Claire Jacob & Anise Muir Guatemala Journal: The Bond
Aug 6, 2017 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Tulane divers Claire Jacob and Anise Muir are currently partaking in a mission trip to Patzún, Guatemala. They will provide updates and photograph their journey during the two-week trip, sharing their experiences along way.
DAY FOUR - August 4, 2017
Entry by Anise Muir
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DAY FOUR - August 4, 2017
Entry by Anise Muir
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Today started earlier than usual. We got up at 5 a.m. in order to be able to watch the sunrise. It was about a five-minute walk to the viewing point up the steep streets. Although it was slightly cloudy between two mountain peaks, where the sun should have been rising, we were still able to make out some pink and yellow hues poking out. I was more intrigued by the sound of early morning Patzun, a town coming alive. It is the perfect mixture of dogs barking, roosters crowing, birds singing, church bells ringing, and a drum line practicing halfway across town, and yet still easily heard.
Before long, we headed back to the hogar, where our breakfast of tortilla with refried black beans and a mayonnaise or cream spread with steamed/baked plantains (still in peel), awaited us. Once again, we spent much too long eating breakfast and had to take another tuk-tuk (a Guatemalan taxi that is half the width of a regular car, tricycle style wheels, canvas door, advertising free Wi-Fi and has one seat for the driver in the front, one bench in the back that fits only three of us with the fourth forced to sit on someone's lap and must bend down so as not to hit their head on the ceiling) in order to arrive to the collegio by 7 a.m., where we were scheduled to judge two more spelling bees.
Spelling bee contestants
The first bee was incredibly stressful. There was a new announcer who made it difficult for us to understand the rules we were to be enforcing and the kids' pronunciation of English letters left more to be desired. Evidently, multiple parents got mad at us because they thought we were being unfair and changing the rules up. We got a stern talking to from the teacher, but fortunately for us, the second spelling bee (with younger kids) ran without a hitch. It was amazing just how proficient these children were (1st-3rd graders) at spelling in a language completely different from their own. In between the two bees, we were treated to a mystery meet lunch that, luckily, was very good. It is always very stressful whenever we are treated to food from the natives because, regardless of whether or not we like it, we have to make sure we eat it all as not to offend anyone. Then, we went to go watch the inter-school teacher basketball game and cheered along with many of the students.
When the spelling bees and games were over, we met up with the students from the orphanage to walk home. Franny and I were each holding the hand of a young Guatemalan girl, Mariolita, and somehow managed to continue a conversation in Spanish the entire walk back. Mariolita was sweet and patient and ready to help our Spanish when we said something that made even less sense than usual.
Upon arrival back, we were welcomed with even more food (three meals before 2 p.m.). I swear the nuns are worried that we are too skinny and are trying to fatten us up! We ate quickly before returning to play with the toddlers of the orphanage. We took them outside to play and catered to their every wish. I started to play with them near the slide and ended up throwing them in the air every time they slid to the bottom of the slide. They loved it and before I knew it, I was tossing children in the air until I could no longer feel my arms. Somehow, they made up a code to signify whether or not they wanted to be thrown in the air for that time going down, and I'm still not sure if I understood it correctly, but I believe that "uno-tres" meant to thrown them while "dos" told me to mind my business. One of the girls started to get sassy though, when I didn't understand and would cross her arms and give me a stern look until I was ready. I would reply with my own crossed arms and stern look. Before long, we had a game of "Simon Says" going before every slide down.
When my arms could not longer take throwing children in the air, I started chasing the children around, trying to tickle them until I was laying on the ground, out of breath, and they had to come help me up. After that had cooled down, I started carrying this toddler, Eduardo, around as he dictated our every move. Every now and then I would try to set him down and he would claw at my legs until I finally gave in and picked him up again. The magical thing about interacting with these children is that we are able to spend three hours having a blast together in one afternoon and it truly does not matter that we speak different languages.
After we had been completely worn out, we decided to help with the cleaning. We were all put on window cleaning duty which, funnily enough, was carried out by wiping the windows with wet newspapers. The young ones would trail behind me "helping me," but really just ruining my work. I didn't have the heart to tell them to stop, so instead I just went over everything twice to correct their handy work.
From there, the four of us made a trip to the grocery store to buy ice cream so that the kids might have an ice cream and movie night. We missed the first half of the movie for dinner. As soon as we returned, each of us were covered in children within a matter of minutes. By the end of the movie, I had one six-year-old in my lap and another 10-year-old sitting next to me, leaning against my shoulder. Both were so exhausted that they could barely keep their eyes open. Sitting in the plastic chairs, held down by little people, and holding them up, I very quickly became uncomfortable, but I didn't dare move for fear of disturbing them. When the movie ended, we were each given big bear hugs before they were ushered off to bed.
Looking back on my day and every interaction I have with these children, I am continually struck by how quickly these children have bonded with us and even more shocked to realize how quickly and completely I have bonded to them. I am in awe of how much pure joy and love they are able to show, whether it be to me, each other, or the things around them. These children are orphans stuck in a material poverty, seeming to raise each other, and yet, they are the most joyful group of people I have ever had the pleasure to come in contact with.
Before long, we headed back to the hogar, where our breakfast of tortilla with refried black beans and a mayonnaise or cream spread with steamed/baked plantains (still in peel), awaited us. Once again, we spent much too long eating breakfast and had to take another tuk-tuk (a Guatemalan taxi that is half the width of a regular car, tricycle style wheels, canvas door, advertising free Wi-Fi and has one seat for the driver in the front, one bench in the back that fits only three of us with the fourth forced to sit on someone's lap and must bend down so as not to hit their head on the ceiling) in order to arrive to the collegio by 7 a.m., where we were scheduled to judge two more spelling bees.
Spelling bee contestants
The first bee was incredibly stressful. There was a new announcer who made it difficult for us to understand the rules we were to be enforcing and the kids' pronunciation of English letters left more to be desired. Evidently, multiple parents got mad at us because they thought we were being unfair and changing the rules up. We got a stern talking to from the teacher, but fortunately for us, the second spelling bee (with younger kids) ran without a hitch. It was amazing just how proficient these children were (1st-3rd graders) at spelling in a language completely different from their own. In between the two bees, we were treated to a mystery meet lunch that, luckily, was very good. It is always very stressful whenever we are treated to food from the natives because, regardless of whether or not we like it, we have to make sure we eat it all as not to offend anyone. Then, we went to go watch the inter-school teacher basketball game and cheered along with many of the students.
When the spelling bees and games were over, we met up with the students from the orphanage to walk home. Franny and I were each holding the hand of a young Guatemalan girl, Mariolita, and somehow managed to continue a conversation in Spanish the entire walk back. Mariolita was sweet and patient and ready to help our Spanish when we said something that made even less sense than usual.
Upon arrival back, we were welcomed with even more food (three meals before 2 p.m.). I swear the nuns are worried that we are too skinny and are trying to fatten us up! We ate quickly before returning to play with the toddlers of the orphanage. We took them outside to play and catered to their every wish. I started to play with them near the slide and ended up throwing them in the air every time they slid to the bottom of the slide. They loved it and before I knew it, I was tossing children in the air until I could no longer feel my arms. Somehow, they made up a code to signify whether or not they wanted to be thrown in the air for that time going down, and I'm still not sure if I understood it correctly, but I believe that "uno-tres" meant to thrown them while "dos" told me to mind my business. One of the girls started to get sassy though, when I didn't understand and would cross her arms and give me a stern look until I was ready. I would reply with my own crossed arms and stern look. Before long, we had a game of "Simon Says" going before every slide down.
When my arms could not longer take throwing children in the air, I started chasing the children around, trying to tickle them until I was laying on the ground, out of breath, and they had to come help me up. After that had cooled down, I started carrying this toddler, Eduardo, around as he dictated our every move. Every now and then I would try to set him down and he would claw at my legs until I finally gave in and picked him up again. The magical thing about interacting with these children is that we are able to spend three hours having a blast together in one afternoon and it truly does not matter that we speak different languages.
After we had been completely worn out, we decided to help with the cleaning. We were all put on window cleaning duty which, funnily enough, was carried out by wiping the windows with wet newspapers. The young ones would trail behind me "helping me," but really just ruining my work. I didn't have the heart to tell them to stop, so instead I just went over everything twice to correct their handy work.
From there, the four of us made a trip to the grocery store to buy ice cream so that the kids might have an ice cream and movie night. We missed the first half of the movie for dinner. As soon as we returned, each of us were covered in children within a matter of minutes. By the end of the movie, I had one six-year-old in my lap and another 10-year-old sitting next to me, leaning against my shoulder. Both were so exhausted that they could barely keep their eyes open. Sitting in the plastic chairs, held down by little people, and holding them up, I very quickly became uncomfortable, but I didn't dare move for fear of disturbing them. When the movie ended, we were each given big bear hugs before they were ushered off to bed.
Looking back on my day and every interaction I have with these children, I am continually struck by how quickly these children have bonded with us and even more shocked to realize how quickly and completely I have bonded to them. I am in awe of how much pure joy and love they are able to show, whether it be to me, each other, or the things around them. These children are orphans stuck in a material poverty, seeming to raise each other, and yet, they are the most joyful group of people I have ever had the pleasure to come in contact with.
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