Pacaya and School Begins

Finally, I'm updating the blog! So much happening and not enough time to access the Internet and keep everyone up to date. My pictures are placed on this post a bit random as I'm still trying to figure out the best way to post. Anyway...Life is great here in Guatemala and I am having a magical time. Last weekend I hiked the Pacaya Volcano with Maya, Aviv, and Alice. It was a great hike and the views were brilliant. Near the top of the Volcano we stood right next to a steady stream of moving lava and the heat emitted from the flow was unreal. Our guide was a terrific man and said he hikes the volcano 14 times a week, meaning two times a day, seven days a week! After the hike, we went to a concert from which proceeds went to a non-profit group that helps the children in Guatemala. The music was great and included bands from Honduras and Belize: they played Caribbean, African, Latin American music. I also have a picture posted of many of the volunteers here in Guatemala. We have since lost Susanah, Brom, Emily, Juliana, Aubrey, Simon and Brian. All great people that I was just getting to know. I will have a new housemate from Scotland tomorrow. Her name is Fiona and she will be here for four to six weeks I think. Ok, to the best part of this entire experience, the kids in the school! The pictures do not even speak to how cute they are and how much enthusiasm they carry each day. I wake up each day excited to see the little buggers and they greet us each morning as soon as we step off the shuttle van. The school at Santa Maria has four classrooms, three of which are located in one large room. There are no walls separating the classrooms, only waist high partitions made of corn stalk. But, we make it work and despite some major chaos, things do get accomplished. I am teaching 8-10 year old children and my friend Aviv and I take over the class on Monday-lesson planning this weekend! Last week, I spent most of my time assisting individual kids and making funny faces at the kids. Every single kid here smiles when they see you and the kids are extra tough: no crying when they fall or get punched or don't get their way. This stems from children having to be much more self reliant than children in more affluent countries: big families and not much individual attention, extremely poor, children must work in the fields/markets to help support their family, etc. Open sores, poor teeth and runny noses are very typical here but you would never know the children are afflicted by these things given their beautiful smiles and energy. Not only am I a "profe" or teacher, but I seem to be a climbing tree as well. The kids always want to be picked up and thrown in the air, held, or simply hugged. This individual attention to each child is considered a major component of our program. We have around 15 kids in our morning class and around the same number in the afternoon class. I am quickly needing to learn names like Marta Julia, Maynor, Ana Victoria and Jeremias! I'm getting there. There is a picture of a boy named Miguel Angel (he has a blue shirt on and his hands are in his pockets). He was immediately drawn to me and each morning he puts his feet on mine and we go for our walk around the school, this is our ritual. Doreen, who is from Guatemala and is the director of the school at Santa Maria, told me that Miguel's father passed away and that he is very happy to see a male teacher, I am the only one at Santa Maria. I feel blessed to be able to spend time with Miguel and provide him with attention he eats up. His sister, Daisy Paulo, is in my class and is a brain. I will need to come up with some ideas to challenge her each day! Yesterday was a great day at the school. Each Friday is sports day, where the kids play futbol or engage in other activities. Yesterday was special though because it was Birthday Friday! This consists of each child owning a birthday in that month sitting in a chair in the middle of the entire group and having Happy Birthday sang to them in English and Spanish and then a procession follows. This involves each child and teacher hugging each kiddo and then the whole crowd will chant "Beso, Beso..." when a teacher or child come face to face with a child of the opposite sex. Beso means kiss in Spanish and a few kids would actual give another child a kiss and it was the funniest thing in the world to watch. If a kiss was delivered both girl and boy would become embarrassed and give each other the funniest looks after said kiss delivery. The crowd would go nuts when a little boy would kiss a girl or vice versa! Then, Doreen would pass out gifts to the children! Toy trucks, dolls, colored pencils, and jewelry for the older girls! The kids loved their gifts and you just knew that these are probably the only gifts the children will receive for their birthdays. Rufus, a GVI staffer, told me that many of the kids' birthdays are not acknowledged in their homes so it makes the whole event that more meaningful and this is why GVI includes this in their school program. Another special event in the day was the monthly delivery of food packages and supplies to the grandparents of the children in our school in Santa Maria de Jesus. Around 50 people came to the English school and we were greeted with smiles and kind words from the grandparents. Santiago, who helps run the school and whose family provides us with the best lunches each day, would call out each grandparent's name and who his/her grandson/granddaughter is and then the volunteers would hand them a package with much needed food and cooking supplies. The grandparents were so grateful and would each greet us afterwords with huge smiles and words of thanks. It was great to see our kid's grandparents and to see the weathered and distinct faces of people who have worked finger to the bone their whole lives and who have helped set up their children and their children for better futures. Last, after our birthday celebrations, the kids had two pinatas and the kids celebrating their birthdays got to knock the crap out of the pinatas. Then, we danced and danced some more and then some more. I discovered that there are two things that induce me into a dance like state: alcohol and kids! I danced the entire time and the music consisted of salsa, merengue, pop, and reggatone! Many of the boys would not dance but some were swayed into dancing with a girl and it was a sight to see. I usually danced with three or four girls in a little circle and we made up some new dance moves and we all laughed for much of the time, probably laughter aimed at me given my dancing abilities. Many of the little girls wanted to dance with the Gringo Giant, I wish women would pay this type of attention to me :) So, this has been an extremely long post, but I felt it necessary to convey as much as possible before I forgot something. Last night, we said our goodbyes to the volunteers who are leaving and we went out afterwards. Each Friday we have a staff BBQ at the GVI house and it is so much fun. By the way, I am picking up new phrases and words given I am embedded in the field with people from Scotland, England, and Australia. Juliana and Aubry, my housemates from California, left today and I hate to see them go. Juliana is Aubrey's grandmother and Aubrey is 14 years old. They decided to take a "vacation" to Guatemala and help teach in the school. What a great way to spend a thanksgiving week and I hope we can stay in touch. Well...until next time and I hope everyone is doing great. Happy Thanksgiving belated and I have so much to be thankful for today!! By the way, my host mother, Lolita prepared Chow Mein on Thanksgiving night. I will never forget Thanksgiving 2008, Chow Mein in Guatemala!!