Angel

I don´t know where tobegin... this is my punishment for being a lazy blogger.

If any of you are worried about how I am doing let me assure you I am well and have truely been enjoying myself and this beautiful country. Acticities have included a ¨Gringo Fest 2009¨at the local hot springs, going to a Xela vs Guat City soccer match (¡Vamos Xela!) and finishing up ourfinal week of Habitat.

I have also stumbled upon an up and coming cultural centre which is run by the most amazing Claudia. It´s a beautiful spot which Lisa and I discovered by chance on an evening stroll around the city. Our wanderings found us in front of its doors and its presence drew us in. INside was Claudia sitting with her painter friend. Despite being closed she showed around the entire place and spoke to us which such warmth we both felt so energized. SHe is a teacher and has developed a new method for teaching Spanish; Lisa and I are going to be her guinnea pigs meaning we have free Spanish lessons in exchange for commentary so tht she can prove her methods. She introdiced me to a rea Myan Priestess who looks like anyone else but is quite lovely. The place gives me shivers and Claudia makes me remember how amazing people can be.

My Gramps died on Wednesday. It´s strange being so far away from everyone but I have been okay. I was well preparedfor this and people have been very supportive. Thankfully, my cousin Lorin is flying to Guatemala on Monday and I very much looking forward to having her around. Today, at my Habitat work site I was feeling down so I went to sit on the street outside. Our site is so small there are few places to be alone. I sat for a while, thinking, being passed by many footsteps until an Angel came tosee me.

Actually it was Angel (An-hell) the 16 year old who works on our site with us. He had aparently noticed my absence and had come to see how I was. I told him what had happened and he sat with me on the side walk and talked. I¨m still not very good at Spanish but our chat made me feel so much better. He told me about his plans to join his brothers in California in March, make money then come home and build a house (a two story house). I hope he achieves it... his is a apprently the quintiessential Guatemalan dream, but it is getting harder and harder to achieve because workers in the US are being laid off instead of hired. HOpefully the situation improves by March, but it is still sad that he has to leave Guatemala to acheive his dreams.

It was our last day with Habitt so at the end of the day we, masons and all, piled on to the bus and headed for the largest site for the good bye ceremony. Jenifer, Don Hector´s little girl has taken ashine to me. ONce off the bus she grabbed my hand and tore off down the corn covered hill with me in tow. We broke on the theopen field with a half built house on one side and a mini soccer game in progress n the other. The spectacular view provides vistas of two volcanos and the Higland contryside which I am itching to explore.I chased Jennifer around and chatted with the my team and others. The closing ceremony was wonderful, everyone felt so cose to their family and team, I know ours did. We joked and took pictures and exchanged gifts. Its been wonderful and I miss them.

There is more to tell but for another time perhaps. Don´t be worried about me; I am well and happy. Before I left Gramps told me to have fun in my life and I fully intend on fullfilling that request.

Love you all.

"It´s like vacation... except we are pounding concrete instead of margaritas"

Hello!

I have been in Guatemala for almost a week and it has thus far been pretty freaking amazing. We are just getting settled in Xela (pronounced "Shay-La") which is a beautiful city full of language schools and bustling market places. I won´t go into detail about everything that has been going on but just know that the weather is mild, the country is beautiful, the other students are awesome, my stomach hates me and my Spanish sucks.

Anyway, what I really want to talk about is my experience thus far with Habitat for Humanity. We have just completed our 3rd day on site and it has been quite an adventure... or more precisely a live game of Tetris. My group of 7 were sent to a small lot 10 minutes by bus away from were we are staying. On the first day our task was to dig trenches... and move 1400+ cinder blocks. The first truck arrived with 700 odd blocks which we carried one or two at a time through the kitchen and across the yard, followed by a break, followed by the second truck. We then hauled massive bags of concrete which probably did us the most in.

The tetris bit came on the second day when our mason, the lovely Abel, realized that we had put the pile of 1400 bricksright over where another trench was meant to be dug and kindly asked us to move them. A chain gang was formed and the necessary blocks where moved. But that´s not all! Yes, the next day we discovered that our new pile had yet again intruded on a future trench so we formed another pile. When we described our labour to Leah, one of our teachers, she likened the aimless moving of heavy stones to torture in concentration camps. What you have to understand, however, about our lot is that it is in the city, crowded by other houses on three of its sides with little room to move around... though marking out trenches ahead of time might have been helpful... I find the physical labour rather satisfying and figure either I will be ripped or have several chronic injuries by the end of it all. Really the hardest part so far has been trying to explain in Spanish to Abel why we aren´t getting paid.

Our mason, Abel, and foremen Dennis are lovely guys who get quite a kick out of us. It´s a great time on site as we sing songs, make jokes and attempt Spanish all day. During some breaks or when we have all given up spontanous Salsa classes are common. Why just to day Team Leader David spun me around the dirt pile between trenches and cement columns, narrowly missing all of them.

I´m so glad to be here.