A change of plans.

The weekend has come and gone and I am still in Xela. As you may remember, my friend, Carrie, and I were suppose to take off yesterday and head north. After an entertaining twist of events, we headed back to the boys house, rang the door bell, and re-situated ourselves back in our room.

It all started Sunday morning with a cup of coffee from McDonald's (they have really good coffee down here) and me procrastinating (that's not like me at all, is it?) Our shuttle to Antigua was picking us up at 2:00 so we could spend the night there and then head to Sumec Champey the next day (an 8 hour bus trip). Our bus driver showed up at 2:15 and we headed out of town. We quickly made friends with the two other travelers in the shuttle and agreed that the trip was much safer than in a chicken bus. Carrie and I were both 'patched' (motion sickness+Guatemalan roads=a disastrous road trip, however, with the patch, things are a little better). We were on the outskirts of town when we pulled into the middle lane of the five lane road and stopped. Our driver had received a phone call and from what I could tell, he had just been told that we needed to pick up a few more people. I clarified and he said yes, that is what we were going to do. We turned around (in the middle of the road) and headed back into Xela. We made a few turns and ended up at Linea Dorada (one of the four first-class bus stations in town). Our driver (I'll call him Pedro) then told us that we were going to take a taxi to Antigua because he had to take all of the people at the bus station to Guatemala City. The four of us were a little confused by the situation because we had paid for a shuttle and that's what we expected. At this point, one of the other travelers asked Pedro if he would wait until out taxi came before he left for Guate and he said he would. Shortly after he unloaded our backpacks, he started the shuttle and drove off. So, here we were, four female travelers left on the side of the road, waiting for a taxi. It was close to 3:00 now and at the same time Carrie and I looked at each other with the same look in our eyes. We were both questioning our decision to go. A taxi driver walked over to us and asked if we needed a cab and I told him to hold on a minute. Carrie and I took about 12 seconds to decide that this trip was starting off in the wrong manner and we headed over to a local taxi and had him take us back to our 'home' from the last week. When I asked what was going on with all the people at the bus station he said that the bus wasn't able to come because of all the construction on the road. He said that traffic was backed up and at that point, we both knew that we made the right decision.

We weren't able to get a refund for the shuttle but we did work out a deal that the company would pay for our bus to Rio Dulce (the sweet river) on Wednesday. We will miss out on the beginning of our trip but considering that both of us gets so sick, we figured it would be more fun to hang out with friends for the rest of the week than make ourselves spend so much time on a mountainous road with our heads out the window!

When we arrived back at the house, we were welcomed back with open arms but decided to make dinner to make sure they wouldn't mind us staying a few more nights. We cooked a great meal and headed to bed early. We will be in Xela until Wednesday morning (we leave on the 4am bus) and I will return on Sunday. Unfortunately, Carrie has to go back to the states on Sunday but I will have two more weeks here before I continue on to my next stop!

It's been wonderful having an old friend here to experience this city with and laugh at the random things that happen every day. Just today, we were enjoying our morning Diet Cokes in McDonald's and a Guatemalan girl was sitting behind me. After about 15 minutes, she turned around and asked if I would be willing to give her English classes. At first, I was a little hesitant because I didn't want to over commit my time here but after talking to her for 10 minutes, I decided that she was pretty interesting and we are going to meet up next week to get coffee. We worked out a deal that if I speak to her for 30 minutes in English, we will spend the next 30 minutes speaking Spanish. I'll give an update on how that goes next week!

Viva La Vida!

Liz

Oh, my avocado guy is back! I have eaten the most wonderful aquacartes since his return! I wish I could bring some back for all of you!

Playlist:
Beautiful Day by U2
Portions of Foxes by Rilo Kiley
Beautiful by So Long Goodbyes
Island Girl by Elton John
Furry Sings the Blues by Joni Mitchell
Sideways by Citizen Cope
Growing Older But Not Up by Jimmy Buffett
Love Story by Taylor Swift
Hips Don't Lie by Shikira

A few more pictures

My Spanish teacher Kenia and I at the school

The precious daughter of the director. She is half Dutch half Guatemalan!

Fin de Samana, amigos, y clase de ingles!

This weekend has been the most relaxing that I have had since I have been here. It was wonderful! Friday was my last day of Spanish class for a couple weeks and I really enjoyed my teacher this week. We became friends and she is hilarious! Friday night I hung out with friends and ate with them. Saturday, we got up and headed to the Schnyders. They are pregnant and Danielle has started 'nesting'. Tony, her husband, had the project of painting the bathroom and we all decided that it is much more fun to paint with friends so we all chipped in (pictures below!) Carrie, an old friend from camp, arrived that night. We (a bunch of my friends and I) spent the day on Saturday watching The Office. We are in the middle of a marathon and watched 20 episodes. It was A LOT of TV but it was a great day! I can't describe how blessed I feel to have this group of friends down here. It is very unique. Carrie and I are staying with McNabb and Jason this week since there other roommate is out of town. Sunday, we woke up and just talked for awhile before heading out on a walk with the dog, lunch at Wendy's, and an afternoon filled with football. We had a cookout last night at the girls house with lots of great food. Today, I started teaching! Yes, that's right, somehow I got lucky enough to get a paying job teaching English at my Spanish school. I am only teaching three days this week but it's fun! The guy I'm teaching is probably 45 or 50. He is getting his Masters' right and he is an Environment Engineer. Carrie and I are plannin on a few day trips this week before heading out in the country side next week! We are planning on going to Semac Champey and Rio Dulce so both places should be very interesting! I'm excited to see an area of Guatemala that I have yet to see!

That's about it with me this weekend! Not too much excitement but I have had a very nice weekend and I can't believe that I have almost been here for three weeks! The time flies here! I hope that everyone state-side is having a wonderful November and if I don't update before everyone takes off for Thanksgiving, travel safely and enjoy the time with family! I know I will be missing mine next week! Love to you all!

Viva La Vida!

Liz

(Pictures below!)

Salsa Dancing (for those of you wondering what it's like)

Tony and I painting the bathroom Thunder Blue!

Danielle was attempting to get as much fresh air as possible! This is where they live!

Painting...

McNabb, Tony, and I before the painting begun, notice how all of our shirts are still white!

Playlist:
Bailamos by Enrique Iglesias
La Bumba by Los Lobos
Square One by Coldplay
Mexico by James Taylor
It wasn't Me by Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins
Renaissance by Matt Kearney
Wink by Neal McCoy
Sweet Southern Comfort by Buddy Jewel
Unto You by Shane and Shane
Hello Darlin' by Conway Twitty
Have You Got It In You by Imogen Heap
Dogs by Damien Rice

Salsa

written Wednesday night (late!):

I had quite the experience tonight. It stated out very innocent with a dance class at the school. I was a little nervous about it being so late (it started at 8) because I would have to walk home by myself after 9. When I arrived, I saw one other girl and thought that this whole experience would be quite embarrassing. I had never actually been Salsa Dancing and I knew my novice status would shine quite brightly. I had spent the afternoon at my favorite coffee shop (once again) and then met Randi for dinner. I walked with her back down the hill and we headed out separate ways. I was very set on NOT going dancing at a club after the class so I intentionally wore the same thrift store T-shirt that I had been wearing all day that I had bought the weekend before that has the letter “XFL” across the chest (that was a long sentence. Sorry for the poor structure). Anyway, I walked into the school and saw the director and he greeted me and introduced me to his friends who were there to dance also. Soon, the room filled with the other girls (all of the Holland girls) and they separated us into beginners and advanced. To start off, it was just one other girl and I who were the beginners. Soon, all of the other men jumped in with the beginner class and we were following the 1-2-3, 5-6-7 step pattern. We added turns and different directions and I was please with my progress for the evening. We finally paired off and I danced with my teacher from last week, Juilo (sidenote: He is a wonderful guy, a great teacher, and probably weights a buck 10.) We danced until we got some of the basic steps down and as the hour closed in on the lesson, all I could think about was my charming bed (hard, a little lumpy, and not too comfortable, but I like it all the same). After I grabbed a glass a water (you work up quite a sweat) I gathered my things and headed for the door. I didn’t get two steps when I was bombarded with the question of where I was going. I was going home, of course! Well, it didn’t take long for 4 Guatemalan men and two Dutch girls to convince me otherwise. I was going dancing, ‘XFL’ shirt and all!

We arrived at La Parunda, paid the two dollar entry fee, and made out way to a table in the back. There were Salsa lesson’s going on in the form of a line dance and the Dutch language filled my head. It didn’t take long before a few of us were back on the dance floor practicing the moves we just learned. We soon returned to our seats as a few of the ‘experts’ were showing all of the Spanish school students how this was really done. (Sidenote: This place was FULL of gringos. I think there was a representive from every Spanish school in Xela and considering there are more than 20 schools here, that’s a lot of non-Guatemalans). Soon, the ‘experts’ left the floor and it was open to all the newbies. Well, the men from our school didn’t hesitate too long before coming over and covering the first shift of dancing. At this point, there is a nervous stirring in my stomach as I have flashbacks to junior high wondering if I am ever going to make it out on the dance floor. There is a fear that resides deep inside me that only shows up at times like this. Here I am, in my chacos, hair pulled up in a pony tail, jeans and my thrift store t-shirt (which at this point, I was wondering what the XFL stood for and I prayed that it wasn’t anything offensive or promiscuous).

It wasn’t long before I was out on the dance floor with a man who has 10 years on me with a name I can’t pronounce. Luckily, I have spent my fair share of hours in country dance halls and I know all the fancy spins (they are no different in Salsa, just a different basic rhythm to follow, that happens to be very fast). I picked it up very easily and my partner was pleased with my ability to get around on the dance floor. Yes, there were times that I missed a step or spun the wrong direction, but it again shows me that there are many other ways to communicate without using words. I ended up staying until 12:30. All of the Holland girls had left and the men of the school had ‘rescued’ from all the Dutch and expected me to speak to them in English. As much as I appreciated the gesture of making sure I was having fun, I really didn’t mind not having to speak at all. For the next 45 minutes, they made jokes about how strong I was (I’m glad they realized I could break them in half) and spoke very slowly so I could understand.

It ended up being quite an evening (and a late one at that) and one that I won’t forget anytime soon. One of the men walked with me to get a cab and even made sure that I made it to my house. My only fear is that my telephone will ring soon (the guy ended up getting my number, ‘just in case something happens’) and the only thing that will be spoken on the other end will be Spanish. (update, I have had two unknown numbers call but I'm scared to answer because I don't want to sumble through my Spanish...let's see how long I can avoid this!)


A few other things:
While at school today, Letty and I were talking with another teacher and student and somehow the conversation turned to my legs. They went on and on about how big they were and how I shouldn't wear shorts (in a joking way) on the street because they would be a distraction. What they don't realize is that in the US it is not okay to talk about how I would 'snap a Guatemalans neck with those legs' or describe them like the trunks of arbols (trees). Oh, the life in a different culture! They just don't understand that I am a Cromwell!!!

A few things I forgot to include in my 'random' blog:

• I made friends with two indigenous girls in the park Saturday night. Their names are Maria and Alli. They are probably 8 and 9. I like them a lot.
• I was walking down the road today and two boys (6 and 8) were passing a clothing store and grabbed the mannequin's arm. It fell off and all three of us laughed. I helped put the arm back on.
• I met three travelers this weekend. One is traveling for a year and making his way South. I want to be friends with him.
• It's okay to park on sidewalks here, actually, it's what you are suppose to do.

I think that is it for now. I liked doing the random blog thing...I'm sure there will be more of these in the future!

The blog of randomness:

• I felt my first earthquake since I got back this weekend. Pretty exciting!
• Perrito (my favorite dog from last spring) was thought to be gone, but returned this weekend. (pictured below!)
• I have to pour a bucket of water down the toilet for it to flush.
• I often get words mixed up in Spanish, making my teachers laugh when I use anos instead of años ('anus' instead of 'years').
• The guy I bought avocados from last year isn't around any more. This makes me sad.
• I was at a Flaminco dance recital Saturday night and some of the older students from IAS were in the balcony throwing stuff. I was lucky to get two pieces of gum in my hair. I wasn't happy about this.
• I am only the third American to be a student at my Spanish school in three years (most are Dutch).
• I was happy to see that my shower was plastic instead of metal this year, thus minimizing the 'shock' value! (I was shocked a lot last year in the shower due to the eletric heating method. They would have live wires in the shower to heat the water with a metal shower head. Anytime you would accidently touch the shower head, you would get shocked. Interesting by true!)
• I have eaten more hotdogs in the last week than I have in the last two years!
• Couples think it is okay to make out in coffee shops, on the streets, on the bus, ect. (not okay with me!)
• Most dogs are kept on the roof of the houses here.
• Life is interesting here. You should come check it out!!!

(some random pictures to go along with the random posting!)

This dog lives on my new street. He doesn't have a name yet but he will soon! Any suggestions are welcome!

Perrito! This dog was my favorite last year. He often wore a green sweatshirt when it was cold outside. I greet this dog everytime I see it with, "Hola Perrito, como estas?" I like him a lot.

One view of my room. Sorry it's mess but I wanted to show it to you all anyway!

Another view of my room. It's small but it is sufficient.

I walk down this street almost everyday. Just thought you would like to see where I spend my days...

Playlist:
Rest of my Life by Rilo Kelley
Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley
Track 10 by Pulp
I'm Done by Jo Dee Messina
I'm Yours by Jason Mraz

La Boda en Guatemala!

Last night I experienced something that I never have before (and I'm not sure I want to again); a wedding that last 5 1/2 hours! It was the wedding of Jackie, the daughter of the lady I live with. I was honored that I was invited and felt that it was important that I go. And, seeing a wedding in another culture is always fun! I'll try to fill you in on the highlights!

The wedding was slated to start at 4:00. I left the house at 3:40 to walk to Woon Kook (yes, that is correct, the wedding was in a Chinese restaurant). When I left, the bride was still at the house was getting ready. I headed to the local textile store to pick up a present and then headed to my destination. Usually, I like to get to weddings at least 10-15 minutes early but I figured that I could get there at 4 and be okay considering Latin time...so, I arrived at 4 and was surprised to see that I was one of seven people there (the other six were the family of the groom!) Luckily, I knew one of the ladies there (we worked together at the school last spring). I found a seat and prepared myself for the akward Spanish conversations that I knew would take place due to my novice experience with the language (conversationally). The bride and her mother finally arrive at 4:15. By this time, I was starting to wonder if anyone would notice if I slipped out and left. I was starting to feel really uncomfortable and this whole process of waiting for the wedding to begin was wearing on me. Everything got underway at 4:45 and I was a little confused by what was going on. The bride was in a red dress and from what I could tell, there was nothing about God being mentioned (this family is very religious). After about 20-30 minutes, everyone clapped and people started lining up to sign a piece of paper that was on the table that the bride and groom were sitting at. I figured this was the marriage lisense and the 'witnesses' were signing it as well. I didn't realize that half the guest felt like they needed to sign it as well. I was happy to see that the sun was still up and I would be able to meet up with my friends for the normal Friday night routine. After everyone sat down, the guy who was MCing the whole process said that we would have a 20 minutes 'cafeito' break and then continue. What? Continue? There's more? I looked at Vero (the lady from school) and she just smiled. She walked over after the couple left and told me that there were two parts to Guatemalan weddings. We had just had the civil wedding and now it was time for the religous wedding. Okay, this is my time to split, I thought. I looked for my getaway path and low and behold, the director of my spanish school walks in. He walks right up to me and starts talking to me. Crap! I'm caught. Needless to say, I stayed for the second part of the wedding (where the room transformed from lots of red to lots of white, including the dress the bride was wearing) as well and tried my best to enjoy it. I understood part of what was being said but didn't get it all. We finished with the ceremony parts at 6:45ish and it was already dark. I was going to have to stay until the end because I didn't want to walk by myself in that part of town. Over the next 3 hours, I stumbled through numerous conversations, ate Chinese food, particiapated in the bouquet toss (which was actually tossed 4 times...don't ask me why, I couldn't figure it out!), and took a few pictures that I will include at the end of this entry! It was a night that I will never forget!

By the time I got home, I was ready to collapse into bed. As I was getting ready to turn in for the night, I received a message from McNabb saying that they were going to have a Hookah night. I gladly accepted the invitation, packed a small bag, and headed over. I finished off a long day of Spanish hanging out with great friends and getting the best night sleep I had in a long time (McNabb's roommate was out of town so I just stayed there so I wouldn't have to walk home).

Today I went to Minerva Market with Lorrie and Randi. They discovered earlier this year that they have super cheap clothes at the Pacas (Thrift stores) out there. I found four things that I couldn't pass up! And to think that they were only 1 Q (about $0.13) each!

There is a dance recital that I am attending this evening. It will be similar to the one that I went to last spring with lots of Flamico dancing and big dresses! After that, I'm planning on meeting up with two girls that I have met in my school who are from Belgium. It should be interesting!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

Letty and my housemate!
Letty's feet were hurting and I am never without my Chaco's so I let her borrow them!
The Bride and Groom with friends
My housemate and Jackie, the bride

Playlist:
Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division
Dreadful Selfish Crime by Robert Earl Keen
Love You Out Loud by Rascal Flats
Over My Head by The Fray (thinking of you Shenoldy!)
Mansturd Roof by Vampire Weekend
This is How We Do by The Game
The Little Things by Colbie Caillat
Always on His Mind by Misty Edwards
They Outside by Taylor Swift
I think We're Alone Now by Tiffany

Mid-week update

Four days of Spanish school behind me and one more for this week! My spanish is coming along better than I thought at this point but I did get a little frustrated today because I wasn't following my teacher very well. Oh well, such is life!

I have been spending my mornings (8-1) in school followed by lunch at 2 and then heading to a one of Xela's many charming coffee shops for the afternoon to do homework. I will be in Spanish school again next week and then I will take a two week break while my friend Carrie is here.

Since I haven't given many details about living with a family, I figured I would take a little time and do that! First of all, it's only Spanish, a tiempo! Right now, it's Letty (the house mom), her daughter (Jackie) who is getting married tomorrow, and another boarder (I can't remember her name!). They are all wonderful and help me with my Spanish. I feel bad that they have to speak so slowly and they often find me day dreaming because my brain hurts from concentrating so hard on the conversation. I have been surprised that I haven't eaten any black refried beans yet! I have had many servings of mystery meat (a substance that is similar to bologna) and a lot of tortillas! We have coffee and tea at every meal and it's normal for me to eat a sandwich for breakfast. Also, this is the first time in my life that I have been told that I eat like a bird. It's not like I don't like the food I'm being served (I really do, it taste good) I'm just not getting huge servings. When I told her I don't eat huge servings, she replied with, "But you are very big, you need to eat more." Ah, the honesty that comes along with Guatemalans!

My room is small and dark but it's somewhat charming. I live on the third floor and the bathroom up there doesn't always work. I have to take a shower early in the morning (burrrrr) and I have to pour a bucket of water in the toilet for it to flush. Like I said, quite charming!

On another note, I realized that I didn't bring any DVD's with me so I headed to the Democracia. I went to the same DVD stand that I went to so many times last spring and asked for Blackjack 21. After looking for a little while, we found it and I responded with the normal, "diez, verdad?" He looked at me and said, "No, quince." At this point, I again told him my offer and he refused it once again. It's not like I can't spend the extra 5 Q (about 70 cents), it's about principle at this point. I put the DVD down and walked away. He practically ran me down and sold me the DVD for 10 Q. Victory! Yes! This is just a small example of a culture where everything is negotiable. And I love it! There are so many unspoken variables in this culture, it's just finding the ones that you can cash in on.

Well, I know this was short but I just wanted to check in. I will try to include some pictures in the next post of my room and host family. I am attending the wedding tomorrow so that will be fun to go to a Guatemalan wedding. It's at a Chinese restuarant! You know there will be some good stories after that!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

Playlist:
Let Him Fly by Patty Griffin
Waiting for the Sun to Shine by Lee Ann Womack
You Don't Look the Same When You Are Leaving by Stephen Kellogg
Wedding Dress by Derek Webb

Halloween Weekend

I have been back in Guatemala for five days now and it feels like I never left. There are new people and a few new places, but for the most part, things are the same as when I left them. There are some changes in how I am approaching this time. I am not teaching so that allows me to go to Spanish school. I am living with a lady and her daughter (who is getting married this week). And, I’m avoiding American food and sugar because I would rather not gain 20 pounds again this time around!

We celebrated Halloween in style Friday night. Halloween isn’t actually a big deal down here. The big thing is Day of the Dead. Randi (one of girls who is still down here from last year) and I went to Todos Santos with the boys Saturday. It was a four hour drive on a long, mountainous, bumpy road. The thing about Todos Santos is that they have horse races on Nov. 1 (Day of the Dead) every year. These aren’t normal horse races because first of all, there is no track. And secondly, the jockey is extremely drunk. So, with those two factors, you can only imagine how entertaining it is! Three of the guys I was with (Pedro, Coco, and Josh) decided that they wanted to ride the horses so they went and talked to the owners and low and behold if not all three of them got to ride. It was very comical! After awhile, Randi and I decided that we were going to go for a walk and as we approached the hill that we parked on, we saw a group of men around Pedro’s car. It took a second to realize that they were moving his car. I didn’t see a tow truck so I couldn’t figure out how they were doing it. That is when I noticed that none of the wheels were on the ground. These men (about 20 of them) were CARRYING his car!!! Needless to say, we called Pedro and he ran right over. The mayor was there and was trying to convince the police to give him a ticket but somehow, we lucked out and we came across the only honest cops in Guatemala. They didn't want to give Pedro a ticket because if they gave him a ticket, they would have to give everyone a ticket! We were very relieved! We ended up leaving shortly after that because we didn’t want the townspeople (who were still upset that we didn't get a ticket) to do anything to his car. It was quite a day!

Sunday was a pretty laid back day. I got a new phone and hung out with friends. I moved into my host family’s house. My room is an average size with a bed, desk, and shelves. It is in a great location so I’m really happy about that. My host mom’s name is Letty and she calls me Betty (it’s the Guatemalan nickname for Elizabeth). I am anxious to see how this turns out! Until then!

Today was my first day of Spanish school and it went well. My teacher is a guy about my age and he likes to laugh at all the things that I mix up...like, To slap vs. To Pay....What's up vs. What World...I already have homework so I should probably get going on that! I will keep you all updated! Below are some pictures from Halloween and this weekend!

Viva La Vida!

The girls on Halloween (Randi, Me, Danielle, and Lorrie)

Randi and IThe races at Todos Santos

Pedro's car being carried! It's not very clear but it's there, I promise!

Playlist:
Because you Loved Me by Celine Dion
Ironic by Alanis Morissette
Summer Love by Justin Timberlake
L.E.S. Artistes by Santogold
I’m Your Man by Michael Buble