RAIN RAIN RAIN. I guess this is why it's called the rainy season. While I wasn't complaining when it was the reason for a class cancellation yesterday, I'm not too pleased with it being the cause of the Peten trip this weekend!! It's rescheduled for 2 weeks, but I want to see Tikal so bad! Well, that just means we have more extensive 4th of July plans this weekend. Yes, we do plan on being the crazy gringos celebrating the independence of our country in another country. We went to the market yesterday to look for bombas, but we were told you cannot buy them in Antigua this time of year (which I still think is a lie because the bombas that went off at MIDNIGHT last night had to have come from somewhere).
I finally got some pictures up on facebook, so check them out if you haven't gotten a chance to yet. I still have some more to put up, but they just take so long to upload. I'm actually getting a chance to semi-work ahead this morning so hopefully I can enjoy the rest of the week!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
it's been one week already!?
My history class got cancelled this morning so I actually have some time to update this (thank you for being extra rainy this morning Panahichel). I cannot believe a whole week has already gone by! It went by so quickly, but I feel like I have been here for so long! I love this country more than words can express, espeically Antigua. I have met some of the most wonderful people so far. Everyone on this trip gets along so well I cannot believe we've only known each other for one week. Today is also the official one-week-iversary of my brothel aka homestay. It's so rare to find such a group of girls who click so instantly. I cannot imagine myself spending my time here with a more wonderful family. We have become just that so quickly - a family (who ever knew family could so easily stem from 6 college-aged girls, a single grandmother, the family friend Luis, and a turtle named Luci).
Like I said, this past week was such a whirlwind. I have classes everyday, but I don't start my internship until July because all the kids here are still on break. I'm trying to enjoy my T/TH mornings free while they last. Tuesday night most of the group went out to Mono Loco, one of the gringo bars in town because it was Ladiesssss Night (40 Q for a drink - which factors less than $.50). It was great to get most of the group together outside of CIRMA. The rest of the week was pretty chill. Friday we all went to Guatemala City for the day. It's a pretty short bus ride - about 45 minutes. On the way there, I tried to get some reading done for history and there was something so poetic about listening to the world cup in Spanish on the radio while reading the history of the country I am driving through.
We were supposed to go to the National Palace, but due to 'presidential activity' we couldn't go in when we first got there (by presidential activity, I mean it was the equivalent of teacher's appreciation day and there was a ceremony inside). We just wandered la cuidad for a while (three words which I do not think should really be put together - wandered and guatemala city that is - but none the less...) and ended up hanging out in a cafe for about an hour. We fianly did make it in the Palace, which is just like a museum now. I'm not one who's crazy for historical buildings, but it was nice to see. We had lunch, then went to this exhibition called ¿Por qué estamos como estamos? (why we are the way we are) which was totally interesting, but we were all so very exahusted from walking around in the heat all day. The drive back was much longer - almost 2 hours, but that was only a prelude to what we'll be experiencing this weekend in which we will be taking an 11 (well according to our driver Josue, but I'm not sure I still entirely believe him) hour bus ride to Peten.
The rest of the weekend was muy fantastico! Friday night we went out dancing. I probably lost a couple pounds in sweat at the club we went to, my clothes are probably still soaked, but it was worth it. It was a really great night and overall just made me really excited about all the fun we're going to have the rest of the trip. Saturday the brothel (which by the way, is my house. We have 6 students that live there, which is more than any other homestay and it's all girls. We originally came up with the term 'brothel' because in PA you can't have more than a certain number of women living in a house or else it's considered a brothel. Also, our mama is single but has a close male family friend who is always there, so all signs pointed to brothel. The group as a whole has also affectionately adopted the name as well.) went to a coffee plantation in Jocotenango. We toured the coffee museum and Mayan music museum there. It was a very typical educational excursion, but very fun! We were gonna go to the market later that day, but after going home and eating lunch, we were all exhausted and decided to take a lonnnng siesta. One of my roommates, Michelle, and I went out Saturday night and met up with some other people from the group. It was weird not being out all 6 of us, but we still had a very good time. We just kinda hopped around Antigua all night, went to 2 bars, went dancing for a bit, but I don't think you could have a bad time in this town if you tried! Sunday was homework allllll day! We moved into Cafe Barista, which apparently was the thought of basically all of CIRMA because the majority of us were there! I wasn't feeling too well (most of us had been kinda sick this weekend) so I went back and took a nap. I did work the rest of the night, though, and was feeling better.
I know I've said this a million times, but I just wish I could find the words to express how amazing of an experience this is. I truly feel at home here. Every day I am amazed that it is more beautiful that the one before even when I feel it can't get any better
Like I said, this past week was such a whirlwind. I have classes everyday, but I don't start my internship until July because all the kids here are still on break. I'm trying to enjoy my T/TH mornings free while they last. Tuesday night most of the group went out to Mono Loco, one of the gringo bars in town because it was Ladiesssss Night (40 Q for a drink - which factors less than $.50). It was great to get most of the group together outside of CIRMA. The rest of the week was pretty chill. Friday we all went to Guatemala City for the day. It's a pretty short bus ride - about 45 minutes. On the way there, I tried to get some reading done for history and there was something so poetic about listening to the world cup in Spanish on the radio while reading the history of the country I am driving through.
We were supposed to go to the National Palace, but due to 'presidential activity' we couldn't go in when we first got there (by presidential activity, I mean it was the equivalent of teacher's appreciation day and there was a ceremony inside). We just wandered la cuidad for a while (three words which I do not think should really be put together - wandered and guatemala city that is - but none the less...) and ended up hanging out in a cafe for about an hour. We fianly did make it in the Palace, which is just like a museum now. I'm not one who's crazy for historical buildings, but it was nice to see. We had lunch, then went to this exhibition called ¿Por qué estamos como estamos? (why we are the way we are) which was totally interesting, but we were all so very exahusted from walking around in the heat all day. The drive back was much longer - almost 2 hours, but that was only a prelude to what we'll be experiencing this weekend in which we will be taking an 11 (well according to our driver Josue, but I'm not sure I still entirely believe him) hour bus ride to Peten.
The rest of the weekend was muy fantastico! Friday night we went out dancing. I probably lost a couple pounds in sweat at the club we went to, my clothes are probably still soaked, but it was worth it. It was a really great night and overall just made me really excited about all the fun we're going to have the rest of the trip. Saturday the brothel (which by the way, is my house. We have 6 students that live there, which is more than any other homestay and it's all girls. We originally came up with the term 'brothel' because in PA you can't have more than a certain number of women living in a house or else it's considered a brothel. Also, our mama is single but has a close male family friend who is always there, so all signs pointed to brothel. The group as a whole has also affectionately adopted the name as well.) went to a coffee plantation in Jocotenango. We toured the coffee museum and Mayan music museum there. It was a very typical educational excursion, but very fun! We were gonna go to the market later that day, but after going home and eating lunch, we were all exhausted and decided to take a lonnnng siesta. One of my roommates, Michelle, and I went out Saturday night and met up with some other people from the group. It was weird not being out all 6 of us, but we still had a very good time. We just kinda hopped around Antigua all night, went to 2 bars, went dancing for a bit, but I don't think you could have a bad time in this town if you tried! Sunday was homework allllll day! We moved into Cafe Barista, which apparently was the thought of basically all of CIRMA because the majority of us were there! I wasn't feeling too well (most of us had been kinda sick this weekend) so I went back and took a nap. I did work the rest of the night, though, and was feeling better.
I know I've said this a million times, but I just wish I could find the words to express how amazing of an experience this is. I truly feel at home here. Every day I am amazed that it is more beautiful that the one before even when I feel it can't get any better
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
GUATE GUATE
I finally got internet for the first time today at CIRMA! It's really werid being reconnected with the world actually. I'm not sure if I like it. I was loving just living Antigua life, chilling with my roommates and wandering the city. I already feel at home here. I seriously have the greatest roommates. There's six girls in one house. We all have our own rooms and they all open up to this outside patio type area with a table which we sit around and talk. We all have the exact same sense of sardonic humor and never cease to crack each other up. I'm not sure how paring us together worked out so perfectly, but I'm so grateful it did. For the first day, it was just me and another roommate Michelle. We had lots of little adventures Sunday because our mama was pretty much gone all day. The town - I don't think I can describe it. It's not really 'cute' but it's very small and friendly. There's a lot to do, like places to eat and bars to go to at night. Our house mama is fantastico! She lives by herself and loves just sitting and talking with us. There is a family friend that's there all the time, too. His name is Luis and her's is Thelma - how strange right? We also have a pet tortuga named Luci. Basically, we have the greatest house and group of people. haha
Yesterday we had orientation and took a tour of Antigua. Today we had class registration during the day and this afternoon our language classes start. I'm actually waiting for my Spanish class to start right now. I'm also taking history class MW mornings and I'll be doing an internship/independent study T/TH mornings at a school, teaching. I'll probably be super busy, but that will make the fun even better
I really don't know how to describe everything other than perfect. I cannot get over the feeling of familiarity I have here. I really truly feel like I belong here, as I always do when I travel to Central America. It just all feels so comfortable. I am so happy, and its only been 3 days. I try not to think about how quickly my time will go here because my heart is going to break when I leave.
Yesterday we had orientation and took a tour of Antigua. Today we had class registration during the day and this afternoon our language classes start. I'm actually waiting for my Spanish class to start right now. I'm also taking history class MW mornings and I'll be doing an internship/independent study T/TH mornings at a school, teaching. I'll probably be super busy, but that will make the fun even better
I really don't know how to describe everything other than perfect. I cannot get over the feeling of familiarity I have here. I really truly feel like I belong here, as I always do when I travel to Central America. It just all feels so comfortable. I am so happy, and its only been 3 days. I try not to think about how quickly my time will go here because my heart is going to break when I leave.
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