"Down in the Valley" by The Head and the Heart from the album The Head and the Heart
2.28.2012
The Head and the Heart
When you are in the kind of mood that requires music that is relaxing, rejuvenating, calming, and danceable all at the same time, you need to listen to this. The Head and the Heart is a Seattle based band who creates music that is uncomplicated and honest. Theirs is a sound that could (and should) be enjoyed by all types and styles of music lovers, because there is very little not to like about their music. It's simple, it's beautiful, and it makes you feel good. They are a fairly new face to the music scene (the band formed in 2009), and have just recently begun to gain popularity, but I feel pretty certain that they have a solid future ahead of them. This is folk music with a twist, and whether you want to tap your feet a little or just sit down with a cup of hot tea and relax, you'll like what you get with The Head and the Heart.
2.26.2012
2.25.2012
fleeting
Well I have some great news and some not so great news. I think I'll start with the great news, because I feel like that might be an easier transition. So here it is: Remember little Richard (one of my favorites) from Marla's home, who has been gone with a family for awhile? Well he's back! One day I showed up for my morning lesson at Marla's, and he was just standing in the doorway, smiling with his little chubby cheeks and looking as perfect as ever. It's felt more complete since he's been back, and he seems genuinely happy to be reunited with his family at the home. I don't know the details of his case, but apparently something didn't work out with the family that was looking to adopt him. From what I've understood, they weren't the model family that was previously believed, so social services removed Richard and brought him back to Marla's. It breaks my heart that such a young child is going through so much right now, and I had better not find out that the family was anything less than wonderful to Richard or I will hunt them down, but Richard seems happy now and he's safe and in a loving environment, so all is well.
As for the not so great news, two of my other girls at Marla's, sisters named Vilma and Gloria, were taken back to their family last week. It should be a cause for celebration since they are being reunited with their true family, but these situations always make me uneasy. From my point of view, the girls were obviously removed from their home for a serious reason, and as much as I want to believe that their home situation has improved as drastically as it seems, it's hard not too worry about the conditions to which they are being returned. Vilma and Gloria are two of the most genuinely sweet and loving children I've met here, and they deserve to be showered with all of the love in the world, and I worry and pray that they are receiving the care and adoration they need.
It's crazy how quickly these children can come and go from my life, and how much it affects me when it happens. Vilma and Gloria left Marla's on Friday afternoon, quickly and without warning, and so I had no opportunity to tell them goodbye. I simply showed up for tutoring on Monday and they weren't there. It was the same story with Richard; I walked in to the home expecting to see him, and he just wasn't there. It happens so fast and unexpectedly, it's almost impossible to process for at least a few days, and it's even worse at King's home. Since there are so many children there, I am constantly replacing names and faces that I know so well with completely new ones. One day I'll take a couple of children to the park to play, and then I'll never see them again. It's all so fleeting and sudden and uncertain, and it's probably the most emotionally challenging part of my job.
Contemplating Vilma and Gloria's disappearance made me realize just how swift life moves. One day everything is normal and sensible, and the next it might not make any sense at all. So it is imperative that we take advantage of the time we have and the people we love, and make the most of everything. We get so caught up planning for the future and waiting for someday, that we forget to live in the moment and cherish the immediate. And the problem with all of that planning and waiting is that time never stops and never slows. Time races by, it doesn't wait for someday, and I think that we tend to forget that. Life is brief and unpredictable, and we can't waste it by constantly looking ahead. I've lost relationships that I believed would last a lifetime, and lost loved ones who I thought would always stand by my side, and lost opportunities by waiting for a better one to come along, and I'm willing to bet that you have too. So we need to stop looking ahead, focus on what is surrounding us, and live in our moment, because you never know what will be gone the next time you blink. It's difficult to live in today without worrying about tomorrow, I know it is, but it's the only way I know to live without regret and without the haunting "what ifs" that can envelop our minds. So remember to choose your words wisely, live your life bravely, and take your opportunities immediately. Today is never too late, but tomorrow might be.
As for the not so great news, two of my other girls at Marla's, sisters named Vilma and Gloria, were taken back to their family last week. It should be a cause for celebration since they are being reunited with their true family, but these situations always make me uneasy. From my point of view, the girls were obviously removed from their home for a serious reason, and as much as I want to believe that their home situation has improved as drastically as it seems, it's hard not too worry about the conditions to which they are being returned. Vilma and Gloria are two of the most genuinely sweet and loving children I've met here, and they deserve to be showered with all of the love in the world, and I worry and pray that they are receiving the care and adoration they need.
It's crazy how quickly these children can come and go from my life, and how much it affects me when it happens. Vilma and Gloria left Marla's on Friday afternoon, quickly and without warning, and so I had no opportunity to tell them goodbye. I simply showed up for tutoring on Monday and they weren't there. It was the same story with Richard; I walked in to the home expecting to see him, and he just wasn't there. It happens so fast and unexpectedly, it's almost impossible to process for at least a few days, and it's even worse at King's home. Since there are so many children there, I am constantly replacing names and faces that I know so well with completely new ones. One day I'll take a couple of children to the park to play, and then I'll never see them again. It's all so fleeting and sudden and uncertain, and it's probably the most emotionally challenging part of my job.
Contemplating Vilma and Gloria's disappearance made me realize just how swift life moves. One day everything is normal and sensible, and the next it might not make any sense at all. So it is imperative that we take advantage of the time we have and the people we love, and make the most of everything. We get so caught up planning for the future and waiting for someday, that we forget to live in the moment and cherish the immediate. And the problem with all of that planning and waiting is that time never stops and never slows. Time races by, it doesn't wait for someday, and I think that we tend to forget that. Life is brief and unpredictable, and we can't waste it by constantly looking ahead. I've lost relationships that I believed would last a lifetime, and lost loved ones who I thought would always stand by my side, and lost opportunities by waiting for a better one to come along, and I'm willing to bet that you have too. So we need to stop looking ahead, focus on what is surrounding us, and live in our moment, because you never know what will be gone the next time you blink. It's difficult to live in today without worrying about tomorrow, I know it is, but it's the only way I know to live without regret and without the haunting "what ifs" that can envelop our minds. So remember to choose your words wisely, live your life bravely, and take your opportunities immediately. Today is never too late, but tomorrow might be.
2.21.2012
the market
#8: The Belizean market is amazing. Fact. Every Tuesday and Friday vendors from Belmopan and the surrounding area set up shop in the center of town and sell their fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, clothes, movies (all bootlegged of course) and anything of the sort. All of their produce is grown by the vendors themselves, and is as fresh as you could imagine.
Not only is the produce fresh fresh fresh, but it is cheap cheap cheap. Many of their vegetables and herbs are sold in plastic bags (a little larger than a standard ziplock bag) for $1 Belize, which equals $0.50 U.S., and some of their most plentiful foods, such as bananas and oranges, are sold for around 8 per $1. Simply amazing. The more in-season a food is, the lower its cost. To grasp the magnitude of the idea, I'll give you an example: today I walked to the market and bought 8 bananas, 7 oranges, 3 peppers, a bag of broccoli, a bag of spinach, and a bag of cilantro for a grand total of $3 U.S. Don't act like you're not impressed.
Not only is the produce fresh fresh fresh, but it is cheap cheap cheap. Many of their vegetables and herbs are sold in plastic bags (a little larger than a standard ziplock bag) for $1 Belize, which equals $0.50 U.S., and some of their most plentiful foods, such as bananas and oranges, are sold for around 8 per $1. Simply amazing. The more in-season a food is, the lower its cost. To grasp the magnitude of the idea, I'll give you an example: today I walked to the market and bought 8 bananas, 7 oranges, 3 peppers, a bag of broccoli, a bag of spinach, and a bag of cilantro for a grand total of $3 U.S. Don't act like you're not impressed.
2.20.2012
Tea Leaf Green
If you like to listen to some good jams from a few guys simply doing what they love, then I have a good feeling that you'll enjoy Tea Leaf Green. This is a band that's been around for awhile now, who continuously creates great music, and always sounds their best live. If you enjoy bands along the lines of Phish, String Cheese Incident, or Umphrey's McGee, then TLG is a solid choice for you (and as a side note, if you haven't listened to the aforementioned bands, then you should really add that to your to-do list for the week). Their sound is a smooth combination of classic rock from the Woodstock era with today's more contemporary jam bands, which essentially means it's awesome. Each album has it's own distinct personality and sound, and their newest albums show a greater level of maturity than their earlier records. But the group is at it's best when they are jamming out onstage, just having a good time. TLG's music was made for the modern day gypsy, but easy for anyone to love, and I guarantee that it will put you in a good mood for the day.
"Germinating Seed/Slept Through Sunday" by Tea Leaf Green from the albums Tragedy Radio and Raise the Tent
2.15.2012
2.14.2012
good
Just in case you were wondering, Guatemala is awesome. I recently returned from a weekend adventure in Guatemala with my dear friend Angela (yes, she is the same friend I met at the ATM cave in November), and it was a wonderful, much needed weekend getaway.
Thursday afternoon Angela picked me up and we headed toward San Ignacio, which is a small town just a few minutes from the Guatemalan border. It also happens to be the home of Juan, our tour guide turned friend who we also met on our November cave adventure. We stayed with Juan and his family Thursday night, hopped in the car early Friday morning, and were in Guatemala by 7am. Once across the border we met up with Juan's friend, Saul, who was our driver/sidekick for the weekend. And that is when the real excitement began.
Friday we spent the day at Tikal, the archeological site of some incredible Mayan ruins. It was my first taste of Mayan ruins, and it was simply breathtaking. There is something really powerful about standing in the center of an ancient culture, just imagining what their everyday lives and traditions would have entailed. I'm a sucker for the history and culture of Indigenous people (I think there is a very good chance that in my past life I was a Native American princess), but Tikal is impressive no matter who you are or where your interests lie. I really don't think I could ever do justice to its splendor.
We spent most of Friday at Tikal (it was a very big site), but Friday afternoon we cooled off with a dip in the lake before we headed off to Flores, a quaint town that is actually located on an island in the center of the lake (it was a very big lake). Now I've never been to Italy, but Flores looks about how I would imagine Italian towns to be. It was full of small, colorful shops, restaurants, and hotels, had cobblestone streets surrounded by water, and the entire town is probably no more than 2 miles in diameter. Basically, it's gorgeous. We stayed in Flores on Friday night (in a hotel that cost $7 per person...that's right, I said $7), and went to dinner with Juan, Saul, and some of Juan's family. I don't know if you have ever spent an evening with a Guatemalan family, but things can get pretty rowdy and extremely interesting. I learned a lot. About a lot of things. It was definitely anything but a dull evening, and I won't go into detail, but let's just say that Angela and I had a lot to talk about that night when we finally made it to bed.
Moving on, Saturday morning was a gloriously dreary day (if you know me at all then you know I legitimately love cloudy, grey days), and after a morning walk and breakfast we went on a boat ride for several hours around the lake. I didn't know very much about Guatemala prior to last weekend, but it is absolutely beautiful. There are all kinds of mountains and jungles and lakes and villages and islands and animals and I could go on and on. We did some sightseeing of the area and even went to a zoo on a nearby island. By the way, Central American zoos are so much better than North American zoos (except for maybe the Sand Diego Zoo; it's amazing). They are probably so much cooler because there is a lot less restriction on what you're allowed to get away with, and we were able to step right up to the edge of the cages and even feed some of the animals, including the monkeys. I don't think it was technically allowed, but it was extremely entertaining to watch.
After the zoo we did a little more sightseeing, spent the afternoon wandering around Flores and shopping around, and then headed back to Belize on Saturday night, where we again spent the night with Juan's family. Then we got up Sunday, hung out with Juan's kids for awhile (who are so cool by the way), and made it home by Sunday afternoon. It was, without question, an overall solid success to the weekend.
As you can probably discern from my recount of the weekend, it was an incredible experience, and a reminder of just how lucky and blessed I am to be here. I hate to admit it, but the week leading up to Guatemala I was feeling a little homesick, a little overwhelmed, and a little bit defeated, and this trip reinstated my enthusiasm and gratefulness for where I am and what I'm doing. It reminded me just how good I have it, and just how good my life is.
I think it's completely normal to have debbie downer days and struggle from time to time, but it's so important to remember all of the wonderful aspects of our life that we are so blessed with, and this weekend was the perfect encouragement. So don't be afraid to take some time to yourself and be spontaneous and go do something exciting or adventuresome or just something that you love, because you need those little reminders from time to time that assure you that God is good, and life is good, and people are good. And remembering that will just make you feel good.
Thursday afternoon Angela picked me up and we headed toward San Ignacio, which is a small town just a few minutes from the Guatemalan border. It also happens to be the home of Juan, our tour guide turned friend who we also met on our November cave adventure. We stayed with Juan and his family Thursday night, hopped in the car early Friday morning, and were in Guatemala by 7am. Once across the border we met up with Juan's friend, Saul, who was our driver/sidekick for the weekend. And that is when the real excitement began.
Friday we spent the day at Tikal, the archeological site of some incredible Mayan ruins. It was my first taste of Mayan ruins, and it was simply breathtaking. There is something really powerful about standing in the center of an ancient culture, just imagining what their everyday lives and traditions would have entailed. I'm a sucker for the history and culture of Indigenous people (I think there is a very good chance that in my past life I was a Native American princess), but Tikal is impressive no matter who you are or where your interests lie. I really don't think I could ever do justice to its splendor.
The wondrous Tikal
We spent most of Friday at Tikal (it was a very big site), but Friday afternoon we cooled off with a dip in the lake before we headed off to Flores, a quaint town that is actually located on an island in the center of the lake (it was a very big lake). Now I've never been to Italy, but Flores looks about how I would imagine Italian towns to be. It was full of small, colorful shops, restaurants, and hotels, had cobblestone streets surrounded by water, and the entire town is probably no more than 2 miles in diameter. Basically, it's gorgeous. We stayed in Flores on Friday night (in a hotel that cost $7 per person...that's right, I said $7), and went to dinner with Juan, Saul, and some of Juan's family. I don't know if you have ever spent an evening with a Guatemalan family, but things can get pretty rowdy and extremely interesting. I learned a lot. About a lot of things. It was definitely anything but a dull evening, and I won't go into detail, but let's just say that Angela and I had a lot to talk about that night when we finally made it to bed.
Friday night with dear Angela, and I have no idea why we are sparkling
Moving on, Saturday morning was a gloriously dreary day (if you know me at all then you know I legitimately love cloudy, grey days), and after a morning walk and breakfast we went on a boat ride for several hours around the lake. I didn't know very much about Guatemala prior to last weekend, but it is absolutely beautiful. There are all kinds of mountains and jungles and lakes and villages and islands and animals and I could go on and on. We did some sightseeing of the area and even went to a zoo on a nearby island. By the way, Central American zoos are so much better than North American zoos (except for maybe the Sand Diego Zoo; it's amazing). They are probably so much cooler because there is a lot less restriction on what you're allowed to get away with, and we were able to step right up to the edge of the cages and even feed some of the animals, including the monkeys. I don't think it was technically allowed, but it was extremely entertaining to watch.
After the zoo we did a little more sightseeing, spent the afternoon wandering around Flores and shopping around, and then headed back to Belize on Saturday night, where we again spent the night with Juan's family. Then we got up Sunday, hung out with Juan's kids for awhile (who are so cool by the way), and made it home by Sunday afternoon. It was, without question, an overall solid success to the weekend.
The lovely town of Flores
As you can probably discern from my recount of the weekend, it was an incredible experience, and a reminder of just how lucky and blessed I am to be here. I hate to admit it, but the week leading up to Guatemala I was feeling a little homesick, a little overwhelmed, and a little bit defeated, and this trip reinstated my enthusiasm and gratefulness for where I am and what I'm doing. It reminded me just how good I have it, and just how good my life is.
2.12.2012
the movies
#7: There is exactly one movie theater in the entire country of Belize (in Belize City), and due to tax issues, they don't sell normal dvds in the stores. So how do Belizeans keep up with the entertainment industry? They bootleg. Everything. I have yet to find a movie on sale that is not a pirated version of the film, and movies cost an average of around $1.50 to $2 each. It sounds like the deal of a lifetime, but this is a classic instance of getting what you pay for. Because the films are videotaped in the theater, the quality of sound and color is usually a little sketchy, and you generally hear background sounds such as coughing or laughing every once in awhile. Copies of a film appear on store shelves about a week after it is released in theaters, but the longer you wait to purchase a movie, the better quality you typically find. Sometimes you luck out and find excellent quality, and sometimes you make a bad purchase that cuts off the end of the movie 5 minutes before the final climactic scene (I was furious). It's a toss up, but for $2 a movie, there's not a lot of room for complaints.
2.08.2012
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Alright, I've been in love with this duo for a couple of years now, and here's why: they are just...good. Rodrigo y Gabriela are a couple of rockstars from Mexico that love to jam on their acoustic guitars, and they do it very well. They have an incredibly energetic vibe, are geniuses on guitar, and their music sounds like a constant celebration. You don't even notice the lack of instruments because they are so captivating themselves. There's no way to specifically classify their genre, because they delve into so many different styles of music, but if you enjoy acoustic sounds then there is no doubt that you will love what they have to offer, and if you simply look for good music then prepare yourself for a treat. The song below is from way back on their self-titled debut album, but it's a classic and a fan favorite. They just released a new album, which I haven't had the opportunity to listen to, but you can't go wrong with musicians like these two. Like I said before, they are just good.
"Diablo Rojo" by Rodrigo y Gabriela from the album Rodrigo y Gabriela
2.07.2012
Mary Oliver
"I want to think again of dangerous and noble things. I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable and beautiful and afraid of nothing as though I had wings."
- Mary Oliver
- Mary Oliver
2.04.2012
languages
Okay, time to catch everyone up. The past couple of weeks haven't presented anything too crazy, but I have had a couple of small adventures. About a week ago I was given the opportunity to meet up with some friends and go swimming at a waterfall on the land of a coffee farm in southern Belize. Yes, it is as cool as it sounds, even though I explain it so nonchalantly. So we hiked a little ways to a small waterfall and took a dip for the afternoon. We were able to ride the waterfall down into the water below like a slide, which was exhilarating and fun, and we were able to jump from a ledge at the top of the falls into the water, which was exhilarating and super scary. We were even able to explore up the river and found a second waterfall and swimming area. All in all, it was a most relaxing and enjoyable afternoon, as I'm sure you can imagine, and a perfect end to the work week.
My other recent adventure was to Chetumal, Mexico for a weekend shopping trip with my landlady, Mrs. Sewell, and one of my roommates, Rosita. If you know me, you know that I'm not really an avid shopper, in fact I don't particularly enjoy shopping at all, but I figured that a shopping trip in Mexico might be worth the experience. And I did find the weekend entertaining for a couple reasons.
Now you must understand that Belize doesn't have luxuries like malls or giant shopping centers or even Walmart, so it would have been a fairly exciting trip for them anyways. However it also happened to be Rosita's first time to ever set foot in a mall, or even a department store for that matter, so she was on cloud nine all weekend long. It was a lot of fun to watch her flit from rack to rack and store to store, admiring all of the different treasures. But another reason it was an amusing weekend for me was because I was given the opportunity to practice my Spanish for the first time in several years.
Okay, before you begin picturing me as an avid and fluent espanol speaking whiz, let me clarify. I have taken Spanish classes since middle school, and theoretically should consider it a second language; but unless you have the chance to practice a second language in a real life setting, taking 6 years of classes doesn't account for much. So I would rate my current Spanish skills at survival level, but little more. However, Mrs. Sewell doesn't know any Spanish, and Rosita can be pretty shy, so I was left to do most of the conversing and translating while we were in Chetumal. I must say, even though I really am very poor at holding a conversation and most likely have a severe Texas twang when I speak, I felt really intelligent and important every time I was called on as the translator. And I really enjoyed finally practicing the language for which I'd spent so many years memorizing vocabulary words. I had a lot of fun with it, and as nerdy as it sounds, it was one of the highlights of my weekend.
I know it seems like something a professor might say, but I think learning languages is really important, especially if you enjoy traveling. It seems like English is spoken almost all over the world now, but I think it shows a great deal of respect for the culture and the people when you make an effort to learn their primary language. I believe that they really appreciate the gesture, even if you are as terrible as I am (at the very least it will probably make them laugh). Besides, it really comes in handy for situations like mine last weekend, when it's necessary for someone to have the ability to translate. Language is a major aspect of the culture and history of a society, and it's a wonderful way to understand the people and make a connection with them. And let's be honest, we could do with a little more understanding in the world today.
at the waterfall
My other recent adventure was to Chetumal, Mexico for a weekend shopping trip with my landlady, Mrs. Sewell, and one of my roommates, Rosita. If you know me, you know that I'm not really an avid shopper, in fact I don't particularly enjoy shopping at all, but I figured that a shopping trip in Mexico might be worth the experience. And I did find the weekend entertaining for a couple reasons.
Now you must understand that Belize doesn't have luxuries like malls or giant shopping centers or even Walmart, so it would have been a fairly exciting trip for them anyways. However it also happened to be Rosita's first time to ever set foot in a mall, or even a department store for that matter, so she was on cloud nine all weekend long. It was a lot of fun to watch her flit from rack to rack and store to store, admiring all of the different treasures. But another reason it was an amusing weekend for me was because I was given the opportunity to practice my Spanish for the first time in several years.
Okay, before you begin picturing me as an avid and fluent espanol speaking whiz, let me clarify. I have taken Spanish classes since middle school, and theoretically should consider it a second language; but unless you have the chance to practice a second language in a real life setting, taking 6 years of classes doesn't account for much. So I would rate my current Spanish skills at survival level, but little more. However, Mrs. Sewell doesn't know any Spanish, and Rosita can be pretty shy, so I was left to do most of the conversing and translating while we were in Chetumal. I must say, even though I really am very poor at holding a conversation and most likely have a severe Texas twang when I speak, I felt really intelligent and important every time I was called on as the translator. And I really enjoyed finally practicing the language for which I'd spent so many years memorizing vocabulary words. I had a lot of fun with it, and as nerdy as it sounds, it was one of the highlights of my weekend.
I know it seems like something a professor might say, but I think learning languages is really important, especially if you enjoy traveling. It seems like English is spoken almost all over the world now, but I think it shows a great deal of respect for the culture and the people when you make an effort to learn their primary language. I believe that they really appreciate the gesture, even if you are as terrible as I am (at the very least it will probably make them laugh). Besides, it really comes in handy for situations like mine last weekend, when it's necessary for someone to have the ability to translate. Language is a major aspect of the culture and history of a society, and it's a wonderful way to understand the people and make a connection with them. And let's be honest, we could do with a little more understanding in the world today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)