news from Antigua

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Thank you all for your messages and comments. It means a lot to me to keep in touch while I'm here. And Happy Valentine's Day a todos!

Just to keep you up to date...Sorry the photos will have to wait till next time, as I've been out all day and forgot to bring to this Internet Cafe the cable that allows me to upload photos from my camera.

As I think I wrote previously, I'm going to school from 8 to 12 every morning at the Ischel Spanish School. My teacher, Reina, is very patient with me, as I make a lot of mistakes (esp. in tenses) and for three days I was so under the weather with the flu I had that I could hardly concentrate. What's funny, too, is that many Guatemalans think I speak fluent Spanish because I understand everything and can make myself understood, but my sentences are full of mistakes and my vocabulary isn't that great. So, I certainly need the lessons and the practice, and doing "total immersion" as I am doing really helps.

In the afternoons, there are excursions through the school (including one to an active volcano very near here!), but I haven't gone on them yet. However, yesterday I went with the gal from the "project" I'm associated with (Proyecto Mosaico Guatemala) to visit a center where I could volunteer. It's called the "God's child Project", which is a mis-translation from the Spanish of the word in Spanish for godchild. It's a center for children created by Patrick Atkinson, a man from North Dakota, which also has a clinic, meetings for indigeneous mothers, house-building projects (similar to Habitat for Humanity's) and numerous other activities in a small town just outside Antigua. It was built on the local garbage dump, but you would never know it, for now there are lovely grounds and buildings. Lots of children in uniforms everywhere. I'm going to help out three or four afternoons a week in one or all of the following: their after-school program, the library, the office, or maybe in the kitchen or on the grounds. I start next Monday.

Then this afternoon I took a "tour" up to a small town called Santiago de Madura (sp.?) where there is a Mayan women's cooperative. The founder of the cooperative and the ladies who work with her explained how they weave, make reed mats, grind coffee and make tortillas. All of the profits made from selling the articles they make go to financing the local school, because the founder, who is a very charismatic personality, says she suffered from never being able to go to school and she feels that it is very important for the future of the children of the community.

This excursion wasn't really a "tour" in the traditional sense. Two Canadian sisters from another volunteer project ("From Houses to Homes") and I were driven up to the village in the back of the community's pick-up truck. Another group joined us up there. They were American women from a project called "Common Hope". I must say I was very much impressed by the goodwill and caring attitudes of all these North American women. They all seem pretty pragmatic and dynamic and ready to get their hands dirty.You really have the feeling they love Guatemala and want to help by doing something constructive down here. The country is so poor, and the conditions of the indigenous people so difficult, that you can't but want to help. And the Guatemalans are LOVELY people.

This evening we're going to be having a bit of a special meal, a barbecue, for Valentine's Day in the family where I'm staying. Margy's bringing a dessert, I'm contributing some wine, the German girls some beer, and Marcos something else. It should be fun.

Tomorrow after school, Margy and I are taking a shuttle bus up to Lake Atitlan for the weekend. I hear it's beautiful up there.

Hasta lluego!

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Comments

[Paris]

thank you for taking us along on your wonderful journey hilary ... and as it has become quite cold again here in paris we have felt the warmth of the latin sun from your colorful and personal accounts of your days there so please keep them coming !... we miss you

[seb]

viva antigua
hola madre que magnifico viaje! dommage que je t'ai loupé au telephone chez marco besos de paris

[Peter and Claire]

Hope you're enjoying yourself
Hi Hilary. Our first venture to your blog. The address was in the newsletter and since the service is this weekend we just pulled it out for a look. Have not read all the previous entries but this sounds like a great trip -- material for another book perhaps? Hope to see you in the spring and to periodically catch up on your central american news. At least you'll not miss the regular nightly frosts here. Will light a candle for you. Hugs, Peter (and Claire)

[Sanchia]

Linguists
Given that I could still not speak more than 6 words of French after being in Paris for 3 months, I am incredibly impressed with your increasing proficiency in Spanish. I heard a Professor of Linguistics talk on our local ABC radio this week - she spoke nearly 20 languages - you will be catching her up soon!!!!! Your volunteer work sounds inspirational. I am starting to make plans for another three months in New York in the middle of the year, including a week stopover in Paris on the way home. Will very much look forward to seeing you again and hearing more of your adventures. Remember not to fall off the mountain. Warmest regards, Sanchia