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Friday June 15, 2018

Hello Families!

Everyone safely arrived yesterday (Friday)!

Today (Saturday) so far we have talked about the cultural differences and introduced the program during orientation. We went to a local park near by for ice breaking activity and made sure everyone knows how to use a squat toilet. We’re all currently on the ride to the stone forest and everyone is excited!

Friday June 22, 2018

We visited the stone forest, a collection of unique rock formations that were once underwater millions of years ago. We got to climb on the rocks and see amazing views of the formations, such as “heavenly gate” and “the two lions.” It allowed us to view the beautiful nature of China.

For two days we worked on mud bricks that will be used to restore a local temple. Making mud bricks involves mixing the mud, moving the mud and molding the mud into bricks. We work together to make the workflow. It was hard work but we were very productive. Also at the temple, we worked on polishing pillars with sandpaper. In the end the pillars will be painted to create a museum showing Shaxi’s involvement in the tea and horse trade route.

We traveled to a local kindergarten. The walk was a little long but the views were nice. We joined them in their daily morning dance and played with them. We led group of kids in classrooms and in playground. The language barrier made it challenging to communicate with the children but we came up different strategies to work with the groups.

We went to a local middle school on Tuesday afternoon and got a chance to play basketball against the students there. We also got to see a classroom and learned that this particular middle school had a dorm for the students to stay in. We got to see the differences between Chinese and American education.

On Thursday afternoon, we worked at a local farm to remove weeds from the bean crops. We finished with a huge pile of weeds. It was quite satisfying. The views from a farm overlooking the valley were beautiful. We could see all of the different corn and rice fields worked by different farmers. The landscape in Shaxi is very green. It is in a valley surrounded by hills. There are plants and farms in all directions. Sometimes it is hard to tell where one ends and another begins.

Today (Friday) we went to the local markets. May people attend the local market to buy food and other household items. In addition the local farmers sell the produce from their farms. The fruits looked really fresh and pretty inexpensive so all our teammates bought some.

Written by Abel Zukerman, Isaiah Behnke, Ryan Price

Friday June 29, 2018

Here’s recap of the last week of activities, written by Arun Kukreja and Jack Tulauskas!

Learning paper cutting

During this activity, we were met with paper cutting master, Ou-yang laoshi (teacher). He was able to teach us the different traditional cuts and artworks of Chinese paper cutting. Guided by Ou-yang laoshi, he led us step by step to make 双喜， an apple, and at the end of class Ou-yang laoshi presented one of his master pieces, a butterfly accompanied with many small and difficult cuts on the inside.

Visiting Shibaoshan (Stone Treasure Mountain) Baoxiang Temple, Shilong Village on Saturday 23rd June

Through this excursion we went on a one hour hike through the mountains to reach the 石宝山 or better known as the Stone Treasure Mountain. Through this hike, we witnessed astonishing views accompanied with many monkeys. At the end of this amazing hike, we reached the 宝相(Bao xiang) Temple. In this temple we experienced the three main religions of the region, Taoism, Buddhism and local Bai religion.

After having a good time with the monkeys and viewing the breathtaking Buddhas, we hiked down the mountain and were able to go through the village of Shilong. Here, we went to a restaurant that served a scrumptious local fish BBQ accompanied by a talented Bai singer-most of the local people in this region of China are Bai. Later we traveled through the farms and up a hill to see another temple accompanied by more breathtaking views. Finally, we walked through the village to experience the viewpoint of a true local.

Learning Bai dance

When we first met our Bai dance teachers and when they presented the dance, it was very beautiful. At first, it looked bewilderingly complicated but as they broke it down step by step, we slowly mastered the traditional dance and further practiced it to be able to perform it to the locals on the last day of Shaxi.

More community service at Chenghuang Temple

Thursday marked the last day of community service at the Chenghuang Temple. Although being the smallest group of only seven people (normally 15-19 people), we finished polishing all wooden pillars in the temple. With a combination of American, Singaporean, Indian and Kiwi muscle we are also able to smash the record of amount of mud bricks made by any GLA group, amounting to an astounding amount of 315 mud bricks (record of mud bricks made by GLA).

Learning silk flower making

In this activity, we met Shi laoshi. Once again, many of us students had trouble with this challenge; we came out victorious at least making one beautiful silk flower. Some of us may even be taking home two silk flowers.

Activities such as bucket of dreams, food challenges

Each night we have been doing more activities just as challenging as the paper cutting, silk flowers, and Bai dance. One of the activities, bucket of dreams, was all about teamwork. Two people had to explain the rules not being able to touch or grab any of the tools, two people who are completely blind and can only touch things and talk, and then three people could talk and tough the blind people.

Although there was a major challenge trying to grab the bucket using ropes while not entering the circle, we were finally able to achieve the challenge and collecting the bucket. Another activity we did was the food challenge. This tested our abilities to try different foods without hesitation or judgments.

 

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Thursday July 19, 2018

We started our first full day with a city tour of Manaus. It was great to get to know each other a bit better as we walked around the Amazon City! We got to tour a famous theatre that was built in the 1800s, and luckily there were even musicians practicing for a concert. After the theater we went to a local market where there was everything from fresh fish to souvenirs!

The second half of the day was spent heading to the home base, which is a few hours outside of Manaus in the rainforest. Meetings the local staff and seeing the home base made everyone really excited to finally be here. Everyone is pretty tired from their travels, but still having a great time playing games and getting to know each other. We’re excited to get a good night’s sleep and learn more about the Amazon tomorrow!

 

Friday July 20, 2018

Obrigada!

Today, we woke up to amazing views. On the girls walk down to breakfast, we even saw a Toucan! Then we took a quick lesson on Portuguese. We learned basic phrases such as greetings, thank you, water, thirsty, etc.. Then we were greeted by Carlos from the Wildlife Conservation Society. He spoke to us about saving wildlife and wild places through science, action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. Then we went around a walk around our home base, Tropical Tree Climbing.

We toured the garden and ate so many interesting plants! We saw so many interesting animals, like monkeys, lizards, and an armadillo hole. We eventually reached the Princess tree which we will soon be climbing! We got back to the home base to have some downtime; we swung in hammocks, played with the dogs, and played games. Our dinner was great! We are all having a great time, but we definitely miss our families!

Hi mom!

-Leader of the day Piper Hauff

Saturday July 21, 2018

Today the group woke quicker than previous nights. Breakfast was great, it tasted like, and was shaped like pancakes. We followed with a name/movement game to get us moving. I think we had about 10-15 min. of “hammocks” before our guest speaker, Wezddy Del Toro Orozco, spoke. We went over her life, what we would be doing here, and the ecosystem. We ate lunch, and went on along walk, touring the camera traps. Wezddy taught us how to set them up and view the captures of animals. We had a debate immediately after, over whether or not natives should have a say in deforestation in Australia. It was about 8:40 when we had dinner.

-By George

Sunday July 22, 2018

To start today’s activities, we participated in a traditional cooking class. We made our own lunch including tapioca, tortillas and guacamole. Afterward, Wezddy showed us more videos on jaguar behaviors and tendencies before taking us jungle trekking and tree swinging. We held hands and formed rings around the “queen” tree. Then we went back and had dinner before heading out to the camp fire and then camping outdoors in the hammocks. Everyone ate marshmallows and told some really weird stories before checking out a bunch of creepy bugs with one of our guides, Leo.

-By Jared Cordova

Monday July 23, 2018

After a night of hammocking within the Amazon, our group got to wake up to the sounds of the surrounding birds, insects, reptiles, and other surrounding animals. Since we ended up waking up a little later than usual, we packed up our things and headed back to home base to have a delicious breakfast of pineapple, scrambled eggs, watermelon, and breads with cheeses. Breakfast was followed by our group’s last presentation with Wezddy, which covered problems and solutions relating to the relationship between big carnivores and humans in the Amazon. Soon after we had another tasty lunch of beans, rice, salad, pork, and steak before we settled into a game of “Duck Duck Goose” following this.

Now was time to start developing our sustainability projects that incorporate all that we have learned thus at in the Amazon to our own communities, where we separated into four groups and brainstormed ways to push for eco-friendly lifestyles closer to home. We presented our ideas to the rest of the groups and provide feedback for one another before it was time to say goodbye and thank you to Wezddy and everything she had done this week in teaching us the tasks of a biologist and sustainability in the Amazon.

Tired from our night before hammocking in the jungle, we had a fair amount of free time to rest, take a shower, and especially play card games. Right before dinner, however, we did an activity where we had to go by instinct and choose between two opposing sides, such as light and dark. After this is when we split into our two different mentor groups to discuss our results.Finally, we all had a dinner of rice with a squash stew, and bread with avocado, cucumber, and tomatoes before we spent some more free time together and then turned in for the big day tomorrow.

By Abby Wilkins

Tuesday July 24, 2018

Today we had an early morning as we prepared to leave for our second camping experience. After a delicious breakfast, we departed for our camping site. After a bumpy car ride we took a boat ride down the flooded forest of the Rio Negro. The sun was hot and a lot of students are sporting beautiful farmers tans. The campsite is a beautiful, pastel purple house on the bay of the river. Once we arrived, we all ditched our sneakers and shirts for a refreshing swim in the river. We played a few games of marco polo and even had a chicken fight! However, we had an epic dash out of the water to avoid a quick thunder storm. Lunch was a spread of piranha, rice, and spaghetti. Then we had the chance to catch piranhas of our own for dinner! Although some boats were luckier than others, we all enjoyed fishing with bamboo rods. The rest of the night was spent hanging out in hammocks which we will sleep in tonight. What a great end to amazing day!

By Reece Elowe

Wednesday July 25, 2018

Most of the group had an early morning beginning with breakfast at 6 a.m. and fishing at 7 a.m. Many students had the chance to catch piranhas for lunch and see some amazing Botos (pink Amazon dolphins). A few students also chose to sleep in this morning and enjoyed breakfast around 9 a.m. When the rest of the group returned, everyone devoured a second breakfast. Then we swam in the Rio Negro which was a nice relief from the hot Brazilian sun. We had tons of fun with more chicken fights and we were lucky enough to spot a pink river dolphin.

After that amazing experience we showered, chilled in our hammocks, and had lunch. Lunch included regular and sweet potatoes, pasta with eggs, and piranha of course! After everyone cleaned up we got back in the boats and made the journey back to hame base with a beautiful sunset to enjoy. We made two stops along the way: one to spot dolphins and one to spot parrots and a giant turkey. The parrots even spoke for us! Back at home base we had dinner with a thunderstorm brewing overhead. A perfect end to a beautiful day. Today was also my moms birthday so I would like to wish her the best birthday! Enjoy your day mom, I love you!

By Reece Elowe

Thursday July 26, 2018

The first day of physical service began with a bang! We were all still recovering from the camping/boating trip from the day before but even that didn’t break our spirits. The group cleaned the whole entire yard of sticks and planted a variety of plants including “monkey ears”. All this was done of course with tons of dancing and even a one sided walnut war. After the work we were all covered with dirt from head to toe and enjoyed nice cold showers and lovely dinner of chicken and rice. Of course the day wasnt even close to over. The group sat down to do an emotional activity which then led to a intense dance party. After an exhausting day I’m sure everyone slept insainly well.

By Nicolai Rolett

Friday July 27, 2018

In the morning we woke up to a nice breakfast of foods such as fruits. Here is where the real work began. After breakfast we got ready to begin our manual service. Very soon after we headed out in groups to do tasks such as smashing charcoal and spreading compost around the property. Everyone was pretty tired after a few hours so we came back to enjoy a very good light lunch. Two or so hours later we resumed our service under different tasks, continuing to make satisfying progress. Over our heads a storm began which was exciting, but caused us to switch our focus. Planting banana trees was the last thing we did before going back to home base. Everyone came together to eat dinner of fish and vegan options. Ending the night we hung out and journaled, after a very busy, but good day.

-by Charlie!!!
(find the hidden message)

Saturday July 28, 2018

Today we woke up to a breakfast of guava, pineapple, and oatmeal. Everything was so good! After breakfast, we went down to the campsite, where Chico and Igor taught us how to make a bow and arrow and how to shoot it! It was so much fun and some of us got to shoot down the target. Then, we returned to Home Base for lunch. Many were excited to see chicken on the counter. It was delicious and we were grateful for it! Afterwards, we walked to the campsite again for another activity. On the way there, Geo showed us some medicinal plants. We got to learn about different leaves that can cure a variety of problems, such as stomach ache, indigestion, headache, and bug bites. Chico also created flutes from a bamboo tree. We were put into groups at the campsite and we created songs based on the tune of our flutes. Our group recreated (or tried to recreate!) the tune of hot cross buns. We all enjoyed tapping into our musical talent! We came back to Home base again to engage in an activity where we split into four groups and debated the issue of whaling in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

We built our debate skills and got to learn more about what’s going on in other parts of the world. Later, we sat down to a great pasta dinner! Then we went to the Pousada to do an activity. We wrote down all of our expectations of Brazil before the trip and put them onto a map. We watched a Ted talk by a famous author where she spoke about how stereotypes and one-sided stories are a disadvantage to everyone. Listening to this talk helped us to realize how Brazil, and any other country, is not limited to samba and favelas. There is always more to a place than the generalizations people make. We finished off the night by watching the movie Rio 2 in the Pousada. It was interesting that we were able to recognize some plants in the movie that we didn’t know before the trip, such as the açaí berries. It’s been a long day and we are all ready to rest for tomorrow!

By Myles Almonte

Sunday July 29, 2018

Today has been a very exciting day and probably the day a lot of us were looking forward to; tree climbing!

We separated into four groups which was honestly a blessing. Two groups went today and two more will go tomorrow. Because we got to separate into smaller groups, we got to spend a lot more time in the trees without feelings of a rush. I went in the first group this morning/afternoon and besides the view being absolutely STUNNING, Vanessa and Leo made the experience suuuuper comforting. Before we actually went in the trees, Vanessa went over the mechanics with visual aids which helped my anxiety a whole lot. While we were in the trees, the others did arts and crafts or baked bread with Kinan. It also was super nice that they had other things for us to do while the groups were having fun in the trees having a whole blast.
While in the trees, our group ran across a green and black gecko that got super close to us. I mean, it touched one of our feet. Leo informed us he has never seen that kind of gecko in said tree (the trees name is Princess, by the way).

Then, in the late afternoon after we made bread, my group went to the market. The first place we went was full of beautiful jewelry that was handmade here in the Amazon. Then of course, we went next door to get some snacks for our going away party tomorrow, which honestly is going to hurt a lot. I know I’ve personally grown so fond of everyone in this house. I truly mean everyone, too, even the folks I don’t talk to much I have sweet daily interactions with that I’ll miss. To the family, to all the staff, to the scientists that came out, thank you a lot. You have all shaped my perspective in many different ways. You’re such beautiful people I’ll never forget and I do hope to visit you again.

To sum things up, today was a great day full of amazing people. I feel so lucky to be apart of this I just don’t want to make it too sappy, so I’ll end it here with a shoutout to Catherine who not only helped me fundraise but emotionally supported me the entire way, I couldn’t have been here without you. Thank you so much! 🙂

-By Kat R-H

Monday July 30, 2018

July 30th 2018 can best be defined as a bittersweet day. Bitter, as it was our last day with the Principe family. It has been two weeks since they’ve welcomed us into their home and each day has been an adventure of its own. It was really hard to fathom the fact that we were going to be leaving our new family in the Amazon. But, it was also really sweet as we got to spend our final moments in the trees with such an amazing group of people.

The day commenced with the third group getting the opportunity to venture off and climb the Princess Tree. No matter what time of the day it is, the views from that very tree make you wonder if you’ll ever see anything more exquisite. While our third group was away, the rest of us did the most simple yet amazing thing one can do on their last day in the middle of the Amazon: be in the moment. We all just enjoyed each others company as we spent time with the family, letting the day be its own.

After lunch, the fourth and final tree climbing group got to experience the magnificent views as some GLA students were off preparing pizza with Kinan. After the fourth group had returned, we celebrated our last night in the Amazon with a pizza party. Each person got to make their own pizza, adding how much of anything they wanted onto a pizza of their own. We all got to try a piece of each pizza, the combinations were very interesting and by the end of it most of us had eaten over ten pIeces of pizza (it was totally worth it). After the exquisite dinner, we had a talent show.

Charlie had taken the cake with his one man comedy stand up. But, my mom will be happy to know that I’ve finally met people that will proudly and loudly sing Hamilton with me (hi mom!!). Every act was so good though, we felt everyone’s energy and positivity in the room as the our final night took its course. The night ended on a peaceful note. We talked, laughed, and felt the most unconditional love that this Amazonian household has to offer. July 30th 2018 was indeed a bittersweet day.

-By Mona Chahfe

Tuesday July 31, 2018

Today was a sad but yet exciting day; we had to depart from the wonderful family that was willing to host us. On the other hand, we had a long and successful flight to Rio! We got to meet our new hosts and got to see our new home for the next week.

Wednesday August 1, 2018

Today we woke up to monkeys outside the porch. Then some decided to feed the monkeys was it a good idea? we don’t know. After that, we went to a local art store and stopped at a market to grab some snacks. Next, we were headed to Copacabana beach and had a blast swimming. Although, the weather was a bit chilly and the current was very strong but that made fun for swimming. Later, we headed back to the home base and hung out for the rest of the night!

Thanks for reading my blog! Hope you enjoyed it!

Mackinley✈️🙉🌊💦🏖🌧⚡🏡😴

Thursday August 2, 2018

August 2nd: It was the first service day in Rio! We started our day off at 8:30 to head to the two favelas partnered up with some members of the group Community in Action they split us into two groups, one group cleaned a garden that they had in the favela and the other group went to a different favella and painted a mural of colorful houses in a classroom at local community center. Each group has two days at each community then we’ll switch.

The group I was with went to the garden today, it was a really amazing experience being in the community and talking to the locals. While we were picking up trash and pulling out weeds there were kids that came over to help us which was really cute and actually super helpful. Half way through we had a lunch break and talked more with the local family we were helping then we got back to work! We were there for another three or four hours then we headed back to home base. Today was a really amazing day, getting to talk to the kids and the family we were working with was absolutely awesome.

-By María Torres

Friday August 3, 2018

Today, we continued service in the favelas! Group 1 went back to manguinhos where we began building a new and improved chicken coop and put up new fences. After lunch, we played soccer with the kids and sadly we lost :(. At the same time, group 2 was in the Complexo do Alemão, painting another mural for the community with the kids. We came home to a delicious dinner including pasta, rice, beans, and flan for dessert! We then did an activity where we closed our eyes and the chosen ones tapped people who they believed represented the qualities read aloud. This activity was team building and motivating. We then discussed our days and gave advice for the service work tomorrow when we switch places. The night ended with Dafne showing us her secret talent of levitating peanuts and we all tried, but did not all succeed except for me, goodnight!

-by Juliet Murphy

Saturday August 4, 2018

Today was an exciting day as group 1 and group 2 switched jobs. Group one, who had previously painted, went into a favela to garden. They spent the day finished the chicken coop that group 2 had started the previous day. After the chicken coop, the group gardened and planted plants such as peppers, violet and passion fruit. While group 1 was gardening, group 2 started to paint. Once group 2 arrived at the community center, they were split into two groups. The first group spent the morning constructing a wall out of cement. The second group spent the morning painting a mural of the rainforest with forest animals and waterfalls.

After lunch the groups switched jobs, therefore the first group finished the mural while the second group finished constructing the wall. After both groups finished their jobs, group 2 decided to celebrate by having a paint fight. They used their brushes and hands to throw paint at each other. After service, both group 1 and group 2 convened at the hostel to grab money and head to the market alongside the Copacabana beach. At the market we were given 45 minutes to buy souvenirs and after shopping we stopped at the market to grab some more snacks. After shopping, we all went back to the hostel and hung out until it was time to go to bed.

-By Annabelle Derrick

Sunday August 5, 2018

We wrapped up our service in the favelas doing more work in the garden and painting at a community center. It’s been really cool getting to work within a community and see how much people truly care about their neighbors. Our group in the garden got to play a pickup game of soccer with some local kids and it was so fun to see everyone play together (language barriers aside).

After returning to homebase, we went to an all you can eat sushi-slash-pizza restaurant, which is something I never knew I needed in my life. It’s hard to believe the trip is already almost over. We all went to bed in food comas excited for the city tour tomorrow!

-Ari (mentor)

Monday August 6, 2018

The trip has flown by! We shipped out early to see all the major sites in Rio: São Conrado beach, Rocinha favela, Floresta da Tijuca, Parque Lage, Cristo do Corcovado and Pão de açucar. Sadly, the weather was less than ideal and we ended up sightseeing through thick fog and rain. Everyone had phenomenal attitudes about it, though, and we played in the rain.

Dinner at the homebase included a live samba band and the locals we’d been working with to celebrate with us. Everyone danced and George showed off his breakdancing skills. It was great. Everyone’s pretty sad to say goodbye tomorrow, but we’re so glad to have met and shared all of these crazy experiences together. Until next time!

-by Daph & Daf

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Sunday July 1, 2018

All students have arrived and are in good spirits! Can’t wait for the next two weeks of adventures!

-The Brazil Team

Wednesday July 4,2018

We started the day with amazing fruits for breakfast and a group stretching session. We learned that pineapple in Portuguese is abacaxi. Early in the afternoon we had an educational talk from a local biologist about her work in animal conservation and education. She gave us important knowledge into the art of camera traps. After durrato for lunch, we put that knowledge to use and ventured into the forest. Leo (a leader of our community) led us through the forest to collect and view footage from camera traps, all the while teaching us about native plant and animal species. We finished the day with a leadership activity and a pasta feast. “

– written by Mason Kellogg

Thursday July 5, 2018

Day 5: We woke up o some delicious local breakfast. Then we had cooking classes with some of the local chefs. We learned to make tapioca as well as some amazing Brazilian cheesy bread. We also learn to make the Brazilian version of Indian bread, it was very tasty. Finally, we learned to make thick noodle pasta their way. After cooking classes, we looked at some footage from video cameras set up around the rainforest. We saw some recent footage of monkeys eating fruit.

We saw some old footage of jaguars and pumas as well. After we looked at the footage we went for a hike where we saw monkeys. We got so close to the monkeys, they started to throw “stuff” at us, and some hit their target. We returned to home base to eat local fish for dinner. We ended the day with a night hike to the campsite where we sat around the bonfire and slept under the stars.

Word of the day: flor = flower

-Written by Tobie Pak (student)

Friday July 6, 2018

Written by Benjamin Miller:

Saturday July 7, 2018

During our seventh day in the Amazon, the group ate a fresh fruit breakfast and prepared to travel to a local village based around a large lake. We all piled one day’s worth of belongings in a van and made our trek to Acacaia. Friendly faces greeted us from the moment we arrived. The group walked through the small village, amazed at the new culture and ways of life that the natives possess.

After strolling through the small wooden houses and interesting markets, the group split off into multiple boats to travel to where we were staying. The small boats and choppy water made the hour long ride difficult; however, the experience was unique and unforgettable. Once we arrived, everyone explored the multiple storied house and large property. Again, we were greeted by faces that were kind, even though they were unfamiliar.

We went swimming and had a great time. Fresh fruit, fish, and beans with rice were set on the table for lunch. By sunset, everyone split up into groups again, lead by guides, to go fishing for piranhas. Motivated by whatever we caught was going to be our dinner, everyone made attempts to catch the biggest fish possible. Afterwards, we returned to the camp to play games and sit under the night sky. A fish soup dinner was made that everyone enjoyed. Overall, the day was full of activities and new memories.

-By Jared Levine

 

Sunday July 8, 2018

Today we woke up before the sun & had a piranha fishing contest and my boat was the winner with 10 fish. After we ate our prizes for lunch we tried to go pink dolphin spotting but could only catch a glimpse of those beautiful creatures. after that we stopped at a little island and met a parrot named Bella. after an hour and a half boat ride some of us almost burnt to a crisp because of the amazonian sun, went to a little town and bought souvenirs for our families. Now back at home base we play cards while waiting for dinner after an eventful day.

-Taylee Dyer

Monday July 9, 2018

This morning started off with a nice breakfast of cake, steamed bananas, and tapioca which some girls and boys helped to make. After completing an exercise in our mentor group, we helped cut down trees to contribute to the compost that makes charcoal. It was very hot, physical work — one of our most challenging days. A few hammocks were set up at our home base in case we needed to rest. During lunch time, it started to rain heavily. It was still raining when we resumed our work with the trees, making it more fun. We settled down after our work by connecting with our mentor groups, and then eating dinner. We finished the night with a dance lesson from Vanessa, teaching us the salsa and samba.

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Today we learned that sloth in Portuguese is Bicho Preguiça. Sadly we didn’t see any today but we still did some pretty amazing stuff. We had more service work this morning, the rain made for a great experience as we planted coconuts, trees and other plants.

We also helped in crushing and sifting charcoal for the Terra Preta, that is the most nutritious soil discovered by the ancient Amazonians, used to help continue the growth of the forest. This afternoon we had a cultural experience with a native named Silvio, spokes Toucano and Portuguese, this was a great immersion to the local culture.

He came to teach us how to make traditional bows and arrows as well as giving us face paint, symbolizing something different for each person, a welcome to the rainforest. I know I speak for the whole group when I say that we are all excited for the new adventures tomorrow will bring and new things that we will learn.

-By Savanna Erskin

Wednesday July 11, 2018

Today we were taught by a wise Amazonion man named Silvio. He is a cultural teacher and taught us how to make acie beaded necklaces and fiber bracelets. He told us how to channel the energy of the forest into our craft. Silvio is an amazing creative man and we all had the change to buy some of his handmade baskets and jewelry.

Later we took a walk in the forest where Silvio showed us different plants to use for different purposes. And we cut some bamboo like plant to make our own flutes and horns together. In our crafts today we used all resources from the forest except a knife. The dinner today was delicious, pasta noodles, veggies, and cheese. We also made our own chocolate ball dessert!

-blog by Madelyn Sprigg

Thursday July 12, 2018

Today we enjoyed being able to climb a 150 foot tree and see the rainforest from a birds eye view. The experience was truly magical and the view was breathtaking. We also discussed important issues such as ways to promote sustainable living and spread them to our communities at home. Our inspiring conversations have made us eager to share our knowledge we have leaned here with friends and family.

We watched a TED talk about not having certain expectations and assumptions when traveling to new places. You will never truly know until you fully experience it. We also closed our mentor groups and shared how everyone grew as a person and what lessons and perspectives we should take with us home. Even though our time in Brazil is coming to a close we are excited for our last days before we depart to soak in the beauty of the tropical rainforest.

-By Avery Arroyo

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Thursday July 12, 2018

Arrival day has come! GLA staff waited at the airport and welcomed students with sack lunches and smiles. After students arrived we went to a local Belizean store for any snacks or toiletries students needed. It started to rain as we all got back on the bus heading for our home base.

It was about a 45 minute drive to The Tropical Education Center (TEC) in the Belize district where we are staying. A small tour of the home base was given and students met our local staff. After students settled in we had a few ice breaker games and then a traditional dinner of stew chicken, rice and beans, plantains and coleslaw as well as some birthday cake for our birthday girl.

Happy birthday Candace Gardner!

After a long day of travel and making new friends we are excited to start fresh in the morning and meet our last three students who arrive tomorrow!

You better Belize it!

-Maria, International Director

Saturday July 14, 2018

It’s now our 3rd day in Belize! We took an hour thirty minute bus ride, which we listened to music and braided hair while we bonded. We took a semi strenuous hour long hike to the ancient Maya ruins. We climbed all the way to the top to see an amazing view which we stopped for pictures. For lunch we stopped at a local restaurant named Benny’s.

The next thing we did was go to an iguana sanctuary, where they had over 25 iguanas! The biggest iguana was over 5 feet! We were able to pet, hold, and put then on our head. We then headed to Ajaw chocolate and crafts in San Ignacio. While we were there we got to experience how the Maya’s make chocolate. We got to taste many different cocoa beans! On our way home we stopped for snacks. We again sung and bonded on the bus! When we got back, for dinner we had mashed potatoes, pork chops, and lemon tarts. To finish of the night we met with our mentor groups.

-Molly and Leah

Sunday July 15, 2018

Today was a relaxing day after the first few days of orientation. First, this morning, we watched the World Cup. Then we had two inspirational guest speakers from the service site we will be working at. After that, we prepared and reviewed our curriculum for the following weeks at the school. It made us extremely excited to start our service and see the kids!

-Ally and Schuyler

Monday July 16, 2018

Today we woke up and ate breakfast at 7:45. For breakfast we had eggs, toast, pineapple, guava, and pineapple juice. We soon there after (at 8:15) left home base for the school. We volunteered for 3 hours teaching students between preschool and 8th grade. We had been split into groups of 2 and 3 and we taught the students with these people.

After teaching the students for 3 hours we came back to home base and ate nachos, watermelon, and lime juice for lunch. About 1 hour later we had a Belizean dance class for 2 hours. After dance class we had free time in which people socialized, read, and rested. At 5:30 we wrote our first journal log. We wrote about how our day went in school. At 6:00 we had pasta, bolognese, and brownies. After dinner we met as a whole group and talked about service. We then had free time and had lights off at 10:00.

Shout outs to:
Ezra’s parents and Ian’s parents! (We wrote this)

 

Tuesday July 17, 2018

Today is our sixth day in Belize and our second day of service. We each rotated up an age group from what we had yesterday. The kids were still excited to see us and welcomed us all with big bear hugs!

After service we took a quick snack stop and then took a thirty minute drive to Blue Hole National Park where we swam for about an hour. It was a perfect way to cool down after a long three hours of service. While the water was peaceful, the fish took advantage of us being there and decided to nibble on our legs.

After leaving the Blue Hole, we grabbed milkshakes at Moon Clusters Coffee House and hung out there for a while. To conclude the day, we drove 40 minutes to our home base and are now hanging out before dinner. It was a pretty amazing day!!!

-by Hannah and Sonya

Wednesday July 18, 2018

Hey everyone! Today we started off our day with a scrumptious breakfast which included: eggs, fruit, bread, peanut butter, and fresh orange juice. After filling up our stomachs, we loaded the bus and headed on our way to our third day of service. Not only were we excited to work with amazing groups of kids, but they were super stoked to see us.

After an eye-opening morning with the kids, we returned to home base for some terrific empanadas. We then split up into two groups and prepared for our afternoon activities which included cooking and cave tubing. One group stayed at home base to help cook dinner, while the other group experienced the riveting journey of cave tubing. We then ended the day prepping for a service project involving a parent teacher conference. It’s been a pretty un-Belizable day!!

-Viviana and Anthony

Thursday July 19, 2018

We started off the day with another amazing breakfast made by the wonderful cooks. It consisted of oatmeal, yogurt, and banana muffins. We then went off to service and had a productive morning that was filled with lots of memories that we will carry for a lifetime.

In the afternoon, the groups switched activities from yesterday. Half of us went cave tubing. It is definitely something worth experiencing. While that was happening, the other half of the group cooked dinner for everyone to enjoy. They made mashed potatoes, beef, veggies, pineapple cake, and pineapple juice. We ended our night in the classroom with a fun game of Mafia.

-Fatima & Tyla

Friday July 20, 2018

We started off our day with a delicious breakfast of fresh tortillas, bacon, eggs, and horchata. After, we left for service. Today was Ms. Emily’s birthday so the mentors brought her a pink cake. We sang happy birthday to her in front of the school and started off the school day energized and ready to go!

Filled up on our nutritious lunch of chicken and rice, we headed toward San Ignacio for a few hours to get to western dairy, an ice cream place with two dozen different flavors and other dishes including hot pizza, crispy chicken tenders, and yummy fries. After we went to a market and bought any essentials we needed (some of us bought hammocks). We headed to Art Box after, a store specializing in knick knacks and other souvenirs. Exhausted from the long bus ride, we ate a scrumptious dinner of empanadas and refreshing watermelon juice. Tonight we worked on our presentations for Ms. Emily that we’re giving on Sunday. Wow!

-Meera and Natasha

Saturday July 21, 2018

Today was a very beautiful day. Our group had the delightful opportunity to visit the ATM cave. No one was expecting the adventure that the cave had in store for us. The cave was full of beautiful history that embodied the Maya culture. We swam, hiked and squeezed our way through the day. We also feasted our eyes with ancient pottery and dazzling cave crystals. For some people, it proved to be difficult. Yet, it made those people realize how strong they really were. Also, how much strength they had within them all along. The meals today were super helpful for the hike as well as delicious! For breakfast we had piping hot pancakes as well as fresh pineapple and refreshing melon. For lunch we had sweet plantains, corn with rice and savory chicken. For dinner we feasted on some more flavorful chicken with fresh beans and rice. For dessert we had yummy carrot cake. Overall, we were exhausted from the long yet beautiful hike. It was definitely a day that will stick with us all!

-Natasha

*NOTE: you are not allowed to bring phones/cameras/etc. into the caves with you

Sunday July 22, 2018

We were able to sleep in today. Breakfast was fried jacks with scrambled eggs and some fruit. After that we did a leadership activity called Challenging Assumptions where we practiced visualization. Next we had free time which we spent, bonding, napping, and plucking eyebrows. We ate tostadas for lunch at 11:30. Then we had 3 Maya women come and tell us about their culture as well as teach us how to make bracelets! We also had some fun playing with one of their sons Deray.

At dinner tonight we saw a cute dog while we made our own tacos and had some yellow cake for dessert. Lastly we had fun playing Jeopardy on all the information that we have learned about Belize so far.

Sincerely,

Olivia and Mia

Special shoutout to our parents who are the reason we are in Belize. Also happy late birthday to Olivia’s dog, Cosmo who turned 6 on Friday!

Monday July 23, 2018

Hi everyone!

This morning we woke up bright and early as usual at 7:00 am for a 7:45 breakfast. Breakfast today was sliced bread, scrambled eggs, beans, and pineapple. Then we headed over to Helping Hands (the school), for Monday morning class.

After school, we drove to a nearby park to eat our lunch, chicken burgers. After lunch we took a long, scenic drive to Marie Sharps Hot Sauce Factory for a quick tour and taste testing. We learned about the history of Marie Sharp starting her company and how it has grown. Once the tour of the factory was over, we got to taste test all the varieties of hot sauces and jams made at the factory. The hot sauce was super good and we were able to purchase some at the gift shop there. We took a big group photo outside the factory (pictured below).

Following our trip to the factory we drove back to the TEC, had a rest period and then dinner. Dinner was curry chicken, rice, carrot cake, and fresh pineapple juice. After dinner we met in our mentor groups and had discussions about our experiences thus far and life at home. 8 days left 🙁 See you soon!

-by Ali and Sofia

Tuesday July 24, 2018

Good afternoon friends and families!! Today, we ate a delicious breakfast of cinnamon rolls and oatmeal. We then piled into the bus, cranked up some music, and got pumped for service. After an incredible 3 hours at the school teaching and bonding with the kids, we did our first trip to the local markets. It was an incredible experience to be able to immerse ourselves in the true Belizian culture. As an additional plus, we were also able to buy handmade bracelets and trinkets!

Then, we headed home, went for a swim, did some leadership activities, and ate a fantastic dinner of chicken and pasta salad! We can’t Belize that our time here has gone by so fast, but we are doing our best to make the most of the upcoming days!

-Candace and Sarah

Wednesday July 25, 2018

Today we woke up and had breakfast at 7:45. We went to the school and taught one of our last classes. 🙁 Back at home base we had lunch then a guest speaker. He told us all about tapirs (the national animal of Belize) and ways to keep them safe from their extinction. A tapir is a mix of a horse and a rhino!

Afterwards we had free time and many of us went swimming. Before dinner we had an activity called the appreciation circle where everyone is in a circle facing outwards with their eyes closed. Then 3 people would get chosen to stand in the middle. There were questions asked like “someone who makes you laugh”. The people in the middle would then tap on people in the circle that fit the description. This was a great activity to show how close we have come! After dinner a few of us laid on the dock with blankets and pillows! 🙂

-Leah

Friday July 27, 2018

Hello Everyone!!

Today was sports day with all the kids from the school! We had breakfast then went to a park to be greeted by the happy all the children. At sports day we got to just hang out with everyone we have bonded with from the school and play games such as soccer, basketball and even bean bag races! We had lunch there then headed back to home base. Back there we had some free time in which some of us preformed a synchronized swimming routine for Kacey and Maria, that we had been working on. Before dinner we had a leadership activity, and after we decided to do a bon fire before we head off to our vacation from vacation at Caye Caulker tomorrow!!

-Mia and Olivia

Saturday July 28, 2018

We made it to Caye Caulker! Today we took an hour bus ride and a 45 minute boat ride to the island. We had chicken quesadillas for lunch. Then we headed to our hotel and checked in and unpacked. After an hour or so, we hit the town to shop where we found amazing custom made bracelets, necklaces, and more. Then we got ready for dinner and went to a local place in town called Roy’s and for dessert we headed to get so Boba Tea and delicious homemade ice cream.

(Shoutout to our fabulous parents and siblings!!!)

Sonya and Hannah

Sunday July 29, 2018

Today we ate breakfast at 8:00 at a local restaurant called Amor y Café and then went to get our snorkel gear at Carlos Tours. Once we had our snorkel gear and had lathered up in sunscreen we proceeded to our tour boat. We boated for around an hour to our first snorkel destination where we saw manatees, turtles, a manta ray, a shark, and various fish. We got back on the boat and went to a snorkel spot where we swam with sharks. After this we had chicken, rice and beans, and macaroni on the boat. After lunch we went to our third and final snorkel spot where we saw eels, barracuda, and more fish. When done with this final snorkel we jumped off the boat and swam a bit. We arrived back at our housing a bit after 4 PM and we had rest time until dinner at 6:00. After dinner we had dessert which was ice cream or boba tea. We then did an activity called Appreciation Circle and then had some free time and went to bed.

Shout out to:

Ezra’s parents and Ian’s parents

Monday July 30, 2018

Today was another amazing day. It’s hard to believe were leaving so soon. We started our morning with a delicious breakfast at Caye Caulker. After that we went back to Belize City in a Water Taxi. When we got to Belize City we went to the Belize sign and took lots of pictures. From there we drove back to home base. Once we got to TEC we had free time until 3:30. Many of us unpacked, packed, and took naps. At 3:30 we met at the dining hall. We practiced our skits for literacy night. We then had dinner at 5 that consisted of spaghetti, garlic bread, and flan. At 5:30 we left to Belmopan. Literacy night started at 6 at the park. After watching the kids perform, we were able to say our goodbyes to the students and teachers. We ended our night by dropping off Mrs. Emily at her home and saying goodbye to her.

~Tyla & Fatima

Tuesday July 31, 2018

Our final day in Belize has come. We all have grown, overcome challenges, bonded with new friends and made memories that we will always cherish. One of my favorite memories is……

When we spent time with the kids at sports day because we got to have a good time with the kids and celebrate with them after their hard work at Helping Hands. –Jennifer

Going through the ATM caves because it was a lot of fun swimming and climbing on the rocks and it was really cool to see. –Tyla

Snorkeling was insane! I was really able to get out of my comfort zone and have a lot of fun with everyone. –Vivi

Literacy night was amazing because we were able to bond with the kids and say our final goodbyes. It was full of tears and smiles. –Candace

Our service was truly one of the greatest things I have ever experienced, I will never forget the children that we had an opportunity to help, or forget how immense of a positive impact those children have made on my life! –Schuyler

Our service days was one of the best things I have experienced. The time we had interacting with the kids individually was so special, and the connections we’ve made will never be forgotten. I will miss them so much! –Sarah

Service was everything I could have imagined and more. The kids were so welcoming and excited to build relationships with us. Once in a lifetime experience I will never forget! –Ally

One of my favorite memories was on the first service day. I taught my very first class ever and at the end of the class some of the kids hugged me goodbye. I will always remember my very first class! –Mia

My favorite memory was seeing this one kid’s eyes light up after I explained a problem to him. Oh and swimming with manatees was pretty rad too. -Meera

The sports day is one of my favorite memories. Getting to play with the children and interacting with them in an environment that was not the classroom was awesome. – Anthony

One of my favorite memories was literacy night because it was when I got to say goodbye to most kids and the things some kids said will stick with me forever. Having the experience to work with them for two weeks is beyond amazing! -Leah

One of my favorite memories was on sports day when I automatically made a connection with one of the children I had not worked with yet throughout the two weeks of service. –Olivia

One of my favorite memories was the snorkeling day in Caye Caulker where we saw manatees, sharks, manta rays, etc. –Ezra

The moment I learned I could beat up any shark because they are all not Jaws. – Ian

My favorite moment from this trip was working with the children and the school and helping them understand new information –Sonya

My favorite moment was when Sonya and I were laying on top of the ship looking out at the sea and reflecting on our experience as a whole. –Hannah

My favorite memory was jumping into the ocean for the first time in a few weeks; it felt great to be there with everyone after three weeks of hard work. –Ali T.

My favorite memory was our boat day at Caye Caulker, specifically swimming with the sharks and turtles. –Sofia E.

My favorite memories include working with infant 1 and infant 2. The kids always helped put a smile on my face. –Natasha H.

My favorite memories are at night when all the girls gather together in a bedroom and chat. We had some pretty great conversations. –Fatima

My favorite memory was decompressing with my friends in the pool by making a synchronized swimming routine. –Mo Bomann

Best Belize we had a great time!

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Friday June 29, 2018

All have arrived and students are adjusting well to the Belize humidity! We had a quick arrival day at the airport, with all students arriving within four hours of each other!

We had a short drive to our home-away-from-home at the Tropical Education Center (TEC by nickname) and settled in with a swim test and dip in the pool. Staff and students enjoyed a welcome meal of homemade tortillas, beans, chicken and vegetables.

Our night consisted of a few get to know you games and our “Story of Self.” Each student and staff shared their personal narrative – an wonderful spin on bedtime stories. Students quickly went to bed, and all but three were asleep before we showed up for bed checks!

This afternoon was spent at the Belize Zoo, and tomorrow our first Leaders of the Day will be taking charge and writing the blog posts from here on out, which we send to GLA headquarters staff to update on the blog page!

English quote of the day: “I am not the same, having seen the moon on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Kriol quote of the day: “Weh wi gwen?” (Where are we going?)

Saturday June 30, 2018

Leaders of the Day: Claudia and Cathryn

Today we all went to the green iguana sanctuary where we held iguanas. Our favorite was named “Kim Kardashian,” and known locally as “Ziggy.” Her spine is deformed because she was once a pet and had a lack of calcium and natural light. We went to the San Ignacio market and bought everything from fruit to hammocks to bracelets. After a filling lunch at Benny’s, we traveled by foot to the Maya site of Xunantunich, because our bus was too big to fit on the bridge they crank by hand. Some people weren’t big fans of the hike in the heat, but it was worth it for the view. The guides told us many stories and legends about the site while we were there.

Sunday July 1, 2018

Leaders of the Day: Chloe and Rachel

A poem:
Met Miss Emily and saw the amazing school Helping Hands that she put together with her own money
Inspired by Miss Emily’s life motto
Sang the song for our first day of service
Sipped Belizean blue lemonade and other Belizean delicacies

Emily gave us stones and hugs and told us to be a “shining light”
Many full bellies; good eats
Interesting stories of Belize’s culture and past
Love, peace, joy, hope – this is Miss Emily’s motto
You don’t know it yet but service will be fun tomorrow

 

Monday July 2, 2018

Leaders of the Day: Helen and Grace

This morning was our first day of service. We welcomed the kids with song and dance. It was a very fun but exhausting first day of service! In the afternoon we went cave tubing, which was a great way to cool after a long day of work. We are excited to continue working with the kids for the next two weeks!

Wednesday July 4, 2018

GLA Belize continued to grow their teaching abilities taking on varying roles in different classrooms. Students showed extreme amounts of flexibility with the unpredictable school environment, growing as educators and individuals while forming deeper bonds with their students. Despite being overseas for the Fourth of July, the group made a snack run and enjoyed some traditional American junk food. Overall great day!

-Leaders of the day: Jordyn and Stella

Thursday July 5, 2018

Today we continued our service at Helping Hands. We are all feeling more comfortable and accomplished in our endeavors in the classroom. After service, we visited a Mayan Chocolate making workshop. In the workshop we learned about the history and origin of chocolate as well as sampling tradition Mayan chocolate. We all got to try and chocolate drink that was mixed with honey, water, cinnamon, and chili powder. Lastly, we went to an ice cream place in Cayo and enjoyed delicious ice cream. All around today was a good day.

-Caroline Kilgallen and Carolyn Moyer
(Leaders of the day)

Friday July 6, 2018

Today marks an entire week of service completed! Although there were moments of being out of the mood, everyone pushed through and pulled their weight, putting the kids before themselves. Sadly, next week is our last week working with the students so we are going to soak in our final moments. The afternoon was spent watching Mama Mia with each other and ate a s’mores bake made by Jordan, Codi and Megan. We are all excited for the long and early day at the ATM cave tomorrow!

-blog by leaders of the Day: Hiyasmin & Kaitlyn

Saturday July 7, 2018

Even though none of us dropped a camera on a mayan skull, like former tourists, today we did lose a croc gibbet as we journeyed across paths and rivers to the Actun Tunichnil Muknal cave. We adventured to the atm cave today, pushing ourselves to climb large rock formations and view ancient mayan skulls and artifacts that prove that mayans practiced human sacrifice.

We waded through water that was up to our necks, and squeezed through small openings in rock formations. The food served to us at the end of the day was one of the best meals yet, and we ended the day with a wet and bumpy bus ride back to home base.

-blog by leaders of the Day: Claudia and Rachel

Sunday July 8, 2018

After a full week of service and many days immersing in the many cultural activities, we had an opportunity to sleep in until 8:30 and eat a late breakfast! Students had a restful morning, and a super engaging Maya workshop with two women from Punta Gorda. We learned about Maya culture in Belize, women’s empowerment, tasted sweet corn tortilla and aged sugar, and even learned how to weave. Our night concluded with a GLA/TEDex activity, where each member of our community shared a 3-5 minutes story of something they are passionate about. Students are super excited for our final week at Helping Hands with Miss Emily!

-Blog by leaders of the Day: Jordan, Meg and Codi

Monday July 9, 2018

Today GLA Belize began our second week of service with the kids at Helping Hands. We kicked off the week with a new “theme song” to get the kids stoked and it is now stuck in everybody’s heads. We were thrilled to see that the number of students attending is continuing to grow. We were also excited to see that not only did the kids remember us and what we had taught them, but also were happy to be back at school.

After lunch back at the TEC, Garifuna women Dixie and Amber came to teach a Belizean dance class. We got in a good workout while learning a lot about Belizean culture and the dances of many coastal cities.
After dancing we all needed some downtime before dinner. During our time usually reserved for mentor groups, we tested our knowledge of Belizean culture with a game of Belizean Jeopardy. Overall, it was a great day, and we can’t wait for a good night’s sleep and another day of service tomorrow.

-blog by leaders of the Day: Caroline D and Jordyn

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Yesterday marked our last rotation through the classrooms as we began second day of our second week of service. We continued to develop our skills, foster relationships with students, and enjoy a positive day overall. In addition to our personal success, Miss Emily was interviewed by a local news station about her Helping Hands Summer Program. Later that day, we journeyed to Marie Sharpe’s Hot Sauce Factory where we toured the production floor and sampled a variety of the products, including jams, hot sauce and steak sauce.

-Blog by leaders of the Day: Cathryn and Stella

Wednesday July 11, 2018

Today GLA conquered another successful day of service at Helping Hands. The kids continued to improve in skills and relationships were further developed. One of our favorite things is watching the bus come from San Martin, a neighboring village with 14 students and one teacher!

It really is more of a van, than a bus. After service, Celso, who manages the TEC and Belize zoo, shared his knowledge on the Tapir. The Tapir is Belize’s national Animal and can grow to be 550 pounds! After, we enjoyed some down time including: movies, painting, ab workouts, and zoo gift shopping! As the day wraps up we are enjoying some homemade lime juice and some good spaghetti.

We are finishing the night talking as a group with our journals. Yet another good day. Excited to see what tomorrow brings!!

-Blog by leaders of the Day: Caroline and Chloe