I'm finally home safe and sound as most of you probably know already. I am filled with a mixture of emotions but for the most part I'm happy to be home. I really miss Guatemala already. My room is too spacious and there are not enough people in my house for my liking ha. FYI this is going to be longer than most posts but bare with me.
My last day was one of the hardest days of my life. I brought in two cakes, one for the patients and one for the staff as a thank you and farewell. A patient with her fingers fused together in balls came running at me with a butcher knife because she wanted a slice of cake. I could not help but laugh as someone like that was running with a butcher knife with a huge grin on her face. I did confiscate it and cut her a slice.
I should have brought the staff the cake so much earlier on in my volunteer experience. They were so nice after! Virginia had told me to do it earlier but I didn't think things would change much so I mistakenly ignored that piece of advice. My placement wasn't quite as welcoming as others because I was the very first volunteer at that hospital which makes me feel a bit special. They didn't really understand the purpose of a volunteer and I think were just kind of confused why I was there most of the time. Finally as I started to leave they began to realize how much I did help and the purpose of my presence.
In that same day of saying goodbye, I wandered to the physical therapy side to say goodbye to some people I knew there. I ended up meeting such a cool girl my age that spoke perfect English! As she spoke to me I painted her nails. It turns out she was a bilingual secretary for a while and then got in a terrible car crash and can't work because she got paralyzed in her ands and legs. Now she is in therapy relearning to use her hands and has plans to go to law school. We are still in contact now. I also played ping pong with my friend Pedro who is in a wheel chair. We reached a 40 ball rally!
The worst part was saying good by to all of my little old lady friends. They bombarded me with nick-knack gifts like Jesus bracelets, fake flowers, and a crochet square. I still am debating what to do with it. The cutest part about that is the lady remembered my favorite color was yellow and crocheted yellow with green trim onto the little square. They kept telling me how much they would miss me, begging me not to go. That made me cry, and then that struck a chain cry reaction. I tried terribly hard to suppress it because I'm going back to this life that is so much better than where they are right now. They promised to write me letters this week and I'm looking very forward to it.
There are so many things that I have learned and gained from this trip. I told my dad it was more than worth the money spent. One of the main things I have learned is taking the initiative to do things. My placement had no direction and it was up to me to decide what to do everyday. For a bit it was miserable because I was kind of expecting to be told what to do, but then once my Spanish started to improve and I adapted to the routine it became enjoyable. I also had to take the initiative while traveling as well. I voiced my opinion as to where I wanted to go, where we would stay and be eating. This will boggle some of your minds but I didn't use a guide book the entire time I was there. It was more fun just asking Virginia what to do and then wandering to find places we liked and found interesting. It was all very exciting.
I have grown up a lot by traveling. I have been forced to look out for my own safety and to use good judgement. Obviously I have succeeded because I am home alive :). I avoided walking alone and did not make eye contact with people trying to sell me illegal substances. I also learned how to bargain and know when I'm getting screwed. I stand up for myself a lot more now rather than just going with what is the easiest solution.
Speaking of easy solutions, it wasn't an easy solution to understand the culture at first. Everything seemed foreign and I felt very out of place. Once I began to understand why the Mayans and Guates were dressing the way they did, and began to understand the government system, the pieces began to fall together. Guatemala is such a poor country but the rich are freakin rich. Rather than trying to fit in I just embraced trying to learn about why things were the way they were and to live my life accordingly. The home base started to feel like home in the second week. Once I would see the Bugambilia flowers above the door and Don Luis's face in the little box to see who was outside, a feeling of comfort would always surge through me.
Finally one of the greatest lessons I have learned is how to get along with big groups of people. I knew how to do that before, but I have begun to master it. Being open to others lifestyles and trying to understand rather than judge is huge. I wouldn't consider myself a judgmental person whatsoever, but when people start to tell you really crazy things it's hard not to judge just a little bit. I also let people know exactly how my life is at home and my beliefs without worrying if other people are going to agree with my way of life or not. What brought us all together were games like Kemps, catchphrase, poker and going out together. The clubbing scene was one I will not forget haha.
Two nights ago I was greeted at the airport by my mom and Grandmary with a beautiful boquet of flowers! So exciting! I'm very happy to be home. I am now motivated to get so many things done. I am starting my applications to nursing school this week. I really want to return to Guatemala when once I am a nurse. I somehow need to keep up my spanish skills. I may need to just make some local Mexican friends and converse. I don't foresee that happening but I know I'm going to find some way to keep speaking the language haha. I am working today on uploading all of my pictures on facebook so be looking for them!
This will probably be my last blog. I hope you have all enjoyed reading about my travels and I would encourage anyone to volunteer even if it is just locally in the U.S. As cheesy as it sounds, you can make a difference! Goodbye for now!
XO Carolyn
Monday, July 19, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Close to a bittersweet ending
So much has happened since the last blog.
Last weekend I got the okay from Virginia to go to Tikal thank god. I took that 10 hour bus ride for the third time and had an assigned seat next to a random Guate named Axel. When I picture what a man name Axel looks like, I think of a burly slightly intimidating man. This guy was just a sweet little pudgy man with a silly laugh. I found out he sells motorcycle parts and lives outside the city. We talked and laughed until my sleeping meds kicked in. Conveniently I woke up and we were in Flores (our destination).
That day, we got a boat tour, I swam in the lake and my friend Sarah and I went in to all of the local establishments. Flores is such a very chill place and also very quaint. All of the buildings are brightly colored with white trim. There are cobblestone roads and a cluster of shops and restaurants. That night we went to a restaurant that was lit by white Christmas lights and had mouthwatering seafood. We had an early night because we had to get up for the sunrise tour at 4:30 am. I decided to take the same tour again because I didn't feel completely safe doing something alone.
The next day I figured I would get a different tour guide that would say different things but no. I got the same tour guide but I loved him the first time so it wasn't a problem. It was even more fun the second time around. I also went zip lining again and that too was more fun the second time around. I am becoming a pro Tikal tourist! Thinking about the zip lining makes me laugh for a number of reasons. We kept making jokes about the instructions in English because we thought everyone with us only spoke Spanish. Once they started laughing too we realized the people zip lining with us spoke English too and so we tried to cut down on some of the inappropriate jokes. The 14 year old guide helping us kept hitting on all of the girls asking if we had boyfriends or if we were married. I don't think he realized we didn't plan on robbing the cradle... especially in a foreign country.
Finally we were ready to board our bus back. We thought that arriving 30 minutes early was a responsible gesture but the bus ended up coming 45 minutes early and we missed it. Thankfully, two random men rode up on a motorcycle and told us the bus was waiting. They were mad at us for not being there but I was mad for them coming so early! Oh Guatemala. In the end we made it back safe and sound in time to watch the world cup final.
After watching the world cup final Henry invited us to play soccer. We sat there debating whether to go or not because of the rain but our decision to go was a wise one. We played in the rain Gringos versus Guates. I didn't score any goals but I did save some as goalie, made some assists and stole the ball a couple times! Yep I'm bragging. But everyone else did the same thing haha.
This week has been interesting. We have played some different games with the ladies, even catch! Yesterday Christina and I went to disinfect beds and when we lifted up a mattress pad a ton of cockroaches came crawling out!! I felt like I was playing real life Wack-a-mole trying to kill them all. I started to wonder if my mattress at the home base was housing some roaches...
Christina and I have also started nicknaming ladies by the signature things they do. I'm not sure if this is the nicest thing but it makes work more fun. For example there is a lady that always kisses our hands so we call her hand kiss lady. Another woman is always talking about god so we call her Dios lady haha.
Last night we went out on the town to Zona Viva and met up with Cole's friend from high school who lives in Guatemala. He brought friends who were all very cute AND spoke English. We started out at Tacontento a chain restaurant and then moved to a private little club, a hotel and another club. We did a lot of dancing and mingling. Sarah even found a McDonalds to get food in the midst of our lively night.
Today we didn't go to work because we went Iximiche, another area of Mayan ruins much smaller than Tikal. It was a gorgeous day and one of the biggest attractions was finding out our Mayan animal and personality based on our birthdate. Mine is armadillo and it says that I am a good counselor, am a leader, value justice honesty and peace. I thought all of those things were pretty accurate but those can also apply to a lot of people.
I have such a mixed feeling of emotions right now thinking about having to leave here but also excited about going home. I am getting very close to everyone here, volunteers and patients. The night life now has picked up and I am so comfortable in my placement. I am ready to be back in my own culture and not to be confused on what is going on 75% of the time. Tomorrow is my last night to go out and I am excited for that of course. I can't wait to see everyone when I get back! Until my next blog, Xo Carolyn
Last weekend I got the okay from Virginia to go to Tikal thank god. I took that 10 hour bus ride for the third time and had an assigned seat next to a random Guate named Axel. When I picture what a man name Axel looks like, I think of a burly slightly intimidating man. This guy was just a sweet little pudgy man with a silly laugh. I found out he sells motorcycle parts and lives outside the city. We talked and laughed until my sleeping meds kicked in. Conveniently I woke up and we were in Flores (our destination).
That day, we got a boat tour, I swam in the lake and my friend Sarah and I went in to all of the local establishments. Flores is such a very chill place and also very quaint. All of the buildings are brightly colored with white trim. There are cobblestone roads and a cluster of shops and restaurants. That night we went to a restaurant that was lit by white Christmas lights and had mouthwatering seafood. We had an early night because we had to get up for the sunrise tour at 4:30 am. I decided to take the same tour again because I didn't feel completely safe doing something alone.
The next day I figured I would get a different tour guide that would say different things but no. I got the same tour guide but I loved him the first time so it wasn't a problem. It was even more fun the second time around. I also went zip lining again and that too was more fun the second time around. I am becoming a pro Tikal tourist! Thinking about the zip lining makes me laugh for a number of reasons. We kept making jokes about the instructions in English because we thought everyone with us only spoke Spanish. Once they started laughing too we realized the people zip lining with us spoke English too and so we tried to cut down on some of the inappropriate jokes. The 14 year old guide helping us kept hitting on all of the girls asking if we had boyfriends or if we were married. I don't think he realized we didn't plan on robbing the cradle... especially in a foreign country.
Finally we were ready to board our bus back. We thought that arriving 30 minutes early was a responsible gesture but the bus ended up coming 45 minutes early and we missed it. Thankfully, two random men rode up on a motorcycle and told us the bus was waiting. They were mad at us for not being there but I was mad for them coming so early! Oh Guatemala. In the end we made it back safe and sound in time to watch the world cup final.
After watching the world cup final Henry invited us to play soccer. We sat there debating whether to go or not because of the rain but our decision to go was a wise one. We played in the rain Gringos versus Guates. I didn't score any goals but I did save some as goalie, made some assists and stole the ball a couple times! Yep I'm bragging. But everyone else did the same thing haha.
This week has been interesting. We have played some different games with the ladies, even catch! Yesterday Christina and I went to disinfect beds and when we lifted up a mattress pad a ton of cockroaches came crawling out!! I felt like I was playing real life Wack-a-mole trying to kill them all. I started to wonder if my mattress at the home base was housing some roaches...
Christina and I have also started nicknaming ladies by the signature things they do. I'm not sure if this is the nicest thing but it makes work more fun. For example there is a lady that always kisses our hands so we call her hand kiss lady. Another woman is always talking about god so we call her Dios lady haha.
Last night we went out on the town to Zona Viva and met up with Cole's friend from high school who lives in Guatemala. He brought friends who were all very cute AND spoke English. We started out at Tacontento a chain restaurant and then moved to a private little club, a hotel and another club. We did a lot of dancing and mingling. Sarah even found a McDonalds to get food in the midst of our lively night.
Today we didn't go to work because we went Iximiche, another area of Mayan ruins much smaller than Tikal. It was a gorgeous day and one of the biggest attractions was finding out our Mayan animal and personality based on our birthdate. Mine is armadillo and it says that I am a good counselor, am a leader, value justice honesty and peace. I thought all of those things were pretty accurate but those can also apply to a lot of people.
I have such a mixed feeling of emotions right now thinking about having to leave here but also excited about going home. I am getting very close to everyone here, volunteers and patients. The night life now has picked up and I am so comfortable in my placement. I am ready to be back in my own culture and not to be confused on what is going on 75% of the time. Tomorrow is my last night to go out and I am excited for that of course. I can't wait to see everyone when I get back! Until my next blog, Xo Carolyn
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Anti-climatic fourth of july
Sorry to be neglecting this blog so much but the time has just been going by so quickly!
This weekend Eric and I traveled to Antigua and Panajachel/ Lake Atitlan. We did not plan on staying in Antigua but we had a few mix ups with the shuttle system and the night in Antigua just seemed to be calling our name. I took my first chicken bus, or basically the most crowded bus with absolutely no shock absorbing abilities. We literally "bounced" to Antigua. Once we got there, we found a cute place to stay and then grabbed some dinner at a palace looking place. It was decorated with a very classy Latin style so it was only fitting to order a glass of wine to match the ambiance.
The next day we woke up, had breakfast at a cafe and booked a shuttle. We had even more mix ups with where we were supposed to be and it was definitely not due to language barriers. The guy told us to wait for the shuttle at the wrong place and we did not board the right one. When we picked up more people. someone had called the driver and he was told to turn around. Once we had turned around, our initial shuttle didn't wait for us so we stayed on the wrong shuttle going to the same place. So not only was that interaction eating our time, the weather also held us back for an additional two hours. Finally, we passed a few major waterfalls and found ourselves in Panajachel.
We checked into a hotel that was pretty and had a great rate per night. We had dinner at that restaurant which was pretty expensive but SO worth it. We discovered that when you order a salad in Guatemala rarely has a lettuce base. I ordered one and it had tomatoes, cheese and I think some celery. That night was pretty laid back, Eric went out when I decided to sleep.
The next day we had some breakfast by the lake and then went kayaking. The water was a bit choppy but it was great to see all the beautiful views on the lake. We could see three volcanos and other towns. That night we went to dinner again on the lake and had a bit of a cab fiasco. The driver told us it would be 10 quetzales per person, but once we got to the lake he told us it was 20 per person. Eric didn't back down and refused to pay which was a smart move. The way back was only 10 Q total.. We really aren't the dumb gringos he thought we were!
That same day was the fourth of july so we had to go out at night. We set out to find other Americans but had to settle for a few Canadians and a Guatemalan that spoke English. We had a few sing-a-longs and toasts to the US. It was a great time.
Monday, we woke up pretty late and decided to take the shuttle at four. We knocked around Panajachel going in and out of markets trying as hard as we could not to be bombarded with vendors. When we finally returned, we met with a group of 18 people. It was a bit overwhelming and it didn't help that we got into a bit of trouble with the coordinator because we weren't supposed to stay another day but other volunteers had told us differently. I am still deciding where to go for the weekend now since I have already missed one work day.
The new gang is great. I kind of wish it was only around 10 new people because 18 is getting hard to keep track of. I'm also not going to lie, I'm really missing home for the first time. I just want my own bed, I want to throw my toilet paper in the toilet not in the trash, put on normal clothes and just do American things. I don't know what exactly those things are but I will find them when I get back. :)
I now have two more volunteers with me in my placement. It's so much more fun with other volunteers there. We are coming up with some really good ideas to entertain the ladies. The other day we made necklaces out of yarn and straws. All of our little projects are for little kids but the elderly really like it.
Last night we went out as a big group together to Zona Viva, a clubbing area. We had a group of about 15 people so it didn't even matter when we walked into a big place when no one was there because we were the party. It was a good thing I didn't go to the gym that day because I think I danced for about two hours straight. And speaking of dancing, the gym I have a membership at here offers Zumba type classes. But actual latin americans teaching that class makes it like 10 times harder but it was still a blast. Even men were there dancing!
Today I have to go to my placement and then find out if I'm going to Tikal again. If I don't go, I'm here by myself or traveling alone. I have to get the ok from Virginia since I have already missed one work day this week. I really hope she says yes. So my next blog should be interesting. Until then, much love. XO Carolyn
This weekend Eric and I traveled to Antigua and Panajachel/ Lake Atitlan. We did not plan on staying in Antigua but we had a few mix ups with the shuttle system and the night in Antigua just seemed to be calling our name. I took my first chicken bus, or basically the most crowded bus with absolutely no shock absorbing abilities. We literally "bounced" to Antigua. Once we got there, we found a cute place to stay and then grabbed some dinner at a palace looking place. It was decorated with a very classy Latin style so it was only fitting to order a glass of wine to match the ambiance.
The next day we woke up, had breakfast at a cafe and booked a shuttle. We had even more mix ups with where we were supposed to be and it was definitely not due to language barriers. The guy told us to wait for the shuttle at the wrong place and we did not board the right one. When we picked up more people. someone had called the driver and he was told to turn around. Once we had turned around, our initial shuttle didn't wait for us so we stayed on the wrong shuttle going to the same place. So not only was that interaction eating our time, the weather also held us back for an additional two hours. Finally, we passed a few major waterfalls and found ourselves in Panajachel.
We checked into a hotel that was pretty and had a great rate per night. We had dinner at that restaurant which was pretty expensive but SO worth it. We discovered that when you order a salad in Guatemala rarely has a lettuce base. I ordered one and it had tomatoes, cheese and I think some celery. That night was pretty laid back, Eric went out when I decided to sleep.
The next day we had some breakfast by the lake and then went kayaking. The water was a bit choppy but it was great to see all the beautiful views on the lake. We could see three volcanos and other towns. That night we went to dinner again on the lake and had a bit of a cab fiasco. The driver told us it would be 10 quetzales per person, but once we got to the lake he told us it was 20 per person. Eric didn't back down and refused to pay which was a smart move. The way back was only 10 Q total.. We really aren't the dumb gringos he thought we were!
That same day was the fourth of july so we had to go out at night. We set out to find other Americans but had to settle for a few Canadians and a Guatemalan that spoke English. We had a few sing-a-longs and toasts to the US. It was a great time.
Monday, we woke up pretty late and decided to take the shuttle at four. We knocked around Panajachel going in and out of markets trying as hard as we could not to be bombarded with vendors. When we finally returned, we met with a group of 18 people. It was a bit overwhelming and it didn't help that we got into a bit of trouble with the coordinator because we weren't supposed to stay another day but other volunteers had told us differently. I am still deciding where to go for the weekend now since I have already missed one work day.
The new gang is great. I kind of wish it was only around 10 new people because 18 is getting hard to keep track of. I'm also not going to lie, I'm really missing home for the first time. I just want my own bed, I want to throw my toilet paper in the toilet not in the trash, put on normal clothes and just do American things. I don't know what exactly those things are but I will find them when I get back. :)
I now have two more volunteers with me in my placement. It's so much more fun with other volunteers there. We are coming up with some really good ideas to entertain the ladies. The other day we made necklaces out of yarn and straws. All of our little projects are for little kids but the elderly really like it.
Last night we went out as a big group together to Zona Viva, a clubbing area. We had a group of about 15 people so it didn't even matter when we walked into a big place when no one was there because we were the party. It was a good thing I didn't go to the gym that day because I think I danced for about two hours straight. And speaking of dancing, the gym I have a membership at here offers Zumba type classes. But actual latin americans teaching that class makes it like 10 times harder but it was still a blast. Even men were there dancing!
Today I have to go to my placement and then find out if I'm going to Tikal again. If I don't go, I'm here by myself or traveling alone. I have to get the ok from Virginia since I have already missed one work day this week. I really hope she says yes. So my next blog should be interesting. Until then, much love. XO Carolyn
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
It's everyone's party!
Nothing terribly exciting has happened in the last two days but like always, I have a few little tales to tell.
Monday I almost came close to crying from sadness at my placement a number of times. I taught this lady how to play the card game war, brushed her hair and played the english spanish game. I knew that hanging out with her all day wouldn't be fair to the others, but in the middle of playing she told me how much she liked me and then in English she said she loved me. I said I needed to go, but she held on to my hand and begged me to stay. Once I was finally able to part ways with her I was on my way to find my favorite patient Chonita ("Carebear") and we played cards. A lady came up to me and I asked how she was and she replied, "mal, me duelen los ojos." -- translated, means bad my eyes hurt. They were horribly infected and she wasn't getting the right medication. She was almost in tears but there was nothing I could do to help with the physical pain.
After I played cards with Chonita, I found the lady that walks me to therapy everyday and takes care of me like a patient. She was in terrible condition laying in bed which I have never seen her do. She gave me these fake flowers and told me she wanted me to have them as something to remember her by. I put them on my backpack and she said now everyone at the University will see them. I asked if there was anything I could do, and it turns out she was too sick to even get up and get water but no one had done it for her so I filled up as much water as I could. Once I tried to tell her I was going to leave so she could rest, she protested and told me she wanted to play all the games that I had been playing with the others. She wanted me to be able to teach her English by the time I left and that she promised to teach me Spanish. I wish that was possible!
Finally, I sat down by another favorite and had a little crowd around the pictures I brought even though they had already seen them before. I'm not sure if she was acting like they were so interesting again because she didn't remember seeing them or if she was just insanely bored and just wanted to chat. Whatever the case, I was glad to end on a happier note at the hospital.
That afternoon, Erin, Eric and I decided to skip the activity for the afternoon. We just got some things done, I went to the gym and then it was pretty much a day.
Yesterday was an interesting day at the hospital. I was so tired because I hadn't slept well the night before and speaking spanish is especially difficult with a lack of sleep. I opted to fold gauze to avoid failing at communicating but then I heard something loud coming from the dining room. I walked in and everyone had on the cliche shiny birthday hats and a woman stood in the center holding a pinata about half the size of me. Those elderly people sitting in wheel chairs with those precious little birthday hats on with smiling faces was a great sight to see. The woman in the middle was yelling a chant and walking around with the pinata having everyone take turns at hitting it. One woman had some hidden strength and nearly busted the whole thing with two hits. I was impressed! When the candy came out the woman dispersed the candy to everyone by running around throwing it into their laps including me. Those that weren't confined to wheelchairs hobbled over to retrieve the candy. (Don't worry, I will put the pictures up soon!) A cake made of pieces of these fried bean things had trick candles in them and everyone got a chance to blow them out. At that point I realized the party was not just for one person, but a birthday party for everyone. They ate a meal of tostadas, or basically were two giant nachos with salsa and bean paste, and their fried bean cake.
I found out that the woman in the middle was a social worker in training and that was her last day at the hospital to finish her training. All of the people got very upset when they found that out. The daughter of the social worker was there with two other people around my age and spoke perfect English. A while back I mentioned that lady who just kept crying and so I showed her the picture of Scarlet. The girl told me that that lady was left at the hospital when she was four years old and has been crying for her mother ever since then. I finally let myself shed a tear after I heard that one. My tears quickly ceased with the lively atmosphere of the party and it was soon time for me to go.
After getting over being sad, it came right back again with our afternoon activity. It was all about the genocide in Guatemala. It was the biggest genocide in all of Central America but it has gone without publicity because they army was so good about keeping it a secret. The genocide happened in 1974 and officially in ended in 1996 with a treaty. It started because the people in the country wanted to change the government to begin to diminish the amount of extreme poverty and protested against the leaders. The leaders of the protests were murdered and their murders went without trials. Then people in the villages were starting to be killed off because they were believed to be an alliance of the guerillas that were trying to overthrow the government. The women were raped and killed with machetes and even their babies on the backs would be cut in half. I hate to disclose the gruesome details but I think it's important we are all aware of what has been going on in the world that the media doesn't share. But even now things aren't all that much better, because the agricultural institutes only benefit a small percentage and it is destroying a lot of their land. All of this knowledge and working in the hospital makes me so appreciative for the life I have and help as many people as possible..
But today is a holiday and I wanted to take the day off. Even though the big group left, Erin and Eric are here so I am now catching up on my blog today and reflecting on the time that has been going by so quickly. I was planning on going to Semuc for the weekend but with all of the tropical storms it may not be possible but I really hope so! I want to eat some more sea food here. Last night Eric and I went to a sushi place and blindly ordered our food only being able to translate a few items haha. We got lucky because all of our food tasted great! Now I am going to make a plan for today and some plans for the weekend. Until later, XO Carolyn
Monday I almost came close to crying from sadness at my placement a number of times. I taught this lady how to play the card game war, brushed her hair and played the english spanish game. I knew that hanging out with her all day wouldn't be fair to the others, but in the middle of playing she told me how much she liked me and then in English she said she loved me. I said I needed to go, but she held on to my hand and begged me to stay. Once I was finally able to part ways with her I was on my way to find my favorite patient Chonita ("Carebear") and we played cards. A lady came up to me and I asked how she was and she replied, "mal, me duelen los ojos." -- translated, means bad my eyes hurt. They were horribly infected and she wasn't getting the right medication. She was almost in tears but there was nothing I could do to help with the physical pain.
After I played cards with Chonita, I found the lady that walks me to therapy everyday and takes care of me like a patient. She was in terrible condition laying in bed which I have never seen her do. She gave me these fake flowers and told me she wanted me to have them as something to remember her by. I put them on my backpack and she said now everyone at the University will see them. I asked if there was anything I could do, and it turns out she was too sick to even get up and get water but no one had done it for her so I filled up as much water as I could. Once I tried to tell her I was going to leave so she could rest, she protested and told me she wanted to play all the games that I had been playing with the others. She wanted me to be able to teach her English by the time I left and that she promised to teach me Spanish. I wish that was possible!
Finally, I sat down by another favorite and had a little crowd around the pictures I brought even though they had already seen them before. I'm not sure if she was acting like they were so interesting again because she didn't remember seeing them or if she was just insanely bored and just wanted to chat. Whatever the case, I was glad to end on a happier note at the hospital.
That afternoon, Erin, Eric and I decided to skip the activity for the afternoon. We just got some things done, I went to the gym and then it was pretty much a day.
Yesterday was an interesting day at the hospital. I was so tired because I hadn't slept well the night before and speaking spanish is especially difficult with a lack of sleep. I opted to fold gauze to avoid failing at communicating but then I heard something loud coming from the dining room. I walked in and everyone had on the cliche shiny birthday hats and a woman stood in the center holding a pinata about half the size of me. Those elderly people sitting in wheel chairs with those precious little birthday hats on with smiling faces was a great sight to see. The woman in the middle was yelling a chant and walking around with the pinata having everyone take turns at hitting it. One woman had some hidden strength and nearly busted the whole thing with two hits. I was impressed! When the candy came out the woman dispersed the candy to everyone by running around throwing it into their laps including me. Those that weren't confined to wheelchairs hobbled over to retrieve the candy. (Don't worry, I will put the pictures up soon!) A cake made of pieces of these fried bean things had trick candles in them and everyone got a chance to blow them out. At that point I realized the party was not just for one person, but a birthday party for everyone. They ate a meal of tostadas, or basically were two giant nachos with salsa and bean paste, and their fried bean cake.
I found out that the woman in the middle was a social worker in training and that was her last day at the hospital to finish her training. All of the people got very upset when they found that out. The daughter of the social worker was there with two other people around my age and spoke perfect English. A while back I mentioned that lady who just kept crying and so I showed her the picture of Scarlet. The girl told me that that lady was left at the hospital when she was four years old and has been crying for her mother ever since then. I finally let myself shed a tear after I heard that one. My tears quickly ceased with the lively atmosphere of the party and it was soon time for me to go.
After getting over being sad, it came right back again with our afternoon activity. It was all about the genocide in Guatemala. It was the biggest genocide in all of Central America but it has gone without publicity because they army was so good about keeping it a secret. The genocide happened in 1974 and officially in ended in 1996 with a treaty. It started because the people in the country wanted to change the government to begin to diminish the amount of extreme poverty and protested against the leaders. The leaders of the protests were murdered and their murders went without trials. Then people in the villages were starting to be killed off because they were believed to be an alliance of the guerillas that were trying to overthrow the government. The women were raped and killed with machetes and even their babies on the backs would be cut in half. I hate to disclose the gruesome details but I think it's important we are all aware of what has been going on in the world that the media doesn't share. But even now things aren't all that much better, because the agricultural institutes only benefit a small percentage and it is destroying a lot of their land. All of this knowledge and working in the hospital makes me so appreciative for the life I have and help as many people as possible..
But today is a holiday and I wanted to take the day off. Even though the big group left, Erin and Eric are here so I am now catching up on my blog today and reflecting on the time that has been going by so quickly. I was planning on going to Semuc for the weekend but with all of the tropical storms it may not be possible but I really hope so! I want to eat some more sea food here. Last night Eric and I went to a sushi place and blindly ordered our food only being able to translate a few items haha. We got lucky because all of our food tasted great! Now I am going to make a plan for today and some plans for the weekend. Until later, XO Carolyn
Sunday, June 27, 2010
crazy coast stories (CCS!)
I'm finally back from my adventure to the Pacific Coast from the weekend. It was an absolute blast! I guess I am saying that about most things here but it truly was. Friday we had to say our goodbyes to Olivia which was depressing. We then we boarded our taxi and began our 3 hour trek to the ocean. The scenery on the way was breath taking with volcanos in the background and so much green. Our taxi driver dropped us off at a dock where we took a 20 minute boat ride to get to Montoricco where we were staying.
I can't get over the fact about how relaxed everything is around here. For example, people are late all the time and when I made the reservation for the hostel we stayed in, they didn't even ask me for a credit card or any form of ID to get into the room. Not even my last name! I think the relaxed nature of this country has it's pros and cons. I get frustrated sometimes when things run really late or I don't know what is going on. But those frustrations are only very minor. The worst is not being able to understand people. I can speak enough spanish to have decent conversations but if people don't speak slowly enough or use the right vocab I have absolutely no idea what they are saying.
Anyway, once we got to the place after wandering around for longer than needed, we took some showers, chilled at the bar and then played in the ocean. The waves were massive!! We got pulled under so many times but were loving it. The hammocks were a nice place to hang out too. We came back to a lovely room with two bats flying around. Yes, I did just say bats. At first I was freaking out then I just got used to the fact that I would have to deal. Then it just became funny. I'm getting pretty used to roughing it now!
The next day, we woke up had breakfast right on the ocean, read our books, took a long walk and met new friends. Watching the world cup was a good gathering place to make friends but it was unfortunate that we lost. At night a group of kids recruited us for a silly game which I was glad to have been a part of... even though it did involve me getting into a boat by myself and singing for an awkward period of time. We played with the bar owner whose name was Randy, and there was no chance of forgetting his name because his hat spelled it out in big block letters. Lots of fun... there were some crazy dance parties in the rain that night too.
Today we chilled again on the beach. It was so beautiful out and watching dogs frolic together and horses trot by was great. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure the hot black sand has reached every orifice of my body at this point and let me tell you, I have never been so happy to come back to a sandless and lizardless shower to get clean.
We have 13 new people now, a very diverse and great group. They are here for a week all working on the same project. Tomorrow will be another interesting day. Until then, much love. XO Carolyn
I can't get over the fact about how relaxed everything is around here. For example, people are late all the time and when I made the reservation for the hostel we stayed in, they didn't even ask me for a credit card or any form of ID to get into the room. Not even my last name! I think the relaxed nature of this country has it's pros and cons. I get frustrated sometimes when things run really late or I don't know what is going on. But those frustrations are only very minor. The worst is not being able to understand people. I can speak enough spanish to have decent conversations but if people don't speak slowly enough or use the right vocab I have absolutely no idea what they are saying.
Anyway, once we got to the place after wandering around for longer than needed, we took some showers, chilled at the bar and then played in the ocean. The waves were massive!! We got pulled under so many times but were loving it. The hammocks were a nice place to hang out too. We came back to a lovely room with two bats flying around. Yes, I did just say bats. At first I was freaking out then I just got used to the fact that I would have to deal. Then it just became funny. I'm getting pretty used to roughing it now!
The next day, we woke up had breakfast right on the ocean, read our books, took a long walk and met new friends. Watching the world cup was a good gathering place to make friends but it was unfortunate that we lost. At night a group of kids recruited us for a silly game which I was glad to have been a part of... even though it did involve me getting into a boat by myself and singing for an awkward period of time. We played with the bar owner whose name was Randy, and there was no chance of forgetting his name because his hat spelled it out in big block letters. Lots of fun... there were some crazy dance parties in the rain that night too.
Today we chilled again on the beach. It was so beautiful out and watching dogs frolic together and horses trot by was great. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure the hot black sand has reached every orifice of my body at this point and let me tell you, I have never been so happy to come back to a sandless and lizardless shower to get clean.
We have 13 new people now, a very diverse and great group. They are here for a week all working on the same project. Tomorrow will be another interesting day. Until then, much love. XO Carolyn
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Hot Springs?
The days seem to be going by faster and faster I even forgot to blog yesterday. It's possible that I might be going a 2-3 days without writing because I just get so tired at night.
Yesterday was the beginning of the change for the better at my placement. I played go fish, listened to music and played an English/Spanish card game. I also fed people, folded gauze and helped clear trays. I have this one lady that always tries to take care of me like a patient it's so cute! The past two days she has tried to take me to physical therapy. I have stopped by every day now to say hey to Olivia and now all of the people in physical therapy know me. The world cup is so huge here like I have mentioned before so everyone stops to fold gauze to act like they are doing something but just sit in front of the tv to watch. I wasted just enough time doing that to watch the US score the winning goal! I also really like the male nurses that work there. We swapped music and I translated their English songs into Spanish. They got a kick out of that. I think my translations were accurate or they are going to have a really skewed view of American music haha.
Our afternoon activity yesterday was salsa dancing. We started out with really simple moves that we were bored with, but once we combined them and put it to music it was a little trickier. Eric was my dance partner and I told him in the next few weeks we have to bust out our moves in a club or something. I also went to the gym to get a membership. It's so nice except for the fact they don't use air conditioning... and for those who know me well that's a bit of a problem for how much I sweat! It could be worse. ;)
At night Erin, Eric and and I went and saw Toy Story 3 in 3D. The line took forever! It was half price in 3D last night. Such a fun experience especially because the movie was in English with Spanish subtitles. I recommend it to anyone for sure.
Today, my day at the hospital was even better! Probably the best day yet. Of course, I started out with feeding people/clearing trays for breakfast, then I painted nails, played with clay, played Go Fish and that Spanish English game again. I'm getting a lot better at painting other people's nails ... not that painting nails is a terribly important quality to possess but hey, at least I'm getting good at something! There is a lady names Chonita, a nickname that means Carebear, and I just love her. When we were playing with clay she made these elaborate figures of a swan, pelican and I think a giraffe too. I was sitting next to her with an evil turtle-ish frog mess. She's such a sweetie with a great sense of humor. She is still not all there but I think has the highest cognitive abilities of most the patients.
Our afternoon was spent at the hot springs. It was great!...Except we didn't actually play in the hot springs but rather this cloudy crowded pool that we assumed was part of the hot springs but in fact was not. At the end we saw where you were supposed to go to chill in the hot springs little hot tubs. Oh well. We had a fun picnic before too watching the monkeys in their cages, the roaming peacocks and playing like kids on the jungle gym for over an hour. I also successfully avoided getting stung by bees! There were tons of them there.
Tonight was the last night we got to spend with Olivia. She leaves on Saturday to go back home and then back to her real home in Switzerland. I really don't want her to leave!! :(.. We had dinner at Tacocontento and came back for multiple rounds of catch phrase. Erin and I lost to Olivia and Eric. BOooo.
Tomorrow we go to our placements, then we will watch the World Cup with Olivia and bid her farewell. (ugh I hate goodbyes!!) Finally Erin, Eric and I will partake in our next adventure to the Pacific Coast for the black sand beach. It should be a good time. More on Sunday when we get back from our adventure. Until then, much love. XO Carolyn
Yesterday was the beginning of the change for the better at my placement. I played go fish, listened to music and played an English/Spanish card game. I also fed people, folded gauze and helped clear trays. I have this one lady that always tries to take care of me like a patient it's so cute! The past two days she has tried to take me to physical therapy. I have stopped by every day now to say hey to Olivia and now all of the people in physical therapy know me. The world cup is so huge here like I have mentioned before so everyone stops to fold gauze to act like they are doing something but just sit in front of the tv to watch. I wasted just enough time doing that to watch the US score the winning goal! I also really like the male nurses that work there. We swapped music and I translated their English songs into Spanish. They got a kick out of that. I think my translations were accurate or they are going to have a really skewed view of American music haha.
Our afternoon activity yesterday was salsa dancing. We started out with really simple moves that we were bored with, but once we combined them and put it to music it was a little trickier. Eric was my dance partner and I told him in the next few weeks we have to bust out our moves in a club or something. I also went to the gym to get a membership. It's so nice except for the fact they don't use air conditioning... and for those who know me well that's a bit of a problem for how much I sweat! It could be worse. ;)
At night Erin, Eric and and I went and saw Toy Story 3 in 3D. The line took forever! It was half price in 3D last night. Such a fun experience especially because the movie was in English with Spanish subtitles. I recommend it to anyone for sure.
Today, my day at the hospital was even better! Probably the best day yet. Of course, I started out with feeding people/clearing trays for breakfast, then I painted nails, played with clay, played Go Fish and that Spanish English game again. I'm getting a lot better at painting other people's nails ... not that painting nails is a terribly important quality to possess but hey, at least I'm getting good at something! There is a lady names Chonita, a nickname that means Carebear, and I just love her. When we were playing with clay she made these elaborate figures of a swan, pelican and I think a giraffe too. I was sitting next to her with an evil turtle-ish frog mess. She's such a sweetie with a great sense of humor. She is still not all there but I think has the highest cognitive abilities of most the patients.
Our afternoon was spent at the hot springs. It was great!...Except we didn't actually play in the hot springs but rather this cloudy crowded pool that we assumed was part of the hot springs but in fact was not. At the end we saw where you were supposed to go to chill in the hot springs little hot tubs. Oh well. We had a fun picnic before too watching the monkeys in their cages, the roaming peacocks and playing like kids on the jungle gym for over an hour. I also successfully avoided getting stung by bees! There were tons of them there.
Tonight was the last night we got to spend with Olivia. She leaves on Saturday to go back home and then back to her real home in Switzerland. I really don't want her to leave!! :(.. We had dinner at Tacocontento and came back for multiple rounds of catch phrase. Erin and I lost to Olivia and Eric. BOooo.
Tomorrow we go to our placements, then we will watch the World Cup with Olivia and bid her farewell. (ugh I hate goodbyes!!) Finally Erin, Eric and I will partake in our next adventure to the Pacific Coast for the black sand beach. It should be a good time. More on Sunday when we get back from our adventure. Until then, much love. XO Carolyn
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
kids! eat your tor-tillas
Everyone is getting sick around here! Ah! Thank god I am not sick. I went to my placement today and was extremely bored. It was slightly painful. Sonia, a lady that works for CCS came and saved the day for me though. She came at about 11 and walked me around showing me different activities that I should do with the patients using the materials that CCS supplies. Tomorrow I plan on painting some nails, playing dominos and coloring. I'm going to change the day to day life of these people because they spend the majority of the day sitting alone all day. It's so sad. Sonia suggested that I have a day where I take them all to the church inside of the hospital because they love it. I am happy to know I am allowed to do these things. I'm almost mad for not thinking of these things myself but I am still trying to adapt to this new place and feel out how the staff is dealing with an american volunteer.
After volunteering, Olivia and I went to drop off our laundry, go to the pharmacy and ATM. We had a cooking class where we made chicharones inside of tortillas. Olivia and Erin made queso inside of them because they don't eat pork but that didn't matter because they all just ended up tasting like tortillas anyway because we made them too thick. Oops! Erin and i also made a fabulous tortilla man out of dough that we named Fred. That made the ladies laugh pretty hard.
During the afternoon we went on a little shopping expedition to the market behind the big cathedral. It was underground and reminded me so much of Chinatown in NYC. So many of the stores had the same things and I ended up buying a hand crafted halter top shirt that looks a lot like Free People and a gift for my parents. Olivia got two hand made hammocks for 40 quetsales which is like five dollars! Pretty good bargain I'd say.
Tonight we have been playing a lot of Sporkle, which is basically a trivia game online that can range anywhere from pop culture to geography and educational games. That ate up a lot of our time. Now we are all going to bed and looking very forward to tomorrow! Until then, much love. XO Carolyn
After volunteering, Olivia and I went to drop off our laundry, go to the pharmacy and ATM. We had a cooking class where we made chicharones inside of tortillas. Olivia and Erin made queso inside of them because they don't eat pork but that didn't matter because they all just ended up tasting like tortillas anyway because we made them too thick. Oops! Erin and i also made a fabulous tortilla man out of dough that we named Fred. That made the ladies laugh pretty hard.
During the afternoon we went on a little shopping expedition to the market behind the big cathedral. It was underground and reminded me so much of Chinatown in NYC. So many of the stores had the same things and I ended up buying a hand crafted halter top shirt that looks a lot like Free People and a gift for my parents. Olivia got two hand made hammocks for 40 quetsales which is like five dollars! Pretty good bargain I'd say.
Tonight we have been playing a lot of Sporkle, which is basically a trivia game online that can range anywhere from pop culture to geography and educational games. That ate up a lot of our time. Now we are all going to bed and looking very forward to tomorrow! Until then, much love. XO Carolyn
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)