We have almost doubled!

Well, time certainly is flying by! A lot has happened in the last month. My last vacation was incredible, filled with hiking through the forest, kayaking on a beautiful river, swimming in a hot waterfall... that was definitely a first for me!...exploring more caves, dancing the punta with the locals of Livingston...look up the dance, it is quite interesting!...and some Spanish classes thrown in too. Since coming back from vacation, the one girl was with my with the chiquitos went back home to Spain, and now there is another one, also from Spain, with me. We now are up to seven kids..all fun and adorable, with their own cute personalities, and are supposedly getting another one this week as well... we will see. The little ones have enjoyed painting, making little musical instruments, and of course trips to the park. We also all took a trip to a river to go swimming the other week. It was a two hour walk there and back...everyone definitely slept well that night, including me! My English class continues to improve and become more and more confident in their English skills. We wrote pen pal letters to a class in NYC...a great cross cultural lesson! It has been extremely quiet this week, because many of the kids have gone home for Easter...we usually have 150 to 200 kids...we have about 50 now. And we are on the weekend schedule, which means we get to wake up at 7 every morning, instead of 530..this definitely makes me happy, as well as my three year olds! I will be taking another vacation beginning on Monday for a week...the fact that I get a weeks vacation once every three weeks, is pretty incredible considering well, I dont think that is the way it is at home...anyway, I will be going to see the Mayan ruins, and then going into Belize for a few days, because I need to get out of the country in order to renew my visa. Another two weeks after that at the orphanage and then a 10 day vacation with my brother! Then, home sweet home, where I will be living and teaching in NYC, for at least 3 years. Life is good. Off to shower the little ones...Happy Easter to all!

Some pictures...

Casa Guatemala...










Swimming in the river...one of our favorite activities!

Our four little ones! Three more will be arriving either today or tomorrow to join our little family!





Atleast once a week, we go to Brisas, a village 10 minutes away, and enjoy a special treat...fresh oranges!


A bunch of volunteers put on a puppet show for the kids right before they left to go back home...it was adorable!



The last Thursday of every month, there is a huge birthday party, complete with games, gifts, and cake.

Cumplenos feliz, cumpleanos feliz...





Our cute little colorful room


Reading the books we just got from the library


Little cutie


On my way to Fronteras for a week vacation...Life is good!

I dont know how to format this blog! Sorry!

I had a dream and it came true!

So the other day, at the orientador's meeting, we heard that we would be getting another chiquito, a 2 year old boy. Two nights after the meeting, I dreamt that I woke up and there he was in the room, with us. Yesterday morning, it all came true! One of the cooks walked in our room at 5.30 am with the newest member of our group. So, now we are back to 4! He is super cute, and although yesterday, he was a bit nervous and shy, today he is playing, smiling, and laughing with the rest of the kids. All is good! We have been spending lots of time at the playground, playing with the ninas pequenas, the five and six year old girls, reading stories...which is definitely good for my Spanish...and well, being giggling, silly 2 and 3 year olds. I am sure you can imagine...And I learned how to play I Spy in Spanish...''Veo, Veo...Que ves? Yo veo una cosita que comienza con un 'a'...'' My English classes continue to be one of the highlights of my days as well, it is extremely rewarding to watch them become more and more confident as they participate more and more in class. I also enjoy getting to know other kids, besides my main 4. Next weekend, I will be taking my descanso, my one week break, with another volunteer. We are going to go to a finca for the weekend, a plantation by the water, that has kayak tours, hiking, etc...then on Monday, we will be going to a Spanish school to study in the mornings, and travel a bit in the afternoons. The other orientador I have been working with will be leaving the day I return, and I will be working with another girl, also from Spain.
This place truly is incredible. It is amazing how year after year, volunteers come from all over to help. And although there is definitely a shortage right now, everyone truly steps up, and does whatever is needed to help, to make sure that everything goes smoothly, and that all the children are given the love, attention, and support they need. I am blessed to be working with so many people with such generous and loving hearts. I love you all!

1 month in Guatemala!

So yesterday was 1 month in Guatemala! Peace Corps definitely prepared me 100% for this experience and I was able to adjust right away, which was very nice! Time is going by very quickly, and I am blessed to still be healthy, safe, and happy! My English classes are going very well, there are only about 10 kids in each class, which is nice to be able to play many review games, etc, and I am able to give more individual attention to each student. I have also started taking care of a 4 month year old baby for a couple hours a week, who happens to be the little sister of one of my chiquitos. Kitchen work is always entertaining as well, the other day I crushed up some sort of grain with my hands to make a drink for the kids snack...Who knows exactly what it was, but it tasted great! This weekend, we are having a party for kids for Valentines Day, and then there is going to be a party for the volunteers at night as well...Off to English again, but Happy Valentines Day to all and have fun with the 10 inches of snow!

I know the word for lice in 3 languages...

I had to laugh the other day when I realized that I knew the word for lice in three languages...lice, ucus (not sure of the spelling but something like that in Samoan) and piojos. And I even learned how to take them out of my little 3 year old childrens hair. Who knew that it is best to put butter in their hair first, and then to brush their hair with a special brush... Of course afterwards we had to put some serious soap in their hair to get the butter out, shampoo with the special lice shampoo, and finally change all the sheets... but they are all now lice free! Yea! Still loving my time here and have made a schedule for myself which I love. I know myself and know that I need some sort of structure and need to stay busy... A volunteer is leaving this weekend and I will be taking over her English classes for an hour a day, and will also be helping with the Kindergarten English class...and I have started doing yoga! Another new volunteer just came a few days ago who runs and does yoga. Perfect! So we have an exercise hour every day, and switch between running and yoga. She used to be a gymnast so she is super flexible. Maybe in May, I will be able to touch my toes...Anyway, the other orientador who is with me went on her one week vacation, so it is just me with my 3 little ones. They have been angels so far though, and I have to say that they are way better at waking up in the morning at 5:30 than I ever was and ever will be... Off to English class...love you all.

I saw a monkey!

So crazy, so for the past few days at the orphange, I have been hearing monkeys in the trees but hadn´t seen on yet. Today, in the afternoon, I went with another volunteer to a river with seven boys ages 7 to 8. On our way there, we stopped to check out the monkeys. It was really enjoyable, we ran some, walked some, swam, and the boys all covered themselves with clay. A fun little adventure away from the orphange and nice to meet other kids.
To backtrack a bit though, my last week in Coban was incredible. I went to a tea farm, where a Peace Corps Volunteer works, and saw the makings of tea... and am bringing some home for all of you to sample! I also went to San Cristobal, a beautiful village a 20 minute bus ride away, which has a lovely lagoon. On the weekend, the other student and I went with our teacher to Sachicha, where we were once again cave explorers and also got to swim in a waterfall... And I shouldn´t forgot to mention this was 2 o´clock in the afternoon on a Friday... man, I am a lucky girl! Saturday, we went to some really incredible, gigantic caves! Monday was the day to saw goodbye... My teacher came to the house to pick me up, I gave Dona Martita and Claudia thank you cards and big hugs, and off we went to the bus station.. All worked out beautifully, I took 2 buses and was dropped off at Hotel Backpackers, where I spent the night. All the funds received from Hotel Backpackers go directly to Casa Guatemala....
Which is where I am now! I absolutely love it! I am responsible for the chiquitos, the little ones ages 2 to 4. We have 4 right now, but one if moving up to the next group next week, so we will have 3. There is another woman from Spain who is working with me. So, to give you an idea...we wake them up at 530, give them showers, breakfast at 6... at 730 they go to school. We pick them up at 1130 and they take a nap until 1230... back to school at 4. We pick them up at 4, play, showers at 5, dinner at 530, other activities which other volunteers run from 630 to 730 and 730, they go to sleep. Right now, I am working on figuring out what to do in all the free time... def going to spend time running because it is a beautiful place to run. I also went to a English class the other day, and would like to spend a lot of time helping with those kids. There is also a student with special needs who I am going to work with for a few hours a week. I like the fact that like Peace Corps, I can really do as much as I want. Of course, my little ones are my first priority...and it really is amazing how much Spanish I have already learned from 3 year olds!.... but then we can get involved with all other sorts of things. All the volunteers are incredible.. so fun and loving. They are from all over too.. Spain, Italy, Scotland, Chech Republic, Austrailia, America... all of course with millions of incredible stories of all the places they have traveled too... okay, we only get an hour and a half in town, about once every week or two... so I and going to get going to, and buy some fun things.. like chocolate!..to bring back with me. I am thinking of all of you in the 10 degree weather back at home! It is in the 70s and 80s here! Love you all! Sally

Orchid farms, coffee farms, national parks, 70th birthday parties, Konkian...

What a week! To sum it up, the week consisted of: a huge orchid farm, a coffee tour, Mayan art museum, hiking in a national park, learning, winning, and losing a Guatemalan card game called Konkian, attending the 70th birthday party of the lady of the house I am staying in which began at 5am with firecrackers and mariachi players, and exploring a cave! Of course, I have been learning a ton of Spanish too, in the 4 hour language classes. Another week here and then to Casa Guatemala. I have to say it is now 70s here! I think this is my kind of weather...

Inside of a cave, just discovered in 1998... Grutas Rey Santos
Beautiful park where the cave was
The mariachi band which began playing at 5 am for Dona Martita´s birthday
Some members of the sweet, caring family I am staying with
Overlooking Coban
My tour guides at the orchid farm
Vivero Verapaz, a huge orchid farm!
Trying some coffee beans.

Coban!

I don´t know where to begin. First of all, I have to say it is 56 degrees! I was expecting 80! I am going to get good use out of the 1 sweatshirt I brought! Anyway, Preston dropped me off at the airport at 3:45 am yesterday morning. ¿Was that only yesterday? (I love this keyboard...you can put in upside down question marks!) I slept on the plane to Houston and then again to Guatemala City. The first plane was early arriving to Houston which was nice, so I didn´t have to worry about making my connecting flight. On the plane, the lady sitting next to me asked if I knew Spanish. I told her a little bit and she proceeded to ask for my help filling out the customs forms. Our conversation confirmed that Samoan is still taking up the foreign language part of my brain, and it is going to take awhile to get my Spanish going again! I went through customs, walked outside of the airport and my Spanish language teacher, Jaime, was there with a large sign "WELCOME SALLY BRIGGS." We began talking and I immediately realized this was going to be a total immersion program...I think I only heard him speak one word of English! He called a taxi, which we took to the bus station. We then took the bus to Coban, a 4 hour ride. To my surprise, the bus was incredibly comfortable --cushioned seats, we watched a DVD, we are talking Leprechaun! I was definitely expecting more of a Samoan bus experience... We talked for awhile and I napped a little more. We arrived in the center of town and took another taxi. We got out of the taxi and were at the house where I would be staying. We went inside and Jaime introduced me to the lady of the house, Doña Martita, and a few other people who live there, and then he left! Fortunately, after Samoa, I think I avoided making the "Oh my, what do I do now?" look on my face. She asked me if I was hungry or if I wanted to rest. I said that I would unpack my bags first, and she told me that dinner would be ready in 30 minutes. About 10 minutes later, there was a knock on my door. A little boy, who also lives there, told me I was being called downstairs. He definitely put a smile on my face, and I had to laugh, remembering all of the times I had a knock on my door in Samoa, usually accompanied by little Linda's smiling face. I went downstairs, and to my surprise, was introduced to three Peace Corps Volunteers! Gosh, I am so blessed at these crazy things that always just seem to happen! Two of the volunteers only have two months left and the other one is toward the beginning of her service. I left them to eat dinner, a delicious mix of beans, tortillas, and some sort of vegetable dish. We later had punch, with a ton of fresh fruit in it, yum! It was really nice to share experiences with them and also to get their advice. Go figure that the first night in Guatemala, I ended up watching a movie with Peace Corps volunteers! I went to sleep well fed, with a wonderful feeling that I would be well taken care of for the next two weeks.

Breakfast this morning was at 7:30, more beans and tortillas, eggs, and papaya. The tortillas I have to say are incredible, they are made of corn, and are way better than any tortillas I have even tasted! The papaya also brought me back to Samoa. 8:00, class began. The school is right around the block, only a 2 minute walk. Jaime was all ready for me when I arrived. I met his mother who also lives at the school. I have to say I know I am going to learn more in the next 2 weeks than I did in atleast 2 years of college. One on one classes are incredible...I have no choice but to be 100% attentive the entire time, can say anything, ask about any topic, and am not afraid to make mistakes. And there is absolutely no English allowed. I was telling Jaime about when I went to Spain and if anyone if the class said a work of English, he or she would have to pay 1 euro. He laughed and now if an English word slips out of my mouth teases me about how I am going to have to give him a quetzal. He is so patient and can somehow figure out everything I am trying to say, and can help me to say it correctly. Of course, when I start speaking in Samoan, I just get a really interesting look!

After class, I went back to the house, ate some delicious soup with tortillas, and then ventured out. I found the dirt track which is around a soccer field and ran 3 miles around it. Even though I did not expect it to be 55 degrees, I have to say it is perfect running weather! Jaime said he would take me to run in the park this weekend, and we are also going to go and explore a cave.

So, life is good. I thank you all for all the great conversations before I left, the party at work, and all the fun times hanging out. Buenas dias!

Con un abrazo,
Sally