Sitting down to write a letter to my friends and family
shouldn't be such a “difficult” task. I mean seriously. But I will write two
excuses: #1 My mind keeps wanting to write in Spanish, and so it takes me twice
as long to write, and then I have to spell check everything because I have
eliminated double letters from my vocabulary and want to just write everything
as it sounds. Seriously- English is just a pain. ;) #2 As I try to decide what
to write I find myself thinking about what part I would share with each of you,
and end up missing everyone more. So here goes, my first attempt at being
better at staying in touch with all of you, the people I love in the world.
Coming back to Guatemala this time was a lot easier- I had
less fear, more confidence and a better, less practical wardrobe. (Seriously,
my first time here you would have thought I was going to live in a hut.) I came
back this time ready to not just learn more about a really amazing culture but
also to find my place in it-- to be myself while adjusting to the subtle and
not so subtle differences.
First step- friends. It was so wonderful to stay in touch with
my “teacher” friends in Xela while I was back in the states. There are 6 or so
teachers that are close in age to me at Juan Susay. These guys are the best;
they talk care of me, teach me to dance Salsa and protect me from gringa
hunters. (Gringa Hunter: Noun: Person who seeks a relationship with a gringa
because he believes she is: a) Rich. b) Easy. C) Both.) Also, these guys have
introduced me to a handful of lady-friends. The thing is, Guatemalan women are generally
very jealous and incredibly sheltered, and so it’s very hard to have friendships
with them. But they have introduced me to other Americans, ‘chill’ Guatematecas
and even an incredibly awesome German woman.
This guy's my best friend down here. Also my favorite dance partner ;)
The relationship with other students is a bit different.
Most of them are much younger, Danish (read: close-minded) and will only be
here for a few weeks. My job at the school (more info below) is to mentor and
care for the students, so I inevitably end up being a big sister or mom for
some of them… Odd. But they are still
very fun. (Those interested in a story including a cute Danish Guy and romantic
night on the town just say the word and I’ll forward that chapter of my
Guatemalan romance/reality TV novel to you. ;) )
Three Danish girls and I on Cowboy night- yes I'm wearing overalls.
Second Step- Find volunteer/work. My plan was to come back,
take classes for another month, and then do some volunteer work for the school
and where ever else I wanted. But my second week here I was offered a job at
the school as the International Coordinator. My jobs: mentor and care for the
students, manage student-teacher-administration relationships, and find more
students. 90% of my time and energy goes into marketing the school. Trying to
find low and no cost ways to advertise a non-profit from a third world country
in the USA and Europe is a bit challenging. They had to brand to speak of, no
real communication tools and no presence online. (Or anywhere else)
One part of the new branding for Juan Sisay- this is the FB cover photo
I love my job- I feel successful every day, I can see the
work I am doing making a difference. I have an amazing boss and my friends are
now my coworkers. (Something I’ve become somewhat used to thanks to my years
with City Year)
I’ll be back in the states for 3 weeks in May, but when I
come back to Xela I’ll be starting some volunteer work with a great
organization that takes orphans literaly off the street and gives them hope and
home. I’ll do some grant writing, but mainly I’ll spend two nights a week
counseling and mentoring the 11-17 year olds. I’ll get some special training but
I’m grateful for my time at City Year for setting me up well for this. I passed
the interview without problems and they said I only have to take the one
legally required class.
Third Step- find an apartment. I really enjoyed having a
host-mom last time I was here, but I’m a bit too independent for the whole
calling when I’m not coming home for lunch, having to be home at a certain
hour, and getting woken up “because it’s a beautiful day out” stuff. I knew
when I came back I was going to want to live on my own. So now I live in a 3 story
apartment building just 1 block from “Parque Central” AKA a MINITURE version of
central park including hotdog vendors, drunks, weekly events and an incredible
market. Oh and a McDonalds and Xela’s version of Starbucks. ;)
We hang out in this memorial A LOT. If you look close you can see McD's in the background... gross. ;)
There’s 8 bedrooms in my apartment, we share a giant living
room/dining room and a TINY kitchen. Seriously. Tiny. But it’s safe, has
internet and a doorman.
There’s a woman here who recently told me that all American’s
don’t value life- but other than her and her ridiculous comments, the place is
great. We have an AMAZING roof top. Seriously, we can see most of Xela. OH! This is a good time to explain that Xela is set in a
valley surrounded by mountains in every direction. The main city is in the “flat”
area and the rest of the surrounding pueblos set themselves in the mountainsides
and in smaller valleys. BEAUTIFUL.
The view from my roof- while sunbathing in March. ;)
I’ll write more soon, actually talking about some of the
cool things I’ve done here, but there’s my update for now. Love you all!
Xoxo,
Jeni
