Guatemala: Day 8 - Last Night in Xela

For my last night in Xela, Chris and I agreed it would be nice to treat our family to dinner and dessert. I mentioned that pizza was kind of a specialty dinner here and that Dominos was the popular place to go. Chris hasn't given up her NY snobbery about pizza and thought Dominos would be way lame.

However, I talked with Danilo and he instantly requested pizza (which he and the rest of the family all know to be his favorite food.) And followed up with saying to go to Dominos. "Told you!" I said to Chris. We tried to explain how people feel about Dominos in NY, but it didn't matter much.

Before dinner, Chris and I also got a bottle of wine,  a bottle of beer, a yummy-looking cake, and some other pastries.

We asked when they would like to have dinner and they said 7. We said that we would leave for pizza around 6:30, but Danilo added that Glendi could take Chris on the moto at 7. So dinner at 7 became go leave to get dinner at 7, which really means 7:15, which means when all is said and done dinner will be at 8. Ish.

But when we finally sat down for dinner, we had such a nice time chatting and eating. They enjoy kidding around and they seem to be an all-around happy family. Because of the restaurant, this was the only meal we all sat down to together other than the Chinese food on our first night. After pizza and beer, I brought out the treats, which were even yummier than they looked. The cake was called tres leches and the pastry was called mil hojas.

And after this began the vino challenge. When we bought the wine, I knew there was a chance the family wouldn't have a corkscrew. But I asked Danilo if they had anything and he said yes. Then he banged the bottle bottom on the wall a couple times. I thought he was being silly. He WAS being silly, but he was also showing me how he planned to open the wine. This didn't work, so we brainstormed some other methods.

I brought out my spork, my tweezers, and my knitting needles. We opted for the knitting needle. We hammered it into the cork, in hopes to create a hole. But then the needle was stuck. Like, super stuck. Like, so stuck that Danilo got his drill to pull it out. Which worked. And a little bit of wine came with it so we thought we had succeeded. Sadly no more wine came out. Danilo tried drilling into the cork with a drill bit, but finally we opted for using the hammer and another tool to push the cork into the wine. Which was perfectly fine and we enjoyed our well-earned beverage.

Drills, knitting needles, and wine.

The night turned into a nice little celebration. Danilo played his xylophone while Pablo played his child-size version. We also shared our facebook names (which was a good chance for me to see how much can be seen by people who have no real connection to me at all) and looked at photos. Glendi told me to tell mi esposo that I would be staying longer in Guatemala. At first I misunderstood and said, "si!"

We wound down around ten, with Cheetos the kitten cuddled into Chris's knee. Usually he sleeps in the garage type area with the dog, but he was so cute we let him stay. Until he decided it was time to play all over me at 2:30 in the morning.

I woke up, showered, and ate some more dessert for breakfast. Glendi made some coffee and gave me a pair of earrings she made. Soon after I was off to Panajachel, which is another adventure that I'll be saving to share for another day.

Adios, Xela! :-(

P.S.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Our Christine is safe and sound. We met lots of nice people at the school who will take good care of her. AND several of them will be heading to the mountain school at the same time as her! I believe I left her in good hands.

Guatemala: Days 6, 7, and 8

Today is Saturday, my last full day in Xela. I began the day by going to the restaurant, Gran Luna, with the family. Then I ran a quick errand to the school. There is a man, Amaro, who works with the school and he leads most of the trips. During these trips he also shares some history of Guatemala. There has been a lot of corruption and violence over the past century. Things are calm right now, but far from better. A new president just took office this week, which is a big deal. People feel hopeful, but also see that he is probably not much more than a puppet.

Amaro experienced a lot of this firsthand. He is in his fifties now, but as a child his father was captured and tortured. When he escaped, they went to Mexico to stay safe for awhile. Now Amaro and his father are back in Guatemala and Amaro stays very busy working as an activist. He sells shirts for the activist organization so that they can raise money. So I went to the school today to get one.

Then I returned to the restaurant for breakfast and a few games of Connectivo Cuatro. Pablo is still understanding the game, Daniela is a decent opponent for me, and Danilo is a tough competitor. I asked if he plays chess, which he does, because he is very good at seeing many moves into the future. He asked if I play too, but I said no because I can't think ahead.

Today is also a special day because there were two women at the restaurant making fresh tortillas. I asked Daniela, " Hacen las tortillas cado sabado?" "No," she said. " Hoy la primera vez!" So it was neat to watch them get set up and go through the process of making tortillas to sell.

Ahora, Chris is at the libreria, but I opted for sitting on the couch with the cat and Pablo as he watches Looney Toons in Espanol. The reason being: I am so sore! On Thursday, we had a nice trip to Zunil, which is where they have a special saint that likes to drink and smoke, so you pray to him by pouring rum in his throat and lighting a cigarette.

Church in Zunil

We saw one of the more popular churches and then went to a popular market. This is the place to go for fresh fruits and vegetables. I decided to ignore my mild allergies to avocados and buy a couple because they are a lot different here (don't worry, I made sure to only eat a little and share the rest, so I am still alive and well).

Market

River with a random sheep

I had a nice amount of energy on Thursday, so Spanish instruction went well. I simply cannot believe how much Spanish I have learned in a week and I MUST continue to improve in the states! My instructor is quite tough on me and I still know there is much to learn. But I like how I am at the point where I can go on tangents with her and discuss politics, schools, and of course my cats (all in Espanol).

After instruction I experienced one of the top highlights of my week: getting to play futbol! The school hosts a weekly game with students from the school and a few Guatemalans connected to the school. Chris only had leather, tough-soled boots, but I convinced her to join. We divided into three teams and cycled in and out. It was fun to play with the gringos and a few people who are really, really good at soccer. Chris held her own and she finally got to get me back for all the years I beat on her in childhood. We went head-to-head a couple time and she got me in the leg with her shoes. The bruises I have now don't do justice to how much it hurt that night! I also got to score a couple goals. Woo! Long story short, it was a blast, but my body is still not happy about it.

Yesterday went quickly. I wandered around the city, had my last day of Spanish, and participated in making dinner for that evening's community meal. I only did the first hour, where I helped prepare string beans and other veggies. That night's meal was chicken with rice and a special sauce, which apparently contained all the veggies: string beans, onions, garlic, cilantro, tomatoes, carrots, and probably more that I am forgetting. Kind of makes me realize that I am not taking advantage of my food processor enough. That night was the community meal and the graduation for those of us who are leaving.

It is bittersweet for me. I am excited to be back home with my Craig and my cats, but it will be hard to stay goodbye to the people I grew to know well in this short busy week. I am glad that I got to experience this with Chris because we will have these shared memories for the future. She pointed out that this was the first time we EVER went to the same school!

I hope to find time to talk more about the little things I have observed during this week. But for now, I am totally watching Back to the Future in Spanish. Adios!

Guatemala: Day 5

Everyone, I'm sure, has put themselves into situations that could have become much worse. Most of the time, everything turns out okay, but sometimes it doesn't. This ran through my mind on Wednesday when I realized I was lost in Xela.

Earlier in the week, my host mother Glendi asked if I wanted to run up the nearby mountain, so we decided to do this on Wednesday morning. Danilo joined us and we left at 6:30, mas o menos. The run was all uphill and it turned out that Danilo and Glendi were not as into running as I was hoping. They told me to just run ahead, so I did. I hadn't a clue what road I was on or if there was a well-marked end, and if so, how far it was. So I ran and ran and walked and ran some more. I was in a time crunch to go on a trip at 8:15, but I was determined to make it.

I crossed paths with many hardcore-looking runners, which was pretty neat. I made it to the top, eventually. Woo! I didn't have time to relax though, so I snapped some photos and was off back down the hill.

I rejoined with Danilo and Glendi. We ran and walked on and off for a little while, but since they knew I was in a bit of a rush, they sent me off to get home.

I immediately thought that this was probably not the smartest decision, but I knew that where the road up the mountain begins was not far from the house. So I flew down the mountain, or felt that way until I passed a man running faster up the road than I was running down. I got back into the city and was immediately on alert for landmarks to help me get home. At first everything was familiar and then suddenly it wasn't. So I backtracked, but that wasn't helping. I was lost.

I continued to run around the area in hopes of seeing something familiar, but it was a fruitless endeavor. I was now in a slight state of panic and telling myself that I'm not THAT lost and there are plenty of people around and it won't be the end of the world if I miss the trip.

But the other half of my brain screamed at me about how any of these people could be dangerous and I could be way farther than I think and the family will get home before me and think I was abducted and Chris won't know where I am and she might miss the trip too and it will be all my fault.

Breath, Laura, breath.

So I started asking people, "Donde esta dos Calle?" "Where is street 2?" This didn't help, because Chris informed me later that we live on segunda Calle... 2nd St. But all was not lost. I live close to a big supercado called La Torre. So I asked an adorable older woman "Donde esta La Torre?" And she explained the turns I needed to make.

The supermercado was in view within 5 minutes. I really wasn't THAT lost after all. I made it to our street, without a clue what time it was, and then saw Chris walking towards the house. It turned out the trip wasn't until 8:30 so when Chris saw no one was there yet she first headed to the restaurant, which was still closed, and then back home. So I had all of 5 minutes to get myself ready and head back to school for the trip.

The rest of the day was rough; after the run that turned out to be 6-7 miles, we went for a hike up to a sauna. My breakfast was a fun sized Milky Way and a granola bar. By lunch, tengo mucho hambre. I can't remember what I had (I think it was pollo quiche or Chile relleno), but I know it was delicious.

After desayuno, I went home to try to nap. Chris actually got to fall asleep, but I opted for cuddling with the kitten, which made sleeping impossible. Then we were rushing off to class at 2. Being exhausted BEFORE five hours of intensive 1:1 Spanish instruction is not a good sign. So I invited her to walk with me to get some treats. We visited the church and the government building nearby. Then I found a place to buy coca cola, m&ms and sour gummy worms. I also treated my maestra, Mariella, to a drink. We have an infinite supply of coffee at the school, but I drank so much of it on Tuesday that I desired an alternate source of caffeine.

With help for soda, dulces, and a walk, I made it through Spanish and forced myself to get a good night's sleep.

It is already Friday as I write this and there is much more to share. But for now I must go. Tengo hacer mi tirea!

Guatemala: Days 3 and 4

I have a correction to my previous post. Good news: my estimates for the ages of Daniela and Pablo WERE correct. Pablo just turned five and Daniela just turned eleven. Bad news: My ability to understand Spanish is suckier than I thought.

Today began at seven. Chris and I, who are sharing a room for the first time in twenty years by the way, lay in bed for a little while longer. Yesterday we had orientation at 8, but today there is no rush because our instruction is from 2 to 7. At orientation we learned about the program, the school, our families, and the history. In case you need another reason to despise corporate America, feel free to look into the history of the United Fruit Company and how badly it exploited Guatemala.

Chris took a shower first thing. Unfortunately that meant Danilo hadn't turned on the hot water yet. He explained to me the situation and encouraged me to "decirle ahora!" But I said for today esta bien and she would know for next time.

Pablo and Daniela slept in, Chris got herself ready, and Glendi and I walked to the restaurant. Their restaurant is very close, but we have to cross a very busy street to get there and I don't think there are crosswalks. So we cross as quickly and as cautiously as we can. People make a habit of honking their horns, often for no reason apparent to me. Danilo will do this when he passes us on his motorcycle. That's for fun or to scare us. If it were anyone else it would probably drive me nuts, but it's amusing to me here.

As Glendi and I walked to the restaurant, we talked a little. She asked if I would like to run and I think I agreed to run with her on the nearby mountain at six am one day this week. We arrived at the restaurant, which opens at 8, at 8:08.  I helped open the entrance,  set up things in the restaurant and clean las mesas. Chrissy arrived soon after and we enjoyed a breakfast of eggs, beans, rice, and tortillas. Yesterday we had this for dinner, but we shared because we weren't very hungry. Today tengo mucho hambre.

After breakfast I returned to the house to shower. The kids were on the couch watching TV. Pablo invited me to join but I explained I was about to shower. After I got myself ready, Pablo called "mira"!" I went to look and saw that he and the kitten were cuddled together on the couch and Cheetos was falling asleep on his arms with a blanket over him. Danilo then came by to take the kids to the restaurant. He returned not too long after that. We chatted a little about our past jobs. Before owning a restaurant, Danilo was a manager for Pepsi and Glendi worked at a shoe store ( I think). Danilo complimented our Espanol saying it was mucho mejor today. "Domingo, nada."

We walked to the school from home. The walk is less then 10 minutes and we pass lots of small shops on the way. Most shops are related to automotive, but there is also a big pool of water where women wash clothes and some shops with sewing machines. I am not sure if they sell the machines, rent out use of the machines, or sew stuff to sell.

Now I am sitting on top of the school, on the verrazo. There is a gorgeous view of las montagnas.

A Mayan Ceremony will begin in fifteen minutes that will be held by a Mayan priest. After that, we will have some time for lunch before our instruction time. I still have homework to do.

Mayan Ceremony

After class, we will head back to the restaurant for dinner, which closes at 8. Last night I convinced Daniela to let me work with her on her math, because she says it is her least favorite subject. I worked with her on making ten, which was a new concept for her. I explained that if she learned this skill, someday she could solve problems in her head. I showed her a more difficult problem, which Danilo was excited to solve. He also shared his knowledge of the tricks when multiplying by nine.

After practicing math, I taught Daniela some English, which she loves to learn. Last night was a late night. We all stayed up until close to eleven watching some TV. This appears to be typical. Danilo and Glendi stayed up after we went to bed and were still awake when I needed to get back up for the bathroom. I went to take out an earplug in case I needed to converse with them, and this is when I realized I had pushed one so deep in my ear canal that I couldn't reach it with my fingers. So began the unnerving experience of extracting an earplug with tweezers. It was a successful endeavor and after a bathroom break I fell asleep for the night.


Two notes: I noticed that they do not have much green space in the city streets, which means the dog must use the garage as her bathroom. Also, the kids go back to school next week. I am not sure of the school calendar here.

Adios!

Guatemala: Days 1 and 2

It's my fault I am still up at 10:15. At dinner, I wasn't eating much and I tried to explain that I was just tired. At the mall, I had my arms wrapped around myself and they asked if I was cold and I said no, just tired. And when I lost at Connect Four to Daniela, I said "estoy encansada. Uno mas manana." Maybe it's just culture, but our host mother brought us coffee at 7:30.  So, I will make use of my wakefulness...

I will admit right away that I am writing this more for me than you because I recently reread some of my entries from my Italy trip and I loved recalling the little things. So I want to do that again. You are welcome to follow along with me, but I give no apologies for spelling and grammar mistakes or just general typos because I am typing this on my tablet. And I'll probably ramble a lot too. Okay, here we go.

Day one was just a lot of traveling. I started the day at 4:15 am Phoenix time to make a train to the airport. The train was late, but luckily Craig was there to keep me warm and to fend off the crazies who tend to loiter around the light rail that early in the morning. I headed to the airport and went through the usual hassle of airport security - I got held up because a SPORK caused concern in the X-ray, so I had to wait in line to get my bag checked behind a guy who had tools and a giant bottle of lotion. Anyway, a one hour flight to LA -where I got to enjoy an empty seat next to me!, a 4 hour layover, and a 5 hour flight later I arrived in Guatemala City. Chrissy greeted me at the airport and we had a shuttle to our B&B, which had American classic rock on the radio. We got a good night's sleep and woke up at 6:15 to get ready to head to Xela. Side note: I didn't have to change my alarm setting from 4:15 because my phone is still on LA time, which is two hours earlier than here.

Now day two! More traveling! After a breakfast of toast, fruit, and coffee, we got a ride to a bus station and a bus ride to Xela. I could see from the airplane that it was hilly, and I knew it was hilly, but on a bus I fully experienced the hillyness in that I had to hold on to the "oh shit" bar most of the trip so that Chrissy and I didn't topple into the aisle. I also tied up my bag after it slid halfway across the bus. We got to bungle our way through a conversation with a man who plays soccer in Guatemala City, has a teacher wife, and family who lives in Canada. Muy frio! I was proud for knowing that phrase, though I don't know if I spelled it correctly.

We arrived in Xela at 11:15 and had time to wander around the city. We ate at a cafe and I forgot that I needed to specify I wanted leche in my cafe. Oops. And enchiladas were flat taco shells with purple vegetables - cabbage? That was not my cup of tea, so I ordered nachos, which were tortilla chips with cheese. Perfecto. We spent some time relaxing in the parque central. Chrissy knitted and I drew as we enjoyed the ambient noise - drummers, guitars, children, and what appeared to be an American spouting religious stuff in broken Spanish on a microphone. A few dogs wandered by and then we got picked on by some 5-year olds. They were touching our stuff, which we allowed. But then one kid ran off with Chrissy's knitting needles. And then he took my glasses. Luckily with a little bit of my teacher look and his realization that we weren't going to chase him ended the dispute quickly.

Soon after it was time to head to school. We met one of the people in charge and then waited around for our host family to come pick us up. At 2:30 we were introduced to a young man, Danilo, and his son, Pablo. We walked to the car -a yellow sporty Mazda, the little boy climbed in the front seat, and we were off. At home we met the mother, Glendy, and their daughter, Daniela.

This is about where my confusion about the size and ages of people began. I am generally pretty good with the ages of children. But I was sure that Pablo was no more than five, but he is in fact six. And I thought Daniela was at least eleven, but she is nine. Later on, I observed lots of adults walking around with their children. Adults are on the shorter side - I am taller than most of the women. But kids were often as tall as their parents. So I developed a hypothesis that children grow rapidly between the ages of 7 and 12 and then just stop growing completely. Maybe? Es possible?

Moving on. The family also has a cute little dog and an adorable kitten. I met the kitten while he dangled from Pablo's arms. Pablo turned on the TV to watch Nick Jr and the rest of us sat at the table. As soon as they realized our Spanish was pretty poor, they got out their laptop and connected my tablet to the internet. And so began our conversation guided by Google translate. The family was quite friendly and welcoming, hugs from the beginning. Daniela complimented my colored hair. After chatting for awhile, we went out to dinner.

Chinese food! I had Japanese when I was in Paris, so why not. I remembered not to get water, but I forgot not to use ice. So I had three ice cubes, which so far haven't killed me. Earlier in the day, at the bed and breakfast,  I used regular water to rinse my toothbrush. And, pretty much as I was there thinking about not throwing toilet paper in the toilet, I threw toilet paper in the toilet. I read the sign! But then my mind wandered and reflex took over.

We enjoyed large portions of Chinese food and a giant 2+ liter bottle of imitation Sprite. They got the whole bottle! Pablo got cranky, so I tried to distract him by stepping on floor tiles as we counted. We're both a little flaky on our numbers past doce though.

Daniela continued to admire my hair, so I joked, "no lo tienes cuando duermo!"

After, we went to the mall, spending a few minutes winding around the parking lot to find pretty much the very last spot. This is apparently where everyone in the city goes on Sunday evenings. We walked around, went into the attached Walmart, and then headed back to the car.

We stopped at a bread store before heading home. In Guatemala, it seems that seatbelts and Alto signs are both optional. At one point we used a stop sign as an opportunity to pass another car on the tight roads.

I was very happy to finally make it home. Pablo showed me his games and we played Connect Four while Nosi the dog and Cheetos the kitten used my leg as a shield to play with each other. Pablo did not know the rules, but I was able to teach him. I gave him hints by saying "tengo tres!" After, his dad challenged me and kicked my butt. Finally, I played Daniela, who won two games. So I gave up on that for the night and watched Chrissy and Pablo play some games as Cheetos fell asleep in my arms.

In short, I love my family even though I am older than my host mother, and I love my host kitten and I may just have to stay.

Week 5 - Back to Work

July 28- August 2

Tuesday: 3 miles with Running for Brews
Start Time: 7:15 pm
Starting temperature: 103
Post-run fuel: Strawberry beer and roasted veggies
Notes: Thank you, strawberry beer, for making it easier for me to strive for 5.

Wednesday: 7 miles up and down the cross-cut
Start Time: 7:00 pm
Starting Temperature: 98 
Post-run fuel: tortilla with peppers, beans, and cheese
Notes: Upping miles in marathon training combined with back-to-school teacher training is wearing on me. One of the joys of being a woman also decided to cramp my style 5 miles in. Thank goodness for my beloved running music. Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" still hasn't gotten old. In fact, my finger dancing choreography continues to evolve.

Yum!

Thursday: 3 miles around the lake
Start Time: 7:00 pm
Starting temperature: 103
Post-run fuel: tortilla with peppers, beans, and cheese AND ice cream
Notes: Today is no better. I am exhausted. I got home from Meet the Teacher night at 6:45 and was back out the door within 15 minutes because I knew if I sat down, I wouldn't get back up. These next few weeks are going to be rough.

Here is one of my favorite routes for short runs... in case you want to stalk me.

Saturday: 14 miles
Start Time: 6:30 am
Starting temperature: 82
Post-run fuel: so much cold water followed by cold coffee with coconut milk and chocolate syrup
Notes:  With the training plan I use,  I've done all the runs thus far, but I switch around a lot of the days. The plan calls for a pace run on Saturday and a long run on Sunday. I planned to make this the first week that I followed my training plan 100%. But, I woke up at 4:55, so I figured it would be good to take advantage of that and get my long run over and done with. So I did.

While running, I started thinking about how I'll get to see friends and family while I'm back in NY for the race. Then the song "Gone Til November" started playing in my head. I seriously don't think I've heard that song since it came out a decade or so ago, and I don't know any words to the song other than "I'll be gone till November". It amazes me that things like that are still hanging out in my brain.

Sunday: 7 mile pace run along the greenbelt
Start Time: 7:30 am
Starting temperature: 90
Post-run fuel: more cold water and a banana
Notes: Pace runs are tough. Running in the heat is tough. Running the day after a long run is tough. Let's do all three of those things at once! Who cares if I'm too sore to walk tomorrow, which happens to be the first day of school?

Week 4 continued: Back home!

July 22 - July 26

Wednesday: 6 mile road and trail run to Papago Park, around Papago, and back.
Start Time: 6:00 pm
Starting temperature: 103
Post-run fuel: Orange Blosson beer
Notes: Nothing says "marathon training" like running to a running group, running with the group, and then running home.

I'm in here somewhere.

Thursday: 3.5 mile run to Four Peaks Brewery (2.2 to get there, followed by running to the bus stop)
Start Time: 7:00 pm
Starting Temperature: 100
Post-run fuel: ice cold water
Notes: I went to get a teacher voucher that I could later turn in for some teacher supplies. When I arrived, they informed me they "JUST ran out." The "JUST" kind of burned. Why do they have to tell me that if I were 10 minutes earlier, I might have received a voucher? They went on to tell me where else I could go to get this coveted voucher, but I explained that I RAN there and wasn't really in the mood to add another 10 miles to the trip. Maybe if I were deeper into the training plan. On the bright side, I found an easy run that ends at a brewery and I caught a free bus ride home.

On the ride, I started thinking about how everyone has stigmas about riding the bus, yet I don't. As I sat in a seat that was slowly collecting a pool of my sweat, I realized that maybe I am part of the reason there IS a stigma in the first place.

Friday: 2.5 mile run to Four Peaks Tasting Room (2 miles to get there, followed by a half mile run around the area and to a bus stop)
Start Time: 6:00 pm
Starting temperature: 104
Post-run fuel: Orange Blosson beer and tortilla with beans, cheese, and peppers
Notes: I made a second attempt to get a teacher voucher. Yesterday's people said there would be vouchers at this tasting room location, but I didn't really believe them since this tasting room is only open for special events. I was right. I arrived at a parking lot with ONE car. I thought about sitting on the car until the employee came out so that I could DEMAND a teacher voucher, but I decided against it. This might be because Craig showed up before I had time to fully think out my mischievous plan. He bused and walked home with me, which means we got to soak TWO bus seats with our sweat this time.

Sunday: 13 hilly miles on San Juan Road
Start Time: 5:00 am
Starting Temperature: 95
Post-run fuel: Omelet with mushrooms and peppers, rosemary potatoes, coffee
Notes: Another month, another San Juan. This is the first time I did the out-and-back and then tacked on another mile in the parking lot. I felt good. I was slow, but never felt the need to stop, not even at the top. There's a great view at the top though, so I ran loops around the parking lot for a few minutes before heading back.

The view from the top includes the downtown skyline, but I don't have a picture of that, so you'll have to enjoy this pretty view instead.