4/27/09-4/28/09

4/27/09
School today: Left Alysa screaming with Lily. Laina, Morgan, and Cole had a great time at school. Alysa got a good report from her Spanish teacher but we found out that Lily’s oldest son (Juan Fer) went in with Alysa to help her out. We sure owe a lot to the Orellana family!! It has been really strange how things have fallen into place. Lily was really needing a job when they moved to Xela. She’d been teaching high school English for years in Guatemala City. Somebody told her about an opening at the Beehive school and she took it even though she’d never taught kindergarten. I don’t think it is coincidence that she took that job and that she is the one there to teach Alysa.

Our washer is freaking out and I fear that I will have to do my laundry Guatemala style!!

Today we had a huge hail storm. It was sooooo unexpected!! It’s been raining every single day but it is nice and sunny in the morning. It is just so strange! The kids sure had fun running outside trying to pick up the pieces of ice….until they got hit by one!!

4/28/09
Another miserable school drop off for Alysa. Lily told me that Juan Fer insisted on going to school with her again today so that he could help Alysa. She really does well with him!!
I talked with the principal a little more today about teaching. They want me to teach for probably June, July, and maybe more depending on when the teacher is ready to come back to school. I spent some more time observing the classes and have come to the conclusion that there will need to be some better rules/discipline for me to survive. The kids seem to run the show. I was also shocked at the pay rate. The teachers earn about $225/MONTH!!! I am shocked that people survive on so little!! Fortunately for me, I’d be doing this more to get out of the house and to get some more Spanish exposure rather than trying to rake in the big bucks!! Chris told me that he’s met a couple of people who have said that they live off of Q1000/month. That is $125!! People in the U.S. spend that much on one grocery shopping trip!! It’s kind of strange to be here and to no longer be the cheap person!!

While in the bathroom at the grocery store, I was able to understand what a lady was saying to me!! (Big step for me!!) She was asking if my hair was natural!! I thought it was pretty funny. That’s the first time I’ve been asked that for a long time! The funniest part was that Laina was with me!!

When we got home, our water was out again. They were cleaning out the water storage tank and Chris and I were thoroughly disgusted by what they pulled out of the water we use!! I won’t ever complain about not having water if they are cleaning the tank again!!