KAWOQ

First excursion from Xela was successful and very enjoyable. Leaving on Friday at 11, we had a 3 hour drive to Antigua, Guatemala (which was the original capital of the country). Antigua is a beautiful city full of history and many beautiful sites and ruins. The ambiance is very different than Xela, since it is a very large tourist attraction. The city is bustling with people from all over the world, who are on a vacation and there to have a good time. The comparison to Xela was something that was neat to see, after living in Xela for 2 weeks.

Besides everything being more expensive, some of the hotels, restaurants, shops, and other attractions were incredible! Antigua is known for their Jade, and there are a few Jade stores with museums and tours. This was an interesting taste of the history and background of the Mayans and the official stone of Guatemala. I bought a jade necklace with my Mayan symbol, which is the KAWOQ, meaning thunder being, or storm. According to the Mayan Calendar I carry the energy of the group, operating from the spiritual world with universal consciousness; I am youthful; restless; friendly; multi-faceted; a good learner and teacher; drawn to philosophy or religion; and show concern for healing and purification. Sounds pretty accurate overall(minus the stormy part...) – way to go Mayans!

We did enjoy some of the tourist attractions while in Antigua. After a long day of exploring museums on Saturday, a group of us ate at a restaurant on the balcony, overlooking the ruins of the old Cathedral. That night for dinner we went to a place called Sky Café, where we sat on balcony once again, to enjoy the view of the city at night while we ate our dinner and sipped our drinks.

The central park is beautiful night and day, but especially when it is all lit up at night. The Cathedral is all lit up as well, perfect for a nighttime stroll. The park was always bustling with people so on our last day there, I sat with a friend eating breakfast and people – watching. It was enjoyable but hard to handle at the same time. Amidst the happy, hearty tourists were Guatemalans with disabilities, going around asking to take pictures for money, or trying to sell souvenirs. Seeing this and the homeless in the streets in contrast to the “high life” of the tourists (myself included) gives me a very unsettled feeling. It is hard for me to continue living my life and in comparison to some, it seems almost throwing money to the wind, while others have that kind of life.

While in Antigua we visited an organization called Common Hope. This is a sponsored program that aids families in sending their children to school, gives free medical care, provides resources for better living, and also provides housing for those who need it. This program has a great method of approaching poverty. They start with the families themselves, and once they are able to get their children prepared and sent to school, working closely with the families, the program helps alleviate all of the factors that may deter from the children’s learning and development. The policy of the organization is that the family must work by putting in time at the center, a certain number of hours, before they can receive their house or stove (which are made to help improve health conditions in the home). This is such a great way to help families get off their feet and live their life without the worries of those simple needs. This organization has helped so many children and families and is an inspiration that there are people and programs making a big difference in the lives of others – not only short-term but a long term effect.

So to flash back to last week, on Monday I went to a class in the afternoon on typical phrases and expressions of Spanish and the locals – very interesting, and useful “street phrases.” On Wednesday we went to Aguas Amargas, which is a center lf thermal waters located in Zunil. The water was warm and the view was spectacular! We were amidst a mountain cliff and had a great view of the Santa Maria Volcano. Then of course I went salsa dancing on Wednesday night! Thursday I learned how to make empanadas – a traditional Guatemalan dish with rice tortillas, meat, vegetables and salsa.

I can’t believe how early I have been going to bed the last few nights, such a drastic change from my normal schedule back home. But it makes sense when I look at my typical daily routine: 6am wakeup, 6:50am-7:50 Yoga, 8am-1pm Spanish class, 1:15-2pm lunch with my family, 2:30-5pm excursions/activities planned through Celas/ or doing homework, TCB, 5:15-7pm Yoga again (sometimes), 7:30pm dinner with my family, 8:15-11pm finish homework/ go to a coffeshop to study/ hang out with the group, 11pm my eyes are heavy and I am ready for bed! Wednesday nights are an exception because those are the nights we go dancing ‘til about 12:30am.

I have a new Spanish teacher now (we switch every two weeks), so it is nice to have a little change, though I do miss my old one. My new teacher is a little tougher, but that will be god for me because I really want to learn as fast as possible! Language is a frustrating subject to master and the sooner the better. I also have two new people staying in my house here. They are indigenous Guatemalans from Cichitenango who are studying in the University here in Xela. I ate dinner with one tonight – he is only 17 and is going to school here in Xela. His sister is 19 and is going to a University here. It will be nice to have some other “siblings” to talk with in Spanish.

Okay so I feel like I am writing an essay, you would think I get enough of that in school but I guess since it is all in Spanish now I need to get my English fix. We have started our class with our director, Brother Dennis, which we are having once a week. I really like it so far, the theme is globalization, spirituality and social justice. Right now we are discussing the issue of globalization and the preferential option for the poor – which seems to fit in perfectly with our experiences and the concepts that I am currently struggling to deal with. There is no perfect solution, but there is much to be understood and explored and that is the very best place to start.