Pancake Breakfast

After being here for almost three months….I have come to understand what family means to these children and how NPH has become their home and all the children here have become their brothers and sisters.

I see it all around me every day, but it was not until my family project this past Saturday that it all became so apparent. On Saturday I was supposed to have family project with two boys who live in the older boys home in the city and either go to school or are working in their year of service. But as I am sure you have come to notice from my previous blog posts, not much goes as planned here. When I went to meet up with the boys on Saturday morning only one of the two was to be found. Juan Rudy told me his brother could not come, but he still wanted to go ahead with the project as we had planned.

Bryon and I mixing the pancakes!

Ready to cook!

I had asked another volunteer, Karla, if we could borrow her office to do our project because she has two burners and we were planning a pancake breakfast with yummy Vermont maple syrup.  Her office is located in the clinic where two boys, Bryon, 3 years old, and Victor, 11 years old, have been staying for the past two weeks after they both had surgery. As soon as Juan Rudy saw the boys he suggested they join us for the pancake making since his brother could not make it. After being in the clinic for two weeks the boys were elated to have something fun to do.

Juan Rudy helping Bryon cut the strawberries.

Freddy joined the gang and we are ready to flip the pancakes!

We quickly got to work, mixing the pancakes and cutting up fruit for our breakfast. Bryon, one of the boys in the clinic, had both his hands operated on to separate his fingers. Although his hands were all bandaged up that did not stop him from wanting to help. Juan Rudy took the time and the patience to help Bryon wash and cut up all of the strawberries to put on top of the pancakes… it was too cute!

Ye-Ye and Rosa enjoying their pancakes!

Juan Rudy, Bryon and Freddy.....yum!

Rosa could not get enough of the
Vermont maple syrup.

Freddy wanted every last drop!

As if the morning had not been enough fun already, the other 4 babies (three year olds) from the babies section came down to the clinic to visit their friend Bryon. We were in the middle of cooking so Juan Rudy invited them and their tios all to stay. We all took turns cooking, mixing, cutting, flipping until we had enough pancakes for all. The finishing touch was Vermont maple syrup (thanks HAN!), which I decided to be nice and share! Everyone was so happy to be together and enjoying a delicious breakfast. We all sat around the table as if we were one big family and that is when I realized that we are.

Group shot!

Juan Rudy, Victor and Bryon!

Pizza, Movies, Coloring and More

Yesterday (and by now that I have finally gotten my internet to work I really mean last week) was an afternoon full of movies, delicious pizza, coloring, dancing, and running around to visit the animals, pigs, chickens and goats, here at NPH. My partner in crime was eight –year- old Carlitos, one of the most well known pequeños. Carlitos is a little boy, with down syndrome, with a big personality.

Carlitos riding in style!

Yesterday afternoon I had Proyecto Familiar, family project, with Carlitos and his three older brothers. We planned on making a pizza and watching a movie, but when I went to pick up his brothers from their sections they were not there. His older brothers were down working with the pigs for the afternoon, even though I had spoken to them and their tíos about our project. Communication is not the best in this country.

Despite our delay Carlitos and I had a blast visiting the “farm” at NPH, where we have pigs, chickens, and goats. We went and saw all the animals and then trekked back up the hill, with Carlitos catching a ride on my back, to wait for his brothers in the English classroom. While Carlitos and I waited for his brothers we colored together and danced to music on the radio…Carlitos loves to dance.

Adding the sauce!

Big brother helping out!

Once Ernesto, Nelson and Belarmino arrived we began preparing our pizza with pineapple, ham and cheese. They were all so sweet with their little brother and seemed to really enjoy having the time together. While our pizza cooked we watched a movie and colored and when it was done we all enjoyed our delicious creation with lemonade on the side (I shared my crystal light packets!).

Family picture!

It was a fun and exhausting afternoon, but I would say it was a success!

Baby Tortuguas and the Beach!

This past weekend we spent the weekend lounging in hammocks, drinking liquados (fruit, ice, and water..my new favorite thing), laying in the sand and sun, and setting baby sea turtles free. What more could a person ask for? Not much!

View down the beach from our hotel.

On Friday we were scheduled to leave for our volunteer salida, a weekend get away with all of the volunteers, when we heard about the horrible news of the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami warnings across the pacific coast. Some of the volunteers still headed to the beach, but some of us stayed back Friday night not wanting to be at any risk of being caught in s tsunami, especially since our hotel was literally on the beach/water. When Saturday morning rolled around and the coast was clear we headed to Monterrico, a small beach town on the pacific coast of Guatemala, to meet up with the rest of the volunteers for the weekend.

We arrived just in time for some prime time in the sun. The hotel is steps from the water and most of us headed right out to the beach and into the ocean. The current of the ocean in Monterrico is very strong and the waves are huge so it makes swimming a challenge and a workout. After a few hours of swimming and laying on the beach we headed up to the hammocks and tables in the shade to enjoy nice cold liquados. My favorite liquado is fresa and piña (strawberry and pineapple). The rest of the weekend we didn't do much else other then go back to the beach, play volleyball in the pool, enjoy some delicious food, enjoy the beautiful sights and set baby sea turtles free!

Hammocks in the shade, yet on the beach!

Water volleyball anyone?

Saturday evening as the sun began to set a few of the volunteers and I walked down the beach to the turtle conservatory to help set baby turtles free. Monterrico is a very popular location for sea turtles to lay eggs, but unfortunately they get quickly eaten by both people and animals. This organization takes in the eggs and protects them until they are ready to hatch and head to the ocean. The turtles that we set free had only hatched a few days previously. We each got to pick a a baby sea turtle and help it get to the ocean. We all let the turtles go at the same time and then they raced to the ocean. They kept getting close and then a wave would come and push them back up the beach. It took at least thirty minutes for them all to make it safely into the ocean! As the turtles were racing towards the ocean the sun was setting down the beach over the horizon...it was amazing.

My baby turtle!!!

Jess and I showing off how cute our turtles were.

My turtle was raring to go..it was making me a a little nervous.

Turtles racing to make it to the ocean.

Amazing sunset!

I took a video of the baby turtles with my flip video (thanks caleb and jenn) , but the internet here is not working well so I can upload it. Check back for it soon!                                    

Carnaval

This past Tuesday we in the states recognize as Mardi Gras, but here in Guatemala Carnaval was in full swing. The students had been preparing their costumes for days leading up to Carnaval and each classroom had to come up with a theme and all the kids made costumes relating to that theme. The costumes were all hand made with mostly reusable and recyclable materials. The costumes ranged from Alice and Wonderland, where all the kids dressed up as cards, to life size robots made of cardboard boxes, to children of the corn made from real corn husks. The creativity was endless!

Molly and some of her 4th grade class!

My preschoolers---corn children!

Robots taking over the costume competition--handmade
by the students!

My special education class dancing with Karla. Karla is picking flowers
and vegetables and the kids are dressed as different things you would find in a garden.

The day began with "normal" classes, but all of the students were so excited for the coming events that not much could be accomplished. In my special education class we talked about shapes and colors and then made AMAZING Carnaval masks and my other classes for the day were canceled due to the festivities.

Luis and Pablo wearing there Carnaval masks we made
while learning about colors and shapes.

Mid morning all of the students began preparing and dressing in their costumes for the big costume competition...everyone wanted to win first prize. Who got to judge the competition?? Yes....the English department volunteers. Jess, Molly, Meghan and I sat on stage at a long table with our papers ready to score all of the costumes. Each class got scored on creativity, design, enthusiasm and reasoning behind their costumes. The costumes were all amazing and the kids looked adorable...it was hard to make a decision.

Judges table!

Once the winners were announced everyone returned back to school/"the cancha" (court) for a never ending pica pica fight. Pica pica is what they call confetti here! Students bought or made pica pica out of little pieces of paper and the next thirty minutes were spent throwing pica pica in peoples faces and watching the cancha be rained on by the colorful pieces of confetti. Carnaval was a blast and the evidence to prove it is still all over the cancha and the school and will be for days to come.

My girls and I mid "pica-pica" fight.

Flor and I being covered in  "pica-pica"

Home

Now that I have officially been at NPH for two months I thought it was about time to put up some pictures of where and what I have been calling home! Here are some pictures of my nice little volunteer house where I will be living for the next year!

Stairs down to the volunteer houses...such a beautiful
view, but A LOT of stairs.

House # 4...the place I call home!

The common space with couches, chairs, and a great book shelf
with books and movies from volunteers in years past.

The kitchen...note there is not a sink!

Lockers and bathrooms

My side of mine and Nanna's room

The wonderful pila (sink)  outside where we wash all our dishes!

Despedida Through the Eyes of Fatima

Last Friday the house hosted a despedida (going away party) for the House Director, Orlando, which started at noon and went until all hours of the night. Orlando, or Tio Orlando as he is known here, is not just any member of the NPH family. Orlando grew up in the NPH Honduras home and moved to Guatemala 14 years ago to work here at NPH. He began as a tio, at the age of 19, and since then has been the head of the boys house and the house director. Orlando is a father figure, friend and mentor to many and is going to be missed by all.

The days activities commenced with a presentation in the comedor by teachers, faculty, volunteers and children. As the presentations began I was asked by some of the girls in my section if they could take pictures with my camera. They LOVE to take pictures and have a blast doing so....so i figured why not. As the day continued with dances, skits, speeches and songs I could see my girls out of the corner of my eye snapping shots and looking at them with big smiles and a glowing sense of pride. After every few photos they would come running to me to show me the image that they had captured.

They day continued with a big family style lunch followed by an afternoon of fútbol (soccer) matches. Faculty, volunteers, staff, and children formed teams to compete and have a last farewell game with Orlando. The fútbol matches led into a preformance by the orchestra, more skits and songs and a dinner for all! All the while my girls are running around in fits of laughter capturing the day on film.

The despedida came to an end late that evening, with cake and a disco dance party, after a fun day full of activities. In true NPH style the party ended with cake for everyone and cake being smashed in Tio Orlando's face....just a little! It was an amazing day filled with many emotions, both happy and sad, and many hugs and tears as NPH Guatemala bid farewell and best wishes to dear Tio Orlando.

Here are some of the photos my girls took throughout the day!

Jan, director of NPH, giving his goodbye speech.
Look at the size difference!!!!

Orlando sitting with some of the kids watching the presentations.

Orlando surrounded by the baby house!

Orlando and the students in bachillerato (high school) presenting their gift.

Cake in the face!