Cultural Difference

T-Minus Guatemala (Peace Corps Ending): How To Lose A Pueblo in 10 Days

March 18, 2019March 18, 2019 First Person ForeignBeauty

It’s 11pm on a Sunday night. It’s my second to last Sunday in site. Tomorrow I have a session to observe and some tasks to accomplish, and then I go to another school in the[…]

T-Minus Guatemala (Peace Corps Ending): Viernes is for Vapor and Visme

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019 First Person ForeignChanges

One of my last Fridays in Santa Clara

Hi-Lo 11: Surprises and Stings

January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 First Person ForeignAbuelita

It was sunny today in Sololá. I woke up and Abuelita was already weaving purple thread accompanied by Meesh (our cat. His name is Heróe but we all just call him Meesh, which is cat[…]

Hi-Lo 7: Period y Pyjamada

January 9, 2019January 9, 2019 First Person ForeignAbuelita

I woke up at… err… 9:45am with the ganas to use the bathroom and before you know it I thought I was gonna keel over and die. OK I can be pretty dramatic (God Bless[…]

Hi-Lo Seís: About Place

December 22, 2018December 22, 2018 First Person ForeignBeauty

It’s Christmastime in Santa Clara. That means that not much has changed from normal life. The main differences are: the church carries the Baby Jesus around in a procession to raise money, it’s sunny (the[…]

Hi-Lo 5: Pascuas

December 22, 2018December 22, 2018 First Person ForeignAbuelita

This morning I woke up, for some reason, at 8. In Guatemala there is a thing called Madrugada. It means the hour you wake up in the morning. We don’t have a word for this[…]

Fin de Semana with My Golden Ladies

November 6, 2018November 7, 2018 First Person ForeignAbuelita

My host family and I can kick it with K’iche’ slang. Do not get me wrong, they are respectful, dignified and hard-working women, but from time to time we like to say things that elicit[…]

My Weekend with Brócoli

October 17, 2018October 17, 2018 First Person ForeignBlank Slate

On this quiet Sunday afternoon, I was sandwiched squarely between an older, sleeping man and a younger woman in bright coral and pink traje with plastic beading shouting across the neckline. I don’t love this[…]

The Armpit of Service: July & August

September 29, 2018September 30, 2018 First Person ForeignCultural Difference

So I made it through July and August, the absolute armpit of this year, and maybe my service. Close to something important (like Close of Service), but not there yet. The desert of work. The[…]

Maestra de Inglés

September 15, 2018September 15, 2018 First Person ForeignBeauty

Maestra de Inglés, English teacher. I’ve always wondered if the word Maestra and Master are related. Either way, I’ve never had such a title. When I gave a diplomado in early 2018, I wanted to[…]