across.
He started out okay...Saying God's Word is perfect and given to us as a guide for life.  And that in this day and age there are lots of external/worldly influences that can kind of cloud things.  And then he went into his examples...  That's where I got a little frustrated.  Very random (yet pointed very much at the things this culture is very judgemental towards) and cherry picked selection.
Example 1--  Female modesty in dressing (from a male pastor- who happened to be dressed quite fancily).  Presented in a super condescending way-- at points referring to women who walk the streets...
Example 2-- Homosexuality. 
Example 3-- Transgenders
Example 4-- Marking your body with tattoos.
 The last three having scripture from the old testament laws and read without any context whatsoever.  I don't want to get in a debate, but I will say I thought the way it was presented seemed super legalistic and judgemental--like literally making jokes.  And that's what I take issue with. 
And I'm not ruling out that some things got lost in translation.  But Guatemala's evangelical community can be pretty legalistic, and at times hypocritical.  And there's a huge divide between the evangelical community and the catholic community.  It is hard to see sometimes.  Ugh. 

Anyway, it lead to a good discussion with the people I went with afterwards.

On to week 3!!