Random thoughts...

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  Antigua, Guatemala
Tuesday, January 9, 2007

After being here for just after 6 weeks I have some thoughts and stories (ok only 2) which are about to follow in no particular order just as they pop into my head this afternoon.

Sad story, first day back at school last week and one of my favourites from the morning class comes running down to see me. He looked thinner, gaunt and so tired. Clearly the Christmas break for him had meant no food and lots of work out in the fields. After hugging all the breath out of me he started asking for bread, he could hardly wait 5 minutes for school to begin. As soon as school started he grabbed his tiny piece of bread put it in his pocket and left, running down the hill to meet his father and young brother. He told me the next day when he did stay in school that the bread was for his brother and he was sorry he didn't stay. So far he has only been in school for 1 day. He was not the only kid looking semi-starved after the holidays. It was pretty hard to take in after our holiday excesses.

Guatemalan people are very smiley and friendly. On the chicken bus to school every day, every greets us and each other and smiles and giggles away. The benches on the chicken bus, old USA school buses and designed for about 2 people each, will often cram a whole family in, with kids and siblings on laps next to whoever was already there. 6 on a bench is easily possible with the right attitude! When the kids are getting off the bus conductor will jsut pick the little ones up and carry them off. Its cute. The bus conductors are eternally tolerant, we give them ridiculous concotions of change daily to make up the 20p fare or else demand loads of change. Equally they will carry anything, other day we arrived to see the conductor helping unload about 20huge sheets of corrogated iron off the top of the bus. No idea if they charge extra to haul all that stuff about.

The money situation is still stupid here. The Guatemalan banks took loads of old notes in before Christmas but haven't yet got around to issuing new notes. Cue big queues at cash points which run out of money by 10am daily. Ridiculous!

I have enjoyed the last few days back at school, with the exception of some unexplained sickness yesterday. The kids have all been good fun and amusing as usual. I'm not totally convinced that mine think they are there to do any work but definately there to play and wind up their teacher! Its nice that they know when they come to us it is a safe place that they can chat to their friends, relax and play games- it makes it normal for them. The fact that they play up a little in lessons also helps to make them more normal and much more entertaining/challenging to teach.

Went away on spur of the moment at the weekend to place, 30mins from Antigua called the Earthlodge. Set on an avocado farm with the most stunning view went up for Saturday night and had great time. Met lots of fun and interesting people and had huge family style dinner all together in the evening. The place is beautiful with a view right across all the volcanoes and very into eco friendly and sustainable tourism. It was great to visit to escape the partying in Antigua for a night. Wish I had discovered it earlier in my time here! We could see Volcano Fuego (fire) puffing out smoke them a minute later would hear a boom like a whale blowing out smoke travel across to us. Clearly light does travel faster than sound! And apparently its better that it erupts a little and often, means its not holding in for one huge eruption!