Sofia Somewhere

It's a new year, and I'm back in Guatemala for another stint of teaching and enjoying this beautiful country. The first month has been extremely busy with all the new changes being made in school (we rewrote the curriculum of the English program), and on the roof (we got a renovation!). Last year's vacation was also relaxing; I spent a week in Mexico plus a few days in Florida followed by a night in New York before flying back to the Philippines and staying home for one and a half months. Needless to say, not much blogging was done. So before I start up again, here are a few pictures of the last couple of months in Guatemala last year. :) Before we had our mid-year break in June, we decided to take a roof trip to Monterrico, a nearby beach. We were able to leave a little early on a Friday after work, and several buses and shuttle van rides later, we arrived in Monterrico. One of our van rides to Monterrico Situated along the Pacific cost, Monterrico is one of the ...

Independence Day is a day of strong pride and patriotism in many countries, and Guatemala is no exception. Cities adorn their streets with flags or banners and streamers bearing the blue and white colors of the Guatemalan flag. Restaurants and stores likewise decorate their establishments, and many will also have promotions and discounts for the month. Parades with bands take place throughout the day, and firecrackers light the sky at night. All over the country there are celebrations taking place to pay tribute to the day 196 years ago when Guatemala and many other Latin American countries claimed independence from Spain after 300 years of colonial rule. My school had a variety of events culminating in a cultural week to commemorate the holiday. One of our first events was an acto cívico . Aside from the customary singing of the national anthem and reciting the pledge of allegiance, students from each grade level recited poems about Guatemala. The next major event we h...