Groundhog Day

I am in Jocotenago, Guatemala.  Birthpplace of Latin pop singer Ricardo Arjona.  I arrived last night.  A driver picked me up at the airport.  As we were driving in to Antigua on our way to Jocotenango, I thought, what on earth am I doing here?  Of course, I did not say, "what on earth", I said something else, but you get the idea.  I said that because I was here about seven years ago and at that time, thought it was my last time in Guatemala.  I said, "bye Guatemala" as I left thinking it was the last time I would see Guatemala.  Then in 2011 I returned.  At the time I needed to get away and go to someplace I knew, like comfort food, except travel.  When I left in 2011, I said, "bye Guatemala" as I left thinking it was the last time I would see Guatemala.  And here I am again. I felt like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day where Bill Murray kept on re-living the same day over and over again.  Each time I come to Guatemala it is a different adventure but I feel like I keep returning to Guatemala to "do things right" whatever that means.

I had a little victory on the way over.  The airline lets me bring a suitcase weighing no more than 50 lbs.  I carried on my clothes, checked the suitcase.  I had a suitcase with about 52 pounds of school supplies (crayons, backpacks, magic markers, etc.).  The airline weighed it and said I was a pound over and told me to take something out and put it in my carry on stuff.  I went to the side and took out a couple boxes of crayons.  I went back and a different attendant was there and the new attendant passed the luggage.  52 pounds of school supplies here we come.

No work today.  Just got oriented.  They gave me a room in the school (owner and her kids live here too).  It is between two class rooms.  My room has a king size bed but is otherwise filled with school books and materials.  No tv in this school.  Like most Latin American buildings, there is a central outdoor courtyard and all the rooms open to the courtyard.  There is a shared bath down the hall.

The place was started by Sra Murga Torres, a teacher and social worker.  It is for children with what they call in the US "attention deficit disorder" (ADD).  The children can´t really make it in the public schools so they come here.  Unlike the US and the developing world, Guatmalans don´t drug these children for their supposed ADD, they just give them extra attention.   (I will tell you now, I am not a believer in the existance of ADD.  I think the drug instustry and the psychologists just made it up.  What was called "hyper" when I was young now is a disorder).

I met a young girl Melissa (pronounced Mae-leesa) who refused to disclose her age but I think she is around seven or eight years old.  She is not interested in studying and just wants to be with her mom all the time.  Alternately, she wanted some candy.   She hung around the kitchen while I was eating breakfast this morning.

I will be the only volunteer here for the forseeable future.  A young first year college student from Canada, Erin, is leaving today after a six week stint.  Erin said she knew no Spanish when she came and now she is fluent.  She said that she pretty much tutored the children individually and played with them.  They play card games and the children teach her the games.  Erin said some of the games don´t make sense.  What a job!  School is M - F but Mondays and Fridays are only half days.

Magda however, took my comment seriously that I would assist in anything that needs to be done so Monday I will get my assignment with the kids in the morning and then in the afternoon will assist the handyman of the building...I am not sure...put up a wall or take down a wall?...all I know it involves making cement.  I went to Antigua and bought some work gloves for the occassion.  I told Magda, los Americanos no trabajan sin guantes....

Food.  Good thing I am a vegetarian because not many animals on the menu.  Actually, ha ha there is no menu.  Black beans baby!  For breakfast, black beans, bread, scrambled egg with onions and tomatoes.  Lunch, beans with salad and fresh strawberries.  Dinner, black beans, crema (sour cream), corn tortillas.  Guatemalans do not eat picante food so I brought some of my habanero hot sauce.


I have this weekend off and so I may travel around a bit.  I am not sure where I want to go.  Maybe go to Lake Attitlan, or Esquipulas...but most places I am interested in seeing involve six hour bus rides so I may get there, sleep, and come back on Sunday evening.

Here are some photos my street, the yellow school building (called EBS for short), my room, the front door to my room, the courtyard, and my dinner.