Belize it or not - my time in Belize is up. I have been going in circles trying to get final papers turned in, tutor at a high school, and study for finals next week. This doesn't sound too overwhelming until you add in the fact that my laptop has died for the second time on this trip. That means that I have to use the computers on campus for any paper work and I am used to studying at home at night, in the QUIET. Sometimes there is a class in the computer lab, and only two of the computers in the library will accept a USB. Many times I have just had to wait for a computer to be free.
As for the tutoring - not going so well. The students show up on their own schedule and I can tell they really don't want to be there. Three showed up (Tuesday) for the Tuesday-Thursday sessions and Wednesday I had only one from the Wednesday-Friday sessions. That makes a total of 4 out of 12 total. Today I will see if my Wednesday guy shows up again. He is the only one that seems interested at all.
I will continue posting after I get home and get the laptop fixed. There is plenty more to reflect on. I am ending now because I have a class and need to study for finals. More to come.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Galen Students and Faculty
I feel that I should share some of the characters that I am going to school with. Also a few of the faculty are interesting too. I will just put them on the side as I get their pictures. I have warned a few of them that since I only have a few weeks left I am becoming the tourist with a camera. Only a couple have ducked; most pose for me.
My ESL students
The elementary students I have been working with are in Standard I, 7 and 8 year olds, in a Maya community. There are some Mestizo and Garifinas , but about 90% have at least a little Maya ancestry.
The class has been pulled out of the other two Standard I sections because they are the lower achievers. This can be good for extra attention but also they are seen as the outcasts at school. There is one boy that is 10 in the class because he and his sister have just arrived in the country with no English and no school experience at all. The sister is 12 and in Standard IV.
The boy is sitting next to the teacher in his room, but his sister is sitting in the back of the room and physically separated from the class by the space to walk to the teacher’s desk. Both of them are in the Standard I room for extra help at the end of most days. The boy does appear to be fitting in to his class more than his sister. When I observed, I noticed that he was trying to keep an eye on what was going on. The girl paid attention to the teacher for a while, and then would end up looking out the window. She seemed to get frustrated with trying to figure it out. The Standard I teacher slides back to Spanish often and sometimes continues the lesson in Spanish. This seems natural since Spanish is their first language too. The standard IV teacher rarely uses Spanish and doesn’t explain anything in Spanish. I do not know which way is better. The teacher that uses more Spanish is getting more of the content across but there is a lot of struggling to understand English. The other teacher is leaving the girl in the dust because she is not getting content and not much of English.
I have only used high fives, shaking hands, hugs, and any other fun way to call attention to their achievement. This works really well because they all compete for attention, sometimes a bit aggressively, even when I am working with them in small groups.
They really love word games like BINGO and remember words that have been presented in a physically or phonetically funny way. I pull the older girl from her class to be my helper. She pulls out the new word, opens it and I read it over her shoulder. This way she is in a position of responsibility and she sees and hears the word again without the pressure of having to say it. The game is made up of words that we have worked on in small groups.
It is time for me to move on to a high school for my 35 contact hours there. I will definitely miss this very energetic group. I makes me sad enough that I have started to ponder the idea of coming back next year. I just do not know how to do it yet.
The class has been pulled out of the other two Standard I sections because they are the lower achievers. This can be good for extra attention but also they are seen as the outcasts at school. There is one boy that is 10 in the class because he and his sister have just arrived in the country with no English and no school experience at all. The sister is 12 and in Standard IV.
The boy is sitting next to the teacher in his room, but his sister is sitting in the back of the room and physically separated from the class by the space to walk to the teacher’s desk. Both of them are in the Standard I room for extra help at the end of most days. The boy does appear to be fitting in to his class more than his sister. When I observed, I noticed that he was trying to keep an eye on what was going on. The girl paid attention to the teacher for a while, and then would end up looking out the window. She seemed to get frustrated with trying to figure it out. The Standard I teacher slides back to Spanish often and sometimes continues the lesson in Spanish. This seems natural since Spanish is their first language too. The standard IV teacher rarely uses Spanish and doesn’t explain anything in Spanish. I do not know which way is better. The teacher that uses more Spanish is getting more of the content across but there is a lot of struggling to understand English. The other teacher is leaving the girl in the dust because she is not getting content and not much of English.
I have only used high fives, shaking hands, hugs, and any other fun way to call attention to their achievement. This works really well because they all compete for attention, sometimes a bit aggressively, even when I am working with them in small groups.
They really love word games like BINGO and remember words that have been presented in a physically or phonetically funny way. I pull the older girl from her class to be my helper. She pulls out the new word, opens it and I read it over her shoulder. This way she is in a position of responsibility and she sees and hears the word again without the pressure of having to say it. The game is made up of words that we have worked on in small groups.
It is time for me to move on to a high school for my 35 contact hours there. I will definitely miss this very energetic group. I makes me sad enough that I have started to ponder the idea of coming back next year. I just do not know how to do it yet.
I finally made it Cahal Pech
A couple of weeks ago I went walking with the purpose of go to Cahal Pech, but did not complete the goal. Instead I just walked around town and got some ice cream. I was in one of those “I don’t care if I get anything done” moods. Well, today I got up and got going. Since it is Sunday there are not as many buses and the temperature was 85 at 8 in the morning. I decided to wait for a bus anyway because the last stretch is a steep incline and I didn’t want to be to worn out to make it.
I was worth the time waiting for the bus and the walk uphill. There were only two small groups and me, going solo. I took my time reading the information in the tourist center and looking at the artifacts they have on display. It fascinates me that they are from thousands of years ago. There is one display of a skeleton and the items he/she was buried with. Only people with money were buried with something for an offering to a god. This person must have been important because there was a couple of bowls and other items in the display.
Cahal Pech literally means the place of ticks, but it was the excavators that gave it the name, not the Maya. When they first started work, they were bothered by the ticks, hence the name. It is not as big as other sites, but a few of the rooms are totally intact. It seemed like it has a more complex maze of walkways than the other sites I have seen. Maybe it is just the fact that it was protected better under the dirt and trees. I would have to ask an archeologist to find out the answer.
I like the feeling that I was walking through the same place that the Maya did thousands of years ago. It brings the history to life and I remember things better that way. It is like the phrase “walk a mile in my shoes”. Of course I was not doing what they did on a daily basis, but I can use the information I read to imagine what it was like. I do avoid thinking about the blood sacrifices; I can’t comprehend that kind of thing being necessary. They were not very tall people because the arches were just a few inches above my head. The other thing I have noticed at different sites is how big the steps are. If they were not very big, they would have had to climb the steps instead of just stepping up. Some of them are a stretch for me and I’m almost 5’5”.
Now that I have seen Xunantunich, Tikal, and Cahal Pech, I can see the traits they all have in common. I can find the ball courts, the head chopping blocks, the main temples, and the living quarters of the upper class. Looking at the Maya civilization just proves that there has always been a division of social classes. The ones with money get the better education and living arrangements, and the unlucky lower class gets to live their lives serving the upper class. Sorry, just a personal observation and opinion. I will keep looking for the civilization that is more equitable. That sounds like a good quest.
I would not have wanted to live in that time; life was less complicated but harder. Now that I have been to Xunantunich (2 times) and Tikal, I can compare the sizes and complexity of each city. Tikal is by far the most complex, spread out, and has the tallest temples. Xunantunich comes in second on height, but is a simple layout. Cahal Pech is the lowest built of all of them and the most complex. I think it helps that some of the rooms are completely intact and the layout lets you imagine people carrying on with life.
I was worth the time waiting for the bus and the walk uphill. There were only two small groups and me, going solo. I took my time reading the information in the tourist center and looking at the artifacts they have on display. It fascinates me that they are from thousands of years ago. There is one display of a skeleton and the items he/she was buried with. Only people with money were buried with something for an offering to a god. This person must have been important because there was a couple of bowls and other items in the display.
Cahal Pech literally means the place of ticks, but it was the excavators that gave it the name, not the Maya. When they first started work, they were bothered by the ticks, hence the name. It is not as big as other sites, but a few of the rooms are totally intact. It seemed like it has a more complex maze of walkways than the other sites I have seen. Maybe it is just the fact that it was protected better under the dirt and trees. I would have to ask an archeologist to find out the answer.
I like the feeling that I was walking through the same place that the Maya did thousands of years ago. It brings the history to life and I remember things better that way. It is like the phrase “walk a mile in my shoes”. Of course I was not doing what they did on a daily basis, but I can use the information I read to imagine what it was like. I do avoid thinking about the blood sacrifices; I can’t comprehend that kind of thing being necessary. They were not very tall people because the arches were just a few inches above my head. The other thing I have noticed at different sites is how big the steps are. If they were not very big, they would have had to climb the steps instead of just stepping up. Some of them are a stretch for me and I’m almost 5’5”.
Now that I have seen Xunantunich, Tikal, and Cahal Pech, I can see the traits they all have in common. I can find the ball courts, the head chopping blocks, the main temples, and the living quarters of the upper class. Looking at the Maya civilization just proves that there has always been a division of social classes. The ones with money get the better education and living arrangements, and the unlucky lower class gets to live their lives serving the upper class. Sorry, just a personal observation and opinion. I will keep looking for the civilization that is more equitable. That sounds like a good quest.
I would not have wanted to live in that time; life was less complicated but harder. Now that I have been to Xunantunich (2 times) and Tikal, I can compare the sizes and complexity of each city. Tikal is by far the most complex, spread out, and has the tallest temples. Xunantunich comes in second on height, but is a simple layout. Cahal Pech is the lowest built of all of them and the most complex. I think it helps that some of the rooms are completely intact and the layout lets you imagine people carrying on with life.
Another New Friend
I am still out wandering around when I can. This day, my purpose was to get my haircut since it has been warming up more and I am getting shaggy, but along the way I met a new friend. I had gotten off of the bus since I was over an hour early, and decided to explore a new part of town. As I was walking up a street, an elderly man was sitting in his doorway talking to a man going by. I was just going to walk by when he made the comment that I looked like I was thinking too hard. Of course I had to stop.
He is either Creole or Garifina, I can’t tell the difference. He informed me that life was too short to be so serious, and the philosophy started to flow. He was such a happy-go-lucky type of guy despite being totally grey, wrinkled, and in a wheel chair. I think it is his attitude that has kept him going. He told me that WAY back in his life he had had a chance to go to Brazil with a couple of friends to start a cattle ranch. His decision was to stay in Belize because that is where his family is, he loves the country, and it is where his umbilical cord is buried. He laughed then and explained that where his cord is buried is where he is supposed to die. I have a feeling that it will be quite a while before his time is up here.
I had such fun talking with him that I spent all of my extra time with him. I had to really hurry to get to my appointment. I promised him I would stop by again to visit. Since there is only four weeks left I had better get there this week for my next dose of wisdom. I wish I could record all of his words; they really do pack a punch in the positive attitude arena. If I can get a specific statement or two, I will have to post them. Maybe this time I will meet some of his family. I could hear that someone was in the house last time, but no one came to see who he was talking to.
By the way, I did get my hair cut, dyed, and my eyebrows waxed. I would have gotten a facial but it was the end of their work day. I was just feeling like pampering myself. I even bought a couple pairs of earrings. My total bill was around $60 BZ, which is $30 US, so I figure the prices down here are pretty good. At home a haircut would be $15, dye job about $30, eyebrows about $10, and then add on earrings. The locals say everything is expensive here, but I think it is because the average income is so low. More on that subject another time.
He is either Creole or Garifina, I can’t tell the difference. He informed me that life was too short to be so serious, and the philosophy started to flow. He was such a happy-go-lucky type of guy despite being totally grey, wrinkled, and in a wheel chair. I think it is his attitude that has kept him going. He told me that WAY back in his life he had had a chance to go to Brazil with a couple of friends to start a cattle ranch. His decision was to stay in Belize because that is where his family is, he loves the country, and it is where his umbilical cord is buried. He laughed then and explained that where his cord is buried is where he is supposed to die. I have a feeling that it will be quite a while before his time is up here.
I had such fun talking with him that I spent all of my extra time with him. I had to really hurry to get to my appointment. I promised him I would stop by again to visit. Since there is only four weeks left I had better get there this week for my next dose of wisdom. I wish I could record all of his words; they really do pack a punch in the positive attitude arena. If I can get a specific statement or two, I will have to post them. Maybe this time I will meet some of his family. I could hear that someone was in the house last time, but no one came to see who he was talking to.
By the way, I did get my hair cut, dyed, and my eyebrows waxed. I would have gotten a facial but it was the end of their work day. I was just feeling like pampering myself. I even bought a couple pairs of earrings. My total bill was around $60 BZ, which is $30 US, so I figure the prices down here are pretty good. At home a haircut would be $15, dye job about $30, eyebrows about $10, and then add on earrings. The locals say everything is expensive here, but I think it is because the average income is so low. More on that subject another time.
Monday, March 9, 2009
The Locals!!
I am posting pictures of some of the local people I have gotten to know. They may not be in order, but I will label them with their first names or where they work.
Problem Solved
It took a little time and effort, but the issue with the partying American girls has been solved. I have moved out on my own.
I looked around town for about three weeks and found three different places for rent. One was a house with three bedrooms and way out of my price range. I had finally decided on a little apartment and told the exchange student coordinator at college. She must not have believed that I would be this independent and determined; because she again asked questions like “Don’t you think the girls are calming down?”. My answer was that it was just a lull in the storm. They are only quieter because two of them are sick and one was in an exhibitionist episode in town. I heard through the Belizean students at school that people were taking pictures with their cell phones. I predict that it will end up on U-Tube.
On to the good stuff. The coordinator told me about a place that the college rents for the professors, since some stay anywhere from a term to a couple of years. The upstairs apartment is empty and I would not have to pay any more than I already have on the program. Out of curiosity and politeness I took at look at the place. It is spacious, in a quiet neighborhood, and as a bonus, has wireless internet. There is a little grocery store two blocks away, neighbor kids I can watch from my little balcony, a fenced yard, and a cat begging to be fed everyday. Because of the internet and the quiet area, I took it. It still took a couple of days to get agreement papers and inventory household items, but at last I am independent and happy.
Sure there are a few drawbacks, but nothing I can’t live with. The first is that there is no hot water in the kitchen and bathroom sinks, but no cold in the shower. I wash my hair in the kitchen so I don’t have to stand under the hot water any longer than necessary. The clothes line was a cord and totally rotted, so I bought a new line. The clothes pins were old and moldy too. I threw them out and got plastic ones. There was no bedspread or light blanket so I bought a light throw blanket. The nights only get down to just under sixty degrees. Also the 5 gallon drinking water jug has to be carried up the stairs, but if I buy it at the little grocery store a local guy brings it in and sets it up. The apartment can get hot in the afternoon because heat rises and the curtains do no block much sun. The solution is to open the door on the shady side of the house and there are a couple of table fans.
Another good point is that it has a mini washing machine. Because electricity is so expensive here, I will only use it for heavy items like jeans. The rest I am washing by hand. You may think I am roughing it, but I have it easy compared to the locals who wash by hand, sometimes in the river. So I have no complaints.
A while back I had gotten a wooden alphabet set that was made and decorated by a local talent. I now have them hanging up on a plastic string between two windows in my kitchen. They are so bright and colorful that I have to smile every time I look at them. Overall I am very content here and will probably stay that way unless the internet goes out.
I looked around town for about three weeks and found three different places for rent. One was a house with three bedrooms and way out of my price range. I had finally decided on a little apartment and told the exchange student coordinator at college. She must not have believed that I would be this independent and determined; because she again asked questions like “Don’t you think the girls are calming down?”. My answer was that it was just a lull in the storm. They are only quieter because two of them are sick and one was in an exhibitionist episode in town. I heard through the Belizean students at school that people were taking pictures with their cell phones. I predict that it will end up on U-Tube.
On to the good stuff. The coordinator told me about a place that the college rents for the professors, since some stay anywhere from a term to a couple of years. The upstairs apartment is empty and I would not have to pay any more than I already have on the program. Out of curiosity and politeness I took at look at the place. It is spacious, in a quiet neighborhood, and as a bonus, has wireless internet. There is a little grocery store two blocks away, neighbor kids I can watch from my little balcony, a fenced yard, and a cat begging to be fed everyday. Because of the internet and the quiet area, I took it. It still took a couple of days to get agreement papers and inventory household items, but at last I am independent and happy.
Sure there are a few drawbacks, but nothing I can’t live with. The first is that there is no hot water in the kitchen and bathroom sinks, but no cold in the shower. I wash my hair in the kitchen so I don’t have to stand under the hot water any longer than necessary. The clothes line was a cord and totally rotted, so I bought a new line. The clothes pins were old and moldy too. I threw them out and got plastic ones. There was no bedspread or light blanket so I bought a light throw blanket. The nights only get down to just under sixty degrees. Also the 5 gallon drinking water jug has to be carried up the stairs, but if I buy it at the little grocery store a local guy brings it in and sets it up. The apartment can get hot in the afternoon because heat rises and the curtains do no block much sun. The solution is to open the door on the shady side of the house and there are a couple of table fans.
Another good point is that it has a mini washing machine. Because electricity is so expensive here, I will only use it for heavy items like jeans. The rest I am washing by hand. You may think I am roughing it, but I have it easy compared to the locals who wash by hand, sometimes in the river. So I have no complaints.
A while back I had gotten a wooden alphabet set that was made and decorated by a local talent. I now have them hanging up on a plastic string between two windows in my kitchen. They are so bright and colorful that I have to smile every time I look at them. Overall I am very content here and will probably stay that way unless the internet goes out.
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