The Last Chapter - 12/9/2007

Melissa and I have been in Washington for several months now, but I am still in love with Belize. It is a third world country with many problems - but to quote Lilo & Stitch, "It is small, and broken ... but it's good." Sometimes I wonder if our year living there actually happened. At times I feel like we woke up from a dream; that living in Central America never actually happened and we've been in Washington this whole time. It went by so quickly and we did and saw so many amazing things that I often can't believe I actually lived that life. The experience permanently changed me and the people we met are unforgettable.

This is a sad entry for me becuase it is just one more reminder that it's all over. This will be my last entry on this blog - the final chapter, though Melissa may have something to add still. From now on my posts will continue on my original blog, Where There Are No Palm Trees.

As hard as it was to leave Belize, I know coming back to Washington was a good thing. The lifestyles are just so different that living in one place makes the reality of the other seem like a dream. It feels like we traded one world for another. We traded beaches for mountains, summer for winter, fireflies for streetlights, and washed-out limestone roads for interstate traffic. We traded the sound of howler monkeys beyond the rainforest trees for the howl of the Sounder train beyond the evergreens. And we traded palm trees in paradise for family and friends.

When we returned to the States, we didn't have jobs or a home to come back to. Now, we live in Auburn, WA in a fancy-shmancy apartment. Seriously - it's set up more like a resort than an apartment. It's brand new (we're the first tenants in this unit - with granite countertops even!) and has a clubhouse for us to enjoy as part of the rent we pay. It includes a sports court, decently equipped gym, pool, spa, theater room, common kitchen and living room which can be used for private functions, a cafe with free coffee, tea, and continental breakfasts, free internet and television, cooking & exercise classes ... it's crazy!

I ended up taking a High School teaching position at Auburn Moun-tainview High School. I teach 10th Grade English and one class of 11th Grade Reading. My kids are fun and I love my job. Our school was built in 2005, overlooking the famous landmark Mt. Rainier. Melissa also has a new job - she has recently been hired by King County Juvenile Probation, so she's back in the game doing what she loves to do. God has blessed us in amazing ways!

Though we have finished the last chapter on Belize, the book is not over. We are now working on writing a new chapter for our life together under the cloud cover of Western Washington, planning visits with our friends in Central America, and re-acquainting ourselves with old friends and family in the States. Through it all, we carry with us the warmth that Belize and its people have left in our hearts, basking in its tropical heat wherever we go...

Reality Check - 7/6/07

What a crazy month it has been! This was the first view of home we caught from the air as we made our final descent into Seattle, Washington on June 16th, 2007. Our last view of Belize was palm trees and sun. Our first view of Washington was Mount Rainier and snow. It is a breathtaking view, but it made us cold just to see it!

Since we have been home we have visited nearly all of our family and many many friends. We've also spent time with friends that feel like family (that's you Rodenbecks!) and family who feel like good friends (yup Ryan and Lindsey, you guys rock!) Since we've been back we have been to the mall, sipped drinks at Starbucks, shopped at Old Navy, browsed in huge book stores, gone to the theater, eaten at a great Mexican restaurant, taken a wine cruise on the lake, and so many other things we were dying to do while we were in Belize! We are having a blast, but boy do we miss Belize! I actually feel homesick for some of the sights and people that I miss so much. Here is a quick list-

Susy: I miss your kids and our times at the pool
Lizzle for Shizzle: I miss hearing you say, "Hello my friends!" and our bedtime chats.
Hilda: I miss your great cooking, our chats, lying in your hammock, our great adventures, and of course, the dogs!
Abe: I miss playing Texas Hold'Em, flying around the country, going on grand adventures, and your laugh!
Marg, Margaret, Susy, Susanna, Tina, Corrina: I miss our Thursday mornings!
Susie: Thanks for teaching me how to make tamales. I miss your silly son!
Marian: I miss our Wednesday evenings, bible study in your computer room and your crazy boys!
Cynthia: I miss your smile, never knowing what your thinking, and your "zany-ness"

There are more, so many people were generous to us during our stay, there are so many people who made us feel comfortable and welcome. Thank you all, you are the reason we miss Belize so much.

I absolutely want to visit again. Thank you for a wonderful and unforgettable year!

By the way: this isn't quite our last post. Keep checking for our official sign-off!

225/75R15 - 5/30/07

Melissa and I just finished celebrating our two year anniversary down South. We found ourselves taking a little side trip, however. As we were heading back into the mountains toward Belmopan, we passed several orchards; the orange groves growing right next to the side of the road. Melissa wished to herself that she could get a closer look at them. That’s only funny in hindsight.

As we were driving along with the windows down, we suddenly heard a terrible screaming noise from the edge of the trees, keeping pace with the truck and causing us to think some unknown jungle animal had flown toward us and was now following along, jaws open wide and talons ready to attack. When our reality checks were cashed, we realized we had only blown a tire. The truck needs an alignment, and on these roads it didn’t take long for the rubber to wear down. After it blew open there was a hole in the side of the tire large enough for a toucan to nest in. Lucky for us, there was no cell service and we were in the middle of nowhere. Wait … that’s not luck.

We tried to get the tire off, only to realize our jack was in fact broken. We had passed a large, walled mountainside estate about a half mile down the road that may or may not have been the home of an international drug lord, so we started walking toward it looking for help. That’s when we noticed the clouds on the horizon. The beginning of June marks the beginning of rainy season, and the clouds indicated that this year’s rains would arrive right on schedule.

Alongside the wall of the house we met Miguel, who was able to find a jack for us behind the compound. We started back toward the truck, just as the rains hit. Rains here are surprising in two ways. One, they are almost exactly like standing under a waterfall. Two, the rain is warm so the water soaking through your underwear is surprisingly refreshing. At first, anyway…

Miguel came along to help, and another local stopped to assist as well. Between the four of us, we were not able to get the tire off the truck. Our only other option was to walk to the nearest phone – which the big house did not have. Melissa and I started to walk in the rain when a woman and her young son emerged from the orchard and told us of the citrus company a mile down the road that had a phone we could use. We walked with her, keeping in mind the lodge Melissa read about in our guide book as we passed this way a couple days earlier.

We arrived at the rusted, rickety gates of the Hummingbird Hershey Citrus Company, Ltd to call the nearby resort. Caves Branch Lodge had vacancy, so we asked for the guest shuttle to pick us up, take us to the truck to get our bags, and to the lodge to dry off. While waiting we learned that the citrus company’s building was once a research outpost for the Hershey chocolate company. They grew nothing there, only used it for “research.” I’m really not sure why Hershey would need a field station in the middle of nowhere and outside the jurisdiction of the FDA and US laws just to figure out how to improve their chocolate … maybe to come up with exciting Wonka-like flavors or search for oompa loompas?

When we got to the secluded, romantic lodge we explained our situation to Oscar, the head handyman. We told him we were comfortable leaving the truck there until tomorrow when we could take a taxi to Belmopan and buy a new tire. He wasn’t comfortable with that. So, he had George, a Romanian in Belize who could only communicate in Spanish, get a tire and drive me to the truck while Melissa played Scrabble with a girl who worked at the lodge. Nothing is simple however. We arrived to discover:

• The tire wouldn’t fit (the holes were too large.)
• George had a bad battery in his truck, which died after we parked leaving two decrepit trucks alongside the highway. “Now that’s what I call ironic.”
• The once-a-year hatching of the “rain bugs” that accompanies the first rain shower had since happened and our truck was swarming with a thick cloud of black-winged termites that can find their way under any clothing. Pestilence, or vacation? You decide!
• After a running start in George’s truck, we went back to Watchman Mitch at the Hershey Co. to ask for a tire, which he had – but without air.
• I had to guard the truck (it was now dark) while George and Miguel took the tire to the big house to put air in it.
• The tire would not hold air, so I had to guard the truck again while George returned to the lodge to try to find a different one. I stood by the road in the rain with a crow bar. I’m handy.
• George returned with Oscar, who knew that the crow bar I held as a weapon was also used to stick in the small hole between the bumper and tail gate. It is the “key” that lowers the spare to the ground, though that’s not how it works in any of the vehicles owned by the people trying to help us. What a versatile tool! It is a weapon, lug wrench, key, crow bar, and I’m sure it could also be used as a shoe horn and back scratcher. Every home should have one of these things.
  

I finally rolled in to Caves Branch for dinner to find Melissa had been adopted by a kind family from Texas. The lodge employees didn’t want her to eat alone, so they asked other guests to sit with her so she wouldn’t have a chance to worry or feel lonely. We spent the rest of the night and next day enjoying our stay at a lush, romantic jungle resort as an unplanned end to our anniversary celebration. We left with some souvenirs: a great T Shirt, road rash from working on the tire, bug bites from standing in the rain at night, and a bag of wet clothing.

Though it was an unexpected detour, the lodge and the tours available there were top notch. I highly recommend checking it out – but on purpose.

Marriage is Paradise, 50% of the time – 5/28/07

One thing we’ve learned about living in Belize is that time seems to move faster here than anywhere else we’ve been. It seems like back home, the weeks moved slowly; we were always saying, “Great, it’s Monday … again.”

Strangely, in Belize we’ve noticed the opposite. The weeks fly by, and it seems we’re always saying, “Wow, it’s Friday again!” In the blink of an eye a year has gone by – school is over, we’re getting ready to move back to the States, and our 2nd year anniversary came and went. Two years already! We celebrated our anniversary this week in Hopkins, a Garifuna village down South in the Stann Creek district. Fitting, considering we spent our honeymoon in Placencia – by another Garifuna village in Stann Creek.

Hopkins isn’t as well known as Placencia, but Belizeans seem to prefer it. It’s no wonder. Most of the mainland in Belize has no beach along the coast, only mangroves. Hopkins and Placencia are the main exceptions. Lucky for us, low season in Hopkins (when the rates drop) starts at the beginning of May rather than the beginning of June. And, you get the best deal if you just show up. Without a reservation, you usually get a 20% discount, though I wouldn’t attempt that during the busy season.

So, we drove down the scenic Humminbird highway that snakes through the Maya Mountains from the capital of Belmopan to the coast. Those mountains are as lush and green as the Cascades, but tropical. Giant Cohune Palms (which look like up-side down feather dusters) pierce the rainforest canopy covering the narrow, towering peaks. It’s a sight I’m glad we were able to appreciate before leaving.

Once in Hopkins, you basically have 3 choices for fancy resorts. Belizean Dreams, Jaguar Reef, and Parrot Cove. Belizean Dreams was both fancy-shmancy and hoity-toity. Parrot Cove was nice, but for our anniversary we wanted a bit more. Jaguar Reef was juuuust right. It’s the choice Goldilocks would have made. The beach at the resort was beautiful, and it was close enough to the village center to bicycle in. They had a nice restaurant, friendly staff who insist on memorizing your name when you check in, AC, kayaks, bikes, and snorkels to use, two pools, wireless internet, massages under the cabana on the dock, and most amazing of all – a remote-controlled ceiling fan. I mean, let’s get serious here folks – that is pretty awesome.

The people at the resort and in the village itself were unbelievably friendly. They certainly make a tourist feel welcome. We biked into the village to look at the gift shop and get some exercise. We stopped at the local market, and while waiting in line the woman in front of us turned and began talking to Melissa. She asked if Melissa wanted to hear the music she was listening to, then put her headphones to Melissa’s ears. She then mentioned that if we liked it, she would burn us a copy and gave us her phone number. That’s not really the typical mindset in most resort towns.

Most of the time though we spent at the resort, swimming in the pool or on the beach. Even though there were not many people staying at the resort, the guests we did meet were also celebrating marriage. Most were on their honeymoon, with one or two other couples celebrating an anniversary. It was then that I realized Melissa and I have spent half of our marriage living in paradise. Half in the States, half in Belize. How cool is that! Though, many of the honeymooning couples we met were able to say they’ve spent almost 100% of their marriage in Belize. Oh well. On a side note, a shout-out to Miller’s Pub in downtown Chicago. Hope you enjoyed your trip. Melissa and I met the owner and his new wife at the poolside bar. Thanks for the T Shirt!

Though we realize marriage isn’t always going to involve glamorous locations, it has still been an amazing first two years. Our cup has been filled to overflowing and we are both ready to start the next chapter in our life. It was obvious from the beginning that marriage isn’t easy, but we’ve learned that at least half the time it is paradise…

"Your mom's an 'effing' Legend!" - 5/22/07

This statement was uttered by a particularly drunk, but very well-meaning, Irish student on our third evening in Caye Caulker. But, I am getting a little ahead of myself…

Mom was here a total of 10 days and we had a great time. It was really nice to have someone to show around this beautiful country. Mom has a great adventurous spirit, so she was ready for all we were willing to dish out! After Chan Chich, we headed back through Blue Creek and out toward Belize City, making a stop at the Mayan ruins of Lamanai. We have 2 previous blogs about Lamanai, so I won’t go into all the history and what-not. I just want to say that mom climbed the ruins, braved the Central American mosquitoes, dodged the army ants, searched for and hooted at howler monkeys like a local. We had an amazing time and got some wonderful pictures.

That night we continued to Belize City where we spent one night and caught a water taxi to Caye Caulker the following morning. We arrived on the island and began the sweaty task of finding a hotel for 4 nights. Yes, I know what you are thinking, you think we should have made reservations somewhere. Well, low season locals know it is better to ask around for a room than to make a reservation because you are more likely to get a good deal. So, we found two great rooms with A/C and cable that were right on the beach. Mission accomplished, it was time to find out what the island had in store for us.

We signed up for the same sunset tour Nathan and I took on our last trip to the Caye. So, at 5 pm, we and about 10 sunburned tourists set sail. It was a beautiful evening. The sun sets behind the island, so they sailed a few miles out and we watched the sun disappear and the stars and moon grew brighter all around us. Stop for a moment and try to picture this. The gentle rocking of a sailboat inside the reef, the sound of the water against the side. The wind is blowing gently, bringing the clean, refreshing smell of the ocean along with it. The only light you see is the streetlights on the distant island and the glow of the heavens. And then the raucous sound of a half dozen Irish college students bellowing drinking songs at the top of their lungs. …Oh yeah, there was also lots of rum punch. As soon as we set sail, they chopped up some delicious fresh conch ceviche- which, for some of us, was the only food we had had since breakfast. After they finished making the ceviche, they began passing around pitchers of rum punch which they had all prepared in a 5 gallon jug. Yes, the surroundings were beautiful, paradise even, but everyone knows that Caribbean + tourists = rum!

Anyway, the college students were singing Irish drinking songs and my mom was teaching them YMCA camp songs in return. They also taught me an Irish phrase which they told me meant, “Hello, nice to meet you.” But, surprise, surprise, it doesn’t mean that at all. It means something much more offensive. So, the boat docked about 2 hours later and we continued the rest of our vacation, which included getting some food in our stomachs.

It was two days later that Nathan and I came across the charming young man who provided the title of this blog. He saw us, immediately recalled the evening with mom on the sailboat, and wanted to wake her up and have her come drinking with him and the rest of the college students. Reggie you’re right, this certainly is a new world.

We also went on our final snorkeling tour while we were on the Caye. Mom was not excited about snorkeling because she had only gone once before in Cancun, which has no reef and was recently hit by a major hurricane. But, she was awestruck by the beauty of the barrier reef in Belize! We saw some striking bright blue coral, TONS of beautiful fish that would cost a small fortune at a pet shop back home, sting rays, sharks, a moral eel and 2 bottle-nosed dolphins all backdroped by beautiful sun-soaked coral. Mom, who before this trip wasn’t excited about either sailing or snorkeling, can now be classified as an “enthusiast.” It was the perfect day for our last snorkeling trip in Belize.

We headed back to the mainland on Tuesday the 23rd and made two more tourist stops with mom. We went to the Belize Zoo and got some great pictures of the local wildlife and Old Belize, which is like the “Old West” of Belize, where you can purchase great wooden souvenirs. Finally, we headed back to the Radisson for dinner and mom’s final sleep in Belize. Dropping her off at the airport the next day was sad, until we realized we could say, “See you in three weeks!” It was a great way to end an unforgettable trip.

Fancy Schmancy - 5/19/07

We are staying at Chan Chich Lodge in Gallon Jug, Belize. Mom arrived in Belize on Tuesday the 14th and enjoyed seeing our daily life in Blue Creek but was anxious to begin sight-seeing. We planned a day trip to Chan Chich, so she could walk in a real rain forest, see monkeys, and have a look at some ruins. But, she couldn't resist the beautiful thatch-roofed cabanas and so, here we are. Nathan and I have been to this spot for day trips on several occasions, but this is our first time staying over night. We have enjoyed the manicured lawns, the grass-covered ruins, the playful primates, and the colorful birds. Now we have enjoyed the feather beds, double head, rain-water shower, beautiful hot tub and pool, and, as you already saw, the bidet. Each time we come to Chan Chich we experience something new and different. I can honestly say that bidet was..."different."

Mom had a great time at the ruins and really enjoyed the hike through the rain forest. She saw spider monkeys and listened the roar of howler monkeys while relaxing on our porch during her morning devotions. There were so many great pictures of the hotel and grounds that I just had to do a slide show. If you are ever curious about the world that inspired "Apocolypto", Chan Chich is a great place to explore their world. Our cabana was surrounded on three sides with Mayan buildings and the entire resort is built on what was once the market area in the middle of dozens of Mayan temples, oratories, and residence buildings. All of the Mayan architecture in this site remains covered. The owner of the site believes this will help preserve the buildings. So, since mom wasn't able to see what the actual ruins look like, we will take her to Lamanai tomorrow.

Enjoy the slide show and I hope it inspires you to visit Chan Chich!

It's A Wonderful Life - 5/18/07

Scorpions underneath. Detention ahead. Tarantulas behind, boxes every-where. Crabby kids. Hot wind. Mangoes and exams; Ascension Day and wet chalkboards – overflowing garbage cans and final goodbyes.

These are the sights and sounds of a school year ending in Belize. I watched as my classroom was turned upside down and the books boxed up for the summer break. The desks and chairs were stacked in the corner and the kids ran excitedly from school like lizards on hot sand – most of whom I will never see again. Others I will still run into at church or in the community before we leave for good – which will be on June 14th. It is bittersweet because although I hate to say goodbye to everything and everyone here, it will be so much fun visiting friends and family again.

Melissa and I enjoyed an unforgettable, life-changing year in Belize. Through it all, there were steady reminders that I am in fact teaching in a foreign country – besides the view of the sprawling savannah of Belize outside one window and the hills and wide valley of Mexico out the other. For example, my students were almost all bilingual and many spoke with Low German accents. When my students didn’t like something, they might describe it in their Mennonite German by saying it’s “for sheet.” And only in Belize would a student come to school Monday morning pointing out bite marks on her legs and arm from where she was attacked by a monkey over the weekend. Only in Belize would a student say after coming to school, “I had a scorpion in my pants this morning.” Only in Belize would I walk to school and have a shard of painted Mayan pottery poke through the heel of my sandal and stab me in the foot. Only in Belize would our neighbors complain of the swarm of killer bees that nested outside the door of what used to be our apartment (which also serves as the general store.) Only in Belize would my students bring me gifts of tropical fruit throughout the year. By the way – did you know that cashews come from a fruit that looks like Dr. Seuss designed it? Cashewfruit is crazy looking, and delicious! (The More You Know….)

Throughout this experience I have seen that God has truly filled our cup to overflowing. Why us? Why have we been given so much? I can’t say. The only thing I can say is “thanks” and “to God be the glory.” We have been so blessed.

I had a terrific school year, but it came to a screeching halt at noon on Wednesday, and I’ve been busy with report cards and permanent records since then. The last two weeks were actually quite difficult. My kids – bless ‘em – got it into their heads that teachers have no authority after school on the last day of the year. Therefore, in their perfectly logical junior high minds, that meant they could try to earn a detention by the last day and then skip out on it since I would have no recourse. Or so they thought…

Now, this age group poses its own special challenges as it is, with their broken junior high brains and all. Add to that situation 76% of them trying to earn a detention. How fun was that! Oh boy, I wish I could do that every day! It was just swell! And even the best kids get crabby when you’re only days away from summer break.

In the end, two kids did in fact earn a detention on the last day – they pushed it just far enough. Unbeknownst to them, I had already discussed the situation with the board and cleared “extracurricular activities” for students to participate in on the last day of school. The parents were called, and after serving a lunch detention on the last day of school, the two lucky winners stayed behind all afternoon on what was supposed to be a half day to help me count books and organize the bookshelves of the student library. A real class party, Mr. Lemanski style!

Really though, even at their worst these kids are great. This community has been blessed with a whole generation of good kids.

But good or bad, the school year is over, and Melissa’s mom arrived on Tuesday to visit us before we go home. That put us in “tour guide” mode. So now we’re at a resort in the jungle together and I’m slowly unwinding. As we were sitting in the lounge sipping rum punch, listening to parrots and smelling tropical wildflowers growing at a plush resort in Central America, I thought to myself, “Wow, now that the school year is over, all three of us here are unemployed.” So now I’m wondering, “Why do so many people complain about being unemployed?” I think it’s terrific! In fact, I may never work again…

In the meantime, we’re preparing for the process of returning to los estados unidos. It will be most bueno. I hope to be able to see as many people as possible as soon as possible, because I miss you all! So, see you soon and take care!

N8

Grad Trip '07! - 5/6/06

This weekend, Nathan and I were invited to go back in time to our Senior year of High School as we chaperoned the 12th grade class trip to San Pedro (Ambergris Caye to you Americans). It was a blast but "ooooo eeee!" you couldn't pay me to be a High School girl again! There was more attitude and cutting girl remarks than I remember experiencing at good ol' Henry Foss High School!

There were 12 of us in all; 8 girls, 2 boys, and Nathan and I. The boys were in HEAVEN on that island surrounded by tanned bikini-clad women! I could write an entire blog about the boys and call it "Mennonite Boys Gone Wild" but since so many Blue Creekers read this, I'll just say, "a good time was had by all." Nearly all of the girls bought bikinis (the height of Blue Creek rebellion) and they all giggled when they wore them together in the pool (after dark.)

All but two of the kids had their hair braided and the boys went on a SNUBA trip. SNUBA is a cross between snorkeling and SCUBA. You have oxygen like SCUBA, but the tanks stay on the boat and you have a tube that connects to the tank. SNUBA allows you to stay underwater for about 30 mins. and swim at about 20 feet without having to be SCUBA certified. The boys also proved to be smarter than the rest of us. They decided to spend the $10 BZ to rent bikes for a few days. This made getting around a lot quicker and cooler!

While the kids were running around the island, spending money and having a blast, Nathan and I mostly hung out at the amazing resort which had a private beach (very very rare on the island) and a beautiful pool. We have already been on so many trips and are planning to spend lots of $$ when mom comes to visit next week, so we tried to make this trip as cheap as possible! It wasn't too difficult either, since we all raised the money for the lodging and we made our own meals! I tell you, these kids know how to travel: Spend all your money on an AWESOME place and just make sure it has a kitchen! We brought 2 coolers of food along with a suitcase and a cardboard box filled with "snacks." We were set.

I don't want to make it sound like we didn't perform our chaperon duties. We made sure all the students and luggage made it to the island and back home. We also cooked all the meals and did all of the clean up. We went into town with the kids the first few times and we, of course, set down a few ground rules. But, these are good kids. When so many kids are getting alcohol poisoning from drinking games and sleeping around on their Senior Trips, these kids rebelled by swimming in the pool after hours (even though they still asked our permission), buying bikinis they won't wear without shorts and Cuban cigars that they won't smoke. Chaperoning this group wasn't too tough.

So, another great weekend with fun company. My tan is a little darker and I have stayed at yet, another, georgous hotel in Belize. I am going to miss this!

School Picnic - 4/14/07

Can you believe it's almost over? This year has just flown by! School is out one month from tomorrow and things are quickly winding down.

Every year, the Linda Vista School holds an annual picnic to bring the community together to celebrate the end of the school year. This year, it was held a few weeks early because they wanted to have the pictures from the picnic in the yearbook - which hasn't happened in previous years. It was a lot of fun, but strange for the teachers who were here last year since they have to go back to work the Monday after the end-of-the-year picnic.

Though it was a lot of fun, the dry season is here full force. A couple days ago, it was a reported 112 degrees outside with 60% humidity. It felt about the same yesterday, too. On the way to the park, I experienced a sensation I'd never felt before. When I exhaled, the air from my nostrils actually felt cooler against my upper lip than the air outside. Now that's stinkin hot!

Anyway, the picnic followed tradition, beginning with games held by each class and ending with a community supper. We were divided by level, so my group included grades 6-8. Our games included several of the old-time favorites such as "Thaw Mr. Lemanski's sock from the block of ice" and "Pull the nylon with the orange in it off the other guy's head using your own nylon with the orange in it on top of your head." I'm pretty sure these games have their roots in Mennonite tradition dating back to Europe circa the late 1500's. Always innovators, these people.

We also had a camel-back egg toss, and a relay race where each team member had to run across the field, drink an ideal (a melted fruit ice-pop), and run back to tag the next person on the team to do the same. The kids had a good time and it helped fight the heat. Not the most restful Saturday possible for the teachers, but it's all part of working at the Linda Vista School! Today is mostly recuperation from the festivities, and back to work tomorrow. Of course, we have another 4 day week ahead of us, so it won't be too bad. And at the end of May, Melissa's mom is coming down to visit! It's going to be exciting taking touring around with her, and a great way to end an exciting year before packing up and preparing to head back to the States.

But there's still plenty of time! If anyone else wants to visit us before mid June, book your tickets now! We'd love to host you and show you around as well!

As always, we love and miss you all and hope to hear from you soon!

N8

I LOOOOVE THIS MAN!

Mayan Riviera - 4/6/07

Today marks our last full day in the Mayan riviera. This has been an amazing getaway from work and from moody junior high students. So relaxing! Who could ask for anything more? Wide, white beaches, palm trees, sunny weather, clear Caribbean blue water, good food, good drink, and great company. We are so blessed! Though today ended up being overcast, we've both darkened a lot on this trip. The sun shines hot here!

Playa del Carmen is a beautiful city, too. It looks more European than Mexican. It has the feel of a Spanish city with the countless sidewalk cafes and striking architecture. What I've found most interesting about this city is that even though it's spring break, and there's a strong American influence, the mix of people here is very different from Cancun - which is just two hours North of here. Though there are a lot of American tourists here, there are more Mexicans and Europeans.

And, it really may have one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It's similar to Cancun's beach, but without any rocks, more sand, and hardly any waves. I've never before been able to float on my back in the ocean with my eyes closed without having to worry about the waves crashing over me. It's crazy! The large island of Cozumel is just across the water - you can see the skyline of some larger hotels from the beach here. We think maybe the island keeps the ocean current from crashing against the shore and creating large waves and a strong riptide. It's safe enough for children to swim in, and there are lots of them here. This definitely seems to be more of a family destination than a tourist town centered on alcohol and bad decisions.

This morning Melissa and I went to a large protestant church for Easter service. We stopped by last night to check on the service times and were greeted warmly this morning by the woman we had spoken to. As well as the rest of the congregation, of course. It was such a good service! We were familiar with most of the songs because we sang them in our church back home, and they projected the Spanish lyrics on the wall, allowing us to join in. For the most part, the pastor spoke slowly enough that Melissa was able to catch the gist of it without having me translate it for her. Every now and then, though, he would get really excited and talk really fast, then we'd both get confused. It was a great message, but the music was my favorite part.

This is a very musical city overall. In the evening there is always music playing at different places along fifth avenue - which is a few miles long. There are always street musicians and a couple mariachi bands playing, and last night a newlywed couple walked the length of the avenue to their reception with a mariachi band following them, and the wedding party and guests right behind. It's funny - I was watching the crowd pass by the band when I noticed that most of the Mexican people who passed just couldn't contain themselves. They'd be walking walking walking, then when in front of the band they'd shake shake shake, maybe a twirl, then they'd pass the band and continue walking normally as if nothing happened - usually without interrupting the conversation they were already having. What a fun country!


Tomorrow however we return to reality. Though our bus doesn't leave until mid afternoon, so we'll still enjoy the afternoon sun and a quiet morning on the beach. We're thinking of catching a movie while in Chetumal before crossing the border back into Belize since it's been awhile since our last flick. Thank you, cinepolis!

I hope everyone else enjoyed their Easter Sunday and spring break if it's nearby. I'd love to hear from y'all. Let us know how you're doing too!

Love and miss my friends and family!

N8

Hunting, Mennonite Style! - 3/22/07

Some of you will be horrified at this posting and others will say, “What’s the big deal?”

Most of us grow up in the Western World where wildlife is generally seen on TV and in zoos. At my mom’s house, in the city, I grew up thinking raccoons were “nuisances” who got into our garbage. At my dad’s house, raccoons were furry, territorial animals who challenged our cats for their food and ate plums off our trees. At my Grandmom’s house, raccoons were fuzzy, clever animals we left food out for and watched, with big smiles and giggles as they took our dinner scraps and carefully washed each piece of food before eating it or sharing it with their young.

In Belize, raccoons are nasty, dirty animals who live in the rice fields and destroy the farmer’s crops. They are mean, they are not afraid of dogs or of people, and they will bite, scratch, and attack. In a 3rd World Country, without PETA and the WWF, people are left to themselves to defend their farms and cattle from wild animals. Here in Blue Creek it is always “Open Season” on crocodiles, alligators, cougars, and raccoons who threaten their livelihood.

So, one evening my friend, Susy, called me and said, “We’re going hunting! Wanna come?” I said, “What are you hunting?” “Raccoons, gators, whatever we find in the rice fields.” “Sure,” I said, “What about the girls?” (Referring to their 2 -and 4-year olds.) “They’re coming too! Get ready, we’ll come get you!” So, since Nathan had a meeting and I had no plans that evening, I jumped into Paul and Susy's truck and sped off to help save the young rice buds from the terrible creatures that would seek to eat and destroy them before they could mature to become yummy meals of Belizean rice & beans.

So, I get in the truck and Megan (the 4-year-old) says, “We’re going hunting Melissa, daddy’s going to kill a gator and I am going to jump in the water and kill it too!” ….Alright, Megan….wow, so this is what it’s like to grow up in Belize….If a probation kid talked like this I would assume it was indicative of some terrible childhood trauma, order a psych evaluation and get ready for a long battle with mental health professionals, the Court, and irresponsible parents….But here, it’s just called “family time!” Megan was very excited and Kate was also in great spirits. They posed for the camera and were silly little giggly girls in all their glory!

Our mission was to seek and destroy any and all animals posing a threat to the rice fields. The girls, Susy, Megan, Kate and I, were in the truck, driving and navigating. The boys, Paul and Corney, Susy’s husband and lil bro, and faithful Rusty, were standing in the back of the truck with the guns, ammo, spotlights and all the other “many” stuff.

After about 5 mintues of driving around, Susy stopped the truck and yelled to Paul, “Do you see it!?” Paul said “yup!” and the girls immediately covered their ears. I was completed confused….see what? What are we doing? Why did we stop? Then Megan yelled, COVER YOUR EARS MELISSA IT’S LOUD!” ..What’s loud….BANG ”Aaaah!” …oh that…You see, when you’re sitting in a metal truck and a man is in the back of that same metal truck with a loaded gun, when he shoots that gun, Megan’s right, it’s LOUD! So, with one nasty man-eating-rice-crop-destroying crocodile down, we continued our crusade.

Next, it was Rusty’s turn to shine as we spotted several raccoons in the middle of the rice field. Paul and Rusty jumped out of the truck and ran to confront the enemy on the front lines. You could hear the raccoons from the truck and we could also tell when Rusty was injured because he let out a classic hound dog yelp/howl. After about 10 minutes of screaming raccoons and howling dog, Paul comes into view with 2 raccoons. One is an older, bigger one which is near dead and which Paul quickly puts out of its misery. The other is a juvenile, not full-grown, but not a baby either. He holds it up for the girls to see and I think it looks kinda cute. Of course Megan immediately says, “Don’t kill it daddy, let’s keep it!” It was very cute, silently hanging there by its tail, until Paul tried to touch it. Then, it spat and let out a nasty hiss that scared the girls and reminded met that, although cute, raccoons are nasty little wild animals. In the end, Paul wouldn’t kill it, he said it was too young to kill. He thought it was old enough to survive on its own, so I am sure they will just end up killing it on their next hunting trip. I’m not really sure which option is the more humane. But again, this is all new to me, I’ve never had to defend my livelihood against a troop of wildlife. There aren’t a lot of mountain lions rallying to pick of my probation kids….and somehow if there were I don’t think I would fight them….Of course I’m kidding.

Anyway, throughout the night, they killed 2 crocodiles and 3 or 4 raccoons. I guess that’s what you call a successful hunt. I don’t think it did a whole lot to save the rice, but I am sure that every little bit helps. The girls seemed to have fun, the dog had a blast, the men got to hold guns and shoot stuff and Susy and I got to keep each other company in the truck and tell the guys what good hunters they were. So, in the end, everyone but the animals were winners. And no matter what you think now, when you see my crocodile tooth necklace, you’re going to think it’s pretty cool.

Caye Caulker, Take 2 - 3/26/07

Okay, so we've been busy. Plus, it seems for the past week and a half all computers in Blue Creek have been allergic to Blogger. I can finally post, yay! It won't let me upload pix though, so those will follow. A quick recap on what has been going on.

• Third Quarter officially came to an end on March 9th
• We had our biannual Science Fair on March 15th
• We had a school holiday on March 16th - 3 day weekend! Woo Hoo!
• I sent report cards home on March 19th with only one student in serious danger!
• My class went to the zone elimination spelling bee in Trinidad today while I stayed back to teach my two high school Spanish classes. Easy day!
• Today there was no class again as the junior high traveled to Orange Walk Town for the PSEs (the Belizean version of the WASL).
• Easter Break is coming up! We will be out of school from April 5-10. Fun fun! We are planning to visit Playa Del Carmen in Mexico and stay at the Quinta Sol – about two hours closer to us than Cancun with a similar beach.
• Melissa has been keeping busy with 3 book studies and being an all around AWESOME person.

So, things have been pretty busy around here. Luckily though, those PSEs don't have near the impact on our schools as the WASL back home. Only Standard 6 students take it (Grade 8) and it has no effect on what happens in the classroom or graduation - it's just a measurement by the government for demographic reports.

Also, we recently got back from an awesome trip to Caye Caulker. I just love that island! It is so relaxing. We once again stayed at the Barefoot Caribe - which lucky for us does not accept reservations so we're almost guaranteed vacancy whenever we show up on the island. Most places were full of Canadians celebrating their spring break. We went on a an all day sailboat and snorkeling tour of the Barrier Reef, leaving from Caye Caulker and heading North to Ambergris Caye. We visited the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve, Shark Ray Alley (with rays and nurse sharks), and the Hol Chan Marine Reserve off of Ambergris Caye.

Hol Chan is the Mayan term for "Narrow Passage" and describes a break in the reef leading to open ocean, with the white caps of the waves crashing over the reef marking the barrier between snorkeling waters and the deep blue sea. In the center of this channel is a buoy that we're not allowed to swim past, because the current moving through the reef is strong enough to carry you out to sea. We swam along the edge of this channel, looking down on the huge coral and animals, only to look up and see that we had moved beyond the magic barrier created by that buoy. Hmmm….now if I were the guide, we would not be this far out. But the current was not strong and we swam all over, it was so much fun!

We sailed slowly on the way back, enjoying about five gallons of rum punch while getting to know the other people on the boat. At one point, the boat slowed a bit and one of the guides jumped out with his flippers on and came up with two live conch. He pulled them out of their shell on the side of the boat and cut them up for the fresh conch ceviche he made for us to enjoy. Conch shells are beautiful, but the animals themselves are UG-LY! At one point, the guide pulled a clear, worm-like piece out of the center of the conch and swallowed it, calling it the "power of the conch." He did the same with the next one and gave it to a tourist to swallow – which he did. No thank you, sir. I'm on vacation, not Fear Factor.

The Canadian group we met was fun enough to make plans with – we all got together for dinner at the world-famous streetside barbecue of Jolly Roger. I recommend the Barracuda. It wasn't quite as much fun as the night before however, when Melissa and I decided to go from restaurant to restaurant across the island to see who actually had the best rum punch. In the end, I decided it was that one place across from the big palm tree along the sandy road near the beach. Mmm…that one place.

So, until our next entry! Write us, we love hearing from home! Oh, and Angel, email me. Everything I send to you still bounces back. Talk to all of you later!

Love,

N8