Flying: surreal. It seems like it really should take longer than 4 hrs to completely change lives.
Weather: Cold! My body's more or less used to 90-degree heat by now, and this 45ish stuff was a surprise.
People: Evelin, Sulmi, Kristel, Angelica, & Nancy took me to the airport and saw me off. It was especially hard to say goodbye to the girls. And good to have them there.
Intersections: The desk agent at the airport saw me signing, and when I got up to the counter signed, "Are you Deaf?" I was definitely surprised. "No, I'm hearing, but you sign?" Turns out she's Elton's sister! (Elton is an 18yo Deaf man we know in Orange Walk). Then on the plane I sat next to a woman who's father is Deaf and mother's an interpreter for Sorenson.
Size: Everything really is bigger in Texas. Bigger, and just more. There is just so much of everything. It was a little overwhelming, even though I knew what to expect. But it was good to see my cousins again and to eat a hearty Italian meal:)
Communication & Disorientation: I left my cell phone in the front seat of my cousin's Hummer when he dropped me off at the airport. Grr. Then I kept forgetting where exactly I was and where exactly I was going, with so many destinations and plans swimming thru my head for the next week. I stared at the baggage claim monitor at O'Hare for a good two minutes trying to figure out why "Chicago" was not appearing under the "Arrivals" list, before I realized I was *in* Chicago and arriving *from* Dallas.
Reunion: Andy and Emily picked me up, despite a relay of communication in order to get in touch w/ them w/o the use of my cell phone. Then we went to his house, ate yummy chilli and sheet cake, played with the dogs, caught up and headed back to Goshen. I was beside myself for the last 20minutes of the ride--- Goshen really has been good to me and it's good to be back. Then we had a house meal at La Barna w/ Anika & Veloris, I bundled up in more clothes, caught up some, and started my homework:P. Feels good to be home, briefly, before finding my next one.
Off to a good start, gotta keep runnin
Monday, May 12, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
The next craziest week
I don't know how it's all gonna happen, but here's where to find me from now until May 19::
Saturday (hoy!): Say my final goodbyes (for now) to Belize. Fly to Dallas. Spend the night with my cousins-in-law
Sun. morning: Fly to Chicago. Catch a ride back to Goshen with Andy and co.
Sun-Thurs: Pack up my life in Goshen, meet with profs, take final exams with the ASL dept, tie up any loose ends with the college, pack my car, **see people**
Fri dawn: Drive to O'hare, fly to Kansas City. Catch a ride back to Hutch with Adam (and his dad), who's flying in the day before from Guatemala. Hang out w/ the fam.
Sat morning: Go to Ann Marie's graduation. Woot!
Sat. afternoon: Drive back to KC. Fly to Chicago. Grab my car. Drive to DC.
Sunday: Drive to DC. Move in with Dominique and co.
Monday: Start work w/ the Entry Level Interpreting Program at Birnbaum Interpreting Services
Heaven help me....
Saturday (hoy!): Say my final goodbyes (for now) to Belize. Fly to Dallas. Spend the night with my cousins-in-law
Sun. morning: Fly to Chicago. Catch a ride back to Goshen with Andy and co.
Sun-Thurs: Pack up my life in Goshen, meet with profs, take final exams with the ASL dept, tie up any loose ends with the college, pack my car, **see people**
Fri dawn: Drive to O'hare, fly to Kansas City. Catch a ride back to Hutch with Adam (and his dad), who's flying in the day before from Guatemala. Hang out w/ the fam.
Sat morning: Go to Ann Marie's graduation. Woot!
Sat. afternoon: Drive back to KC. Fly to Chicago. Grab my car. Drive to DC.
Sunday: Drive to DC. Move in with Dominique and co.
Monday: Start work w/ the Entry Level Interpreting Program at Birnbaum Interpreting Services
Heaven help me....
Friday, May 9, 2008
Lasts
Pues,
It was a good last week. I was having doubts about whether or not I had been any more effective by staying 16 weeks instead of 10, so I made a list of things that have happened in the last 6 wks, and was pleasantly surprised. I felt affirmed in having stayed, despite some of the challenges that came along w/ it too. Maybe I'll try to post it at some point.
Saturday, Elodia and Rubia took me to Chunox, a pretty pueblo in the North where we had to take a hand-cranked ferry across the river. We met a sweet, sociable Deaf boy. He lives so far north on rutted roads that it would be unlikely he could come to Mary Hill for school, but the mom did take him to visit Nancy's class after we talked with her b/c they were going to be in Orange Walk for a Dr.s appt anyway.
In any case, I got to have good goodbyes w/ my schools this wk. We played the "Elephant Game" at San Narcisco and all the kids brought me snacks to share for a goodbye party. I talked to Mitchel and Laisha's principal about coming to the Wednesday afternoon Deaf class at Mary Hill, then talked their mom into sending both the kids, along with their hearing sister who I've been teaching to sign and their Deaf sister who rarely leaves home now cuz she has a 4mo old baby girl. Mitchel came in the morning w/ the principal for Sp. Olympics practice, then the sisters came in the afternoon for the Deaf class/Signing workshop. He and Christopher played all morning and I had no desire to corral them into participating in the official activities;).
The workshop in the afternoon was really fun. I enjoyed chatting with the Deaf teacher, Mr. McCool (perfect name, eh?) and I borrowed a cool math strategy from Nancy to teach to the teachers who came along w/ their Deaf students. I had a lil burst of pride too when Mitchel, who tends to be shy, jumped up and rattled off the alphabet when Mr. McCool started to teach it to the new students.
Yesterday I said goodbye to the Mary Hill kids, and gave them each a DVD I made of their work (yay for iDvd on my Mac. I recorded all "my" students signing a book, which they loved-- "I'm on TV!") The woman who makes lunch for the teachers made flour tortillas for me b/c she knows they're my favorite, and I had some nice moments with Miss Lupita and Miss Sheba (her teaching assistant). I tried to set them up with a webcam as a going away present, but the logistics did not work in my favor. They will get the camera but the programs I wanted to set up so they could use it more easily w/ the kids will have to be left to someone else to do, so I hope they have time for it. Elodia's talking about doing a masters in Sp. Ed in North Florida next year, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. I say goodbye to her and Rubia tonite, after Girl's Night, the last of the local goodbyes. All Nancy's students signed a gift for me today and hugged me goodbye in the afternoon. Nancy took me out to lunch for a debriefing on the internship as well.
Overall, it's been a good closing week. I still have things to run around and finish before I leave, but at least I'll get to spend some quality time w/ the girls before I leave tomorrow. Sulmi & Evelin are staying the night tonite instead of going home for the wkend, and they'll come with Nancy to drop me off at the airport tomorrow, along with Kristel.
Be seeing you all soon. Much love!
It was a good last week. I was having doubts about whether or not I had been any more effective by staying 16 weeks instead of 10, so I made a list of things that have happened in the last 6 wks, and was pleasantly surprised. I felt affirmed in having stayed, despite some of the challenges that came along w/ it too. Maybe I'll try to post it at some point.
Saturday, Elodia and Rubia took me to Chunox, a pretty pueblo in the North where we had to take a hand-cranked ferry across the river. We met a sweet, sociable Deaf boy. He lives so far north on rutted roads that it would be unlikely he could come to Mary Hill for school, but the mom did take him to visit Nancy's class after we talked with her b/c they were going to be in Orange Walk for a Dr.s appt anyway.
In any case, I got to have good goodbyes w/ my schools this wk. We played the "Elephant Game" at San Narcisco and all the kids brought me snacks to share for a goodbye party. I talked to Mitchel and Laisha's principal about coming to the Wednesday afternoon Deaf class at Mary Hill, then talked their mom into sending both the kids, along with their hearing sister who I've been teaching to sign and their Deaf sister who rarely leaves home now cuz she has a 4mo old baby girl. Mitchel came in the morning w/ the principal for Sp. Olympics practice, then the sisters came in the afternoon for the Deaf class/Signing workshop. He and Christopher played all morning and I had no desire to corral them into participating in the official activities;).
The workshop in the afternoon was really fun. I enjoyed chatting with the Deaf teacher, Mr. McCool (perfect name, eh?) and I borrowed a cool math strategy from Nancy to teach to the teachers who came along w/ their Deaf students. I had a lil burst of pride too when Mitchel, who tends to be shy, jumped up and rattled off the alphabet when Mr. McCool started to teach it to the new students.
Yesterday I said goodbye to the Mary Hill kids, and gave them each a DVD I made of their work (yay for iDvd on my Mac. I recorded all "my" students signing a book, which they loved-- "I'm on TV!") The woman who makes lunch for the teachers made flour tortillas for me b/c she knows they're my favorite, and I had some nice moments with Miss Lupita and Miss Sheba (her teaching assistant). I tried to set them up with a webcam as a going away present, but the logistics did not work in my favor. They will get the camera but the programs I wanted to set up so they could use it more easily w/ the kids will have to be left to someone else to do, so I hope they have time for it. Elodia's talking about doing a masters in Sp. Ed in North Florida next year, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. I say goodbye to her and Rubia tonite, after Girl's Night, the last of the local goodbyes. All Nancy's students signed a gift for me today and hugged me goodbye in the afternoon. Nancy took me out to lunch for a debriefing on the internship as well.
Overall, it's been a good closing week. I still have things to run around and finish before I leave, but at least I'll get to spend some quality time w/ the girls before I leave tomorrow. Sulmi & Evelin are staying the night tonite instead of going home for the wkend, and they'll come with Nancy to drop me off at the airport tomorrow, along with Kristel.
Be seeing you all soon. Much love!
Friday, May 2, 2008
Winding up before winding down....
**Main events in bold for the benefit of scanners:)**
The title here is what we always say about Sulmi around her bedtime, but it's true of my last couple wks here as well.
Last wk we took a field trip to the zoo w/ Lupita's class (Christopher), and they invited Mitchel and Laisha along too. So much fun! It was April the Tapir's (Belize's national animal) 25th birthday and the zoo had a party for her. "My" students made fast friends which great to see. Mitchel was beside himself w/ excitement over all the animals. I loved spending the day w/ them.
Evelin is adjusting great! We were worried when she got seriously homesick the first wk, but since then she's been fine. Her language skills have literally exploded; Nancy and I are asking ourselves if she always knew this much and we just missed it or if she's an incredibely fast learner. Probably some of both. We knew she was smart and not being met at her potential in her previous environment, but we're now realizing just how smart she really is. I'm so grateful to see her in a learning environment where she can really thrive.
Last wkend I went to Chetumal, Mexico again w/ Elodia. Got my visa renewed, ate a nice lunch at the beach, and checked out the Maya museum. I was stunned by the differences in consumer culture when you cross the border into Chetumal: so convenient, so tempting, so overwhelming. I enjoyed seeing a little bit more of the town tho and feeling like I can say I've been to Mexico with just slightly more credibility (it still seems strange to me to think of having "been to" a whole country after only getting to see a little piece of it.)
Last Friday for Girl's Night there were no hearing siblings in attendance and the sweet mischevious 2yo daughter of one of the women slept through the whole thing. It was a nice change of pace and, while I really like interpreting Girl's Night, it was a good change of pace to feel like more of a participant.
Ah! How could I forget-- I went to Belize City this week and visited the Deaf school; so much fun! I knew several of the kids from a past field trip, so I got to chat w/ them, interview one of the teachers, and get a better idea for what life is like for Stella Maris Deaf Academy students. And then on Wednesday, the long-planned, often-delayed workshop for all of Corozal's Deaf students materialized in Mary Hill! We only had 4 students, and for some reason Mitchel & Laisha's teacher didn't bring them as planned, but the teachers from Stella Maris came and said they plan to keep coming. Ryan, a 6yo from Paraiso came w/ his tutor and got over his extreme shyness by the end, playing happily with Christopher. I'm hopeful that Mitchel and Laisha will come next wk, my last week here!
Yesterday we had the day off and Nancy thought to take the girls to a new pool w/ a water slide. We had a grand time splashing, learning to swim (Sulmi was bravely venturing into the deep end by the end of the afternoon), sliding, and using the underwater camera I intended for snorkeling but never got to use. Today Nancy's class took a field trip to Mary Hill, intending to get the Deaf kids together, but all of my other students were sick or absent today! Very unfortunate, but the kids had a good time anyway I think, and Lupita got to talk to Elodia (who came with) about the possibility of teaching for at least a term in Stella Maris next year to learn about Deaf Ed.
Pues, the "last time" series of events has begun, and I will much miss the people I have met here. To close out the semester, I'm making DVDs of the kids signing things they've learned this semester, so that's my big project of the week. I feel like I have learned more here than I can presently articulate; I've been in so many environments here that I had no or very little previous experience with that every day was an excercise in asombro (Spanish for amazement/eye-opening/awe). I feel like I've been marinated in a new perspective and it's going to take me a little while to distill the concrete lessons from it all, beyond the generalized feeling that I really had no idea what I was "getting myself into" when I got here, but that my many frustrations about my own limitations as well as the little joys of small triumphs and great joys of some new relationships have amounted to invaluable learning.
God bless anyone who is still reading:).
Can't wait to see you.
The title here is what we always say about Sulmi around her bedtime, but it's true of my last couple wks here as well.
Last wk we took a field trip to the zoo w/ Lupita's class (Christopher), and they invited Mitchel and Laisha along too. So much fun! It was April the Tapir's (Belize's national animal) 25th birthday and the zoo had a party for her. "My" students made fast friends which great to see. Mitchel was beside himself w/ excitement over all the animals. I loved spending the day w/ them.
Evelin is adjusting great! We were worried when she got seriously homesick the first wk, but since then she's been fine. Her language skills have literally exploded; Nancy and I are asking ourselves if she always knew this much and we just missed it or if she's an incredibely fast learner. Probably some of both. We knew she was smart and not being met at her potential in her previous environment, but we're now realizing just how smart she really is. I'm so grateful to see her in a learning environment where she can really thrive.
Last wkend I went to Chetumal, Mexico again w/ Elodia. Got my visa renewed, ate a nice lunch at the beach, and checked out the Maya museum. I was stunned by the differences in consumer culture when you cross the border into Chetumal: so convenient, so tempting, so overwhelming. I enjoyed seeing a little bit more of the town tho and feeling like I can say I've been to Mexico with just slightly more credibility (it still seems strange to me to think of having "been to" a whole country after only getting to see a little piece of it.)
Last Friday for Girl's Night there were no hearing siblings in attendance and the sweet mischevious 2yo daughter of one of the women slept through the whole thing. It was a nice change of pace and, while I really like interpreting Girl's Night, it was a good change of pace to feel like more of a participant.
Ah! How could I forget-- I went to Belize City this week and visited the Deaf school; so much fun! I knew several of the kids from a past field trip, so I got to chat w/ them, interview one of the teachers, and get a better idea for what life is like for Stella Maris Deaf Academy students. And then on Wednesday, the long-planned, often-delayed workshop for all of Corozal's Deaf students materialized in Mary Hill! We only had 4 students, and for some reason Mitchel & Laisha's teacher didn't bring them as planned, but the teachers from Stella Maris came and said they plan to keep coming. Ryan, a 6yo from Paraiso came w/ his tutor and got over his extreme shyness by the end, playing happily with Christopher. I'm hopeful that Mitchel and Laisha will come next wk, my last week here!
Yesterday we had the day off and Nancy thought to take the girls to a new pool w/ a water slide. We had a grand time splashing, learning to swim (Sulmi was bravely venturing into the deep end by the end of the afternoon), sliding, and using the underwater camera I intended for snorkeling but never got to use. Today Nancy's class took a field trip to Mary Hill, intending to get the Deaf kids together, but all of my other students were sick or absent today! Very unfortunate, but the kids had a good time anyway I think, and Lupita got to talk to Elodia (who came with) about the possibility of teaching for at least a term in Stella Maris next year to learn about Deaf Ed.
Pues, the "last time" series of events has begun, and I will much miss the people I have met here. To close out the semester, I'm making DVDs of the kids signing things they've learned this semester, so that's my big project of the week. I feel like I have learned more here than I can presently articulate; I've been in so many environments here that I had no or very little previous experience with that every day was an excercise in asombro (Spanish for amazement/eye-opening/awe). I feel like I've been marinated in a new perspective and it's going to take me a little while to distill the concrete lessons from it all, beyond the generalized feeling that I really had no idea what I was "getting myself into" when I got here, but that my many frustrations about my own limitations as well as the little joys of small triumphs and great joys of some new relationships have amounted to invaluable learning.
God bless anyone who is still reading:).
Can't wait to see you.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Channel 3 News
I was on the news today! As Lisa, a new volunteer from Kentucky said today, "Well, that's a first; I've never been on TV in a foreign country before." A local station came to do a story on Mary Hill's Special Ed center, and interviewed all of us. They just asked me what some challenges were and I said mostly isolation of Deaf students and little access to sign language, and emphasized that Deaf children can learn as fast as any other child if they have good language models. It was really cute footage of the kids working the garden too. Fun fun!
Tonite was a great night w/ the girls. Evelyn had a hard day on Wednesday, really hoomesick, but tonite she and Kristel and Sulmi were playing and laughing. Last nite Kristel and Sulmi spent about 1.5 playing with towels-- who knew a towel could become so many different things?? Definite burst of creative energy.
So next week, I'm going to the zoo w/ the Mary Hill kids on Wednesday and Mitchel & Laisha are invited to come along too, so I hope that happens.
Time for bed now, sleep well.
Tonite was a great night w/ the girls. Evelyn had a hard day on Wednesday, really hoomesick, but tonite she and Kristel and Sulmi were playing and laughing. Last nite Kristel and Sulmi spent about 1.5 playing with towels-- who knew a towel could become so many different things?? Definite burst of creative energy.
So next week, I'm going to the zoo w/ the Mary Hill kids on Wednesday and Mitchel & Laisha are invited to come along too, so I hope that happens.
Time for bed now, sleep well.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Evelin's here!
Been a blogger delinquent lately. Consider it making up for all my extra-long previous posts.
Major update is-- Evelin moved in with us this week!!!
Crazy how quickly things can change. Elodia and I went on Saturday to talk to her parents about a plan for her after I leave, and I was expecting them to *maybe* let her start coming to Orange Walk with me on Mondays and/or Fridays, just to try it out. Lo and behold, they were okay with the idea of her coming to stay at Nancy's during the week and going home on weekends, like Sulmi does, and they were ready to start Monday!
Elodia and I were stunned and elated. It was so great to see her in a classroom environment where she's learning all day, can communicate w/ all of her classmates and her teacher, and has friends she already knows from church. I hope she makes it through the homesickness and really thrives here.
In regards to Mitchel and Laisha, I'm starting "classes" with their older sisters after school. We'll only have 4 before I leave, but it's something. They are doing a good job lately of helping Mitchel w/ his homework, and Melissa, the 16yo, says she wants to become a teacher, possibly of Deaf students.
Christopher and Carlos are continuing to work on the Spelling Bee, and Ana-- the 15yo Deaf girl that was supposed to come back to school after Easter, just showed up today! Right after Evelin has left, unfortunately, but it will be good to have her there.
Someday before I leave (it keeps getting postponed) teachers from the school for the Deaf in Belize City are supposed to come and start teaching the Deaf students in Corozal one afternoon a week. I hope to meet them before I leave. Today a boy from Paraiso, a town just north of where I work on Wed & Thurs, came to visit the school. He is a 7yo Deaf boy, the only Deaf student at his school w/ no interpreter. His mom's doing a good job of teaching him signs and reading at home, but it was hard to know how much he is missing.
So that is the latest. It has been both hard and good to be here for an extra month. There's never enough time to do all the things one wishes could be done. Looking forward to seeing all of you sometime in the near-ish future.
Hope all is well wherever you are.
Paz
ps. Rock Chalk!! KU won the Final Four and I got to see the game, woot!! The girls cheered with me using loofahs as pompoms:D.
Major update is-- Evelin moved in with us this week!!!
Crazy how quickly things can change. Elodia and I went on Saturday to talk to her parents about a plan for her after I leave, and I was expecting them to *maybe* let her start coming to Orange Walk with me on Mondays and/or Fridays, just to try it out. Lo and behold, they were okay with the idea of her coming to stay at Nancy's during the week and going home on weekends, like Sulmi does, and they were ready to start Monday!
Elodia and I were stunned and elated. It was so great to see her in a classroom environment where she's learning all day, can communicate w/ all of her classmates and her teacher, and has friends she already knows from church. I hope she makes it through the homesickness and really thrives here.
In regards to Mitchel and Laisha, I'm starting "classes" with their older sisters after school. We'll only have 4 before I leave, but it's something. They are doing a good job lately of helping Mitchel w/ his homework, and Melissa, the 16yo, says she wants to become a teacher, possibly of Deaf students.
Christopher and Carlos are continuing to work on the Spelling Bee, and Ana-- the 15yo Deaf girl that was supposed to come back to school after Easter, just showed up today! Right after Evelin has left, unfortunately, but it will be good to have her there.
Someday before I leave (it keeps getting postponed) teachers from the school for the Deaf in Belize City are supposed to come and start teaching the Deaf students in Corozal one afternoon a week. I hope to meet them before I leave. Today a boy from Paraiso, a town just north of where I work on Wed & Thurs, came to visit the school. He is a 7yo Deaf boy, the only Deaf student at his school w/ no interpreter. His mom's doing a good job of teaching him signs and reading at home, but it was hard to know how much he is missing.
So that is the latest. It has been both hard and good to be here for an extra month. There's never enough time to do all the things one wishes could be done. Looking forward to seeing all of you sometime in the near-ish future.
Hope all is well wherever you are.
Paz
ps. Rock Chalk!! KU won the Final Four and I got to see the game, woot!! The girls cheered with me using loofahs as pompoms:D.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Across borders and back again: A Too Long Account Embarked Upon Due to a Novel's Voice
Pues, we decided cave tubing was a bit too pricey, headed off for Guatemala on Thursday, and were so glad we did! It was a little mind-bending to cross just a few feet from one side of the border to the other, and be in such completely different territory. English dissolved, Kriol disappeared, currency shifted into a 7:1 exchange rate (on the US $) with a pretty name (Quetzales), women in Quecha clothing materialized at myriad little stops that sold traditional crafts--- it was a wondrous thing indeed. (Incidentally, I have recently been steeped in a book set in the 1800s, so pay no mind to the occasional archaic verbiage that seems to be seeping from there into my musings).
We braved the drizzling rain to wait for a bus, despite numerous predictions (by taxi drivers:)) that there would be no buses today, Holy Thursday and we simply must take a cab. Our microbus did appear, however, and we bumped along with our ever-increasing numbers (the rows had seats that folded down into the aisles to maximize the space completely; just when we seemed totally full, someone else would climb aboard and find a space between two shoulders) all the way to El Remate. We had a great (even moreso b/c it was so cheap!) lunch as we looked out over the lake and enjoyed being immersed again in Spanish.
Then it was off to Tikal, the "Capital of the Mayan World"-- and it was as impressive as any world capital should be! (even if overgrown by the jungle, but I like to think that only amplified its grandeur). I confess I was expecting "just another Mayan ruin," but I couldn't have been more wrong. Tikal is a whole city lying under the jungle, nestled in a national park full of trails and sights to be seen. We hiked around for several hours, impressed by the mystery, largesse, and sheer abundance of the ruins, and startled and delighted by all the wildlife: coatimundi (cousin to the racoon), toucans, wild turkey with iridescence like peacocks, buzzards, spider monkeys crashing thru the treetops, the guttural territory calls of howler monkeys, parrots twirling over the whole landscape as we sat at the crest of the tallest temple and took in the scene. Not to mention the Ceiba! Guatemala's national tree and such a strange, gigantic, gorgeous thing, with roots that, as Adam said, seemed to have started growing before the tree reached the ground, as if someone planted it suspended over the Earth and the roots grew down to meet it. Sparse bleached branches splashed with vegetation like sea urchins, and dotted with the flash and song of parrots and toucans.
Slightly apparent I was (we were) a little enraptured?
But the park did close in the evening and we found our escort (coincidentally the same friendly chauffeur who had brought us) to take us to the small island town of Flores (really it's a peninsula). We found food and a room with a sweet hostess, at Hotel El Faisan, housed over a craft shop. We walked around town a bit in the evening, then called it a night. We were lazy the next day and slept in (I am still fighting a cold and find myself easily tired), then were excited to discover that there was a cave not far from Flores that would be easy to go explore. So we got to see our caves after all! I forget the name of it, but it was set way back from the road, through a village, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and we spent a couple hours traversing its innards. If we had had a more reliable flashlight (the one we borrowed was prone to flicker just as we discovered that what we thought was a wall actually gave way to a crevice we could slip through and find a whole of expanse of rocky room behind), we would have ventured deeper, but nonetheless we satisfied our sense of adventure for the day I think.
We walked back to Flores just in time to see the preparation for the Good Friday processions. Streets were blocked off so groups from different neighborhoods, parishes, or schools could set about preparing their offering of street art. The results were impressive! Paintings made of colored sawdust and flower petals, sometimes palm leaves, materialized on the pavement. We stopped to ask one group how long they had been working-- "Since 2am today. It will be done in time for the procession at 5."
We made our way to the central plaza and watched three floats be carried out of the church. It was the procession of the Holy Burial; the statue of Jesus atop a silken bed that suggested a boat was the first to emerge from the sanctuary, carried on the shoulders of some 20 men. Just as I remembered from my Easter in Spain, their slow small steps set him rocking slightly back and forth and I couldn't help swaying to the same rhythm as I watched. Next came Mary, carried by the women of the church, who braved the weight and the cobblestone streets wearing smiling faces and high heels! Mary Magdelane was hoisted down the steps and around the plaza by the young women in the congregation, who passed their responsibility onto their elder sisters once they crossed with the procession into the main street. Finally came John the Baptist, a small float carried by just four young men, one at each corner. Leading the way for the whole endeavor were the alter boys and girls, 5 of them I think, dressed in white robes with red sashes, swirling along in their clouds of incense to sanctify the way for all that followed. And I have forgotten the band! They came right after Jesus' pallbearers, keeping time with the drum, or providing a song. Adam and I followed with the crowd who accompanied the procession. I hurried ahead at one point, wanting to see what would become of the intricate sawdust Jesus around the corner when the street congregation came upon it. The procession paused at its border, took it in, then continued on in its rocking, shuffling steps, smudging the Christ's face and carrying the colored dust out onto the stones further ahead in the path. At some point, the long extension cord was plugged in to the generator that brought up the rear of the twilight parade, and Jesus' boat was set aglow.
Adam and I contemplated and appreciated being fringe participants in this ritual for a while, then went to satify our hunger. Raquelita-- I had my first parrillada! That is, impressive amounts of grilled meat, Argentine style. Surely not as good as the "real thing," but delicious nonetheless, especially when accompanied by a heaping plate of sweet fresh fruit.
To end our evening of extravagant displays (in both nature and ceremony), our next stop was to the circus! A whole family performed acrobatics, juggling, slapstick humor, and other physical feats for us. My favorite part was watching the littlest member in training-- the youngest boy, about 5yo, trusted his brothers and his own daring to be thrown from one trapeze to the other, and then jump back to the empty swing on his own before swinging onto the platform where his big brothers caught him again. The audience applauded for him the loudest.
This morning I left Adam in the beautiful little town by the lake where he will start an intensive Spanish program on Monday. I had a peaceful bus ride back to Orange Walk, immersed mostly in the passing countryside and also the imaginary landscape of Nantucket and Kentucky, where the protoganist of my book spins her memoir and apparently effects also the tone of this blog. I have just met Nancy's friend Debbie who is here to visit for the week. We will go to San Pedro on Wednesday and lounge about some more before starting school again. I am thinking often of my classmates who finish their internships very soon, and hope you all are enjoying the closing of one thing and the return to the familiar before the beginning of many many more. I am thinking also of my family; my dad's father is in Hospice House and not doing well. It seems strange that I will stay here while classmates and family gather together. But I am also hopeful that my staying will mean that my time here was more worthy of the students I work with.
Now I must quit my rambling and get back to the normalcies of this region of my familiar-yet-still-new life---- cooking dinner. Tomorrow I drop back into Orange Walk routine for a bit and go to pick up Evelyn for church. Nancy says she was thrilled to have Sulmi and Kristel at her birthday party and had little interest in the rest of her classmates (from her other school). Maybe her parents will see how happy she is with Deaf peers and think again about sending her to Nancy's class. I can only hope.
I'm off now,
Much love.
We braved the drizzling rain to wait for a bus, despite numerous predictions (by taxi drivers:)) that there would be no buses today, Holy Thursday and we simply must take a cab. Our microbus did appear, however, and we bumped along with our ever-increasing numbers (the rows had seats that folded down into the aisles to maximize the space completely; just when we seemed totally full, someone else would climb aboard and find a space between two shoulders) all the way to El Remate. We had a great (even moreso b/c it was so cheap!) lunch as we looked out over the lake and enjoyed being immersed again in Spanish.
Then it was off to Tikal, the "Capital of the Mayan World"-- and it was as impressive as any world capital should be! (even if overgrown by the jungle, but I like to think that only amplified its grandeur). I confess I was expecting "just another Mayan ruin," but I couldn't have been more wrong. Tikal is a whole city lying under the jungle, nestled in a national park full of trails and sights to be seen. We hiked around for several hours, impressed by the mystery, largesse, and sheer abundance of the ruins, and startled and delighted by all the wildlife: coatimundi (cousin to the racoon), toucans, wild turkey with iridescence like peacocks, buzzards, spider monkeys crashing thru the treetops, the guttural territory calls of howler monkeys, parrots twirling over the whole landscape as we sat at the crest of the tallest temple and took in the scene. Not to mention the Ceiba! Guatemala's national tree and such a strange, gigantic, gorgeous thing, with roots that, as Adam said, seemed to have started growing before the tree reached the ground, as if someone planted it suspended over the Earth and the roots grew down to meet it. Sparse bleached branches splashed with vegetation like sea urchins, and dotted with the flash and song of parrots and toucans.
Slightly apparent I was (we were) a little enraptured?
But the park did close in the evening and we found our escort (coincidentally the same friendly chauffeur who had brought us) to take us to the small island town of Flores (really it's a peninsula). We found food and a room with a sweet hostess, at Hotel El Faisan, housed over a craft shop. We walked around town a bit in the evening, then called it a night. We were lazy the next day and slept in (I am still fighting a cold and find myself easily tired), then were excited to discover that there was a cave not far from Flores that would be easy to go explore. So we got to see our caves after all! I forget the name of it, but it was set way back from the road, through a village, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and we spent a couple hours traversing its innards. If we had had a more reliable flashlight (the one we borrowed was prone to flicker just as we discovered that what we thought was a wall actually gave way to a crevice we could slip through and find a whole of expanse of rocky room behind), we would have ventured deeper, but nonetheless we satisfied our sense of adventure for the day I think.
We walked back to Flores just in time to see the preparation for the Good Friday processions. Streets were blocked off so groups from different neighborhoods, parishes, or schools could set about preparing their offering of street art. The results were impressive! Paintings made of colored sawdust and flower petals, sometimes palm leaves, materialized on the pavement. We stopped to ask one group how long they had been working-- "Since 2am today. It will be done in time for the procession at 5."
We made our way to the central plaza and watched three floats be carried out of the church. It was the procession of the Holy Burial; the statue of Jesus atop a silken bed that suggested a boat was the first to emerge from the sanctuary, carried on the shoulders of some 20 men. Just as I remembered from my Easter in Spain, their slow small steps set him rocking slightly back and forth and I couldn't help swaying to the same rhythm as I watched. Next came Mary, carried by the women of the church, who braved the weight and the cobblestone streets wearing smiling faces and high heels! Mary Magdelane was hoisted down the steps and around the plaza by the young women in the congregation, who passed their responsibility onto their elder sisters once they crossed with the procession into the main street. Finally came John the Baptist, a small float carried by just four young men, one at each corner. Leading the way for the whole endeavor were the alter boys and girls, 5 of them I think, dressed in white robes with red sashes, swirling along in their clouds of incense to sanctify the way for all that followed. And I have forgotten the band! They came right after Jesus' pallbearers, keeping time with the drum, or providing a song. Adam and I followed with the crowd who accompanied the procession. I hurried ahead at one point, wanting to see what would become of the intricate sawdust Jesus around the corner when the street congregation came upon it. The procession paused at its border, took it in, then continued on in its rocking, shuffling steps, smudging the Christ's face and carrying the colored dust out onto the stones further ahead in the path. At some point, the long extension cord was plugged in to the generator that brought up the rear of the twilight parade, and Jesus' boat was set aglow.
Adam and I contemplated and appreciated being fringe participants in this ritual for a while, then went to satify our hunger. Raquelita-- I had my first parrillada! That is, impressive amounts of grilled meat, Argentine style. Surely not as good as the "real thing," but delicious nonetheless, especially when accompanied by a heaping plate of sweet fresh fruit.
To end our evening of extravagant displays (in both nature and ceremony), our next stop was to the circus! A whole family performed acrobatics, juggling, slapstick humor, and other physical feats for us. My favorite part was watching the littlest member in training-- the youngest boy, about 5yo, trusted his brothers and his own daring to be thrown from one trapeze to the other, and then jump back to the empty swing on his own before swinging onto the platform where his big brothers caught him again. The audience applauded for him the loudest.
This morning I left Adam in the beautiful little town by the lake where he will start an intensive Spanish program on Monday. I had a peaceful bus ride back to Orange Walk, immersed mostly in the passing countryside and also the imaginary landscape of Nantucket and Kentucky, where the protoganist of my book spins her memoir and apparently effects also the tone of this blog. I have just met Nancy's friend Debbie who is here to visit for the week. We will go to San Pedro on Wednesday and lounge about some more before starting school again. I am thinking often of my classmates who finish their internships very soon, and hope you all are enjoying the closing of one thing and the return to the familiar before the beginning of many many more. I am thinking also of my family; my dad's father is in Hospice House and not doing well. It seems strange that I will stay here while classmates and family gather together. But I am also hopeful that my staying will mean that my time here was more worthy of the students I work with.
Now I must quit my rambling and get back to the normalcies of this region of my familiar-yet-still-new life---- cooking dinner. Tomorrow I drop back into Orange Walk routine for a bit and go to pick up Evelyn for church. Nancy says she was thrilled to have Sulmi and Kristel at her birthday party and had little interest in the rest of her classmates (from her other school). Maybe her parents will see how happy she is with Deaf peers and think again about sending her to Nancy's class. I can only hope.
I'm off now,
Much love.
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