Well it was bound to happen eventually, but I have lost count so let me just fill you in as of lately! Even though I seem to have lost track of time, life seems to be slowing down a bit as I slide into more of a consistent routine here. My weeks have gotten more structured which has been nice.
One of the themes of this Fulbright experience for me has been ambiguity. Ever since I applied to the scholarship, I had the sense that it would be full of things I could not anticipate and that was definitely a pull for me. Learning is full of new experiences and that is what I love so much about it. However I have soon realized that the lack of clarity is both a blessing and a curse.
Sometimes I feel a bit lost in the structure of the Programs. I have a role but it is a little vague. I'm not trained and employed in the same way as the other teachers, therefore I am not held to the same responsibilities. Essentially this means that there is a lot of initiative taking to be done and self advocating to sculpt a purpose for my time here. Being so used to routines, it has been a bit of a slow process and I struggle with pushing myself to do these things from time to time.
But... all this is to say that these past few weeks, I have been filling in the details to my schedule more and more and these are some of the things I have been up to!
Someone came to join me for stadium stretch time
A big help has been running! Ironically, I had left my running shoes at home when I was packing to come here. I thought, "ehh... I'm kind of over the whole running thing and these will just take up space". However, once I got here and had no rocks to climb, I started using running as a warm up and quickly saw what a large running culture there is here in Cobán. In May there is a well known international Half Marathon that takes place in the city along the main road. Everything shuts down for the race and it is a big event even for those not running who come out to watch and cheer and there is a big party for it. So... in preparation there are always many people out at the stadium and it has been a cool way to meet different people and learn about their experiences.
My first morning waking up to see the early glow of sunrise!
About two weeks ago I started running with another English teacher. She used to work in the Embassy's English Language Programs in a different department but is now working at an academy in Cobán. She is a great runner and really encourages me to get out of bed before the sun is up to go run up some steep hills! But her company has been very nice and of course it is always fun to exchange stories about days in the classroom. She told me about her students struggling to learn time in English with all of the 'half past' and 'quarter past' phrases. Then I had to admit that I used to not understand it in Spanish either... Overall it has been good running though and getting me in shape for the next volcano I encounter;)
Roof time sun dried laundry
Roof time has also been another thing keeping me sane. It is nice to go up there in the mornings for some yoga and morning sunshine (before it gets to sunburn strength). I have been able to hear a lot of cool birds up there too since it puts me at tree level. If I'm really still, I like to think they won't notice me. It is another sneaky way to immerse myself in nature within the city!
A surprise of pancakes for breakfast from my new friend😋
I have also been spending some more time with a neighbor here who has a similar schedule to me! She is from another town in Alta Verapaz, but is finishing her degree in Cobán. She has been very friendly and very patient with my Spanish so it is nice to form relationships outside of my English bubble!
Pacaya, arroz, brocoli y tortillas obviooo
I have also been exploring more restaurants and food spots. In my pre Guatemala life, I would not really go out to eat because I could just make things at home. But now with my lack of kitchen, and it being closed on Sundays, I am forced to venture out which has been very good for me! A couple weekends ago, I got to try Pacaya for the first time. If you saw in the last post, I showed the tree it came from and here it is cooked with egg. Some people told me they didn't like it because it is bitter, but I actually really enjoyed it! It kind of reminded me of artichoke heart a bit but maybe that's just me?😆
Poster making, these students have beautiful handwriting!
In the schools, I have gotten to take on some more projects too. I have been invited to give different workshops on "US culture" events which has been fun because it lets me do a deeper dive into the history of different holidays and celebrations and let's me tap into my creativity. Here students were making posters to present what they learned about Black History Month in the US.
At first I felt a bit strange acting as this cultural ambassador, but I have tried to speak from my own experiences of what I have learned and share that there is much more to it than my limited knowledge. I also have found it to be a great way to learn more about Guatemalan culture and offer students the opportunity to share connections they can make with their own lives. For example, race is conceptualized in a different way here so thinking about how certain themes and experiences carry over in the Guatemalan context is very interesting.
Yummy mango with chile, limón, and something that tasted like peanuts?
Things have been good though! I am continuing to learn more and more. And of course, the many moments not pictured of phone calls with friends and family always mean a lot too and greatly shape my time here <3 Even though days become repetitive with routine, I have really enjoyed the little moments that come out of it, showing me other insights I didn't have before. From conversations about secondary education experiences in different countries to learning more about the justice system here to eating mango with peanuts (I think?), I am relishing in the nuances of daily life!
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