In Pursuit

It’s our last week in Belize! I am not at all ready to go back to the states, I could so easily stay here. It is absolutely gorgeous and amazing. These last few days we traveled in land to San Ignacio. It was great to be able to see another part of Belize, it was full of mountains, forest, and caves. We went on some amazing adventures through caves, up Mayan ruins, and around waterfalls. Our hotel was on top of a mountain so we got a killer leg work out and a killer view of the surrounding area. It was very interesting though because the whole time we were there it was very smoky, there were a lot of controlled burnings going on in the trees. We also met some very knowledgeable tour guides and ate very interesting fruit. Did you know cashews have this edible fruit attached to it. It was crazy, it was brightly colored and almost resembled a pepper with the cashew as the stem if you were looking at it from far away. I am going to miss it here so much!

Considering your experiences this week, what does the culture and history of Belize tell you about the people?

We’ve been on the island for some time now, immersed in their culture and picking up history lessons here and there. I learned that a quarter decade ago women tended to be treated much more inferior to men than they are now. I have seen many strong women in the school system and hard working women in the stores and restaurants. I think their view of women is slowly evolving on various levels which reveals how a people and a culture is subject to change.

Where did you see or experience examples from your work with the children and teachers in the schools?

I guess I saw examples of the relationships formed all throughout San Pedro. It is a small enough island that you generally see students from your school out and about. It was great to see that through the relationships I formed with students at Isla Bonita they were always so friendly and nice whenever we saw them outside of the classroom. The students were always waving and saying hello in a friendly animated manner whenever they saw me or another teacher they knew.

So, it was our last week in the schools, and their last week before spring break- which is 2 full weeks for the students. You could definitely tell all of the students sensed freedom coming up soon, they were all antsy and excited to get outside and play. Fortunately we were able to take them on multiple field trips this week. There was a health exhibit at the park with lots of tents promoting healthy living. The tents included everything from the effects of smoking to preventing HIV to diabetes. So, after their first break in the day, the whole school met right outside and walked along the beach to the park. There were multiple schools there, everything from our infant 1 class to high school. We also put on an Easter egg hunt for the students, took field trips to the beach, and even got to play fútbol! I’m going to miss everyone so much, it was such an amazing experience I can’t even begin to put on paper all that I learned.

I have gained so much from this experience. One thing I can tell you with confidence that I have improved upon while on this trip and gained from this island is patience. Back home I always had plans and was generally rushing somewhere, be it to work, school, or out with friends. Here, I haven’t worried about time once. The whole atmosphere is very laid back and the only time I have to be somewhere on time is when I am going to school. We always left Pedro’s early enough to enjoy a leisurely walk along the beach to school, leaving time to stop by a bakery or breakfast spot. The trick was though, to leave enough time for everything to be prepared and brought out. When it came to eating out, which we did constantly, you had to be able to sit patiently for your food. They made everything fresh as you ordered it, and there weren’t necessarily always a lot of personnel on hand. Due to this and the laid back attitude of the people on the island, time was generally not something of concern. I learned to instead of sit and anxiously wait for my food to be patient and just enjoy the company that I kept. I saw this coming through many times through out the trip. Instead of irritatingly wondering when the food was going to come or when the bell was going to ring I took the opportunity to just relax and enjoy the people I was with.

Random act of kindness: As I was walking down the beach today and getting slightly irritated by the derogatory remarks from some of the males of the island, I encountered this guy, probably in his twenties who was walking this giant dog and carrying a plastic bag as if he was coming from the grocery store. So, as I passed I smiled and said hi, in return he was like “can you do me a favor... I have too much chocolate here, will you take one?” so I got a free kit kat on my way home from school today- score!