A couple weeks ago I was visiting one family who had planted popcorn and after holding their pet gibnut, which I later named jippajopper (a little bit making fun of my friend Grace for calling jippy jappa - a tasty plant -that) we went out to their garden to see their plants. This picture is actually a little old but I thought I'd put it up anyways. The popcorn that day was, well, I thought ready to pick and I was greedy to try popping it even though it wasn't near hard enough. Oh, well, we only tried popping one small kernel and I think it was worth it for them just to see me get so excited hearing it pop, but they all turned out to be duds. I then exclaimed it wasn't Popcorn Days yet, so by the end of August it would be ready. This of course only made the family laugh more, no wonder they like having me around.
I can't believe I haven't posted about the girl's trip to Poite. This was way back in the beginning of June! I'm quite sure I posted about the girls fundraising weekly to go on the trip and I just must say it wouldn't have happened without their hard work and the help of a few individuals - Mr. and Mrs. Teul who provided transportation, lodging, and food preparation,
Ms. Lilly for hosting my helpers Ms. Cali and Ms Manissa. We went on a Friday evening and came back early Monday morning. I'm still surprised the event took place without much hassle and no need to reschedule. At one point I made a comment while talking to the girls about strengths that I was not very organized. Manissa thought this couldn't be true me having planned the weekend, I explained later that I was resourceful, and things seem to just work out for me. The favorite activity was most likely yoga in the mornings, one of the girls still talks to me about it. They loved river time as well, which was the reason they wanted to go to San Benito Poite in the first place. All in all it was a good trip, I learned a little bit about event planning for 11-14 year olds that's for sure. We had sessions on leadership, strengths -which we used to make our own "super girls", HIV/Aids, puberty, and giving compliments/being a good friend - all topics the girls had chosen. I loved, too, that they invited the girls for Poite to join us and didn't even mind Julian taking part either, him being a boy. Another thing I'll never forget either was when it started to pour Saturday afternoon. We were going to go the ruins, but knew it would be too muddy, so what did the girls do instead? Play football in the rain. All I could do was watch them and smile, half wishing I would have went to play. Luckily I had a second chance to try when I went with the Mas family to move them to Valley of Peace. Hillaria and I played a little in the rain, and yes, it is quite fun, even falling on your behind- I don't know if she tripped me or I tripped her, all I know is we couldn't get up we were laughing so hard. But back to the trip to Poite. I feel very fortunate it happened and am proud of the girls for making it happen. Another follow up a couple weeks later, one of the girls told me they made a drop for their teacher's bucket. For the giving compliments/being a good friend
session I tried introducing the bucket theory to them.
There were a couple weddings in the village this summer. One being the preschool teacher's. I was so happy to be here for her wedding.
Florentina was such a beautiful bride and I'll never forget how much her husband helped with the decorating. He was more about it than she was which surprised me. Gender roles seems to be quite rigid here, but there are always times I'm thrown for a loop. My favorite part about this wedding, besides the people getting married, was that the vows were in Q'eqchi, all the other ones have been in English. I really liked they were able to promise their lives to each other in their language.
The Max family are by far one of my favorites... what am I saying?... I have so many favorite families. I just felt very blessed to be part of such a special occasion. Mrs. Max wanted me there the whole weekend, helping prepare the food and decorate. Florentina and Juan asked if I would take pictures, then offering to pay for my services, which to me only made me feel appreciated, but of course wouldn't take their money. I can't wait to send her the prints though. That's going to be such a fun package to send to Santa Teresa. I so much enjoyed handing out pictures when I came back from my visit home last year and I have some more good ones to share this time. Funny though, what they're also wanting are pictures of Nebraska, so I'll have to take some of those, too, when I'm home.
One morning I woke up to find this chrysalis hanging in my door frame. I watched it everyday, hoping I would be around when it decided to come out. Sadly, that was not the case, but I guess the gold around the tip signified it being a Blue Morpho, one of my favorite butterflies, which takes me back to visiting the Omaha zoo last year with Mom, her loving the butterfly house, but me being used to it, seeing butterflies all the time, especially now, it's butterfly season again. Crazy, too, just this week a man came to Santa Teresa to buy a rooster and a pair of turkeys. He was talking to Alfonso, my new... host father I guess I could call him, but he's the same age, so I guess he can be my brother... or just closest neighbor, anyways this man was talking about butterfly farming and while he was talking about the chrysalis I was in my house searching for a bag he could put his birds on for the ride to town and what did I find on the bag? Another green and gold chrysalis, now talk about good timing. Alfonso has put this little guy on a string. We'll see what happens.
I had a pet for a few weeks! This cute little turtle I liked to call "Onion." He was named that simply because I like the way everyone in the village says onion. And I must say, he was the talk of the village for awhile. I wondered though how he liked living in my house and eating all the bugs, thought about finding him a friend but the next turtle I found on the road had a more beautiful shell, but scary eyes so I had to put him back. I made a water dish out of my water filter drip (resourseful, see?) and would let him outside in the evenings for some grass time. I noticed he was beat up quite a bit, a crack in his shell, plus one of his feet was without claws, but I still set him free, not being quite sure if he was happy or not. I've come to find out that turtles are so unreadable. Plus my first thought of giving it to the preschool was overruled by a second thought he might like to eat their little fingers. I'll need to find them a different pet. But what? Florentina not only managed to kill the tadpoles (which I guess can be easy) but also some winged beetle which may have been a cockroach - I thought those things never die.
With July came four new babies in the village, sorry only have pictures of three, must have forgot to save one. I had a good time walking to each house to hold them all wanting a picture when they were still very small. I actually got to see my friend Sarah's baby when she was on her way back from the hospital. It was so by chance I saw her, one of those, I'm so glad the day went as it did, had anything changed I wouldn't have held that few days old baby. She had to go up to Belmopan to have a c-section and hate to say she looked pretty rough making her way back south. She left a day or before they would have released her because she worried about paying the bill. This breaks my heart to think about still. She's doing well now and for the most part so are all the other mothers and their babies. There is one that is still very pregnant. We laugh about how big her belly is, especially because some of the other girls (I say girls because each of the mom's just having babies are under 20) you couldn't even tell. I told Estella I'd probably be the same way if I ever have my own, knowing both my mom and sister popped right out. She wants me to send a picture if that ever happens, plus we're both hoping she has her baby a little early instead of late so I'm here to see it. A fellow volunteer who's new in the country asked what I do when I go visiting. I told her lately, holding babies.
Another event I was so happy and feel a little fortunate to have been involved with was Maya Day.
A brief rundown would be a two and a half day competition, teams of ten from different villages, coming to Blue Creek to take part. Most of the events were, in my eyes, turning their everyday chores into a game. They had a water backing relay contest - carrying water from the river in buckets on their heads, firewood splitting, corn grinding/tortilla making, shucking and shelling corn, a communication drop- basically hitching from town to Blue Creek, fishing, trapping - the middle picture is of the fish trap the Santa Teresa team made, they put it in the river, the leaves blocking the fish and forcing them to go in the funnel trap, etc. A few of my favorites included dress the farmer, which was creating a list of everything a farmer would need (long shirt, pants, kuxtal, seeds, hat, planting stick, food, dog...) then having five minutes to find all you could. Another was the forest food collection which had the teams go in the bush and collect plants and fruits used for consumption and some medicinal herbs, quite educational. Last but not least was fireball. I'll have to get these pictures from Breezie. Take a second to guess what fireball is, keep in mind it's 15-20 year olds playing... wait, that doesn't matter, give them a ball of fire and let them play field hockey. Ay yi yi! At first the girls were playing in their flip flops and skirts, but after awhile got smart and borrowed some boots. Santa Teresa ended up getting third place overall. I'm undecided if they felt it worth the medal for their prize, but I've heard talk of trying again next year. They were a favored team though, those running the event commenting on their spirit and how well they worked together. I was proud of them even before the event started, putting together a last minute fundraiser of selling tamales and to make sure they had enough and because the boys didn't feel they had worked the same, they chopped my yard, which really needed it. Man, I miss Alejandro, he really did take care of me. While making the tamales I mentioned how ashamed I was walking in my yard it being so high, me thinking I'd get lost. They of course noticed it was horrible, but would never tell me to my face. Oh Belize.
There are a couple places I wanted to go before leaving, one being Monkey Falls and the other the cave.
I was surprised to hear there is a cave just outside of Santa Teresa. I've gone a few times already, always bringing a crew along. I feel I have written about this already and saved it on Cali's computer, so I'll find that to post, I'm about all blogged out.
I guess this waterfall will explain itself. Ha ha!
And to close I'll give a quick synopsis of what I've been keeping myself busy with. Of course visiting is on the top of the list. Wanting to spend time with the people I've come to love these past two years. I've been making soap galore and enjoying birthday parties, maybe a little too much.
This little boy was giving out kisses on his birthday, lucky for me. It's so much fun seeing the few 2 year olds in the village, crazy they were born when I first came. Also, the library was fully functioning this summer, about 20 people a day would come to borrow books. A group came to paint the outside of the school buildings and I loved seeing our PTA step up and help, even started painting without the group when weather kept them from showing up the first day, luckily the paint was delivered early. I've had a couple Peace Corps friends come learn to make shoulder bags from Paulina, both seeing how blessed I am to live in such a place as Santa Teresa, not even meeting half the people who have made life here so wonderful. A couple things I'm excited for is helping Gloria who has just built a new restaurant outside the village. On Sunday we're planning to make fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and coleslaw. I may have even talked her into making bread the night before. Yum! A taste of home for sure, bringing North Loup to Santa Teresa. Mr. Chub, her husband has invited me to stay another two years to bring the business up, he's convinced I'll start my own though when I come back. I've joked about staying though and changing the name to Xan Saq Wa (Ms. White's food) - because I'm white they call me xan saq, so it makes them laugh when I call myself that. I also just bought some pickling jars and lids and am overly excited about those as well, probably because I thought they would be impossible to find here, especially in Punta Gorda. There's a lady who just gave me a handful of cucumbers when I went to visit her, noone in her family liking them. I suggested we make pickles to see if she likes them. Can hardly wait to try. It will be a learning experience for me as well, just like the soap, but I love how they take my craziness. So much more to say, but I guess that's all for now. Loves and hugs!
