United States vs. Guatemala: Native to Alien - Vernesha Bruceus

                                                                                  Journal Entries
June 7, 2016
10:00 a.m. here, 12 p.m. back home. I´ve seen, heard, smelled, and experienced many thngs. Eight days in, and I feel like I´ve been here for a month. As I sit here at this school in San Pedro, I think especially about the things I´ve seen. Students, Guatemalan culture, coffee museum, house at San Antonio, streets, boat ride, lake, Monoloco and more.

Students:
I eventually ended up meeting my students two days after our arrival, Van (my teaching partner) and I met all 34 of them. The first day I was VERY nervous. Thinking about the 34 eyes, ears, bodies, and mouths that would be facing me, and were ready to rely on Van and I for their learning and understanding of a new language. I was expected to teach a language I knew in a language in which I was at a mediocre level of speaking. When I walked in, my nerves were at ease when Van and I heard voices simultaneously say "Buenos Dias Seño como esta pase adelante," translation: "Good morning Sir/Ma´am how are you? Come on in." Somehow they didn't even need an introduction from us. But as we tried we were still strugglig to understand the students, as they struggled to understand us. Standing in front of the 34 4-foot bodies, I managed to mix my Spanish with English and especially Haitian Creole, mixing my "tus" with "ous"and "hacers" with "fe." This is a challenge I have continued to face, but my students, and my four-hour Spanish lessons have taken me through every step of the way, to make it more of a learning experience and less of a struggling experience.

Guatemalan culture:
Coffee museum, Azotea, Atitlan Lake, San Antonio, and simply walking in the streets. For continous days during my journey, I´ve witnessed many women ride motorcycles as my peers said. They would ride them like a professional biker that I am used to seeing at home, who are usually men. They´d even ride men around on their motorcyles! When going to San Antonio, I came to realize that gender roles are less prominent here in Guatemala. I learned that men plan weddings, and women bring gifts to their significant other's family. The few gender roles that define this culture, are the manufacturing of the beautiful tapestries, clothing, and traditional Mayan household where they served the traditional Pepian. When I went there, I got to embrace the Guatemalan culture in many different ways, one of which was by buying my 100 quetzales white and purple poncho.

Guatemala:
A place that is more beautiful than advertised. Where everywhere you go, someone waves and says "¡Buenos Dias!" A place where like America, there are Burger Kings, Dunkin Donuts, Wendy's, KFCs, and more "American like" stores that lay on the sides of the streets made of stones. Where the people know more of Guatemala's beauty than their foreigners assume before going there. Besides beauty, countries do have their flaws, but Guatemala is a beautiful place that is more than just its beauty and poverty, one would understand if they experienced it for themselves.