Dear Friends,
I finally feel like I have enough information to tell you to write a blog post. So here it is.
This have been going well in the last week! I think I'm finally starting to feel comfortable and not so shell shocked...granted it took me more than half the time I'm going to be here...but...oh well. I am in my second week of full time teaching...which granted is a cheating week because of Thanksgiving and a field trip we took this morning...haha...but I'm not complaining.
This weekend was also great! I got the opportunity to work at a VBS in Sumpango, which is about 45 minutes away. We painted faces and dipped ice cream for the boys who won the offering challenge. They were the cutest children ever! People in Sumpango are of Mayan descent , so most of the girls were wearing traditional dress, which was neat. I painted tons of rainbows and spiders and soccer balls.
As I mentioned before, today we went with the entire elementary to the Children's Museum. Which was by far the sweetest children's museum I've ever seen...which...I haven't seen many...but it was SO neat. We had so much fun and the kids loved it...even though most of them had been there like 100 times already.
Things have been going really well! I am really starting to LOVE this country and the people in it. For Thanksgiving I am going to Belize to the beach...am I excited about that? Absolutely! When I come back tan...you can all take your awesome Thanksgiving Dinners and shove them down your throats...I don't actually feel that way. I'm very bummed to be missing Thanksgiving. However, I can get excited for some beach. If you are concerned that I am not getting a Thanksgiving meal...rest assured...I am going to a Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night for all the single teachers...I'm making Derby pie...Not exactly a Thanksgiving classic...but there's not much better that you can put in your mouth.
Happy Turkey Day One and All!
Love,
Claire
P.S. The last Thanksgiving (and the only) other Thanksgiving I have not spend with my entire family...was spent freezing my butt off. This time around...that will not be the case! Sweeeet.
Shout Outs:
Mellers: Sorry to hear about your grilled cheese...but I'll be honest...I DIED laughing. Hope helping with thanksgiving goes better than the grilled cheese experience.
Haley: I need to send you an email. Sorry I suck. I'll do it right now.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A Tribute
Well. My week has been pretty uneventful and this weekend I'm gearing up to start teaching full time, which is slowly eating up my weekend. So. I've decided to dedicate this blog to those who have kept me company and been patient enough to skype with me. This one's for you all.
The way I've decided to pay tribute to you all, is probably one for which you will all hate me, but know that you all are great...despite what you may look like in these pictures.
Mom, Dad and The Coop (two of these are missing from the picture...can you figure out which two?)
Ross: Thanks for talking to me in between conversations with Taylor...and don't worry, it doesn't bother me too much when you drop my calls to pick up hers even when I'm mid sentence
Haley: I'm glad you can update me on the goings on of Ross's life when he won't actually talk to me himself.
Mike, A, Conner and Jude: Hope you all have been able to get out of your house...but it was fun to talk to you all while you were stuck there! Looking forward to some more songs courtesy of Jude.
Sarah: Don't hate me for putting up this picture...but it's pretty priceless. Glad we can exchange stories! Hope everything continues to go well for you in Brazil!
Nathan: Hey. Sweet headset. I'd like a #2 with a diet coke...
The remaining Villains (Mel, Gina, Mags and Katie): I miss you all dearly! Congratulations on definitely having the cutest candid skype snapshot.
Well there you have it: All my lovely skypers...bet you didn't know I took those pics did ya? Hahaha. But. Keep up the good skype work. You all are great.
Claire
P.S. Consider this post one big shout out!
The way I've decided to pay tribute to you all, is probably one for which you will all hate me, but know that you all are great...despite what you may look like in these pictures.
Mom, Dad and The Coop (two of these are missing from the picture...can you figure out which two?)
Ross: Thanks for talking to me in between conversations with Taylor...and don't worry, it doesn't bother me too much when you drop my calls to pick up hers even when I'm mid sentence
Haley: I'm glad you can update me on the goings on of Ross's life when he won't actually talk to me himself.
Mike, A, Conner and Jude: Hope you all have been able to get out of your house...but it was fun to talk to you all while you were stuck there! Looking forward to some more songs courtesy of Jude.
Sarah: Don't hate me for putting up this picture...but it's pretty priceless. Glad we can exchange stories! Hope everything continues to go well for you in Brazil!
Nathan: Hey. Sweet headset. I'd like a #2 with a diet coke...
The remaining Villains (Mel, Gina, Mags and Katie): I miss you all dearly! Congratulations on definitely having the cutest candid skype snapshot.
Well there you have it: All my lovely skypers...bet you didn't know I took those pics did ya? Hahaha. But. Keep up the good skype work. You all are great.
Claire
P.S. Consider this post one big shout out!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Week Three: Underway
Well Friends,
I would first of all like to take a moment to congratulate my alma matter, (i think just using that word makes you sound old...) Lafayette on yet another EXCELLENT victory at State Finals. Special congrats to my cuz Clay who felt victory with the band in his last season...I won't lie...that, I am jealous of.
Anywho,
I have officially been in Guatemala (or the Guat as some of you prefer to call it) for 2 weeks, 1 day, 6 hours and 44 minutes and I think it's safe to say I've kind of gotten the hang of the routine around these parts. Just in case you were wondering (which you weren't...because what I'm about to tell you is going to be exceedingly boring) here it is. What you've all been waiting for. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CLAIRE L. KINNEY, STUDENT TEACHER AT THE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF GUATEMALA.
6:30 - Wake Up
7:40 - Leave for School
7:43 - Arrive at School (if you'll note...school is very close to where I'm staying)
8:00 - School Starts (I would write more about my school day...but it varies so frequently, that it's just a lot of typing that...let's be honest...most of you would skip anyway)
10:00 - First Recess
12:00 - Lunch
12:20 - Second Recess (yeah...they have TWO recesses...it's pretty sweet)
3:00 - School Ends
3:20 - Go Home
3:23 - Arrive back...play on the computer...write lesson plans...that kind of thing.
6:00 - Dinner (typically)
7:00 - Finish Lesson Plans and stuff
However, I do go to a Bible Study on Monday nights and Thursday nights, one of the mom's at the school has all the single women teachers over for dinner and to watch Survivor (which...you know i love).
Weekends are up for grabs...This weekend I mostly relaxed, but I did get the opportunity to go to The Oasis, where my host family works and see their facility and play with some of the girls that stay there. Which was really fun...except It took me like 25 years to realize that "empuje" meant they wanted me to push them on the swing. They were probably really frustated with my lack of Spanish..but I like to think I made up for it in my intensly good pushing abilities. They kept saying, "Mas" which is like the one word I know (it means "more" for those of you who lack the kind of natural Spanish ability that I have). I'd like to thank my Mom and Grandmommy for always pushing me on the swing as a child and teaching me the proper technique.
I've been picking up more and more at school. This week I teach Math, Bible, Spelling and Phonics and Writing and Grammar. I like having more teaching to do...it makes life much less boring.
I think the kids are starting to warm up to me a little bit more and I think they even admitted to liking one of my lessons today. They are a rowdy group, that much is true, but they're precious when they want to be.
Overall, things are going well! I miss home and I miss all of you, but I know this is where I'm supposed to be right now and I'm just trying to live it up!
Peace, Love and My Typical Day,
Claire
Shout Outs:
1. As always to Miss Melissa Coffey: I miss you a lot. I really miss being super funny with you. I feel like I'm losing some of my funniness because I'm not with you.
2. Haley: You wanted a shout out and here it is! I just want you to know that sometimes when I want a laugh...I think about all your ridiculous experiences at the corner of Main and Jefferson with the gangsters.
3. Allison Brown: I really wish I could hear your Obama voice. I hope you're treating your first lady Michelle nicely. Also. You're great. Let's hang out when I get back.
4. Mamaw and Papaw: I am writing this on here so that hopefully my parents are responsible enough to print this out and bring it to you! I love and miss you all! Can't wait to see you all when I get back!
5. Grandmommy and Granddaddy: This is also a reminder to my parents to show you all this! I hope sometime when she's at your house I will be able to skype with you! Love and miss you both!
I would first of all like to take a moment to congratulate my alma matter, (i think just using that word makes you sound old...) Lafayette on yet another EXCELLENT victory at State Finals. Special congrats to my cuz Clay who felt victory with the band in his last season...I won't lie...that, I am jealous of.
Anywho,
I have officially been in Guatemala (or the Guat as some of you prefer to call it) for 2 weeks, 1 day, 6 hours and 44 minutes and I think it's safe to say I've kind of gotten the hang of the routine around these parts. Just in case you were wondering (which you weren't...because what I'm about to tell you is going to be exceedingly boring) here it is. What you've all been waiting for. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CLAIRE L. KINNEY, STUDENT TEACHER AT THE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF GUATEMALA.
6:30 - Wake Up
7:40 - Leave for School
7:43 - Arrive at School (if you'll note...school is very close to where I'm staying)
8:00 - School Starts (I would write more about my school day...but it varies so frequently, that it's just a lot of typing that...let's be honest...most of you would skip anyway)
10:00 - First Recess
12:00 - Lunch
12:20 - Second Recess (yeah...they have TWO recesses...it's pretty sweet)
3:00 - School Ends
3:20 - Go Home
3:23 - Arrive back...play on the computer...write lesson plans...that kind of thing.
6:00 - Dinner (typically)
7:00 - Finish Lesson Plans and stuff
However, I do go to a Bible Study on Monday nights and Thursday nights, one of the mom's at the school has all the single women teachers over for dinner and to watch Survivor (which...you know i love).
Weekends are up for grabs...This weekend I mostly relaxed, but I did get the opportunity to go to The Oasis, where my host family works and see their facility and play with some of the girls that stay there. Which was really fun...except It took me like 25 years to realize that "empuje" meant they wanted me to push them on the swing. They were probably really frustated with my lack of Spanish..but I like to think I made up for it in my intensly good pushing abilities. They kept saying, "Mas" which is like the one word I know (it means "more" for those of you who lack the kind of natural Spanish ability that I have). I'd like to thank my Mom and Grandmommy for always pushing me on the swing as a child and teaching me the proper technique.
I've been picking up more and more at school. This week I teach Math, Bible, Spelling and Phonics and Writing and Grammar. I like having more teaching to do...it makes life much less boring.
I think the kids are starting to warm up to me a little bit more and I think they even admitted to liking one of my lessons today. They are a rowdy group, that much is true, but they're precious when they want to be.
Overall, things are going well! I miss home and I miss all of you, but I know this is where I'm supposed to be right now and I'm just trying to live it up!
Peace, Love and My Typical Day,
Claire
Shout Outs:
1. As always to Miss Melissa Coffey: I miss you a lot. I really miss being super funny with you. I feel like I'm losing some of my funniness because I'm not with you.
2. Haley: You wanted a shout out and here it is! I just want you to know that sometimes when I want a laugh...I think about all your ridiculous experiences at the corner of Main and Jefferson with the gangsters.
3. Allison Brown: I really wish I could hear your Obama voice. I hope you're treating your first lady Michelle nicely. Also. You're great. Let's hang out when I get back.
4. Mamaw and Papaw: I am writing this on here so that hopefully my parents are responsible enough to print this out and bring it to you! I love and miss you all! Can't wait to see you all when I get back!
5. Grandmommy and Granddaddy: This is also a reminder to my parents to show you all this! I hope sometime when she's at your house I will be able to skype with you! Love and miss you both!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Best of Times...The Worst of Times
Well. There's a little Dickens for you as a title... but it pretty accurately sums up my weekend. You all read (I'm sure!) about my adventure up the volcano, but don't be fooled...I did not have just one adventure this weekend...but one every day!
On Saturday, despite the fact that I was pretty sore, I woke up and met up with some of the other teachers and drove to Antigua, which is a city outside Guatemala City, to go to a museum about coffee (Which Guatemala is famous for) and the history of Guatemala music. My inner nerd (I know...maybe not so inner sometimes...) came out and I was loving life learning all this stuff. For instance...did you know that the Marimba is the national instrument of Guatemala? Or that one coffee tree really only makes about a pound of coffee? Fun Facts...I know. But after the museums... we had lunch and then went to a market. After all that, I came back and ate dinner, played scrabble and cruised the internet...classic.
Sunday, which I don't know if you are aware of this or not...is the Day of the Dead...which in Guatemala, is a huge stinking deal. So. This is bascially what they do. They eat this food called fiambre, which is basically like tons of pickled stuff all thrown together. Then they head out to the grave yard to hang out with the tomb stones of their deceased loved ones and fly kites...because since it's the day of the dead...their relatives are as close to earth as they will ever be...therefore by flying kites...they can get really close. Granted this is probably not the continued belief of many Guatemalans...but its the root of the idea none the less. So. Where does my life come into all of this you might ask? Well. I went with a group from C.A.G. (Christian Academy of Guatema, where I'm student teaching) in the back of a truck (an experience in itself...) to one of the most popular places where they fly kites. Just another FYI...the kite flying has turned into a much bigger deal that it once was. There are now sponsored kites that they make (and these things are HUGE like probably 2 stories high sometimes), and they usually have a super political or religious message on them. But they're absolutely beautiful...and I cannot fathom how many hours goes into each kite. So we went and watched them fly kites and we looked at all the huge kites. It was really sweet and it was neat to be witnessing something that is obviously so important to their culture.
That was Sunday. You may be asking yourself..."Wait, I thought this was titled, The Best of Times, The Worst of Times...these all seem pretty best to me!?" Well. Here comes the worst. Sunday night...after I apparently drank or ate something fishy...I got very sick. It was not fun. I do not reccomend it. I could not even go to school yesterday. It was pretty terrible. BUT. I feel fine today...apparently their water poisoning only lasts 24 hours...which is awesome becasue I wouldn't have lasted much longer...and I went back to school and all is well.
Love and Miss You All (unless i don't).
Peace, Love and Stinking Huge Kites,
Claire
Shout out to Melissa Coffey: I'm glad you got skype. It makes our seperation easier...but not much, because I still miss you a ton!
On Saturday, despite the fact that I was pretty sore, I woke up and met up with some of the other teachers and drove to Antigua, which is a city outside Guatemala City, to go to a museum about coffee (Which Guatemala is famous for) and the history of Guatemala music. My inner nerd (I know...maybe not so inner sometimes...) came out and I was loving life learning all this stuff. For instance...did you know that the Marimba is the national instrument of Guatemala? Or that one coffee tree really only makes about a pound of coffee? Fun Facts...I know. But after the museums... we had lunch and then went to a market. After all that, I came back and ate dinner, played scrabble and cruised the internet...classic.
Sunday, which I don't know if you are aware of this or not...is the Day of the Dead...which in Guatemala, is a huge stinking deal. So. This is bascially what they do. They eat this food called fiambre, which is basically like tons of pickled stuff all thrown together. Then they head out to the grave yard to hang out with the tomb stones of their deceased loved ones and fly kites...because since it's the day of the dead...their relatives are as close to earth as they will ever be...therefore by flying kites...they can get really close. Granted this is probably not the continued belief of many Guatemalans...but its the root of the idea none the less. So. Where does my life come into all of this you might ask? Well. I went with a group from C.A.G. (Christian Academy of Guatema, where I'm student teaching) in the back of a truck (an experience in itself...) to one of the most popular places where they fly kites. Just another FYI...the kite flying has turned into a much bigger deal that it once was. There are now sponsored kites that they make (and these things are HUGE like probably 2 stories high sometimes), and they usually have a super political or religious message on them. But they're absolutely beautiful...and I cannot fathom how many hours goes into each kite. So we went and watched them fly kites and we looked at all the huge kites. It was really sweet and it was neat to be witnessing something that is obviously so important to their culture.
That was Sunday. You may be asking yourself..."Wait, I thought this was titled, The Best of Times, The Worst of Times...these all seem pretty best to me!?" Well. Here comes the worst. Sunday night...after I apparently drank or ate something fishy...I got very sick. It was not fun. I do not reccomend it. I could not even go to school yesterday. It was pretty terrible. BUT. I feel fine today...apparently their water poisoning only lasts 24 hours...which is awesome becasue I wouldn't have lasted much longer...and I went back to school and all is well.
Love and Miss You All (unless i don't).
Peace, Love and Stinking Huge Kites,
Claire
Shout out to Melissa Coffey: I'm glad you got skype. It makes our seperation easier...but not much, because I still miss you a ton!
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