Another day is done here. I can’t believe that this week is almost over and I’m almost half way done with my program! The time has gone really fast, this week in particular. The plans are all lined up this weekend for hiking Santa Maria. It’s just Hannah and I and the guide that will pick us up and take us to the start of the trail and make sure that we’re on the right path and we don’t get lost. I think that most everyone is sticking around here this weekend, which will be fun. We’re getting a new group of volunteers in the house, which will be a big change from our group that has been together for 2 weeks.
I met some other English speakers in the orphanage today. One of the girls has been there for 9 weeks and has 3 more to go. She didn’t seem overly excited to be there, but it could have been just my perception. She’s in the special ed classroom. There are also two other guys that started this week. They’re also in the special ed classes, but I’m sure that all of the boys in the orphanage enjoying having guys around considering all of the workers are women. It was fun watching all of the kids play duck duck goose today in the playground.
I worked in the nursery for the first two hours. Nelzo wasn’t there again today, but as I was leaving he was walking into the orphanage. I don’t know if he goes to a preschool type of thing, because there were about 6 other kids with him, or if they were simply gone for the last couple of days. Manuel, the little boy who was sick, was still in the nursery today. He definitely changes the dynamics. He was continually climbing precariously on the cribs to reach the TV in order to change the channel to something not age appropriate and so I would change it back when he climbed down. We were finally able to agree on Shrek after I had been pinched and hit. It’s amazing how mad he was but when I gave him a hug he softened. It’s funny how short but loud their tantrums are. It’s a fine line between letting him act out and asserting myself as in control. They really have nothing to look forward to. Each day is the same for the kids. They have breakfast they sit in their cribs until snack time that’s normally brought to them, and then they wait until lunch. We had a debriefing today about how our placements are going, and Angelica, the director, said that most likely the kids will forget my name but they’ll remember that someone was excited to see them and held and played with them, and that will make a difference in their life! That was really encouraging to hear!
In the kitchen today, things seemed a little tense. I think that some inspectors were coming into the home to see how things are run and to make sure that the kids were being fed properly and that they are being appropriately taken care of. One of the workers ran into the kitchen to tell Paula that an inspector was coming and soon everyone was putting things away, wiping the counters, putting the table clothes on the table, and putting thing in the locked pantry. They did an awesome job because the kitchen cleaned up really fast. The thing is, the kitchen wasn’t dirty, it was just in use. I don’t know how the inspection went because I couldn’t hear what they were asking, but it was definitely an interesting experience.
After work and lunch we had a weaving demonstration come to the house. It was a Quiche couple (part of the indigenous tribe) who ran their own business. Dona Cat works on the weavings and then her husband sells them in markets similar to the one that I visited in Chichi. The amount of work that goes into something so small is amazing! The shirt that she was wearing typically takes about 3 months, and a table runner takes about 20-30 days depending on how much time she has to work on it and how fast she is moving. She has been weaving for about 40 years and it definitely shows in the way that she was able to just feel the threads and know how many she had. It’s really difficult to explain, but I was engrossed in watching her and just how much time and effort goes into something so small. A couple of us got to try. I was the first to go. It was so difficult and she definitely walked me through each step. I was just doing the basic weaving without the decorative aspects and that was complicated enough for me. It was really neat though!
Dona Cat showing us how the designs are made, row by row.
Me attempting to weave. I needed a lot of help!
One of Dona Cat's finished products. She was demonstrating how to weave one of the smaller designs for us.Hannah and I went to a cycling class in preparation for our big hike on Saturday morning. It makes it a little more interesting when you can’t understand what they are telling you to do. Haha. We had tamales tonight for dinner and they were excellent! The food is absolutely amazing, and I am continuously amazed at the variety, freshness, and deliciousness of what is served! I think we’re venturing out for dinner tomorrow night though. Yay for another week!
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