Tengo Libertad

Exams are graded.
Final grades are proofed.
The classroom is clean enough.
The kids are gone.
I am free!


I should be using this time wisely by planning for next semester, but I just don't want to think about school right now.

So how about a joke...
How do Guatemalan sheep say Merry Christmas?
Fleece Navidad!


I am so thankful for this semester. I am still amazed that right now I have the privilege of living in Guatemala, teaching at IAS, and so much more. I am very blessed! I don't deserve to be here, but this is where God has me right now. I am praying that when I am back in the States for Christmas, I am not praised for what I've been doing. I am sure people will want to hear stories and updates, which I want to tell! But I also want friends and family to know that I am not doing anything special. I am teaching kids in a different country. My life here has become routine and comfortable. And yet, every day is a crazy adventure, because I serve a radical God. Life with Him is different and unordinary, as it should be! Often I crave adventures. Yet this semester I have learned that no matter where I am or what I'm doing, as long as I am following God's lead, life with Him will be an adventure!

On another note, we are losing the current 5th grade teacher and computer teachers. So, if you want to join me here after Christmas, let me know, and I can get you the info!

Hooray for the PTA

The PTA is so kind (amable) and hosted a dinner for all of the teachers and staff tonight. We ate a traditional Guatemalan dinner at a nice restaurant, which lasted almost 3 hours! The PTA really cracks me up, because they always make a point to distinguish themselves as the PTA. At the Thanksgiving feast, every PTA mom wore the same orange shirt (that was quite revealing in the back, I must say!). At the Christmas play last week, they all wore red sweaters. And tonight, although it was just a dinner with the PTA, teachers, and staff, the PTA wore buttons that said "PTA" just in case we weren't sure who they were, haha! As I was leaving, I was telling one of the moms how I'm always cold. Her solution: get a man, haha!

Finals begin tomorrow, which means half days for the students and grading for me! I will be stationed in the library with the other middle school and high school teachers! Too bad we can't wear jeans...wah, wah, wah.

I already received two Christmas gifts from students. The first was a Mickey Mouse sweater, which is identical to one the student wears...so we could be twins! The second was a Scooby-Doo clay mug! It should be interesting to see what I get tomorrow!

It's hard for me to believe that the entire first semester is almost over. I am really looking forward to seeing family and friends in JUST 6 DAYS!

Para Sus Manos

Betty was cleaning one of the bathrooms today and stumbled across a little container that kind of looked like a mini Purell. It was all in English, so she decided to ask me ("the English expert") what it said. I was eating dinner when she brought it to me. Without really looking at it, I started explaining (in my awful Spanish) that it was soap for your hands that doesn't need any water. She was kind of understanding, but to help with the process, I decided to show her how it worked. I put some in my hands and began rubbing my hands to let it soak in. Yet, it wasn't soaking in. I decided to actually read what the container, which said "Swiss Navy Lubricant: Passion Fruit." I thought to myself, OH MY WORD...this stuff is on my hands! So, I quickly washed it off my hands and explained what it actually was! The two of us could not stop laughing! Haha, too funny!

Check. it. out.

IAS Teacher Promo Video 

Finals are FINISHED

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race...at least in regard to writing finals! (We've been studying 2 Timothy in Bible, so I thought this was appropriate!) So now I am focused on reviews and grading! Every math class took a test today. So you would think that would make it  an easy day for me...but it seemed like no one studied for the test, so I constantly had students at my desk asking if they were doing it correctly. I kept having to say, "I want to know what YOU know!" I even joked with one girl that I should just write my name on her paper. It's days like today that make me doubt if I am an effective teacher. Why are they still struggling with this concept when I feel like a broken record? Why do they still have questions? What should I have done differently? What is the balance between my responsibility as a teacher and their responsibility as learners? 


Tonight the elementary kids are starring in a Christmas play. I'm going to watch/help with crowd control. It should be fun and cute! It's crazy to think that I will be in Dallas in 11 days! Sometimes it's hard to define "home". Right now, Xela is my home. And yet, Dallas is home, because so many of my friends and family live there. I am so, so excited to see friends and family! It should be a great two weeks!

Seis Mas

So I just finished writing one of the seven tests at a cafe (thanks to a sweet friend and great 90s music for motivation)! Now I'm home. I have eaten dinner, and I'm caffeinated. Hopefully, I can write at least 4 more tonight! Here we go...

Feeling Overwhelmed

There is so much to do for school, and yet, right now I feel so overwhelmed that I would rather do anything but what needs to be done. In college, my room was always really clean and organized around finals. Why? Because I chose to do anything (including cleaning!) instead of studying for finals. Well...now I'm on the other side of things. Instead of studying for finals, I have 4 different finals to write, and all of them are due to the principal this Wednesday! (Yet, finals don't begin until December 14!) On top of that, I have 3 tests to write for this week, 4 separate projects to grade, other assignments to grade, 4 finals reviews to write, 3 more studies of 2 Timothy to write, and lesson plans to finalize. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I don't wanna! I need an attitude adjustment and some motivation. Any ideas? It doesn't help that I am so, so cold! The weather here is muy loco. This morning, there was frost/ice on the ground. This afternoon, I was sweating and got sunburned. And now, I am wearing two pairs of socks, running tights, fleece pajama pants, a long sleeve t-shirt, a thinner fleece jacket, a thicker fleece jacket, and a scarf! Even with all of these layers, I am still cold! Supposedly it is only going to get colder! I am thankful to be coming back to the States so that I can get some much warmer clothes! Ok...I going to try to be productive now...or I might just get a good night's sleep and try again tomorrow! Buenas noches!

2 Ears

Funny quote of the day...
A few students usually eat in my classroom when I don't have lunch duty. Today, they were all talking to me at the same time, and I finally had to say, "Ahh, I can't hear anyone when everyone is talking to me at the same time!" Then, a little, quiet girl responded, "But Miss Barnett, you do have 2 ears!"

El Salvador

I left for El Salvador with 9 other teachers last Wednesday after enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving feast at school. We took a bus from Xela to Guatemala City, spent the night in Guate, and then took another bus (at 5:30 AM!) to El Salvador. We stayed at a hostel near La Libertad, which was right on the beach. The sand was black, and the waves were strong. We were actually in an area that is a popular spot to surf. I didn't attempt to surf, but I did boogie board, which was a blast! We ate most of our meals at the hostel...buffet complete with fresh fruit and crepes for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and things like seafood spaghetti and curry chicken for dinner. I did not want to leave!! It was so nice to just relax...read on the beach, sit in the hammocks, lay out on the beach, enjoy the heat, eat good food, ride the waves, etc. One morning we helped release baby sea turtles. People in El Salvador used to sell and eat sea turtle eggs until 2009, when it became illegal to do so. With the help of USAID, poachers now educate people about sea turtles and let people release sea turtles into the wild. It was fun to see and hold the little tortugitas. Random fact about El Salvador...they use U.S. dollars. So, it was kind of weird and fun to return to the dollar. Sunday was a day full of traveling back to Xela. We left the hostel at 4:15 AM and made it back to Xela around 7:30 PM! I had such a fun, restful time in El Salvador and now have the motivation to finish strong. We just have about 2 1/2 more weeks of school, and then I will be on my way back to the States.

Thankful for the Upcoming Break!

I am so thankful that we don't have school next Thursday and Friday. I need a break, and I think the students do too! Middle school can be such an usual age! Yesterday I caught a boy looking up my skirt (glad I was wearing tights!), and today that same boy cried a lot, because he got in trouble for not doing his work and talking back to me. Middle schoolers are like big, little kids. I think everyday this week has seemed like Friday. The kids have been hyper, talkative, etc all week! So, I am happy that tomorrow is actually Friday!

Queen of Procrastination

Whether it's grading or planning, there's always something to do! However, right now, I just don't want to do any school work, so here I am, blogging instead. Here are a few recent updates...

• Yesterday was Betty's birthday. Birthdays are a big deal here, which is great, because I love celebrating birthdays. Another teacher (who lived with Betty last year) and I bought her a devotional by Max Lucado and a journal. I think she really liked it!
• For my after-school snack today, I ate a whole basket of mini breads called panitos (I think!) and drank some of the most bitter coffee of my life. I must have added about half a cup of sugar to that coffee!
• I am for sure going to El Salvador for Thanksgiving, which I am really looking forward to! I'll be thankful for the sun, sand, and break from school.
• I had the privilege of going to a birthday party last Sunday with my Spanish teacher (and amiga!). We rode a chicken bus out to the country, which was a very eye-opening experience! The family is very poor. There are probably about 10 people who live in this "house" (which is more like one room), but they only have only double bed. So, most people sleep on the cement floor, which must be so cold. The family was so kind and generous to us! I usually feel so guilty in these types of situations, because I feel like I should be the one serving them, instead of being served. Yet, my friend said it was their way of saying thank you. My friend went all out and brought a pinata, cake, balloons, party hats, and a banner. I thought the birthday party was for a ten-year-old girl, so I brought a cute purple scarf and headband. Turns out, it was for a boy, haha! We had such a great time! While I really love the students I teach, I also have a tender heart for kids without as much money. I want to love and serve others to praise God and bring Him glory, not to feel good. Yet, I went home very joyful that afternoon. My heart longs to be more connected with that part of Guatemala. 
• This Thursday, I am taking the eighth graders to the Mormon temple Casa Abierta (Open House). Normally, you have to be Mormon to enter a Mormon temple. However, during this Open House, everyone is welcome. I am really looking forward to this learning experience. It is interesting, because one of the moms is not letting her daughter go on the field trip, because she doesn't think a Christian school should visit a Mormon temple. I see it as a wonderful learning opportunity. I believe we should be educated in other cults/religions so that we know how to respond and defend our faith. 
• I say "Oh my!" or "Oh my word!" a lot, without even realizing it! The family keeps giving me a hard time about it, but now they're saying it too!
• I have been a bit lonely these past couple of weeks. I know that I am never alone, because the Lord is always with me (Joshua 1). However, my feelings deceive me at times. It is weird, because my friends here don't know me as well, and yet my friends and family back home who know me better, don't know what life here is like. Yet, I must continue to cling to His truths and promises. Also, I have not been the most patient with others, which is ironic, because last week I led chapel based on James 5 with the theme of patience in suffering. I see this as God's humor. If I am speaking about something, He wants to make sure I can live out what I'm teaching. He is so good, siempre!
• There was a 1/2 marathon here on Sunday. I cheered for the runners for about 30 minutes on my way to church. I saw two blind runners, two runners in wheelchairs, and many, many old men runners. Seeing them made me think that I could run a 1/2! Maybe I will one of these days...
• My sister bought a dog, haha!
• On Saturday I went to a fashion show in Walmart, because the daughter was one of the models. I stayed in Walmart for 3 hours or more, which I must say is a new record for me! After the fashion show, the family and I ate "dinner" in the Walmart food area, which consisted of fried plantains, nachos, and coffee. While we were eating, one of the guy models just came over and sat down with us. He tried to speak in English to me, but I had trouble understanding what he was saying, because his English wasn't the best! This is probably how people feel when I speak in Spanish! When saying good-bye, it is normal to touch cheeks and make a kissing sound. Yet, when he said bye to me, he definitely gave me a wet kiss on the cheek...gross! He also gave me his "business card", since he's a professional singer, haha!

Ok...enough procrastination for now! Buenas noches!

Childlike Faith

I had the 8th graders write a letter to God. I gave them the option to keep it personal or allow me to read it. One boy wrote the following:

"Dear God,
I just want you to know how grateful I am with everything you have given me. You are just awesome. You always give me what I need and even extra things. (you are just AWESOME). You are the best thing I could have, without you I would be like a rose with out color, a Coke without flavor, a Youtube without videos. You are the only thing that makes me happy, knowing you and knowing your power makes me feel safe..."

Wow! I might be the teacher, but they continue to teach me so much! I am continually grateful! I don't deserve to be here, but God graciously lets me!

Mis Ojos

I'm beginning to wish I had brown eyes. Yesterday a man told me my eyes were green and beautiful. Then he asked me how much I would sell my eyes for! Oh my!

Green Eyes

This afternoon a little boy asked me why I have green eyes. I didn't know what to say at first, so I asked him why he had brown eyes. He corrected me and told me his eyes were black! I just laughed!

I'm a Bad Blogger

October is almost over, and I have only written 4 blogs this month! Oops!

• Last weekend, I went to Tapachula to renew my visa. So, I am allowed to be here for another 90 days!
• School is flying by! Monday begins the third week of the second quarter. 
• Last Tuesday I went with three other teachers to a unique school for kids that have to work during the day. The school is actually right in the middle of a huge market called Minerva. The students introduced themselves and told us where they work. Many of them help their moms sell things. The Guatemalan school year runs from January to October. So we joined the students for a delicious end-of-the-year dinner. The seventh graders at IAS held a bake sale on Monday to pay for this dinner. Oddly enough, I ran into a girl who went to LHHS. She is taking a year off from seminary and working at this school. She didn't recognize me, but I somehow remembered her face. She graduated two years ahead of me, but what a small world!
• While the dinner was so, so good, I think it made me sick. I felt awful all night Tuesday night. I shouldn't have gone to school on Wednesday, but I did, simply because it's almost easier to go and bear it than to prepare things for a sub. Needless to say, I felt awful all day. I took a nap outside during my morning planning period, and the English teacher woke me up just in time for the next class period. (She thought I had fainted, haha!) I came home from school, bought some Pedialyte, and went to bed. I slept for at least 13 hours and woke up feeling much better the next day. I'm still not 100%, but I am tons better than Wednesday. I will probably get tested for amoebas in a couple of days if things are fully better by then!
• I think we are officially out of the rainy season, and I welcome all of the sunshine! The mornings and nights are super cold (I can see my breath! At night, I sleep in a long sleeve t-shirt, 2 fleece jackets, a scarf, running tights, fleece pajama bottoms, and socks!), but the days are so warm! It feels like Texas spring weather! It is amazing how sunshine really improves my mood as well!
• Texas Rangers fans will be proud to know that I went to a restaurant to watch the game last night. Although, I really didn't watch much of the game (which probably isn't a surprise)!
• Halloween is really looked down upon here, especially by Christians. One of the eighth graders invited me to come to her church Monday night "to pray for everyone who celebrates Halloween". This made me laugh, but I might go, just to see what it's like!
• I am incredibly blessed to be here. Although I am living in a foreign country and could even be classified as a missionary, life seems so normal and ordinary. I tend to desire those mountaintop and valley experiences. They are adventurous and difficult at times, but they almost always produce intimacy with God. Yet, God is teaching me the significance and value of being with Him and walking with Him in the ordinary, everyday things. Until now, I think I held this fantasy about missionaries. Maybe I'm wrong, but I now believe that being a missionary means being with God, listening to Him, obeying Him, and serving Him wherever we are and with whoever is before us. Therefore, we are all missionaries. 
• We don't have school on Tuesday (but we do on Monday!) because it is All Saint's Day. Everyone eats a certain meal and flies kites. One of the eighth grade girls invited me to her house to eat the special lunch! I think it's basically a mix of veggies and meats, so it should be interesting. People either really like it or really hate it! I'll let you know which way I go!

Sunday Grading

Right now I'm grading the 8th graders scripture memory tests that they took two weeks ago. I asked the students to draw me a picture once they finished their tests, just because it makes grading much more fun for me! 

Here are some things students wrote in addition to their pictures:

• "You'll die knowing you made your class fail (especially me!)"
• "Have a nice and awesome weekend (only if you grade the quizzes on the weekend!)"
• "HI miss! bye miss" with a huge picture of a guy picking his nose
• "I gonna fail!"

Silly Skit Night

Tonight the Student Council hosted "Silly Skit Night". Since I love dressing up in costumes, this was right up my alley. I played the Big Bad Wolf in a version of Little Red Riding Hood with the middle school English teacher. We reenacted the story of Little Red Riding Hood with really bad Spanish, Texan/Southern accents, really fast, without talking, and using Smurf-isms. In another skit, I played an overly enthusiastic  Justin Bieber fan. The 8th graders practiced a lot during lunch this past week for their skit, and they did a great job! They won the trophy! What a fun night...but now I have to plan and grade :( The students don't have school next Monday, but the teachers do. I'm looking forward to the much-needed "catch-up" time! Then, next Thursday we have parent/teacher conferences, which should be interesting since the parents don't speak much English, and my Spanish is still very elementary.

Play Date

I just got home from my play date, and I had a blast! I hung out with this sweet girl for about 5 hours tonight! I kind of forgot that I am her teacher, as it just felt like I was spending time with a friend. Her mom picked us up from school. Once we got to her house, her grandmother fixed us a "snack", which consisted of black beans, grilled green onions, carne asada with salsa, beets, and orange juice. It was delicious and probably the biggest snack I've ever eaten! As we finished eating, we looked through about four different family photo albums, as her mom kept bringing out more to show me! Then, we played Wii tennis and baseball. I lost every game we played! After Wii, we played a board game called Lince, which means lynx. It was really fun, and I must brag...I won both times! After Lince, we ate dinner with consisted of "enchiladas", which are really big tortilla chips (or tostadas) with salsa, queso, carne, y verduras. If we hadn't eaten enough already, then her grandmother served a pound cake that she made especially for me! Their hospitality was incredible! After dinner, we just sat around the table, talking and laughing. It was so much fun! Most of the time we spoke in Spanish, but if I didn't understand something, they were very understanding, and K. explained it to me in English. After dinner, we played another round of Lince, and then the entire family drove me home! I think today was only the fourth time I've ridden in a car since I've been here. Also, her grandmother sent me home with a bag full of apples, a cherry Coke, a ham sandwich, and two more pieces of pound cake. What a fun afternoon!

I am truly blessed! The Lord is so good, and only He deserves the praise!

It's Been Awhile...

Here are some highlights from the past couple of weeks. Lately, I've failed at blogging consistently!

• Here, oranges are not orange. They're more of yellow/green color. I ate one for breakfast this morning, and it was a bit disappointing. The watermelon, however, is delicious!
• I had an infestation of fleas. At one point, I counted 61 flea bites on my body. You will be happy to know, though, that once Betty washed my sheets, the problem was gone!
• Middle school students don't have a filter. They just say exactly what's on their minds. Sometimes this is good, and sometimes this is not so good. For example, in one day, 3 different boys asked me what happened to my face in reference to a pimple I had. However, last Friday, the first thing one of the girls said to me was, "Miss, you look beautiful today!" Now that is a great way to start the day, especially since my hair was pulled back (and a bit dirty)!
• An eighth grade girl invited me to come over to her house to meet her family and hang out. In the States, this would just be weird. Here, however, it's not so awkward! I accepted the invitation, and I'm going tomorrow!
• Unfortunately, the Spanish is slow coming! My Spanish teacher just keeps saying "poco a poco", which is supposed to be encouraging, but sometimes, it's more discouraging. I want to be able to speak conversational Spanish, but it's hard when I speak in Spanish all day at school and when I hang out with the other teachers. We have parent/teacher conferences in two weeks, which make me nervous, because about half of the parents don't speak English. Haha, it should be interesting!
• In the States, we have Mother's Day and Father's Day. Here in Guatemala, they also celebrate Kid's Day, which I thought was a joke at first! Kid's Day was on Saturday, but we celebrated at school on Monday. The parents brought pizza, tea, and cake for the kids. Also, each room mom made bags of candy for each kid. Needless to say, but the kids were so hyper on Monday! I let the kids eat their candy in my room as long as they gave me some!
• I kept telling myself that when I could run, I no longer had bronchitis. Well, two nights ago, I ran for thirty minutes without coughing! Yea!
• I eat pancakes almost every morning for breakfast, which is wonderful, because they are homemade with bananas! However, I have never eaten this many pancakes in my life!

Ok, that's all for now! More to come, but I'm at school right now, so I should be "using my time wisely!"

Christmas in TX

I have decided to come home for Christmas break, so recently I have been looking at flights from GUA to DFW. Today, however, the principal at IAS told me that it is cheaper to fly from GUA to Washington D.C. Curious if this was true, I compared the flights. Get this...it is OVER $200 CHEAPER to fly from GUA to DFW to IAD than it is to fly from GUA to DFW! However, they are the exact same flights! The only difference is that those continuing to D.C. have to make the connecting flight. Where is the logic in this? You would think that it would be cheaper to fly from GUA to DFW! Instead, it's cheaper to take another flight...this so weird to me!

Tomorrow is "Friday"

This is a short week! Tomorrow the students leave early at 11:30, but the teachers have to stay for a three-hour workshop on bullying...wah, wah, wah. I can't imagine what we will talk about for three whole hours! The eighth graders today told me I wouldn't have to stay for the workshop if I wasn't such a bully...haha! But, yay for short weeks! Friday I am going to Pana with some other teachers on a chicken bus. There's two types of buses here...microbuses and chicken buses. The chicken buses are definitely a grade or two below the microbuses. I have only ridden on one chicken bus since I've been here. They tend to be very crowded and jerky. So it should be an interesting one to two hour ride! I think I am going to take some Dramamine before I leave! But, it should be fun to leave Xela and go on a "mini vacation". The hotel that we are staying in Friday night only costs Q10, which is such a deal! Actually, the owner of the hotel used to teach at the school, which is cool. The librarian was telling me about a good Italian restaurant to try while we are there. I've also heard that Pana has really good shopping!

Also, in case you were wondering...I kept the Q500!

Suerte

Tonight I found Q500 in the street, which is about $70!! I didn't see anyone nearby, so I picked up the money and kept it. On the way home, I almost put the money back in the street, since it belongs to someone, and Q500 is a lot of money here. Some tiendas don't even take Q100 bills. A lot of teachers live near the spot where I found the money, so maybe one of them dropped it. Tomorrow at school I am going to ask if anyone lost some money recently. If no one claims it, I'm not sure what to do with it! Betty said I should just keep it and consider myself very lucky!

Commonplace

Some spots in Xela that have become commonplace...

Bus stop

Prepaid cell phone company I use

Rotunda in Parque Central

Mi banco

McDonald's (no dollar menu here...it's expensive!)

Popular panaderia

In Parque Central (a few blocks from where I live)

Street I live on

It's Raining, It's Pouring

It's raining right now, which is pretty typical in the afternoon during the rainy season. I just finished eating a delicious Sunday lunch complete with tortillas, guacamole, rice, black beans, and steak. It was quite a feast! I have some school work that I could work on right now, but I think I will save it for later tonight. Once it stops raining, I think I will walk around for a little bit and hopefully take some pictures. Until then, I should probably do my tarea de espanol. I have to write a personal description of Obama and someone else of my choice.

Ch. 1 Test

It worked out so that every math class took the Ch. 1 Test on Wednesday. I graded the tests Thursday night, and about 5 students in each class failed. The same student who told me I looked strange also failed the Ch. 1 Test. I passed back the tests on Friday, and he told me he failed, because I was coughing too much! I can kind of see where he's coming from, because I think he has ADD, but I told him that next time something is distracting him, he needs to let me know so that we can move his desk into the hall. This kid...haha! He's also the student that had to fill out a Student Plan of Action (which is Level 2 in the behavior plan) the second day of school!

"Miss, you look strange today!"

This is what a sixth grade boy told me this morning. 
I said, "Do you mean I look different?" 
Then he said, "You look weird."
Then I said, "Do you mean I look different, because I am wearing my glasses?"
With a little mischievous smile on his face he said, "Ahhh, yes Miss."

I then told him that telling someone they look strange or weird is not very nice. At first I thought it might be a Spanish/English translation issue, but by the end of the conversation, I was pretty sure he knew what he was saying the whole time! Oh, middle school boys! 

Estoy enferma y la elección

Yo fui a la doctora (ella es la hermana de la secretaria de la escuela) ayer y ella dijo que yo tengo bronquitis. I paid almost Q400 for three different medicines, so I should be getting better very soon! I am thankful that I went to the doctor, because it probably would have gotten worse! I'm planning on taking it easy this weekend. 

On another note, Guatemala has their elections in 10 days. All of the political parties (unlike the U.S., Guatemala has about 6, maybe more, different parties) have been campaigning a lot lately...blasting music in the park, driving their party trucks down the streets, having parades, etc. Betty's brother works for one of the parties, and the mom of one of my students is running for a spot in the same party. It should be interesting to see who wins. I'll have to keep you updated!

One Month Anniversary

I have been living in Xela for exactly one month now, and it is hard to believe that I have been here for so long! It seems like time is flying by!

I currently have a tos (cough), which I have had for about five days now! I really don't have any other symptoms, but I have been coughing so much lately that my ribs are sore! However, the good news is that I have insurance, and the school secretary's sister is a doctor. I talked with the secretary before I left school, and she is going to try to get me an appointment tomorrow! Also, I learned today that fig leaves supposedly help cure a cough. My Spanish teacher told me that she would bring some to our lesson tomorrow, so I will have to let you know if they really do work!

ON

My love for Old Navy doesn't have to end while I'm here in Guatemala! As I was looking online at Old Navy's new arrivals for fall, I learned that they now ship internationally...AND GUATEMALA IS INCLUDED! As you might guess, I am very, very excited!!

Party Girl

On the way home from school today, I stopped at a cafe that is owned by a couple from Missouri. I pass this cafe at least twice a day on my way to the bus stop, and they claim to have "the best cinnamon rolls in Xela"! I had to see for myself...I'm not sure if they're the best in Xela, (because it was the first cinnamon roll I've eaten since I've been here!) but it was warm, gooey, and delicious! The icing on it was really good too! As I ate the tasty cinnamon roll, I talked with the owner. He and his wife have lived in Xela for 10 years now. (He taught high school science at IAS his first year here!) They have a mission that consists of micro-business projects. One project that they are working on right now is called Party Girl. By Thanksgiving or Christmas, they are hoping to open a dress shop that sells only party dresses. Money from this dress shop will be used to meet the daily needs of Guatemalans here in Xela. Dresses are being collected in the U.S. and will be shipped to Guatemala. So...if you are interested in donating any party dresses like prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, evening gowns, or other formal dresses, let me know, and I will give you the address in Missouri so that you can send them! I'm thinking that this could be a cool opportunity for you and your sorority, Bible study, church group, etc.

Updated Pics of the Classroom

I think the room will always bee a work in progress :)

Multiple views of my desk area

Right side, near the front of the room

Left side of the room

To the right of my desk area, in the back of the room

At home...the dog, Beba, is the same size as a plastic pony!

 

This Week

School is well underway! Tomorrow night we have Open House and then a PTA meeting immediately following. Allie said I should bake cookies like the teacher from Freedom Writers, but also like in Freedom Writers, I don't think many parents are going to come. Today only two students in one class raised their hands when I asked if their parents are coming. I think I'm still going to wear a cute dress to school so that I can impress the few parents that do come! You know, I only have one shot at making a good first impression! 

It's interesting to slowly learn the students' backgrounds. For Bible homework tonight, I asked the students to recite their weekly memory verse to someone at their house who is older than them. One student asked if the maid counted. Last week, another student sent his bodyguard to run errands for him. The students definitely come from affluent families!

On a more personal note, I have been having some stomach issues since eating Chinese food for dinner Friday night. (I know what you're thinking...Chinese food in Guatemala sounds weird, but the owner of the restaurant sends his two kids to the school.) If things don't get better soon, I am going to get tested for an amoeba. As I am learning, amoebas are actually pretty common here in Guatemala. So, there is specific medicine for each type of amoeba, and it only costs Q40, which is about $5, to get tested. 

Also, I have my first official one-on-one Spanish lesson this Wednesday! I met the teacher this afternoon, and she seems very nice. We are going to meet once a week for two hours at a time. I am really hoping that I can quickly pick up conversational Spanish! It's hard to interact with Guatemalans when I can't say much beyond "How are you?" and "It's cold/hot today."

Too Much Black

Today I wore black flats, skinny black pants, and a black blouse. One of the sixth grade boys asked me if someone in my family died...haha, too funny! I'm thinking I need to wear some color tomorrow!

Guatemalan Aerobics

I like aerobics classes for three main reasons...
1. I like the cardio aspect.
2. I think it's more fun that just running on a treadmill or working out on some other machine.
3. I am not very coordinated, and I think it's really funny when I'm off beat.

Today I got to experience aerobics Guatemalan style. I went to a gym near my house with another teacher from school. It only costs Q15 per visit or Q100 for the entire month, which is really cheap. We worked out on our own for about 45 minutes before the class began. I would describe the class as a very fast-paced, Salsa dancing, Zumba class. The teacher was a Guatemalan guy with corn rows. At times I just kept thinking that I don't think my hips move that way! The other teacher and I only lasted for about 30 minutes, but it was really fun! I won't be surprised if I am sore in the morning!

Comida

Some things I don't like, but Betty serves A LOT...

• Ham
• Processed cheese (like Kraft singles)
• Mayo
• White bread
• Plantains (usually served with spaghetti)

For dinner, I had mac and cheese (which was yummy!) with a ham and processed cheese omelet and a white roll. I'm sure you're thinking...that is a very yellow plate! Trust me, I know! I think I'm having vegetable withdrawals! If I ever do eat some veggies here, I will have to let them soak in bleach. The grocery store sells a specific vegetable bleach. When I first heard this, I thought it sounded unsafe, but everyone does it!


On the positive side, Betty makes some amazing pancakes! Sometimes they have bananas in them! Ever since I told her I like them, she has made them for me almost every morning, which is so, so sweet! The one difference is that she serves them either with honey or strawberry jelly. They are a great way to start my day!

Earthquake Prone

I didn't know this until today, but earthquakes are common in Guatemala. This morning we had a small earthquake, magnitude 4.9. According to the USGS, the earthquake's epicenter was about 25 miles SW of Xela. Honestly, I wouldn't even have known that it was an earthquake unless someone had told me. It just seemed like a heavy wind. It was kind of funny though, because it happened during church while we were praying!

Check out the USGS Report

Walmart is taking over the world, one country at a time!

Guatemala now has Walmart! This morning I went to the mall that houses Walmart. Guatemalans don't call it Walmart, though. They still refer to it as Hiper Paiz. I was shocked to find:

• mini cheddar Goldfish
• Muenster cheese
• Chips Ahoy
• Dunkaroos
• Snyder's pretzel sticks
• Crayola markers and crayons

So I probably would have packed a little differently now that I know what I can buy here!

First Days of School

The past two days have been surprisingly smooth, and I am not nearly as nervous now as I was yesterday morning! The students are very respectful and kind compared to some of the students I have taught in the past. For instance, when I gave the students their textbooks, most of them said "Thank you". Yesterday, we talked about classroom procedures, expectations, and discipline policies (which I had to implement today, because one student kept leaning back in his chair after multiple verbal warnings). I also had every student answer 20 questions about themselves. Here are some funny responses...

Q: Do you have any pets? If so, what?
A: I have a dog. It's little. It is white with black spots. It's name is Hitler.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: I would like to be a designer of clothes. I would also like to be Justin Bieber's wife. That would be awesome.

Q: What did you do this summer?
A: I got the Justin Bieber book and watched videos of Justin Bieber online. (I am in love.)


Q: If math was a color, what color would it be?
A: I guess red, because red is like a really important color.


Q: What did your last Facebook status say?
A: If things don't go right, go left.


Q: Who do you live with at home?
A: At home I live alone, just kidding. I live with my mom, brother, sister, and father.


Q: What do you want to do when you grow up?
A: I want to be a farmer and an administrator of real estate.


Ok, I won't bore you with anymore, but I just think kids are so funny! I am very, very excited to be teaching! The only part that I don't really like is lesson planning. However, a good lesson makes class time much more enjoyable for everyone. So, I will probably spend a good portion of this weekend preparing lessons so that I don't have to do as much on the week nights. 


Right now I'm off to dinner. The school chaplain is having all of the teachers over to his house tonight, and it should be fun!

A First Time for Everything

There's a first time for everything! This afternoon I walked around by myself and...

• Found the Dispensa, which is like the neighborhood grocery store.
• Withdrew money at the ATM to pay the rest of my rent.
• Visited Xelapan, a bakery that I have walked by several times without going in. Everything smelled and looked so, so good! I didn't buy anything, but no worries, I will! Maybe I'll have to try la tortuga, which is a huge piece of bread in the shape of a turtle.

AND BEST OF ALL...

• Saw a little boy peeing on a column on the sidewalk...haha!

The Molar

This morning I "slept in" until about 8:30. Now normally I wouldn't consider that sleeping in, but since I've woken up between 5:50 and 6 AM every day this past week, 8:30 is definitely sleeping in! At 9:30 I met up with 6 other teachers at Parque Central to hike a mountain called La Muela. Instead of walking to the base of the mountain, we took a taxi. Here you have to bargain and agree upon a price for the taxi ride before the trip begins or the driver will try to charge you a lot of quetzales. So, one of the more seasoned teachers (this will be her fourth year teaching at IAS) took care of that for us. We took a quick ride in this station wagon looking taxi. Two of the teachers that are married had to cram in the trunk of the taxi so we could all fit. We paid the driver half after he got us to the bottom of the mountain and paid the other half after he brought us back to the park. I like hiking, however this hike was probably one of the more intense hikes I've done. It wasn't too long, but it was steep! All I have to compare it to is hiking in Bastrop/Austin and in Colorado. At times, I felt like I needed a harness and a rope! La Muela means the molar, which pretty much describes the shape of the mountain. On the way up, we passed a natural sauna. I know this sounds weird, but basically we could feel hot water vapor coming out of rocks. Once we made to the top, we got to enjoy an incredible view! Too bad I forgot to bring my camera...oops! Xela is in a valley, so we got to look out over the entire city. We could also see where some of the indigenous people worship their gods. We couldn't have asked for better weather...lots of sun and no rain! Actually, I think I sweated more today than any other day this week. Once we got back to the park, we all went to Pollo Campero (the Guatemalan version of KFC) and got a cono de helado. My ice cream was dipped in chocolate, and it was delicious! I just finished eating lunch that consisted of spaghetti, avocado, and a small, but thick corn tortilla. The lady that I'm staying with is always telling me how I need to eat more. She says that if I don't eat more, I'm going to have to get shots...in my butt! Sometimes I don't eat a lot, because I don't really like the food, but other times, I am really not hungry! She wants me to make a list of foods that I like. Well, I think it's siesta time!

200+ Views

To celebrate over 200 blog views, here are some pics of the classroom...it's still a work in progress!

 View from the window by my desk

Another beautiful view 

And here are a few more pics...

My bed 

Table, plastic chair, and closet on the right 

Closet on left, "desk"/shelves on right 

High school kid from D.C. who lives at the house for about 2 more weeks

When he's not coaching basketball, he's always "chillin"

A Tribute to Matt Wertz

Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight

This is my theme song for the day. Being in Guatemala and at IAS seems so right. Today with all of the returning teachers, we went around in a (big) circle and introduced ourselves. We said the usual stuff plus what brought us to IAS. Talking about the journey that the Lord has taken me on since last November was a good reminder of His faithfulness and sovereignty. He knows what He's doing, and I definitely believe that I am where I should be for now! Today has been such a day of confirmation, and I am very thankful for that!

Also, it's been so cool to see how much I have in common with a lot of the teachers, in many different ways! A bunch of the teachers have a passion for missions and traveling (which makes sense, I guess). Also, the middle school math teacher from last year (who I just met this morning) and I looked like twins today! We both wore a gray shirt, skinny jeans, and navy Keds, and our hair was down and straight. The only difference was that I cuffed my jeans, and she didn't!

Interesting Facts about Guat

Just a few things I'm learning as I go...

• You cannot put toilet paper (or anything else for that matter) in the toilet, because the system can't handle it. So, every bathroom has a mini trash can beside it where you put the used toilet paper...It's kind of gross to me if I think about it too much.
• After eating a meal, you say "Gracias y buen provecha". Then, you may be excused from the table. Literally it means something like thanks and bon appetite, but that's just what everyone says.
• At school today we learned a lot of cuss words in Spanish (so that we could recognize the words if students said them, which costs them a trip to the principal's office). If you know me well, you know that I tend to laugh at inappropriate times, and of course, I laughed as we went over the English translation of these words. I think I'll keep them to myself for now. Maybe I'll tell you one if you send me a letter...haha, just kidding!

I finished writing this last night just as the electricity went out!

After receiving a tour of the school today, I am SO impressed! The library has a lot of interesting books in ENGLISH. This is a good thing, because English books are hard to find here, and I only brought 3, one of which is a Guatemala travel guide...not something I really want to read before I go to bed! The middle school has its own building at the bottom of a big hill. I'm going to try to take pictures tomorrow so that I can post them for you to see. Interesting history about the school...the school used to be a boarding school. All of the teachers lived in what is now the middle school building. So, it has a full kitchen, bathroom with a shower, and a laundry room. 

Things I am thankful for today:

1. I'm feeling good! So far my body is adjusting well to the altitude and food. I really don't want to get sick. Today we talked about different hospitals (which ones to go to and which to avoid) and how to deal with insurance (it's very specific and if you don't follow the rules exactly, the insurance company will only reimburse 65% of the bill), and I just don't want to have to experience that. I think teaching is going to be tiring at times, so I don't want to be sick on top of that.

2. This country is beautiful! The school sits on a hill, so we get a wonderful view of the city. It is lush and green, which is a big difference from dry and dusty Texas. I really can't wait to go hiking up the volcanos.

3. I am becoming good friends with the other new teachers. Before leaving the U.S., I had prepared myself to be without community and kind of lonely at times, but God is definitely providing me with a group of people who love Him and are fun to be around!

Well the electricity just went out. I am going to save this post to a Word document, so you'll be reading it when the electricity comes back haha!

Orientation Day 1

I am taking a quick (but much needed) break from lesson planning/curriculum deciphering/trying to figure out what I'm doing without a TNT. It has been cloudy all day today, and it just started raining pretty hard. I'm in the IAS library right now with some of the other teachers! Today has been a busy day so far. I woke up at 6:00 AM, which I think is the earliest I've woken up since April. It wasn't too bad, though, because I was asleep around 11 last night. Guatemala doesn't do daylight savings time, so it gets dark early. Quick funny story before I need to get back to work...

Last night I ate dinner at the house, by myself, as every meal has been so far. I'm not quite sure when everyone else eats! Anyway, Betty served me some egg, spinach, and pepper "omelette" with a mound of black stuff on the side. For some reason, I thought Betty had mentioned chocolate cake, so I thought the black stuff was just that, chocolate cake. I ate the egg thing, saving the cake for dessert. Then Betty asked why I wasn't eating the black beans! Funny, funny! So then I had to eat the beans all by themselves.

Ok...back to 6th grade math planning. It is going very, very slow! I still have Pre-Algebra and Algebra to plan, which I haven't even looked at yet! Oh, and I also found out today that I will be teaching 8th grade Bible as well. So, I need to plan for that class too! The bus comes to get us to go home in 30 minutes! Adios

Hola

I am finally here in Xela, Guatemala! My computer is about to run out of battery, but I just wanted to say hi from Guatemala! Things are going great, but I wish I was more fluent in Spanish. The family that I'm staying with doesn't speak English, and my Spanish is so bad. More to come...

P.S.

I was just re-reading the post from June 20, and I forgot to mention that today I tried to make the whiteboard "placemats" by laminating green cardstock. However, it was a total bust! Then, tonight I stumbled across some mini whiteboards at Walmart for only $0.97 each...what a deal! So, I bought a class set of these, and I can't wait to actually use them in the classroom!

Taking a break from packing to blog

Today has been a very productive day full of unpacking, organizing, and repacking. My mom and I have worked together to organize the things that I'm leaving here and consolidate the things that I'm taking to Guat. I usually over-pack for trips, but I'm not sure if there's such a thing when I'm packing for a whole year! It is crazy (and a little scary) to think that I will be in Guatemala this time next week! As one of my best friends said, it's bittersweet. I am really going to miss my friends and family here. I am so, so thankful for the people that God has put in my life! 

So, you should get a Skype account if you don't already have one (it's free), because I want to stay in touch, and Skype will probably be the best (and cheapest) way to do so!

40 Days Away

July 30th is just 40 days away, so I thought I would blog! I am taking an intermediate Spanish class at Richland, although I should be in a beginner class, because half of the time I don't know what's going on. Today while we were talking about the present subjunctive (telling people what to do in a nice way), I started making a list of things to laminate and things to buy for the classroom. Then, my brother and I went to SuperTarget this afternoon, and I found mini dry erase markers and erasers in the dollar section. I had put both of these things on the list, so I got a class set of each. I am thinking about making mini dry erase "placemats" out of colored cardstock so that I don't have to actually buy the boards.

A few weeks ago, the principal sent me two pictures of the classroom, and it is very bare right now. I have already started thinking of ways to decorate and organize. I am thinking about using a bee theme...Welcome to Our Hive welcome sign, Busy Bees bulletin board for hard workers/good work, different bee jobs (I will be the queen bee), bee statistics, etc.

This is my classroom for the next year!

 This is my desk area, hopefully with a great view!

This is Real Life

Yesterday I got a one-way flight to Guatemala! So, this is really happening, and I couldn't be more excited!

The Countdown Begins

I will be arriving in Guatemala on July 30, 2011! That means I have only 76 days to pack and practice my Spanish. And so the countdown begins...