Day 112 - 117

A bit of a delayed post but I thought I'd finish off my blog with some closing messages!

I love everyone I met in Guatemala. Life is simple, life is good. I miss it. It's not about how much money someone makes but its about how much love you have in your life. You can have all the money in the world, but can it buy you happiness?

The world needs our help. The kids need our help. But ultimately, everyone I met in Guatemala is happy regardless of what they have.

Are you happy?

I doubt anyone has actually followed me this far....but if you ever come across this post, think about it.

Keep loving...don't ever stop.

Thank you for reading!

Day 103 - 112

Last week, we had a busy week with 3 events and then I ended it with a quick trip to Guatemala City. I have to admit, with all the crazy stories, I was a bit freaked out. I was told to never carry a purse because it may get slashed, to never show off your cellphone because someone may point a gun at you asking for your phone and to not open the windows in the car incase of robbery. So of course I was paranoid! But everything was all good. I got back into Tecpán safe and sound. The city is interesting, Cecilia drove me around showing me some cool monuments, the National Palace, Zona Vida and we ended off the day with dinner at Taco Bell! Yep...and it was delicious! hahahah

Some pictures of Guatemala City.

Check out the latest progress! We have added 12 bamboo roof trusses!! :) Super exciting times ahead! One step closer to bringing kids to live in the homes! And we also made these beautiful candle holders and vases from the same bamboo! I will be bringing these home!

Day 97 - 102

Ack my last 2 weeks. It's sad...but I also have a feeling that I'll be back. I don't know how or when but I know I will be back.

It's been interesting reminiscing the last 10 years of my life. And of course, 2011. I don't know who reads this blog...if anyone. In January, I would have never thought that I would be in Guatemala for 4 months. But the sad, yet happy truth is you lose some, you gain some. And I have gained many. It's bittersweet. I truly believe that everyone enters your life for a reason for a particular time period, whether it be short or long. But this led to my adventure in Guatemala which has changed me forever.

My last 10 years has been interesting...

2001 - moved to Kingston

2003 - moved to Toronto

2007 - moved to Hong Kong

2009 - moved to Vancouver

2011 - moved to Guatemala

I am turning 30 in just a few weeks and I wonder what my 30's would be like. I love adventure, you can't deny that...so it will probably be quite interesting.

Day 87 - 96

How time flies...I'm on my last 3 weeks here in Guatemala and extremely sad about it. I am slightly excited about the next phase of my life. The end of Guatemala also means the end of my 20's. And boy has it been an amazing decade.

This past weekend, I went on a trip to Rio Dulce and Livingston along the Caribbean coast of Guatemala. It was a 6.5 hour drive which is pretty crazy for just a weekend trip, but it was worth it. My favourite was going to Siete Altares which are naturally made pools of water in the middle of the forest. It was gorgeous. Turquoise blue waters. It was also nice to get some sun as it does get quite chilly in Tecpán but I do have to admit, it got so hot and humid that I was grateful to come back to cool weather.

I also wrote my last blog for Ethical Bean last week. It was bittersweet as it also means that the end of my journey is near....but I have learned a lot. And I wrote about that in my blog.

http://www.ethicalbean.com/2011/08/05/hasta-luego-guatemala-by-amy-yeung/

Day 80-86

Exactly 1 month left in Guatemala. I had quite the weekend. Expecting it to be quiet since everyone in the house is gone for the weekend, I ended up entertaining 3 kids, for 2 days for a total of 12 hours. I love them so much, but I am still exhausted and its Monday morning! I don't understand how they can have soooo much energy....

After they left on Sunday, I had one hour to rest until I went off to the cafe to help them out for a few hours. And of course, it just had to be one of their busiest nights!

I had quite the Guatemalan, spanish-speaking weekend! My brain is tired from all this Spanish!

Day 72-79

It's crazy how time flies and its sad that I have just over a month left in Guatemala. It has been amazing. Though I could use a nice, hot shower, I love it here. I've gotten to know two local Guatemalan families who are helping me learn Spanish as well as want to learn English so they can talk to me! I am also starting to really pick up words when I am being spoken to in Spanish...pretty neat! The newest longish word that I just learned is "demasiado" which is "too much".

It's been fairly quiet lately but that also be because I am getting used to the lifestyle here. Thing's don't surprise me as much anymore. But one thing I did learn was if you are a woman driving alone, if a cop stops you, you do not have to stop. Why? Because the police are corrupt and there used to be reports of cops stopping woman and rapping them. Maybe I'm not THAT used to the lifestyle yet...I am learning new facts everyday.

I shall leave you with a picture of my new roomie, Tika. :)

Day 67-71

I just finished a book that is a true story on abandoned children and their emotion struggles. It was hard reading about a sweet, innocent child that keeps getting moved around from orphanages, to foster homes and back to orphanages, making and losing friends and being afraid to love again. The hardest part was reading about how children are treated in orphanages...like prison, they become a number, they line up before their meals and if they do not follow the "rules" then they get hit. In this book, Jennings, the child, lives in 4 different orphanages and in each one, he gets hit and tortured by mean and bitter nuns. It makes me wonder why some people choose to work at orphanages if they hate children so much.

One quote that really touched me when Jennings was asking his friend, Sal, why he should love people, when he just keeps losing them. And Sal said:

The more it hurts, the more you know how special they were to you. If you never liked someone because you were afraid they'd go away, then you'd never know the joy of their friendship. You would always be alone.

So my lesson, keep loving. Even if it hurts to lose someone, be thankful of your time together. And if you love someone, tell them before its too late.

I highly recommend this book - it has changed me.

Also, below are some pictures of the Mayan Ceremony we attended last Monday.