CUBA!

Where do i start...So much to say about this little place. This has been so different from my experience in Guatemala.

Simplistically, Guatemala was like a poorer version of life in the developed world. Makes sense - it's a developing country and therefore everything is adjusted accordingly. For instance, whereas the norm is that you can flush your toilet paper down the loo in Europe or the US, you can't do that in Guatemala. Or whereas the norm is that everyone has a washing machine in our world, people still handwash their clothes or goto laundrettes. Cuba on the other hand was like a completely different planet...The politics, the people, the atmosphere - so so different than anything i've ever experienced before.

Over the last couple of weeks, we travelled around a few cities and each city had a different feel. I didn't really know very much about Cuba before visiting it except that we can't fly there from the US but,ironically, the first thing I saw when we landed was the American flag hanging right next to the Cuban flag in the airport lounge...! Els said that it's maybe cos they set it on fire every nite - funny:-)

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Els's Arrival

Although a little late now, but i thought i'd let Els's family know that she arrived safely:-)

I met her at the airport and she did not recognise me:-)  I was standing right in front of her, wearing a bright pink sweater, waving furiously at her and she looked right past me!  Apparently, i've lost a lot of weight and look like a lollipop head - yaaaaaaay!  I haven't seen myself fully in a mirror in over 2 months so i didn't realise it.  My clothes are sort of falling of me, but that's gonna happen when you wear the same jeans every day for 2 months really.  I just thought that the material was giving.  For those of you who know me, i used to weigh myself 3 times a day so i'm excited to jump on the scales at some point and see the results!  Who needs the gym?!  Just come to Guatemala and eat the local food...Although I have developed a deep love for the Guatamalans, the food sucks!!:-)

Continued...I was expecting her to have 700 bags as she's not the lightest traveller but she packed pretty lightly actually - i was very impressed! She had one bag of goodies for the people here and one bag of clothes for her.  I had developed a rash on my legs the day before she arrived so her arrival could not have been timelier as i needed her mobile medicine cabinet!  It was pretty late by the time we got to the hotel but it was so nice to see a familiar face.  We spent that night catching up (and me scratching my legs).

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THANK YOU...

Ok this may be a little cringey - like i've just won an award on a beauty contest but I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who contributed towards my cause:  Marty, Michael Beck, Holly, Eric, Elizabeth, Christina, Darcy, Gina, Brenda, Lisa, Wes, Mariela, Els+family, Het Molenschip School and mama (I hope I haven't forgotten anybody and if i have, make sure you let me know!)

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Family and Friends

This was more of a full week affair of several different people telling me how nice it's been to meet me, how much they're gonna miss me, blablabla.  At the beginning of the week, it didn't really affect me as i still had a few more days to enjoy but by the last day, it started to get to me.  Dona Blanca specifically was saying the nicest things...:-(  She started to cry daily about 3 days before my departure...And of course, seeing a 70 year old woman cry makes me cry.  But that was quickly cleared up by saying something inappropriate or showing her a funny pic of herself:-)  She's the sweetest teeniest cutest little old lady i know!  They don't have very much, but they gave me a tea towel and a throw for my coffee table as a leaving present:-) Even Els got a tea towel - in fact she got 2, whatda?!!

The day that I left, I hugged them goodbye and both Dona Blanca and her husband were crying...:-( If there's anything that gets to me MORE than seeing an old woman cry, it's seeing her even older husband cry - ugggggggggggggggggggggggggh!!! They called on me 3 times that day just to check that I got to my destination safely.  They really were like my parents!  Dona Blanca started to cry on the phone again saying that she loves me very much and can't wait for the day that she sees me again and that I will always always have a home in Guatemala with them...In a very short time, I shared a lot with them.  They saw me at some very low times and vice versa.  We ate a lot together (well, when i did actually eat, we drank some disinfectant together, and we had so so many laughs together.  Her hubby would wolf whistle at me in the streets just to test me, he'd pick up my washing from the laundrette, i'd pick up theirs, she'd kill my spiders, clean my room, pack me breakfast if I got up too late for school, pop the zits on my back that I couldnt get to - u get the idea, right?:-) It was just super comfortable and we went beyond the typical host/student relationship.  I'm very attached to them - i'm definitely gonna miss them...:-(

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Christian

CHRISTIAN

This was a lovely lovely day!  We had a full day planned with Christian and the people at the hogar so we got up early, had our breakfast with Dona Blanca and hit the hogar.  The plan was to go xmas tree + deco shopping, put it up in the hogar and have a goodbye dance class with all 79 kids.  Luckily we had no time for the dance class - what a relief... I think it would've been complete and utter CHAOS!!!!  As soon as we got to the hogar, the director sat us down and asked us for a favour:  whether we can get a collection of gifts for the 30 employees too that work there.  At the end of the day, they work so so hard and a xmas hamper to say thank u would go a long way and help keep their motivation up so off we went to get all the stuff they wanted.

Before I go any further, i want to say a HUMUNGOUS thank you to the Belgian crew for all your efforts: the clothes and goodies that you guys sent and the money you helped raise during the cake sale.  It has truly made an impact here and has allowed us to provide a little happiness to alot of people over here - so thank you very very much!

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The Girls

This was my first goodbye of the week.  I remember waking up that morning with a horrid feeling in my belly.  Even Dona Blanca said to me that i seem preoccupied and not myself.  I was feeling very anxious for some reason - saying goodbye is never easy or nice and God knows i've had to do that alot in my life...:-( and for me, it's much harder when it's with people that i'm not sure i'll see again...That's when I really struggle...

I wanted to take a bag of gifts for each girl so we went shopping the day before for some of the goodies and put together a care pack:  body cream, perfume, pencils, pens, chocolates, earrings.  I know, random...but they loved it!  Mama also sent some clothes over which they loved - thanks mama, u are the bestest mama ever!

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Goodbye Guatemala...

What an emotional week it has been... Closing down this chapter of my life has been unexpectedly intense.  Never in a million years did i imagine that I would develop these kind of strong feelings and deep connections for the people here in just 2 months but I have been so so lucky. The simplicity of the people here is so beautiful and really puts things in perspective.  They don't have very much yet are willing to share with you what little they do have.  Somehow, the right people were put in my way to give me the best experience ever - Allah is definitely looking out for me:-)

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