Little New Years, Little Basketball, Lot of Food

# of games of Go Fish played this week- 18 # of games of Old Maid played this week- 12 # of times I ate eggs for meals in 2days- 5 (out of 6meals!) Time the fireworks went off at my house for host family members birthday- 630am (outside my bedroom too!) Newest Nick Names- Olie, Olvidia, Woman # of days it took me to teach [I like ___ [ in English to a coworker- 2 # of days it took to take this family picture- 2 So did you know that in order for a cow to produce milk, it needs to have a calf to be producing the milk for? I thought that they always produced milk regardless if it had kids or not. Send Postcards! So my mail comes to the Intervida office and a lot of them have little or no idea of what different parts of the US look like. So I am hoping that maybe if you can send me one postcard with a picture on it that represents where you are living, that would be awesome because I would love to show the others. So Lorena sent one of those metal puzzles that is two pieces and you have to try and separte them. Well, for the last 4days, all 13 or so people living in my house have tried to separate it. So far most of them have gotten it. Getting good at catchin them chickens! So the other day I went to a community to help vaccinate chickens (requires putting a drop of medicine in one eye). Well, there were 400 chickens and they were all running around the yard. So the older women with more chicken experience can carry 5 or so chickens at a time. I on the other hand catch my one chicken and run to the chicken house before it starts to flip out on me. However, I must say, after an hour, I was able to carry one chicken under my arm while grabbing another chicken. Whoop whoop!!! So along with Santa Hats being in style after Christmas and New Years. Well, so it Christmas music! So for all you Christmas music lovers (sarcasm) Guatemala is your place to be! On New Years day, I went with my host family down to the river and it was their first time seeing it since the hurricane (I drive threw it everyday basically) and they were in shock at what had happened. They told me where houses and parks use to be that are there no more. They said it use to be a flat beautiful green area to have picnics and now it is giant boulders, rocks and sand. I still think its one of the prettiest parts of Tejutla. Sad sad story- The other day we were in a community visiting some chickens. The house we were visiting was a small house and the lady we were speaking to has 4 kids and one on the way. She was saying she is living with her brother in law and his family (the house was maybe 1000sq ft., made out of mud) and she said that she is living there because he house was washed away in the hurricane by a mud slide (luckily no one was in it). But now, she has no home, all their stuff was washed away and she cant rebuild because her property has an unstable mudslide left over sitting on it. Oh! And to top it off, her husband died 5yrs ago and she was left to take care of the kids. (Not sure where the baby on the way came from). So yea… she was crying and I only had caught half the story so I wasn’t to sure why she was upset (coworker explained it after we left). Lesson learned this week- Always give a birthday gift! It was the 14yr olds birthday in my host family and I wasn’t sure if I should get her a birthday gift (hard to define the right kind of gift that wont make you come across as the rich gringa) so I went to a bakery and got her a big cookie. It broke into pieces on the way back but I gave it to her anyways. Yea, afterwards though, I felt like I should of given something else though, instead of a broken cookie. Lesson learned. Here…want a piece So I have discovered in Guatemala that whenever you offer anyone a piece of what you are eating. They always take it! No one has ever refused anything I have offered. I cant tell if they are hungry or that my Cheez-its, Tootsie Rolls or Werthers candies are appealing. Update on THE WALK- So last time I said I love Romans, well this week I think first and second Corinthians have taken over. I think those are great books and a lot of underlining was made in my Bible. Particularly 1 Cor 15;32- Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character. 1 Cor 15;58- Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain

This is Tejutla at night, I took this with a 15second shutter speed so you can guess how dark it is.

You know your cold when... You start bonding with the hot water tank in the kitchen

Guatemalan Basketball- So even though soccer is huge here, basketball has not been forgotten. So last night was the basketball tournament and the 12yr old-ish females were playing. So setting the scene here. It is a chilly night, at least for those who forgot their Santa Hats because after all, just because Christmas and New Years have passed, doesnt mean you cant still wear your Santa hat. So the girls who are playing basketball are wearing their uniforms which consist of skirts for some, and dress shoes for others. Then comes my favorite part. So its half time and each team runs to their coaches. One team runs to a group of mothers whom I don’t know have ever played basketball in their lives, and best of all, the other teams runs to a group of nuns who look like they have scene NCAA basketball tournaments or something because they are coaching-yelling like this is the world championship. Doing all of this in their nun outfits too! I would of taken a picture, had it not been dark out.

New Years Eve 2005- So this New Years my host family here in Tejutla invited me to spend it with them, so I did. Guatemalans celebrate their new years in a completely different way then most US people do. Here is some quick facts
- New Years is a time for families to be together. So that means all the loud parties happen the nights before New Years.
- My host family went threw each room of the house and said a blessing while carrying some smelly stuff and candles. Then we all were in a circle and each of the adults took time to say a prayer thanking God for 2005 and to pray for 2006. That took about 40min and for some it was very emotional. Then at midnight, they went threw all the rooms again and with smelly stuff this time sprinkling flower petals and opened all the doors to (Welcome) the new year.
- The covered the living room floor in pine needles. Smelled really good!
- Fireworks! How can ya have a Guatemalan holiday without fireworks! So they set of a good amount of fireworks in the street and in the living room. Yep! Set off some big fountain fireworks in the living room. I left for the street due to lack of oxygen.
- Other Guatemalan must for holidays, Tamales. So they made 130 tamales that day and then come 12am. They have dinner. I was starving! Our snacks to munch on before New Years were apples, grapes, marshmallows and cookies. So I was defiantly looking forward to dinner at 12.
- So.. I still don’t get this part, but I guess if you are planning to travel in the coming year. At midnight, you have your bag packed and you leave the house and go for a walk to show that you are going to go travel. You come back about 5min later but this I didn’t{t know when one of the aunts walked out with a suitcase and started walking down the street. I had NO idea what was happening and was thinking. Where is she going! The buses stopped at 5pm! But yea, she came back a few minutes later.

Poor Rat- So I was washing my one load of laundry the other day, by hand, took 2 ½ hrs (getting better!) and I looked down and a rat was drinking my laundry water. I didn’t care but I told the housekeeper lady and she screamed, so then another lady came running with a broom and bam! Rat had a painful death. I felt SO bad and I kept saying I am sorry in Spanish to it as it was dieing.