Getting Busy

This week I had my site visit from my APCD Gonzalo. It came at a good time when I was feeling a little uninspired. We had a bunch of meetings, one with each of my schools, as well as with the Population Council, an organization in Toto. We also had a few meetings with all of the 6 Youth Development volunteers in the department of Toto. The visit from Gonzalo was good, because 3 months in site and I have only carried out the diagnostic in 2 of my 4 schools, and I need to present the findings at ReConnect (meeting for all PCVs back in the PC office 3 months into service) the second week in November. I’ve brought it up with the two directors who have yet to answer my questions and every week they show up late and say oh next week. So it was good – with one of them, Gonzalo said, all right you have to pick a date for next week to plan the curriculum with Elizabeth for next year, etc. And they had to look at their calendars and work out a time for me. Gonzalo also helped emphasize that as we implement the curriculum into their schools, the objective is for their teachers to start teaching these courses, not just me. The outcome of these meetings is that I know what I need to do and can plan. I like to plan and organize, which is nearly impossible in Guatemala. The school year is basically over, and the graduation ceremonies for the tercero students have yet to be scheduled. I am also suddenly, unexpectedly very busy. This is great; the downside is that it is difficult to plan – I’ll get a call or someone will inform me, oh we’re having this meeting next week, oh we’re having this meeting tomorrow, and when I have to balance commitments with 5 schools, the Department of Education, my upcoming camps, and Peace Corps training events, it can be a little frustrating. Thus far, I really haven’t had many scheduling conflicts, but I know I will in the future and it will require me to bail on less important, pressing meeting/activities I’ve already committed to, and I hate being flakey, even if it’s for something not very significant.

I recently applied and was picked to be on the committee for GLOW (Girls Leading Our World), a world-wide Peace Corps organization that has a committee in Guatemala and which hosts and organizes camps for teenaged girls focused on self-esteem, leadership, healthy relationships, sexual health, careers, etc. I went to my first meeting last week and am currently helping to revise and create documents so any PCV can start a camp. There’s never been a camp in the department of Totonicapán and I’d like to organize and host the first one, but I have to see if it would be possible during the school year since it’s too late for this vacation period and I don’t really want to wait a whole year, but maybe I’ll have to.

Next week I start my English classes at the Casa de la Cultura. Christina and I are teaming up to teach an intro and an intermediate course for the next 8 weeks. The Casa de la Cultura is just a few blocks from my house in the center of town and is a really cool place. They have music classes, Guatemalan crafts and clothes for sale, a library (where our classes will be), a computer lab, and painting and drawing classes. I actually signed up for a morning art class, although now that I’m getting busier I’ll have to see how often I can go. The classes are only Q20 a month, but they didn’t even charge me since I’m teaching for them for free. The center is run by a guy named Don Miguel who I really like and is very invested in the center. It’s quite lovely too, with an inner, two-level courtyard where they play classical music and have an aquarium of fish.

A week from Monday I also start my cooking club with the students from Xenajtajuyup. I had about 40 kids sign up, but we’ll see how many actually show up. The tercero kids (who really are a special, united class at this school) want their own club separate from the younger kids. I told them we’ll see how many of them actually show up and if there are too many to cook all together then they can have their own meeting time.

There have been several earthquake tremors recently (the first I’ve felt since moving to Toto). Two nights ago I was awoken by one tremor followed by a really strong one. I just rolled over and went back to sleep. Yesterday evening I was at the institute in Xenajtajuyup because the tercero girls invited me to a surprise birthday party for one of the teachers. The girls were really cute and all dressed up their pretty, shiny, bright colored trajes. First they blindfolded me and a few other teachers to bust open a piñata, then we went upstairs to their classroom. They had decorated the classroom and the party was really sweet, with crepe paper streamers on the ceiling, table clothes over all their desks, and napkins that they’d all taken the time to fold into little designs. They had fried chicken with vegetables and rice, cinnamon tea, sprite that they poured into clear glasses over red candy so it turned pink, and good cake. I liked that we were served cake first, then dinner. When we were sitting down to pastel, there were two earthquake tremors and I thought one girl was going to have a panic attack. The teachers asked them all what they planned to study next year (in high school here, the students choose a career to study). Almost every girl said maestra (teacher), except for one girl who said she’s not going to continue studying because she’s getting married.