Day 4: Something Green

The tree in the central park of Tecpan. HUGE and Beautiful. Central meeting place for lots of people and a nice place to sit on a warm day in town.

Photo Day 3 : Clouds

Shirley, Bill and I went to Casa de Sion, an NGO located on the lake that works with a local elementary school to improve children's nutrition and education. It was a beautiful day and a very interesting organization. They provide healthy lunches, clothing donations, formula donations, and more education for the children as well as their mothers. We met the sweetest little 5 year old boy with Down's Syndrome during our visit. It was so sweet, made me miss Clay like crazy. He loved getting a little bit of attention and it was interesting to see how others reacted to him. His mother didn't know what was wrong with him just that he was slower than other children( of which she had 5). Also another mother came up curious about what was going on. Although it was sad that they didn't know exactly what was wrong. It was nice to see that they felt comfortable enough to talk to each other about him. It was sweet.

http://www.safehomesforchildren.org/ - link to the Casa de Sion for more information

We also met a group of young people volunteering their on a missions trip that takes them around the world. Going to 11 countries in 11 months volunteering for one month in each. It was very interesting. http://theworldrace.org/

Anywho as for my picture. I took a picture of the clouds in the garden at the Casa de Sion.

Photo Day 2

What I wore Today. The topics for this photo challenge could probably be addressed more artistically but I think they can offer some insight into my daily life here. Sadly my outfits are pretty boring and there isn't much variation. I usually wear something comfortable but not necessarily flattering. It is amazing how much a nice outfit can make you feel good. I do throw in a few things that remind me of how I used to dress at home and that makes me feel connected to my old life haha but enough rambling.

What I wore:

Gender and Development T-Shirt: GAD is a PC committee focused on creating awareness with Host Country Nationals about gender, women's activism, HIV/AIDS prevention and topics of that nature. The shirt is super comfy and made in Guatemala (Aunt Shirley checked). Also money spent on these items helps support this committee within the PC community.

Jeans: Pants I found at the PACA (used clothing store). They were about 6 inches too long so I took them to a tailor to get hemmed for 5q. They don't have butt pockets....

Scarf: Dad gave me this scarf from Cambodia. I love it. I love scarves. When I wear one I feel a little bit connected to life at home. Also I love scarf weather.

Sunglasses: These cost 20q from the Market in Antigua. And everyone comments on how I wear them all the time. Luckily they haven't broken yet and I hope they last.

Todos Santos- Photo a Day Challenge

Alright, so I'm getting into the home stretch. Things are going well but just winding down a bit. I've decided for the Month of November to participate in a photo a day challenge. I found it online and each day has specific goals for photos and we'll just see how it goes. Today was a great day to start the challenge because it was Todos Santos and Aunt Shirley and Bill are visiting. We had an awesome Guatemala Fall day where we went to a town near by to see their Kite Festival to celebrate today. Last year I went to the horse race in Huehuetenango and this year was kites. Such a cool day. The kites were huge and the whole field was set up like a fair. People everywhere and so many kites. KITES ARE BEAUTIFUL. We enjoyed watching them try to launch these giant beauties into the sky as well as enjoy the beautiful day. After riding a crowded bus we got home and had delicious Chicken Curry made by Aunt Shirley. YUM! It was so good and my mouth is watering again just thinking about it. It's been nice to catch up with Aunt Shirley and fun to think about how some of my Peace Corps friends will be in my life for as long as they have in my parents. Here are some fun pictures of the kites and my photo for the day!

KITES!


HUGE KITES


Kite in the Sky


Can't get enough


Me and Aunt Shirley


Photo Challenge-
Self Portrait
Me, Aunt Shirley and Bill on the Bus

Also this past weekend there was a Halloween Party. I was part of group Clue Costume. It was pretty fun. More Pictures!

CLUE


Wilson and Heidi from Home Improvement


Black Swan, Mrs. Peacock and Heidi