A Japanese Birthday!

Azucena's birthday was yesterday, and though she's from Taiwan, we made Japanese food for dinner.  There are 4 students from Japan at the house now and they planned a menu of sushi, chicken, beef and broccoli dish, potatoes, rice, eggs, tofu.

The seaweed sheet is placed on top of a special board and a layer of saran wrap.

Guatemalan-style sushi, with avocado and ketchup/mayo dressing along with rice, crab, and cucumber.

The special board is used to roll everything tightly together.  I got to try but needed a little help to get it just right!  It's as tricky as it looks!

The birthday feast

and a puppy :)

That horrible moment...

... when you move your bag off your bed and a huge ciempiés crawls out, snake-like in its appearance, movements, and general hostility toward the human race.
[ cién = 100 ; pie = foot.   I'll let you do the translating this time. ]

... that gets even worse when the thing slithers under your covers.

...but is nothing compared to when you realize that you have to go to sleep soon.

:(    And the point goes to:  Dry Season and insect-free dreams

What I've been up to lately...

Out for dinner with the teachers this year

There's a new puppy in the house!  Ricki!

They call him trapeador (mop), because of his long hair, how close he is to the ground, and his tendency to get into every corner.  With the constant rain of the rainy season, he feel like a wet mop.

Typical food at school to celebrate Dia de Inpedendencia. From left to right: 
tostada, rellenito (filled with pureed black beans and covered with a platano (plantain)-based something?) elote (their type of corn) and a Dulce de Leche candy.  I don't like the fresco cheese they put on tostadas, but the rest was delicious!

My class!  (Missing 1, plus 1 more coming in October.)  So nice having a small class!

Art class

I don't think I've shared this link yet.  This summer Compassion International wrote up an article about the Water Filter trip I took last year.  Out of all of the trips, they shared about and used pictures from the one I went on!
Click here:  Investing in Community and Clean Water

Feliz Cumpleaños, Guatemala!

While the rainy season continues on...   (pictures from friends)

...we have reached Independence Day weekend!

September 14:
There is a tradition here in Guatemala that I don't think I wrote about last year.  I don't know all the details or "whys", but I will tell what I know.  
In the days leading up to the 15th of September, representatives from communities and neighborhoods around the country send "runners" to a large town to light antorchas, or torches.  They may run to a city close to them, or they may choose one that is a great distance away.  Many people run to Antigua or to Guatemala City.  The runners from our housekeeper Maria's community are running to the coast this year-- a 3+ hour drive.
As we drove to/from school this past week we passed many groups running along the highway to the capital.  

Yesterday in Antigua they had the main fire set up in the Park.  Many groups started here, lit their torches, then set off on their run back to their community.  Other groups ran through Antigua.  

Guatemalans are very patriotic; this tradition is to express their love for their country and as a way to carry on into the next year.

The busy Park.

Lighting a torch.

A rousing speech from the "Master of Ceremonies"

Off they go!

 

And this group is off!

And some videos, if they will work.  Turn your volume All the way up, and you can experience a fraction of the noise:  the whistles of the runners (like plastic referee whistles), sirens, cheering, music from 2 different bands at opposite corners in the park, marching band drums, bell from the ice cream cart, and so on...

At around 1:14, you will see another group of runners run through the crowd

And brought to you by some Colegio of the arts:  A ballet in the parade:

My favorite sight, that I didn't get on video.  A marching band of little bitty kids went through with dancers, baton girls, xylophones, and drums.  A group of runners passed by them and started blowing their whistles in time to the little drummers!

September 15:
Wow!  If you thought yesterday was loud, image 4 (or more?) marching bands in the space of 1 1/2 Guatemalan blocks playing at the same time, each playing a different sound, each keeping a different beat.  

This video does not do it justice, but it's the best I've got:

That's about all I could take of that...
 

 

1st A

Well, our week of inservice is over.  I can't believe that I got my classroom (mostly) done.  Just a few lesson plans to finish and I'm ready for kids on Monday!  After writing 8 (yes, that's an 8) different class lists for the two 1st grade classes, that is set as well!  Except, of course, for the students who will come to enroll Monday morning. 

It is looking like a good year.  The teachers all seem professional this year.  Many have years of teaching experience in the states.  There are even two other teachers doing the same reading program that I wanted to try this year!!  They are going to help me out and share ideas.  There are too many coincidences in Guatemala for them to be coincidences.  God has specifically brought each teacher here.  I am happy to be working with Lisa, Charlotte, and Mr. Kotke again.  Ms. Jenny has even been super helpful, even though I'm not in the Pre-School area this year.  Thank you a Million times for my laminating paper on Thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some before and after pictures: 

Getting Pupusas for lunch

Word Wall

It looked- and felt- like so many books in my suitcase.

I love the Alphabet cards I made!

I want to make some curtains and make it a little homier.

This little house is mine.

The smaller-than-regulation soccer field.  Beyond that is the playground.

6.5

I forgot how scary the temblores (small earthquake tremors) are!  This one was bad.  I usually look at my water bottle to see if it's a real temblor or one I'm imagining (which happens quite often, too, especially in the days following a real one).  No need this time, the bags and things on my bed were moving.  Everyone in the house ran downstairs, except the Japanese students.  They seem to be used to this and are typically unfazed. 
Praying we can sleep tonight without any more after-shocks.

Even more ominous is the giant black moth that appeared on the upper floor again this morning.