Pools and zoos

So this week has definitely not been as exciting as my last couple, what i mean is, there have been no scorpions in my sink or stitches put into my thumb. It has however given me a peak into what my primary job will be here in Baja Verapaz. Maggie and I have officially split up our schools and both of us have started our base line surveys. Base line surveys are pretty much a survey that asks the director questions about water infrastructure, the health habits of the students, and how often health lessons are preformed in each of the classrooms each week. It is suppose to get the director of each school thinking about his or her part in the process to be certified as a healthy school. So far I have been able to complete four of my BLS and meet with the directors to talk about our plan of action. I have also been giving some serious thought into teaching English in my community. It is something that a lot of the families have asked us about and I would love to be able to give my community something that they really wanted and needed rather than something I think would be best for them.

On our free days this past weekend Maggie and I ventured out to Salama to go to one of the pools, when we returned later than afternoon, Maggie's host family asked her why we always go to Salama to go to the pools, don't we know that there is one in our town? We, of course, had no idea. Maggie went to it on Sunday and was delighted to share that there not only was a pool but a zoo in our town!!! Our zoo has a female lion, a deer, Ostrages, pigs, monkeys, and a small alligator! but ever since i found this out i can't help but having dreams of a lion in my shower or an alligator on my porch! haha!

We also started Achi lessons today. Achi is one of the many different Mayan languages of Guatemala and is very very difficult to learn! there are not many words similar between achi and spanish and for this I am very thankful (I know I won't get them mixed up!). There are sounds in achi that can only be made deep in your throat or at the back of your throat, which as english speakers we never ever use. As I am typing this my throat feels scratchy and sore! We are going to start taking lessons every Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours. Why? you may ask...We both feel that it is an important part to working with the parents at the schools within our indigenous communities, we are hoping that this will make them feel more at ease knowing that we are trying to learn their language and share in their unique culture!

Tomorrow I am off to another school, but this time it is to participate in a School Health fair. Each of the classrooms at my school will have some sort of health project set up in them, everything from HIV/AIDS prevention to hand washing stations to brushing teeth. I am excited to see this school in action and get to spend some time with the kids. I am still having a hard time adjusting to the slowness of life here, but find that these sorts of activities remind me of why I joined PC in the first place!

I am sure many of you saw the news of the massacre that occurred in El Peten early this week. I want everyone to know that I am perfectly safe in Baja Verapaz and that Peace Corps is already looking into the situation to see how closely it will effect either of the Verapaz's volunteers. I ask that you all take into your thoughts the family members of those who have died and the people of El Peten, who will suffer more from this state of siege than most of the drug cartels in Mexico.

I will continue to update you as the events unfold!

Have a lovely week everyone! i miss you all a bunch!