April

At the last minute we decided to take a day trip to the beach! Very exciting.  My friend, Jackie, lives and works in Antigua. She has a car, which helped expedite the process, rather than taking the chicken buses. We swam in the ocean, read in the hammock, ate shrimp poolside, and enjoyed some quality girl time.

MUMMY'S VISIT!!  Mum returned for her second short visit to Guatemala.  We had a wonderful time together.  We ate delicous meals with Anacleto and family and with Raquel and Hector.  Hector took us on a really nice walk around Patzun. I saw things that I had never seen before.  The photo is us with Anacleto, Mary and the kids, waiting to watch a procession for Holy Week.

Anderson turned three years-old and Dani turned nine. I like to tease Dani and say that he is going to marry Maura, which would make him my brother-in-law...haha.  It was a fun birthday party!

Anacleto and family invited me to help plant corn and beans!  Mary and I worked as a team: one person digging up the spot for the other person to drop three evenly spread corn seeds with two bean seeds.  It was harder than chucking the corn, but I sincerely enjoyed the company and conversation.  I definitely lack the agricultural vocabulary, but I think you get the idea.

SEMANA SANTA= HOLY WEEK! 
This is a huge cultural celebration where people from around the world come to visit. I opted to stay in my site to enjoy the experience with my community.  I could write a book about this week, but I will spare you and sum up my holy week experience in a few words (expressed through photos):

1. BREAD!  Patzuneros traditionally eat bread with honey.  Bread is frequently gifted between friends, family and neighbors.  The bread usually has special shapes and/or flavors. Mary and Anacleto gave me bread in the shape of a doll!!  The photo is taken at Mary's brother's house, where they make the bread.  They work super hard the days leading up to holy week, then rest during the week. Dried fish with white beans is another important dish during this week.

2. FAMILY!  Every business is closed, so familes are able to spend time together.  For the entire week I had every single meal with a family- beakfast, lunch and dinner.  I thought I might have time to catch up on work and plan ahead, but not at all. I really enjoyed being in the family environment.

3. PROCESSION (and church)!  Every day of Holy Week Patzun had at least two processions.   One of the biggest images required 80 people carrying it.  I went to see nearly every procession with Hector.

April 27th marked my one year in country!  Here are a couple of self-assessment adjustments I've noted:

• My once crusty even more dirty after being cleaned laundry is now soft, smooth, good smelling, and neatly folded.


• The once force fed/attempt not to be culturally insensitive food is now craved. Yes, I crave chuchitos.

• The polluted smell of smog from buses and burning trash is now masked by fresh pine needles and delicious smelling tortillas.

• I can more efficiently wash my dishes.

• The first day of school nerves are comforted by meaningfully built relationships with students, teachers and directors.

• The once very obnoxious and bothersome attempts to speak English “hell-o! Good morning” greetings are now appreciated and responded to in English.

• I am more accustomed to the cold. And by accustomed I mean my mum brought me a heating blanket.

• I used to be annoyed by the 5: 24 am “leche de vaca” announcements, but am able to laugh about them and enjoy them (thanks to Mary).

• The once stressful, overwhelming, nerve wrecking camioneta journeys are now replaced by a more comfortable routine, book reading, mind wandering trip.

• My nightmares about murdering roosters are now replaced adopting them as my pets- petting them and feeding them.

• My alien tummy is settled, most of the time.

• Spanish has improved!