so i get back to my site and its the anniversary of one of the middle schools that i work at.. Instituto por Cooperativa!! every school celebrates their anniversary every year and EVERY YEAR there's no classes for ONE WEEK and there's all sorts of activities.. these pictures show maaad activities.. there were talent shows with singers, guitar players, drummers.. and then there were art contests of flower making, using nature for art and constructing houses!! super cooool to be a part of the celebration!!

sooo then these are photos from my friend Tiara's site, Pachalum, Quiche, Guatemala!! a few of us volunteers, sidney, ryan and i went to go visit her for the weekend for sidney's birthday!! she was living with the mayor of the town, and they had turtles!! but better than the turtles are us being really good friends and having a lovely weekend together!!

here's another view from the sweeet rooftop view of my family's home... it's of the center of town of El Chol, which is where the previous photos were taken, but close up, of course. but i wanted to give you another overall view!

then we've got some more photos of their historical visual storytelling... all the actors, well most of them, are youth.. thus, my students!! what i proud teacher i am!!

Here's some photos of the park in the center of town, with the church and the open space, convientently located super close down the street from my family's home and my little home behind theres... just a little walk down the cobblestone street to the park where kids hang out, play basketball, play soccer, there's food vendors and drink vendors sometimes.. and there's been lots of music and activities!! it's a total gathering place for all community members of El Chol, or "Cholenses," they call themselves!

guatemala has a very visual culture.. so there are quite a few times in my town that i've seen historical stories acted out before an audience (me and other community members) in the park, in front of the church and in front of the middle school, which is to the left of the church.. i teach classes there both in the morning and in the afternoon!

the guatemaltecos LOVE fireworks, there's not a day goes by that i don't hear fireworks!! so, the smoke is fireworrrks! don't worry, i haven't seen anyone get hurt, thank god, but be worried because sometimes it gets sketttchy close.

guatemaltecos in my town love to dress up in costumes that represent their history and put on plays and do dances that tell the stories of their history.. there's more to come!! here's a couple.. thanks for viewing

here we have a picture of the ranch that my host family built about 10 minutes up the dirt road from our house.. they rent it out to people in town for gatherings and parties and then we've had birthdays and holiday celebrations there as well!! it's beautifullll!! the photo of the window is the upstairs overlooking the mountains of baja vera paz, my department of guatemala.. its a room they want to turn into a bedroom or a comfortable place to camp for the night..

then there's another view from this ranch overlooking the beaautiful mountains

and then we've got a picture of my host dad, Don Robert, and another of two of his sons, my host brothers, Anthony and Abner (in the tire).. they're fun!

and then we have a photo of me and a couple other peace corps volunteers, Jasmine and Bryan, in Antigua after we "swore in" as Peace Corps Volunteers

catching up along the way!

so here we're backtrackin a little..

first picture is one of some our guatemalan peace corps volunteers.. from youth development (my program) and rural home preventive health, the other program.. there's 30 of us who all came in together in april 2009! this was a photo after we all sat around in circle on a lightly breezy sunny afternoon in the peace corps office and all gave our personal committment to the peace corps in our own personal way. it was a beautiful afternoon of sharing, which makes for a BEAUTIFUL picture, as you can see!

then we move along to when we "swore in" as volunteers.. got one picture with the director of peace corps training, Craig, and my spanish teacher, Marisa, so wonderful, patient and helpful!

then we move along to a photo of me and my training town San Mateo family that i lived with for 3 months who came to see me swear in as a peace corps volunteer!

then we have a photo of me and Tiara with our two cuuuute little host brothers

and then a photo of alllll us peace corps volunteers of 2009-2011!!! yayy!!