Guatemala!!

Im here! and its amazing. Ive already had so manu experiences I cant name them all. Im living with dona rosa y don beto their son and his wife and two kids....Juanita, juego, allen (the 1 year old baby) and galdia (5 years). I love them sooo much! Done rosa has made flan for me!!! and she made arroz con leche! my favorite drink in the whole world. she also makes tortillas by hand and tamales. She needs 3 chairs stacked to reach the height of the table! Everyone in guatemala is very very nice and everyone greets one another. its refreshing from the U.S. I have been doing sooo much and my days are packed that I havent been able to reflect. I think im being spoiled right now becasue my living situation is very sanitary and safe! and when I find out where my site is going to be that probablly wont be the case. Also they told us we will all probablly have to or should learn a little bit of the indigenous culture.. and since Im a health volunteer I will be placed in the mountains...but suipposidly it only gets cold at night time....Everyone is very nice that Im here with too...we are all experiencing this together!!

A few of us were wondering why people just throw trash out the window or into the street etc....and also we found out most places dont have garbage vans to come pick it up so it goes in the river...but it goes way back to mayan times...when you bought something it was wrapped in a banana leaf...when you had soup it wwas in a ceramic cup....and when you threw it in the river...it eventually did go away! But in these past years they began using plastic..and eating chips etc...thanks to the U.S. and the mentality is still to simply throw it down river and it will go away...Very interesting and I had never thought of it that way.

Also Ive been feeling a bit odd. I love this culture so much already I feel like I would never want to ¨change it¨ or have an impact..but I have to remind myself that the impact I hope to leave with is healthier people and children! So thatd be good! haha

I come from a country of good hygeine but im learning so much here! I brushed my teeth before breakfast one day and then was getting ready to go to church and done rosa came up to me and was like....you need to brush your teeth again and I said...but I already did and she said....before and after anne...AHAH AND!!!! I dont wash my clothes (espècially pants and skirts) everytime I wear them but she did my laundry for me and I didnt put my skirt that I wroe to mass in the bin cuz I was going to rewear it! haha and then she came up top me and was like ¨anna, you didnt give me your green falda to wash¨haha I pretended like I forgot to give it to her! haha Here, you wash your clothes everytime! its the little things Im learning! I love it..........