First impressions

I have now finished my first week of “on the job training,” and it seems to be going fairly well. I am growing used to Guatemala (or at least the small town of Parramos) and the way of life in Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos. Next week I will be moving into my permanent quarters and I think that that will be helpful, a stabilizing location in an ever changing place.

My job as project coordinator is going well, I really like my coworker Ismar. He is very funny and always joking around. He makes work lighthearted and the hours pass by quickly. We are both becoming accustomed to the work, both having begun last week. We have made some progress with a few projects, and have added more to the website www.nph.org. My desk was moved in on Wednesday, and the computer was put up on Friday the 15th, however it is not working quite yet due to a power outage during the setup process. Next week I have meetings and the work should begin in earnest. I am looking forward to being busy.



My other job, teaching English, may or may not start next week. School is supposed to start at 7am on Monday morning, but I still do not know where I will be working or exactly which class I will be teaching. This is a bit tricky, but the headmistress doesn’t seem too worried and neither do the other teachers, so I guess I will take it all in stride. They tell me that Guatemalan schools don’t really start the week they are supposed to, it is more of a week of diversion and becoming accustomed. I’m not exactly sure what that means but I will be at work at 6:45am ready to do the Civil Service Act – that is sing the Guatemalan national anthem. I will be teaching one class each day Monday-Thursday from 7am-8am. I will then prepare my class for the next day, go for a run/exercise, clean up and check into work in the office at 10am and then be out at 5:30pm. With dinner at 6 and then hanging out with my appointed section at night, it will be a long day I’m sure.



I’m learning a lot of new words in Spanish each day – Guatemala has a different vocabulary than I have heard, and thus I feel I am constantly asking what a word means or how to say a word when people look at me like I’m crazy for saying something. For example, it was really cold last week (we were also hit with the cold front that hit much of North America and Europe) and I wanted to ask for another blanket. So I went to my coordinator and asked for a manta and she said, “a what?”, “una manta. I would like to have another one for the cold.” She didn’t understand, so I began to describe it. Then she exclaimed, “O! Un poncho!” ¿poncho? Yes, here in Guatemala a blanket is a poncho. I had similar experiences with popcorn, earrings, a pitcher, paper clips, and ink cartridges.