Holidays in the US of A

I was able to take a couple week vacation home to America for the holidays!  It was absolutely wonderful spending time with my family, especially meeting Addison for the first time. As planned Maura and Jimmy picked me up from the airport, THEN Molly, Arran, Mum, Addy and Kimba all surprised me.  And then, my best friend from college, Bevan, came to spend a few days with me in Texas.  It gets even better, best friend from high school, Max, also suprised me with a Texas visit.  I am so blessed to have such loving family and friends.  Here are some of the photo highlights:


The Kelly/Stewart family clan of 30 something went to Charlie Brown's Christmas Ice Exhibit



Christmas with Mummy!  Arran, Molly, Addy, Me, Jimmy, Mum, Kimba and Maura.  On Christamas eve we ate tons of food at Aunt Rita and Uncle Alan's with the extended family.  We went home and started opening our family gift exchange presents.  Got up early the next morning to see what all Santa brought.

Christmas with Daddio, Jane, Jeff, Eric, Kristen, Brittney, Uncle Kyle, Aunt Georgie, Grandma Smart, Cousins- Mitch, Sarah, Katie, Conor; Babies- Rory, Claire, Addy; New Zealand family- Arran, Cam, Les, Peta, and Molly!  The trip to Kansas was not long enough- very short, but sweet.  Dad and Jane re-did the whole upstairs.  It was nice and cozy.  They also hosted family and friends gatherings every night, so I was able to see nearly everyone.

Addison's Baptism!  Peta, Arran's Mum, made her dress, bonnet and matching booties.  It is beautiful.  As you all know, I was the Godmother!  Such an honor. The service was nice.  Addy wanted to jump into the water.

I got to go to Maura's trial gymnastics competition!  She did such a wonderful job.  Cutest and most talented looking gymnist I've ever seen.  In her official competition last week she got FIRST place in her trampoline routine!  Wish I could have been there Boo.

Addy's first Mav's game!  SUPER fun.  Go Spurs!  Anacelto and Mary (and any other basketball fans) look at how huge the stadium is! I have more photos to share with you- motivacion por el proximo jornada.

Some things I was not accustomed to in America:

5. Not greeting everyone with a kiss on the cheek and por lo menos a brief conversation

4. Hardly ever speaking Spanish or even seeing it

3. Having a million options for food, products, to-do’s, etc.

2. TECHNOLOGY:

Hearing Jane being broadcasted on the radio, which was actually blue tooth

The urine activated advertisements in the urinals at Kelly’s

At the Maverick’s game, what appeared to be advertisements quickly turned into a mirror while standing in front of it

1. Remembering to throw the toilet paper in the TOILET



diciembre

I keep forgetting to share this website with you:  http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=74005.  This website is an account of an International exchange between a fifth grade Spanish class in Connecticut and a sixth grade classroom in a small village in Patzun, Guatemala. This connection was made through the World Wise Schools program in the Peace Corps organization.

Went to a PC Welcome Party at Lake Atitlan (with my site mates) to get to know the new group of volunteers.  First we had a safety and security meeting, then a murder mystery themed party.  Ironically, Molly and Arran had their annual murder/mystery party in New Zealand that same night.

I hosted a birthday lunch for Laura with 12 other PCV's!  Raquel and Hector helped me prepare for the celebration.  In the photo I am wearing the "delantal" or apron that Anacleto, Mary and family surprised me with for my birthday!  I love it!

PLAN DE VIDA CAMP!  For the past couple of months Lydia, Leonardo and I have been doing life skills presentations to this selected group of teenage leaders in the community.  Some of the themes included values, HIV/AIDS, family planning, healthy relationships, etc.  One weekend we went to Comolapa, which is about 45 minutes in bus to this camp area that a PCV created a few years ago.  The goal of the camp was that each teen left with a life plan as to what they would do regarding famliy, career and personal life over the next five plus years.

It was f-f-f-freeeeezzzing at night.  We had a campfire at night.  They wished me a Happy Birthday, played guitar and sang me a song- not the typical happy birthday song, but a different one.  Lyd and I went to bed when they started playing truth or dare.  I laid some pine on the ground, then my yoga mat, then a sleeping bag, wore ALL of my layers...and was still really cold!  I had a wonderful time with the youth and learned a few things that I would do differently in the future.

I did most of my Christmas shopping at the giant market in Chichicastenango.  It was super nice- a handful of people stopped by my house the day before I left with gifts to bring home to my family.  The gift exchanges at Christmas were exciting, sharing Guatemalan treasures, New Zealand riturals and obviously our American traditions. 

I absolutely love this photo! My team made it to the finals, which were played on Christmas evening at 6 pm.  I think that shows how important basketball is in this community.  Unfortunately I was not able to play because I was with my family in America, but I was there in spirit (taped onto a bag).  We ended up with a second place trophy.  Looking forward to next season which starts in February!

Nearly two months late- November Update

 



The first week of November we had “Reconnect” which included project presentations and language classes.  The Ambassador came for lunch and we did a Q and A session.  It was an overwhelming, yet enjoyable week.

The following weekend, Karen Towers, the PCV from 10 years ago who started Amigos de Patzún, got married in Antigua. It was an amazing wedding! Absolutely gorgeous, as well as cultural- not only we were in an old church in Antigua, but they had Argentinean (her husband is from Argentina) tango dancers and a little Patzunera flower girl. The day after the wedding a bus load of Karen and family members came to Patzún. The scholarship students prepared skits, songs, dances, and words of appreciation for all of Karen’s work.

I continue to be amazed at the huge impact Patzún has had on Returned PC volunteers’ (RPCV) lives.  Obviously Karen got married in Guatemala and went straight to Patzún the next day to share her life here with her family from American and husband’s family from Argentina.  I received an e-mail from an RPCV who served in Patzún from 78-82 as a reforestation volunteer.  Hi Michael!!  Thanks for reading.  And an RPCV who was in the second PC Guatemala group in 1963 is coming to visit in Februray!

Lydia, Elliot, Mary and I participated in a 10.5 K from Tecpan to Ixchimche.  That last .5 was killer, let me tell you!  Mary and I crossed the finish line together in like an hour or so.  We ran to the ruins, but did not go into them.  One of my friends from Patzun invivted me to ride bikes to the ruins

So, this isn't the best photo, but it was such a wonderful experience!  I sat around the campfire and attempted to tell jokes, mainly just listed, with neighbors/family/friends.  FYI- most jokes do not translate well.

This is a photo of one of the students from the village graduating!  It was a nice ceremony.  The director asked me to teach the students a song in English to present to the American donors who support the school.  They learned "What a Wonderful World".  Teaching English is not my most favorite thing to do, but we made the best of it.

I was tempted to go to the beach to celebrate Thanksgiving with my American friends, but overwhelmed, so decided to stay and celebrate Dia de Gracias Guatemalan style.  After basketball practice Anacleto and Mary invited me over to their house for dinner. It was absolutely wonderful!  We ate turkey, vegetables, potatoes, fruits and lots of food.  We went to Mary’s sister’s house, which doubles as a bread store.  They have this HUGE stone oven thing.  I will take photos next time.