Time is slipping away

ARghgh! Not so many weeks left in Xela. Time is slipping through my fingers. I can't believe I've been here since November. I hear there are snow storms in the UK at the moment - well, it continues to be sunny here! It rained once, on December the 1st, but I haven't seen anything other than sun since. I appear to be rambling incoherently,with the English obsession of talking about the weather, so will make an effort to gather myself together, and talk about something interesting.

Actually, I feel bad about my last rant, and suffused with love and affection as I am today, I will write a list of the things I love about Xela in particular and Guatemala in general

1) OK, I'm English! The weather. It's amazing. It's hard to be glum for long in a country where the sun shines every day.

2) The people. Especially in Xela, it's great to see a place where the indigenous culture is so vibrant. About 60% of the population dress in their indigenous dress - magnificently woven fabrics. I love to see them. There are 26 different indigenous groups in Guatemala, and I think 21 different languages. When I travel out to my voluntary job in La Selva, I sometimes hear people talking in their own languages. I love to hear them. They sound so mysterious and exciting. So different from any other language I have ever heard. They have wonderful names like Kaqchikel (which is pronounced Kack a chick ell, really fast, and is one of my favourite words).

3) The attitude. We could learn so much from Guatemala. For a start there is no such thing as liability. You know how we are obsessed with sueing other people for our own misfortunes? Well here, you take responsibility for your own risks and your own well being. Being here makes me realise how uptight we Brits can be. So many things that are normal here are illegal/not done in the UK. Just little things like riding in the back of an open truck, jumping on and off buses when they're moving, disregarding copyright, selling things at all times and places without a licence, showing up late for things (does it really matter in the scheme of life?), disregard for personal space!! (what is that anyway?). Everything is relaxed and easy, people seem less veiled here.

4) You can do anything. If you want to volunteer in a school, you can do so without having to wait 4 years for the police to screen you. If you want to set up a charity or a voluntary project, you can just do it like that. Of course I realise why we have these checks in the UK. It just seems that the starting point here is that you are trustworthy, whilst in the UK, it seems that we start with the opposite assumption. :o(

I have so much more to tell you - about my voluntary work and about a talk I went to last night concerning the Central American Free Trade Agreement. But these will have to wait as it's time to go to work.

Hasta luego chicos
Hilz x