A New Life in Guatemala

Even though I've lived in Latin America for roughly 17 years, I'm still amazed about how some things are so similar and yet so different.

• When I lived in Bolivia I used to eat potatoes every single day. I've now learned to say, "Please pass the ixim (K´iche´ for corn)."
• My bi-weekly baths now consist of a bucket with a plastic scoop or a mud oven that acts as a sauna. I'm rather tall for Guatemala so I can now say that I bathe lying down.
• The first question that I was asked when I first moved to rural Guatemala was how much money I make. There were rumors passing through town that the backpack that I carry filled with teaching material is actually filled with dollar bills.
• I know how to read and write...meaning that I'm qualified to do just about anything that I want. A family has invited me to work with their kid who has a speech impediment. Worst-case scenario: he still stutters but has learned about the world of C. S. Lewis.