New English Lab, misc. pictures

Pat´s kitchen attire. Two of our favorite teachers, Sulma and Lucky, with little Rosalinda. Kitchen ladies working hard as usual.

It´s been a pretty busy and exciting week here. Pat and I and Brendan (who is the other volunteer at the project) had talked about how nice it would be to have a space to use for English tutoring and Instruction. Before, we had to just cruise around and ask in each classroom if someone needed help with English homework. Many of the kids are too shy (or something) to speak up.
Last Monday, we asked Sandra (the director) and were given a classroom to use just for English. About 5 minutes of discussion, then we moved a table, some stools, and a bookcase, Pat installed a whiteboard and we were in business. Brendan went around and informed all the the teachers of what we were doing and by Tuesday, we had groups of kids coming in for instruction. I have had a chance to take advantage of my ESL experience, and have spent the week beginning to put together games, songs, materials. Pat will be building a partition, and a bookcase, etc. Brendan is a good organizer (and teacher) and we have 6 classes of the younger kids on a schedule and already are getting some of the older kids coming in for homework help, and even just practicing.
The English instruction that the kids get at school is very very poor, lacks any continuity, and is taught by people who do not speak English. They do a lot of copying. There is interest in learning English, and there is definate advantage, in terms of work, for those who can speak English. With this project, we hope to give the kids at the Project a little better access the language, and more creative instruction. We think that having the space and the materials will help future volunteers at the project. Brendan plans to be here until November, so he can keep the kids on a program for this year.
It´s a lot of fun, and has given me new focus and enthusiasm, since I get use my past experience and skills. I will send more pictures after we have had time to decorate the room more.









Outside the Cathedral in Zunil. Door to Door milk sales.

Big in the news lately is the subject of remittances, because of the "economic downturn". This term refers to money that is sent back to Guatemala by Guatemalans who are working in out of the country. 97% of Guatemalans who live outside of their country live in the US. This is about 11% of the total population. They send back to their country about 4 billion dollars annually, but that amount is way down this year. Most of the Guatemalans who go to the states for work, stay (an average of) about 4-5 years. They go with specific goals. They want to earn enough money to: buy a car, build a house, or start a business - in Guatemala.
A newpaper article last week told the story of a small pueblo (very close to Xela) called Cajola. This is a community with a population of about 18,000 people. 6000 people from that pueblo are currently living and working in the US. The Mayan people of the village used to grow vegetables for their living. Due to "remittances" from the US, many have stopped their traditional cultivation of vegetables and live on they money that comes from their relative in the US. Since the first of the year, the remittance dollars have dropped by 75%. This is not an isolated example in this country, and there is much concern in the entire country of how the US economy will have an impact.

We took a lovely hike last Sunday with friends, Brendan and Lorena. Although it was very steep, it was short and had brilliant views of the city.

Remember to check out the website for the Project
www.educationandhope.org

chicken buses, tuk tuks and trucks

Most of the buses we take around town are mini vans like the one you see here. Each mini has a driver and an assistant. Most of the time these are packed. In fact, after ending up in one that had 32 passengers and both Gail and our friend Chris were standing up (and bending over) we have learned a few things. 1. The assitant´s job is to get as many people as possible and he will NEVER say that the bus is full. 2. Guatemalan people seem have an amazing ability to fit into tiny spaces, even if they are carrying a basket of fruit and a baby. 3. We are much bigger than they are, and we have a very different comfort level. 4 There is always another bus very close behind the packed one, often 1/2 empty. Now we have learned to ignore the frantically waving and yelling assistant, and wait for another bus.

On our recent trip to see some Ruins near the town of Retalaulu (Reu) with Chris and Connie, we took 5 different forms of transportation and it took about 4 hours to get there. Reu is 36 miles from Xela, and the ruins another 12 miles or so. From our house we took a mini van. Then a very crowded, slow, chicken bus. It is common for the bus driver to allow sales people on (for a cut, we think) The salesman then stands at the front of the bus a shouts his pitch as loud as possible. Usually it is some type of supplement, or hair growing formula, This particular bus came with an enthusiatic Billy Grahm style preacher, praying for our souls, and the bus driver, and the journey, and accepting donations, of course. For a while it was entertaining to try to understand him, then we were glad to see him leave.
When we finally got to Reu we took a Tuk Tuk to catch another crowded chicken bus to another town, Then we had to hop in the back of a pick-up truck for the final leg. We were standing in the pick-up and, because it was not crowed, this ended up being the most comfortable leg of the trip. The ruins were really beautiful, but I am ashamed to admit that I (Gail) was on the verge of a meltdown at the thought of another 4 hours of hot crowded bumpy buses to get home, and perhaps whining a bit. However one must be careful what one wishes for because the return trip only took about two and a half hours because our (chicken) bus driver was training for the Indy 500 and gave us a version of Mr. Toad´s Wild ride. There is nothing to compare with the experience of traveling up a curvy mountain road in a old Blue Bird bus, passing another old Blue Bird on a blind corner. We were even wishing for the preacher to be back, in case the blessing of the bus actually would work.

Valentine´s Day (Dia de Carnino) at the Project was a big deal. The kids don´t have to wear their regular uniforms, and they dress up a bit, many of them in their traditional clothes. The senoras made pizza (really good), popcorn, jello with lots of fruit, and whipped cream, and bought giant bottles of pop. There were games and pinatas, and we got to accompany the kids from the day care class to the zoo. What a blast there were on 6 kids (3 - 4 years old) and we thought with 4 adults - no problem. Still we last one for a few minutes, and ran after them quite a bit. The zoo is really quite nice, by Central American standards. In addition to the small assortment of animals they have, there is lots of open space, and large playground, where we did not manage to kill or injure any of the kids in spite of the concrete slides, and swings with sharp edges.

Today, after we go to a neighbor´s house and buy some delicious Chili Rellenos for lunch, we are headed off to a birding resort to the south of here for the night. It will be warmer and Pat will finally get to see some birds.
Happy Valentine´s Day and much love to all.

Central Park

Like the rest of Central America, Xela is built around a central park. The Parque Central is lined with government offices, museums, the Cathedral, and other lovely old buildings. Shaded by trees, adorned by neoclassical monuments and flower beds, the park is great place for people watching. Whereas some such parks in Central America have fallen into disrepair and become havens for beggers, stray dogs, etc., this one has not. Since we were last here, the municipality has worked to clean it up.

The park is a vibrant place day and night where all sorts of people pass the time. Pat loves to read his paper here and it is truly blissful to soak up the afternoon sun on a bench, surrounded by the buzz of activity. Business is conducted, old friends and school kids hang out, families stroll.

While we are fortunate to mostly see only the positive aspects of the Park, we are not naive enough to believe that the scruffy children who used to ask to shine our Teva sandals no longer exist. They have just been forced out of the park, and have to seek work elsewhere. We also realize that some of the night time inhabitants of the park are gangs (called Maras here), a growing problem here. This IS Guatemala. A country still crippled by extreme poverty, and, since the end of the civil war in 1996, further debilitated by the government´s failure to control the huge wave of violent crime, and the influx of narco trafficers that are being flushed out of other countries thanks to the US war on drugs.

And then there is the constant belching of black smoke from busses and cars..... And, yes, there is now a McDonalds in the Park, offering free internet if you eat there. At least it is fairly unabtrusive and the golden arches are tiny.

The fact is that most of our daily needs are met withing 5-6 block of the Central Park and we find ourselves stopping for a brief respite often.

We never know what we will be doing at Education and Hope (heretofore called The Project). This week Pat started some building projects (bookcases) and now that the word is out, the orders are coming in. The kitchen senoras want series of little tables to use for working with their large pots, and Pat will wnt to keep them happy, since they have been feeding him very well. It looks like he will have plenty to do.


t We also helped with weighing and measureing the kids (to make sure no one is losing weight) and doling out medicine to combat stomach worms. Another day we helped with the distribution of uniforms for the school year. The school years starts in January here, and goes until sometime in October. The shoes and uniforms that we have been passing will be for this entire school year, and at the project they are very organized about keeping track of who and been given what, and about letting the kids know that they must take care of their clothes. Nobody wants to face the wrath of the formidible director, Sandra.


One of the small kids had a birthday and his Mom (one of the kitchen senoras) brought a pinata, and the project bought birthday cake. Lots of fun squeeling and stick swinging. Pat even got dragged into the action, and unfortunately lost the battle to the paper Elmo.

One morning this week we found that the thermometer in our patio read 28 degrees F. I think that is a record for this year, and it is bloody cold when there is not heater. However, by 9:30 am we are able to go out in shirt sleeves. So, although the temperatures are quite extreme because of the altitude (8700 feet) it is sunny everyday and managable.

We are very aware of the dangers here and we are very careful about what we carry and we are never out past 10:00pm, and even that late rarely. In fact, we avoid going out after dark. Last night we did go to the first of the season for the local soccer team. It is quite an experience and a great deal more rowdy than the average sports event in the States. Fireworks, torches, drums (constantly) lots of blowing of horns and throwing things. During the first few minute or so of the game, the field was covered with so much smoke and paper that I don´t know how the players could see. I am pretty sure that we learned a few choice new words that we probably should not practice in public. We live very close to the stadium, so it probably won´t be the last game we see.

I apologize if the format of this is odd. I am struggling with this blog site, and the placement of pictures a bit. Probably by the time we get home, I will have it figured out.

Love and best wishes to all.