Wednesday, April 29, 2009

To help the economy or not to help the economy.

Today I learned how to hand wash my clothes. Once when I was in Europe and DESPERATE for clean clothes Taraleigh and I hand washed some clothes in the sink in a hotel in Paris. It didn't work very well. I paid just under $10. Canadian for a week and a half's worth of clothes. I thought that was way too much! It was in a laundry mat and they did it for me and folded and everything but if I am going to be a hard core missionary I can wash my own clothes!!!!! My teacher offered to show me how. 

So today she came over. She kept saying "see, very easy". And it did look easy. I would like to repeat the work LOOKED. After she showed me a couple of times she let me try. It was terrible!! My back was hurting after the first shirt! And my arms too. And I had 2 weeks worth of shirts! If I wash my own I may wear them more than one day in a row. So I took sooo long that when I went to hang up my 2nd shirt she got in there and whipped the rest of them off for me. I just had to hang them up. And by the time I had hung it up and come back she was almost done the next one! Crazy. She finished them off but left my undies to me. I am off to buy her a box of chocolate covered cocoa beans as a thank you present. 

So, do I wash my own clothes by hand or support the lady down the road that runs the lavenderia. Well, the one I went to. There are a ton. But she needs to make money too and where would she be if we all decided to wash our own clothes??!! Or maybe I will just offer to buy Sandra a box of chocolates each week if she does my laundry for me. :) She is a single mom of a 2 year old. 

I gave it a try folks. If I become more hard core and live in a small town with no laundry services I will try again. Wait, if I do that I will still support the economy by hiring a lady to do it for me. :) There are always people who need the work. 

So that is all I will write today.

Except that yesterday on my way home from Higher Grounds I saw Sandra in the street. We started walking together. We stopped at a corner to wait for the buses to pass. Then she pointed out the local pila's to me. They are big sinks, with a water part in the middle and on the left they have the bumpy bits to rub your clothes on to get them clean. When people don't have water in their homes they go there to do laundry. And more. One lady was washing herself. With her shirt off. Would it be a fun game for me to keep track of the body parts I see while here. In a non-medical capacity of course. Today I saw another man peeing. But that was my 5th time. Once you see it once you've seen it a hundred times. So I don't think that counts. 

Goodnight all.

Friday, April 24, 2009

3rd post in one day. I am on a roll!

I officially have a blog follower I don't know! Pretty excited about it. So Terry you should feel honored. :) 

Fun facts about Guatemala for those who haven't been here:
toilet paper goes in the garbage can (wrap poopie ones in new paper first)
Internet is 4-5 quetzale an hour. There are 6 Q in a dollar (Canadian)
Pedestrians do not have the right of way
I have still managed to find really good chocolate (that speaks more of my talent not about Guatemala) I have also found rootbeer (both of these are in the coffee place I often frequent so it wasn't hard. It is geared for us North Americaners)
It is not unusual to see 4-5 people on a scooter
No seat belts required
Pollo Campero has good greasy chicken

Does anyone even care anymore? :)

Have a great weekend all! And don't forget to look at the other two posts below that I wrote first.

Look below for another post from today.

Hey all.

Now I get into the deep stuff.

On Saturday a.m. Gail and Al picked me up in Antigua to take me to Tecuaco. There were four guys who had been working just outside of Antigua who were also going home. She told me that the guy I was sitting next to had just lost his 3 year old nephew. The funeral was that afternoon as the body is required to be buried within 24 hours. I was sad but didn't dwell on it much then.

Visited at Al and Gail's (there are other families living on their property) for a while. We went to meet the family as they were walking form Ijorga to the cemetery. We walked almost all the way to the town before we met the procession. 

(Side note: I was wearing a skirt and it was hot. I have gained some weight in the last few years. My thighs were rubbing together and it was very uncomfortable. So I was walking with just the bottom of my legs. Trying not to move my thighs. Cute eh?)

Once I saw all the people I started to cry. They were carrying the little guy in a small box attached to two long bamboo poles. The grandma was in the back and Gail knows her fairly well. She was a mess. Put her arms around both of us and we walked that way for a while (then she needed to wipe her eyes so had to let go of me). I didn't have kleenex and was crying pretty hard. The little guy was at the front of the procession so there was a constant visible reminder of why we were there (not that I would have forgotten). I have not been to many funerals and not any recently. It was very emotionally draining. I kept thinking of friend's kids that I have. The more personal I made it the more difficult it was. I knew I shouldn't but this was no longer a nameless, faceless child. I have heard words like "3000 killed in earthquake" or "500 kids die of AIDS or starvation or something else every day" or "Children dying from lack of medical care". It is now personal. Families grieve. More people than we ever realize are affected by it. 

He had previously had an intestinal infection that he was treated for. The family had taken them to Al and Gail's house when he was sick. This time they were out of town. Not to say it would have been different had they been there. But they couldn't afford to go to a doctor. He possibly had pneumonia. One of the ladies that went to the same church they go to said he had a cough and pain in his chest. Think about that. A 3 year old dies from pneumonia. You would never see that at home. Ever. (unless there were additional mitigating circumstances). 

We went to the cemetery and they lowered him and covered him with dirt. There were no words said. Everyone just kind of left. Gail was telling me that that is why they really want a nurse or doctor come work in their town. I heard it but was too sad to process it.

The next day I realized that this is why I am here. I am here so that kids don't die of a "cough and a sore chest". I am going to reduce the little boxes that get buried. At times that seems overwhelming. So much goes on here and sooo many places need help. Choosing where to go and what to do could be difficult. But I need to trust that God brought me here and he will go before me. He will let me know where I need to go and what I need to do. But as I write this I don't want you to think I am flippant about it. It is hard to trust and potentially say no to someone in need in the future. 

I have also been seeing people here in a different light. Lives are really hard down here. And I am not even in a "hard" place to live. For me as a white person I am living in luxury. I have so many possessions that I brought down thinking I "needed". I am ashamed at the amount of stuff I have. Is there a feasible way out of poverty? Guess if there was someone smarter than me would have figured it out and put it into practice already. I don't know what I thought but I wasn't prepared to have such strong feelings of sadness for what is around me. But that is what I need right? I need to have my eyes open to what goes on around me so I change make a small change in my immediate vicinity. 

So that is my deep stuff. Lots to think about. 

And the scorpion comment on the post below is because I saw scorpion guts. And they were brown. Gail happened to be in the bathroom with me (I was trying to beat her to the bathroom so I wasn't the last one up and she pushed past me and won. I was in there with her to potentially disturb her peeing but those who know her will laugh at me. Didn't faze her. I turned around). When she was done peeing she was standing in the door and I was still berating her for beating me to the toilet when she in one amazingly fast and fluid motion grabbed my shoulder with one hand to move me over and with the other hand she took her sandal off and smushed the scorpion that was on the wall right next to the toilet. She peed with a scorpion 3 feet from her head. Ah! So I was glad she beat me to the toilet. 

Well, have I lost anyone yet? Sorry, not much else to do today. Trying to avoid the rain. It has been raining for over an hour (maybe 2 by now) and it wasn't when I left the house. It was hot so I have no jacket! And my towel is on the line and I wanted to have a shower tonight but it will be all wet. Guess I will in the morning. 

I have other things to write but I will do another post. Don't want too many funnies in with my heavy post. 

Did you know scorpions have brown guts?

Well, here I am. It is just after 2 on a warm Friday afternoon (although it will take me a while to write this so it will be a lot later by the time it is posted. But then you all won't read it right away so why did I even bother to put a time in?)

I had a really good day today. My Spanish seemed to click a little more today. Or something. But I felt okay with where I am at. I have a lot of vocabulary to study this weekend though. Have been focusing on verbs and tenses so now I need to round out my vocab a little. 

This morning my teacher offered to let me leave my suitcases in her house (she is across the pathway from me) so I wouldn't have to pay to store them while I visit Ruth. Then she invited me to go to a place with her. I can't remember the name. It is just before another place. Can't remember it's name either. But we are going on Sunday. She was very cute. She asked if I wanted her to bring a sandwich for me or if we should eat at the place. But then she said my stomach might not like the food. So she is bringing a sandwich for me. When we go on "field trips" she is always telling me "careful" of the traffic. She is only 2 years older than me but she really looks out for me. She tells me about the Guatemalan men who sit in the park playing the guitar. She says they only want to sleep with women. Cracks me up a little. 

Our field trip today was for ice cream. Unfortunately I can dictate when we go out. We have gone for a few things in the market that I needed help finding and we talk so I am still learning. But I have decided Friday's for the last hour we should go for treats and sit in the park and laugh at tourists. I hope I keep it to just on Friday's!!!!

So, my family still hardly talks to me. I am switching when I get back from Ruth's house. It is Ruth's 30th birthday today! In 8 months it will be my turn I guess. Remember when 30 was old???!!?? I do. It really isn't. Which is probably what 30 year olds told me when I as 17 and called them old.

Well, this is getting long so  I will post about Tecuaco in a separate post.

Naomi

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Was supposed to be longer.

I came here to post a blog yesterday and got talking then had to go for ice cream. And today I came again to write my thoughts but I find myself almost out of time again (the place closes soon). So this is mostly for the two stalkers that I know live out there (and I am so happy to have my very own stalkers!)

I have a lot to write about the weekend and my feelings. Always good to use feeling words my nursing instructors told me. :)

But I don't want to get too deep now. 

I am glad to be here still though. My Spanish is coming bit by bit. Feeling okay about my progress. Of course I have a long way to go but I see some progress. When I was here last time I just threw out as many words as I could about a subject in whatever tense happened to be uppermost in my mind. Now I think it through and though it takes longer it will be better in the long run. My instructor doesn't let me get away with anything!!! Which is good I realize. 

So, no stories involving body parts sadly. I keep a sharp eye out for my friend on that road. (Actually I walk on the other side of the road now. As if that is going to make any difference!!!!) 

So, happy almost weekend all! I will probably be updating tomorrow as I have nothing to do in the afternoon tomorrow.

Naomi

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Hmmmmm.

I was walking down the road coming back from the store and was thinking about writing in my blog today. I was thinking how I didn't really have anything interesting to write about. The most interesting thing I could come up with had to do with shaving cream. Most ladies here don't shave their legs or armpits. I am not quite ready to give up that little ritual. So I went to buy some. I looked and looked and could only find men's. I got up my courage to ask someone and she understood me! (I picked up the shaving cream and said in Spanish "do you have for women?" My fluency astounds me!) She said no. :( So she picked up the men's sensitive and handed it to me. We will see how it works tonight in the shower.

So that was it. Then I though of other boring stuff. Until.... I looked at the man that was approaching me. I had my sunglasses on and wasn't really paying attention until he was about 7-8 feet from me. I realized he had his penis in his hands and was swinging it in circular motions. He had a good swing going so I don't know how long he had been at it! I would like to think it was NOT for my benefit but sadly I was the only other person around. I have seen many men peeing but this was my first full on look. Wow. Pretty good eh? 

My first Spanish teacher went into labour early Tuesday a.m. so I have a different teacher now. She is fantastic! She has been teaching for 8 years and her teaching style is really good. And she is funny so we laugh a lot. I am remembering things and it isn't terrible. Although I am a little impatient still. 

My host mother is making good food. The others left yesterday and it is a little sad because I eat by myself at the table. They eat at a little table in the kitchen. I want to tell them to eat with me but I can't say much so my dinner conversation would be lacking anyway. 

I ate a brownie today. And it was nice and soft and fresh. And yesterday I had a crepe. Poor li'l ol' me suffering in Guatemala!!! It is so cheap. Actually, speaking of suffering. I am having a hard time sleeping at night because I am so itchy! I have bought bug repellant and am using Gold Bond (which really helps) but I am still uncomfortable at times. Mostly when I walk and my clothes rub and the blood gets pumping. But if that is the worst then I am okay. Wait. That is not the worst. I moved to a different room yesterday because I liked the position better. This afternoon when I was reading my book I glanced up and there was a decent sized spider on my wall. Right above my bed!!!! I was horrified. And shaking. So I went downstairs and asked the host father for help. He got rid of it and then started shaking my blankets. Was he looking for babies? I don't know. I should have bought Raid at the store. 

Tomorrow I am going to Tecuaco with some friends to spend the weekend. Nice to not be by myself. I haven't been too lonely until last night. Amy called and I was talking to Jocelyn and Sophia (her twin girls). They are 21 months now. Jocelyn could hear me and kept saying my name. I was on speaker phone and once they toddled off to play Amy took me off speaker phone to talk Jocelyn would cry and say "Nomi". This happened probably 4 or 5 times. So cute!!!! It really made my night. I didn't think they would remember much of me. Then they heard the door open and Jocelyn thought it was me coming in. I wish it was!!!! I miss pinching their little bums. And Jocelyn is always soooo tolerant of my thousands of kisses. So I had a little cry. From what I hear I have always been like that. When I would visit my aunt I wouldn't be homesick until I talked to my mom. Then I would cry and want to go home. Not that I want people to stop phoning!!!! I still want to talk to you all! 

Taraleigh said it was okay to post about my diarrhea. But there was nothing funny or exciting about it. I was at Ruth's so I knew there was a bathroom and toilet paper always available for me! I just didn't leave the house. :) And I have been normal since then. I even had bean soup for lunch yesterday with no disastrous results. 

I guess I have nothing left to say. 

With fondest regards and warmest wishes:
Naomi

:)

Monday, April 13, 2009

Antigua!

I am here. And I am on my own. And I ordered in a restaurant by myself and everything!!! (It helped that the menu had both Spanish and English and I pointed to the Spanish version of what I wanted while trying to sound it out. Does that count as being impressive?) 

I have found the coffee shop Renata and I went to last time we were here. It is a Christian coffee shop run by...... (drumroll please) English speaking people!!!!!!!! Yay! And if I buy 10 quetzales (less than 2 dollars) worth of treats then I can access their wireless internet for 2 hours!!!! Double yay. I get "free" internet but I have to buy treats to get it. Fantastic! I bought a rootbeer (they have rootbeer!) and a big soft chocolate chip cookie. Too bad I want to come here every day! Tomorrow it will be the brownie.  (I feel a little spoiled at how normal I feel)

On Saturday we drove to Antigua with a nice little lunch stop at Pollo Campero (Guatemalan version of KFC) Yay for greasy greasy chicken! I was dropped off at my host family and Mr Peters (who is trying to get to me say Les. Say it with me; Les, Les, Les. I have to practice because he was my principal when I was 10. Hard habits to break) left. I was feeling a little lost. My host mother took me through the house spouting a bunch of fast Spanish. The only thing I got from her was that there was hot water in the shower. Found out last night she exagurates. But it was bearable. For dinner that night I had some scrambled eggs (I think about 1 1/2 eggs) and 3 small pieces of plantane. I started to worry but I think it will be okay. Going to give it a few days. We had more for lunch today. 

Yesterday was a fantastic day. It started out way too early for me. 0530!!!! That is bedtime. I went to the restaurant and then headed to the central park. Was sitting there reading when I saw Les (I did it!) and his group walking by. They were far away but I thought it was fun to see someone I know. Then Jeremy (Les's son) and Julie (worked with the Peters last year and was visiting) saw me and came and sat down. I had been feeling sad that I wasn't going to church that day. It was Easter and Sunday is the most important day! But I didn't know where to go where there would be an English speaking one. Then Julie asked if my phone was ringing. I didn't think so because I didn't know anybody (and my old ears couldn't hear it). It was Gail and she had been trying to call me for a while. Invited me to church (Yay!). I was so happy. I felt like God was taking care of me. I thought it was going to be a long lonely day and God made it otherwise. 
At church were some other people I was hoping to run into at some point. Bob and Shirley Adams. Mr. Adams (Bob) was my principal before Les was. They invited me for Easter dinner. Gail and I went for lunch at a crepe place. The crepe was huge and so very very good! Definitely going back at some point! I then had to go for a nap (most of you saw that coming I am sure). We went out to the Adams and had a good visit and a good dinner. And cake! 

This morning I went for my first lesson. It went okay. I remember some things but she wanted to talk to much. I couldn't remember much and she was asking hard questions! Like "Why are you a Christian?" Well that is a hard one even in English! But I started learning the present tense conjugation. Have to study tonight. School is rough already! Well, I am over reacting a bit. I am not ready to explode yet. 

I have spent a long time writing this. I feel like maybe I am going overboard on details (although, to be fair I did not tell you about my diarrhea). So let me know if this is too boring. Nothing fun or funny has happened yet so I feel like this is all a little boring. 

Hope you all had a good Easter! 

I just tried to add a picture but I don't think it worked. Oh well. 

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Still having fun!

Well, as I sit here I hear the pounding of music from the restaurant across the street. It is a holiday tomorrow so they are trying to attract business. We don't think it is working but that will not stop them from blasting it all night aparently.



And my legs itch SOOOO bad right now. I just put ice and then anti-itch cream on so it is bearable. Especially when I am very still. I have about 16 in one spot about the size of my palm. Right on my underwear line (so it has been pulled up all day). Guess some little guy got hungry!!! Maybe he won't be hungry tonight.



Other than that, I really am still having fun.



I put a bunch of pictures on facebook of some of the stuff we have been doing. I never take enough pictures so I vowed to not be disapointed this time. I have taken 72 since getting here so I don't think that is too bad!!!!



I am sleeping in Kathe's room on a pull out bed beside her. I usually hear her leave in the morning, between 7 and 0715 usually. I am awake anywhere from 0630-0700 but I never get up right away. Those of you who have had the pleasure of being around when I first wake up know the importance of this. I wait anywhere from 1/2 hour to an hour before emerging (althought this morning it was over an hour and a half!) Two mornings ago this conversation took place before I emerged.

Kathe "Mom, is it nmorning?"
Ruth "Yes it is"
Kathe "I don't think Naomi knows that yet"

Too funny. I love that kid.

I sat out in the sun yesterday reading a book. Got a little color on my face and now it's gone. Guess I still have time to get some more.

There is a team here and tomorrow they are going to a public hospital tomorrow. I will go with them to check it out. Have heard about it.

On Saturday I have a host family set up. I really wanted to stay with the lady I stayed with last time. She was a great cook!!!!! But she moved to another town. I have been selfishly praying that my new family will have good food for me. I will head to Antigua with the group (easier to get a ride with them than take the bus). I have so much luggage that transfering buses is difficult.

I am a little nervous about the classes. I have high expectations and I know I won't be fluent in the next month or even 6 months. It takes time but I want to get on with it! I already will be going out for treats with some friends next week who will be visiting Antigua. Yay for people I know!

Well, kids are in bed and the music has miraculously stopped! We may sleep tonight after all!

Bye.

Ending blogs is weird. Feel like there should be some sort of ending but don't know what. Bye sounds wierd. Love Naomi feels weird because people I don't know may be reading this. I don't know. Maybe nothing is best. But then it feels unfinished. Ahhh. Who really cares, right?

Sunday, April 5, 2009

In Guatemala!

Hello all.

(This is a really long post. Sorry)

When I check (stalk) other people's blogs I wonder why they don't write more often for my entertainment. Now I realize that when people are actually doing fun things they don't have time to write! That is what is happening to me. I am at my friend Ruth's house. She has two kids Sam and Kathe. They are fantastic! We are too busy playing for me to write. But I have had to tell them I need to write for half an hour. So here I am.

On Thursday morning I went to the airport at 5! I actually woke up at 3. Guess I was excited. I had 3 bags to check and two of them were 3.6 lbs overweight (weird that they were both the same over). While he was weighing he asked what I was doing there. Told him that I was moving to Guatemala to work in a medical clinic. Got it in there really fast so he would have a heart and not charge me. :) It worked!

I had a good little cry that started when Taraleigh and Elaine left and didn't end until I was through customs. I was anticipating a long line so I could compose myself before I got there but I walked right up! He was really nice and hardly asked me anything.

I got into Portland and the sign at my gate said the plane was half an hour late. Because I only had a layover of 1 hour in Houston. I didn't worry too much then. Later they said it was delayed an hour and a half. When I went up to the desk I was told the flight to Guatemala was late too so no worries. When I got into Houston the plane had jsut left. I went to customer service and waited in line for 1 hour and 40 minutes. There were about 25-30 Guatemalan's in front of me that had been trying to get out all day. I could hear them saying the next flight available was at 3 the next afternoon and it went to Panama first and wouldn't get back to Guatemala until 10 that night. I didn't really want to get in at night because I knew my ride would be long gone by then. They were also told they could not get a hotel voucher, jsut a discount. So I was prepared to spend the night at the airport. But when I got up to the counter they said I had already been pre-booked on the 11:05 a.m. flight the next day. Yay!!!! I was so happy I cried. Then I got a hotel voucher. Yay again! I called Ruth and told her the details. She called her dad (who was picking up another team) and he said he would send someone to pick me up and put me on the bus.

The hotel shuttle took an hour to get there and then there was not enough room for us anyway. So he came back 15 minutes later. Then it was a 45 wait at the hotel to get checked in. So from the time I landed in Houston to the time I sat on the bed in the room it was 4 1/2 hours. But at least I got a good sleep in a king size bed.

The next morning I confirmed with Ruth that Isreal would pick me up. I had met him in 1996 so I was hoping to recognize him.

We got into Guatemala city 1/2 hour late and then when I went to get my bags only one showed up. So I had to wait in another line for a long time to report my missing bags. By the time I got outside there was no one there that looked like Isreal. So thankfully there was a pay phone right there and thankfully Tony from my church had given me some change that he had left over (God was looking out for me!) So I called Ruth and she said that a North American lady was looking for me. But I hadn't seen her. I guess I had taken so long she left and was going to come back for me. She hadn't gone very far so she turned around and we found each other. She got me to the bus depot and the next bus left 10 minutes later.

They were really nice to me on the bus. The guy in front of me gave me a tourist map he had found in his paper. The lady next to me offered me her jacket. She thought I would be cold because the windows were open and it was dark. In my terrible Spanish I tried to tell her I wasn't cold because I had come from Canada that day. She smiled and nodded. Classic "I don't understand but I don't want to tell you because you will just try to speak more abysmal Spanish that I won't understand".

And then Ruth was there with her kiddos!!!! I was so excited. Kathe is almost 5 and she gave me a big hug and put her head on my shoulder. I am in love already! And Sam even tolerated a hug from me. They are both fantastic! They were talking a mile a minute until they were forced to go to bed!

So yesterday we played and ran a couple of errands. I saw their house that they are building. It looks great. It has been under construction for 10 months and still has quite a ways to go.

I am not sure when I am leaving here. Probably Friday. I will head to Antigua and start my Spanish lessons. I already am remembering more words as I am here. Can't wait to understand it all!

So I hope at least a couple of you have made it all the way through. Sorry for the length. I won't have as much to say in the next couple of days. I will put up some pictures later of the kids at the pool yesterday.

Bye!