Within 5 minutes of dropping off our bags at the house we are staying at in San Raymundo, Guatemala we were out the door to look for food. We went to a place I already knew with pizza and WiFi. Caught up with Jack and the girls and finally ate. Right next to the pizza place is a little park. The kids were shy for about 1 minute but then jumped in playing with the other kids there. Laila impressed me the most, without prompting she asked a girl "Como te llamas?" "me llamo Laila" "cuantos años tienes?" and when the little girl taught her to do flips off the bar Laila started counting "uno, dos, tres, go!" It was so cute!
Walking around the town, they were in shock with some things and in love with others. There are thousands of dogs on the street and the kids feel the need to point at and talk to each one (no petting). They love playing soccer in the road in front of the house with the neighbors, they love the market, and the ice cream shop. They are dealing well with the sleeping arrangements considering what they're used to and have fallen asleep every night as soon I turn out the lights, after reading to them. They sleep almost 12 hours per night, and even then I have to force them up in the morning even though there are roosters, trucks, and fireworks outside our room starting at 4 a.m. We even slept through the earthquake.
It took 2 days to get them all used to school. Jackson was the easiest. He made a friend day 1 and they have been inseparable since so Jackson goes to class, recess and lunch with him. They are really cute trying to communicate, any time they really need to and can't, they find me to translate.
Laila was next. She only wanted to play on the first day, not go to class. Day 2 she went to PE with the kindergarten class and never came back. She loved it!
June was last to stay in class, she also loved playing with the girls but was shy to stay in class. She warmed up after a few days. All the kids here are so sweet and loving to my kids. They make sure they eat lunch, don't get lost, and are never alone, honestly I have never met sweeter kids. I said to them (in Spanish) something like 'she is shy because she doesn't speak much Spanish, but she wants to play' and they grab June's hand they're off.
June was last to stay in class, she also loved playing with the girls but was shy to stay in class. She warmed up after a few days. All the kids here are so sweet and loving to my kids. They make sure they eat lunch, don't get lost, and are never alone, honestly I have never met sweeter kids. I said to them (in Spanish) something like 'she is shy because she doesn't speak much Spanish, but she wants to play' and they grab June's hand they're off.
I am helping the secondary English teacher right now. One of the reasons I came here was to become a better teacher by learning from Guatemalan teaching methods. There are a LOT of differences with our schools: They have around 30 students per class and I have around 13 in the U.S., teachers change classes, students do not, he teaches everyone in the secondary school, hundreds of students, his classes are 30 minutes, and there is no technology in the class and no books, really nothing in the class except desks and a white board. But the students are the same as mine, they look the same, talk the same, and act the same. I have loved getting to get observe and help in his class and am learning a lot! We're off to the city tomorrow, but we'll be back to San Raymundo in a week.
Laila in her kindergarten class.
The kids outside the city municipal building
June washing her clothes in the pila.
Jackson washing in the pila. They loved it!
Got a ride to the pool but walked to get back to town.
The best shot of the class I'm helping in. I was too busy talking to them!
Sleeping Laila and I riding the school bus back to the house.
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