so what have I been up to lately you ask…

Well… let me see we´ll go back in time I think.  So today is Tuesday… tomorrow is Wednesday… and guess what(ok can´t find the question mark on this keyboard–each keyboard in this place is different… and none of them are US keyboards)…Anyways tomorrow we are starting work on the roof of the clinic.  We had some extra funds, and there are a couple guy volunteers that are down here with their wives who are on the board of some nonprofit here.  But they come down every year and are looking for work… so do we have work for them!  But yes… tomorrow we are starting by tearing off the concrete fascad that is in the front of the church (which makes it look like a church) and then we are going to replace some of the boards and replace all the lamina (corrugated tin roofing) because it leaks badly and is all rusted through.  So… pretty exciting stuff!  So it is going to be me, Francisco (the ablanil… foreman) and these two older guys(and I specify older… because that does make a difference…) It is for this reason, that I went over to San Juan today and just walked around and around for hours trying to find the best route to the clinic from the boat dock… and finding a good little comedor to eat lunch at.  And I am glad that I did that, because I got pretty lost… and I am sure that I would have gotten lost tomorrow.  And that is not good to have happen when I am with two “older” men from the United States… who from what I have heard are quite task oreinted, get the job done, no breaks till we are done type guys.  So I am sure they would have been really thrilled with me getting us lost on the way to the clinic… ( I am just guessing from past experiences that they might have a superiority thing going because I am young and a girl and doing construction stuff). 

But yes… yesterday I met with Francisco again over here in Pana… and when I was talking to him on the phone before our meeting I was feeling very discouraged with my Spanish skills… I was feeling like I pretty much suck at Spanish.  I asked Francisco to price the materials when he was at the ferreteria and call me to give me the prices.  So there are two problems there… the construction materials were of course in Spanish (and this vocabulary they don´t tend to teach you in school) and then there were numbers of prices… big numbers like thousands and hundreds and such and I have always struggled with big numbers.  Then of course I am talking on the phone… which I am not so great at anyways, and can´t see his mouth moving, and the connection is not great.  So I was like… alright I am having trouble hearing you, so I´ll get the numbers another day.  So I felt pretty down… that I am never going to be able to speak spanish well.  But then I met with Francisco yesterday to give him money for materials, and everything went so smoothly… I even got all the prices of those materials I needed!  So that was super… and then I went to my first Spanish lesson in the evening and I felt that just that two hours helped so much!  So things are looking up today! 

Lets see what else… I went to church again on Sunday.  Well it is a little traveling church group… we just meet in different people´s houses each week and it is a little potluck too!  It is a pretty interesting group of people (English speaking foreigners).  The first time I went I was like…where am I… I can´t sit here and listen to some of these people!  So yes some of them are VERY conservative and most have quite a different theology that me.  For example they were praying for people´s souls because they don´t know “Jesus”.  And they were praying for this guys brother who has cancer and someone was like does he know Jesus and this guy was like, I don´t know if he does he belongs to one of those liberal religions… and I was like–hey right here!  But yeah so I was like oh my this is craziness… JoAn who is Methodist like me and has mostly the same views and thoughts on religion and faith and social justice and such as me brought me…she is part of this group.  But I have been thinking and realized that around the lake here there is a much smaller community(esp of foreigners)… so I guess you kind of deal with people and it makes for some interesting discussions.  Turns out there are some liberal people in the group… and they do stand up for their thoughts on stuff.  And aside from differing theology and such as me, most of them are lovely people.  I just feel bad for them because when something goes wrong in their life they think God is punishing them for doing something wrong or it is the devil that is after them.  They say stuff like that… so it is a very eye opening experience for me!  I do want to try to go a church service here that is in Spanish with more local people.  However sadly there is no Methodist church here… the only one on the lake is the abandoned one that we are turning into a clinic.  And there really are no mainline protestant churches.  So I think I shall try going to Catholic Mass… it is either that or very evangelical, penticostal church…which I don´t think I could handle so much.  They have church services like everyday of the week at all different times… there is always loud, out of tune music being broadcasted from these churches.  And I think the one across the river from me ( turns out it is across the river and down a couple blocks) I think was having a revival the other week.  They had their music going till like 11 at night! 

 Oh my… well I should stop writing now… proabably the only people who are still reading now are my Mom and perhaps little shnookie(Ashley my sister)!  But I love you all and miss you all!!!  And oh I want to know what ya´ll are up to so send me an email!!!

I never want to go shopping again!

Well, well, well… if I never go shopping again, that would be ok with me.  I have spent the whole entire day shopping for sports uniforms for our Beca (scholarship) kids.  I was I think at every little shoe and clothes store in Pana.  And for those of you used to shopping in the US, it is nothing like that (especially if you are trying to find inexpensive stuff).  Plus apparently, you have to be careful of the shoes you buy, because some of them here just fall apart really fast.. and you have to be able to spot those shoes.  And I also get the gringa price, and have to explain that I do not have a lot of money and am buying these for Beca kids and then sometimes they lower the price for me.  The other volunteers have been asking me if I can spot good shoes, and I was like well, I probably could in the US but I have no idea here… don´t see any addidas or nike or new balacne.  So, the stores that I was supposed to get the shirts and shorts at, well they wanted more for them than I had money for, and then they didn´t have children´s sizes anywhere.  One place is supposed to have childrens size tee-shirts tomorrow, and I need them by Monday, so lets hope they are there.  So… since the stores were too expensive, I had to go to the Pacas (stores that sell used clothing from probably the US)  So they are kind of like thrift stores, except that they are littler and much of the stuff is not actually hanging up, it is all thrown in big huge piles on tables, so you have to go digging through that stuff.  So I spent the day digging through piles of clothing looking for plain black shorts (in children´s sizes mostly).  Then I had to get out the tape measure and measure the waist because I didn´t have sizes of the children, just their waist measurements in centimeters.  But this measuring was easy compared with the shoes.  For the tenis shoes I had to find shoes that are either white, black, or blue…then I have to find the right size (and again these are used shoes).  So, I have the size of each kids foot, and also a tracing of their foot because for the shoes for their school uniforms we had to take back some of them cause the sizes are wrong.  So I am standing there looking for the right color of shoes that look in pretty good shape, that are the right size, and then which also fit the tracing when I hold up the tracing.  However, I do not even really understand how I am supposed to use this tracing.  How do I know when I put the tracing on the bottom of the shoe, that the foot will then actually fit inside???  I stood there forever trying to figure out what to do with these tracings.  And these feet seem very wide, and I am guessing I am not going to find wide shoes.  So, Timoteo is coming tomorrow from San Pablo, and since he is from here said he can figure out the shoes easier… but I asked and some of the stores aren´t open tomorrow, so we shall see.  Then of course we have to take all this stuff by boat back across the lake to San Pablo tomorrow, and hopefully they all fit because if not we have to bring them back here and exchange them, and then bring them back to San Pablo– and each way is an hour long boat ride.  So… this was a very long story, but in conclusion… it was a very long day of shopping, and hopefully tomorrow will go a little easier!

January 16th

Well…lets see… where to begin… yesterday I washed my clothes in the pila– this was my first experience, and I think I learned some important details which will help in my next effort.  First… I need to start earlier in the morning… because I got home last night after dark and my clothes were still for the most part quite wet and the ones which had dried were rather crunchy.  But I figured that since it was colder outside than in my apartment and who knows if the wind would kick up and my clothes would fly away or maybe some animal might think they were a tasty treat (maybe other animals aren´t like Pebbels though who thinks a nice pair of underwear are a special treat).  <<off the subject completely but yesterday the cutest little puppy followed me home and I tried to keep it outside the gate and not get attached to it, but it followed me inside under the gate, but I haven´t seen it this morning, but I wanted so bad to keep it cause dogs only live like 6 months here because they only get the leftover tortilla scraps>>.  Anyways, back to my laundry experience…so now my clothes are strewned about my room in various places trying to dry(more Colorado style).  We´ll see what they look like when I get back tonight.  Plus I discovered that I did not rinse out my clothes enough… as I was hanging on the line there was still some soap lingering although I thought I rinsed and rinsed.  Also I need to get some better Popeye muscles to ring out my clothes… my arms were pretty sor this morning.  And so now I have partially dry, crunchy clothes to wear.  But it was pretty fun I must say… you take this big ball of soap and rub it on the clothes and then scrub them a bit on the built in wash board, rinse, ring out, and then hang on the line.  Next time though hopefully it goes a little more smoothly. 

 Anyways… on to more important updates than my laundry.  On Monday, I met with Francisco, the albanio (construction foreman) who I am working with, over in San Juan La Laguna.  I was a little concerned because, well my Spanish is not what I would like it to be, and I am sure I sound just ridiculous to people.  Medoh, another volunteer was supposed to go over with me on the boat, but we miscommunicated and she didn´t end up making the boat.  So… I was able to ride the boat with JoAn and Aurellia, but they were going to a meeting in San Pablo.  So… I got off the boat with them in San Pablo, and they put me on a tuk tuk (little golf cart/tricycle type car)  and sent me to the soccer field in San Juan.  So, I got off at the soccer field and had to find the church from there going down a couple callejones.  I am really glad that JoAn had given me the architect plans for the building the night before and had gone over them with me because that is the only way I could find the church.  No one knew what I was talking about when I asked them where the abandoned Methodist church is because well it is abandoned and is just a building now.  However, I did infact find the building and soon after found Francisco.  He showed me around the building and I asked what the next steps that were involved in the building and everything are.  So we decided we should work on the roof first and replace the boards that support the tin roofing as well as the tin roofing (because well it is leaking and kids climb on the roof to watch soccer games).  And then Francisco has an idea of making a fence type structure with the old roof metal on top of the crumbling parsonage next door which is how the kids are getting on the roof.  But it was pretty exciting seeing the church and what we are going to be working on.  A couple groups last summer put in some bathrooms, so there is now an adjoining building with bathrooms. 

But the church (now clinic) building itself is just a square building witha dirt floor and no ceiling.  We are going to make three exam rooms, a waiting/check in area, and a pharmacy out of this building.  Then we are going to take down the crumbling building next door and build a two story building which will be a dental clinic on the first floor and a community use classroom on the first floor.  Francisco and other memebers of the community already have ideas to have AA classes in their and Women´s health classes.  But yeah we are first going to start on the roof, and then the next project is plastering the outside before the rains start as now there is only adobe on the outside of the building.  Well there is much more to tell, but I shall save that for another time… I must conserve my internet minutes.  But I miss you all… email me and let me know what is up! 

hello again

Mosh is beginning to grow on me.  (oatmealish stuff)  At first I thought it was not so good, but now I am liking it more and more.  And I am liking this coffee froma little plastic cone and filter.  I had never heard of such a thing before, but it is pretty delicious.  I am getting a little more comfortable with Pana (Panajachel) everyday.  I don´t have to wander aroundt he streets so much anymore searching for the internet, or the plastic store, or the market.  I finally figured out I just have to go right on Santander (the main street) to get to the internet.  I don´t know how many times I turned the other way!  But things are looking good… I have been using the pila to wash my dishes, but I have yet to wash my clothes… it looks like qutie a task ringing out the clothes… especiially towels and sheets.  But I should probably wash some soon… I am thinking that is not something you would want to pile up!  I had a meeting the other day with the other volunteers who make up ODIM (Organization for the development of the Indigenous Maya). 

 Jo An is the Director… she is super sweet and an amazing woman.   She is 65 years old and rides her bike or walks everywhere, does Tai Chi or Yoga every morning, and has an incredible sense of working with people and helping the indigenous peole to achieve what THEY want.  Aurellia is another lady who works with the organization… and she is also my neighbor.   She is very sweet as well and has had quite an interesting life.  She is now 52, but before she lived on a boat for like seven years, she traveled the renaisance circuit for a cuople years,  she has traveled and lived and worked somewhat throughout Mexico and Guatemalaand worked withthe Zapatistas and all that– apparently a rather dangerous work.  Aurellia is working right now with a pilot Becas (scholarship) program in San Pablo La Laguna across the lake.  And I have been helping her some this week with that.  The Becas help suport children to attend the primary school in the village (well the Catholic one because aparently the public ones are not so good).  The Becas pay for the utiles (schol supplies), the uniform, sports uniform, tenis shoes, and shoes, a backpack, and the tuition.  It also provides tutors when they are needed and the kids have to agree to attend school and to keep up their grades.  Aurellia and Timoteo interviewed families and 9 students were selected to recieve becas.  So last night I typed up the contract for her and this morning went to the internet to print it and to the copy place to get copies (it is a little scary that I am the one who knows most about computers and technology stuff).  This afternoon I am going to help her exchange some of the shoes that didn´t fit and some of the utiles.  Medoh is the other volunteer I met the other day as well… she is older as well… like 50s.  She is working on an organic community farming project in either San Juan or San Pablo.  I didn´t get to hear too much about her project, but I think I am going to get to helpout with that too… so that should be pretty fun! 

Last night Aurellia wanted me to come over to help her and Irma ( a 5th grader she helps pay for tuition and supplies to keep her in school) put together Irma´s utiles.  Let me tell you it is qutie a process… and I guess if they don´t have everything just so when they come to school they get in trouble. I think this is one of the reasons why so many children are not in school– they can´t pay for the uniforms and utiles. 

But Irma was the swetest girl and we carefully labeled each pen, marker, eraser… with her name and grade.  We also had to cover her notebooks and books which was quuite a process.  They HAVE to use glossy white paper to cover first, then write their names on it, and then cover over again with clear plastic.  We were at it for a couple hours.  I guess Irma´s family is very poor… she is the oldest out of 12 and her father is an alcoholic (which I guess is a big problem here)… which is why Methodists and Christians are not allowed to smoke, drink or dance–no dancing!!!

On Monday I get to go across the lake ot the village of San Juan La Laguna which is where the clinic we are constructing is.  So I will take the boat and try to get not the gringa tourist price… by telling them I am a volunteer… we´ll see how that goes.  But JoAn and I are going to meet with Francisco (the albania… or foreman) and talk about the project. 

Also, JoAn said that I also will probably get to work with the ConAlfa program which is an adult literacy program.  They need an observer to observe classes I guess (don´t know what all that entails) but it sounds pretty cool–the class is taught and translated between Spanish and Tzu´tujuil (the language spoken in the village)… so that should be pretty sweet. But I do believe I must go… I have already spent 7 hours at the internet this week!  It takes a long time to try to find statistics about little villages in Guatemala.  However after hours of research I did find among many other statistics that the literacy rate in San Pablo is 52%, cervical cancer is the number 1 killer of women of reproductive age in Guatemala, and 44% of indigenous 1st graders drop out of school. 

Hola from Mayanet

Well, here I am at the internet cafe.  It is pretty difficult to figure out how to be this keyboard… it has all the little buttons and punctuation marks in different places.  And everytime I push the shift button… I hit something else… something even shut down the computer completely.  Lets see so this is day three in Guatemala.  I am getting settled into my apartment here in Panajachel on Lake Atitlan.  It is seriously the most beautiful place on earth!!!  My apartment is quite nice… it is on the second story, very safe, has blue curtains, my own bath and shower!, a bed, a bookshelf type thing, and a little bitty table which has my propane stove, a tile floor (not dirt, mom), and that is about it.  Oh and two plastic chairs.  But it is a very nice safe place to live.  I sat out on the front poarch last night talking to one of my neighbors and the songs and preaching from the evangelical church across the little river (well more of a creek) were broadcast loudly for all to hear till about 11 at night. 

 Yesterday I went to the market with JoAn the director of the program I am working with.  From my apartment we walked across the swingy bridge over the ¨river,¨ down a couple cobblestone ally streetways, and into Panajachel (I guess where I live is called Chinimaya or Hucamaya or both somehow).  First stop to the store to cash  a US check to get some Quetzales, then to buy a cellphone and card to use–Mommy will be happy about that one.  Next a couple tiendas and 99 centavos stores and then off to the market.  The mearket is pretty sweet!  Everything you would imagine a market to be.  We first stopped at JoAn’s avacado lady Rosa–she is so sweet and aparently sells the best avacados.  JoAn says she has never bought a bad avacado from her.  At a little more tiendaish looking store in the market, I bought some soap to wash dishes and clothes (by hand) in the pila (which is a concrete basin type thing which has a place to wash clothes on one side and a place to wash dishes on the other and in the middle you dip the water out of–I used it for the first time last night to wash my pot from cooking mosh “oatmeal… however sadly not the same).  And I bought some staples such as sugar, a huge bag of salt (not quite sure what I am going to to with that), a couple pepper packets, etc… Then I went to the lady JoAn buys veggies from… I got a TON of veggies for like a dollar, and some fruit.  Then we rode a tuk tuk ( a little red tricycle/golfcart looking thing) to the supermercado to get some other stuff… like cinnamon!!!  and yogurt which I believe sadly is now spoiled because I didn’t get my refrigerator yet.  I was supposed to get my fridge, water, and stove plugged in the night I got there but I didn’t, and then yesterday morning… which then turned into 4:00 in the afternoon, which then turned into 9… and finally after pleading with my landlord he brought up my water.  Miguel kept being like manana, manana, and I was like por favor este noche… no tengo agua!  So I got my water and my stove last night! 

 Of course earlier after returning from the market I was famished… but I couldn’t prepare any of my food I purchased.  No water–I couldn’t disinfect my vegetables with the chemical stuff I bought to do that with, no stove plugged in… couldn’t cook anything… so I ate a banana… risking possibly getting peel germs on my banana and ingesting those little amoebas and girardia.  Everyone down here is really careful with food they even disinfect veggies and fruit you peel. But so far so good… no sickness yet.  I think I may have accidentally brushed my teeth with tap water last night though! oops!