Some Videos

Today I awoke to a bit of a commotion outside my door. I heard Yolanda and her sisters bustling about, clattering dishes, and rearranging furniture. It turned out they were preparing to host a breakfast and were moving tables and chairs outside to the patio and busily cooking tamales, tortillas, and cafe. I was pleasantly greeted by the tantalizing smells as I got out of bed and collected my toiletries before heading off to the bathroom. I opened my bedroom door, bleary-eyed and crusty faced, to a long table of Guatemalan men enjoying their breakfast... It turned out that the breakfast was to be for the 8-10 men in charge of the Catholic Church here in Estancia de la Virgen. I felt self-conscious about my appearance and offered them a quick, "Buenos Días" before shuffling off to the bathroom... Before I could hurry away, I noticed that fluttering just over their heads, was none other than a rainbow of my assorted underwear. I probably had washed nearly every pair I own just yesterday and now they were hanging on the patio looking like an adornment to this very Catholic breakfast. Oops.
In my defense, I had NO idea these men were coming for breakfast, AND my family did nothing to warn me... They could have at least suggested I remove the underwear flag from the patio! By the time I noticed the panties on display, there was nothing I could do. Taking them down would mean disrupting their manly church business and also would draw more attention to them. -So I hung my head and went to the bathroom. I imagined their eyes following me in disgrace, thinking: "Graciela the Godless Gringa. Hanging her panties for the world to see.."

Other than that slight embarrassment, it has been a great week. I have been working a lot trying to get the Tercero kids prepared for Career Day. Also I have been giving dance classes at all of my schools and they have been going really well. When I first got to site, I thought about giving dance classes and I dreamed of stumbling upon a small studio space where kids could from all around and I would teach them jazz, ballet, hip hop, etc... WAKE UP. That didn't happen. So instead I lug around 3 small portable speakers and my iPod to each school and turn a small dusty classroom into a dance studio. It works just fine and the kids seem to really be enjoying it. One school asked that I teach the kids a dance that they can perform on Independence Day, September 15. We have had only 2 weeks to prepare and not many rehearsals but I think all in all it had turned out really well. I split the school into two groups by age and taught them each a different dance. I am really amazed at the progress they have made since the beginning. I had to start at the very basics of rhythm, and counting the beats, how commonly songs have four/ four time but some have three and this is called a waltz. I spent the first few classes constantly counting for each step, " One two three four five and six and seven eight." Until finally I can tell that most of them are counting in their heads and able to keep time. It's remarkable how quickly they have picked it up having very little experience with this type of dance and I am so glad that are able to enjoy an activity that I have loved for so long.

Here are some videos and photos! I have the opportunity right now to use a really fast internet connection and so I will upload all I can right now...

Las Señoritas from Chi Don Juan riding up the road in the Independence Day parade.

The girls from the primary school in the paradr to Chi Don Juan.


My básico students from Chi Don Juan.


The Parade

Our Dance Group "2" the older kids from the school just after a great performance.



Group 1 Dancers from Chi Don Juan.

Unfortunately I didn't get a video from the actualy performance because I had to work the music but these are of the rehearsal in the morning which were very good! The last is from a funny skit the boys from Estancia did which was a mock "Miss Universe Pageant." They dressed as women with masks and some very provacative false breasts... Too big to put on here. See the video on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ei9slIdNmI

Enjoy!