More Competitions and Marching Band

The girls did very well in a city wide competition of an event they call gymnastics. It is very different from the gymnastics in the states. It is more like synchronized choreography while doing calisthenics. They won both the local competition and I guess you might say the district competition. We will be traveling to the Capital next week where they will present thier routine. It was really fun seeing them do this so well as a group. I actually taught them a line dance they incorporated into the end of their routine. I was very proud. :o)

They also had the chance to be one of the marching bands in the parade on Guatemala’s Independence Day. They actually marched two days and the teachers marched with them. I was very tired after two days of marching through the city. Most everything is closed and all you see is people everywhere. Everyone joins in to participate or watch the parade. It is a big event.

Making Tamales

Vanessa and I had the experience of making tamales with some widows who were making tamales for a fund raiser for thier church. It was fun seeing the process. Vanessa was stirring, wrapping and laughing as she spoke to the ladies in Spanish. I smiled and tied the tamales and placed them into the container ready to be placed in the cookers. I didn't speak much Spanish, but they interacted with me as if I did. It was an all day project. The cookers were set on concrete blocks and then wood was placed under it. The not so good part was they used plastic to start the fires. If you think about it, plastic is a great starter, but of course it is a bit toxic and not so good for our environment, but their concern is using the resources they had. After a long day of stirring, folding, tying, and cooking, the tamales were ready to be sold. We jumped in the van and drove around the streets asking people to buy tamales. It was an interesting experience. The funny part was we sold some tamales to a lady that we knew that owned a business and she was having a big sale with cameras. Inadvertantly we ended up on T.V. two gringos (me looking like a tourist with my camera around my neck because I didn't want to leave it in the car) carrying a tub of tamales down the street. What a fun day.