Painting!

This morning John, Lindsay, and I started work on the mural! We painted an enormous white wall green (which was much more challenging than we thought it would be). I have a lot of respect for house painters now--it is tedious work.

I think Lindsay posted the quote we are putting on the wall, but I figured I'd translate it in case some of you don't know Spanish. For some reason, I couldn't find the actual English translation of the quote, so this is a loose translation:

"Never consider school to be an obligation, but an opportunity to penetrate the beautiful and marvelous world that we know." - Albert Einstein

The wall was taller than we first thought... 

 

Oops...

 Lindsay and John had a paint war...it was a tie                             

It is definitely a bright color...

A photo from our health lecture yesterday

We'll put the letters up tomorrow and we'll definitely put up pictures.


I figured I would post some more photos of New Hope since we all agreed it was two of the most fun days of our trip!

 Morning assembly...when the students file into the school, Minor (the principal) greets each student individually. Nueva Esperanza puts a lot of emphasis on teaching children how to shake hands and maintain eye contact.

While the others were shadowing in clinics, Jenner and I went from classroom to classroom introducing ourselves and playing ice-breaker games. Jenner was really good at this game, "Camaron Caramelo."

 I met Andrea on my first visit to Guatemala in March 2011. She is the youngest of 12 and is unbelievably sweet.

 

Jefferson really liked Jenner's sunglasses

Lindsay, Renato, and I in the back of Tono's pickup truck. We went to an indigenous village to help with a reforestation project. Unfortunately, after a very dry year, all of the saplings that were planted last year died. Along with a group of students (all dressed in traditional Mayan clothing--see photo below) we emptied the bags of soil that had been planted. Tono and his group will be replanting the bags in February. 

 Jenner and Renato

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Sergio (in the blue and white shirt) is the boy my family sponsors. My family sent me down with an extra suitcase full of clothing, teddy bears, and books for Sergio and his brother Jonathan. My first visit to Guatemala (March 2011) I was convinced that I would feel uncomfortable meeting families that were affiliated with Common Hope... I guess I pictured I would sense some level of hostility from the families because after the trip was over, they knew I would return to my cushy life in college in the US. I couldn't have been more incorrect. Based on the level of gratitude that the people express, I actually feel like I can make a difference in Guatemala.

 Sergio making a beaded lizard (that I taught him how to make!)

I know I've put a few plugs in my post about Common Hope and sponsoring a child, but I really can't emphasize enough how much it would mean to me, my family, and my new family at Common Hope if you would look into sponsoring a child. Common Hope currently supports quite a few more children than they have sponsors for. Please check out the website! The children send the sweetest notes thanking you for your help. Honestly, I can't even begin to express how much it means to these children and parents to know that someone is looking out for them.

Last Week

Today began our last week here in Antigua, which we are all very sad about. We've all talked about how we are just starting to feel really settled and like we know our way around the city, but we only have one week left! This week we are working with the Youth Program at Common Hope, which consists of a group of kids that are twelve years old and up that come to Common Hope after school. While the kids are in school in the morning, we will be working on creating a mural in the Youth Programs office with a quote from Albert Einstein:

"Nunca consideres el estudio como una obligacion, sino como una oportunidad para penetrar en el bello y maravilloso mundo del saber."

Today we traced the letters for the quote onto blue construction paper and tomorrow we begin painting the wall. Below is a photo of the wall that we will be making the mural on!

This afternoon we put together a presentation for the Youth Program about physical health. While we waited for everyone to show up we played Duck, Duck, Goose (which in Spanish is Pato, Pato, Ganso) and musical chairs. We then talked to the kids about healthy eating habits, the importance of exercise, and other important habits such as brushing your teeth and not smoking. Afterwards, we played a game of soccer with the kids until it was time to leave.

Tomorrow we will be working on the mural in the morning and then doing crafts with the Youth Program kids in the afternoon! Check back for updated pictures of the mural! I also just wanted to share a photo that I instagrammed of the view of Volcano Agua from our porch:

On Sunday, Hana and I walked around town exploring shops on the streets around our house that we usually don't walk down, so here are some more photos I took of places around Antigua:

 Hana outside of an old church

A market stand that sold TONS of candy

 

A giant candle that was in a restaurant we ate at - the waiter said that it was made of wax from about 45,000 candles that were added over 11 years! They go through about three candles a day and there used to be an entire trunk of wax until a young boy broke it. Crazy!

 

New Hope Pt 2

Making friends on the soccer pitch

 Mountain villages near New Hope

 The town wash

Iver (6), my new best friend

Anderson (7)

Lindsay teaches first graders how to make bracelets.

Making friends

Soccer.

Sponsoring a child is so easy with Common Hope. You can provide enough to help an entire family with housing, healthcare and education simply by being a full sponsor or half sponsor. To look into sponsoring a child, check out the Common Hope website at 

http://www.commonhope.org/get-involved/sponsor/

New Hope

Today we began our trip to New Hope in the town of Chinoula, on the outskirts of Guatemala City. We woke up at 4:30 am and packed into our Voyager van. The drive wasn’t too bad because most of us fell fast asleep (some of us on the floor of the van), but those that were awake told us it was an absolutely beautiful drive. We arrived at New Hope around 6:30 am, changed into our workday clothes, shoveled down a quick breakfast and we were off. Renato was our guide; he helped us organize all our activities and our stay here and everyone seems to know and love him. Caroline and Jenner worked in the New Hope school for the morning, while the rest of us went to various clinics associated with El Proyecto de Salud Sangre de Cristo. This organization works in the various pueblos surrounding Guatemala City, providing preventative and triage medical care. They have about 90,000 “interactions” a year, which can include anything from handing out fluoride rinses, conducting pap smears or treating sore throats. We loaded in to Renato’s car and drove to the various locations to drop pairs of us off. I was to be by myself in one of the clinics. At one point, as we were winding up and down the roads, Renato saw a man he recognized drive by in a car. We stopped and he told me I should get out and go in this other car, that they would take me to the clinic. Confused, but excited by the prospect of something completely new and strange, I hopped in the back. I was immediately greeted by a barrage of smiles and laughter, just all around good feelings. The car was packed but everyone there seemed extremely happy to be going to work. It was at this point that I think I finally, completely woke up. I looked around and realized that I had no phone, knew none of these people, had no idea where I was nor where I was going and yet I felt completely at ease and excited to be traveling to a new place and make friends with new people. I went to work at a pueblo called Los Altos in a clinic the color of Pepto Bismol. It was a three room concrete building. Each person that worked there had there own room/ office, but the walls did not reach the ceiling so everyone could laugh, and gossip and talk all morning with each other from the comfort of their own space. The clinic had three workers, a nurse, a doctor and a pharmacist. I got to spend time with each of them and see what they do and how they run their clinic. I especially loved spending time with the doctor. She made a concerted effort to make sure I understood what was going on and even allowed me to try out what she was teaching me. I got to run multiple types of tests on pregnant women, including feeling for the baby and listening to its heartbeat. She also let me remove stitches from the arm of a young girl! She showed me how to do one and then coached my through the rest as I worked my way down her arm. I realized after that although I didn’t really do that much (it took about 3 minutes) it was incredibly exciting and interesting for me. I loved being in this clinic.

            In the afternoon we came together as a group again and ate at a local restaurant, Comedor Stephanie. We got a hearty meal of fresh tortillas, papaya juice and pepian with a strange meat all for Q16, or about 2 dollars. After lunch, we drove to a nearby town high in the hills to work with another off shoot of El Proyecto that works to reforest pueblos and help them with farming and agriculture. The town we passed through was pretty desolate and we learned that the population of this area were mostly indigenous Mayans. The town center had a large hut-like area that served as a place to wash and dry clothes. Mothers and children crowded around, washing clothes, selling snacks or just catching up on the latest news. We were there to work in the community gardens where help was needed fortifying the fences, cleaning up trash and raking/recycling old soil. We were told that 80% of the population in Guatemala lives like the people in this town- below the poverty line. Running water and electricity were generally non-exsistent; the majority of the buildings were abandoned or made of scrap metal and wood and crime and violence were rampant. Another 5% of the population lives in what is termed “extreme poverty,” or very well below the poverty line. There is virtually no middle class here in Guatemala, as Renato explained to us. The wealth distribution here is one of the most uneven in the entire world. There are the very poor and the ridiculously wealthy. About 2% of the population is extremely wealthy; these are the families that own the major export businesses such as coffee, fruits, alcohol, etc. It’s hard to think about sometimes and even harder to see without becoming angry and wanting to fix it.

            After a long day, we arrived back at New Hope to wind down for the night. The boys played soccer with a local group of school kids while we played with some of the younger children. I was amazed by their affectionate and warm disposition, even in the smallest of children. I remember being quite shy at this age so it was interesting to see so many kids so eager to talk to and play with strangers.

            Friday we spent the whole day in the New Hope School. We divided into two group and each went around to different classrooms meeting the children and leading them through a beading craft. It was easier for some than others and the slight language barrier made it challenging at first but we eventually got the hang of it. The kids here love to talk and play and laugh. I don’t think I have ever made that many friends in a single day than I did yesterday. They asked us about our lives in the US and absolutely LOVED looking at pictures that we had from our homes, families, etc. They also always wanted to know whether we “spoke Gringo.” School here is different from the US. It only lasts for half a day, from 7:30 am to 12:30pm, but there are some organized activities after lunch, almost like an after school program. We took a quick break for lunch and then went back down to the school to help out with an art project and then play an intense game of soccer. We left in the late afternoon, exhausted and dirty but with giant smiles on our faces. In all honesty, I didn’t want to leave. The kids and the people at El Proyecto were so kind and loving. I left feeling like I had made some great friends and knowing that this would not be my last time at New Hope. 

Quick Update!

Sorry for the lack of blogging yesterday! We finished our project in the medical clinic and filled two large shelving units with medical samples.  It took the full morning, but the finished product looks great with everything organized by treatment type and then sorted alphabetically based on active ingredient. We were supposed to leave for New Hope today, a branch of Common Hope that consists of a school, clinic, and houses in the highlands outside of Guatemala City, but unfortunately Renato had work to do in Antigua and couldn't leave until tomorrow. So we got the day off today and just hung out watching movies and playing cards. Hana and I found a great panini place where we ate lunch and dinner...it was that good. Tomorrow we are waking up at 5:00am to make the drive to New Hope so expect a longer post tomorrow night with pictures from the Common Hope clinic and stories about our first day at New Hope!

Sorting and An incredible view

This morning we worked at El Proyecto organizing medications. We thought it would be pretty simple, but it turned out to be a crazy and confusing task. A lot of the problems stemmed from the fact that we didn't really know what any of the medications did...
 

We spent a lot of time with a medical dictionary looking up Latin words (which were also in Spanish) in order to organize the medications into groups like "Cardiovascular," "Antihistamines," "Nutritional Supplements," etc. We learned a lot about different types of medicines!

















We were able to sort all of the meds today into bags...tomorrow we will put them on the shelves! Hana, Lindsay, and I all really enjoy organizing (at times, to a fault), so we actually had a good time today.

Since we only worked a half-day today, we decided to relax and watch a movie. In the markets, you can buy brand new movies for 10 Quetzals (which is equivalent to about $1.50). In fact, we're watching Silver Linings Playbook right now (which is still in theaters).

After relaxing a little bit, we walked around Antigua. It is amazing how many new places we found even after being here for two weeks! I'd heard a lot about this French restaurant called Tartines, so we decided to check out the terrace (which is known as the best terrace in Antigua). The views were incredible! You could see straight into the ruins that are in the center of Antigua.

Tomorrow we are doing some more sorting and on Wednesday morning we leave for Nueva Esperanza for three days!

Halfway!

So we've made it halfway through our trip! It's crazy to think that we have already been here for two weeks, but it has been amazing and we have learned so much.  This morning while we were eating breakfast at a great bagel place called The Bagel Barn, we came up with a list of things we have learned so far...

25 things we have learned so far:

1. No towels actually absorb water
2. Grocery stores only sell hot dogs and cold cuts, no other meat
3. The amount of English that the people in the markets know is just enough to be offensive - "Lady, make a deal."
4. Water and jello is sold in plastic bags
5. The correct pant size here is two sizes too small
6. The prices in the markets are raised immediately upon seeing a gringo
7. Just because someone tells you they own Gallo beer and an island in the Carribean does not mean they really do
8. Do not give your number to the teller at the only bank you use
9. When working construction, if something does not fit, just use a sledgehammer until it does
10. Coffee is 100x better and 3x cheaper down here
11. If you are over the height of 5'5'' you will definitely feel like a giant
12. It is acceptable to be offered weed or coke in front of a police officer
13. Rabbits are not pets, they are dinner
14. Do not pet the dogs (they all have pulgas or fleas)
15. Toilet paper goes in the trashcan, never the toilet bowl
16. Ex-pats love to share their political opinions, even if you didn't ask for them
17. Generally only 10% of the keys they give you will actually unlock the door they are supposed to
18. Guatemalans are the nicest people you will ever meet (and the most photogenic)
19. Things that are more acceptable in public than wearing shorts:
      - Guns
      - Breastfeeding
      - Sleeping on the job
      - Machetes
20. It is unacceptable to ask for bags at the grocery store, you will have to pay 20 cents per bag
21. Siestas should be a part of daily American life
22. There are no stop signs, only speed bumps
23. Do not drink the water, but you can use it to brush your teeth
24. We will never blend in - we stick out like sore thumbs
25. We never want to leave

Monterrico

Yesterday, we made the trip to Monte Rico and I once again questioned whether this is real life. We were only at the beach for about a day and a half, but I can easily say it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. We worked construction in the morning on Friday making concrete bricks and walls out of drywall and wood. By the time we were done everyone was exhausted and we sat down to a quick lunch of homemade chicken tostadas and carrot soup. As usual it was amazing. Then we packed up and headed down to the coast. Our driver, Enrique, brought along his wife for a little weekend getaway too! A sweet but extremely tiny man, Enrique has been with us for most of the trip and he speaks little to no English. Nevertheless, we love him but were a little surprised to see that his wife was about a foot taller and wider than he was. True love knows no form. She literally on top of him while he drove us all there; we were a little perplexed to say the least.

We drove through the countryside and through some pretty depressed areas. Near the coast, many houses consist of a roof, one or two concrete walls and hammocks for beds. It was definitely one of the poorest areas we have seen all trip. We arrived to 90 degree weather and perfect blue skies. We made plans to stay at Johnny’s Place, a humble little hostel right on the beach. Because there were so many of us traveling, we decided to go big and rented the only “house” on the property. Casa Karina, as it was called, turned out to be a concrete shack with a frond roof. It was perfect. Actually. It was exactly what we needed and literally nothing more. It was separated a bit from the rest of the hotel and it had its own hammocks and tiny pool. Once we were settled in we got into our swimsuits and hit the beach for the afternoon. The western coast of Guatemala is all black sand because of the abundance of volcanoes in the country. The sand is more pebbly and more grainy. Also, the beach does not gently slope into the ocean, but instead is really flat at the top and then declines at a pretty steep angle until the ocean. There are almost like two levels of beach. The ocean here is STRONG. The waves are some of the biggest I have ever seen and the current is powerful. I would be lying I said I was never wiped out by the waves. I’m just glad I still have my swimsuit.

Everything at the beach is exactly that—at the beach. Floors of the bars, bathrooms, etc are covered with sand and there aren’t really any walls. It was a pretty incredible place. Also, everything at the beach is super cheap. Drinks for girls were 5Q, or about $0.75 and a plate of amazing nachos for 25Q or about $4. Once the sun had officially set, we showered in ice-cold water and got dressed and ready in a house that had no mirrors. Perfect. The bar was pretty empty besides for us. After talking to one of the bartenders, we learned that this hotel has been pretty empty for a couple of weeks because the owner had gotten in trouble with some of the “narcotraficos” (drug traffickers) in the area. As one man explained to us, “who down here isn’t a drug dealer?” We felt good and safe after that thanks to some giant piña coladas that were the size of our heads. We spent the majority of the night making friends and just being silly at the outdoor bar. The mix of people that we met was truly astounding. The was the investment banker and his top PR girlfriend, a group of Australians studying Spanish, an English expat who was traveling through Central America opening bars and clubs, Canadian men taking two months off work and David, a 50 year old man who had been living in Guatemala on the beach for the past 30ish years. And then there was us, a group of 7 loud, crazy, and probably obnoxious college students. As the night progressed we moved to the discoteca. Lucky for us it was only about 200 yards from the bar and directly next to our house. They played a weird mix of Latin and techno music, but it seemed perfect for us. We danced into the night until we were sweaty and exhausted. We decided it was time for us to leave when some of the Guatemalan men started to follow us around the discoteca and tried to dance with us. The bartender came up to us and told us that one man in particular was dangerous and known for “taking people.” That was our cue to exit. We ended the night under mosquito nets listening to the beats of electro music and the waves lapping against the shore.

         We woke early to the crowing of roosters and strange tropical birds. Even though we weren’t all feeling our best, we struggled back to the bar for an amazing breakfast and then hit the beach. It was already hot by 9am but we struggled to get as much sun as we could. We played volleyball, rode the waves and pretty much did nothing. The beach was pretty much deserted and at times it felt like we were the only people on earth. It really felt like the kind of place where you could get lost and just disappear. We lazed the day away and left late in the afternoon. The drive back was long, bumpy and slightly scary. Our driver was swerving in and out of traffic, passing cars and brought us through some of the shadier parts of Guatemala. But we made it. Sunburned, tired and a little hungover, we made it back home. Monterrico was an amazing place and it now has a solid spot on my “To Do Again” list

Our internet wasn't performing very well last night so Hana didn't have the chance to upload many photos of construction or the finished house...here are some below from the beginning of the project to the end!

 Joel and Marcos are cousins that live on the property where the house was being built...they loved helping us!

 This was the area that had been laid out for the floor. We first had to dig holes for 18 pieces of concrete that served as the base and outline. John and Pablo were certainly more efficient than we were.

 We were obsessed with the animals that lived on the property. One of their six dogs had just given birth to 6 puppies!

Hana really loved the kittens...we named this one Jade (pronounced "ha-day" in Spanish)

We loaded a dangerous amount of building materials onto a pickup truck. We were very skeptical, but Pablo and Felix tied everything down so it seemed to work fine...Pictured here are building supplies for the walls and roof.

 The reason this house took so long (about a week) was because it was pretty large. Usually Common Hope makes one-room houses, but this one was two rooms. This is the view from the roof into one of the rooms of the house.

 

 Me and Lindsay being really helpful...

The view of the mountains from the roof.

 Hana and Pablo hammering in the panels along the side of the house. For every four nails that Pablo hammered in, Hana, Linds and I were able to hammer in one each.

 Pablo and Felix nailing down the steel roof. It sticks out and slopes towards the front so that rain water doesn't collect on top.

Almost done...

 Tyler got a photo of us in the window once the house was finished.















 Part of the family we built the house for...The girl in the red shirt is 17 years old and the woman pictured next to her is her grandmother, who is holding her daughter.

 The finished house with the team that worked on the final day!

 Yesterday we began the steps to build another house! We got really dirty...

Last night we had another girls night and went to this incredible restaurant named Hector's. It was unbelievably good. Hana ordered the mahi-mahi (pictured below) and Lindsay and I both ordered open-faced beef tenderloin sandwiches. We ordered ice cream and chocolate mousse for dinner...we would have taken a picture but we devoured it in about 2 minutes.

 

So the girls opted to take a mental (and physical) health day from work today. We were scheduled for construction, but since Jenner's boss is out of town at As Green As it Gets, he decided to take our place at Common Hope...we figured we could use a day to wander around Antigua. Also, we rationalized that we really aren't that helpful in beginning of construction projects since we're not very strong. 

It was chillier than usual today so we wanted to wandered around Antigua and went into some markets. We found this incredible pressed paper area within the market that we call "The Maze Market." The market is literally laid out like a maze with curtains and corners everywhere. Lindsay and I both bought hanging lighted stars (pictured below). We fell in love with them after visiting the crepe restaurant, Luna de Miel. 

We stopped at a place called Casa de Jade next. It was unbelievable...they had a ton of old Mayan artifacts as well as jewelry for sale in the back. Apparently, the Mayans believed that jade held magnetic energy power that could protect a person from spirits. The wealthier a person was, the more jade he wore all over his body. 

The Mayans wore masks on their faces as well. They sell imitation masks everywhere, but this one is an artifact.

We were able to watch the men as they polished and cleaned the jade. They also may have been cutting it here, but it was hard to see.












 I think the salesman liked us because he allowed each of us to try on the $13,500 bracelet (in US dollars). The bracelet is made from gold, diamonds, and Esmeralda Jade (which is the rarest form of jade).








Me sitting on an enormous chair at a furniture store...we had to sneak a picture in because I don't think they wanted people sitting on it!

















Tomorrow we are going to do some construction in the morning and at noon we leave for the coast! We are spending the night in a house on the Pacific Ocean in Monterrico! Pictures and updates to come!

--Care