I've been lazy about writing the last few weeks. I've been settling into life here fine. Things are feeling more routine now, less new and exciting than they were when I first got here. The sight of women dressed in guapils walking down the street with baskets on their heads speaking Kaqchiquel barely catches my attention anymore. I'm getting pretty adept at riding the buses, and no longer feel weird about climbing over people through the aisles or speaking up if the “ayudante” (the guy who collects the money) tries to short change me.

A few Sundays ago most of the group got together and hiked up to the base of Pacaya volcano. It was a nice hike with some great views of the surrounding area, and we enjoyed the opportunity to roast marshmallows on the hot volcanic rocks. We saw thermal vents and some steam coming from the top, but no lava. That night we had a 19th birthday party for my host sister Jaime (actually spelled Yelmi). I made her an enormous birthday crown out of balloons, and we had a great time dancing to Guatemalan music and eating tamales with everyone in the extended family. I introduced s'mores with the marshmallows I brought from the states (although I had to use a local substitute for Graham crackers) and they were a huge hit.

The most notable experience recently has probably been our visits to the primary school in San Antonio, a small “aldea”, or village, in the mountains surrounding Xenacoj. Just arriving is an adventure which takes over an hour. The first time we crammed into the van which would carry us up the winding road, at 6:20 a.m., the first hint of light was only beginning to appear in the sky. As it became brighter as we climbed through the hills, I realized everything was covered in a shroud of fog, and we could only see about 25 feet in front of us. We had to switch buses in another town called San Pedro, and the misty early morning scene felt completely surreal, like a dream. After an even more crammed ride (during which some of us had to get out and walk up the hill when the engine stalled on a steep incline), we got off at a small dirt road and walked another 2 km to the school. Located on the top of a beautiful valley among a few dozen small cement tin-roofed houses along a bumpy dirt road, the San Antonio school has 33 kids of varying ages. It goes from first to sixth grade, but kids ages don't necessarily correspond with their grade since they often don't start at the age they're supposed to. When we first arrived there was only 1 teacher/director for the entire school, although the municipality has since sent a second teacher to help him. There are 2 classrooms, 1 for the 1st and 2nd graders and another for the older kids. The school does not currently have electricity or running water, so when the kids need to use the bathroom they return to their homes. There is a dirt field outside where boys play soccer during recess. A brightly colored mural of flowers in a field against the backdrop of a blue sky adorns the exterior.

Our objective for the first few days was only supposed to be observing classes, but when we asked Joel, the 22 year old teacher, if he needed help, he gratefully accepted. Thus, fellow trainee Sarah and I found ourselves standing alone in front of 15 or so 1st and 2nd grade students on our very first day at the school. One of the things that was immediately obvious was that Spanish is not these children's first language. As we tried to go through the activities Joel had explained to us, the kids would whisper to each other in Kaqchiquel. I'd ask a kid a question and get no response. After thinking about it, I think the reason is partly because of the language barrier but more because the kids are shy. When it was time for recess I was grateful to hear Joel ask the kids to take out their toothbrushes and toothpaste, and everyone brushed and washed their hands with water from large barrels. At recress we taught them some games like “Sharks and Minnows” and “Assasin”, which they really enjoyed.

The first few days were pretty tough, as the reality of our lives for the next few years, the challenges we'll have to face on a daily bases, became immediately apparent. I can't help but compare the kids here to the kids I've worked with back in the U.S. In some ways they're so different. Kids here are much more shy and timid, I would imagine because they haven't had the same socialization and developmental opportunities. Probably also because they're tired from being undernourished and having to work in the fields when they're not at school. While working as a teacher in an American pre-school, I had access to pretty much all the materials and supplies I needed, while the rural schools here barely have anything, forcing teachers to get creative with what they have. Nonetheless, I've been very impressed by Joel. Despite the tough conditions, he always seems full of energy and has a smile on his face. He's patient with the kids and seems to work very effectively with them. I enjoy walking the hour back to Xenacoj down the mountain with and chatting with him, through cornfields with beautiful views of the Guatemalan countryside.

Despite the differences, I've seen again and again during my travels that kids are kids everywhere in the world. They all love to play and always love receiving attention and encouragement from caring adults. I've found my experience as a preschool teacher the last few years to come in incredibly helpful so far. Having worked in the schools a few weeks now, it seems to get easier every time we go. We're starting to get to know the kids better, and they're starting to know and listen to us more. They seem excited when they see us walking down the path towards the school, and were notably more interactive with us the last time we were there. I'm guardedly optimistic about the rest of our time working at the San Antonio school, and am hoping our presence there during training will at least make a small impact on the lives of the kids.

We've cut back to only 1 afternoon of Spanish class per week, and have also had more opportunities to visit volunteers at their sites independently. I've enjoyed getting to meet other volunteers, seeing their homes and communities and hearing about their challenges and progress. They also seem to always cook yummy food for us when we visit, which is always welcome!

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, and last night we went to a dance at the community center with some of our families. My host mom, Chica, was the only one of the mom's that went. There was a local band consisting of a singer, guitarist, bassist, a drummer, a few trumpet players, and no less than 3 trombones. They were all decked out in flashy red suits, and a banner behind read “Armando and his international band Los Retokes” I'm not sure what type of music it was exactly but definitely wasn't anything I'd ever seen before. When we first arrived everyone was mostly standing around, the guys in their cowboy hats and jeans, women split between modern skirts and the traditional handmade dresses. A few women even had pants on, a novel sight for us in Xenacoj. Before long, however, the dance floor began to fill up, and I made my normal awkward attempt to dance without looking overly ridiculous. Chica was out there in her guapil dancing up a storm. It was a fun night, and I stayed out until 11, the latest night I've had thus far in Guate.

In an hour the Peace Corps mini-van is going to pick us up to bring us to field-based training. For the next week we'll be staying in Totonikapan, a city up in the western highlands. We're staying at a hotel, and during the days will be visiting volunteers at their sites and doing different activities. I'm looking forward to a change of scenery, and am excited about the opportunity to get to know a new part of Guatemala.