Be the Change

What I’ve learned in Xela
-          I have a deep respect for Mayan indigenous groups.

·         I love navigating myself through large cities and that feeling of being “lost”.

·         Giving makes me feel great inside. Por ejemplar - giving two little boys my piece of pastel (cake) that I bought at the bakery; giving a homeless man my refresca (cold drink).
·         There are places in Latin America where it’s safe for a woman to walk alone at night.
-      I'm not equipped to survive in cold weather. 
·         I love making home-made tortillas with lunch and dinner, the smell of sautéed plantains, and the tastes of chocolate caliente con arroz and pancakes with miel (honey). 

Molino de maiz negro

tamales y tortillas

chocolate caliente con arroz

Spanish lesson

After each meal you say “muchas gracias” and in return everyone accompanying you says “buen provecho” (good benefit).

My host-family

I cannot thank my host family enough for their hospitality, especially my host-mama, Aniela. She made me feel like an addition to her family. She took care of me one day I was not feeling well, and warned me of the dangers of Latin men. By the way, her cooking is phenomenal – always in her kitchen cooking up some Latin deliciousness and introducing me to new flavors! Muchas gracias por todas.

Teaching English at K’amawanik Escuela

Lesson #5

·         Review of last week’s vocab

·         Weather conditions and the outdoors

·         Clothing and body parts (sang “head, shoulder’s, knees and toes)

·         Played “Simon Says” to practice learned clothing and body parts

Lesson #6

·         Greetings and introductions

·         Self-expressions

·         Played the question game

We celebrated our time together with cake

I love them!!

My student, Azucena, teaching me K'iche. 

"Dios te tocó el corazón Sarah por donar los pizarrones. Hace tres años buscamos. El año pasado el mes de octubre fuí con las monjas de aromas y con el gobierno de mi pueblo y no me dieron. Gracias a tí, a tus amigos y tu familia." (Abraham)

"God touched our hearts, Sarah, for donating the boards. We've looked for three years. Last year in October I went to the nuns of aromas and the government of my people and they I did not  give. Thanks to you, your friends and your family." (Abraham)

Abraham Ajiataz Calel (Teacher of K'amawanik Escuela)

FACT: Only 7% of students at K'amawanik graduate from secondary school. If money is limited then the families typically choose their sons to finish school over their daughters. That is why Centro Maya Xela's scholarship program to help Mayan women go to university is so very important.

More photos:

My Volunteer site family (Central Maya Xela)

tuk-tuks

Our crazy, rainy ride via tuk-tuk

Xela

Plaza Central in Xela

Xela

Santa Maria Volcano and cemetery

Tecun Uman

Plaza Central in Xela

Santa Maria from my balcony

San Francisco el Alto

Donate to Educate

I've reopened the website for continued donations out of recommendation from a contributing mentor. Please give those who hold education to the highest standards this website for information on how to donate.

Travel Update

I’m sure you noticed I didn't make it to Belize…this was due to my wound, time and money (I’m not that disappointed – It’s so close to Florida and will be a snorkel trip for me in the future). I leave Xela the 31^st of May and head to the Highlands of Guatemala. I really love Guatemala and don’t want to leave so I’m slowing down the itinerary.  After the Highlands, I still plan to bus through El Salvador and Honduras very briefly before reaching the Pacific beaches of Nicaragua – for sun, ocean, surf, kayaking, nature, new friends and parties! Yes!

Blog
I've added some "Helpful Travel Resources/Websites" (located at the bottom of my blog profile). These sites will help you start to plan your safe, international travels. If you have any requests for additional travel resources please email me at sarahpaulick@gmail.com so I may help you. I also added "Google Translate" so you can read my posts in any language needed (located directly under "About Me" on left side of profile).

Quote 
"Be the change you want to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi

Time to Educate

Donate to Educate

Blackboards have yet to be assembled on the walls of the two classrooms

Donate to Educate funding has purchased 2 large blackboards for K’amawanik School in Momostenango, Guatemala for a total of $141.23. The director, teachers and students are all very thankful for your financial support!

Additionally, $102.72 of Donate to Educate funding was put toward Central Maya Xela’s scholarship program and Spanish School. The scholarship program helps Mayan women, like Ingrid, afford to go to college. Ingrid is going to medical school and aspires to help her community once she is a doctor. She is Ixil Mayan and from Nebaj Quiché. 

Ingrid

Pedro (the director), his family, and Ingrid very much appreciate your donations!

Teaching English

Momostenango

Where: Momostenango, Guatemala

When: Monday – Thursday, May 20^th – 30th

Travel Time: It’s approximately a 2 hour trip by bus from Xela to Momos (2 buses, waiting time for each bus, a 15 minute walk up the hill to the school) and 2 hours back to Xela. 

Every trip is worth it when I get see my students so eager to learn! 

My Class (2 students and 1 teacher are not present in the photo)

I have 15 students, ages 11 – 20 (as well as their three teachers who also partake in the lessons).

There will be a total of 6 lessons. They’re learning so quickly I can barely keep up… So far, this is what we’ve covered:

Lesson #1

·         Alphabet pronunciation (we sing the ABC song for practice)

·        Introduction to common nouns as found on phonics flash-cards

·        Bingo game #1 to practice the alphabet

Lesson #2

·        Review of the alphabet

·        Numbers 1-100 (spelling, pronunciation, practice).

·        Introduction to colors using color flashcards.

·        Bingo game #2 to practice learned numbers.

Lesson #3 combined with Lesson #4

·      Review of alphabet and numbers.

·      Nouns based on colors (for example: the sun is yellow).

·       Introduction to categorical vocabulary (days of the week, months of the year, seasons, dates, personal and family expressions, animals, school).

·       Played Jeopardy, in teams of 4, to practice vocabulary by specific categories.

K’amawanik School

 What I’ve learned from this week of teaching:

- Kids need to have fun when learning a language (games and candy work wonders).

- Repetition is a must.

Supplies I purchased for my class

Moments to last a lifetime:

-The first day I taught my students how to play Bingo – every time I walk into class now I hear “Bingo!”. 

-Watching my students type in Spanish words in my pocket translator so they can get the English translation (for vocab not even covered in the lesson).

-Ending my lesson the first day and having a student call out to keep teaching “hoy” (today).

My rambunctious boys during snack time

Quote

"The only limits we have are the ones we willingly choose for ourselves". SP

A Day of Sheer Culture Shock

              It was the second day I promised my mother I would skype with her, something I had anticipated for quite some time. The electricity was completely out in the city the day prior (yet no one seemed to know why) so I did not get to talk to her. And today was the first day of introduction to my students in Momostenango (Momos), a town 1 ½ hours away from my home in Quetzaltenango (Xela). The director of the school came all the way to Xela to escort Pedro and I to Momos. Being the first volunteer to teach at their school, I had no idea how technical this route would be to make teaching English possible. The three of us took off walking toward our bus stop. We covered our faces as best we could as poisonous fumes from the traffic sprang toward us. The first bus finally approached after 25 minutes of waiting by the side of the road. The three of us pushed our way onto the bus and tried to cram ourselves into the already overstocked bus. We stood until we reached San Francisco el Alto, where we walked up a tall hill to find our next bus. That bus decided to wait another 15 or so minutes to leave, the driver casually smoking his cigarette outside. This time we took a comfortable seat.  I then watched an ignorant man throw his trash out of the window in front of me (something that is illegal where I come from). I’m quite passionate about taking care of the Earth, but being where I am, I have learned to be accustomed to this appalling behavior in Latin America.

As we climbed the mountainous roads I saw the trees come to life, a forest of some sort, something I had not quite seen before in Guatemala. The climate got cooler and I put on my jacket for warmth. By the time we reached Momos it was obvious the school was a far distance away so we decided to take a tuk-tuk, which is a small taxi-like automobile. I had lost track of time by then but I suspect we were on the road for a total of 2 hours before reaching the school on top of the hill. My stomach was already grossly hurting from the fumes, something I had not experienced since my time in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The terribly disheveled school overlooked Momos, the words “Instituto K’amawanik” painted on the front. The director lead us up the stairs leading to the first classroom were twelve students sat making what looked like Chinese origami out of small pieces of paper. They stared at me...probably wondering who this outsider was. Yet, they were friendly, some trying very hard to say “hello” and giggling among themselves at their attempts to communicate in English. The director introduced us and she thanked me heavily in Spanish for coming to the school. A man standing in the back of the room said that it was “a gift” to the students and the school to have me come and teach them English, something they felt was very much needed in their country and for their youth. I explained a little of my background, told them about the donated money my loved ones back home had raised for them as well as my hopes for them to learn a lot during our time together. I then passed out the notebooks and pens I had bought earlier that day for them to each have. One student asked me to sing a song so I sang the alphabet…the first time by myself, the second and third time together. It became quite clear that their English was very limited and that basic vocabulary was needed.

We left the school with the promise that I would return the following day, alone, to start teaching them. They thanked me, some in Spanish and some in English. The director escorted us to where a school supply store was located and asked me to wait outside while they negotiated prices for two blackboards. If the cashier saw a “gringo”, the price would go up for the blackboards. From what was described to me it sounds like we received a decent price for them. And we are fortunate not to have to find transportation to take the boards from Xela to Momos, something that would have deeply cut into the donation funding. I plan to buy the blackboards tomorrow and deliver them to the school.

Pedro and I headed back toward the buses and onward to Xela (I paid for the majority of bus-fairs for everyone both ways, something that made me feel like I had the words “open bank” across my gringo forehead). The bus rides back were not as torturous, but non-the-less my stomach was in pain and my body did not feel right after inhaling all the fumes for the past few hours. By that time, I eagerly awaited to get home because it was already two hours past the time I expected to skype with my Mom. I got to my house and tried to get my little brother to find the router so I could get a wifi connection. He asked permission from his mother while I ran upstairs to grab my computer. I had a feeling that he was scolded for my impatience. I felt bad after sitting downstairs with the family and saw the router was nowhere to be seen. I looked at my little brother, he looked at his mom who was cooking in the kitchen and I knew I had overstepped my boundaries. If only they understood how important it was for me to stay in contact with my family because it is what keeps me sane during these times of stress. I grabbed my computer and headed toward the school where I knew a wifi connection awaited me. I ran up to the balcony so I could have some privacy, looked at skype and tried to call my mom’s phone – no answer. No one else was online. I sat there and cried because I felt so alone and wondering how on Earth I would find my strength to go back to Momos the next afternoon, something I could already see was going to be a chore rather than a happy experience. I, of course, want to be the best teacher I can and help my students, but the exhausting trip, health concerns, human ignorance and sheer alienation keeps me from feeling enjoyment.

I walked back toward my house and stopped at the nearest store to seek out chocolate, something that is necessary in times of culture shock. I did not see anyone behind the register so I peered down at the rows of cookies and candies but could not find the chocolate that I really liked. I thought to myself, “what another slap in the face..all I want is a damn piece of chocolate to calm my nerves”. I stood up and saw young woman, beautiful as can be, seated behind the glass-case of goodness. I quickly asked if she had any chocolate and she reached her hand inside the glass, fumbled through the rows and found the bite-size Granada chocolates that I learned to love (they remind me of Crunch and Hershey Bars back home). I said “me gustaria dos, por favor” and handed her my money. And then the most interesting thing happened to me. The girl across the counter asked “como te llama?” (what is your name?). I was so shocked by her question because it’s rare for a woman to openly communicate with another woman in Latin America (unless of course they are being introduced). Men have no trouble talking to women, but a woman to another woman is a unique story (I think It might be a territorial thing, but not positive). I looked at her, held back my tears and said “mi llama es Sarah, y tu?”….”Gabriella”…”Mucho gusto, Gabriella”. I was so taken aback by her friendliness and her smile (which lit up the room) that I didn’t know what else to say except “gracias” and I took off toward home.

Once I got to my room it dawned on me that I felt a sense of comfort for the first time all day. It was like this girl knew I was hurting inside (or maybe she was just curious of whom this foreigner was in her shop). Either way, Gabriella gave me hope for my time here. She gave me back my strength to proceed that I felt I had lost. It just goes to show that even the kindest, most simplistic gestures toward another human being can turn their day around.  

Thank you, Gabriella.  I hope we can be friends.

Totonicapan Market

Gracias por nuestro dia juntas, Catalina! 

Quote

Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. Miriam Beard

Living the Life of Guatemala...

Famous Tapado Stew Recipe from Livingston, Guatemala

Main Ingredients:

shavings from one coconut

4 green bananas

1 King Fish

Shrimp

1 lb rice

Chicken Seasoning  to taste

Salt & Black Pepper

Water

Vegetable Oil

Basil

Recommended Ingredients:

Crab

Lobster

Conch

Tomatoes

 Onion

 Squash

Sweet Pepper

     

                                                                                                            

Steps:

Cut open coconut with the back of knife, pour out water and shave out the insides into a bowl. Cover shavings with clean water and then strain shavings. Throw away shavings and put that coconut flavored water inside your pot. Next, slice open the green bananas (considered a starch when not ripe) with a knife and cut into small chucks. Place pieces in a bowl of clean water and pour it all into the pot with coconut water. Next, cut up all chosen vegetables into bite size pieces and place in pot. Let all ingredients come to a boil on stove-top  Meanwhile, place rice into another pot with oil and salt (Here’s a Caribbean “Grandmother trick”  to get the right amount of water for your rice – place a large cooking spoon in the pot on top of the rice, stop adding water where the handle begins – you rice will come out perfect! See photo…Another tip: do not stir rice at all while it is cooking; keep it on a medium heat; turn over rice one time once water is all absorbed). Next, Slice fish into approximately 4 pieces and cover in chicken seasoning (try to add seasoning to inside of fish for added flavor). Do the same for shrimp and other chosen seafood. Once the bananas are soft to the touch and the soup is at a steady boil, add seafood to the pot. Add seasonings and basil to taste. Let boil for another few minutes until seafood is cooked through. Finally, serve soup in bowl with a side of rice…Bon Appetit from Livingston!

Thank you to Jr. for your cooking class and to the whole family at Rasta Mesa!!

Backpacker Travel Tip

Traveling solo really comes in handy if you are trying to learn a new language – this way you are not competing for conversation with the locals if your travel partner out dues you in language proficiency. My advice, be friendly to every local you encounter and the majority will watch your back! Only downfall to solo travel is that sometimes you get charged more for private rooms if you are single (hence, find a travel buddy to split the bill with once in a while).  

Traveler Spotlight “What’s Your Story?”

Shahdaroba Rodd (“Hatman” as we call him) is a man of simple taste but who lives life to the fullest on the daily. Originally from Ann Harbor, Michigan, Rodd has been living out of his car in Key West, Florida for the past 12 years. Rodd is no stranger to Latin America travel and tells the locals to consider him the “Bobo Gringo”, or the Silly American. Rodds’ new founded dream is to seek out a place he considers home for retirement somewhere in Central America. He states he’s fond of Guatemala, Honduras and Panama but adds “I haven’t closed my mind to any possibilities. I don’t know what I’m looking for but when I see it I’ll know it”. What inspired Rodd to live down south, an even hotter place than the Keys, was his introduction to the concept of building infrastructures out of used plastic bottles. Rodd met a friend, Gerson, who directs Hug It Forward NGO in Guatemala. Basically, NGOs like Hug It Forward and tons of locals collect thousands of used plastic bottles and fill them with inorganic trash which creates schools for Guatemalan children.

Rodd explains he’s already talked to some land-owners but is still searching for his future home. He hopes to have the rights to build a house and pool and pay a cheap amount on rent so that when Rodd finally passes, whatever he builds will be the property of the family who he lived out his final years with. Rodd says he believes life is grand adventure (gran adventura) and reflects his message to others: Don’t be afraid to travel. I didn’t travel outside of the United States until I was 60 years old out of fear and economics. The world is not a scary place like they put in the newspapers”. Coincidentally, Rodd is an author of a book called "Be A Legal Pain-In-The-Ass & Beat Your DUI". Rodd’s final thought to add to this interview was “senorita wanted”. 

Did you know?

Did you know that Livingston, Guatemala is the most diverse Caribbean style town I’ve ever experienced? They pride themselves with heritages of Garifuna (African slaves brought the New World – ancestry from the island of Roatan off Honduras), Caribbean Mayan Indigena groups and Mestizos/Ladinos (persons of mixed indigenous and Spanish ancestry). If you want to experience a fisherman’s lifestyle and are open-minded to Latin and Caribbean culture, than this is the place for you to visit.

Local Wisdom of the Month

Ronald Lopez is a tour guide and business owner in Flores, Guatemala. What made me decide to interview Ronald was his sincere caring for me during a day of waiting for a bus to Quetzatenango. As I shuffled myself and my heavy backpack through the bus station in the early morning I was confused why the bus companies were taking me all the way back to Guatemala City (which is out of the way to Xela). Ronald pulled me aside and asked how he could be of help. After I finally paid for my bus ticket to the city that leaves at 8pm at night I wondering what I was going to do in Flores all day, Ronald offered to keep my backpack safe in his office while I roamed the beautiful island. I got on the back of his motorbike and we headed toward his office. I had utmost trust in Ronald, something I typically shy away from while traveling alone. We hung out most of the day together when he was not working – he practicing his English and me my Spanish.

Ronald is 29 years of age and originally from Quetzaltenango. He decided to move to Flores when his brother asked for his assistance with his bus company. Ronald really loved the area of Flores and has been there for 6 years. He quickly found that learning English was a huge help to communicate with foreign travelers. A while later, Ronald and a colleague opened a tour guide business called “La Canada de Jaguar” and he also has his own company called “Onca” (oncatravel@gmail.com). Ronald admits that his goal in life is to be “successful and have my clients be happy with their experience here..and to remember me and Flores like, wow, I want to go back to Guatemala”.

Ronald’s wisdom for travelers and for life in general really struck a chord in me after hearing this all too familiar story.. Ronald explained “It’s important to be nice to people who want to help you explore their country. I don’t like being ignored…two Canadian women ignored me when I asked if I could help them” and he admits that it was not a good feeling. Ronald says “I like people to get to know me – I’m not perfect, but I’m patient. I don’t care if they’re in a bad mood, I’m still going to say I love them with all my heart and not judge.” Ronald’s final message: “trust starts in your heart, trust yourself first before you can trust others”.

The message I took away from this experience with Ronald was be nice to everyone who approaches you! Keep your wits up while traveling but always smile and be polite. A simple ‘no thank you’ (muchas gracias pero no) shows you respect that person for trying to help. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help and receive it – trust yourself and your instincts because there are good people everywhere!

Quote

“I do not forget any good deed done to me & I do not carry a grudge for a bad one.” Victor E. Frankl

Travel Update

I've arrived to my first volunteer/host-family experience in Quetzaltenango (Xela), Guatemala where I'll be teaching conversational English to the students at K'amawik' School. I will be here through the end of May. Photos coming soon.