6/13/2015

All students have arrived safely! Blog posts and photos to follow!

6/14/2015

Golden Temple:

Our second morning our students were able to see the Golden Temple. There they saw that people from all over the country come to worship. They learned that 100,000 free meals a day are prepared and are given to those who come and are in need- that is 5,000 every twenty minutes!

After the golden temple, ice cream was needed before our 5 hour car ride to the cool hills of Dharamshala. Upon arrival, our students settled in and had orientation and prepared for the first observation day of our volunteer placement.

6/18/2015

Today was education day here at GLA India! Out students were able to tour a local slum as well as an NGO which provides complimentary education and housing to children from the slum. It was a truly humbling experience. After ice cream and cake, they had an activity discovering the meaning of wealth privilege and how we can empower ourselves more and the community around us by knowing our own privileges.

*In the local Dharamshala market picking out fabric and discovering our surroundings!

6/18/2015

Today was an eventful day, waking up at 8:00 am was hard for some of us but the majority of the us woke up on time. We went to our placement and taught our classes for the day and then went back to home base to prepare for our activity for the day.

We went to two fair trade & labor enterprises. One was for children’s clothing and one was for women’s clothing.

We learned how fair trade works and how a business operates while being a fair trade company. The next place we went to was a company that made dolls for children. Tibetan dolls are made here and many of us got to buy some of these products after learning about the company.

After that our routine was simple. We had dinner and then enjoyed each others company with food and music. Now we all prepare for our 3 day trek to a camp site so our next blog will be online at the beginning of next week.

– Adam Butler

 

6/19/2015

Today the students started out on their incredible trek into the Himalayas. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the students will have stories of all kinds to share about their journey. They will be back on Monday, but there will be no internet access where they are over the next several days. Please expect a blog from us upon the students’ return!

6/19/2015

It was around 10:00 a.m when we departed for our long journey. Everyone was happy and excited to go on the big jeeps. We were all fighting for the best seat which was the back. We enjoyed the long drive through the village. It was there where the hiking began. After four long hours of hiking the Himalayas we finally arrived at our camp site. I still remember how happy we all were to see our tents. We were most excited to go swimming. Later that day we played some fun games, rested and went to bed.

6/20/2015

Today we woke up after a super long and scary storm, and got ready to go to the nearby village in the mountains. When the entire group was up and ready to leave in the morning we hiked to our destination. The hike was difficult but we were able to see some amazing views up high and it was also pretty hot as well so that made it worse but we managed when we arrived at the village we stopped at a house in which they showed us how the people in the mountains live. They showed us how they farmed and what their normal wardrobe was, the people also explained to us that in the winter it snowed so much that they have to save a lot of food.

After we left the village we headed back to the campground to eat lunch and when we arrived there everyone was drenched with sweat so all of us decided to take a dip in the river even though the water was freezing. Some people went for a swim and others just hung out near the rocks because it was a beautiful view. When it started to get dark we all came together to play a quick game until it was fully dark, and when it was we made a campfire by which we lay together and watched the stars shine up in the black sky.

– Alex Recendez

6/21/2015

Today we woke up around 9:00 and had breakfast. We packed up all of our things and attempted to dry out all of our clothes which were soaked from the immense amount of rain that drenched us the night before. With everything ready to go we left the camp to plant pine trees in the surrounding areas. Planting the trees was a regarding experience. We began our trek back towards our home base. The trek consisted of mud, leeches and many slippery rocks. We finally made it to the jeeps that took us back to our home base. The ride home was incredibly bumpy and fun. Once we arrived we all rushed to the showers which felt like heaven. We were also very happy to have had pizza waiting for us at our doorstep. It was Annika’s birthday and we celebrated with a bollywood movie and cake.

– Sabrina

6/23/2015

Today the GLA India squad was on their A-game throughout the whole day. Today was food day, and boy did we eat food! Like always we
started the day with our super swag placements and then it got a little more exciting! We went on a spiritual journey to an organic store/market, where we got in touch with our conscious selves and the environment around us. The GLA crew learned how to genuinely make an impact on the community around us and within us by constantly channeling our conscience within the actions we preform. We were enlightened by Himalayan gurus on exciting topics such as the new way to utilize reusable menstrual pads to the inevitable mass extinction of the human race. That was fun,fun,fun! Now let’s get to the food part of food day! At home base we learned how to make Sachin’s oh so famous Masala Chai and continued our food lesson with Roti making! On this blessed food day the official GLA Roti Squad was formed. After our very competitive Roti making we had an informative dinner in which we learned the importance of preserving food for the sake of the less fortunate. Now unfortunately our day comes to an end …except we still have dessert! 12 overly excited teenagers walked down to an Indian sweet shop where the dessert wasn’t too popular but the experience was overall super swaggy. The day was filled with exciting and valuable lessons, let’s hope the next GLA group is as poppin as we are! 😉

-Andi McCloud

 

6/24//2015

Tibet Day

Today was an extremely interesting day, as I learned a lot about many topics which I knew almost nothing about. In 1959, China invaded Tibet, implementing their oppressive communist rule, disrupting the peaceful government, culture, and people of Tibet. As a result of the oppression against the Tibetan people, the Dalai Lama and the rest of the Tibetan government searched for political asylum, eventually settling in Dharamsala. Where we are today!

It started off just like a regular day. I went to my placement at a local pre school, which was super fun as I love playing with all my kids. We worked on basic counting in English, as well as the alphabet. After the service, we abruptly started a tour of the Tibetan Government Building. We also spoke to Nordgela, an expert on Chinese Tibetan relations. In this discussion we covered topics ranging from the problems the Tibetans face in the world to the demographics of the Tibetan people around the globe. Next, we walked across the street to the Tibetan Parliament, which was good to see and I felt extremely lucky to be in the room where such important decisions are made. Concluding our visit the Tibetan Government, we went to a museum where there was a lot of beautiful religious art.

We continued our immersion into Tibetan culture back at the hotel, where we watched a short film about a local Tibetan painter and social activist. We then had the opportunity to interview him, and ask him questions about his many art pieces. My favorite piece of his was a painting of a man committing self immolation for the Tibetan cause. Karma, the artist, described how he saw this act as compassionate and brave, rather than an act of desperation that many Western people view it as.

Concluding the day, we enjoyed live Tibetan music, and prepared Momos (Tibetan dumplings) with local Tibetan refugees who used to be Vela’s students. By the end of the night we were good friends, and I’ll keep my eye out for them for the remainder of my time here in Dharamsala.

– Owen

 

6/25/2015

Today we started the day out with our usual routine of going to placement from 10:00 to 12:00. After placement we had lunch and then drove to the Dharamsala Animal Rescue. While the facility may not have been exactly like the animal shelters in America, it successfully operates on 65 dogs a month. Dharamsala Animal Rescue works to make people aware of the diseases that strays carry, such as rabies, as well as educating locals on how to treat an animal properly. The owner of the animal shelter told us how while people still may be abusing animals, things have changed in that individuals will bring abused animals they see to their shelter. While the shelter does take in many dogs, they can only take dogs they feel can not live without 24/7 attention.

When we arrived back at home base our mentor, Will, told us a story of how he had a camel carry bags around for him in Jordan and how it helped him understand animals better. Following this we were given three writing prompts reflecting on our experience in India. After a South Indian dinner we participated in an activity that involved looking at different perspectives of India.

– Nola Dollard

 

6/26/2015

Today was India Fun Day, so we got a chance to participate in some of the fun, colorful aspects of Indian culture. For example, the girls got Mehendhi (Henna) tattoos done on our hands and we looked like locals all dressed up in Saris and Turbans! We started the day off as usual with our volunteer placements, at either the Vidya Mandir school or the two Aanganwadis (day care centers). Instead of an excursion today, we had our activities at home base. We returned from the schools by about 12:30 and, after lunch, had a little bit of down time before girls and guys separating to try on our traditional Indian outfits. The girls were given a selection of silk saris and chose which saris we wanted to try on, while the guys went outside for a lesson on how to tie turbans. Once everyone was ready we took our squad pics and then all of the girls got the chance to have mehendhi done on our hands. It was a bit of a long process, with the application of dark paste taking about 20 minutes and then the two hours of drying. It was totally worth it though, because the designs the ladies drew were detailed and beautiful, and the end results were awesome {Pics below}. The next couple hours were spent chilling in the common room together with music and snacks. Today, we had the luck to be treated to a special dinner by our gracious hosts at Clouds End, and I at least enjoyed it very much. The day was closed by another classic Bollywood movie, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which spoke on the restraints of arranged marriage and familial customs. I think today was one of the most enjoyable and relaxed days in which we also got a taste of Indian fashion and culture, and I am looking forward to learning about traditional Tibetan art tomorrow!

-Today’s Leader of the Day: Annika Dhawan

 

6/27/2015

Art and Architecture Day

Today we were able to sleep in for the first time during our stay in India. The day began with breakfast at 9:00 and from there we climbed into taxis and started the long drive to Kangra Fort. While there we walked up to the top of the Fort and experienced amazing views, scorching heat, and monkeys. We then took a short drive to a museum containing information and history about the Royal Family. After another bumpy car ride we arrived at Joyful, one of Elise’s favorite pizza parlors. We then collectively ate 6 pizzas in about 30 minutes. Once we had finished our meal we took a short walk to the Norbulingka Institute, a traditional Tibetan arts and culture center. A tour guide led us through the complex where we saw everything from wood carving to Thangka paintings. The tour ended in a Buddhist temple where we meditated for a few minutes in silence. Then we formed teams and began a scavenger hunt that required us to talk with artists, take pictures, and wander the area. Returning to home base, we attempted Kangra Miniature Paintings with 1 of the 6 remaining artists of the style. Some of the students were able to create almost perfect recreations while most others were told, “good try” by our local mentors. Tired from the event filled day we ate dinner and went to bed.

– Elsie Hattendorf

6/28/2015

Religion Day

Today we were also able to sleep in until 9:00 and did not depart the Cloud End Villa until 10:00. We climbed into taxis and made our way to The Aghanjar Mahadev Temple in Dharamsala. Our Guide, Shankar took us around the temple and explained to us the differences and similarities of Hinduism and western religions. He also explained the differences within different sects of Hinduism. Shankar told us that this temple in its basic existence has been running for five to six-hundred years and that there has been a fire burning 24 hours a day since the temples creation.

After the temple we stopped on a bridge that overlooked a cremation site and Shankar explained to us the traditional rituals after death. He dropped the quote “We are temporary by nature we are temporary by birth, and we remain temporary in passing.”

After the bridge we returned to home base and started a walk up to the midway point to Mcleod Ganj where we met taxis that took us the rest of the way. In Mcleod Ganj we stopped at a café for lunch before taking a tour of the Dalai Lama’s temple in exile. We followed the clockwise path around the temple that is common for Buddhist pilgrims and spun the prayer wheels. The entire path was lined with Buddhist prayer flags. Inside the temple we took a tour of the main square and the actual temple itself with the statue of the sukyamuni Buddha. Shankar gave us a crash course in Buddhism and the Dalai Lamas life.

After the temple we spent an hour being typical tourists in the Mcleod Ganj market and honed our bargaining skills as we bought souvenirs and gifts for family. We walked all the back to home base and rested until dinner. After dinner we watched the movie Kundun about the Dalai Lama.

-Markus Sherman

 

8/1/2015

The full group have arrived and are ready for their program!

 

 

8/1/2015

Welcome to Guatemala!

After a long day of traveling, layovers and rushed flights, we finally arrived. We dove straight into our first immersive experience, hurtling through the bustling streets of Guatemala City, all of us piled in the back of a van. The city is striking. The public transportation system here is made up of old American school uses, refurbished and painted but still recognizable. Traffic is hectic: buses stopping unannounced; men swinging a leg up onto the rear ladders of said buses as they lurch off again; motorcycles weaving through traffic with horns blaring in their wake; cars in various states of disrepair, most with dark tinted windows; constant exhaust; at least three strains of Guatemalan music at all times but usually six or seven woven together with the sound of traffic. The streets are lined with tightly packed storefronts, car dealerships, and the occasional soccer pitch. Every telephone pole was covered with promotional signs for the upcoming election, apparently awash with corruption in many of the candidates (which prompted a mini cultural lesson of Guatemala’s political state).

The exhaust gave way a bit as we escaped the craziness of Guatemala City, climbing into the hills to head for Antigua, where we would spend our first night. Forty-five minutes later, we rolled off the main highway and pulled into the quaint town. Antigua–the antique Guatemala–is a busy, charming place. It is nearly the opposite of the city we drove through earlier. Here, old Spanish cathedrals and Spanish-influence architecture line the cobbled streets. The city streets overflow with the weathered but bright colors of the stout buildings, and many doors are propped open, giving a glimpse of the interior of each building. We settled in at our hotel, the Santa Lucia Quinta, as most of us marveled at its cuteness factor. An oblong courtyard opens to the sky above, and bedrooms fill three floors around the courtyard. We crowded into a large room of fifteen or so bunk beds before heading out to wander the city together for the night. We walked around as dusk fell and later broke the ice over dinner. Across from the central park was a group of protestors, chanting and shouting in garbled Spanish about the country’s government (bringing on another mini lesson). Traditionally dressed women and children, hoping to sell to one of the many tourists, carry wares balanced on their shoulders and tied to their skirts. These people come into Antigua from the surrounding villages, where old culture is better preserved, to sell goods and find work. Locals are dressed plainly and have a slightly less weathered appearance. Bordering another side of the park is an old cathedral, lit on the top. It stands proud still, as does the whole city despite the crumble apparent throughout.

That night, I fell asleep under an open window, listening to the sounds of the city. The immediate city is illuminated, but the sky is darker than I am accustomed to– less light pollution here. The rumble of old cars on the cobble stones outside and the quiet murmur of girls’ voices inside lulled me to sleep.

The next morning, alarms set for 5:20 am, many of us woke for sunrise. After discovering the open roof of the hotel the night before, the idea of watching sunrise was irresistible. We rolled out of bed, and climbed onto the roof, in bare feet and blankets wrapped on our shoulders. From above, the tin roofs form a crisscross pattern, a haphazard one, and the tall, loping hills surround the city on all sides to create a cradle of sorts within the valley. A volcano looms to the south, a few more lie in the distance, and low clouds hand around the base of each. The sky gradually lightened, and though the sunrise was not alone spectacular, the experience was. Church bells rang in the morning as glowing pink light caught the angles of the volcanoes. Watching this, it struck me that I was sitting on the roof of a random hotel in Central America with a group of strangers. It was somehow both unreal and too real.

Our second day was consumed by travel and cultural experiences. Our first stop out of Antigua was a small co-op business of five families trying to keep their culture alive and preserve their heritage. The walls of the store were lined with the most colorful patterns I’ve ever seen. These traditional weavings and clothes are elaborately designed and take six to eight months to sew. The people are adorable and so genuine. One old woman taught us to make tortillas and others offered us sweet bread with as much pressure as any American grandmother offering food. Sweet, cheery people.

The roads we traveled that day wove through valleys and hugged mountainsides, eventually bringing us to cloud level. The views–or rather glimpses–of mist-shrouded volcanoes and gridded farmland are stunning. The valley opens up out of nowhere as we round a bend and disappears just as quickly as it appeared. Even transport from place to place is fascinating here.

– Juliana Sandford

 

8/2/2015

On route to our home base in Xela we stopped at the La Cabana de Don Robert, right outside of Tec Pan Village, where our next adventure awaits. La Cabana de Don Robert is a quant restaurant nestled in the mountains of Guatemala. A hidden gem along the winding highway which lead us to our new home in Xela. The restaurant had a European influence, resembling a vineyard. At our dinner table there were vines, flowers, lush, animals and fresh fruit in sight. We were served a 3 course meal consisting of chips and fresh warm salsa, an exotic squash soup and tortillas, our choice of a steak, chicken or vegetable entre sided with refried beans, guacamole and veggies and our favorite part, dessert, lemons cookies topped with powdered sugar. The delicious food is not all La Cabana de Don Robert had to offer. We spent our leisure time petting horses and other animals, admiring the breathtaking view or channeling our inner youth on the playground.

Our next excursion took us to the Mayan ruins in the city of Iximche, an excavated city of Mayan royalty. At these ruins we explored the ruins where we saw ancient temples or even soccer fields where political debates were settled. Our guide was a female shaman who also taught us each about our ¨nahuals¨, our spirit animals based off our birthdates. We attended a traditional Mayan ceremony performed by a male shaman who blessed our nahuals and enlightened us with more Mayan traditions.

We have finally made it to our home base in Xela. We got settled, ate and had our first daily ¨GLA family meeting¨ where we went over our goals and expectations of these next two weeks. On Monday, after our first day of service we came back to the home base, had lunch and then were off to our next adventure. No time to waste! We went to a ceramic demonstration in the traditional city of Totonicapán, a beautiful city about 30 minutes from our home base. Long rides are a pleasure, giving us more opportunities to see the beautiful country of Guatemala. At the demonstration we met with Don Julio, a ceramist who has been doing pottery since he was 14 years old, now in his late 60´s. A couple of the girls gave it a try and made their own ceramic plates. After this it was back to the home base. Before dinner we had the opportunity of hearing a former guerilla fighter from the Guatemalan civil war which only ended in 1996. His words brought out emotions and realizations, making us appreciate the country even more after hearing their unbelievable hardships and being thankful for our homes back in the US.

We 15 girls and our mentors have created a new family of our own and are grateful we have such a diverse group of people to experience this opportunity with. This trip has already changed us and we are excited for what the next 12 days have to offer.

– Lunden

 

8/3/2015

Today was our first day of service, and we volunteered at a school in Xela. Some volunteers, including myself, worked on painting a mural. When it is complete it will be a train with twenty cars, and they will be numbered from one to twenty with pictures of objects representing those numbers. The train cars will be a visual way to help the youngest students learn how to count to twenty. Other volunteers put cement on drywall for the future library in the school. Most of the students at the school do not own their own books and have very few resources, so this library will help them by providing books that they can read. On the other side of the school the rest of volunteers leveled the floor in order to possibly build another classroom next summer. We worked on these projects in the morning, then we played with the children at recess. We gave them piggy-back rides, they rode on our shoulders, took pictures with them, gave them hugs, and played schoolyard games with them. It was so much fun to play with all the little kids and I know that they enojyed our company too because they would run over to us and jump on our backs for a piggy-back ride or hug us for five minutes straight! After recess we sat in a classroom and a third grade teacher talked to us about her own personal experiences and struggles with becoming a teacher. She also talked about the students’ lives and many of their personal difficulties, some of which were the same as her own. For example, many of the childrens’ parents leave Guatemala and go to the United States to find a job, but abandon their families and never come back, and the teachers’ husband left Guatemala too. The third grade teacher explained that she felt very privileged that she was able to become a teacher and that she is able to connect with the students and help them. Despite hearing about their personal struggles, I had so much fun helping out and I could live here forever.

– Jennifer Ahmann

 

Thoughts from students on their time in Guatemala:

 

A trip to the Immigration Center in Quetzaltenango

The group of newly apprehended boys and girls awaited us in what appeared to be a kitchen/dining/recreational room as we approached, all anxious to meet them and see how they reacted upon our arrival. Feeling overly-privileged, we were all scared to see if the boys and girls would be jealous of us, depressed, or even spiteful toward us. We walked in to see about 35 kids, most of which were male, waiting to meet us and interact with us. We split into four groups, each consisting of 6-10 kids plus 3-4 GLA students. To break the ice between the two groups and possibly reduce tension, we started with what the Leaders call “The Marshmallow Game”. Each group must work together to create a structure out of 20 dry spaghetti noodles, about two and a half feet of tape, and a singe marshmallow. To win, you must have the tallest structure with the marshmallow on top, or to have the only standing structure seeing as the task is much harder than it sounds. After 5 minutes of chaotic chattering and translating between Spanish and English, one of the groups finally won and took the first spot in our next activity: “The Chubby Bunny Challenge”. One member of each group went up to the front and started to learn how to participate in the challenge. The point of the game is to fit as many marshmallows into your mouth while being able to say “chubby bunny” in between each marshmallow. Many of the children laughed at the thought of the game, but it was nothing compared to the laughs and smiles generated once the game actually started. After the game was over and the victorian walked away with the record of 5 marshmallows, the GLA students served cake and soda to the kids. After the quick bite, the four groups turned into two groups and took turns between playing “Salmon, Bear, Mosquito” and “Jenga”. “Salmon, Bear, Mosquito” is pretty much an active form of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. The groups splits into two separate teams and decides if they want to be a salmon (plays the role of paper), a bear (plays the role of rock), or a mosquito (plays the role of scissors). Once the teams decide in secret what they want to be, the teams stand back-to-back and on the count of three, they turn around to reveal the role they chose. If your team beats the opposing side, they run after and try to tag one of their opponents to bring them back to their own team. After a long round of “Salmon, Bear, Mosquito”, the two larger groups switched places and played “Jenga”. To add a bit of flavor to the game, the GLA students wrote questions on each of the blocks to answer when it was their turn. After 25 minutes of playing, the GLA students found out information from the kids, such as “if you could be any animal, what you be and why?”, “what is your favorite super hero?” and “what is your favorite sport?”. After the tower finally crumbled, the GLA students bid farewell to the new friends they had made and exited the center. Many of the GLA students felt a sense of confidence leaving the center because the kids where nothing but welcoming to the students and staff who visited them. The students walked away with a feeling of appreciation for they have in the United States. The migrant center shared information with the GLA staff regarding the amount of kids that enter each week, around 75, and their ages, usually between 14 and 17. For many of the GLA students, it was a major reality check, as they saw how little some of the children had and how they still managed to crack a smile. While the major issue in each of the students’ lives may have been school work, the children in the center would have done almost anything to be in their place. For a first experience in this kind of situation, it was definitely one that will never be forgotten.

– Sidney

 

Guatemalan Speakers:

I went in completely blind. We were told that we had a very intelligent speaker coming to share some experiences with us. I thought nothing of it to be honest, but once the talk was over, my outlook completely changed.

His name was Don Arturo and he was an advocate for the Guerillas. If you’re completely in the dark, it’s fine because so was I. I never knew that there was even a civil war that happened here in Guatemala. And I’m a history fanatic. Don Arturo shared with us the civil war from his perspective, the Guerilla’s perspective.

This war was long and it was gruesome. Don Arturo spoke of the brutal crimes the Guatemalan army committed. Many of which reminded me of acts Hitler performed during the Holocaust. The entire time, I wondered, how could I have never learned about this in my history class? After all, the best way to keep something from happening again, is to educate people about it.

And then it became clear. Don Arturo explained the confusing role that the United States played throughout the war. After Don Arturo finished his talk and we got to pick his brain with all of our questions, we came to the conclusion that the United States probably doesn’t educate it’s students about this war because believe it or not, we may have actually been in the wrong here.

We went to bed feeling rather unpatriotic.

The following evening we were told that Don Pepe, a Guatemalan Army Official during the civil war, was coming to speak with us. We were told to have an open mind but we were still pretty shaken up by Don Arturo’s talk. How could a different perspective change the fact that the Guatemalan Army was horrible to the civilians? Well…

Don Pepe focused more on the big events of the war while Don Arturo spoke more about the abomination that was the Guatemalan Army. The funny thing is, these two very smart men happen to be friends, they just disagree about certain things pertaining to the war.

Don Pepe allowed us to ask him boatloads of questions too, and although the answers were great and very detailed, it almost made us more confused. We knew that the point of the war was to fight against communism but who was fighting for what? Why did they go about fighting communism this way? What did the United States really have to do with all of this?

Leaving both conversations and having discussed it with all the girls and mentors, one thing has stood out in my mind the most. Education. I need to take it upon myself to learn more about these international affairs that fail to make it into our history textbooks for fear of tarnishing the American ego. I am and will always be proud to be American, but this definitely showed me that we aren’t as big and grand as we think.

I’m so thankful that I got to listen to these men discuss something that is most likely really hard to think and reminisce about. Even though I left really confused, it only motivates me more to go home and read and research. Our generation has the ability to educate and speak out about the hidden affairs that happen on our planet. I’m so grateful to be able to take what I have learned and learn even more.

-Julia R.

 

Bonus Photos!

                                                      

7/16/2015

When we arrived in Guatemala, we drove from the airport in Guatemala City to Antigua for the night. There we got our first tastes of Guatemala, from the massive downpour as we were falling asleep, to the parrot that woke us up in the morning, to the beans and eggs we ate for breakfast on Day 2. After we left the hotel in Antigua, we drove to learn about how to weave in the traditional Guatemalan style, and what a Guatemalan wedding ceremony entails. Then we were able to wonder around and buy some of the textiles the 5 families who thought us had made. Then we drove to a Restaurant on the way to the Home Base in Quetzaltenango, where we met up with the 4 late girls, had delicious lemonade, and played on a plates before we started the 3 hour drive. When we arrived at home base we settled in (and had to take a rest after carrying 50 pound bags up 3 flights of stairs). Then we played a crazy game of rock paper scissors that involved chasing each other around a field for half an hour. After that we had free time before dinner, but most of us went bowling in the single lane bowling ally attache to the hotel where our home base is. For our first real dinner in Guatemala we had chicken tacos and pico de gallo which was delicious, as well as a delicious hot spiced tea. After dinner we had some more time to fully meet everyone before our first GLA family meeting. At the meeting we talked about the rules for the trip, as well as our general schedule for the rest of the trip. Then we broke off into groups to compete in a activity where we had 10 minutes, pasta, tape and a marshmallow and we tried to build the tallest tower. My group tied with another (their tower was taller but they didn’t stop when time was called), and then we watched a Ted Talk about how Kindergartners perform better than adults in tis activity because they use trial and error to create the best structure. Then we had a discussion about they activity we did and how it can relate to our travel and service in Guatemala. Then we went to bed excited for the next day of exploring Mayan ruins!

-Emma McPhail-Snyder

7/18/2015

Today we traveled to the mayan ruins, where we toured the ancient Mayan ruins. On many of the sites, there were creatures that would face the sunrise/sunset. The creatures facing the sunset were commonly nocternal, and would represent death; whereas the creatures facing the sunrise would represent life and health. After we traveled to the ruins, we drove to a very nice hotel, where we ate lunch and were given the opportunity to bond with the other students on our trip. Next we went back to our base house in Xela and rested after a long day. I am definitely excited to continue on my journey through Guatemala.

Elizabeth Drebin

7/19/2015

This morning we woke up ready for the big day ahead, knowing it would be a tiring but exciting day. We first drove to the base of the mountain. We met up with the other group from GLA that is currently in Guatemala. The mentors told us that we would be piling into the back of two pickup trucks. Everybody seemed a little worried, but it was a good bonding experience. The trucks took us through a village in the mountains to the base where we would begin hiking up Laguna de Chicabal. We knew it was a steep volcano, but did not expect it to be so difficult. We stopped frequently in order to let everyone rest. When we arrived at the top to the lake, the sight was well worth the climb. At the lake, we also experienced a Mayan ceremony. It was very interesting to see this tradition of their culture. The travel back down the volcano was much faster and easier. After this adventure we returned to home base for lunch and had the opportunity to bond with the group and rest.

 

 

Today we had to get up a little earlier today to be at the top of the mountain at 10am . We thought the hardest part of getting up the mountain was going up the mountain but we didn’t relies  until we got there we would go into the back of two pick up trucks up the base of the  mountain to actually start the hike we all cramped the pick up trucks and went up to the mountain with a lot of dumps and bruises on the way it as nice to finally start our hike. some  had more trouble climbing the hike it was soon steep but we would stop every few minutes so the ones in way back could catch up.when we finally got to our destination it was lake and it was breath taking we also got to see a tradition mayan ceremony where there was a  fire and we got to throw a candle in the fire and make a wish after our hike we went home and everyone talked and some played soccer.

Frankie T.

 

7/20/2015

Today we went to the school for the first time. We were all expecting to have a day with the kids, but since it was a day off for them we got a great head start on the murals and construction of the library room. Personally I worked in the construction area…so we had to first go down a couple of blocks to get the scaffolding and carry it back to the school. We set that all up and then started installing the sheet rock on the outside of one of the walls. It was definitely a learning experience for all of us working in that area but Nayo was a great teacher, and thankfully we accomplished a lot without any injuries! We all had a lot of fun and construction was a great team building exercise. Cannot wait for the days to come, and spending time with the some 600 kids!

Photos from the past few days:

 

 

7/20/2015

On Monday we went to the school for the first time. The kids had the day off, so we were able to get a lot of work done. I worked on painting with several other people. We were able to get multiple caterpillars and a hopscotch court done as well as begin the map of Quetzaltenengo on the wall. After we finished at the school we came back home to base for lunch and had a little down time. In the afternoon, we went to downtown Xela and made several stops. The first place we went was to the grave of Vanushka who was a famous gypsy in Guatemala. We all placed roses on to her grave because legend says that if you do so she will help you find your true love. After looking at Vanushka’s grave we walked around the cemetery until it started to pour rain. Our second stop was at El Balcon where we sat on the balcony in the rain and looked out and El Parque Central de Xela (Central Park) and drank horchata. Our final stop was at Xelapan which was a bakery with a large assortment of baked goods including especially good banana bread. On our way home, we picked up Don Orturo who spoke to us about his time as a member of the guerrilla soldiers during the Guatemalan Civil War. We ended the night with dinner and cake from Xelapan and planned for the following day with the kids at school.

-Ali Mancinelli

 

7/21/2015

today was our second day at the school but our first day with the kids there at the school. I really enjoyed being able to have a day where we could get the hang of things before all of the kids get there. That day i was on painting and i really liked how we could really be creative and choose what we wanted to. So Ali and i worked on the blank white space outside two classrooms, where we painted green vines and flowers and on the other sides we did patterns where two girls who were about 11 came up to us and where amazed at our paintings and they asked us if they could paint and their painting wasn’t the greatest painting but it made me happy to know that the art we were adding to their school was helped by them . The kids there were truly precious, even if they didn’t even know you they’d come up to you and and hug you and hold your hand. They also always asked you tons of questions like “whats your name?”, “where are you from”, and”how old are you?” they where just so interested about us and wanted to know everything about you. But i also found it difficult to communicate to them because I am not fluent in Spanish but they talk so fast it made it kind of difficult but its funny to talk to them because you have no idea what their saying. after the school we went the drumming class where i kicked ass ( just saying) it was wicked fun. after we proceeded to a cafe where we were suppose to get wifi but we all tried to use it at once so we crashed it so that didn’t work out as planned but no big deal because we went to WALMART 🙂 which made up for the no wifi. Then later that night we had a surprise birthday party for Sinclair super fun we had cake and pinata. then we all went to sleep:)

 

7/23/2015

Today we helped run a carnival fundraiser at the school, learned about how chocolate is made while eating locally grown chocolate, went salsa dancing, and listened to a Guatemalan military veteran talk about his experiences and the history of the civil war. We split into two groups for the carnival; one playing games with and painting the kids’ faces while the other helped construct the library, and we switched midway through. The kids are sooo energetic and happy to play with us and it’s amazing how friendly they are. I’ve played soccer and basketball with a 6th grader named Luis and his friends every day and although it makes sense that they act just like any other 5th or 6th grader, I didn’t really believe how similar they were to American children until this trip. The chocolate shop was unbelievable. It was owned by a family that has been involved with chocolate for five generations, and it was the best chocolate I’ve ever had!! We dipped fruit in a chocolate fountain and got to make and eat our own little chocolate sculpture while learning about the multiple uses of chocolate. After that, we learned the basics of salsa dancing at a club. A man named Don Pepe talked to us about the history of Guatemala’s civil war once we got back home. While saying some controversial opinions about the US involvement in Guatemala, it was super interesting to listen to. Just like my previously held opinion about children growing up in Guatemala, this trip has really changed my view about many things. I’m most surprised about how developed some parts of Guatemala are. For instance, we went to Walmart yesterday and I definitely did not expect to see all the iPhones and electronics everywhere. Overall, this is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had with some of the best people!

-Rafi

 

Pictures from 7/21-7/23

 

7/29/2015

All students have departed safely!

 

More Photos!

 

6/30/2015

All students have arrived safely!

June 30th

When did I first know I was in Guatemala?

The first answer is when I saw the mountains.  Coming from Florida, I haven’t ever really seen mountains.  I was completely unprepared for the size and general impressiveness of the mountains in Guatemala.

The second answer is when we, as a group, watched a volcano erupt the night we all arrived.  It was beautiful to say the very least.  Hot yellows and reds pouring down the side of a black mass in the sky; perfection.

Overall, it was the beauty and magnificence of Guatemala that made me feel both at ease and in an adventure.   I couldn’t have asked for a better first day and cannot wait to spend more time in Guatemala.

Rylie VanOrsdol

July 1st

Today we experienced two very different ceremonies. The first being a recreation of a mayan wedding in that region, where we had four GLA students act as the Bride, Groom, and Mother and Father of the Bride. This included the four students dressing in tradition apparel, trading intricate weavings, being showered with flower pedals, being cleansed by incense, balancing pottery on heads, and dancing while eating traditional wedding cake and drinking coffee. After this we got the chance to buy handmade items from a co-operative, where all of the money goes to five families who contribute to the store.

Later, we went to Ancient Mayan ruins, where we took part in a ceremony to find out about our Nahuales, the animal spirits that you connect to based on your birthdate, and the color associated. I learned that my color is yellow, and that the best way for me to heal my spirit is to be in water, and that my animal is a spider, so I like being in groups and would do well working in Social Sciences, but tend to overextend myself and try to do too much. We learned that by understanding our Nahuales, we can further understand ourselves. After this the woman doing the ceremony asked anyone who was ill or injured to step forward and use the smoke from the fire as a method of healing. The ceremony with beautiful, with different colored candles, flower petals, and plants and chocolate in the fire in order to make it smell nice. After the ceremony we learned about the ruins, and the significance they had on the world.

At the end of the day we came back to Homebase to have our “GLA Family Meeting”, orientation, and play some name games. Overall it was a culturally enriching day that one could only have in Guatemala.

-Olivia Avery

July 2nd

Today in Guatemala on July 2nd, 2015, we went to Totonicapan for Pottery with Julio Lopez. It took us 45 minutes to get there. Julio said that he works eight hours per day, and five days a week. He makes 30 vases and 100 plats a day. Some of the students got to do hands on work with Julio and they all said that it was hard. For example, spinning the wheel with their foot was really hard for them. By the time we finished working with the pottery we left.

Juana

 

Bonus Photos

Also, here are a ton of photos we’d love to share with you from the past week. Enjoy!

         

 

MORE PHOTOS!

6/13/2015

We all flew in to Guatemala city on June 13th, 2015 but arrived at Palacio Chico Hotel in Antigua at various times throughout the day. The earliest of the flights brought one of us into the airport at 5:45AM and she spent the day getting acquainted with the GLA staff, the city of Antigua and awaiting her 22 other GLA peers. As people began to arrive, we spent time getting to know everyone’s name, age and hometown, bonding quickly and sharing common interests. We were greeted with colorful buildings, cobblestone streets framed by a scenic green backdrop complete with volcanoes. The rooms at our hotel were well decorated and unique, surrounding a small tropical type courtyard with a hammock and the occasional visit from a friendly parakeet. Everyone was excited to arrive in such a beautiful location and was enthusiastic about getting to know their GLA group. From experiencing the Guatemalan culture for the first time to sharing embarrassing stories all the way down to comparing the way we pronounce words, everyone found some common ground to comfortably slide into familiarity and enjoy their first day together.

6/14/2015

Today was, in one word, simply amazing. We started the day in Antigua, found ourselves in Lxmeche, and ended the day in Xela. We woke up to enjoy a tasty breakfast consisting of eggs, beans, plantains, and freshly baked bread. As soon as we finished we hurried to hit the road for the long drive to Xela. Along the way we stopped in a little village at the store of five local families. These families believe in preserving their culture, and in doing so, teach others and make many items by hand including all clothes and items to sell such as wallets, scarves, skirts, and purses. We had the privilege to learn how they weave and about the traditional Mayan wedding. To weave, the women sit on their knees for 6-8 hours everyday! It is moving to see such dedication towards preserving their heritage. Before a Mayan wedding ceremony, the mother of the groom is given a gift from the bride that she must wear for the entire ceremony and party or it is a sign that she dislikes her son’s bride. The mother-in law also bestows a gift on the bride for her future family. During a Mayan wedding ceremony the couple is covered in smoke to to cleanse their spirit in order to begin a new life together as a married couple. They are also covered in flower petals. After the ceremony, everyone dances for twelve hours! The grooms parents pay for the wedding, and in return the couple is expected to bear 16-17 children! Everyone in the community was welcoming which made the experience even better.

Afterwards, we headed to Lxmeche wear we got to tour the Mayan ruins. The architecture was stunning and the history is unbelievable. There was once 4 royal families that lived their, so the ruins are split into 4 sections for each family. In these sections they could praise their gods. The most commonly praised were the god of rain and the god of war. Today many people still practice the ceremonies of sacrificing animals to their gods. Finally we finished the drive with a windy 3 hour car ride to Xela. Everyone was given Dramamine and slept through the windy roads. The home base is a beautiful place to call our home away from home for the next two weeks. The staff is amazing, and everyone can agree this trip will be too!

6/15/2015

On day three, we woke up to a delicious breakfast served by the very sweet women who made our “home base” our home. They served us fried plantains, beans (of course), eggs, cereal, toast, yogurt and fruit, and then we were off to our first service project. We drove right down the road to the school, Pacaja, and were greeted by beautiful smiling faces, all excited to meet the strange Americans. We split into groups: some of us doing construction, and some of us spending time with the kids. At the construction site, we started the “skeleton”, drilling metal canals into the ground and measuring the location of the windows. In the classrooms, we decided to do a drawing contest with the kids, a contest where the winner would get their drawing painted in a mural on the side of the school. The theme of the contest required answering the question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”. We will choose a winner from every grade, drawing six different people with different occupations holding hands. The kids were so fun to be around; they were fascinated by English, asking us to say their name in English and giggling at how funny we sounded. When recess began, all of the kids rushed outside to play with us, but thankfully we weren’t bombarded with 600 kids; only two of the classrooms were actually full that day. They loved taking pictures with us and playing with chalk- their favorite was tic-tac-toe and hopscotch. We also played “pata, pata, ganzo”, or duck, duck, goose, and basketball. It was remarkable how much fun everyone was having despite a language barrier; because everyone smiles in the same language… as cheesy as that sounds.

After recess was over, we went into a classroom to listen to the incredibly inspirational Doña Fabi, who told us how rewarding her life has been as a teacher. The kids showed so much respect for her, while she was overflowing with love for them. She shared with us stories about some of the children she has taught who have came from poverty, abusive homes, or even in one specific case, prostitution. Her words were heartbreaking but also showed the strength that people living in Guatemala need to have in order to carry on. Her message revealed that through all of the ugly in the world, small acts of kindness can have the greatest impact on so many people; that by merely loving others, bad situations can take a turn for the better. We left the school with positive attitudes- at that point in time it was evident as to why we are doing what we’re doing. Being here in Guatemala isn’t just about embracing culture or learning about the country itself, but impacting those who live in it and making life here a little bit easier.

 

6/16/2015

Today we woke up and had a really good breakfast that consisted of fried eggs, oatmeal, watermelon, toast, and etc. After breakfast we headed to the school again and worked with the kids and took tons of pictures. We also worked on constucting the outline of the library which is moving along really fast. A teacher gave us a tour of the school for us to look at the classrooms and to see what the kids were learning. You could really tell how engaged the kids were to learn and it makes you realize how more people should be more grateful for their education like the guatemalans. After the tour we headed to lunch for a traditional guatemalan lunch which was chicken and beef with a side of vegetables and rice. After lunch we headed to a chocolate factory and there was a fondue fountain with tons of fruit for us to dip in which tasted amazing. You could really tell how passionate the factory owner was about making chocolate, she even told us her dream of creating a Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory which was really interesting. After the factory we headed to salsa class and learned a traditional salsa dance. For dinner we had lasagna, salad, and bread. To wrap up the day we had a game to learn a little more about our personalities.

6/17/2015

On Wednesday the group had their third service project day. The morning started the day with breakfast consisting of pancakes, fruit and toast. Once the group was working at the school the split up into 3 groups- one group working on construction, one group worked on painting and the third group worked in the class rooms. In the construction site, the group worked on creating beams- that will later be used to hold the walls of a library. At 10:30 it was recess time, and all 600 students loved to take pictures. Many people were giving piggy back rides and played tag with the students. After recess, GLA got back to work. In the class rooms the 1st grade class worked on their balance skills. By using recycled cans, the students were able to create balancing skills while learning how to recycle. The first grade students later worked on father’s day cards (since father’s day in Guatemala was on Wednesday). GLA groups helped draw letters for the first graders by using dashed lines to also draw hearts. Once the school day was over, at one GLA had lunch and went to a grave yard. This wasn’t any ordinary grave yard, this grave yard held a gyspie named Vanushka. Legend says that she was in a circus and visited Guatemala and fell in love with a local. This locals parents didn’t want the gyspie with him, so they sent him off to Spain for college. Vanushka died loving and waiting for the local, so every year he comes back and places roses on her tomb stone. Legend also says that if you lay roses on her tomb stone and wished for good luck in a healthy relationship. Once you find someone you love, you come back to put roses on her tomb to thank her. The GLA group the left notes written on her tomb.

GLA not only provides us with a wonderful opportunity to travel and make a difference in the world, but they emphasize the importance of young people developing through education. Throughout this trip we’ve been learning about the misery and brutality of the Guatemalan civil war. I am a firm believer of history shaping the present and that’s why we must discuss what’s happened in the past. To further our knowledge of the war, GLA brought in a speaker to talk about his time as a guerrilla fighter. His detail and passion left us in awe. I can’t even begin to explain the tragedies he described. As hard as it was to listen to the man talk about the complete terror the military served, we also will be able to hear a speaker who was a member of the military. I am eager to hear how he will justify such cruelty, but it’s just another way this trip is making us into well-rounded and educated human beings.

6/19/2015

Each day there are three of us kids designated to be leaders of the day. Most days we have one of us doing construction, one doing the mural, and another running the classrooms. We remind the others of the schedule, to drink water, wear sunscreen, etc. On Friday (June 19th) I was the leader of the day in the classrooms. That day I was in charge of a 1st grade classroom and a 2nd grade classroom. When we first arrived to the classrooms we noticed one of the classrooms was missing a teacher. The students were full of energy, making it hard to settle them down to work on the drawing contest. Being the leader for that day I was slightly stressed but luckily I had some fluent Spanish speakers in my group with me. Once we settled them down and had them draw, there was some extra time we had to kill. I had the idea of teaching them the alphabet in English. All of us in the classroom worked together to get the kids excited about learning English. Hearing them recite the alphabet in another language than they normally speak was so rewarding, especially since we were the ones who taught it to them! I am very impressed with our group for turning a hectic classroom into a great learning experience for the kids!

-Ella Tobias

6/20/2015

Almost every night , we have a GLA Family Meeting. At these meetings, we discuss important current issues that are happening in Guatemala and different leadership strategies we can utilize here as well as at home. On Friday night during our Family Meeting, we watched a Ted Talk called “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Adichie. She explained how easily society assumes certain things about other individuals who they are unfamiliar with. For example, Adichie explained how years prior, the single story she assumed applied to her as an aspiring author was that “writers were expected to have had really unhappy childhoods” so she “began thinking of terrible things [her] parents could have done to [her]”. Yet in reality, she had a really happy chilhood, “full of laughter and love, in a close knit family”. As a group, we agreed that it is hard to avoid turning to the single stories of all types of occupations or people in general. Many of us shared how back at home, we are sometimes expected to be, or labeled as, something we’re not solely because of our appearances.

When we first arrived in Guatemala, I was shocked by the cultural differences from my small town in California. Looking at my surroundings, at first I really focused on the differences between the culture here, and the culture from my home. Women who are just about 4′ tall walk with huge bags on their heads and a baby strapped on their backs. The architecture is so different than most buildings at home. Dogs are all over the streets, and are treated so differently than the dogs back at home. Yet, while debreifing the Ted Talk, I realized that there are also a lot of similarities between our cultures. This meeting allowed me and the rest of the group to idenitfy the fact that we created a single story for Guatemala. We brought up the fact that not everyone in Guatemala is 4′ tall, or wears the traditional dresses. Rather, as we saw in the mall earlier that day, there are people dressed just like an average American. This dicussion was extremely enlightenging to myself as well as my peers, and I’m so glad we were able to explore the different aspects of Guatemala rather than what we had initially percieved.

– Grace Tankersley

6/21/2015

Today was a day full of exploration and adventure. As we began our day we piled into the bus and made the windy trip to the largest market in Central America, Chichicastenango. Although we all had an idea of what to expect, no one fully understood how extraordinary this market would be. Upon arrival I felt overwhelmed just by the high energy atmosphere and never-ending chaos. Everything embodied vibrancy, from the people, to the noises, to the smells, it was as if I was submerged in a sea of colors and radiation. The narrow streets felt as confusing as a maze, and were each lined top to bottom with various venders. The venders sold everything from simple trinkets to massive bedspreads. While we made our journey through the tricky streets we saw that each booth seemed similar at the surface, but once we looked closer we began to realize how different each seller was, and how they each had something special to offer. Another discovery today included a new skill that none of us realized we had, haggling. Although some of us were more skilled bargainers than others, we all did our best and felt extremely accomplished when we were able to lower a price and get a better deal. By the end of the day we were all stacked with exotic gifts and souvenirs to bring home to our friends and families. Overall I felt I experienced a new side of Guatemala, one more commonly walked, but still as amazing as any other.

– Rafaela Stewart

 

 

Photos from 6/23 & 6/24: