Xela Xenanigans

Brekkie  

After the morning Spanish classes, we got to listen to Dr. Fredy Salanic speak about the Guatemalan health system and diabetes. As we listened to him speak about health and some of the prevalent problems Guatemala faces, it seemed like the country has adequate resources, maybe even an abundance. It's so unfortunate and bizarre that all these problems arise because they aren't being allocated fairly and because many Guatemalans just aren't aware that these problems even exist. My Spanish teacher also talked about how the health system is very good in theory, because treatment is free most of the time or at very low cost. However, it isn't working in reality because of corruption and lack of resources. It's frustrating because it seems like many of the problems can be alleviated if the wealth and resources were properly allocated. It's crazy to realize how crucial education and being aware of what's happening around you is to society. Even though Guatemala ...

Monday morning started off with the usual Spanish classes. Had my first doblada today! Will be getting more of these fried pockets of gold in the future for sure. After Spanish class our next activity was watching documentaries on health around the world. The first documentary was about the incredibly successful public health system in Cuba, despite the prevalence of poverty in the country. It was so fascinating to see how resourceful and effective the health system was in Cuba. There was an abundance of doctors, and the interaction between the doctor and patient was very personalized, with doctors living in every community in close contact with their patients. The documentary also talked about the lack of doctors in rural areas, and as a result these areas do not get the adequate level of health care they deserve. As someone who aspires to become a doctor, I always told my parents I want to go to medical school in the city and become a doctor in the city, avoiding rural areas. ...

Friday morning we took a boat to a hospital in Santiago. The boat ride was super fun! Zipping across the lake, surrounded by volcanoes, it was an incredible experience. The hospital was a beautiful facility, with lots of natural light and incredibly resourceful architecture. However, we noticed that there weren't that many patients - the hospital was fairly empty. This is so odd because it was a great facility, and also offered medical treatment at no or very low costs. This brought up the discussion of what was missing between the doctors and the patients. Even though a hospital could have the best doctors, treatment, and science, if the patients don't feel comfortable and understood in the setting, they won't want to go. I've been realizing more and more how crucial understanding the patient and the culture, lifestyle they come from should come first and foremost.  Saturday was our free day to explore Atitlán! Before anything else, I gotta talk about h...

Woke up at 5 AM to go to Lake Atitlán! The view on the way was incredible. The view of the clouds sitting amongst the volcanoes and mountains was nothing like I’ve ever seen before. The nature and landscape of Guatemala is just beyond words.  Listening to Doña Sebastian talk about her life and the different aspects of natural medicine was super interesting, nothing like anything I would be able to hear about in a lecture or typical class. Because I'm bombarded by general science classes in school, I never really thought about health and medicine through a perspective other than a biological, scientific one. It was really eye-opening to experience such a different means of medicine.  On the way to the lake we stopped by Chichicastenango, where we walked through the biggest market in Central America and also saw the intersection of the Catholic church and Mayan indigenous religion. It was really interesting to see symbols of such different religions in the s...

Today we had our first Spanish class and met our teachers. My teacher’s name is Rosa and she is super sweet. Unlike typical Spanish classes I’ve taken at school, it was a lot more casual and conversation focused, which was really nice because in a typical classroom setting you rarely get many opportunities to speak one on one with the teacher. It was fun to just see where the conversation takes us, despite my broken Spanish. We talked about food and different cuisines, which I always enjoy talking about. It’s also been really interesting to learn some medical vocab in Spanish.  After the Spanish class we watched a documentary on the history of Guatemala and the civil war that happened. It was shocking to learn how unfairly treated the indigenous people were by US foreign policy, in addition to the fact that so much of world history similar to this isn’t even included in US school curriculum. When I see all the produce and luxury in America, I never really thought ab...

Arrived in Guatemala City on Sunday! After a 4 hour bus ride yesterday, we got to meet our homestay families in Xela. Everyone is so unbelievably sweet and patient, despite my very broken Spanish. There are also two babies in the family, and they are ADORABLE. Even after just a day spending time at the homestay, I realized that yes, language does limit communication but a willingness to connect with people and having an open mind trumps that barrier. I haven't been abroad in a couple years, and never in my life a country like Guatemala that is so different from America. It's been really eye-opening and refreshing to be around a culture and city completely different from the one I'm used to. It's easy to forget that an entire world of different people and cultures exists outside of the bubble I live in, so this month in Guatemala will definitely be a life-changing experience. So excited to explore the country and learn learn learn! Last night was a blast!...