Hasta Luego!

University is officially over for this seniorita! We finished at St. Peter Claver a week ago now. The school really went all out with their farwells. They planned a lunch with all of the teachers, presented us with certificates and shirts, sang to us, and put on a full afternoon of entertainment performed by all of our classes. The kids performed traditional dances, recited poetry, and sang for us. It was very thoughtful. The goodbyes were tough. My kids followed me home on my last day, and they kept asking when I was coming back to visit them. They didn't quite understand. We made some good friendships in Punta Gorda, and fell in love with the town, so leaving was hard, but we had a great last weekend. We even got to one last punta concert! Overall the experience that I gained by doing my practicum in Belize far exceeds the professional development that I would have received in a Canadian placement. It was incredible, and I could not be happier with how it all turned out.

Right now the girls and I are in Nicaragua, on our way to Costa Rica for our last month of travels before coming home for graduation. Graduation will be sweet, but the real world is a little scary. Thanks for reading everybody. Hasta Luego!

Lovin Guatemala!

Whew! I wasn't sure that I was meant to post this blog entry. It's been quite challenging trying to finding a computer that was working correctly.
We have begun the home stretch of our practicum now, with only a week and a half left. My mentor teacher has gone on what they call ‘long leave’, and has the rest of the school year off. There is a new teacher in my classroom now, and I am enjoying her very much. My class is responding much better to my management strategies since the break. We are having their annual sports day this Friday so I will update you on that next week, but for now, I want to give you a glimpse of our Easter break adventures!

The girls threw me a wonderful birthday on the 27th. They took me fishing, planned a surprise party with all our friends, got a scrumptious birthday cake made, and even worked it out so that my parents called me at the party on one of our friend’s cell phones. I didn’t suspect a thing and it sounds like they had fun planning sneakily in a one room apartment. It was so thoughtful and definitely a day that I won’t forget!

By the end of that week we were getting pretty excited about heading to Guatemala for two weeks. We definitely had some interesting experiences with the customs office, and the language barrier. Even the Spanish words we did know, we didn’t seem to be able to communicate properly. We felt like we were in a big game of charades as we dramatized everything that we were trying to say, regardless of how foolish we looked. Thank goodness numbers are universal, because we resorted to carrying a calculator around with us everywhere. Our first stop was San Pedro, a little hippie town on Lake Atitlan. This lake is surrounded by some gorgeous volcanoes, and the lake actually used to be a volcano itself. This is where we were introduced to skurfing! Every morning we started the day off with a good skurf, which is simply like wakeboarding, but on a surfboard. The weather was gorgeous, the accommodations were only costing us $3 US a night, and we met some really cool people to travel with.

From there we went to Antigua (right) for Easter weekend to take in their famous Easter celebrations. The city itself looked very European with cobble stone streets and just an overall romantic look and atmosphere. We celebrated Melissa’s birthday there by climbing Volcano Pacaya, which is about an hour outside the city. The hike was substantially tough, and we were surprised that no warning was given before signing up. There were lots of people that couldn’t make it up, and some that had to take advantage of the ‘taxis’ (kids on the volcano offering their horses as taxis). Once we reached the volcanic rock, we could see rivers of lava, and could feel the heat already. As we got closer, the heat coming out from the cracks between the rocks would actually burn us. I got a little nervous as some balls of lava would tumble off the river’s path, and look like they were coming towards us, but we got out just fine. That night we had a party for Melissa at the hostel complete with cheesecake, a large piñata, musical chairs, and of course some drinks.

When we were coming home that night, we passed a bunch of people in the streets who were beginning to make carpets. They worked all night, making these carpets, and then in the morning, the procession reenacting the stations of the cross paraded over them. The carpets are a symbol of thanks for gifts given and a sign of future faith. (The picture above is of the carpet in front of our hostel at night, and the one below it is the same carpet in the morning.) The processions were very impressive. It seemed like every male in the town was wearing a purple robe, and they carried floats to the beat of a band playing behind them. There was also a float with Mary on it, and women in high heels carried this thing all day. That night we saw the procession of Jesus lying in the tomb in front of the City’s cathedral. Thousands of people were standing watching with candles. It was very powerful, but it is also very hard to explain without making this entry a novel of details. (I have put more pictures of the carpets and procession at the bottom of this entry if you're interested.)

We left Antigua, rode a bus to a town called Lanquin, and stayed at an amazing hostel called El Retiro. This was definitely our favorite part of the whole trip so far. It was so beautiful there, and the people were great. We got to float down the river in the middle of the jungle as villagers swam, and did their wash, and welcomed us. We went on a crazy cave tour where we felt like Indiana Jones. We climbed up waterfalls in this cave and slid down natural waterslides while trying to keep our candles above water. After that we floated down another river, and then hiked to a park called Semuc Champey (right). We hiked up this ridiculously steep trail to a lookout point above the pools that we were told were amazing. The view was well worth the hike. The pools waterfall down into each other so that we could swim in each pool, and then dive down, into the next one. We slept outside in hammocks at El Retiro for 4 nights, and were pretty sad to leave. The hostel there had ‘family dinners’ where we would all meet at 7:00 for the best food that we’ve had so far.

We left there on Thursday morning and bussed to Tikal, which is supposed to be the most impressive Mayan ruins around. I guess we were somewhat disappointed, but we had high expectations since the rest of the trip had been so good so far. The structures were impressive, but we were more excited about the wild life. We woke up at 3:00am that morning to go watch the sunrise on one of the structures. You could hear the jungle come alive as the sky lit up. We saw spider monkeys, toucans, parrots, and heard howler monkeys. We only stayed until about 11:00, as we were tired! From there, our adventure was pretty much over. We had to wake up at 4:00 the next morning to take an 11 hour bus ride back to PG. Guatemala was incredible. The culture itself is so different than Belize's. All the women wear their traditional outfit, and the men are not nearly as aggressive as in Belize. It was a very friendly country and it was cheap! It only cost us about $300 US for the full two weeks. The only downfall is that there was a lot of garbage around the towns. People litter constantly without giving it a second thought.

We thought it would be hard going back to teaching, but it felt good once we got back to PG. Today I was teaching my kids about rhyming words, and encountered quite the challenge. I had picked one syllable words for them to rhyme once they had grasped the concept, but their accent threw them off a bit. For example, I asked them to find words that rhymed with ‘bat’. Many of them chose the mystery word ‘shat’. I asked them what a shat was, and the word that they were trying to describe was actually shot, but when they say it, it really does sound like shat. We shall try again tomorrow! Adios!

The picture to the right is of the view from the top of our tough hike. Those are the pools I was talking about.

The picture below is of one of the processions in Antigua.

This picture is of the evening procession that took place in front of the cathedral. The smoke is actually incense.

This is a picture of the intense carpet making. I hope you enjoyed!

Day 88.....Last day being 22

Let me just say that today was a fantastic day! My kids were great, the weather was perfect, I got cards in the mail from my parents and grandparents, an early birthday email, and the funnest package I've ever gotten from my special little friend Andrea Hehr. Thanks Hehrball! It made my day and it was so fun to open! Tomorrow is technically my birthday but like I said to my mom, if tomorrow is a bust, I might just pretend that it was today:)

So I realized that I missed some very important events at St. Peter Claver in my last entry. Here's a little update:

Burning of the Hands:

Since St. Peter Claver is a Catholic school, we have a school mass every month, and because this month is during lent, they did things a little bit different than usual. For this month’s mass, all of the students were required to make two drawings of their hands. In their left hand, they were supposed to write 5 of their sins that they wanted to repent for. In their right hand, they were to write down 5 things that they were going to work on to be better people. During the mass, they collected everyone’s left hands, and then as a group we went outside and we burned all of the sinful hands. The picture to the right is of this ceremony taking place. It was actually a very neat visual for the kids and I think they recognized its worth.

Food Fair:

On the same morning as the mass, the town was having a food fair. At the fair, there were a bunch of booths set up that had a variety of different cultural foods that you could taste and buy. It was about a 15 minute walk from the school, and the fair itself was quite busy so I was worried about losing some of my kids as their behaviour is pretty unpredictable. However, they were really good and we had a great time. We even found a couple pigs that my kids were eager to name. Right away they yelled, ‘Miss! It’s Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web!’ Unfortunately I regretted asking what we should name the other pig. We all had quite a laugh when one of the kids said, how about Miss Trisha? Oh how I love the things that come out of children’s mouths. So we spent quite a bit of time with Wilbur and Miss Trisha, and the kids were heartbroken when we couldn’t keep him as a class pet. I think papier-mâché pigs will be next on the art list.

Scouts Initiation Ceremony:

Our school has just recently started a scouts program. It’s a really great extracurricular group because they teach good values and it gives the kids something to belong to. Boredom is a problem in Belize. They need more programs for kids, and our school does a pretty good job of offering a number of after school activities. Our scout group was fortunate enough to be welcomed into the World Scouts Organization. Our school had a big ceremony that the Governor General of Belize attended. It was a long and hot ceremony, and my class was getting pretty antsy after watching for over an hour, but it was nice for these kids to receive some recognition for their efforts. Katie, Melissa, and I were actually invited to have lunch with the Governor General, which was considered a big honour. This little scout to the right is in my class, and he was the youngest boy involved in the ceremony. He felt pretty special that day.

There are lots of things going on this week, as it is the last week before our Easter break. We are having a ‘Miss Sport’ competition on Wednesday, as well as a sports day on Thursday. Report cards go out on Friday, and it sounds as though the parents are allowed to come into our classrooms throughout the day to discuss their child’s progress. This is an area that I feel a little bit nervous about. I have not had enough practice working with the parents of this community, so we’ll see how things go. I will try to put a blog entry up on Friday, but if I don’t get a chance, I guess I’ll have to update you in a couple weeks. Melissa, Katie, Katie’s friend Steph, and I are off to Guatemala for our two-week break. Have a Happy Easter!

~Dear God, for my birthday, can you please keep the cockroaches and scorpions away~

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

It seems as though after living here for almost 3 months, we have forgotten that we are still visitors in a strange country, and can be taken advantage of very easily. About a month ago we locked our bikes outside of a seaside bar just down the street from our apartment. When we were ready to take off, we were shocked to find that we would not be going for any joy rides that night. Katie’s seat was stolen, and Melissa’s handlebars mysteriously walked away. So this past weekend we were in Caye Caulker having breakfast on Sunday morning. Katie’s friend Steph met us there, so there were four of us. When we got the bill, we all pitched in our share, and left the money and bill sitting in the middle of the table. Amid our conversation, a man came and took the money off of the table right in front of us. We assumed that it was our server and since we were deep in a very intelligent conversation (I’m sure), we didn’t pay much attention. When we went to leave, the server stopped us and asked us for the money we owed. Some random guy came and stole our money right out from under our noses! Now that’s what I call bold (and stupid on our part). A third offense took place last night. Katie and I rode our bikes to the gym, which is about a 7 minute ride away. The owner has gotten to know us quite well, so he always leaves early and lets us lock up. So Katie and I are working up a sweat, singing away to some good tunes. Little do we know, our bikes are being thieved right outside the door. The door is always wide open and everyone always leaves their bikes parked right outside it. None of the locals would ever get theirs stolen, but once again, the ‘white girls’ as they call us, made an involuntary donation to the community. Bad things come in three’s….. so we’re done right?

As I said, we were in Caye Caulker this past weekend. It was a short visit, as we only stopped there on our way to San Pedro to visit a fellow Lethbridge intern who is teaching there. Laurie is teaching at a private school owned by an American. Apparently this lady moved to Belize, and did not appreciate the fact that her children were experiencing corporal punishment in the public education system. Since she had the means, she started up her own school. We are extremely happy that we visited The Island Academy. It was such a breath of fresh air to visit with teachers who use a variety of strategies and whose teaching styles are similar to our own. Although I have adapted to the teaching environment in PG, sometimes it is hard to feel like I am working at my full potential. Laurie is teaching Infant 1, and has 16 students in her class. Her teacher is from New York and is a wonderful mentor for Laurie. I’m sure that she has learned a lot! The school itself has about 80 students in it; most of which are American. It is a gorgeous school, and is situated right in front of the ocean on a beautiful white sand beach. Sunglasses are much needed! It is SO bright there because of the reflection off of the sand. The visit was a pleasant reminder and motivator to say the least, and we are very glad that our university supervisor encouraged us to make the trip!

San Pedro itself is completely different from Punta Gorda, which makes Laurie’s experience even more different from our own. It is a very touristy island and it reminded me of Mexico. I didn’t even feel like we were in Belize anymore! Everything is so expensive in San Pedro and it’s very easy to be anonymous. It is impossible to be anonymous in PG! Most people drive golf carts around the island, but there are vehicles as well. We stayed in an interesting hostel there (below) that reminded me of a horror movie at first, but it served its purpose and we had a good time. We enjoyed the shops and bustle for a short time, but as usual, we were happy to return home in PG. Thanks for having us Laurie!

Still Cool on Day 77!

My teacher tells me that we should be counting our blessings because the dry season has not yet hit in full force. So far, it’s stayed around 30 degrees and is quite tolerable. We’ve only had a couple days when we’ve been sweaty disasters. On those days the kids are so irritable and uncomfortable that it makes life miserable for everyone. Supposedly by now Belize is usually at least 10 degrees hotter. We’re thankful for the cool weather!

Last week on Friday we went to visit a small school in Punta Gorda called St. Benedicts. This school only has 3 classes in it: infant one, infant two, and standard one. These little guys were so cute and they absolutely loved all of the stories that we read to them. They were crazy about the Robert Munsch books that we brought, and their teachers confirmed that they’re quite the little bookworms. So at first it was great and we were having fun, but within a couple hours, Katie and I were extremely happy that we were not doing our practicum with the little ones. Wow do they ever have a lot of energy! They were constantly on the go and dealing with those children is a lot different than dealing with the age group that we have at St. Peter Claver. I feel like teachers at the lower level still talk to their students in what I would call a ‘baby voice’. I can only sustain that for so long. Anyways, it was a great learning experience and I can honestly say that the teachers at that school are inspiring. They work very hard for those kids and have the most patience I have ever seen! Melissa was quite keen on the little ones so who knows, maybe she’ll look for a kindergarten position once we graduate, but Katie and I will stick to the older ones! The above picture is the kids working in the garden that their school has built. The school only has about 75 students in it.

To the left is a picture of one of my physical education classes. The kids are rather hectic during these classes because they only get to have PE once a week. My class always wants football games to be boys against girls, and since there are many more boys than girls, I decided to help the girls out on this particular day. We still lost.

The picture to the right is actually one that I meant to put up last time, but forgot. It is the one of my class in their Charlotte spider caps that we made. They still enjoy attempting to wear them during class time.

The picture below is the sports complex where basketball games are played every Friday night. They aren't quite the same as the Pronghorns' games, but they do require police supervision because the crowd tends to get a little rowdy. It's usually not the men either. It's the women creating the ruckus!

PG in a Nutshell

I know that I just posted a big whopper last night, but I wanted to show you a good view of what the town looks like that we're working in. This first one is looking at the sea side, or front view of Punta Gorda. You can see our school in the top right hand corner. It's the beige building. The only one that is 2 stories. The second one is of the back view of Punta Gorda.

Life is still rollin good on day 68!

Good evening everybody! Here's a short update of our adventures.

This past Friday was the annual running marathon at St. Peter Claver School. It’s more like a race around the block in 35-degree heat, but 'running marathon' sounds better. This event was a lot less chaotic than the bike race, although children were still collapsing at the finish line. Most of the kids were running in bare feet, and the pavement was very hot that day. I couldn’t imagine doing that myself. Katie, Melissa, and I were the judges as usual, and things went pretty smoothly.
Saturday was my teacher’s birthday, so Friday night she had us for dinner to celebrate. We had a traditional East Indian dish that was very good, and her birthday cake was a Belizean traditional black cake. It’s not nearly as sweet as the other birthday cakes we’re used to having down here.
Saturday morning we got up bright and early to go out to the set of The Enemy God. Some of the makeup crew came and found us last Tuesday night to ask if we would be able to come out and give them a hand. They were feeling very short staffed apparently. It was a neat experience, but after leaving, I was rather happy that I chose to pursue education instead of drama. The actual process of filming is not nearly as glamorous as it looks onscreen, and they call it drama for a reason…..because there’s lots of it between cast and crew! It was a really neat experience, and we’re very lucky to have gotten the chance to participate in some of the ‘behind the scenes’ action. I especially enjoyed learning some new tricks! The film is about "Shake", who is a powerful shaman of the Yanomamö people. His desire is to use his power to heal and protect his people. Tracing his life and the life of his community over 40 years of their history, Shake tells how he and his people grapple with new ideas that come from the outside world and the challenging decisions they make in order to maintain their identity and survive as a people. We'll be looking for the finished product!
Saturday night we went to a football game (soccer) under the lights, and we spent the rest of our weekend swimming, relaxing, and doing a bit of work too. 9 weeks down, 5 to go! (Here are some more pictures below, and an update on my professional development project.)

This little girl was used as an extra in the film. Katie and I got her all ready to go. She was pretty shy.

Oh the joys of having so many little creatures. This little 'friend' was found in our bathroom the morning before we went on set. Luckily, it was the first we've seen, and hopefully the last.

This was another little creature that was just chillin outside of our favorite local restaurant.

Professional Development Update:

So far things are going very well with the project. My teacher was just telling me yesterday, how she’s noticed a big difference in the kids’ English since I’ve been there. Besides all of the reading, she says that it helps that I do not speak Creole, because the kids are forced to speak English to me all the time.
The reading program is going well, although not as many students are participating as I would like. I am hoping that I can change that this week. The picture to the right is of the reading chart that I have made and put up in the class. Each child is encouraged to read at least 15 minutes per night. Their parents are supposed to sign a sheet indicating the amount of time spent reading. This was a challenge in itself, since some of the parents cannot read and write themselves. The chart helped to motivate the kids more because they get to measure their progress. Each box that gets colored in is equal to 75 minutes of reading (15 per night for a week). I have been approached by a few parents who have told me that the reading program is really working for their child. Apparently that’s all that some of my kids want to do now. I can tell that their writing is improving as well.
In addition to the program, I began a novel study with my class a couple weeks ago. We are studying the classic, Charlotte’s Web. The kids really enjoy the book, and their comprehension seems to be improving. I have found a script version of Charlotte’s Web, so I am hoping that we can perform it as a reader’s theatre piece once we are finished the book. For art each week we have been making a costume piece for the characters in the book. Last week we made spider ‘caps’ to represent Charlotte. The kids who play each role will get to wear the appropriate piece that they have made. The picture to the left is a little dark, but the kids are wearing their spider caps in it. They loved the activity! As many of you probably know, Charlotte’s Web has now been made into a video, and it is available at one of the stores here, so I am hoping to show it to my kids.
The picture to the right is of my class holding a thank you sign intended for the school who donated the books to us, and the company who financed the shipping. I hope to send them a copy of this picture.