When blog post stop being polite, and start getting real:

Though I commend the sweet, earnest blog posts before me (and the sentiments behind them), I'm also a  pragmatist. As such, I would like to bring things back to reality for just a minute...

- We have a limited amount of water each day. There are ten girls living here. We are all accustomed to daily showers, grooming, primping, prettying, etc. Somedays here, we don't have enough water to flush the toilets, let alone get ten showers. Props to those who have taken this in stride, and gotten in touch with their crunchier sides. Literally and figuratively.

- This is a developing country. We are lucky enough to live better than most of the locals around us. But this too has limits. Case in point: the city-wide, planned power outage yesterday. Apparently, we missed the memo.

- For anyone who has been to Central America, you know you don't put toilet paper in the toilet. For anyone who has lived in America their entire lives, this is a hard habit to break. The result: two clogged toilets and an adventure in breaking up clogs with caustic powder (the local remedy).

- We don't exactly blend in. Ten white girls? In a Mayan community? Its basically Gringas on Parade whenever we go anywhere. Plus side of this: we have perfected our Miss America-style waves.

- As if the adults' reactions weren't enough, you can imagine what the kids in Chaq think of us while we are teaching lessons. Fascinated by the white girls, recess is prone to becoming a giant game of "touch the gringa." This is what happens when you let a seven year old do your hair:

Next big trend? 

- Let's talk food for a minute. And by food, I mean the Guatemalan staples: corn and beans. Granted, they are in various forms. But at this point, we've got starch coming out of our ears.

Corn soup with potatoes and corn tamalitos

All things considered, these just add to the experience. From my previous experiences traveling, the best stories to recount aren't the ones about the nice hotels or the five-star Western meals-- they are the ones about stuffing 27 people into a shuttle van, or needing to hitchike down a mountain because bus service was cancelled for the afternoon. So long as we have our humor and each other, we are all blessed to have this opportunity to add to our anecdote arsenal.

- Alli, Summer Intern Supervisor

Xela Retreat!

This past Sunday and Monday, I went on my first work retreat in Guatemala, the third retreat for the rest of the PDs. We went to Quetzaltenango, more commonly referred to as Xela, the Mayan name. We left early Sunday morning to catch a chicken bus, and after a swerving two-hour bus ride, we made it! After checking into the hotel, Nim Sut, we went to lunch at a restaurant that let us overlook the town square. 

The Square in Xela

After lunch, we walked around the square, where we were able to have a puppy fix.There the most adorable little puppy that we fawned over for a good thirty minutes. Ja, Nicole, and I are especially susceptible to the cuteness of puppies, and can't help but 'awwww' over them. 

Nicole with the puppy, Muñeca (Doll in English)

After lunch and puppy time, we headed to Las Fuentes Georginas Hot Springs, nestled in the mountains, just a short ride out of the city. It was absolutely beautiful there, a forest wonderland. 

 

Las Fuentes Georginas

We were able to relax for a few hours in one of the pools. It allowed us some time to catch up and enjoy each others company. 

One of the hot spring pools- Yes, that is steam from the pool! 

After coming back to our hotel, Ja was feeling a little under the weather, and Sarah was craving some pure American McDonalds, so Jess, Nicole, and I went in search of some dinner. We landed at Cafe Tecun, where Nicole discovered the most delicious caesar salad sandwich ever created. That night we also had a meeting over a survey that the previous PDs took last quarter about the site. 

Monday morning was a work day, starting with our weekly Monday meeting, where we discussed current programs and potential program progress. After a short break, we discussed the January Goals that were set back in December. There have been a number of changes that we discussed, especially regarding the Basico English at Central that Nicole and Ja are in charge of. This meeting wrapped up just in time for lunch. Since dinner from the previous night was so scrumptious, we decided to go back to the same place for lunch where all but Sarah ordered the caesar salad sandwich!  The perfect meal to end our relaxing and successful Xela retreat. We headed back to our beloved Sololá right after lunch. 

The group in Xela! 

-Julie

Take Only Pictures and Leave Only Footprints

Please welcome Kylie, one of our second-session Summer Interns, to the blogosphere. Much more to come, as they'll be with us until July 28th!
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Today is my third day in Guatemala and if I had to describe my experience so far I would say that it has been extraordinary. This country is not like any that I have ever seen, it is truly unique. The towns may not be the cleanest however it is easy to look past the mere lack of sanitation because the towns are surrounded by pristine natural beauty that is just breathtaking. Our house is by a beautiful lake, which is surrounded by three volcanoes, not to mention the vast amount of beautiful rolling hills blanketed in green trees and crops. The town’s people are friendly, and tend to take great interest in five or six “gringas” walking the streets. Most all the locals dress in very colorful and vibrant fabrics, and the streets are filled with people walking and cars driving crazily, and the buildings are all different colors and the town always seems to be buzzing.

We have been traveling to the schools in a nearby by town which is so much fun. The ride there is nothing short of interesting. We ride in what are called “micros” which are basically taxi vans that take people around town and to neighboring places. It is like a giant sardine can that is packed with people, and there is no such thing as personal space, if you can move, then there is room for more! When we got to the school I found that all of the children are great, and most seem eager to learn English and socialize with us Americans. Smiling is a universal language and can make all the difference, sometimes there may be a language barrier but as long as I try to have fun and I try my best I am sure that my Spanish skills will only improve. The Country Director, Dana, and a long term volunteer Lorena, along with another Intern that has been here the past month, Christina, are all teaching several English classes to various age groups. It is truly inspiring to see the true motivation and passion that all of these ladies have. Us new arrivals are truly lucky to have these awesome people to show us the ropes, and teach us about daily life in Guatemala. The daily life includes the way the house is run, and one thing that we learned on the first night was that when we use the restroom, it is important not to flush the toilet paper, and that old saying “If it’s yellow let it mellow and if it’s brown flush it down” certainly is practiced here.

One of my favorite things is learning about the culture here, and I feel like I am gaining so much from this experience and I’ve only been here for three days! I am concentrating on the present and looking forward to what this adventure has in store. As long as my trip continues to be this fantastic (even though it has been only three days!), I don’t thing I'll ever be able to leave!

---Kylie


“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

Adios for Now

Well, it looks like my time in Guatemala is coming to an end.  I can’t believe it - I don’t think any of us can.  Cliché as it may sound, it seems like just yesterday that we were wandering around the airport with no clue what to expect and piling into a van with five strangers (Emily too!), nonetheless. In less than a week, something strange happened: everything started to seem normal.  The nine strangers we were living with were no longer strangers but rather our temporary family.  Hopping on a chicken bus to find that it was more crowded than anything we had ever seen was no longer an ordeal, but rather a way of life. The kids in Central and Cooperativa (the schools we work in) were no longer meaningless faces on the street, but rather real people who we quickly began to care about and whose lives we thought we might actually be able to improve.

We have had the opportunity to do a bunch of cool things since we’ve been here: hike to the top of Tajumulco (the highest point in Central America), travel to Monterrico to enjoy Guatemala’s finest beaches, and even explore ancient Mayan ruins at Tikal.  As awesome as each of these experiences have been, I have to say that interacting with our students has undoubtedly been the COOLEST part of this trip. Whether they are giggling as we introduce ourselves with our Gringo names, running to hug us and screaming our names as we arrive at Cooperativa, focusing as they try to contort their mouths so they can pronounce a new English word, or challenging us to a game of basketball, these kids never fail to make life interesting and exciting.  More importantly, they never fail to teach me something new (and here I was thinking that I came to Guatemala to teach them).  Sometimes they were literally teaching me, as in how to say dog (Tze) in Kaqchikel, their native language, for example.  But most of the time, I just learned by watching.  I watched kids fall down or take a blow to the head from a soccer ball without shedding a tear, time and time again.  Surely, if we were in America, they would have been bawling.  I watched others screw around with their friends during school, seemingly as if they lacked any ability to focus, but managed to get down to business and work for their families when they got home.  Their culture is just so different from ours, and over the past month, I have found myself feeling surprised time and time again.

Considering the difference in our lifestyles, nothing has been more significant to me than the moments when we were able to put smiles on the childrens' faces.  Sometimes it was by letting them play with our cameras or letting them listen to our iPods.  At other times, kids were legitimately excited about what we were doing in class. Personally, my favorite was the time that we taught them Old McDonald while they were learning the animals--our students were ecstatic as they held up their animal mask and screamed out its name.  During mini camp, everyone was enthusiastic as Karianne and Grace led a group sing-along to Justin Bieber’s Baby and as they had the opportunity to bust a move to the Cha Cha Slide. 

I really do believe that we have made a difference here and, more importantly, that Manna will continue to do so in the future.  I feel great leaving MPI Guatemala in the hands of Dana, Lorena, and Christina (and the new interns who will be arriving on Sunday), and I can’t wait to hear about the great things that this organization does in the future.

--Michelle Weinman

What's it really all about?

 About a month ago, Lorena and I were up late talking, and she gave me a pop quiz. One question, four possible answers. The question was, “When you leave Guatemala, who are you going to miss the most?” The choices were varied, but my answer was easy and immediate. I said, “My students.”

Living in Guatemala had its ups and down. From making new friends but having to see them leave a few months later, traveling to exotic destinations but sometimes not being able to leave the house due to natural disasters, and having one of your closest companions, Oliver the cat, being taken away from you instantly one day. However, there always seemed to be one constant. Every Monday and Thursday in the afternoon, I had the pleasure of teaching English to 40 Primero Basico (7^th grade) and 11 Segundo Basico (8^th grade) students in Chaquijyá Central. I was not only their English teacher, but a connection to an outside, Western world that they might never see. Our relationship was much more than English nouns and verbs. I learned about their families, was given homemade crafts as gifts, and invited to community events. I watched their enthusiasm in the English language grow from simple excitement over learning bad words and swears to wanting to use English to tell me how they were feeling: “Cameron, are you happy? I am happy.”  When I walked into school every day they would greet me with a “What’s up?” They even wanted to describe their friends:  “Alfredo is fat. Claudia is pretty. Cameron the teacher is ugly."

Most of the time in life, people are focused on themselves. It is quite difficult to consistently dedicate your time to other people, while putting your interests aside. I can truthfully say that looking outside of myself and putting my efforts towards bettering the lives of my students was a truly rewarding experience.  Am I saying I didn’t gain any personal benefit and satisfaction? Of course not. I enjoyed every minute with them, whether we were learning, joking, arguing or playing soccer. However, if I had not put forth the effort to make a connection with my students, their positive influence wouldn’t resonate with me the way it does now. Was I a good teacher? I don’t really know. Having never done it before, it’s hard to tell. However, one thing I do know is that my students' personal warmth, laughter, and willingness to accept me into their inner circles made an impact on me. As I walked up the hill away from school for the last time on Thursday, I wondered if I would ever come back. I think I will. A part of me has been left in those two classrooms in Chaquijyá Central, and I guess I have to come back to rekindle that spirit. Before I left, I gave each student a class picture with words written at the top.  Estoy orgulloso de ti. I am proud of you. And I know I will be for a long time. Thank you for being part of my life. Se cuidan.

--Cameron Roth, newly-retired PD

Work vs. Play

Valentine's Day soul train!

The month of February has been incredible. We started off with a bang exploring bat caves in Semuc Champey (see pictures in last post), followed it up with a lively boat cruise, Valentine's Day dance-off, hike to a Mayan altar, and confetti-filled Carnaval celebration. Dream vacation, no? Try, dream job. Let me paint you a little picture:
We're all invited to the Valentine's Day celebration in El Basico (high school) in Caserio Central. We come bearing varied mugs and candy for the friendship gift swap. Cam is put in charge of the kids' dance contest. However, it's not surprising that these shy, angsty teenagers are repulsed by the idea of dancing in front of their peers. (Let's take a moment and reflect back to our own awkward teenage years and then compound that by a large factor due to the fact that we are in a small indigenous village.) Cam's brilliant solution? The PDs will have a dance battle instead. Well, I can tell you that we are great at making fools of ourselves, and that I may have done "the lawnmower" a few times too many. The day continued with a more familiar teenage dance scene where boys and girls occupy different sides of the room and walking across to the opposite territory is like committing treason. Emily confessed that she herself was an 8 out of 10 on the uncomfortable scale.

Tomas explaining the significance of the four altars

One of the most interesting things about living in Guatemala is the Maya influence. It's a religion, lifestyle, and culture--all three unique to this region, so we're always eager to learn more about it. On Tuesday we hiked up to a Mayan ceremonial altar with Celso, the principal of La Primaría (elementary school) in Caserio Cooperativa, and Tomas, the local mayor. Tomas is a spiritual Maya priest and helped build the altar himself.

After a short hike up, we listened to his impressive knowledge about the Mayan calendar and rituals. The next day happened to be the start of the new year! We descended through Cooperativa talking about MPI, Chaquijyá, all we've done together, and what more could be done in the future.

Carnaval is Halloween, a circus, tag, and a dance party all rolled up into a ball... and then rolled in confetti and flour. Immediately upon passing through the front doors we were assaulted with bits of paper, glitter, and unidentifiable powders. Confetti-filled eggs were smashed on our heads and kids of all ages used us as jungle gyms. The costumes were incredible, the laughter unceasing.

What's funny about life here is that all these events, and many others, are mandatory. I'm sorry, but you must participate in the dance off, you must attend the costume party, and you must hike up to see a beautiful view of Chaquijyá...

It seems a bit odd, but these community events are where our best relationships are made, with teachers and kids alike. And we count on these relationships. These relationships are the foundation of all our programs, current and future.

The best and hardest part about the PD position is that the line between work and play is blurry at best.

Mama D