No Pictures but Great Adventures

Hello Everyone!

I must apologize for not updating this blog for quite some time. However, I assure you all that I am alive and doing fantastic in Guatemala.

Over the past few weeks I have been teaching English 4 days a week to a few adults in the community and in a local public school. The experience has been very rewarding and an awesome chance for me to grow in my abilities. In this role, I am currently working on creating an English-Teaching curriculum for other Spanish Students to use when they wish to teach English here in order to maintain a consistent structure for the students learning.... Thus I have not had an ample amount of free time to blog about my adventures!

I have hiked two different volcanoes here. Both trips were adventures. The first trip to the summit of Santa Maria Volcan was very interesting. I went with my teacher and two other students at 4AM to begin our climb. However, because of a huge local event happening on the volcano, I guard with a shot-gun told us we were not allowed to pass to enter the hike without paying Q2oo! No problem... we snuck through a local farm and field to get around the guard and climb to the top. We were able to look over a few other volcanos and watch one of them erupt! It was incredible. The other volcano had a large lake in the middle of it! I do not remember the name, but the lake was beautiful and the view was spectacular. There were many Mayan families there paying tribute to members of their family who had passed away... it was fascinating to watch their rituals!

Aside from the volcanoes, I spent a day at a beach about 2hours from here with my teacher and his good friends. Going on a day vaccation with some Guatemaltecas is interesting. They were 45 minutes late picking me up and we return about 3hours after their estimation for when we would return. The beach was incredible and the water was perfect with nice large waves to body surf on for hours. It has been really special for me to get these opportunities and be the only white-person in sight. My white skin definitely stood out in a beach full of locals... but that made the experience all the more authentic and memorable for me!

Semana Santa = Best week ever! Holy Week in Guatemala is HUGE. There are multiple processions each day that essentially over the course of the week tell the story of Jesus being arrested, tortured, crucified, dead, and resurrected! Mary and Jesus are portrayed with such beauty and the people here put everything into this week. In Guatemala, Antigua is the international sensation for people to travel to for Semana Santa, becauase they have the largest processions in the world... however, at night, the streets are filled with turists drinking, partying, and essentially not respecting the significance or importance of Holy Week. In Xela, I was able to experience it all from the perspective of a Catholic Guatemaltecan! I watched the processions and went to different churches for weekly fiestas during Lent leading up to Holy Week. On Holy Thursdaty, I spend from 8p,m-1am going to different churches and paying my respects to a variety of Alters with an Adoration of the Eucharist. My family and I went to about 15 different churches and each one was filled with large families. That night was one of the most genuine and moving spiritual experiences of my life. The next day I helped to make an Alfomra (which is a large image on the pavement that looks like a carpet but is made out of dyed shredded pieces of wood!) It was hard work but such an unforgettable experience. Easter Vigil and then Easter Mass on Sunday with a very exciting and happy procession made the week by far the best in Guatemala! I have never been a part of something like it.

Today, I went to a local amusement park here. The newspaper had a great promotion and my teachers at the school really wanted to go because the price was so cheap! So we were at a HUGE water park that was absolutley fantastic. Today has been so exciting and fun! I laughed so much that my abs are soar and I think I wore enough sun screen to not be sun burnt.... successful day in my book!

Overall, I am doing really well. Between these and many more adventures, going to mass, learning spanish, developing relationships with my host family, volunteering, and trying to make an English Teaching book, my time here is being well spent! I am still finding time to relax and just enjoy the many moments when I am by myself. Also, my family is very extensive in Xela and I have been blessed with getting to know many of them. It has been really fun to walk down the street and hear my name be called with excitement and it is the sister to my host mom and her children greeting me with large smiles. I really do feel like I am becoming a part of a wonderful family here, one that recognizes me as a temporary student, but that still sees my worth and value and treats me with such respect!

I am very lucky to be here and I am hopeful for the next three weeks here that they continue to go well. I apologize for the length of this post and for not spicing it up with photos. I will try to upload photos soon or will be putting them online soon after I return home! I have a lot of great ones to share.

As always, Thank you all for reading and supporting me with your postive thoughts, emails, and prayers! I love hearing about how you are doing, so always feel free to drop me a message whenever.

Peace & Blessings to each of you.

-Mathew

Me Gusta Futbol

Hello Friends & Family, This past week in Guatemala has been very exciting. I spent my Sunday at a market nearby the town I am living in. I went with a new friend I have made who works for the school, Julio. The market was beautiful and I have tried to include some pictures that show the traditional dress that the women and young girls here wear. Every day I see so many intricate attire on women, and after learning how they make it in my school, it is very impressive. Also, something that was pretty fun at the market was the fact that they sell lots of live animals. Chickens, Ducks, Turkeys, Rabbits, Dogs & Cats (not for eating I was told). It was pretty cool seeing all these animals being sold like that at a market where they have fresh vegetables close by as well as clothings for sale!

Last Saturday I went to visit a cemetary. I was wondering through the towns and saw the size of the cemetary and was with a friend who said it is pretty awesome. Walking through, I was amazed as to how colorful and beautiful it was. Some parts reminded me a community garden in an urban setting, because there was so much plantation sprouting through the ground on top of where peoples´loved ones are buried. It was beautiful to watch people come to pay their respects to their loved ones by planting flowers, putting up baloons, and essentially making the surrounding area around the tombstone look like a party! This picture does not do the cemetary justice, unfortunately. Also, while we were there, we observed a burial taking place. The women were wearing their most vibrant and elegrant traditional attire and the magnitude of people present was incredible... although the venders selling cotton candy behind the crowd was pretty odd.

This is a good picture of the Cathedral, which is on one of the sides of Central Park. This is the ¨downtown¨of Xela, if it had a downtown. It is where people meet up and there are always lots of people hanging out here late at night. The street venders sell really great and cheap food... but my host mom says I keep getting sick because I am eating the street food too much! The Cathedral itself is beautiful and the main priest is very well liked by the people here. I go to mass here pretty much every day. While I can understand everything, because it is just like in the US, I cannot yet recite the prayers and everything in Spanish. But I have a small guide book and am working towards that! I am often hanging out around this park in a small cafe. There are many nice cafes and small restaurants around here, which is where I will sometimes spend an afternoon studying.

Walking out of class yesterday I heard Julio, my friend featured here, talking about Futbol. I had to ask if there was a game tonight or something and he said there was and that I could join him. Obviously I could not resist an invitation to a Soccer Match, but I had no idea what was in store for me. We left at 3:30 for the 8:00pm game in order to get ready. As we were walking to the game Julio says, ¨Te gusta Cervezas?¨ Although I have had no experience with such beverages being not yet 21 in the US I replied, ¨Si, porque no.¨He told me that he and his friends like to have one or two before the game begins. Although it is true his friends and Julio only had one or two beers, they followed such up with a good 6 or 7 shots of Whiskey.... let the fun begin! Suddenly I had about 15 new best friends hugging me telling me how much they were glad I was at the game.... At that point I knew I was in for a good night. The game itself in the section we were in was absolutely insane. It made the craziest fans in the states seem completely tame. These guys, with the band, had so much energy, crude remarks, fireworks, confetti, and drunken fun, that it was one of the most exciting games I have ever been too.

It was the championship game that went into overtime due to a 0-0 score in regular time. The home team - Xelaju SuperChivos - (Xela Super Goats) ended up winning 2-0 and this is a post victory picture. I had a blast at the game and with all of the people. I am looking forward to going to another game soon.

In other news. I have started teaching English at the local school nearby, which was an awesome experience. Challenging at first, but I really enjoy being in front of the classroom with the kids so excited to learn how to say things in English.

Currently, teachers are on strike, so I show up to the school often but only get to teach sometimes, when the teachers are not on strike that day!

This weekend I will be climbing a Volcano that is nearby, Santa Maria, which I have heard is gorgeous. Also, I might start working at a shelter for abused women with children in the future. Since I am going to be the only student at my school next week, I figured I should start finding some ways to get involved in the community to have things to do!

Overall, I am doing well here and the adventures continue to randomly occur. I am looking forward to bettering my spanish, because I am quickly realizing how much I don´t know and need to start working on that!

You all continue to be in my thoughts and prayers!

PEACE

A Calm Week in Xela

Hello Friends,

This past week in Guatemala has been very relaxing. I have spent time exploring the city, trying out some local foods, improving my Spanish, and just hanging out! I hope the following pictures will help to explain what my life is like in Guatemala and what I have been up to this past week.

This is the picture of my bedroom. I am very lucky in that I get my very own room and desk. The bed and pillow would not really classify as such in the US, but it is my own and I am very appreciative to have my own space.

This is a view from the doorway of my bedroom. My family lives with two others families in a small complex type set up. So instead of it being a typical house with everything connected to one another, the bathroom, shower, kitchen, and bedrooms are all accessible via going outside. The care is pointed to the doorway of the complex and the two doors to the left of it are the shower and bathroom that everyone shares. I just discovered how to get warmer water in the shower, which makes bathing a lot nicer now.

One of the classes at my school this week was to observe and then learn how to do typical Guatemalan Weaving. It is always a womens job, but believing in equality like I do, I felt the need to give it a shot. It was very difficult. I have developed a whole new respect of the women who have been practicing this trade since the age of 10. It takes them months to create large intricate table runners that they sell in the markets for as cheap as $8.

In Guatemala, and especially in Xela, the Lenten Season is extremely special and important. In preparation for ¨Semana Santa¨ Holy Week, each Friday, a new church in Xela celebrates the season with a carnival, fiesta, and a procession from the church that leads to Central Park. This is a procession of the children of the church. It is really touching to see how much the people in Xela prepare for Holy Week and Easter. The spiritual gatherings within the churches each week are absolutely gorgeous, with so many people coming to spend moments in prayer and fellowship. Outside the church, it is like a carnival with small rides for the little children and a ton of great food and drinks. It is not done in a distasteful way, but rather brings a special significance and contemporary focus on Lent.

Overall, things have been going pretty well. I have overcome my sickness and am working to get to better understand the culture of this town. I will send some more pictures of Central Park, where I often meet people to go do things. It is the center of Xela where the large Cathedral is located and people generally hang out there in the nights.

Starting next week, on Mondays & Thursdays I will be teaching three different English Classes at the local public school here, which should be quite the experience. I am definitely looking forward to it, especially since it is such a need in the schools where they do not have enough money to spend on hiring English teachers. Other than that, I am enjoying the fact that every day is new and I never quite know what to expect. I am learning more here just by doing things and enganging in conversations, with my broken spanish, with the people than I ever could studying the language and culture in the states.

Thank you all for continuing to read my blog. I hope you are doing well. Please let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to hear about. It is difficult to include everything in just a short blog.

Peace!

No Bus, No Problem... Let the Adventures Begin

Hey Friends & Family,

The first few days have been quite the adventure in Xela, Guatemala.

On Friday, my school went to an impoverished rural community to spend some time with the children in the preschool there. However, the bus never arrived to pick up our group. No Bus equals great adventure. We hopped in the back of a pickup truck and drove through the mountains. In Guatemala they call it a pickup, which makes sense because we get picked up in a pickup truck. I am quickly finding that traveling via pickup truck is the most fun way to get places and is quite conveniant as well. (This is a picture from the truck ride)

Saturday morning, I took a bus and another pickup to travel high in the mountains to spend the afternoon in natural hot springs. It was such a relaxing day. The rest of the day was spent walking around the city and trying to make myself more comfortable with my surroundings.

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to be invited to ride on the back of a guys motorcycle to one of the largest Sunday Markets in Central America. I have become friends with these two brothers who are motorbiking from Alaska to Argentina - they were kind enough to let me ride with them to the market. The two hour bike ride was very cold but gorgeous. It was the best way to see more parts of Guatemala. The market itself was colorful, huge, and a ton of fun. I had the opportunity to practice my Spanish Speaking skills as I worked to bargain with the venders. (This is a not-so-good picture of the market)

As my first full week in Guatemala commences, I have become quite sick. I am pretty sure it is from the food that has been prepared with unpurified water down here. However, this shortcoming will not last and soon I will be feeling great again and ready to seek out more adventures. I should start volunteering at a local school very soon and I think my Spanish will really begin to improve soon. Friday afternoons I have the opportunity to help teach English to Guatemalans who want to learn.

I hope you all are doing well. You are each in my thoughts and prayers each day.

Safe and Sound in Guate-town

Hello Best Friends & Family,

I have safely arrived to Xela, Guatemala. It was not too difficult to get here, although very exhausting. I was fortunate enough to sit next to a man, on the plane to Guatemala City, who lives in California but is originally from Guatemala. He visits Guatemala often and offered for me to share his Taxi with him, since he knows his taxi driver well. This mans kindness as well as the generousity of the Taxi driver helped me to safely exit the airport and find the quickest bus to get to Xela, which still took about seven hours (3hours waiting at the bus station followed by a 4hour bus ride). The bus ride was pretty insane, but I am still alive and didn´t get car sick despite the quick twists and turns the entire way.

My host family is wonderful. There are technically four small families all living together in a small housing complex with nine total people. I have my own room and there is a pretty sweet rooftop that I can go onto during the day and read, study, or just hang out.

Today was my first day of classes. I have to be at breakfast at 7AM before classes begin at 8Am and continue until noon... I definitely did not expect early mornings like that. However, thankfully my homeworkload each night will never keep me up too late so that I can go to bed early and get some sleep. (Yes, you all heard me, I, Mathew Lane, am going to be getting plenty of sleep! This means that all of you reading this, and you know who I am talking about, need to make sure you get your rest as well and take care of yourself too).

My teachers at the school are very kind and I think I am going to learn a lot from them. I quickly realized that I remember much more Spanish than I expected, many of the other students there assumed I had learned spanish in the past... clearly my spanish accent must be good, which is understandable since I am quite the expert at accents (I hope you can detect my sarcasm). One of the other students at the school invited myself and another student to go Salsa dancing tonight. I think it is a good idea to be the "Yes Man" here so that I can experience as much as possible and try out a lot of new things here, hopefully making some friends in the process.


I have probably already rambled on too long and hopefully you all have not already stopped reading. I will try to write on the blog fairly often and will do my best to keep it as interesting as possible and to submit pictures as well so that you all know what I am talking about as I describe things.

I hope (esperanza) you are all doing really well and enjoying your spring break (if you go to SU)! Please write to me because I would love to hear how you all are doing.

Peace & Blessings to each of you!
-Mathew

T-Minus 3 Days till Take-Off

Hello Friends & Family,

My adventure to Guatemala commences Tuesday evening. I should arrive in Guatemala City at 7:15am on Wednesday where I will take a bus to Xela, Guatemala in hopes of finding Glenda, the woman who should be picking me up from the bus station and taking me to my host family. I recently found out that I am no longer staying with the host family I previously thought I would be with, but I am sure that I will have a place to stay.

I hope to start taking classes at El Quetzal on Thursday. The school I am studying at consists of five-hours of Spanish Language a day with optional afternoon classes of cooking, dancing, culture, etc. I am hoping to get connected to a local school upon arrival to in order to work with some local youth through Soccer and possibly teaching english or helping with math... possibly show the Guate community what Mathewmatics is all about, although I suppose there it will be Mateomaticas.

Thank you all for wanting to follow my blog. I will try to post pictures and humorous posts as often as possible to keep you all entertained. Please email me or comment on my blog while I am abroad so that I can hear about how all of you are doing.

You will all be in my thoughts and prayers during my stay in Guatemala and I hope you are consoled and blessed with peace and love throughout Spring Quarter.

Peace,

Mathew