Cantú has rhythm

The Last Day WithThe Kids 6-15-09

Today was the most difficult day for me. It was the day I would have to say bye to the children at San Pedro that I have been teaching for almost 3 weeks. At first I was excited to play the games with the children but it was so sad when everything was over. I finally had to say bye. Wow. I walked the least fortunate children, in my class, to their homes with a bag of donated clothes and supplies. I mentally prepared myself for what I was about to get myself into. While walking to all the homes, I felt great knowing how thankful the families would be for all that my classmates and I did.

When I walked the last boy home...wow. I do not know to explain the feeling that I felt. First I felt as if I was breaking a sweat walking him to his home. It was about 10 minutes away from the school but it felt as if it was taking forever to get to his home due to the dirt roads that we had to walk down. He lived in the slums but walked home with a smile on his face. It was as if he did not know how bad he was living. The area smelled like dog poop. I felt dirty just walking there. His mother was excited to see us and even more excited to find out that her son won a bag of things. It was so hard for me to see the homes of all the children. I could not even image myself walking to school as a young child. These children are not living “the life” but you would never be able to tell by the smiles on their faces. May God bless them.

Last Day in San Pedro

Today was the last day that we spent time with the kids in San Pedro. We had some type of fair for them which each grade level would alternate through different stations to partake in competitions. The station that Edmine and I had was a sack race/balancing a lime on a spoon. At first it was pretty difficult because we weren't really sure how exactly we would organize the race. We didn't have that many prizes to give away and we thought all of the kids would start wining because they didn’t get a prize. But in the end we realized how we would organize it. After the games, the kids got a chance to break the piñatas. I have to say, I have never seen that many children scavenger for candy and fight over it like that.

After the piñatas, we took the kids home with their donation bags that we had given them. Edmine and I walked four kids from our first grade class home. I was really touched when we walked our last student home, Fabiola. Her home is in another pueblo, San Miguel, right next to San Pedro, but it took 25-30 minutes to take her to her house. She's only nine years old and she has to walk to school and back home by herself every day. Her parents are always working and when we arrived to her house, we found her little brother who was three years old by himself. I looked around her house and I felt really badly because we had given them this little plastic bag and it felt like it just wasn't enough because they are lacking so much! I really want to send my shout outs to all of my students because I feel like I left someone/something behind and not being able to teach them anymore sucks! I will miss them very greatly!!!!!!!

My Short Bike Ride

On Saturday we went on a bike ride. Going into it I was split between confident and not so confident. I hadn't ridden a bike in a long time so I wasn't really sure about how I was going to do. I wasn't sure if I would even make it down the block. But I thought let me just take a crack at it and so I did. I was doing so well on the bike ride. I felt as if I was riding like one of the boys. As we kept on going on our ride I kept having difficulties with my bike: the front brake was a little questionable, I wasn't sure how to rearrange my gears, and the bike was too short. After getting almost half way towards our destination I like gave up. The bike was giving me problems and I was hurting everyone so I gave Ms. Powell my bike and got in the pick-up that had been following us the whole way. After getting off I was a little disappointed in myself because I gave up, but then I thought, 'I should be proud of myself. I just rode a couple miles on my bike after so many years of not riding a bike.' So in the end I feel great about my bike ride even though it was shorter than many other peoples’ ride.

By Rachelle Charles

Getting Married!!

On Saturday, June 13th, we went to an artisan market in San Antonio. At this market we were given an information session on some of the important aspects of the lives of the Kaqchikel, an indigenous group particular to Guatemala. One important ceremony that we learned about was the process that a couple goes through before, during, and after getting married.

First of all, when the couple decides that they are ready to get married, the man brings some gifts to the woman’s house such as bread, beer, etc., [and also needs to find out how many aunts and cousins the woman has and bring them a gift also] If he gets permission, a date is set for the wedding and that date has to be in approximately 8 months. Why 8 months you may ask? Well that is because the bride-to-be needs to weave a type of blanket for her mother-in-law and a towel for the father-in-law and the grandfather. The weaving takes a very long time. The man's family however has to pay for the whole wedding. I also got to wear the traditional clothes of a Mayan woman and we all got a small taste of the 12 hours they typically spend dancing in celebration. Wow! Those clothes are so heavy and thick, and there is so much of it.

Last Day in San Pedro

First I was assigned to the banana eating contest for kindergaten through third grade. It was really fun to see all the kids just shoving bananas in their mouths. The bad side of the game was so many kids cheated intentionally dropping like half a banana on the ground and some kids were just hungry and ate the bananas before we said go. All in all the game went well and all the kids who participated got a snack and some even got a prize. Once the games were over it was time to walk the kids home with their bags of clothes. Honestly, me and my teaching partner Arely really only dropped one girl off at her house. The little girl's name was loyda and we also walked with two of her siblings.

We walked them to the their house and their dad invited us right in. We walked though their house which was cement walls and maybe one roof over the one bedroom for about six people. I looked around and just felt so bad about how they lived. I mean, the dad was so welcoming offering us drinks and talking to us. Right when the kids got into the room they ripped open the bag. I felt like nothing in the bag would even help them or fit. I just wished we were able to give them more. The one thing I remember the most is how excited the kids were that they got a book and they were fighting over it. Just seeing how they lived just made me feel like poor people in the U.S. should stop complaining because they have far better chances for a good education or a richer future than probably any kid that I saw today.

my best memory

One of my best memories comes from my experince in the school in San Pedro. I will always remember the day Rachel and I played bingo with the kids. We had spent two days filling out both sides of the bingo sheets for the twenty kids in our second grade class. The sheets had colors and letters from the alphabet, to help kids review those words in English. The reason why this was a great memory for me is because not only did my partner and I have fun but the kids also did. The smiles on their faces were the cutist thinsg ever. It is the greatest feeling knowing that dedicating a little bit of your time can make other people so happy.

by: Marcos Feliciano

Chicken and Rooster

One memorable thing that happened in Guatemala during my teaching experience: The day was beautiful and the kids were full of energy as always. I started teaching them the names of the animals in English. I said "tiger" and they repeated "tiger". I said "dog" and they repeated "dog". It was going great until I got to the picture of a "chicken". I said "rooster" and they looked at my teaching partner Kevin and he told them "chicken". They all looked back at me and said "chicken". I repeated "rooster" and they all screamed at me "chicken". I continued to repeat "rooster" and they kept on repeating "rooster". Since then, the students always say "chicken" at me and I keep saying "rooster". It was great. Half of the class now says "chicken" and the other half says "rooster". So in the end they learned two vocabulary words and it also split the class in two.

By Karlrick Laforest

The Letter "H"!

Something very memorable at San Pedro in my class was the very first day. Marcos, Androlissa, and I were very anxious to teach our first class. Walking in and hearing the children rush to their seats to learn gave me chills. Oh crap, how are we going to do this? I thought to myself. Then thinking in our huge manilla folder sat a lesson plan. Ok, first Hello, how are you? Then the ABC´s. This was going to be easy. When I told the class what we were going to do they all looked at me with blank stares. Ok, did I say it right in Spanish? Uh yea I did. I re-thought what I was saying and re-said it. Ok good. I wrote the letters on the board and told them to recite them in Spanish first then English. Most of the students knew all the letters in English. Wow, they´re smart! We had them recite the letters again and the ones the stumbled on we asked them to repeat after us. E...EEEEEE, F....EFFFFF, G...GEEEEEE, H.....ACHHHHH! Marcos, Androlissa, and I laughed. We repeated the letter again. H...ACHHHH ! There sat this one student repeating the letter "H" right from the gut. Ms. LeMoine stood near the doorway laughing. This was going to be easy. This experience had me less worrysome about the rest of the trip. What a great way to start a class.

My fondest memory

Once again it´s ya boy Stanford reporting to ya´ll from Guatemala. So far, this trip has been amazing. Whether it be climbing a volcano, or taking salsa lessons at Sevilla, everyday has been an exciting experience. In my opinion, teaching the fourth graders at the school in San Pedro has had the most profound effect on me. Their curiosity, as well as their desire to learn, is truly moving and has made me realize how much they value the oppurtunity to learn and grow. But despite my strong feelings, I think that leaving the children behind will be difficult. It´s safe to say that all of us Junior Journey members have developed a connection with the students.

One of my favorite memories at San Pedro happened early on in the second week of teaching. With the help of a large world map painted on the wall outside, I was showing a group of my students where my home was relative to theirs. Suprised by the distance, they asked me if I traveled back and forth every day. After explaing that I was living in Guatemala for a short while, they asked how much longer I´d be teaching. I told them that I´d only be around for a couple more weeks, but not to worry because I´d be coming back to teach the next day. After most of the group dispersed, I noticed that one student of mine had stayed behind. She then looked at me and asked (in spanish)¨Profe. Tommy, when you leave can you take me with you?¨ I paused for a moment, and then explained to her why I couldn´t take her with me. Although it was adorable, it made me sad to think that I would soon be leaving, and that when I did leave, the children would be upset. Despite that, I believe that it furthermore illustrates the impact that we´ve been able to make on the lives of these children. I´m hoping to post some pictures up later, and I´ll definitely keep ya´ll posted. Spurlock signin´out. Peace.

Volcán Pacaya

Volcán Pacaya was a struggle for me. I don´t think I´ve ever sweated so much in my life. It was the biggest workout of my life. I thought that it wouldn´t be much of a struggle because of how much hiking I did at Lago Atitlán, but it wasn´t at all. Although it was extremely difficult I still had a wonderful time, especially the feeling I had after I was completely done with all my hiking. I felt as if there was a new person inside of me. Besides the post-hiking, the experience of hiking up the volcano and seeing the volcano overall was amazing. The hiking was amazing because although I was feeling completely out of it, I felt really good knowing that I was accomplishing something physically that I had never done before.

The Volcano was surreal. When I saw the lava I almost wanted to touch it, because I thought it wasn´t for real. Also I found it unbelievable that it was actually so hot from the way it looked. My feet were blazing while I was admiring the lava calmly spurring out of the volcano. Overall, I suggest this experience to many because it´s truly unforgettable.

By Rachelle Charles

Corpus Cristi Celebration in Patzun

Today the group went on a trip to Patzun to see the Corpus Cristi Celebration. I sat next to my teacher on the bus ride there to practice my Spanish. We sang and talked about what we wanted to do at the celebration. When we finally got there my teacher and I paired up with Androlissa and her teacher. We walked around and saw ¨alfombras¨. Alfombras are rugs made of saw dust which are painted in many different colors. The rugs had beautiful pictures such as flowers, butterflies, crosses, and the holy communion. The people who created them were very creative by using not only colorful saw dust to create an image but also flower pedals, fruits, and grass.

It was exciting to see the different pictures created by the nature around the city. There were not alot of tourists around. There were many indegenous people in their cultural attire. They all worked togther to create an amazing celebration and beautiful images. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy two beautiful pictures of the last supper and jesus for cheap. I had a great time and am happy to have had this experience.

Corpus Christi

We went to Patzun for a beatiful festival called Corpus Christi. I walked around with my Sevilla spanish teacher who was a great tour guide. She explained that the festival is this large carpet going down many streets. The carpet is made of shredded, painted wood. Many different people of all ages were working on creating different animals and religious symbols. I was amazed by the detail and work that people put into this long carpet. A little girl let me participate in the making of this carpet. I walked to the church and waited for the mass to be over. Once it was done people of the church walked over the carpet. All I thought was how could people work this long just for the whole thing to be destroyed after the mass. As I was leaving I saw the Guatemalan people bowing and praying as the priest and the people of the church processed through the crowd.

Volcán Pacaya

Hot. Hot. All I can say is wow. I couldn´t belive how beautiful it was up that volcano. I thought that the volcano would be a lot harder to climb, but it wasn´t. The climb started out with a lot of fog and intense nervousness which slowly decreased and then turned into complete excitement. When we started to climb the small slope to the volcano, I began to get a little tired, which was so sad concidering the fact that we hadn´t started to climb the actual volcano, but like we say at home it was "all good" because I came through in the end. To tell the truth though, we all came through in the end because we didn´t rent a horse and we all made it up and down the valcano. For most of the climb I felt like I was hiking in circles through an endless abyss of trees, I was so excited to trudge my way up the last rocky slope and make it to the top. It was funny because I was singing "Eye of the Tiger" in my head all the way to the top and I felt like Rocky when I finished. At the top I was so confused, because I felt the heat but I couldn´t see the lava. I couldn´t see the lava, because people were ahead of me and because I´m vertical challenged I couldn´t see anything. I walked towards the heat and lava, like a smarty I know,so that I could see the blazing of marshmellows and the burning of sticks.

Speaking of sticks, at the beginning of the trip before we began to climb, a bunch of kids crowded up to us in order to rent a stick the second we got of the van; it was the funniest thing though. It was kind of like watching a swarm of bees attack a huge flower.

Anyways back to burning stuff. When I aproached the lava my feet began to get very hot; I kinda thought that my shoes were melting but they weren´t. Because it was getting dark we had to return down the volcano really fast. On my way down I fell twice but I thought it was so fun I didn´t care. That also was exciting because we sang songs all the way down, and on the ride home everyone was sound asleep, except me of course.

Saturday's Trip to Pastores

Saturday we went to a place outside of antigua called Pastores. It is well known for making different things with leather. It was nice visiting a place that didn't have so many tourists like Antigua. We got there by public transportation so it was also a new experience being a public bus with everyday people instead of taking our own trasportation like we usually do. When we got to Pastores a man started to demonstrate how he makes the boots and he gave one of our junior journey students the opportunity to cut the leather for the boots. I didnt buy anything but I left Pastores with a small souvenier that the man gave to us all. The time there passed by quick because we were all talking to each other and just having a good time. Many people go to Pastores to get their boots cheap and they are way more cheaper in Pastores than Antigua. Places like Antigua and Pastores are well recommended. We had a lot of fun there.

Lago Atitlan

Yesterday, we went to this lake called Lago Atitlan¨ We had to wake up early in the morning (like 6ish) to make it there by 9ish. When we got there we took a boat to this resort called, ¨Casa Del Mundo¨ and split up into two groups. One group stayed and ate at this restuarant called the Lost Salamader, the rest hiked up and down a mountain to go to the swimming area (my group) and vice versa.

We left the resort at like at 3ish and looked around the market place. There where many cool things to buy but i didn´t feel like haggling at the time. Then we got into the bus at like 4 and left to return to Antigua at like 6.

I liked going to Lago Atitlan. When we were there I felt like we were on this vacation and we didnt have to do anything but relax. I'm very happy that I came on this trip becuase I feel like I'm learning alot of Spanish and learning more about a culture that I didn't know about.

-Edwin

FUTBOL: Sevilla contra PHA

So we played our first ¨¨partido de futbol yesterday against our teachers and other students from Sevilla. We played in a beautiful field behind a Lutheran church surrounded by mountains. That should go without saying because we are always surrounded by beautiful mountains and volcanos. Although some of our soccer skills were a bit rusty we were a tough and passionate team. Kevin kept heading the ball and almost headed one right into the goal. Mr Cantu threw himself on the ground a few times trying to protect the goal. And Xaida played the entire game. Ricardo (aka Karlrick) was cheered on by our cheerleaders (Andro, Rachel Charles, and Malease) when he scored a few goals. Despite fighting valiently, we lost 9 to 6. All in all it was a beautiful afternoon and soccer was just what we needed after a long day of teaching and taking classes! --Ms Powell

Karaoke night

Hey, its Jesse here, reporting on last night´s karaoke insanity (aka: 20 crazy americans making fools of themselves while everyone else laughs).
At around 8 we arrived as scheduled to go sing and maybe play games. When we got there, a Michael Jackson song was playing and we all dreaded what was to come (a night full of Michael Jackson songs). But, about 5 minutes later one of the hosts of the night stood up and did an absolutely amazing rendition of ¨El Rey¨, or at least it was amazing to us-- because none of us can sing-- but the guy really was good. After that Mr. Carolan and Mr. Cantu did an NSync song, and we all laughed for about half an hour. Eventually almost everyone managed to get up and sing at some point during the night, and we all had fun singing (occasionally dancing) and laughing (mostly at ourselves). Some highlights of the night included the BEST rendition of Santeria anyone had heard in, like, at least 5 minutes, and Juan singing ¨girls just wanna have fun¨ with Tommy and Marcos. Nobody actually went up on their own, so we had some hilarious duets and occasionally just about half the class standing up and singing.
Around 9:30 we were all half asleep, and we all went home. Overall this was possibly the most embarrassing night ever for the people who actually sang (except for last night, when we got to dance), but was also ridiculously fun at times.

Torn Between the Kids in San Pedro

So it´s the third day teaching, and I´m teaching a different class for the third time. It´s always fun though because they get really into it. So I´m teaching with Maegan, and we look outside and there is one of the pre-kindergarden students, Florecita, and she´s just standing there staring at me with a really sad face.Then I went outside and as soon as I got out there she jumped on me and hugged me, and asked why I was not teaching her class.I explained to her the best I could what the schedule was like.Then while the kids were coloring(we had kindergarden today) some of the third graders came by and asked why they had no teacher and why I wasn´t teaching anymore. I felt kind of bad because there are 13 classes of San Pedro Students,and only 8 PHA teaching pairs. It´s so strange to actually see what a teaching shortage looks like and to hear all these little kids call me Seño Leti (instead of Arely). It´s soo much fun, and San Pedro seems like the coolest place ever. It reminds me a lot of the place where I´m from in Guatemala. I know I´d never want to be a teacher, but for now this is fun and it actually seems important.

A day of curveballs

Today was full of surprises for me. I was supposed to be teaching 5th grade with Juan but when we got to the classroom, there was no one there, no teacher or students. It took us about a minute to figure out what to do but we came up with a solution. Juan and I separated and went to different classes with two other groups. I went to the 4th grade class with Tommy and Edwin. At first I was really nervous because they were different kids from the ones I had taught the day before and I just wanted to see what they were doing first. Tommy decided to get me more involved and had me take over for a little while and play some games. Eventually I got more into everything and each of us, Tommy, Edwin and I, took turns leading either a game or asking questions.

I think after today I will be more comfortable being in the classroom and interacting with the kids. It´s also really great how the kids are so enthusiastic and excited to show us what they know. After class was over, I met the cutest little girls, both in the 3rd grade. Their names are Andrea, who is eight years old, and Theresa, who is ten years old. They just came up to me and started talking to me and playing with my hair. The rest of the time I was there, which was a good 30 minutes, they were hugging me and playing with me and wouldn´t let go; I had the third longest conversation in spanish of my life. They also kept asking me what class I was teaching and how long I would be there. It felt good to just talk to these little girls and learn about their lives and talk to them about mine.

HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES, AND TOES!

Today at the school in San Pedro de las Huertas, my partner Marcos and I taught two classes. This is something we weren´t necessarily prepared for since it was a separate grade level than second grade, our normal grade for teaching. We were taking on Kindergarten, not much of a challenge since it was just them repeating after us, but it was a harder than second grade since they don´t know how to read and write. We pointed to different body parts and asked them what it was in Spanish, then said it in English for them to repeat. After we played a little game of ¨Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes¨ to get them up on their feet and active. Seeing them repeat each word with enthusiasm and charisma made me smile.

They value their education so much and they really love to learn, something that not many kids in the US have. Each day is a challenge, but with these kids they smile regardless of the down points in life; also something that many people in the US don´t do. If people in the US had the life and positivity that these children had, then this world would be a better place. Everyone´s heart would be warm and everyone would smile! Hearing "heds, sholdurs, nees, and tos" brightened my day and allowed to think differently on life. Just live it to the fullest and value every aspect because some don´t have as much as we do, yet they go on with more than a smile; they go on with a positive attitude.

The Food....La Comida

At first I was worried about how was going to speak Spanish in a country where Spanish is the fist language. I thought i was doomed. Once I got to Guatemala, I learned that the language barrier was going to be the least of my worries. I learned that people schedule their day based on the meals of the day. What? In the U.S I eat whenever I want and I don´t have to be home to eat. This is different in Guatemala. I learned that I have to be home for every meal. I wake up and then eat breakfast. I go to school and then go home to eat lunch. After that I go out to teach the young children in San Pedro and then go home to eat dinner. I feel a little awkward with such a big change.
The food is good but different. I am eating things that I can´t even pronounce. The food isn´t as bad as I thought it would be. I am getting used to the bread which used to have a funny taste to me but is starting to taste pretty good. I love their chicken soup aka sopa de pollo. They also serve the best rice and bean aka arroz y frijoles. Yesterday I ate my first pupusa and it was an interesting experience. I hope to learn how to cook some of the Guatemalan meals. I am also excited to see what else I will learn in Guatemala.
****Written by Androlissa

First day of teaching 2nd grade

Today was my first day teaching 2nd grade, and teaching in general. The students were great! I had a great time going over alphabet with the kids. The students were enthusiastic about learning. This was important to me becuase it showed how much the time we spent with them ment to them. At the same time it was sad when the students were asking if we were going back. It was sad becuase it showed just that one hour with them made a diffrence. I also feel in love with them. They are the most adorable kids in the world.

by. Marcos Feliciano

El Cerro de la Cruz = Dope

What´s good world? It´s ya boy Tommy here coming at you all the way from Antigua, Guatemala. So far the trip has been legit. I´m finally getting used to the time change here, as well the climate change too. It´s really hot and humid alot of the time, but the nights are cool. Personally, I think the coolest thing we´ve done so far is climb El Cerro de la Cruz. El Cerro de la Cruz is a very large hill on the edge of Antigua, famous for it´s view. From the top, I was able to see the entire town of Antigua, as well as the volcanoes around it. The view was extraordinary, and beats anything I´ve ever seen back home. We were also fortunate enough to see a volcanoe erupt right in front of us. It´s most definitely a ¨buena vista¨. Although the initial climb up the hill was a bit tough, it was well worth the hike because the sight was beautiful. I´ll upload some pictures later. Overall I´m having an awesome time, and I´ll keep ya´ll posted for sure. Spurlock signin´out. Peace.

First Day of Spanish Classes

Today was the first day of Spanish classes at Sevilla. At first it was kind of awkward just because we went with a random person that we had just met. But then, we broke the ice by talking about our families and certain hobbies, etc. I liked the fact that we had our own personal teachers that helps us with what we need work on personally. I can jus tell by today that my spanish is improving. These Spanish classes will greatly help me and everyone else with teaching the kids at San Pedro English!

By: Tasha Silencieux

The Market

Hi this is Karlrick aka Ricardo. The time here has been interesting and fun. There are many things here that remind me of Haiti and Jacmel, my dad´s home town. One thing that seemed the same was the market. The market here is filled with people and things. When you go there is hardly get any personal space and that reminded me of my home in Haiti. The market has many interesting things that you would not find in any other place but the market. The smell of the market maybe a bit bad because of the combination of the meat and everybody´s sweat but whatever you need you can find in the market whether it be shoes and clothes to raw meat. You can see people selling remote control´s for TV´s with a lot of antena´s in their hand the meat smells and funny thing is that they sell the raw meet next to the clothes store. It is a pretty interesting thing to see a clothes seller next to a meat seller.

By Karlrick Laforest

Bonding Time (5/31/09)

On the eve of our first weekend here in Antigua, Guatemala we found ourseleves sharing some time together, oddly enough in the courtyard of a McDonalds (Yea, the McDonalds here have nice gardens and courtyards). We followed through on our normal routine of sharing the day´s events and simply discussing our feelings towards the new and unique enviornment. We talked about the day´s hike up to Cerro de la Cruz, discussed our feelings towards the following day´s teaching and learning, and simply shared how we were feeling.

Towards the end of our routine time of sharing with each other, gears shifted and as we became more relaxed with one another, Ms.Lemoine introduced a game for us to play called, ¨Celebrities¨. The game was an odd blend of charades, taboo, and like games where we piled a list of celebrities, and then we went through rounds where teams(which we naturally chose to be Boys vs. Girls) had to guess as many of the celbrities as we could within a two minute span. Before long, everyone was sucked into the game, shouting names of celbrities at the top of their longs in the middle of a McDonalds. The celebrities ranged from Pikatchu, to Mr.Carolan, and all drew a variety of memorable things done to get them identified, most humorous in the rounds of charades.

Overall, we probably spent nearly two hours shouting and laughing in this McDonalds courtyard. surprisingly, the worst we recieved were looks of curiosity from the guards, but otherwise we went surprisingly undisturbed. This time spent together was highly refreshing, and I feel like we will be able to draw many memories (Tommy´s whinning by yelling ¨No, no, no!¨, in frustration) from this simple activity which drew us all together in a new way, and I only look forward to more time like this with my classmates and chaperones.

Here´s a picture of us starting the activities.