Christmas & New Years - Guatemala Style

 I guess technically this would be day 17.  DAY 17?!  When I put it like that I feel like time has gone quite fast.  I’m now over “halfway” done.  I have only 11 days until I head back to Guatemala City…then Panama…then Miami (FOR 27 HOURS)…then Minneapolis, and home sweet home. 

My blog has slowed because I’ve gotten busier.

Translation: I’ve now made friends and I do stuff other than blog. 

But I owe you a blog about my Christmas and my New Years. 

First… Christmas….

Guatemala is like 99.99% Catholic.  I think.  And the other 00.01% are just Catholics in hiding.  Or something.

So needless to say – Christmas is a big deal here. 

I thought it was a big deal in the US but the US ain’t got nothin’ on Guatemala. 

Truth be told I don’t even feel like I’ve had Christmas yet.  Even though it was nuts.

So..this is how it went down.

Since I don’t speak excellent Spanish I’m never really sure where we are going when I get in a vehicle with my family… or for how long.  Christmas was no exception.

On Christmas Eve I quickly went to Wal-Mart [don’t judge Dad] with Montana Gentlemen at about 3pm.

CRAY.  Bad idea to save all of your Christmas shopping until then.  The store was packed and maneuvering a cart through the store was like trying to swim upstream. 

Finally, I had picked out gifts for my host family.  I got the little guy (he is 5) shorts and a tee with “Cars” on them (he is obsessed), a race track with cars, and a spiderman mask (he now wears this mask everywhere! I will post pics).  I got the sweet girl (8 years old) a baby doll with a stroller, a Barbie that came with a little pet shop, and a coloring book with new crayons.  I got the cool kid (he is 11) a lego set, shorts and a tee with superheros (I’m jealous of these), and a spiderman mask (he likes masks too).  I also got them all candy.   I got the mom and dad a new stainless steel pots set, Christmas cookies, and …grapes. 

Grapes are a big Christmas “staple” here in Guatemala.  Its odd, but true. 

All of that stuff in Merica’ would have probably cost me … oh I don’t know $300? Maybe? Maybe $400?... Not in Guatemala.  In Guatemala all of that stuff cost me about $150 USD … maybe. 

So Montana Gentlemen and I get back, he helps me put the stuff away and I wrap it all.

My family is gone so I’m thinking maybe I get a rest now.  I am tired after all of that shoppin’ adventure.

Nope.  My host mom comes and picks me up, and off we go!

First house: family, hugs, kisses, tamales, candy, me trying to talk Spanish, me trying to listen to Spanish conversation…oh and of course, fireworks.

Let me mention something now, I do not like tamales (NO ME GUSTA)… It’s just a personal thing.  They are so weird.  And they have weird things like raisins in them and other things that you are unsure of what they are but they resemble the look and feel [and smell] of a wrinkly, soggy toe. 

Second house: more family, gifts, hugs, kisses, MORE TAMALES (me trying to swallow the vomit that rises in my throat), more trying to speak and listen to Spanish….more fireworks.

Third house: REPEAT

Fourth house: REPEAT

Fifth house: REPEAT….and this time add in Just Dance 3!... That was a fun surprise.  It was fun indeed. 

Sixth house: Not really sure what was happening at this point.  But I think it was a repeat.

Church.. at 3 in the morning…

PASSED OUT by 4 I think.

Crazy Christmas.

Christmas day we didn’t do too much, but the family opened my presents and the kids went CRAZY! They loved them J it was fun to see the smiles on their faces.

They gave me a shirt!  And the mom loved the pots!

#WIN

The days between Christmas and New Years are somewhat foggy.  I know I volunteered during the day and hung out with friends during the night  - but this is about all I know. 

The two ladies I volunteer with, their last day was December 27^th so we make a special trip to this café today and have a pitcher of mojitos together.  These ladies CRACK ME UP!... They are hilarious.  I wish we could hangout more. 

I tell them good-bye. 

New Years Eve…

New Years Eve I walk over to Montana Gentlemen’s house.  This is his last day staying at his “host familys” so we take a cab with all of his stuff to my friend “Diva’s” (as his nickname is) house. 

We pack up and take a micro bus (which is like a van stuffed with people) to the bus station.  We then get on a chicken bus.  Chicken buses are INSANE.  It’s like taking a school bus, making the seats a little wider an the isles smaller, then stuffing 3 people per seat with people also standing in the isle. 

So this is how we sit for 2.5 hours or so.  I’m basically holding on to Montana Gentlemen so I don’t fall all over the place. 

Then we get on another bus.  More crammy.

Finally, we arrive in ANTIGUA GUATEMALA. 

We meet up with 6 of our other friends in the central park area of Antigua. 

Let – it – begin

We check in at our hostel.  I’ve never stayed at a hostel before but this seems like the way to go.  Cheap and fun.

We meet people from Texas, Scottland, New York, Germany, and other places all over the world.

We go to this amazing café for lunch at like 3pm that looks over the entire city of Antigua.

I get lazanga with salad and another lady gets chicken with potatoes and we split.  Perfect combo!

I nap after this.

Then we go find me some heels to rock with my blue dress.

Diva picks out bright red heels for me.  I like.

BUT…. The cobble stone does not like heels…

I can hardly walk on smooth ground with heels.

So this night becomes rather interesting and a little messy with me trying to walk in these things.

About 5 new blisters the next day.  Sweet.

We go to a lot of places.  At midnight there is fireworks (of course).  They are pretty legit. 

I end up salsa dancing for the better part of the evening. 

Bed feels so good…and finally, at 5am, I sleep.

We wake up around 11am or so, and go have the best breakfast I’ve had yet in Guatemala.  Eggs with bacon, potatoes, a huge bagel with cream cheese, fresh orange juice… so, so delicious.  And all for $5 USD or so.

We spend the rest of the day just relaxing.

I’m supposed to take the bus back to Antigua with Diva and Montana Gentleman, but they decide to leave Antigua without me.

So… they are going to wait in the next town over.

We take one of our friends BMW from Antigua to the next town.  So we rode with SEVEN of us in the car… Seven people is not comfortable in a car, not even in a BMW.

Get to the next town.

Call Diva and Montana Gentlemen.  They say they are on another bus.  A green bus.  We are supposed to find said bus.

Finally it pulls up, I literally run out of the car and onto the bus.  NO sitting room.  I’m going to stand for 2.5 hours!?  My legs go numb.

I am standing right next to this large, sweaty, stinky man. 

Great.

People need to pass me so that means I’m literally right on top of him.  Practically.

Finally, some people get off.  I get to sit, on a lap, so sort of.

This bus ends up dropping us off but not in Xela where I live.

In some random other town.

Another bus.

Then another bus.

Finally I think we’re back.

Freezing.  Tired.  Hungry.

We go to this little restaurant that Diva knows.

Food tastes sooo soooo good.

Take a cab back.

Grab my stuff, take the cab to my house.

The ride usually would take maybe 15minutes MAX… tonight it takes an hour or more because of this parade thing.

The cab driver and I talk.  He is 20 years old.  He is just going to work from here on out.  So different then the US.  We chat more.  He’s nice.  He gives me his number incase I need another cab sometime. 

I watch The Big Bang Theory and sleep.

Just Thoughts

This is not a play by play of my blog like some days.

This is simply 20 thoughts.

1.  I am surprised I have not been smashed by a car yet.  I think I almost get hit at least seven times a day.

2.  When you take a bus, there are no such things as seat belts.

3. The first time someone kissed me on the cheek I wasnt sure what was happening.

4. I think most boys here have motives that are not so good.  But they are so nice!  Then again I think the motives of the American boys here are also not so good.

5. I take 3 minute showers because I freeze if I stand there any longer.

6. At night I sleep with five blankets, socks (which is so weird for me), two sweatshirts, a tee shirt, and full on pants...

7. The little dog that the family owns finally doesn't bite me in the ankle.

8. The little cat likes to sleep on my face.

9. I entered a 10k race here.  I think.  I run on New Years Eve.  I think.

10. If I don't understand what someone said I usually just go with a solid SI!... I think I've said yes to things I shouldn't have.

11. The guys standing around with guns on the street scare the crap out of me.  They remind me of the guards in London.

12. As my Spanish gets better I'm pretty sure my English is getting worse.

13. Before I go to bed I now THINK in Spanish.

14. I walk everywhere because I don't know how to take the crazy autobuses that are here.

15. I will not eat beans and rice for at least six months when I return to the states.

16. I'm going to travel over the new year...very excited!

17. I'm gonna eat all the street food I can... and build up my immune system.

18. It doesn't feel like Christmas to me.

19. 20 days left in Xela.

20. I have the travel bug bad.

Day 6 - December 21st

Well.  After the lovely wakeup call of roosters and fireworks I am awake.

Today I wear my Vikings Jersey because the kids wanted to see it.

Shout out VIKES!

I love Minnesota. Minnesota pride!

Breakfast: oatmeal (I think), and toast with jam.  I am beginning to love toast.

The watermelon today is on a plate in the middle of the table.  This means, I don’t have to take any! BOOYAH #win.

Except, Lisa (host mom) asks me about why I am not eating it.

“No me gusta sandia (watermelon)”

She asked me what other fruits I don’t like.

“No me gusta mellon…” confused look

UMM… yeah.

45 minute walk (3.25 miles I think?) to the “project”

No coffee stop at McD’s today.

I see this little girl begging on the street every day and every day I just pass by.  This time, we make eye contact for a long time… so I give her 5 quetals (approx $1 American but you can buy more with 5 quetals here then $1 in America)

SAD.

I stop at a store and buy 2 teddy bears that say “te amo” (I love you) and supplies for my English class.  I can’t help but buy these kids stuff.

Today the kids ask to start class right away.  They like it!! They like me!! J yay.

I teach them how to say 3 sentences:

My name is____. I am_____years old.  I am from Guatemala.

Then I have them say these out loud to the other two gals working with me (who speak no Spanish).  The kids faces BEAM WITH PRIDE!

I am proud too.

I hear them saying the sentences over and over even when they are playing ball.

I just want to stuff them all in my suitcase.

I spoon feed a 1 year old girl today. 

Its amazing, these 7 and 8 year old girls are taking care of their little sisters. Jeesh.

I give the two bears to two little girls – 1 and 2 years old.

You should have seen their eyes.  THEY GOT HUGE.  They clung to that bear like it was a life jacket in the middle of the ocean.

I come home.

EXHAUSTED.

Shower. Put on a sweet neon dress.

I get the most yells this time when I walk down the street.

A man stops me, and in English says, “Mam..you are, so so beautiful”

Gracias?

Café again. 

Man I need to do laundry, my clothes stink.

No supper at the house tonight. 

I meet up with my two Singapore friends.

We go have a beer at a rooftop bar.  SO COOL.

I meet a guy next to me who offers me his nachos.  We talk for about an hour.  He actually lived in Minneapolis as an exchange student!! He’s nice!

Then my Singapore friends and I go eat “street food” from vendors.  It is our goal to try something of everything,  We eat tacos, hot dogs, hamburgers, fruit juice, dessert tings, pizza looking things. 

The tacos were HOT DOG tacos.  SO WEIRD. 

We then meet up with Montana Gentlemen and walk to a friends apartment.

We hangout, then go out together again.

I hangout with another guy – “Holland Honey” (as I am going to call him) tonight.  We get to know each other.  Hes nice too!

Montana Gentlemen and I take a cab home together.  He walks me to my door.   What a guy! 

Sleep has never felt better…its now 3:30am.  

Day 5 Continued...

If you’ve been reading my blog you know I live with a girl who is a 3^rd year medical student.  Sometimes she says things that make me really mad.  I asked her if I should wear a white coat to the medical clinic.  She was mad that I had a white coat.  She said “No me gusta.”  Which means she doesn’t like it.  OK MISS I didn’t choose to be given a white coat as a pre-med! GOOOODness. 

Tonight is her last night here.

So we eat dinner together at the house, then the four of us (me, Colorado med student lady, and Canadian son/father combo) go out downtown like every night. 

BUT … tonight is a celebration!  Because it’s the end of the world as we know it, it’s the end of the world as we know it! (this is a song)

The downtown area is FULL of people, music, food, laughter, fun, celebration, ceremonial dances, you name it – its there!

Eventually I find my friend from Minnesota.  I meet her friends, and love them!  Someone from Montana, someone from Canada, someone from Minnesota, and one guy from Guatemala. 

Then – they begin.  The fireworks.

THEY ARE SO INSANE.

I almost got hit in the face by one.

In America, fireworks this close to the ground would NEVER be legal. Holy cow.

The three of us “gringas” duck when a huge one goes off.

ALL the Guatemalans around us point and laugh.

One even takes a picture of us “hitting the deck”  …not even lying.

Then he asks to take a picture with us!

CRAY.

At 1:30am I walk home with Montana boy.  From this point forward, I will refer to him as “Montana Gentleman” because it was so sweet of him to walk me to my door so I didn’t get stolen.

GRACIAS Montana Gentlemen! Me gustaJ

Slept so well.

Oh, until more fireworks and roosters at 6AM!

SERIOUSLY?

Day 5 (not sure what happened to day 4?)

Woke up at 7:30 after sleeping like a baby.

I dress.  I’m getting used to not using a mirror.  Who cares what I look like anyway?  I have blonde hair, which is enough to look like a Hollywood movie star down here.

Breakfast is pancakes and they are DELICIOUS.  My favorite meal yet.  Probably because pancakes are like my favorite food…evvvver.

I eat in a hurry.  I have to walk 3 miles to my “project” because I have no idea how to take the bus. 

I meet the two ladies and we walk to the project together.

Today I am told is a “party” day at the shelter. 

SANTA IS COMING!!..SANTA!!!!...

I teach English for about 30 minutes to the kids.  It seems like they like learning it.

In the kitchen, the lady and a 19 year old Guatemalan volunteer are preparing for lunch.  She doesn’t know Spanish, so she turns to the boy and says “Chop chop chop!” meaning, she wants to chop the lettuce…. Her nickname is now “chop chop!”

Funny stuff.

We give the kids so many little balls to play with … they look SO happy.

Kids come in off of the street for lunch – they are the “shoe shine boys” …covered in dirt

The two other boys – one 19 and one 21 – who volunteer there (but live in Guatemala) and I converse quite a bit!  I teach them English, they teach me Spanish. 

I can’t tell for sure, but I think one of them (the 21 year old) hit on me?

When we left the two older ladies said “he is so hot for you!”

We laugh.

We stop at McD’s… again.

I am going to gain weight here, not loose it.

In Guatemala, McD’s is a “high status” place to eat – unlike the United States.

People DRESS UP to go here.

People who work here are REALLY PROUD.

So different!

I walk back home.

The kids run and hug me… I love love loooove them.

The dog bites me in the ankle.

ESTUPIDO PERRO! (stupid dog)

Just kidding.

But he really does bit my ankle.

The little black cat is nice to me, he likes to sleep in my bed.

Shower. Blow dry my hair. Put on a dress, for once..feelin like a lady!

Walk to a café.

Get yelled at.

Get asked how much I cost.

“NO ESTOY A LA VENTA!” – I am not for sale! I say.

Café is nice! It is now my favorite place.

I realize I think I’m running out of clean underwear.

OH well.

Day 3 - First day on the project!

Today was my first day on the “project.”  My project that I had no idea how to get to.  My project that was about 30 minutes away – by bus. 

I set my alarm for 5:30am instead of 6:30am like I meant to.  But its okay, the roosters were awake at 3am anyway… coockkadoodle dooo! This means good morning in rooster.

Following the lovely wake up call, I took a shower.  Again – ice ice baby rang in my head as I rinsed off as fast as humanly possible.

After this, I came to the realization that my hair dryer could plug into their outlets!  This made my morning.  Sad, isn’t it? 

Breakfast this morning was only fruit.  Bananas, papaya, and watermelon.  The good news is, I don’t like melon… any melon… so I ate the bananas quick and slowly picked at the melons….I vomited once in my mouth but chose to swallow it….. Eventually, I got all the melon down.  I sound like a spoiled American.  I am one.

I left for the day with my family.  They graciously took me to my “project.”  Because honestly, if I would have gone alone, there is no doubt in my mind I would be lost wondering the streets of Guatemala forever….

I arrived at the project approximately 10am after catching a “chicken bus” type of thing with my family. 

We rang the doorbell with no answer.  Then made some phone calls, finally we were in!  Two other ladies from the US joined me – I was THRILLED… they spoke English, and they knew how to get back home. Perfecto!

One lady was about 55 maybe? The other 65ish?  They were the sweetest things in the world.  One from Florida, one from St. Louis – they met in DC however. 

We get a tour of the “project.” Pink walls everywhere.  Two gardens, a kitchen, a bathroom, an office, a cement play area for the kids… (I will post pictures soon!)

The place was huge and “nice” in Guatemalan standards. 

This place is designed for kids to come eat lunch and hang out between 10am or so and about 3pm.  For most of the kids who eat here it is their only meal of the day….

When we arrive there are no kids.  I am told the staff speaks no English.  Since the other ladies do not speak any Spanish, I become the translator… which is good for me since I need to learn.

I am told by Gloria – “headmaster” – that I will be teaching English to these children.  Sounds good by me. 

I enter the little classroom and prepare a lesson spontaneously.  The kids come. 

NOW… I realize that I am spoiled and have way too much STUFF or “cosas” en Espanol.  I feel guilty… ashamed… quite literally.  I have THREE COMPUTERS and some of these kids only get ONE MEAL a day? Seriously??????

I am a monster.

At least, this is the way I feel.

I’m surprised I don’t even cry.  Probably because I’ve trained myself quite rigorously not to.

I teach the kids colors, numbers, parts of the face, and greetings in English.  They have little notebooks from the project and pencils. 

I ask them their names, ages, and what they like to do in Spanish.. I’m getting better!

We have about a 45 minute lesson then we “break.” 

Its now roughly 12pm.  Lunch is at 1pm. 

All the kids hang on me and the other ladies.

One girl asks me if I have “caspa” … I have no idea what this is so I look it up in my handy dandy dictionary … “caspa” is “dandruff”…. Muy comico – or very funny in English.

The lunch is interesting.

The cook takes a slab of frozen meat of some sort and thaws it.. she cooks it using the water I’m “too good” to drink.  She prepares everything using her hands that were on this mystery meat. 

I have it so good.

The kids eat.

One kid I notice puts food in a zip lock baggie of some sort to save for later… he hardly takes any food…

At about 2:30pm, we head out for the day.

We stop at this little café. 

By this time, I have a MASSIVE migraine considering I’m having withdrawals from no caffeine.  Yikes.  I can’t even see straight.  The pain hurts so bad.  It enters my teeth…my stomach… you name it.

We leave the café after some rice, chicken, and soda.  I thought food would help, nope.

PAIN.

We stop at McD’s.  Because we are weak Americans.  Or something.

Thought “normal” food would help.

Nope. MORE PAIN.

I can’t even see.  Or think. 

One lady walks me home.  The 45 minute walk home…

I go straight to my bed and sleep for the next 4 or 5 hours.

When I wake up, I hear someone knocking at my door – “cena?” (supper)…

Noooo… estoy enferma!! (I am sick)

Finally, I get up.  Feeling better, we go downtown again.

Then back to the house.

Read. Sleep. Day is done.

Day 2 - Hello host family!

I’m now running on approximately 6 hours of sleep in the last 48.  But I felt okay.

I take a shower.  Needless to say, it was a QUICK shower since the water felt like ice.  Definitely was awake after that.

I get all my stuff together, its now 5:45am.  Breakfast is a pancake with syrup downstairs and fruit.  You don’t want to be rude so you eat whatever you are served (which becomes more important later on).  I meet a gal from Belgium.  We talk.  We are both headed to Quetzaltenango – major relief.  I won’t have to make the 4 hour bus trip alone!

Victor takes us to the bus station in a cab.  Goodbye Guatemala City!

The bus is nice.  Its considered “first class.”  But not quite like my first class plane experience. 

I sit kiddy corner from a little girl.  I ask her what her name is, her age, and what she likes to do in Spanish.  I give her candy.  We are now friends.

Two hours into the bus ride we stop at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere to eat.  The food is good – I get eggs and a tortilla and a coke – or “coka” en espanol!

I get told I have beautiful hair and skin. 

On board the bus again, the gal from Belgium and I watch The Big Bang Theory for the rest of the ride. 

Quetzaltenango

We arrive at about 12pm.  Someone has a sign that says “Samantha Calvin.”  Off I go in another car, this time, feeling more safe. 

We arrive at the office.  I meet my host mother and her two kids – they are adorable!   Immediately in love.

I then travel with them two blocks or so to my new home for the next month.  It starts to sink in…I will be here for one month…. Wow!!

I feel so awful having two suitcases …. She takes the little one (which is the heavy one) up the stairs for me.  My room is nice (in Guatemalan standards).  I have a bed, a desk, and a little closet.  No hangers, no mirror, ect, but nice enough for me.  Slowly but surely my standards of “nice” are beginning to change.

The bathroom is good.  It has a shower, a sink, and a toilet.  Its hard to remember that you can’t put your toilet paper in the toilet.  And you cannot drink the water from the sink…or use it to brush your teeth. 

The mom speaks no English so we talk basic Spanish.  I give each of the kids an American dollar, a piece of chocolate, and gum….they are thrilled.  I have it way too good. 

She tells me breakfast is at 8, lunch is at 1:30, and supper is at 7:30. 

Another American comes into the house.  She is from Colorado but is a 3^rd year medical student in Chicago.  It feels so good to speak a little English.  She tells me there are two others besides us staying in the house – from Canada, a son and a father.  I meet them at lunch.

At meal times we are not allowed to converse in English because the mom (Lisa) does not know what we are saying.  If we talk in English, we do the dishes. 

The father is roughly 40, the son is 17.  The father speaks fluent Spanish so that is helpful!

After lunch I attend a Spanish class with the medical student and the son.  Its pretty fun!  We learn the alphabet and vocab words that begin with each letter.  The cost in American dollars is $5/hr.

After we come home I sleep for 3 hours.  Finally. 

Then its supper.  It is insulting to not finish what you are served so you choke it down no matter if you like it or not.  Which in my case, I have to do for one item at each meal at least.

After supper, myself and the other three travelers go to the “central park” or downtown area.  It is about a 10 minute walk from where we are staying.  We go to a “tourist” bar.  You don’t go to the “local bars” because those are prostitution places.

We each get a beer or two.  Then return home.

Central park is fun.  There are lights, sounds, people, smells everywhere…

Back at the house at 10pm we all go to bed…I cheat and read for a few hours.