Living like a local…the phrase had meaning back in September
when I began haggling prices, learned the names of tienda owners and tuk tuk
drivers, and when my most visited café remembered my drink order. But having
lived in this town 6 months now, this phrase has taken a whole new form. Let me
begin with an event I was honored to attend a few weeks back.
One of my students, Kevin, has been attending a Bomberito
(little fire fighter) course the past 5 months, every Saturday. The volunteer
firefighters of Panajachel teach the kids everything from how to march single
file down the Santander in unison, to how to effectively put out a raging car
fire using the hoses and your teammates. Every Monday Kevin would come to class
with new stories about what adventures the bomberitos went on this past
weekend. A few Saturdays ago, was his official graduation from the program. As
is the case with most celebrations in town, this one began with a desfile
(parade) down the main street. The punctual teachers / Americans that we are,
Emily and I were on the street ready for the parade at 9:00 am sharp!! Well
about 10:00 the fire truck rolls up and the kids pile out in full uniform
(badges, boots and all). The group of Bomberitos then marched up the Santander
(about a ¾ mile long street) in the blazing heat, in perfect unison. I told
Kevin later, I need his help teaching all of our classmates what it means to
really “line up” after recess. Once we reached the fire station, each student
was called up, given a diploma, and saluted the captains and their families in
gratitude. After the ceremony the audience filed out into the backyard where
the firefighters lit a small doghouse on fire. The bomberitos lined up, hose in
hand, and extinguished the fire. The ceremony ended with the kids running in
circles around the scene, being sprayed with a fire hose. It was truly a local event….Emily and I were definitely
the only Canches (white people) there. Kevin’s mom, Esthela, is a fellow
teacher at AMA, so it was also really neat to spend the afternoon with her
family.
Esthela and her beautiful daughter
Kevin marching up Santander
Waiting to receive their diplomas
Such an awesome family!
Kevin and little brother, Efran (PreK student at AMA)
Proud teacher moment!!! GOO Kevin!
The next local living experience I had this past month was
the birthday celebration of one of our local friends. I’ve experienced elementary
aged birthdays many times at school…and they are no joke! The parents ask the
teacher if it would be ok if they brought
a snack for the students during recess for their son or daughter’s birthday. OF COURSE, we respond, FAMILIES ARE
ALWAYS WELCOME , thinking they would come with cupcakes or cookies to share. Well,
we learned quickly that this actually means the whole family comes (I’m talking
aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents) with a cake the size of a large Pagliacci
pizza, and massive piñata. The party rarely lasts under an hour….and often cuts
into 2 class periods…but hey, these people know how to celebrate! Well this
birthday was celebrating our friend, Pin, turning 21. Emily and I planned a
surprise gathering with all of his friends, and about 20 of us took over a
hotel lobby space, with a cake and food for the month! We had impromptu karaoke
and a quite the dance floor…oh did I mention it was a Tuesday night!
Birthday boy, Pin
Killing it at Karaoke!
Invited by one of my local friend’s mom, I have been
attending weekly Zumb a lessons with the locals. I’ve wondered since the start
of the year when all of the women in this town let lose. Majority of the town’s
men are out and about on the weekends at the local bars and clubs, but the
women stay home with the children…its cultural. I’m not one to judge, but the
women here work harder than any other indivudals, and by age 16 they are
considered grown, expected to work and play a responsible role in their
household and that of their spouse. When do they let their hair down, and have
fun?!!!! Well I’ve found the answer folks….Zumba class!!!! I’ve loved this
local gathering, women of all ages. Women whom I’ve only seen in traje
(traditional clothing) selling on the streets, show up in sweatpants and tennis
shoes, to shake their booties and sway their arms in this lady dance party
workout, we call Zumba! It’s been a highlight of my week!
I’ve also been taken in, like a daughter, by a number of
families in town. All fall I bought lunch at school almost everyday. Well the
past 2 weeks I’ve been provided with at least one and sometimes TWO homemade
lunches by students’ moms or my local friends’ moms. I used to budget my meals,
and eat less for lunch just so I would have leftovers for dinner. Now I have
choices, spaghetti or French toast and eggs, sushi or a ham and cheese
croissant! The generosity is inspiring. I consider myself a giving person but
one of these moms, brings me breakfast leftovers from the hotel she works at
almost EVERY day! That means, she walks 20 minutes from her work to my school
and back every single day!!!! If I wasn’t motivated to learn Spanish already,
having the right vocabulary to express my gratitude for these incredible acts
of kindness is a real goal of mine! I am so so blessed.
One of the things I miss most about teaching in the states
is having the language to really connect and establish relationships with the
families of my students. Educating a child effectively is a team effort,
teachers and parents should work with common goals, enforcing the same ideals
empowering the student to achieve what he/she is truly capable of. It’s been
tough, only having the Spanish vocabulary to exchange a polity greeting and the
small talk conversational topics. A smile, kiss on the cheek and gracias, adios
can only get you so far. Well I have one student that is very high needs. I
work with him every week to harness his overwhelming energy to academics or
things he is passionate about. His mom comes to lunch everyday and I have so
much I want to say to her, but she’s come across pretty cold thus far, and even
with translation help, I never felt like our conversations were very effective.
Well this past week she brought me a bag of homemade bagels from their family
run restaurant. It meant more than I can even express. I took it as almost a
peace offering, sign of gratitude, or the initial step to a potential team
effort. I am so grateful!
Lake Atitlan - feels like home
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