Getting Back on Track...

I don’t even know how many months it’s been since I last posted… Sorry about that.  Every time I meant to write a new entry, I got really overwhelmed with all that’s happened over the past few months, and just gave up.  Then my computer died, which didn’t really help the situation.  Anyway, there’s no way I can give a detailed explanation of everything that’s happened since I moved to my new site, so I’ll give a recap of sorts…

I moved from Comi to Chivarreto in mid-February.  I have three schools here, with a total of about 650 students.  My two bigger schools are 3^rd generation schools, which means that there have been two volunteers in them before me, so I’m mostly working with teachers and parents, while the teachers are teaching my curriculum to the students.  My small school is a first generation school, which I really like, because I love working directly with the students like I did in all my schools in Comi.  Work has gotten off to a really good start.  I’ve already led 4 teacher workshops, 3 parent workshops, and I’ve taught a number of classes to the students.  I’ve also been planning a large career fair that will take place tomorrow.  The tercero (9^th grade) students from my three schools and two other local schools will all be attending – 181 students in total.  I have 27 professionals coming to give lectures to the students about their careers and the various educational opportunities available to them after they finish básico.  I applied for and received funding from Peace Corps’ Small Projects Assistance fund, so we will be holding a lunch for all the invitees, offering snacks to the students, and paying the transportation costs for the students coming from outside the community.  Today we have some last minute preparations to do, but really, at this point, all I can do is hope that it goes well and that everyone shows up!  I’m also in the early planning stages of a large project at my little school in Cuesta del Aire.  We are hoping to construct a 2-room addition on to the school.  This addition would house a computer lab with 15 computers and an administrative office.  We want to build the walls using a technique called “eco-ladrillos,” or “eco-bricks.”  This basically means that apart from weight bearing columns, the walls will be built using plastic bottles filled with inorganic trash.  The bottles are tied to chicken wire, and then concrete is poured around the bottles to complete the wall.  I’ll keep you updated on the progress of this project.

Nice Sunset in Chiva

I’ve been doing a lot more running in Chiva than I was in Comi.  I actually ran 116 miles in May, which was my biggest running month ever.  I also ran an incredibly difficult half marathon on May 26^th in Panajachel, on the shores of Lake Atitlán.  It was the hilliest course I’ve ever run, and it was at approximately 5,000 feet altitude.  Needless to say I was absolutely wasted when I finished, even though I ran 20+ minutes slower than my previous slowest half marathon.  I’ve got another race coming up on July 17^th in Antigua.

After the Panajachel 1/2 Marathon w/ Christine and Justin

My dad came down to visit last week, and we had the opportunity to go spend a couple days in Tikal.  It was one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been!  I highly recommend it.  Words can’t even describe how wonderful it was.  It was the slow season, so there was hardly anyone there.  There were only 3 people in our hotel!  We also had a day to wander around Antigua, which was really nice.  We ate lots of good food, and I took some nice hot showers and got to sleep in comfy beds.  It was great!

Dad and I in Front of a Ceiba (Guatemala's National Tree)

Temples 1, 2, and 3 at Dawn, Tikal National Park

The rainy season got under way about a month ago, and I started to notice that the exterior walls of my room were getting rather damp, and my clothes felt wet.  I told Peace Corps about it, and they decided to send someone out to look at the house to see if there’s anything that can be done to mitigate the situation.  I have become really close with my host family, and I didn’t want to have to move if I could avoid it.  When the Peace Corps guy came out to look at the house, my genius host dad started bragging to him about how he built this house with all the money he made working as a coyote.  No, Don Gilberto, the government organization I work for does not want me living with someone who illegally smuggles people into the US.  Needless to say, I’m now in the process of finding a new house, because Peace Corps has a strict “no living with coyotes” policy.  It’s probably for the best, because the dampness situation is starting to give me bronchial problems.  My boss is coming for the career fair tomorrow, and he’ll look at the housing options I’ve found, and we’ll decide where I’m going to live.

That’s all for now…