School per usual in the morning. During the afternoon, Brian did some studying and I went to volunteer for the first time at the shelter. My job is to go and help out with the children there so that their mothers can take care of things around the shelter, go out and work, and just have a little time to themselves. There are about 8 or so women at the shelter now and about 4 of them each gave birth in the past few months. All the babies are pretty well-behaved and extremely tiny! The other children range from about 1 year old to about 8 years old, a mix of boys and girls, however the boys definitely out-number the girls. The shelter is in a secret location in Xela so to protect the women and their children who have left their abusers. I was told that most the women are not from Xela, but have come here seeking help, and that none of their abusers are actively seeking them out, although that has been the case in the past. The shelter is one of two in Guatemala and provides much needed help, like psychological, legal, and job coaching help, to the women free of charge. In return, they are only required to respect each other and keep the shelter clean. It is the main goal of the shelter to help these women become independent by helping them find a job and making money to support themselves and their children. It is a great organization that is able to operate due to funding from the U.S and Europe. They also run a daycare in the outskirts of Xela for the children of single working mothers for a small fee of Q20 a month, which is about $US 2.50. Their website is if you care to check it out.
That evening we watched the first of two final soccer matches between Xelaju and Los Comunicaciones out of Guatemala. It was a pretty unexciting game ending 0-0. The next and final game for the championship will be on Sunday. We plan on attending, as we heard it is something we have to experience while in Xela. People that live in Xela have a lot of hometown respect and pride, which gets even bigger during futbol season!
DAY 18: Friday, Dec. 11th
Today ended 2 weeks of language classes, and that was enough for me! Also, every friday our school has a dinner, but this friday we decided on a barbeque lunch. It was delicious and held on top of the school on a patio overlooking the city.
And the food was amazing. The teachers marinated some meat and cebolinas, which are kind of a hybrid onion and scallion, grilled it and served it with guacamole, beans, and bread. Marvin, the director, went out of his way and made some fish for me. It was tasty and greatly appreciated. And what accompanies an afternoon rooftop barbeque better than a handle or two of rum! Great start to friday, and everyone was feeling good. 
Despite our lease, which clearly states "No fiestas," Brian and I had everyone over later that evening for a little house-warming and going away party for our UK friends that were leaving the next morning.
Margotritas were in order and made quite nicely by Brian, the most attentive host. As fast as Brian could make them, I was drinking them, as were the rest of our guests. We had quite the turn-out and by 10:30 we decided to move the party onto a bar. We went to Pool and Beer aka Portfino, a bar fully equipped with pool, pizza, and beer other than Gallo! Brian was in heaven while drinking a stout! The party doesn´t end there as we made our way to the "Burn da Devil Rave." Once there, Brian and I were able to get our ridiculous dance moves out and drink a beer, and then decided that yes indeed the party ends here.The next day we visited Momostgnango, a town near Xela.
Here are stalagstits but not inside of a cave. We past Los Riscos on our way to take a look at how the famous wool blankets are made. Marvin, led us into a family home, where this man was happy to show us his craft and equipment.
It is quite the long process of getting the wool from the sheep, making it into yarn and dying if necessary, and weaving the blanket and adding designs. The last step is done to make the blanket a little flatter and more compact. This is done by stepping on the blanket and then combing it with a special brush made from what looks like those pesky burrs that get stuck in animal fur and clothing. The whole process takes about two weeks, and he sells his blankets for about Q250 or less. One of the students we were with bought one for Q150 or about $US 18.00.On our chicken bus ride back to Xela, we managed to loose our phone, so we have a new number. 502 4892 3894
Okay, well game was two weeks ago so I´m writing from memory. Yikes! We were in the stadium by seven for the eight o´clock game.
is nothing like going to Fenway. Although I bet the stadium is just as old. They don´t sell beer inside! But the fans sure didn´t need the alcohol. In the "seats" we got great examples of hometown pride; yelling at the refs, cursing the other team, and setting off fireworks among the people. Road flares were popular and awful to breath in.
Some officials set off a hot-air balloon over the crowd. The first two caught fire shortly after being released, which resulted in a flaming ball falling onto the fans accompanied by screams of terror. Luckily the two balloons after were successful and floated off into the sky. At some points, the teams were playing around the lit fireworks that were tossed onto the field. The game was pretty uneventful, the only goals scored were on penalties. Unfortunately, the Super Chivos lost, 1 to 1 but with 4 penalties to 3. The fans did a poor job of hiding their disappointment. We got out of there before it got ugly. DAY 20: Monday, Dec. 14th
Brian went to school and I was left to my own devices. I had a volunteer meeting to sign up for days to volunteer and met a new arrival to Xela. She was looking for an apartment so I showed her a couple places Brian and I had looked at earlier.
Apparently, los remolachas (beets) in Guatemala are delicious, so we had to buy some. But, what to do with 'em? Beet soup! I have to give the credit to Brian on this one as it was delcious. Beets, carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, and broth: blend it all together and you've got yourself some delicious soup.
Later in the evening Brian and I went to El Infinito Veggie Lounge to partake in a charity poker game benefiting Trama Textiles, a fairtrade weaving organization. The game was not up to Brian´s Texas Hold 'Em standards, so after returning home, he went out to the real casino to play some more. He did quite well winning, and drinking his winnings that he came home for more money! Atleast he is learning his numbers...and some Guatemalan swears.
DAY 21: Tuesday, Dec. 15th
In an attempt to work on my spanish, while Brian was in class, I spent a good two hours talking with Marvin. We were suppose to talk half in spanish and half in english so as to benefit both of us, but we got a little carried away in spanish. We had some interesting talks which ranged from what he really wanted to do with his life to Guatemala's lack of care for the disabled, mental and physical.
Later in the evening, Brian had to go back to the Casino, because two guys had lent him a couple quetzales to buy back into the game last night. This led into another night of poker playing. Brian really seems to enjoy learning his numbers!
DAY 22: Wednesday, Dec. 16th
A morning at the shelter playing the play-dough! Some of which was hardened and ready for painting. After the other volunteer left, I decided I would try to play a game with them. It is a little bit like musical chairs, but with an added aspect of acting. So the kids are suppose to run around, and when I say stop, they sit down. Whoever is left without a chair is suppose to act like a type of animal and the other kids have to guess. Let´s just say that in theory it is a great idea. The last part of my volunteer time was spent running around and getting my hands "eaten" by a parrot puppet.
Day 23: Thursday, Dec. 17th
The next day at the shelter, we made cars and spaceships out of empty boxes and toilet paper rolls. (Thanks to the other volunteers) The second half I played ball with one of the boys. It's amazing how long one can be entertained throwing a ball back and forth! After, I went with another volunteer from Australia to Hiper Pais, which is basically a Guatemalan Walmart.
For dinner, Brian made a delicious eggplant lasagna with vegetables he bought in the market!
No comments:
Post a Comment