day in the life

I have been teaching my first grade students about colors.  Today when they learned all about colors and they understood what we were saying and they could do it on their own, I felt happy and successful.  I have also been talking every day with a third grader named Chris.  He helped me paint when we painted the school this weekend, and yesterday he told me that he skateboarded.  This helped me learn more about how I can communicate with people because now that we have a topic in common, we can talk more.

I have been learning new things in Spanish every day.  That is thanks to my teacher Vicky who taught me how to bargain.  Yesterday I helped Aaliyah bargain at the small market in the central plaza.

We have soccer matches a lot, at random times especially in the evenings when we are at Sevilla.  It is 3 people on a team and we play barefoot in the Sevilla courtyard.  Its fun, because its a bonding thing and playing soccer in Guatemala with Guatemalans like Chucho is something I wanted to do while being here.

Lastly, overall, I learned that I have a lot of things at home that I should take for granted but I don´t, and I realize that now. I realize what I have is great and I should accept it, and that people here actually live everyday to survive. Today I saw a little boy shining shoes in an ice cream shop, the customer was treating him terrible, when he had left, I went over to the boy and gave him three quetzales and he was very greratful. I had felt like I did a good thing.
- Emma Rippe (Ernesto)

Junior Journey + One Senior

I have been given a special opportunity by PHA to go to Guatemala with the juniors of 2012. Last year I was eligible to be part of junior journey but because of medical reasons I was not able to go to Guatemala. Thankfully PHA was generous enough to allow me to have a second opportunity to go to Guatemala and be able to experince on what I had missed out last year.Being on this trip with a bunch of juniors who I dont really know that well has been very interesting ride. At first I thought it would be diffcult getting to know them but in the short amount of time that I have spent with them since joining their advisory mid April and till this day on the trip I can say I was proven wrong. The juniors on this trip have been very accepting and welcoming that I feel comfortable and glad to be on this trip. Even though I am not part of their grade and I am only on this trip for a week and a half , I am just thankful towards PHA and the juniors for making this second chance for junior journey a extraordinary experience that I will never forget. David Acuna

Earings, Teaching, and Soccer

Guatemala is amazing. i love walking the streets of Antigua, I can't picture myself going back home, it seems weird to think of living in my big house and walking to Davis Sq. where the culture is so different. I love the markets as well, bargining with people is so much fun. I'm having a problem with buying earings though. I've already bought 6 pairs for myself! I'm obsessed. Teaching has gone really well with the kids as well, they remembered all the vocab we taught them. Sometimes it's a little difficult teaching 6th grade because they point out when I don't speak spanish correctly, whereas the little kids just look at you weird when you say something that doesn't make sense. However,today I talked a bit with this girl who kept asking me how to say words in english. I love how the kids want to learn, and it's nice to talk to them, they like to ask questions about my life and soccer teams. Speaking of soccer we've been playing a bit a barefoot soccer in sevilla which has been soooooo much fun! I can't wait until our game when we play the teachers, I really want ot win but I don't have high hopes because apparently the teachers win every year. I can feel my relationship growing with my own teacher from sevilla as well, and some of the other teachers too. They're so much fun to joke around with and talk to.
-Talia Aronson

Niños de Guatemala

Los niños de la escuela de San Pedro Las Huertas en Guatemala se ponen muy entusiasmados cuando nos ven  entrar a sus salones, pues tienen la oportunidad de aprender algo que ellos casi nunca han escuchado.  En mi primer día de clase yo pensé que me fue muy mal porque ellos no estaban poniendo mucha atención a lo que les estábamos diciendo, y también porque ellos están en el sexto grado. Algunos de ellos tienen casi 17 años, y es muy extraño tratar de explicarle a un muchacho con casi la misma edad que nosotros que somos sus maestros. Después de unas clases aprendí que a ellos les gusta jugar el fútbol mucho, entonces comenzamos a hacer actividades usando una pelota de fútbol y enseñándoles baloncesto. Al principio estaba muy nervioso porque tenia que enseñarles ingles, pero ahora siento que es muy divertido, y estoy muy contento de tener una clase con muchos estudiantes que les gusta hacer chistes, y a la vez aprender muy rápido. Espero que ellos tengan una buen experiencia al igual a yo.

Brian Arevalo Lopez 

It's been a little over a week, and...

I love the atmosphere here.
It's so relaxed (unless you're intensly bargaining) and everyone is very friendly. People seem to smile on the streets and greet each other much more.
My teacher, Cristina, is also very friendly, and filled with jokes, a good sense of humor, and wit. When we walk around the town, she greets everyone she knows with a big yell and smile, and then while we talk she is always making the best faces- like a goofy grin, or a 'what-are-you-doing-Poppy?' face. Honestly, learning from her has been an experience in itself- she is awesome.
In fact, most of the teachers are pretty nice, too. Sometimes during break we all get together to talk and laugh.
My host family is even more adorable now than they were when we first arrived. Talia and I have also met the sons and daughter of the family and gotten to know them a bit better. They dance (mostly salsa, but other types , too) and are amazing at it.Once, after dinner, Talia and I went in the front room to watch Geovanni and Wale (brother and sister) dance, and they moved so swiftly and beautifully. They make me wish I could dance as well as them!
We also all (for the most part) got these things in our hair, where they wrap strings around pieces of your hair... I forget what it's called. But they're awesome- I love putting stuff in my hair.

So yeah, Guatemala has been a wonderful experience thus far, and even though the days don't seem to zap by that quickly, it appears that we are on day eight of our trip. Hopefully, the next two weeks don't go by fast, too!
-Poppy

My Purpose Here

It has officially been a week and one day since I´ve arrived in Guatemala. Day in & day out, it is hard work but at the end of the day, it all pays off. I am slowly understanding the reason/purpose of me being here. This trip has made me understand the purpose of famiy. It may sound weird that I´m saying this but I have realized that even though I have left my family in Boston, I have also traveled into the beautiful country with my other family....the Junior Journey class of 2012. The juniors on this trip have become closer and closer to me to let me understand that wherever you may be, never forget those who love you. This junior class has provided the love and suport that my mother would have normally whenever I need to talk. If I was to choose one word to describe the moment I am feeling right now, I would say Grateful.
-Sophie Guerrier :)

Talking to Family

So today was the first time I got to talk to my family so far on my trip here and it was not what i expected. when i first heard my fathers voice I immediatly started to cry. I have never been so far away from my family for so long, and finally taking to them after a long and full week I was not ready. I was so happy to fianllñy talk to them and tell them about the adventures I have endured, and how I have changed. i cant wait until i talk to them again to describe to new expierences that I will have.
-Aaliyah Mercer

Aside from the multiple fevers and stomach pains, I have to say, all has been great. Yesterday I was bed-ridden for the entire day which was not fun at all. The kids are crazy, but I miss teaching them, they're a lot of fun. They like to comment on my hair a lot, and the girls like to giggle and not respond to any of my questions, which is weird, but I guess it's kind of cute. Some of the teachers at the spanish school have taken to calling me "Justin Bieber," which is kind of amusing because whenever I walk into a room they start singing. I have pretty much adapted to that and have learned to respond to "Justin" in a pretty thick accent. Overall I love this place. Everything is so cheap. I got gifts for friends and family and still have tons left over. Also I found a pair of fake Ray Ban sunglasses for 30 quetzales (about 4 dollars) which made me quite happy. Aside from all those things, I really appreciate the time I have with my teachers, and I wish I had more time with the kids. They have some sort of standardized testing, similar to MCAS, which made it so me and Poppy havn't been able to teach until today. Which sucks. It turns into a lot of sitting around. And aside from that, I really like these kids. I like seeing them try to say words like "mouth" and "teeth" listening to them makes me realize how I probably sounded like in my first year of spanish. A lot of the kids are really shy and are afraid of pronouncing something wrong. It's so adorable. Well besides all this, everythings been good. I'm enjoying my time, I guess i miss my family a little. We got to watch the Celtics lose last, which annoyed me, but it's all good. Hopefully next time I write on here I will have taught a little bit more, and have a cute picture of me and a little cute Gautemalan. That's all for now. So adios.
-Justin (Andrew McCrady)

My Birthday in Guatamala

Hola. I was lucky enough to have my birthday be in Guatemala! I am the first of four consecutive days. After me it is Christina then Milly and then Nehmie. Having a birthday in a foreign country is beyond amazing. I woke up to my room mate Adel squishing me with the biggest smile on her face yelling happy birthday. It was adorable. Then i had french toast for breakfast and my amazing host mom had three little presents for me, my favorite of which was the necklace that was supposed to keep all of the bad away and stay forever happy. She is fantastic. Then i went to school per usual and our u.s. teachers gave me a card they had all signed with a chocolate croissant. Yum my favorite. When i sat down for lessons my teacher said happy birthday and gave me this necklace with beautiful stones. I felt so lucky. As i was sitting there chucho came over and stood there with a grin and i looked behind me and saw the entire school come over and sing me happy birthday with Sophie dancing around me. I had the biggest smile in the world on and i think it may have been one of the best happy birthday songs ive ever gotten. I went shopping with my teacher in the local market that day and later played Spanish scrabble. Me and Talia only lost to the teachers by 20 which is not to shabby considering they are native speakers. We got our hair wrapped at lunch which was something i used to do when i was younger so it was really nice to remember that. I had the usual teaching and at the end Nicole had them sing happy birthday too me. I almost died it was so cute and so sweet of Nicole to think of that.I called my parents later and although it was hard because i really miss them it was definitely worth it to hear them say happy birthday. Later that night we watched the playoff! Not only was I in another country but i also got to watch the celtics. Woah. Somewhere around 7 they tried to surprise me with a cake but someone saying "we get a cake?!" slightly ruined the surprise aspect. I did not care though because i was surprised anyways plus it was chocolate cake which is never the wrong kind. I adore chocolate. For the rest of the night we played street soccer and watched the game. It didn't even matter that the celtics lost in overtime by less then 5 points because nothing could ruy¡in that birthday. It was by far one of the best i will ever have.

Kira

Sad Feelings When Leaving San Pedro

The school that we all teach in is called San Pedro a tiny town in Guatemala. I teach a 2nd grade class with another partner. Everyday at 3:00 I get so exicted for recess with the little kids. Then when the bell rings at 3:30 I become even more excited because I am able to start teaching. During class the kids always end up making little cards for us saying *Le Quiero Mucho* *I love you so much*. The kids probably dont realize how much I appreciate the little notes.
I have made a connection with the kids already, I know how some of them learn, I know what they like and what they dont like. I know what makes them excited and I know what calms them down. So much happens in class that makes me feel like I can spend hours with them without getting tired of any of them. They are all amazing kids that deserve a great education. They appreciate so much, and they are so enthusiastic to learn. It puts an even bigger smile on my face. And once that clock hits 4:30 I become so reluctant to leave, I say my goodbyes and end up hanging out with them a little while after until the teachers and my partner try chasing me down. Then I walk away still looking back from time to time until I cant see their waving hands anymore thinking about what they next day is going to be like.

-Rachelle Biennestin

Teaching

So a lot of my friends know that I am a very shy person. I am very afraid of public speaking, and when I do I get very shaky and nervous. This was why teaching the kids in San Pedro seemed so scary. I did not think that I would be able to stand in front of twenty or thirty kids and teach them, especially not in another language. But I knew that these kids really wanted to learn English, and so it had to be done. The eagerness of my students, along with the support from my peers and my teachers, helped push me towards the confidence I needed in order to teach. The first day of teaching was shaky, but it definitely gets better with each class. I am lucky because I have an amazing class who want to learn and are quick at it. I feel like I am learning too while I am teaching them, because they correct me when I say something incorrectly in Spanish. I love my students and their desire to learn because that is why I am here in Guatemala.

Adel Andemeskel

Host Family

This is the first time I´m living with a host family. In my host house there is a host mother and her host daughter. My roomate Kira and I have become so close to our host mom that we have started to call her Mama. She was so happy and welcoming when we arrived to her house from the airport. I thought that things would be awkward between us for at least the first few days, but she left no room for awkwardness. She kept asking us questions after questions about our family and life in the United States. She sits with us every meal each day and talks to us about her day and asks us about ours. She also helps us with our Spanish when we are stuck. She loves dramatic movies and her three parakeets (we hear her cooing at them all the time!), and she is byfar the cutest lady I have ever met. What I love most about her is that she knows that we are in a country very different from the United States and she has tried her to best to make us as comfortable as we can be. She is absolutely amazing, and I hope that I meet more people like her throughout this trip.

Adel Andemeskel

Hola from guate guate

Hola people,
I have been in Guatemala for 6 days now and I find it to be fantastic. Its amazing how six days in another country can effect you. I teach first grade on the week days and I already love all my students.So far it has been a really amazing experience, I have enjoyed every part of it so far, like getting to know my peers and my teachers even. My spanish teacher has taught ne alot as well, I have learned alot about Antigua and San Pedro. It is really pretty here and my experience with new food is awsome. I love my host family they are all kind and sweet. I am having a great time :)
-Emma (Ernesto)

Hey everyone!
So far the past few days in Guatemala have been great. My feet hurt from a combination of playing soccer on concrete barefoot, mosquito bites and the twenty minute walk I take from my house to Sevilla and back atleast six times a day. Yes, I do have bug bites on my feet. Besides that I feel like this trip has been life changing so far even though we have only been here five days. The kids at the school in San Pedro love everyone and the younger kids love being picked up for some reason. There was one girl who took a picture with almost everyone in the group holding her. I can't wait to see their reaction to their freshly painted school. My teaching experience so far has been interesting. Everytime Josh and I walk into our classrooms the kids cheer and the girls giggle...at Josh.We get through a lesson and all the kids want to do is play soccer. It's amazing to see them have fun with anything where as back home kids need so much to entertain themselves with. I feel like all of our one on one Spanish lessons have really been helping us. My teacher is really nice to talk to because I feel like we can talk about anything for hours. Not to mention her laugh is the best thing I have ever heard. I can't wait to spend more time here.

Yasmine Naama

Not what I expected.......

Before I came to this new place we call Guatemala, I was not expecting to be greeted and welcomed with open arms by these children in San Pedro. At first, I was afraid becasue I am not a native speaker and I didn't want to say anything wrong so that these kids can laugh or joke around but what I cherished the most about these kids is that they noticed my flaws and they decided to help me out to make me confortable. I love these kids a little too much because they have me and my partner Millyanice running around and playing "IT". I'm enjoying my time here with the kids and I don't want to go back home any time soon. There will be more pictures to come and more stories.
Sincerely,
-Sophie Guerrier :)

My Experiences So Far

       Being here in Guatemala was nothing like I expected (in a good way). Antigua is beautiful and reminds me of the Dominican Republic, which makes me feel a lot more comfortable. I am amazed by the Guatemalan culture and have learned so much about the culture so far that I don't even know what I want to focus on for my PGP. Last night, I woke up to a loud thump. It took me a while to fall back asleep, and the next morning when I asked my host mother, she told me that it was probably fire crackers being dropped at five in the morning to celebrate a birthday. I could not believe it when she told me that she had not even heard it. My host family is amazing- even the puppy that barks at Sophie and I whenever we walk through the gate. The home made meals and "la siesta" are things that my host family is used to, but for me, they are things I really appreciate coming from the fast, stressful, lifestyle of the United States. With only two entire days here, my Spanish teacher and I are able to have in-depth conversations about anything. I really apreciate his attention and all of the life stories that he shares with me. Even for me, a native speaker, I know that at the end of the three weeks, my Spanish will improve in a dramatic way. Four hours seemed like an eternity at first, but I have no idea where they go at the end of the four hours each day. I also have my little first graders (who are the cutest children with the most energy in the world) to thank who correct any mistakes that David, Kiraleah or I make.

       I will keep you all updated on all of our experiences in the next weeks! Hope you all keep checking in :)

Nicole Peña

Obsession with flowers

To start off with I would like to say that I have an obsession with different flowers and plants. Coming from Boston it is hard to see different and strange plants. Before leaving to Guatemala I knew that I wanted to go on a mission to discover new flowers and plants. Above is an image of a flower/plant that I am determined when I get back to boston to identify the name of it. I can say that here in Guatemala there are amazing flowers and plants. I hope to upload more images of the beautiful flowers and plants that are here.

-Millyanice Rivera-Melendez

The Drive

So we just left the airport and were waiting for the famous flaming bus when it finally hit me. I was in Guatemala!!! I was nervous, anxious, excited, and happy all at the same time. I had realized that I would never be able to be fully prepared for this trip, and that was what scared me the most. After what seemed like hours, the bus finally arrived and we were on our way to Antigua! The bus ride was an amazing way to see if there was a difference between Guatemala and America, and there certainly was. The houses were smaller, the air smelled of campfire smoke, and almost every woman was carrying a basket on top of her head. However, what was most noticeable during that ride was how many people looked over at us. I mean sure, we were on a bright blue bus with red and orange flames on it, but most of the time the people were staring at us inside the bus. I mean literally, some people would stop doing what they were doing and stare us down, turning their head as we passed them. All the staring made me really self concious and awkward. But then I remembered that we are the foreigners in Guatemala, we were the ones that do not belong in the picture. I mean who can blame them for staring, its not like they see a bus full of white, black, and spanish kids every day, but it was weird to me because I was never really perceived as a true foreigner at the places I have already traveled to. At that moment, I knew that this trip was going to reveal to me what it truly felt like to be different from everyone else, and that I am going to get a whole lot of staring these three weeks.

Adel Andemeskel

Good Morning, Guatemala!!!!

It is really weird being in a new country. Especially when your native language (English in this case) is essentially useless. But it is a great challenge. JJ 2012 has been in country for three days, and already we have had two lessons with our spanish teachers, two lessons with los niños at the school in San Pedro, and one hour of salsa lessons with Juan Carlos. From everyone's reports, all the host families are great. The weather is somewhat crazy, with rain and sun switching every hour. I love the litte kids at the school. Yesterday, on the first day they met us, something like twenty kids tackled Andrew (from Guate Guate), Gabe, and Brian, trying to take their backpacks and tickle them to death. Somehow, today I got roped into swinging several students around so that their feet came off the ground. They laughed and screamed and yelled 'mas, mas!' I couldn't say no, even after they demanded piggy-back rides and my hat. I am teaching first graders how to identify animals in English, but they all speak spanish, so I have some problems with communication; more than once, the kids have tricked me into saying 'si' to '¿juego?, which meant that they could go outside. Two days, and I am amazed by everything; The colors, the smells, the scary-sounding birds. It is great. Really humid, but great. Couldn't ask for a better school-funded trip.
Reporting from Antigua, Guatemala, and signing off (for now...).
-Madeline

My First Day Teaching =)

When I first got to the Sevilla Language School I was so excited! I watched all the ninos y ninas (boys and girls) walking around saying Hola Hola Hola. They were so friendly. All of us in junior journey waited in the courtyard watching these group of kids play soccer. They all seemed so happy, and some of then were clearly better soccer players than me. Which made perfect sense since I dont even play soccer.Anyways the kids kept smiling at me which made me really excited to teach! Then after the kids lined up at the end of gym class the same kids recited a poem for junior journey. It was so cute and the entire time we are all just like ÄWWW. The show they put on was great I loved it.
Soon after it was time for recess, those kids do not get tired! They loved soccer and duck duck goose. They also love head shoulders knees and toes.I thought recess was going to be my favorite time of they day. But then  teaching came along! I go into my class and I realize the soccer playing kids, the kids reciting the poem were my 2nd grade class! They are all awesome kids. There is this nino named Armando, he can be a trouble maker but when he does his work it is amazing. There is this angel named Emily she is so quiet and smart she always makes me smile. Also Kevin, Javier, Alex and Benjamin are so polite and always say jokes. And Michael loves showing off his english skills. Diana loves helping me find stuff around the room. Jualita is loud and knows all the answers. Basically my entire class is awesome and I already love them. At the end of class I got 2 handmade braceletts and over 15 cards that say te quiero mucho ( I love you alot). I just love my kids so much, teaching is definately the highlight of my day. And thanks to junior journey I will definately consider education as a profession. Ojala que (Hopefully) it will be a little easier in english.
-Rachelle

I´m here!

 So I am finally in Guatemala. I cannot believe it. The plane ride was the most scary part of this trip for me because i am deathly afraid of them. Never the less i made it and i am so happy i did. When i got to Guatemala all i could do was jump up and down and smile. Granted that may have been because i was finally off of the plane after what seemed like hours of traveling, but still, it was amazing.
 We got on the "fire bus" and drove through Guatemala city. It reminded me a little bit of Boston. Now that the plane trip was over i was nervous to see my host family because i didn't know if i could communicate well enough or if we would get along. I couldn't be happier. She is probably the cutest thing i have ever seen in my whole life. I felt so at home and Adel is the best roommate i could ask for, we get along so well. It is amazing how quickly you form a bond with someone you live with even if it is just a couple days.
 The only problem was that our room was filled with bugs. We hate bugs. We will survive though, our family and the food is beyond worth it. Already i am starting to speak Spanish instead of English without even realizing it and i surprised myself with how easily i could hold a conversation. I am having so much fun and even though i do really miss home this is definitely worth it.
-Kira

Guatemala!

I've been in Guatemale for two days now and I am starting to fall in love. Teaching is definitely my favorite part of the day, the little kids are so addorible. I could play with them all day if I didn't get so tired from giving them piggy back rides and always getting chosen to be ganso in pato pato ganso. My first teaching lesson for the 6th graders didn't go as well as i had hoped for, however today was much better, as the class was more organized, and we managed to teach the kids vocabulary about basketball. My homestay has also been really great. The host parents are great about my roomate's and my food diets. The parents are so adorible as well. One night the mother made a family tree list and put our names on the list as well, which was really sweet. I've met the daugher and one of the sons of the family and they are both very nice. We also had our first salsa dance lessons which were so much fun! Guatemala has been great so far, and I have a feeling it's going to get even better.
Talia Aronson

Weird Dreams In A New Place

So far, both nights I´ve been in Guatemala, I´ve have really crazy dreams. The first night, I dreamt about working in a large white house where I had to help these people by picking big white, glowing flowers that grew on a hill next to the house, and the second night, I dreamt about having crazy parties where people dressed in gorilla suits danced around beige rooms with campfires.
For me, dreams only come when I can get ample sleep, and can find peace in my own head. And thus far, Guate has been like this, and I´ve found that I am relaxed yet also hyperaware of everything around me. The streets are beautiful, the houses are so colorful, and the people seem so nice.
 My host family is super adorable, and extremely accomadating to my weirdness/awkwardness and also dietary needs. The father, Obdulio, is very sweet, and the mama, Ingrid, is also amazing. Talia and I have met the daughter and one of the sons, and they´re pretty awesome as well.
Nonetheless, Guate is great so far, and I hope to have some more bizarre dreams to report.
-Poppy

Hola Guatemala

As I start my temporary new life here in Guatemala I started to realize the how new I am to the lifestyles outside of the protective walls of PHA. I love my host family, my host mother immediately brought me and my partner in and treated us as one of her own. In the morning I am a student of the Sevilla Language Shool learing from my amazing teacher Mayra, and in the afternoon I am a second grade teacher to the crazy amazing children in the school in San Pedro. My first three days here have been the best in my life and I still have a long way to go, I'm not sure what else will be in my future here in Guatemala, but all I know is the next three weeks will be the best.
- Aaliyah

Guate Guate

Well here I am, Guatemala. I'm going to try to write on this blog without being overly corny. So yes, so far everything has been great. My one on one time with my teacher has been amazing, so far we've gotten along very well. I've only taught the little kids for one day, but so far I have no complaints. I acctually have a class who listens and is respectful, and give me awkward giggles as I walk past. My mother is absolutely amazing. She is so nice, laughs at my jokes, and just most of all puts up with me, which most of the time people have a hard time doing. It's only been 3 days, but I can't wait for the rest. For now I'm going to try to enjoy myself as much as possible.
Andrew

Junior Journey 2012 well underway

Today marks day two of Spanish lessons at The Sevilla Language School...

... as well as teaching English in San Pedro to the youngsters. More to come from the PHA students this afternoon and this weekend. All is well!

Cantu