Hello everyone. Yes, twice in one day. We were back a little early today, so I can update the blog and get to bed at a reasonable hour.
A fairly light day today. Only one stop, the little village of Santa Maria de Jesus outside of Antigua. Sta. Maria is a poor village on the side of the volcano I was talking about in the previous post. We were at the Nueva Vida school in town, an impressive place. It was started by a nurse, Judy, in 2000 to serve kids with disabilities. These kids were not able to be served in the public schools, and the closest private schools are in Antigua, making it very difficult both economically and physically for parents to get schooling for their children with physical or learning disabilities. Judy saw a need, and with no background in education or administration, put together the things necessary to start a school for these kids. The school started with 8 students and 1 teacher and has now grown to over 80 students and a new building. It is beautiful and has the only elevator in the town. Much of the school has been built with local labor and volunteer mission groups from the US. Judy and her principal and teachers do such a good job that the local schools now refer not only kids with physical disabiities but also learning disabilities there. A special thanks goes out to Amy, the occupational therapist who works at the school. She took great care of us, showed us the school and introduced us around, was my translator for two more handwashing sessions, and took a group of us students into the home of one of the students to talk to and get to know the families being served more. Thank you Amy for your the care you took in making our visit so meaningful, and for the special love and care that you have for those students.
We have met quite a number of Americans who have moved to Guatemala and dedicated their time, energy, and lives to making a difference for the people here. All of us have been overwhelmed by their ambitious plans and the energy and enthusiasm they have for the work they are doing here. Not only have they touched the lives of the people here in Guatemala, they have touched our lives too. After just one short week, we have been changed forever by what we have seen.
I do have one short story to add to the post. I have started to introduce myself in Spanish before I do the handwashing lessons. I say my name and that I don't speak Spanish, but that my friend (insert name of translator here) speaks Spanish, so I will speak in English and they will translate for me. I did two sessions today, and the first session's intro went without a hitch. However, in the second session I told the class Me llamo es Nathan y yo no hablo ingles. Oops. I guess I'm beginning to get a little mixed up down here. Apparently I have reached the point where I don't know what language I speak anymore.
I end tonights update with a special note to Jose. He was brave enough to send his wife to Guatemala and stay home with their 5 kids, and he wrote a comment on my pray for me note about going to the market with 10 women. You have a wonderful and caring wife who makes this trip so much fun. Thank you for sharing her with us.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Good morning,
I don't usually have time in the morning to check in, but I wanted topass this along. For the past two nights I have been able to see the volcano here outside of Antigua "lighting up." I can see an orange glow and sometimes it flares up and shoots out a stream of lava and gas. It is SO COOL. I know I'm not imagining it, because last night Eric, Emilie, Jenna, and Alisha were up there with me and saw it too.
Have a great day.
I don't usually have time in the morning to check in, but I wanted topass this along. For the past two nights I have been able to see the volcano here outside of Antigua "lighting up." I can see an orange glow and sometimes it flares up and shoots out a stream of lava and gas. It is SO COOL. I know I'm not imagining it, because last night Eric, Emilie, Jenna, and Alisha were up there with me and saw it too.
Have a great day.
Buenas noches. Once again I take keyboard in hand and post another day's worth of adventures here in Guatemala. As you may recall from yesterday's blog, we had the orphanage and market on the agenda. It meant a lot of time in the car and by the end of the day we were getting a bit loopy, but more on that later.
First to the orphanage. A long trip, about an hour more or less by van to Patzun, through the mountains of Guatemala. The countryside here in Guatemala is beautiful. Mountains, volcanos, lush green valleys checkerboarded by feilds that cling to the mountainsides by some means that defy the laws of physics. We had a very short time allotted to us at the orphanage, only a couple of hours. The children had a amss after lunch to attend, so we had to make the best use of the time we were given. Of course to me that could only mean one thing...get them in and get them washing their hands. An you all thought I could go at least one post without some handwashing reference. HA.
Anyway, the experience at the orphanage was much more than handwashing. There was also toothbrushing, taught by Laura, who did a wonderful job. Everyone, including us student nurses, pretended to brush our teeth for 30 seconds. It was really quite funny to watch. Lots of little kids moving their hands up and down in front of their mouths and laughing. We presented the school with a bunch of soccer balls and other toys, and then we were able to play with them. By that I mean the kids and the balls, not just the balls because that would be mean. The kids were so much fun. They would chase us around, play catch, or soccer, or basketball. They come to us and invited us to play. It was very touching and VERY hard to leave.
Just a quick word about the kids and the orphanage. It is run by Frnaciscan nuns, and houses babies through school age children. Many of the children who are there were born to mothers who are alcoholics or have some other problems and are unable to care for their children, or the children were born with physical problems and were unable to be cared for at home. Some of the parents do come to visit once a month or so but the children live at the orphanage. Other children are "traditional" orphans. Dawn got to hold a beautiful little girl (can't wait to share the photo, I think it shows just how much a trip like this can mean to both us and those we meet here). Dawn also got to learn the story f how that child ended up in the orphanage, and I will share that story when I can. Too much else to put in this post.
After we left the orphanage it was on to the market in Chichicastenango. What an adventure that turned out to be. We had decided yesterday to buy some groceries and make our lunch as we were on the road, in order to save some time and allow for more marketing. You haven't really had fun until you've tried to mke a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a dirt road in Guatemala. After getting peanut butter on everything but the bread I decided a jelly sandwich ws just what I wanted for lunch, and the meal went much more smoothly. If you have ever been on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride while simutaneously being on a roller coaster and rocket to the moon, you have at least a little idea of our wild ride to the market. Our THREE HOUR ride to the market.
The reviews are in: "Harrowing!" Gut-wrenching." "It gave me palpitations." "No tengo miedo (I'm not afraid)" No it's not the latest Indiana Jones movie, it's the ride to Chichicastenango. The roads in Guatemala are a treat. Narrow lanes snake their way up and down the mountains with no guardrails along the incredibly steep embankments. At one point Alisha asked "are we like defying gravity now." Now along these narrow roads travel everything, cars, vans, trucks, and the famous chicken buses. Chicken buses are the popular public transportation, school buses painted in incredibly bright and metalic colors that apparently are governed by completely separate laws of the road from every other vehicle. They always have a driver (well duh) and some sort of assistant who can usually be found either hanging out of the open door at the front of the bus, or climbing onto the top of the bus WHILE THE BUS IS MOVING. At one point in our trip today Alisha was reclining in her seat with her feet propped up on the sliding side door of the van and asked "On a scale of one to ten how safe do you think this is?" To which I replied "In the US or in Guatemala, 'cuz in the US it's not very safe, but here the door is still closed so you're fine."
We were well into our trip when we suddenly came to a stop. Road construction. We stood in line for quite some time. Absolutely nothing moved. Nothing, that is, except the chicken bus that decided enough is enough and passed us all in the oncoming lane, honking its horn. I think they use the horn as an alternative to breaking, less wear and tear on the break pads, cuts down on service costs and parts.
You haven't really lived until you have survived a three hour trip through the mountains of Guatemala smashed into the back corner of a van carrying 7 female nursing students. I love thm all and think of them as my sisters, and hope that they think of me as their (slightly? ok maybe not s;ightly) older brother who may be just a little on the funny side (most likely funny strange and not funny ha ha). They are a wonderful group, and will make great nurses, each and every one of them. But they are CRAZY.
They are also fast becoming good wheelers and dealers. Lots of bargaining was done in the marketplace, and I do believe a good time was had by all. This market is very different than the one in Antigua we visited yesterday. More indigenous people, and people walking the aisles folloing you trying to get you to buy their goods. We couldn't go five feet without someone, usually a woman or child, coming up to us showing us something, a blanket or table runner or jewelry or machette, something to sell. Again I won't tell you what anyone bought, you'll have to wait until we return to find that out, but I will say that nothing caught my eye (sorry Mary).
The ride back was nearly as harrowing and death defying as the ride out, with the exception that we somehow started a real song and dance fest, in large part led by the famed choreographer the white seizure. I know most of you won't know who that is, and she will remain anonymous.
A great dinner and now here I am up much too late writing this. I need to go to bed, and if you, gentle reader are not already there, so do you.
First to the orphanage. A long trip, about an hour more or less by van to Patzun, through the mountains of Guatemala. The countryside here in Guatemala is beautiful. Mountains, volcanos, lush green valleys checkerboarded by feilds that cling to the mountainsides by some means that defy the laws of physics. We had a very short time allotted to us at the orphanage, only a couple of hours. The children had a amss after lunch to attend, so we had to make the best use of the time we were given. Of course to me that could only mean one thing...get them in and get them washing their hands. An you all thought I could go at least one post without some handwashing reference. HA.
Anyway, the experience at the orphanage was much more than handwashing. There was also toothbrushing, taught by Laura, who did a wonderful job. Everyone, including us student nurses, pretended to brush our teeth for 30 seconds. It was really quite funny to watch. Lots of little kids moving their hands up and down in front of their mouths and laughing. We presented the school with a bunch of soccer balls and other toys, and then we were able to play with them. By that I mean the kids and the balls, not just the balls because that would be mean. The kids were so much fun. They would chase us around, play catch, or soccer, or basketball. They come to us and invited us to play. It was very touching and VERY hard to leave.
Just a quick word about the kids and the orphanage. It is run by Frnaciscan nuns, and houses babies through school age children. Many of the children who are there were born to mothers who are alcoholics or have some other problems and are unable to care for their children, or the children were born with physical problems and were unable to be cared for at home. Some of the parents do come to visit once a month or so but the children live at the orphanage. Other children are "traditional" orphans. Dawn got to hold a beautiful little girl (can't wait to share the photo, I think it shows just how much a trip like this can mean to both us and those we meet here). Dawn also got to learn the story f how that child ended up in the orphanage, and I will share that story when I can. Too much else to put in this post.
After we left the orphanage it was on to the market in Chichicastenango. What an adventure that turned out to be. We had decided yesterday to buy some groceries and make our lunch as we were on the road, in order to save some time and allow for more marketing. You haven't really had fun until you've tried to mke a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a dirt road in Guatemala. After getting peanut butter on everything but the bread I decided a jelly sandwich ws just what I wanted for lunch, and the meal went much more smoothly. If you have ever been on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride while simutaneously being on a roller coaster and rocket to the moon, you have at least a little idea of our wild ride to the market. Our THREE HOUR ride to the market.
The reviews are in: "Harrowing!" Gut-wrenching." "It gave me palpitations." "No tengo miedo (I'm not afraid)" No it's not the latest Indiana Jones movie, it's the ride to Chichicastenango. The roads in Guatemala are a treat. Narrow lanes snake their way up and down the mountains with no guardrails along the incredibly steep embankments. At one point Alisha asked "are we like defying gravity now." Now along these narrow roads travel everything, cars, vans, trucks, and the famous chicken buses. Chicken buses are the popular public transportation, school buses painted in incredibly bright and metalic colors that apparently are governed by completely separate laws of the road from every other vehicle. They always have a driver (well duh) and some sort of assistant who can usually be found either hanging out of the open door at the front of the bus, or climbing onto the top of the bus WHILE THE BUS IS MOVING. At one point in our trip today Alisha was reclining in her seat with her feet propped up on the sliding side door of the van and asked "On a scale of one to ten how safe do you think this is?" To which I replied "In the US or in Guatemala, 'cuz in the US it's not very safe, but here the door is still closed so you're fine."
We were well into our trip when we suddenly came to a stop. Road construction. We stood in line for quite some time. Absolutely nothing moved. Nothing, that is, except the chicken bus that decided enough is enough and passed us all in the oncoming lane, honking its horn. I think they use the horn as an alternative to breaking, less wear and tear on the break pads, cuts down on service costs and parts.
You haven't really lived until you have survived a three hour trip through the mountains of Guatemala smashed into the back corner of a van carrying 7 female nursing students. I love thm all and think of them as my sisters, and hope that they think of me as their (slightly? ok maybe not s;ightly) older brother who may be just a little on the funny side (most likely funny strange and not funny ha ha). They are a wonderful group, and will make great nurses, each and every one of them. But they are CRAZY.
They are also fast becoming good wheelers and dealers. Lots of bargaining was done in the marketplace, and I do believe a good time was had by all. This market is very different than the one in Antigua we visited yesterday. More indigenous people, and people walking the aisles folloing you trying to get you to buy their goods. We couldn't go five feet without someone, usually a woman or child, coming up to us showing us something, a blanket or table runner or jewelry or machette, something to sell. Again I won't tell you what anyone bought, you'll have to wait until we return to find that out, but I will say that nothing caught my eye (sorry Mary).
The ride back was nearly as harrowing and death defying as the ride out, with the exception that we somehow started a real song and dance fest, in large part led by the famed choreographer the white seizure. I know most of you won't know who that is, and she will remain anonymous.
A great dinner and now here I am up much too late writing this. I need to go to bed, and if you, gentle reader are not already there, so do you.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
First off, all of us here on the trip want to wish Chris and Paul a very happy anniversary.
And now, on with the show...
Thank you to all who are visiting. I have heard throught the grapevine here that there are a number of people checking up on us through this blog. I hope I am doing the trip and our group justice in my descriptions. If anyone wants to comment or communicate with me, you can either leave a comment by clicking on the comment button at the end of each post or you can email me at nathannurseguat08@gmail.com. I hope that is the right email address. I set up that email just for this trip and I never email myself. By the way, the blog is now listed on the home page of Edgewood College's web site. A very big thank you to whomever was responsible for doing that.
Today was a very different day for us. Yes, I know you are all waiting with baited breath for the descriptions of the shopping trip to the Antigua market, but you will have to wait, just like we did.
Fortunately for us we had a wonderful time waiting. We visited with Franklin from As Green as it Gets. That is the organization that we got our coffee from for our fundraising. He also is a fascinating individual. A transplanted American now living in Guatemala, Franklin and a small staff run this non-profit that helps Guatemalans with loans, business incubation, exporting, management, whatever they need. Another grassroots organization making a difference for the people here. Franklin took us on a tour of the town and we met some of the coffee growers and other businesses and people that he works with. We all now know so much more about how coffee is grown, harvested, and prepared for us to buy. Coffee is a very labor intensive commodity. We learned how to sort out the good and the bad beans (by hand, bean by bean) had some fresh roasted over an open fire coffee, learned about all of the uses for the coffee byproducts (fruit is used for fertilizer, they are making their own biodiesel, and many other things), and even had the opportunity to plant a coffee seedling. We also met a young Guatemalan woman who started her own business thanks to a loan from As Green as it Gets (which from now on will be abbreviated agait, because my fingers are getting tired). She takes the misprints from the company that makes burlap sacks for the coffee and makes them into beautiful bags of a variety of shapes and sizes. I am sure many of you will have the opportunity to see some of them when we get home, because a few people (and by that I mean pretty much everyone) bought something from her. Anyway, she is 21, and she has gone from making these bags by herself on one old sewing machine to 7 sewing machines ad employing a number of women in the commuity. Her bags sell not only in Guatemala but in some stores in the United States. She is her own little international business, thanks in large part to her desire and a small start-up loan from agait. AGAIT is also involved in reforestation projects, biodiesel (for their own use), and is looking to expand into cosmetics using locally grown an harvested products, and son (we hope really soon) chocolate. We were so amazed and impressed by what agait has been able to accomplish with the people in this area. Make sure to visit them at www.asgreenasitgets.org.
OK now for the shopping. We broke up into groups and headed off. Amazingly enough we were much faster than a herd of turtles today. (If you don't get the reference, check a couple of posts previous) The descriptions I give of the shopping will not do justice either to the market, which is very cool, or our group, which is also very cool but in very different ways. I will make no mention of who bought what, in case some of the items are to be gifts for others, except to say that I did buy something for my wife, and I sure hope she enjoys it, because I don't think I can return it for store credit.
Anyway off we went into this maze of little shops. Imagine if you will a small closet. Now imagine that closet packed with textiles, woven blankets, shirts, wooden carvings, ceramics, or any number of other items. Now imagine a couple hundred of those closets running together, aisle after aisle. That is as close as I can get to describing this place without showing pictures. It was amazing. People and products packed together. Vendors caling you into their stalls, asking you what you are looking for, haggling over prices, a little Spanish here, a little English there, and suddenly a sale. Then off to the next stall and it starts all over again. Not a place for the faint of heart.
Like all of the rest of Guatemala, Karen seemed to know almost everyone in the market. We have come to the conclusion that Karen knows all but 17 people in Guatemala, and that's only because 10 of them were born today. Anyway, she led a group of us around introducing us to people, making deals, showing us great things, and being very entertaining. It certainly helped having a guide to get us started. By the time we were done, however, all of us seemed to be getting pretty good at shopping for deals. Our driver/guide/translator/all around great guy Eric went along and helped another group in the market. I will write more about Eric in a future post, because he deserves his own note. We finally finished our tromp through shopping paradise, otherwise known as purgatory for husbands, and met at the van to go back to the hotel. I walked over to a tired looking Eric and said "Es como tenemos diez esposas" (It's like we have 10 wives). He could only laugh and nod his head in agreement. As much as I may want to be considered "one of the girls" on this trip, I cannot make that last step into the world of shopping.
There were so many other little things that happened in the market. I hesitate to add any others here. The repercussions that may follow such a lapse in judgement are just to horrible to take that risk.
We are off to the orphanage tomorrow. More handwashing sessions. I am sure you will all be tuning in tomorrow to find out how that goes. I am thinking that I should videotape the sessions and put it on the blog. That way you too could share in the wisdom of the 15 seconds. After the orphanage we are off to Chichicastenengo and what is said to be the largest open air indigenous market in Latin America. Yes, that's right, another market. Well, by that time we won't have been to a market for at least 18 hours. Besides, we're going so we can get a taste of the flavor of the people and the country, right?
And now, on with the show...
Thank you to all who are visiting. I have heard throught the grapevine here that there are a number of people checking up on us through this blog. I hope I am doing the trip and our group justice in my descriptions. If anyone wants to comment or communicate with me, you can either leave a comment by clicking on the comment button at the end of each post or you can email me at nathannurseguat08@gmail.com. I hope that is the right email address. I set up that email just for this trip and I never email myself. By the way, the blog is now listed on the home page of Edgewood College's web site. A very big thank you to whomever was responsible for doing that.
Today was a very different day for us. Yes, I know you are all waiting with baited breath for the descriptions of the shopping trip to the Antigua market, but you will have to wait, just like we did.
Fortunately for us we had a wonderful time waiting. We visited with Franklin from As Green as it Gets. That is the organization that we got our coffee from for our fundraising. He also is a fascinating individual. A transplanted American now living in Guatemala, Franklin and a small staff run this non-profit that helps Guatemalans with loans, business incubation, exporting, management, whatever they need. Another grassroots organization making a difference for the people here. Franklin took us on a tour of the town and we met some of the coffee growers and other businesses and people that he works with. We all now know so much more about how coffee is grown, harvested, and prepared for us to buy. Coffee is a very labor intensive commodity. We learned how to sort out the good and the bad beans (by hand, bean by bean) had some fresh roasted over an open fire coffee, learned about all of the uses for the coffee byproducts (fruit is used for fertilizer, they are making their own biodiesel, and many other things), and even had the opportunity to plant a coffee seedling. We also met a young Guatemalan woman who started her own business thanks to a loan from As Green as it Gets (which from now on will be abbreviated agait, because my fingers are getting tired). She takes the misprints from the company that makes burlap sacks for the coffee and makes them into beautiful bags of a variety of shapes and sizes. I am sure many of you will have the opportunity to see some of them when we get home, because a few people (and by that I mean pretty much everyone) bought something from her. Anyway, she is 21, and she has gone from making these bags by herself on one old sewing machine to 7 sewing machines ad employing a number of women in the commuity. Her bags sell not only in Guatemala but in some stores in the United States. She is her own little international business, thanks in large part to her desire and a small start-up loan from agait. AGAIT is also involved in reforestation projects, biodiesel (for their own use), and is looking to expand into cosmetics using locally grown an harvested products, and son (we hope really soon) chocolate. We were so amazed and impressed by what agait has been able to accomplish with the people in this area. Make sure to visit them at www.asgreenasitgets.org.
OK now for the shopping. We broke up into groups and headed off. Amazingly enough we were much faster than a herd of turtles today. (If you don't get the reference, check a couple of posts previous) The descriptions I give of the shopping will not do justice either to the market, which is very cool, or our group, which is also very cool but in very different ways. I will make no mention of who bought what, in case some of the items are to be gifts for others, except to say that I did buy something for my wife, and I sure hope she enjoys it, because I don't think I can return it for store credit.
Anyway off we went into this maze of little shops. Imagine if you will a small closet. Now imagine that closet packed with textiles, woven blankets, shirts, wooden carvings, ceramics, or any number of other items. Now imagine a couple hundred of those closets running together, aisle after aisle. That is as close as I can get to describing this place without showing pictures. It was amazing. People and products packed together. Vendors caling you into their stalls, asking you what you are looking for, haggling over prices, a little Spanish here, a little English there, and suddenly a sale. Then off to the next stall and it starts all over again. Not a place for the faint of heart.
Like all of the rest of Guatemala, Karen seemed to know almost everyone in the market. We have come to the conclusion that Karen knows all but 17 people in Guatemala, and that's only because 10 of them were born today. Anyway, she led a group of us around introducing us to people, making deals, showing us great things, and being very entertaining. It certainly helped having a guide to get us started. By the time we were done, however, all of us seemed to be getting pretty good at shopping for deals. Our driver/guide/translator/all around great guy Eric went along and helped another group in the market. I will write more about Eric in a future post, because he deserves his own note. We finally finished our tromp through shopping paradise, otherwise known as purgatory for husbands, and met at the van to go back to the hotel. I walked over to a tired looking Eric and said "Es como tenemos diez esposas" (It's like we have 10 wives). He could only laugh and nod his head in agreement. As much as I may want to be considered "one of the girls" on this trip, I cannot make that last step into the world of shopping.
There were so many other little things that happened in the market. I hesitate to add any others here. The repercussions that may follow such a lapse in judgement are just to horrible to take that risk.
We are off to the orphanage tomorrow. More handwashing sessions. I am sure you will all be tuning in tomorrow to find out how that goes. I am thinking that I should videotape the sessions and put it on the blog. That way you too could share in the wisdom of the 15 seconds. After the orphanage we are off to Chichicastenengo and what is said to be the largest open air indigenous market in Latin America. Yes, that's right, another market. Well, by that time we won't have been to a market for at least 18 hours. Besides, we're going so we can get a taste of the flavor of the people and the country, right?
Buenos dias. You now have the sum total of my Spanish. Well, maybe I know a little more, but not this early in the morning. Especially on a day when we coud sleep in for an extra half hour and instead I got up 20 minutes earlier than usual. This whole sleeping at night and doing things in the daytime is a tough transition for us night shift people.
I really don't have any updates, except to let everyone know that I did not have any frighteneing soap related dreams.
I really don't have any updates, except to let everyone know that I did not have any frighteneing soap related dreams.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Wow, what a day. Sumpango visit today. It is a town outside of Antigua that Nancy, Chris, and Karen have made a great contact with a local doctor. Dr. Oscar Paredes is a kind of one stop shop for many people in and around Sumpango. He does some general practice, lots of OB/GYN, rcently got an ultrasound machine (which is a story in itself that I will share sometime thnks to Karen), and is doing more and more work with diabetes and high blood pressure, a growing problem in Guatemala as we are finding out on this trip. Dr. Oscar is an amazing man. He treats anybody who comes to his door, and if he can't help he has a kind of grassroots network of other similarly minded doctors that he refers people to. He is not only an honor to his profession, but an inspiration to me and others about caring and taking action. He grew up poor in Sumpango, decided to go to medical school because he wanted to make a difference in his town, and is now making that difference.
We did another handwashing session at another school. It went very well. Older students this time and they had lts of questions about diseases and viruses and many other things. The school is a private one stared by a couple from Nicaragua that specializes in computer technology. Very interesting to see the students and classrooms.
We had a two hour lunch (welcome to Latin America). There are McDonalds and Wendy's and the like in Guatemala, but mainly in the big cities. Fast food is a very foreign concept in most of the country. But the food was delicious and we were hungry, so why not enjoy it. Time is very relative anyway, and I figure the schedule, as most things in Guatemala, is subject to change.
We ended our day with a visit to the families living in the town dump in Sumpango. What an eye opening experience. About 200 families live in the dump in Sumpango, and Dr. Oscar is trying to develop some kind of outrach to them, since no one else is minitering to their needs, and there really is no government program to help them. We did another handwashing session with some of the mothers and children. Yes, tht's right, another one. For years to come when the people of Guatemala hear of Edgewood College, the first thing that will come to mind will be how clean our hands must be. Sometimes I think the goal of our trip is to get 100% compliance in the 15 second hand washing technique for the entire country. If I don't start doing something else on this trip soon, I am afraid I will soon be stopping people on the streets of Antigua to talk to them about washing their hands. My dreams will be filled with bars of soap chasing me down cobblestone streets with buckets of water chanting "15 seconds, 15 seconds." OK, I'll stop now.
I think the entire group has fallen in love with the children of Guatemala. To see these nurses to be laughing and playing and talking, yes talking, in Spanish to these kids was such a great sight. OK, our Spanish wasn't perfect, but neither they nor we seemed to care. We brought them some balls to play with, some hygeine items like toothbrushes and tooth paste, and other odds and ends. The smiles on the faces of these kids is infective. It is so hard to see them nd not think of the difficultis they face now and will probably face for the rest of their lives. But at the same time it is so easy to get lost in their smiles and the sparkle in their eyes.
Have to go to bed now. I'll write when I can. Keep visiting and tell your friends.
Nathan
PS I want to include a special hello to Helen. Nancy said you told her to say hi to me, so I am returning the hello. Nancy has also given us our new trip motto: we're off like a herd of turtles.
We did another handwashing session at another school. It went very well. Older students this time and they had lts of questions about diseases and viruses and many other things. The school is a private one stared by a couple from Nicaragua that specializes in computer technology. Very interesting to see the students and classrooms.
We had a two hour lunch (welcome to Latin America). There are McDonalds and Wendy's and the like in Guatemala, but mainly in the big cities. Fast food is a very foreign concept in most of the country. But the food was delicious and we were hungry, so why not enjoy it. Time is very relative anyway, and I figure the schedule, as most things in Guatemala, is subject to change.
We ended our day with a visit to the families living in the town dump in Sumpango. What an eye opening experience. About 200 families live in the dump in Sumpango, and Dr. Oscar is trying to develop some kind of outrach to them, since no one else is minitering to their needs, and there really is no government program to help them. We did another handwashing session with some of the mothers and children. Yes, tht's right, another one. For years to come when the people of Guatemala hear of Edgewood College, the first thing that will come to mind will be how clean our hands must be. Sometimes I think the goal of our trip is to get 100% compliance in the 15 second hand washing technique for the entire country. If I don't start doing something else on this trip soon, I am afraid I will soon be stopping people on the streets of Antigua to talk to them about washing their hands. My dreams will be filled with bars of soap chasing me down cobblestone streets with buckets of water chanting "15 seconds, 15 seconds." OK, I'll stop now.
I think the entire group has fallen in love with the children of Guatemala. To see these nurses to be laughing and playing and talking, yes talking, in Spanish to these kids was such a great sight. OK, our Spanish wasn't perfect, but neither they nor we seemed to care. We brought them some balls to play with, some hygeine items like toothbrushes and tooth paste, and other odds and ends. The smiles on the faces of these kids is infective. It is so hard to see them nd not think of the difficultis they face now and will probably face for the rest of their lives. But at the same time it is so easy to get lost in their smiles and the sparkle in their eyes.
Have to go to bed now. I'll write when I can. Keep visiting and tell your friends.
Nathan
PS I want to include a special hello to Helen. Nancy said you told her to say hi to me, so I am returning the hello. Nancy has also given us our new trip motto: we're off like a herd of turtles.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sorry for the delay in updates. This is the first time since we arrived in Guatemala that I have been able to write. So, first things first. Yes we did arrive. Everyone arrived safely, as did ALL of the luggage. Miracles do happen. We sailed through O'Hare (don't tell anyone, but they didn't even weigh our bags, which is A) incredible and B) another miracle since a couple of bags were well over 50 pounds. Flights on time, no problems in immigration and customs, driver and translator waiting for us at the door. WOW, we actually made it to Guatemala.
Our first stop in Chiquimulilla has come and gone. We had some good times there. Very different than the states. Hot humid weather. A couple of us got a little (or a little more) sick--mostly stomach ailments, but we are all getting better.
We did some great teaching programs for the 30 midwives. They were so receptive, eager to learn. Teaching them to take blood pressures was fascinating. Everyone did a fantastic job. We are all taking lots of pictures (I am already over 400 photos) and I can't wait to put them up on the blog and wherever else I can so you all can see what we are seeing and doing. Sorry, gonna have to wait a few more days. No way for me to do it here. Just have to settle for what few words I can share here, when I get the chance to log on.
The kids here are so cute. We stopped at a school today and I did a session on hand washing. Chris was originally going to do it, but she was not feeling well, so last night she asked me to step in. Of course I said yes and then came to my sense, but it was too late. Anyway, we had a great time, and the kids seemed to both enjoy it and learn something. I did five sessions, I think, with groups of about 25-30 students each. I started each session with the standard "Hi I'm Nathan and my friends and I are going to teach you about proper handwashing, and I would motion to the back of a dark and extremely hot room to the rest of the group. Imagine my surprise on about session three when I went into my opening and got to the my friends and I part and looked up and saw that none of my fellow travelers were back there. They had all gone out to play with the rest of the kids. Oh well they had fun, and some came back in time to help with the interactive hand washing part.
We are now in Antigua. It is a beautiful, colonial city, the old colonial capital of Guatemala. Our hotel, Hotel El Carmen (see link a couple of entries ago) is super, a definite change from the mission guest house in Chiquimulilla. The rooftop "terrace" has great views of the city and surrounding mountains. And I have some internet access, so hopefully I wil be able to update the blog on occasion, so keep visiting. Tomorrow we are off to a clinic, another school (I may end up being a handwashing expert by the time I get home) and to the dump to work with some of the families living there. Good night for now. Nathan
Our first stop in Chiquimulilla has come and gone. We had some good times there. Very different than the states. Hot humid weather. A couple of us got a little (or a little more) sick--mostly stomach ailments, but we are all getting better.
We did some great teaching programs for the 30 midwives. They were so receptive, eager to learn. Teaching them to take blood pressures was fascinating. Everyone did a fantastic job. We are all taking lots of pictures (I am already over 400 photos) and I can't wait to put them up on the blog and wherever else I can so you all can see what we are seeing and doing. Sorry, gonna have to wait a few more days. No way for me to do it here. Just have to settle for what few words I can share here, when I get the chance to log on.
The kids here are so cute. We stopped at a school today and I did a session on hand washing. Chris was originally going to do it, but she was not feeling well, so last night she asked me to step in. Of course I said yes and then came to my sense, but it was too late. Anyway, we had a great time, and the kids seemed to both enjoy it and learn something. I did five sessions, I think, with groups of about 25-30 students each. I started each session with the standard "Hi I'm Nathan and my friends and I are going to teach you about proper handwashing, and I would motion to the back of a dark and extremely hot room to the rest of the group. Imagine my surprise on about session three when I went into my opening and got to the my friends and I part and looked up and saw that none of my fellow travelers were back there. They had all gone out to play with the rest of the kids. Oh well they had fun, and some came back in time to help with the interactive hand washing part.
We are now in Antigua. It is a beautiful, colonial city, the old colonial capital of Guatemala. Our hotel, Hotel El Carmen (see link a couple of entries ago) is super, a definite change from the mission guest house in Chiquimulilla. The rooftop "terrace" has great views of the city and surrounding mountains. And I have some internet access, so hopefully I wil be able to update the blog on occasion, so keep visiting. Tomorrow we are off to a clinic, another school (I may end up being a handwashing expert by the time I get home) and to the dump to work with some of the families living there. Good night for now. Nathan
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Well, we leave tomorrow. Excitement is in the air. Or is that rain? I'm easily confused. But I'm also packed and (I hope) ready to go. This will be an adventure for all of us. I'm very eager to see what is in store. I don't think I will be able to post to the blog while I'm out. Maybe if I'm lucky I will, but I don't expect to. I'll have a lot of catching up to do when I get back, but I am taking a notebook and pencils to keep a journal (we'll see how that goes, I've never been too good at keeping a journal). Everyone be well, and I will see you in June.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Just a quick note, we (hopefully) have finished packing the supplies that we are taking. 11 bags at about 50 pounds a bag. You do the math. Seriously, you do the math, I'm too tired to do it right now. Anyway, I am trying to finish up some teaching material on puberty (in Spanish of course) and collecting the rest of my carry on supplies. My clothes are packed, for the second time, and I am almost ready to go. Very exciting.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
For those who want to know, here is the web address of one of the hotels we will be staying in when we are in Antigua:
http://www.elcarmenhotel.com/home.htm
Check it out and practice your Spanish at the same time.
http://www.elcarmenhotel.com/home.htm
Check it out and practice your Spanish at the same time.
Intro
Hello everybody. Thought this might be a good way to keep everybody posted on what's happening as I get closer and closer to going to Guatemala. I can show off pictures, maybe include a map or two, and when we get back I can share the trip with y'all.
Here we go....
Here we go....
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