New things

If I have any doubts as to how fast time is going down here, all I need to do is look at the date of my last post to see that it's seriously flying by. Really, wow. In the last few weeks, I've: joined my colleagues and U.S. Embassy staff in "officially" welcoming in a new cohort of ACCESS scholarship students, played paintball in a field by the mall, made the long-awaited move from hostel to third-floor apartment (which allows me to spy on roof-top brawls between street cats...oh yeah, and have a beautiful view of the city), begun taking 1-1 spanish classes, and crossed the Mexican border ON FOOT with two other Guate Fulbrighters. "On foot" may sound glamorous and call to mind a series of potentially excellent Kodak moments, but really it was thanks to a landslide that had blocked any through-traffic along our route. Once across, we hopped onto another bus and sped the final three hours to San Cristobal de las Casas, where my friend Lilah's mom was waiting for us with the family's beloved dog, Diego. The three of us must have looked like train-wrecks after the journey, but Rena and Diego didn't drop any hints that they thought so. Instead, we piled into the car, and she launched us into a wonderful whirlwind of a weekend in San Cris.

The weekend in Mexico was nothing short of therapeutic, not just because of the city's relaxed personality but also because of the company. Spending three days with Kathryn and Gabby, who are stationed in two other locations here in Guate as English Teaching Assistants, was like being with two sisters. We laughed, ate, and shared openly the ups and downs of our experiences so far. The two of them also made me realize that there's so much I still don't know about Xela. Those of you who know me well know that I'm a day-time person and that when it comes to night-time energy, I don't have too much of it. Consequently, because I spend the better part of my days working, I don't have the time I'd like to do things that would help me get to know the city on a more intimate level. By three months into my semester abroad in Budapest, I felt like I'd successfully made the transition from tourist to resident despite the fact that my Hungarian still only got me as far as ordering vegetables at the market. I have to say, I don't think I've made that leap yet here in Guate. At first, this realization made me sad and left me feeling defeated. Have I been focusing too much on work? Am I using exhaustion as an excuse to brush aside opportunities to try new things? Questions like these came and went for a bit, but I ultimately came to the conclusion that it's all ok because I have 7 MORE MONTHS. My first step will be to amend my work schedule to allow for more time in the evenings to take a class, volunteer, do research for my side project, etc. The second and much more difficult step will be actually filling my time with these things and holding myself accountable to do so. Sure, it's overwhelming to think about, but as my mom would say, one thing at a time. It's kind of like how my Spanish teacher and I describe the process of mastering the Spanish subjunctive...poco a poco.

Close-up of the damage

Tuesday was Carnival in celebration of the last day before Lent. Here in Xela, the tradition is to crack egg shells over each others' heads, and most of them are filled with flower petals or confetti. Most of them. I was lucky enough to take an actual raw egg to the head! They got the gringa

An adorable attempt at Happy Birthday in english, followed by the much more entertaining spanish version

With Franz, his sister Sigrid, and their cousin Manuel at Tilapa Beach

Nuestra casa es tu casa

My mom is the reigning queen of clichés. I love teasing her about (what I think are) dated phrases, some of them well-known expressions and others...well I just have no idea. But mama, you know it's all in good fun. And actually, last weekend, I welcomed a famous cliché with wide open arms: a variation of mi casa es su casa. My 23rd birthday was Sunday, and as I shared in a previous post, one of my new friends who is currently studying at IGA refused to let me spend my birthday anywhere but in his beloved Santa Lucia Naranjo, one of eight aldeas outside the coastal city of Coatepeque.

After an ear-popping 2 hour drive through the mountains that insulate Xela and give the city its trademark chilly climate, we reached the flatland that stretches to the Pacific coast. Even though we were visibly in a more tropical area, it wasn't until I rolled down my window that I actually believed it was at least 15 degrees hotter than it had been in Xela that morning. As we pulled aside of Franz and Sigrid's parents' house, I felt a twinge of nervousness, though it left just as quickly as it came. Franz's mom stepped off the porch, breaking from her lunch preparation to give me one of the best hugs I've received so far in Guate. As she pulled away, she grasped both of my arms and said, "Nuestra casa es tu casa"-- our house is your house. Goodbye cliché and hello words sweeter than the oranges that we bought on the side of the road to snack on during the drive. And trust me, those oranges were some of the sweetest fruit I've ever had.

Many of you can empathize that holidays and other "special" days always make you feel more sentimental when you're far away from home. Maybe it's the nostalgia for family and friends, or maybe it's the momentary panic that comes with glimpsing what life could be like alone on days that the rest of society deems as times when no one should be by themselves. I don't know the reason, but, after last weekend, I DO know that spending those days with another family can certainly take the edge off. Not only did Franz's dad wake up at 6am to set off fire-crackers in their side yard, a birthday celebration tradition here in Guate, but he also serenaded us with a breakfast prelude that wished me a happy birthday and many blessings throughout the rest of my life. A few of us trekked to Tilapa beach late morning and then headed to meet the rest of the family for a river-side picnic lunch. Even though the spanish was a bit fast-paced for me, resulting in many please explain glances in Franz's direction, I joked, laughed, ate, and reclined in the warm breeze as comfortably as if I were with my own family. What a blessing wrapped in a birthday I will never ever forget.

A presentation well done!

Running buddies! Amparo is also the EducationUSA rep at IGA, and she graciously invited me to be a "guest speaker" for a presentation on the importance of having community service experience when applying to college. She was incredible, of course, and our workshop attendees didn't run away screaming after I delivered my piece in Spanish, so I'd say it was a success...these post-presentation smiles thought so too

Beware: Gringa teaching her first lesson.

"Teacher, we can't understand your strange accent."

Feel the love

A day of affection. A day for lovers. A day of friendship. If you ask a Guatemalan what they celebrate on Valentine's Day, they'll most likely describe it using one of these phrases unless they don't like the holiday, in which case you'll get various amusing responses complete with hand gestures. Now, my new friends and colleagues almost always love to find a good joke in my culture-related questions, but they weren't kidding when they described what February 14th would be like in Xela. All of those first three descriptions fit my day today, though I didn't directly experience the second one (don't worry, Adrian). In fact, most of my days here are filled with affection, love (again, platonic), and friendship.

I'm certainly no expert, but I'm positive there's no shortage of affection in Guatemala, including its many welcome and not-so-welcome forms. I'd even extend this assertion to all of Latin America. Why? Its cultural roots are surely various and widespread, but I'm convinced that we foreigners, in particular, make instant contact with this affection thanks to one simple thing: besos. I think these little one-cheek kisses are incredibly powerful. Exchanged during a first meeting or between old friends, besos break down barriers that handshakes often put up. Instead of coming away from a greeting with unsettling thoughts like, "Wow, he really gave me a dead fish with that handshake," you've already bypassed any akwardness with besitos by getting close enough to the person to put your lips to his or her cheek. And it's absolutely wonderful never leaving class without 20 besos from your students; it's respect, gratitude, and well-wishing all in one.

Friendship. I knew this would require patience, but I just haven't felt like waiting. I've shared with some people that it's often felt like freshman year of college. On one hand, you want to be super outgoing, and on the other, you desperately want to avoid being labeled "the clingy one." I've tried to find a balance, and while there's certainly much more time to develop relationships, I've stumbled upon some good beginnings. One of the students with whom I'm doing a language exchange outside of class (I help him with English, and he speaks Spanish with me) immediately invited me to hang out at his house with his family on Sunday when I mentioned that I didn't have any plans for my birthday. And one of my colleagues has now become my running partner, which always makes exercising before sunrise significantly more enjoyable. When she asked whether I'd want to help her with a marathon training plan, I was all hugs and besos..I was so excited. I'd missed running SO much and was anxious to have it back in my life. Now it's not only a regular part of my routine, but it's also great bonding time with a new friend.

Many people have very wisely warned me that my grant period will be punctuated with ups, downs, and plateaus. I 100% believe this, but it's comforting to know that even in the darkest of times, I won't have to look too far to feel the love.