Life Lately
So the pattern I'm sensing among my posts is that they happen once a month! Truth be told, life in Guatemala has become very routine and steady for me. Between working and living in the city during the week, and spending the weekend in Antigua with my boyfriend, there's nothing that exciting to write home (or on this blog) about. It is a good life though, one I enjoy a lot, and here are a few tidbits and ponderings from life lately.
Just like last year, I've been spending this year volunteering at UPAVIM, which is located in an impoverished community on the outskirts of Guatemala City. While I have become a little normalized to some things here (and there will be days where I don't even leave the roof until the weekend), the environment can be tough. Coupled with work which can be really taxing, life does gets exhausting, but one thing that makes everything a lot more positive is my fellow volunteers on the roof. Getting to go through daily life with them makes things more bearable, and I'm grateful for the friendships I've made. One thing I also discovered the hard way, is that your coworkers can make a huge impact on your life, especially when you live abroad. So even though roof life and school life (personal life and work life) oftentimes mix, it's still a positive aspect. Last year there would be moments after work where we'd just sit down in the kitchen doing nothing, just talking (and venting) about our day. This year, I'll chat with the girls randomly throughout the day, and we'll have bonding moments in the kitchen as well. We're around each other almost 24/7 (and we manage not to get sick of each other, haha!), but we also carve time out every Thursday evening to have a community dinner. It's a nice way to end the week; sharing a meal together and talking about everything and anything.
A few weeks back Holly grilled us some hotdogs and homemade burgers for a really delicious meal. Again, it's always fun to sit with these girls and share conversations, stories, and laughs. Community dinners also make for fun experiences like this time when it took us forever trying to figure out how to light the coal. Our inexperience plus the wind equaled a struggle, but we did it!
Aside from this event, at school we also had a small assembly where some students performed for the teachers and we also got small gifts. It wasn't a big event, but it was appreciated. From an early age, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. When I was in university, I had my first experience with teaching working part-time in my alma mater as a Spanish teacher. After I graduated, I worked in Spain for two years as an English language and culture assistant. And now, I'm a full time English teacher at UPAVIM. Teaching is all I've known, but I love it. As with anything, there will be difficult and tiring days (and I keep learning every day), but at the end of it all, I'm always grateful to be doing something I love. Hearing the kids say "Hello, teacher!," seeing their faces light up when I enter the room, receiving random hugs throughout the day, seeing them raise their hand and participate in class, noticing the moment the kids realize they understand the lesson and really get it, successfully planning and executing a great class, sharing strategies with other teachers... all these and many more make me proud and happy to be a teacher.
Just like last year, I've been spending this year volunteering at UPAVIM, which is located in an impoverished community on the outskirts of Guatemala City. While I have become a little normalized to some things here (and there will be days where I don't even leave the roof until the weekend), the environment can be tough. Coupled with work which can be really taxing, life does gets exhausting, but one thing that makes everything a lot more positive is my fellow volunteers on the roof. Getting to go through daily life with them makes things more bearable, and I'm grateful for the friendships I've made. One thing I also discovered the hard way, is that your coworkers can make a huge impact on your life, especially when you live abroad. So even though roof life and school life (personal life and work life) oftentimes mix, it's still a positive aspect. Last year there would be moments after work where we'd just sit down in the kitchen doing nothing, just talking (and venting) about our day. This year, I'll chat with the girls randomly throughout the day, and we'll have bonding moments in the kitchen as well. We're around each other almost 24/7 (and we manage not to get sick of each other, haha!), but we also carve time out every Thursday evening to have a community dinner. It's a nice way to end the week; sharing a meal together and talking about everything and anything.
A few weeks back Holly grilled us some hotdogs and homemade burgers for a really delicious meal. Again, it's always fun to sit with these girls and share conversations, stories, and laughs. Community dinners also make for fun experiences like this time when it took us forever trying to figure out how to light the coal. Our inexperience plus the wind equaled a struggle, but we did it!
Right before the break, we were invited to a dinner organized by a group schools in Villa Nueva to celebrate Teachers' Day. It was a special dinner hosted at a nice event place in Zone 10 of Guatemala City, so we dressed up and set off for a fun night.
It was a simple that nice event that started off with an awarding to several distinguished teachers. Afterwards, there were a few games (it was fun to see everyone get really competitive, ourselves included), followed by a catered dinner. Some of us left earlier than the others, but the ones who stayed said there was some dancing going on for a bit. It was a pleasant evening, and I don't partake in many activities with the Guatemalan teachers, so it was nice to share this experience with them and make some memories.
Aside from this event, at school we also had a small assembly where some students performed for the teachers and we also got small gifts. It wasn't a big event, but it was appreciated. From an early age, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. When I was in university, I had my first experience with teaching working part-time in my alma mater as a Spanish teacher. After I graduated, I worked in Spain for two years as an English language and culture assistant. And now, I'm a full time English teacher at UPAVIM. Teaching is all I've known, but I love it. As with anything, there will be difficult and tiring days (and I keep learning every day), but at the end of it all, I'm always grateful to be doing something I love. Hearing the kids say "Hello, teacher!," seeing their faces light up when I enter the room, receiving random hugs throughout the day, seeing them raise their hand and participate in class, noticing the moment the kids realize they understand the lesson and really get it, successfully planning and executing a great class, sharing strategies with other teachers... all these and many more make me proud and happy to be a teacher.
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