Easter preparations begin......

Easter is one of the biggest celebrations in Guatemala and especially Antigua, so work has kept me really busy. In preparation the wards are being cleaned and some areas painted, as well as that we have been tackling jobs which normally would not be done…eg. cleaning the bins, cleaning out the stores and re organising some of the toy boxes…not an easy task. Lesley has been away translating and I am the only extra pair of hands they have had this week, so I have been rushing around quite a bit, as the nurses ask me to do anything that needs doing! Nappy changing is now also on my list of jobs of the day!! As I said I am now one of the team!!

Tuesday was carnival, so some of the children were taken to a fiesta in the hospital, where they were all dressed up in various clowns and angels and princess’s costumes and there was a party for them. Sadly I could not attend as had too much work to do!
Ash Wednesday was really strange for me when I walked into the hospital as all the people waiting for appointments as well as the staff had a grey-black cross marked across their foreheads, from the ashes. Most had been to church before starting the day. Most of the people in Guatemala are Catholics and very religious. In the ward the children were all dressed in their best before we wheeled them into the church for Mass. Later, they all returned with similar crosses on their foreheads.
One of the children returned this week from his home and again it was very sad as he was just crying all the time. It took him a couple of days to settle. We are still awaiting the return of two more.
Some of the more able boys have now started school; four of them have one teacher who takes them for a couple of hours a day. The teacher is sponsored by ex volunteers and coordinated via a local group of Christian missionaries. In other wards some children go to a local school for a couple of afternoons a week. I was really surprised as yesterday the teacher(Guatemaltecan) asked me to translate for her as she needs a special wheelchair for one of the girls from another ward so she can go off -site to school. So off I went to the guy who organises wheelchairs and surprised
myself by being able to do it!!!
The swimming pool is being cleaned so am hoping to help out in the next two weeks..

Needless to say that I have been absolutely exhausted this week and have had little time to enjoy my little Perla… who has spent half the week away at either church or a fiesta…maybe next week….I miss her ‘vampira’ smile!!

ANTIGUA....

Lent started on Ash Wednesday and from now until Easter Sunday, there will be a vast bustle of activity as Antigua hosts the biggest Easter attraction in Latin America, so preparations are already under way for the climax of Semana Santa (Holy Week). This week-long event is a spectacular display of religious ritual and floral design, (rivalled only by a similar event that takes place in Seville, Spain). The cobbled stones and church altars are covered in carpets of flowers known as alfombras, made up of coloured sawdust, flowers, petals, corozo, berries, fruits and vegetables, with elaborate designs made using stencils.


In the three main churches in Antigua every Friday during Lent, they prepare a scene related to Christ’s death and resurrection..called a Velacion with a unique carpet design within the church. Every church is responsible for arranging and organising its own floats and carpets so preparations for Holy Week have already started.
Town has been busier than ever as more people visit the city to shop and also catch a glimpse of the preparations…..even Volcan Fuego has been busier than ever, puffing out grey blue smoke on a daily basis!
Last Sunday I once again visited the Mayan market held every weekend in Antigua and Lesley showed me a lovely new café hidden on the way out of town. Perfect for a cup of tea and scone with lemon cream!!!!

This weekend my friend Bob arrives from England and I am really looking forward to a familiar face and long chats in the many cafes and restaurants around town.

Enjoy

Adios amigos

Goodnight

Xxx

Warmer weather......

This week we decided to improve the ward by putting up some more posters on the walls to try to stimulate the children a little more as they spend quite a bit of time inside. So armed with some quetzals(local currency!!) we went off to the market in search of the usual Disney characters, as well as Kung Fu Panda and Spiderman…… very popular with the older boys. There was quite some excitement as the more able children returned to find new stickers on their cots and the walls. Sadly most of the younger ones are unaware, but we know and we hope that it will help. Strangely enough, after my comments last week about the one and only CD, the hospital received a donation of CD’s and DVD’s from the USA. The CD’s are being used in the wards, but the DVD’s will be used in other wards with much older and more able children, as well as in the school within the hospital.
This week I had quite a strange experience with a couple of the children. Usually the children are fed in their chairs but if they are unsettled or unhappy we take them in our laps and feed them. So one morning I picked up a little boy and as I settled him in my lap his mouth started searching for a breast, I was surprised as it had never happened before. I later found out the reason why. Many of these children, when they go home during the vacation, go to very poor families. Often the families have at least two or three much younger children. Consequently the mother breast feeds them all, because its much cheaper to feed the mother than all the children as well.

The children have been much more settled this week. The onset of warmer weather has meant that we have been spending quite a bit of time out in the garden playing with them and getting the older ones to try and walk a bit in their walkers, or try to crawl across the floor. Though most just want to cling onto my legs and get a free ride!! The physiotherapy pool is being prepared, it is being cleaned and the heaters checked as the temperature has to be just right to ensure the children don’t seize up while in it. Hopefully we will be able to use it next week. … and yes I have been asked if I can help with that as well which of course I will!!
This week, we have also been cleaning and sorting the store cupboards, where one of the nurses discovered new bowls, curtains and blankets, so I have once again spent quite some time labelling everything in black nail varnish. The older, more able children have sat and watched, so I have now started to call out the letters and encourage them to try to repeat and recognise them. The aim of every day here is to try and stimulate the children as much as possible and enable them to make connections at all levels.



I have also been going into work at the weekends and assisting with the usual daily routine jobs and have some time to chat with the nurses. Which we all enjoy, as I get some help with my Spanish and they laugh and giggle and have fun as I struggle...

I mean its easy to mistake bibs(baberos) with drinks(bebidas) !!

Lesley leaves on Sunday to spend a week in the villages translating for a team of doctors from the USA. She is leaving me in charge!!!




Ermita De La Santa Cruz
Antigua



This week Antigua has been hosting The Piaz International Festival of Culture, held every two years since 1991. It is now one of the most important cultural festival in Central America. The programme includes, dance, music, opera, theatre and more. It is held to promote and contribute to the cultural development of Guatemala and the performances are held in some old ruins just outside Antigua. Having read about it, I bought a ticket to go and see a dance performance. I took a tuk tuk to the ruins and was not disappointed by the setting…the old crumbling church ruin surrounded by trees set against the blue skies was perfect, just as the sun was going down and the evening light was changing, a slight chill in the air. It reminded me of my desire to go to the open air Opera performance in Verona.. Within minutes the place was full as many people from all over Guatemala and surrounding countries took their seats to see the dance performances by a group of international stars. The performance was ‘Forever Tango’. It was enjoyable though a little too long for me……..as I left and searched for a tuk tuk to take me safely home, the sky was darker and the stars twinkled as the dancers prepared for their final late night show, which would undoubtedly be much more dramatic!
There have been many groups playing marimba music in the streets watched and applauded by passers by on their way from one place to another. The warm evenings has meant that more people have been out and about in the park to enjoy the dusk drawing in and the tress fill with the constant chatter of birds. It has also provided an opportunity for various brass bands to serenade the families and couples enjoying the evening air and the constantly changing landscape of the volcano .
As we move into March, the city prepares for its most famous event; Santa Semana week, and I prepare to visit Guatemala city to see SANTANA in concert at the stadium… who would have
thought!!
Enjoy
Adios amigos
Goodnight

Xxx

LOVE IS IN THE AIR......

HAPPY

VALENTINES

DAY!!!!!

A week of love…..

The weeks seem to be passing by so quickly at the moment. I cant believe I have been here for six months now.

This week we had 3 new volunteers and I spent quite a bit of time with them talking to them and showing them round! Like me when I first started, they are absolutely surprised by the place and compare it to Europe! ( they are from Holland and Germany). They have many questions and are constantly questioning routines and management of the children, I have to remind them that they cannot compare Guatemala and this hospital to those in Europe. One other volunteer, a nurse in Holand, made it for 3 days and then left as so often happens. But its good to get some help as we are almost full to capacity and there is much to do. This week two of the children have been unwell and have needed extra attention, while others have been suffering from a fever…maybe a reaction to the injections they had last week. And they all need a lot of love and attention at the moment…

The onset of much warmer weather has meant that the children get to sit in the sun and the trips to the park have started. This week I went off with one of the older children for a walk around the park to enjoy the sun and the water in the fountain together.

New rocking chairs arrived at the beginning of the week so the children have been falling asleep in our laps and many of the older children have been totally relaxed by the rocking movements. Necessary as many are still adjusting to being back. I spent some time with the older children holding them and gently rocking them, while singing along with the only children’s CD they have here. This boy cries practically all the time and yet loved being held and rocked, it wasn’t easy but he soon fell asleep. Another much appreciated donation to the hospital.

Another person, a missionary, is also organising quilts for the children’s beds , so Lesley and I spent one morning measuring and noting all the different size quilts we will need for the children in both the wards…almost 60 children.

My usual duties continue, along with more bottle labelling as more children arrive.

Today ( Friday) there was a party for valentines day!! Again, the ward was decorated with hearts and balloons and we had cakes and ice cream for the children as well as games and a piñata, which was enjoyable to watch!
Some visitors came by and gave all the nurses and Lesley and I chocolates as a thank you for the work we do....especially for Valentines day!!

For me this has been a special week as the nurses invited me to their special lunch and included me in the ‘secret gift’ for each other. I really feel (officially) a part of the team now, and was so happy. We enjoyed lunch while the children relaxed after their cakes and ice creams. There was much chattering but a lot passed me by… they speak so fast, but Lesley told me later that they feel that I am a part of the team and am always ready to help where ever it is needed.
I left the hospital exhausted and happy at the end of the week,with a huge grin on my face and walked back to my place with Lesley ……

ANTIGUA....

Volcan Fuego

I continue to find Antigua’s volcanoes fascinating as they look different everyday. Most days they stand stoic against clear blue skies and on others they are obscured, almost non existent, by the low lying clouds which race across the sky. This week Fuego, at a height of 3,763m, was fuming and was amazingly dramatic early one morning. Fuego has had frequent dangerous eruptions in recent years though generally not without warning!! Its last major eruption was in 1974. This is the one which has its red volcanic rock glowing at night as one head back towards Antigua. All the three volcanoes form a majestic backdrop to the tiny town of Antigua nestled in a valley below. Some days the sky is so clear that its possible to see its contours and vegetation.
So one morning, hot and fuming with passion, it stopped people in the street as they looked up in wonder and hoped that that was all it was going to do!

Guatemala really does enjoy every single day of celebration, there is always something going on……and this week it’s the preparation for Valentines day!!
Piñatas being delivered to shops, big and small ones…great for hiding gifts for that special person, piñatas in the windows with hearts, flowers and lights and special valentine dining offers encouraging everyone to celebrate love!!!

Horses decorated with special ribbons and bows, horse and carriages get a face lift, and are adorned with roses and red and white ribbons awaiting the arrival of couples over the weekend from many places….
One afternoon as I walked through the park there was a huge crowd and lots of talking and laughter and soft music playing. Walking towards it I saw that there was a wedding in the park, a gloriously happy couple who were still at school!! I looked on as they posed with their school friends…..amazing. I wasn’t prepared to question it, but to just enjoy it and share in its moment.
This weekend beckons with many activities in and around the park for everyone to enjoy. I shall go and watch and listen and think of all my loved ones all over the world.

Celebrate and be happy…….
You know!!
Enjoy
Adios amigos
Goodnight
Xxx

The Roller Coaster Ride continues........

This week has been much more difficult as we felt the full extend of the problems that arise when children go home for a while. Prior to leaving for their holidays all the families were given one set of medication and if the children needed more the parents would have to provide it. This is all the parents have to do in terms of contribution/ responsibility. However, as all of the children come from very poor families, the cost of the medication is way beyond their means, and so many of them went weeks without medication. Hence this week we have had to deal with many seizures and dietary problems. I have found the seizures the most difficult to deal with. The children are so frail. Others have sores on their bodies because at home they were probably just left in one position and bed sores developed easily, and without treatment for weeks, they just get worse. Some children have returned malnourished and are back on special diets to get their weight back up, and others are being monitored to ensure they are where they should be chemically.

We also had a new addition to the ward / family, as one of the boys from the nutritional ward was transferred down to us. One of ours is still there but making little progress now…..

This week the children were also inoculated against the cold, as they are all very prone to infections. I was quite anxious as I was expecting lots of crying but I was absolutely amazed as not one of them cried. I went in with Perla, and watched her flinch and then just carry on as normal. When I said I was surprised…I was told it was all relative. Many of these children have experienced so much pain or are doing so on a daily basis that a needle is nothing. I felt really sad.

So lots of cuddling and hugging this week for all, as they sat in their chairs with jumpers and woolly hats that had been donated to the hospital!!

Luckily for me this week, distraction came in the form of new bottles. So I was given the task of labelling once again, and as I was doing this for our ward, the sister from the next ward asked if I would do theirs too. So Lesley arrived with bottles and a huge list of names!! Of course I said…not realising that I would have to sit out on a table in the cold for the next two hours, hands freezing painting names on bottles with black nail varnish. After I finished I had a huge cup of Chai tea at a local café to warm me up. I needed it!!
As always I have continued with my usual duties, giving me some time to think about everything. When you have to fold hundreds of sheets and clothes, and wash as many dishes and bottles, there is plenty of time to think. I can only hope that most people know and appreciate just how lucky they really are……..

ANTIGUA......

Antigua's three volcanoes early one morning...........





Its been unusually cold this this week, and so have wandered the streets of Antigua clad in jumpers and scarves, hands deep in my pockets to keep warm. However the natural beauty of the place has been enhanced by the colourful purple blossoms of the Jacaranda trees, the ground below covered in a carpet of fallen blooms. It remindes me of Nairobi. One day, in amongst this beauty I saw a crowd of people walking in the street all clad in black leaving a trail of incense behind them. It was a funeral. Here everyone walks in the streets to the funeral and to the cemetery, bringing the traffic to a standstill. Its amazing to see all the car and tuk tuk drivers wait patiently and respectfully watching the procession and allowing it to pass peacefully. Not a horn is hooted or a shout heard.......
This week I also had the chance to hear about, and meet, a woman from USA who has just spent two years in Guatemala going through the process of adopting a Guatemalan child. There are a lot of Americans here trying to adopt, but lately its become very difficult. In the past there have been many reports of children being kidnapped and taken across the border and sold. So the government has introduced new procedures to make it more difficult. This means that the child and adoptive parents have to have a DNA test at the beginning of the whole process and at the end. Before leaving the country they have to have the test again to ensure that the right child is leaving the country with the right parent. The government also insists that the child’s birth certificate shows the name given by his/ her natural parents. The adoptive parents can then change the name in USA if they wish, which most do. It is a long process costing thousands and thousands of dollars and a minimum of two years. I listened with interest as she explained her ordeals with lawyers and red tape at both ends, but her endurance and patience shone through. She is now awaiting an interview with the US department before leaving for USA with her son.
I said good bye and wished her luck.

As I walked through the park that evening, I looked at all the families and the small, beautiful children. Laughing and crying, talking and sulking, running and falling, eating and drinking, they were all enjoying life in the company of their families. I sat on a bench, watching them and thinking about mine…so far way and so much older..but still children, and more importantly, and hopefully as happy as I am just thinking about them........

Enjoy

Adios amigos

Goodnight

Xxx