hey all!!! it's been a while!!!

hey there lovely friends and family!! it's wonderful to connect with you all again, it's been awhile, oh man, i've been preeettttyyy prettty pretty busy.
katie, to answer your questions. the kitchen with the pretty pots, the lena, or firewood goes into a door on the right side of the stove. we light up the firewood beneath the stove and boil it all on the top. and as for my laundry, my homestay mom does some of my laundry, and i do some in the pila, the sink that you see in the pictures. it's the same sink for washing clothes, brushing teeth and washing dishes. thanks for your comments!! amor!!

i'm so sad to be leaving my homestay family in a few weeks, seriously. they have been so kind to me and we all get along so well. and it's gonna be time to get to know a completely new family, which is gonna be pretty difficult for me, since you all know i like my comfort in life. i like to be comfortable. but i'm flexible, i'll get used to it!

so we find out where we're gonna be living for the next two years on my birthday, for those who forgot, JULY 1ST!!! ahhhhh!!! estoy muy nervioso!!! i told them it better be good because it's my birthday. haha, but anywhere that i get will be perfect. it's all in attitude, it's all in perception. this job is what i make of it, all in all. i'm really excited for it all.

yesterday we all talked to someone from the US embassy. he came in for a couple hours to speak to us about what the embassy does and his role and the role of the US. it was really interesting, some parts of what he said hard to believe in my cynical mind, in terms of US involvement in the history and the present. a lot of it was pretty overwhelming with the reality of the situation here, the violence of the past with the civil war against the indigenous populations, 400 villages that were invaded by the military over the course of 35 years.. it makes my heart stop, honestly. i cannot imagine such violence for i've been so fortunate never to be so close. i cannot even minimalize the impact by writing about it for my words could never actualize what is still so real for so many people. this is where i stop.

as for the current situation, extreme corruption on all levels of society. families paying gangs monthly to protect themselves, bribery and deception of these peoples towards police to ensure territory and their interests for whatever trafficking they are doing. threatening their families to get what they want, paying off judges to favor their sway in court. 97% of the murders here go unsolved. no accountability by any means whatsoever. it's known and its expected, and people know they can do whatever violent act they want and get away with it. it all doesn't sit right in me. protests every week all over the country against the president and the mayors of towns. there was a protest in the city i stayed near last week, huehuetenango, because the mayor closed a negoitation for a private company to take care of the trash. he decided to take care of the trash himself, so he asked the government for 40,000 quetzales and only used 10,000 on the trash collection. and he tried putting the trash on people's land but they didn't want it there. they found out about his stealing money and now he's in hiding, it's been two months. there's trash all over the streets, outside of homes, all over the place, because there's no collection anymore. the mayor is nowhere to be found. so the people of huehuetenango had a protest a couple weeks ago with bombs and fireworks and set the police station on fire. people are mad, and for good reasons, it's completely unsanitary, unhealthy and horrible for the environment and he stole 30,000 quetzales from his people!!!

the reality of the situation here is unsettling. complete dishonesty, corruption, untruthfulness, disception, violence, lack of transperancy, accountability and justice on all levels of this society. there has to be a better way, it has to get better. it's no way to live, to grow up, to learn, to thrive. the positive thing about the people here is that they are passionate, they know what's right, they are willing to fight for what they believe in, they are by no means passive, they are incredibly active. the person from the embassy said that the best thing we could do is invest in programs relating to health and education. for with education and critical thinking comes action and the inspiration and desire to make things easier for ourselves and eachother. and with health, we live longer.

i really feel fortunate to work with youth, they are such a key group, the key to the future, to change, the future of their communities and families. we're gonna be working together on critical thinking, positive decision-making, health prevention, self-esteem, leadership, community projects, professional development.. all from a grassroots level, working with teachers and parents, with the community.. all of these things organizing from the bottom up. i find it all very inspirational. and although i could say so much that makes me unsettled about the reality of the situation, i could say so much more about how lucky i am to be working here and how much i look forward to working with these youth and learn from them and they will learn from me. and together, we can do great things, whatever they may be, i don't know, but it'll all be positive, and it will all be communal and collective. for together we can do so much more than apart. and with inspiration and a sense of strength and empowerment, we can do anything we want. and i really believe that.

well i gotta take the camioneta now back to my homestay family's house. tonight we're gonna eat dinner, probably play some uno. then early in the morning we are going all going to a wedding of the family that my friend robin is staying with. ah! my second wedding, how exciting! there's another one next week for my homestay sister! ah! and then there's a baptism for my homestay brother on sunday! today, there were probably about 40 women making tomales in the basement of my friend robin's house. all the women, for every grand occassion, wedding or funeral, all get together, all the women from the neighbor, to make food for the wedding, while the family provides breakfast lunch and dinner for them all! my homestay mom got there at 430 am and is still there right now! it's quite a process, it was really awesome to see all of them at work! so i got a big weekend ahead of me. and a big week next week with finding out my site on my birthday! ah!

i hope all is well with you all, thanks for listening. i didn't mean to be so negative about the situation here, honestly you wouldn't know it if you didn't know because everyone is always smiling and friendly. i love being here, i'm falling in love with this place more and more each day, and my job is becoming clearer as i learn more about the history and the challenges before me. there is a lot. one day at a time for us all is the best. i love you all, thanks for listening! take care!!! we'll talk soooooooooon!!!!!!!!
mucho amor, salud and suerte por todos!!!!!!!! love love love!!!!

last pictures for today!!

the bambi one my homestay sister marlin, whose 16, made it for me the night before i left for field based training! i was gonna cryyy its so cuuute!! the rest are of my friends here, other volunteers!! enjoy!!!!! : )

more pictures!

these are of my house here in san mateo, we got the kitchen sink, the kitchen itself, the view from our balcony, the front door and the living room where we eat all our meals!!! enjoy!!!

back from a week away! ah!

as for the rest,

here are some pictures. the first one is my homestay brother and me, well our wrists. we were hanging out watching tv and he started to draw my wrist flower on him in the same spot! when he was done, he took a picture. so that's that! the rest are of my family here!!

hey there lovely family and friends! thanks for your warm thoughts and comments!!!! mmm!!! cookies for my soul!!!

sooo, let's see. mom, you asked what i'm eating.. i'm eating lots of soup of various sorts, blended with tomato, garlic, onion, cilantro, it's reeeall goood! que mas? to drink, coffee and a drink made of rice and cinnamon and milk.. mm delicious as well! and i can't remember your other question, i'm sorry! thanks for sending the package for me and thanks for decorating it katie!!! oh yes and padre, i will create spaces in between my paragraphs, it starts now..

okay

no just kidding! ha! so last week was crazy busy. we went to stay in the city of totonicipan in the departamento of totonicipan about 3 hours away from where i live now. it was beautiful winding mountain roads, the countryside filled with farms and people and small pueblos filled with simple hours of aluminum and cement. the cities are crowded, building piled on one another, buses, smoke, music, food stands of all kinds, beaming markets and people, yelling, everything, smells of gasoline, fried comida. in there's a great energy in the cities. and there's a great stillness in the campos, the smell of wet grass and plants. the people work really hard here. from dusk into dawn, whether it is on the land picking their vegetables to sell, or getting firewood from down the street to make their dinner that night, or preparing from scratch what they are eating later that day, washing clothes by hand, taking care of the kids, sewing their clothes, washing dishes. i don't know if their work ever ends. as i was washing my clothes one afternoon, i was complaining how my arms and back were sore, because shit, it's tough work! it was all in good fun and a joke. i was talking to my homestay mom and she asked me about machines and i told her taht in the us, all we use are machines. and she said, here in guatemala, our hands are our machines. we get along really well, i really appreciate her a lot and how she's welcomed me and takes care of me here. i think she appreciates my presence too.

as for last week, words cannot express. i have fallen in love with guatemala in more ways than one. we had a great week all together, learning from eachother, spending time together, working together. we talked for a while at night to the men who work at the hotel and talked to other women whom we were doing activities with. there's a friendliness here between us and guatemalans and between us and the other volunteers which i hold very close to my heart. i'm very grateful for this.

we gave two presentations in spanish, our first two! the first one, on gender. oof that's a complicated social construction to talk about or work with. probably not the best first plan for our first spanish presentation. we took a risk, we learned. then the next day me and tiara worked with the kids on a series of games and activities about thinking about their futures and professions. mapping out what they need for these professions and getting them thinking about their interests. that was reeeally fun! the more interactive, the better. the more we enjoy and they enjoy! so that was a difference in the first and second one. then the third presentation was helping assist in a workshop on AIDS/HIV prevention. that was.. well.. it was what it could be considering our level of spanish and the fact that another volunteer that's lived here for a year was helping us the whole time! that was helpfulll!!

here we gooooo

hey everyone!!!

hello wonderful family and friends!!!
i hope all you all are doing wonderfully on this fine tuesday! it's raining bundles and bundles here above my head, it's difficult to hear myself think!!! i wanna continue where i was earlier and lost and where i left off before...
padre! it's not too costly to make phone calls, comparatively to US dollars.. but it's a lot comparatively to what we make here, which is equivalent to like 10 dollars a week. seriously! thanks for keeping updated always! i miss you lots, love you lots!
mum! thanks for writing a comment, i'm so happy you are on the internet and reading my blog! yay! it's your birthday in a couple days, so until then when i call you, happy birthday soon and hope you are doing well after your accident.. jeeezzz. i wanna wish you buena suerte and i love you very much!!
katie! i wanna find friends in spanish soo badly!! that's such a good idea.. that would be so much fun!!! i've watched home alone 1 and 2 in spanish the past couple nights with my homestay brother and sister.. those are hilarrrious! anyways, thanks for your thoughts i love you bunches wonderful sister! send my love to matt and our gatos and lil gwenny wenny!
aunt judy! i'm glad that things are going well in chicaago! thanks for all your posts, they are great, it's so good to hear from you! and please, take some of my energy because i can get a little manic sometimes! haha! but seriously, i love you a lot and send my love to your pups!
aunt carley! why are you painting that bathroom??! haha, that color is so blueeeetiful though!!! i bet you are choosing a color just as fabulous though!! i'm happy that we could help a smidgen before i left that day, i had a good time! i hope you are settling in well! send my love to eric and julie!! i love you bunches!!
jenny!! thanks for posting a comment! it was good to talk to you via texting a couple weeks ago!! thanks so much for all your help with getting me here, including doing some of my rosetta stone, hahaha! it will come in handy when you visit! yeahyaaa! i talk about you all the time about how we've been friends foreverrr and about your skiing magic and stories about how good of a friend you are when we think we hear gunshots and the few times i've fainted! ah! but yeah, i love you a whole lot and wish you all the best with everything!!!
aunt lindsay and uncle greg!! thanks so much for your thoughts!! and thank you for that fine jacket that you gave me!! it's been so long since hilton head and those alligators in your backyard, but i do have fond memories!! i hope we can talk again soon, until then, take care and i love you both!!!
cousin sandy! i had no idea that you were a spanish teacher! that's so awesome! it takes so much patience! wow, i don't know if i could do that! and if you are coming to guatemala, let me know! if it's after a couple years, let me know and i will probably know some cool spots to go! take care and it's so good to hear from you! much love to you and your family!
thanks again all for your warm comments and wishes! i send the same to you now and always! les deseo amor, salud, buena suerte and alegria!!! (i wish you all love, health, good luck and happiness!!!) thank you all so much!! you are in my thoughts always!!

thanks for your love!!!

hey wonderful family and friends!!!
jeeez, so i just wrote out a whole long blog to all you all responding to your various messages!! and i went to publish post and it said, page cannot be displayed!! ahhh!! we've all been there, right? so here i go again..
well actually no because the bell just rang so we gotta start our technical training! i love you allllll soo much thanks for your thoughts!!! i love you i love you i love you!!!! <3 <3
que les vayan bien (i hope you go well!!),
sarah