Start of week 3 in PG: This week has been much better in the teaching department (I hope I haven’t jinxed myself). The classroom management has definitely improved and I have been able to use a sense of humor with my students. I am still being more of a lion that I m used to, but an improvement from last week so I will take it. I knew that I had started to solidify my role when I walked into the classroom after break when they were being a little noisy and without having to do or say anything they all stood up and went into prayer. This was something that they didn’t even have to do after this break! It is still challenging in that I have had several assignments that range in marks from 0 to 100%. The routines are getting there slowly but surely, although I still have a ways to go. I played snakes and ladders with an equivalent fractions twist with my students and they seemed to really enjoy it. One slightly chaotic moment was when one of my students noticed a huge spider on the roof of our classroom. The biggest spider I have ever seen! It was hard not to freak out and I told my kids that if he was still there that afternoon we could name him and be our class pet. Outside of teaching life, one of the teachers at the school brought us to the gym in town that he manages. If there was one thing we were missing it was being able to work out here, so we couldn’t have been more excited when he took us there. It will only cost us a whooping $15 US a month. Well worth it. The list of weird foods eaten so far is growing quickly and I can now add iguana and iguana eggs to it. A little boney, but very tender. One day the iguanas were running around our building, the next it was dinner. We splurged today and bought ourselves new bikes. They are the old school cruiser kind with only one gear and you pedal backwards to use the breaks. We look like a scene from the movie ‘Now and Then’ when we are cruising the streets like little kids.

Holey cats, it is hard to believe how long we have already been in Belize for! Sometimes I have to remind myself where I am and that it is in fact the middle of January. I checked the weather in Kenora for fun today and I can report that it is most definitely warmer here than there. My students get a kick out of me telling them how cold it is in Canada. The mornings here are beautiful and we love it sit out on our balcony before heading to school. When else will I ever get to live over the ocean? Trisha and I were talking today about how we have been planning this adventure since we met in 2nd year and now we are actually living it.

Weekend Fun: One of the most popular kinds of music here is Punta Rock. After watching a video of ‘Punta Rock’ dancing, a local took us out dancing to live music. Punta dancing is, well…how can I put this…. a whole lot of booty shaking. As you can imagine my oh so wonderful dancing skills once again came out (I should really learn to be a spectator). We were up bright and early for market on Saturday and Trisha and I ventured into the fish and meat section. Not your typical North American butcher shop that’s for sure! Two locals took us to the outside of town and we went swimming at this small sandy area where a freshwater river meets the ocean. Turns out it is a spot where they have seen alligators and boa constrictors in the past. Yikes. Capped off the evening with a yummy fish dinner and a games night with 3 American volunteers here that are the same age as us and we really enjoy their company. It was our school led mass on Sunday so we were up for 7:30am mass (what happened to sleeping in on the weekends?). We had the American group over for brunch, and thought about planning, but decided to head out and seek out a swimming spot we had been told about. We found our new favourite spot in PG! It’s great for laying on the dock to relax or playing in the ocean (sandy bottom to boot!).

Week 2 in PG: This week was my first official week teaching my class. I was thankful that my first lessons went well, as it’s always good to get the first lessons under your belt. The rest of the week was filled with ups and downs of teaching. Our students have definitely been testing the new foreign teachers and we keep having to remind ourselves ‘to come in like a lion and leave like a lamb’. I don’t think that I’ve had to give so many ‘teacher looks’ in my life. Classroom management has become a big priority and the students don’t seem to respond to positive reinforcement like we are used to in Canadian classrooms. Physical punishment is practiced here, so we will be challenged with creating our own effective disciplinary techniques. My students dislike sweeping the classroom after school, so that has been working well for a punishment. I’m also thankful to have such a supportive mentor teacher. My students are quite lively, so it can be challenging to keep them fairly quiet, especially working in groups. The top of the walls in my classroom is open air to the next classroom, so things can get quite noisy. My students love to be read to so I start every language arts class reading to them. I’ve been trying to establish routine with them and they are never quieter than when I am reading. I was able to get my hands on a series of Robert Munch books and they can’t get enough of it. I only wish that I had a never-ending supply of these stories. It has definitely been an adjustment to plan your lessons without the use of a photocopier and all of the materials we have been spoiled with in our previous placements. It was comforting to here from our teachers and principals that they have been impressed with our teaching thus far and are impressed with how quickly we have adapted. Some of the teachers seemed hesitant about us, but as Trisha says ‘we have killed them with kindness’. I enjoy my students and it’s hard not to burst out laughing at times. They all love to sing and dance and I even had to explain to one student that my name is actually Miss Katie and not Miss Haiti.

Katie’s 9 Random Thoughts:
1. The children here are especially curious of our digital cameras and several have screamed with excitement when they see themselves on the display screen after taking a picture of them.
2. On most days we can look out our window across the ocean and see the shores of Guatemala. We hope to make the hour boat ride on one of our weekends off.
3.The children here ask us for everything that they see you with. I have even had one of my students ask me for a pair of my capris when I leave.
4. Although the stars here at night are much brighter than we are used to, it has been the planets here at night that have really caught our attention. They appear almost as though they are blinking blue and red. The first night I saw them I would have bet the farm that they were planes, but those planes have gone nowhere confirming that they are in fact planets.
5. There are 2 main cultures that make up the area of Belize that we are in: Mayan and Garifuna. The Mayans are the lighter skinned of the two and are known as the Indians to Belize. The Garifuna are known for their unique dancing and music.
6. The locals are quite ‘friendly’ and at times a little too forward for our comfort level. We expected to get looks and stared at, but I don’t think we could have prepared ourselves for the crowd that we draw at times. An example would be when we went to fish market and paid a local to fillet the fish for us. He was giving us suggestions on how to cook it and the next thing we knew was that he was insisting to come home with us and cook it up. Can be hard at times as we want to experience the local flavour, experiences, and hidden secrets, but at the same time we have to keep our guard up being 3 foreign girls.
7. I was asked if I was missing home and I can report that I have yet to feel homesick. I can’t think of anything that I am really missing or craving, but it really makes you appreciate some of things we take for granted at home. I’m thankful I’m here with T-Bum and Melissio and finding a place that serves fantastic ice cream and slushy fruit drinks was a bonus!
8. The district (similar to our provinces) that we live in is called ‘Toledo’ and it seems as though this area is quite religious. Melissio finds this to bring new light to the saying ‘Holy Toledo’.
9. I can now add armadillo to the list of weird foods eaten in Belize.

THANKS TO YOU!!!!!
I would like to say a special thanks to LPIRG at the University of Lethbridge for allowing us to borrow a laptop. You have no idea how useful this has been for us! We have put it to great use in everything from our lesson planning, professional development plans, photo slideshows, and our entertainment system for music and watching Grey’s!

Another gigantic thank you to my Auntie Meran and Edgemont School in Calgary for donating boxes of school supplies, resource books, and children’s books. They have been such a big help to us and a great addition to the school. I have never come across children who love to be read to so much.

January 13 – We were up bright and early this morning and headed off to the market as we have been without fruit and veggies all week . There have been many adjustments for us and grocery shopping is definitely one of these. It took us a few days to find a store that has most things we need as we had been having to hit up a few stores to get enough to make a meal or find what we were looking for. You can only buy fresh fruit and veggies twice a week at the market and you have to be up bright and early (we were told 6am, gulp) to get there in time to get the pick of the crop We were most definitely the only non-locals there, but I think that we faired pretty well. A few of the teachers from school were there so they help point us in the right direction and explained what some of the wacky looking foods were. Momma Delwo (Trisha) whipped us up a great dinner and I don’t think a salad has ever tasted better! Some of the teachers are going to teach us how to cook some Belize dishes, although I don’t think they know just how lacking in the cooking skills we are. Capped off the evening with our addiction to watching Grey’s Anatomy on our laptop. Looking forward to our first morning to sleep in tomorrow since we have arrived in PG.

Week 1 in PG: It was a big relief for me to meet my mentor teacher! She has been very welcoming of me and has a great sense of humor which is a great match for me. My students will be a handful I am sure, all 38 of them! There are 24 boys and 14 girls in my class ranging in ages 9 to 13. Quite the range of abilities as you can imagine. To quote my teacher, ‘they are a lively bunch’. I spent the first week mainly observing and helping out in the classroom to get adjusted to their school system. The students call all of the female teachers ‘Miss’ and I cannot even begin to count how many times I hear it in a day! ‘Miss’ is put before and after everything they ask and they ask a great deal of questions. An example would be: ‘Miss. Can I sharpen my pencil? Miss’. My classroom is a stone throw away from the ocean which I love! (one of the above pictures is taken standing in the doorway) Even when my students are misbehaving, I can just look out the door and watch the ocean. Trisha and Melissa have been doing their best to teach me the ropes of being a Catholic, as the school we are teaching at is a Catholic school. I am not sure what I would have done without them giving me ques on what to do and when to do it. Gramma you can be proud as I now have 'Our Father' down, and 'Hail Mary' is next to learn. I try to fake like I know what I am doing, but I am pretty sure my kids are on to me. I am also getting used to wearing skirts to teach in although it took me a few tries to sit down without my students 'seeing christmas early' as my teacher oh so politely put it. There is only one student in my class who doesn't speak English, and my students don't seem to take advantage of the fact that I don't speak Creol. It was a bit of a challenge to learn their names as they are all pronounced so differently than we would typically say them in Canada. They seem to think it is quite funny though. We have definitely been giving the restaurant on our rooftop lots of business. We thought it would be fun to keep track how often we are there, but I think it’s best we not know. PG is definitely not as tourist based as our earlier destinations, but the locals have been quite friendly (and curious) to us and we keep discovering and learning more everyday. It rained at least once everyday this week, but we don’t really mind as it comes and goes fairly quickly and cools things off. I think that it has been hot out, but my teacher laughs at me and says this is cold for them! Oh gosh, I think I am going to melt away in the heat when it actually gets to be their warmer season. Our apartment has worked out great and is only a 2 minute walk from the school. It is nicer than we expected and right over the ocean!! An amazing view to say the least. We are making out quite well in it considering it’s 3 of us in a 1 bedroom. There is no hot water, so every shower is a refreshing one!

Day 9 – Laz’s brother Joe took us horseback riding through the jungle and to the top of the mountains today. Trisha was right in her element, but Melissa, Aaron (one of the guys we were traveling with) and I were quite the sight at first. I finally seemed to get the hang of it and my horse and I got along beautifully as long as she wasn’t scratching me against trees or going too fast down the mountain. The view from the top was pretty amazing as it was jungle as far as you could see. It was incredible to see the view of the river below and it was hard to believe that it was the same river we were swimming in the day before. After several hours of riding we returned back to meet up with Laz, who was driving us to Punta Gorda. The drive down was quite scenic and we were thankful for such an opportunity. We broke up the drive with a stop at the Blue Hole National Park where we swam in a pool between underground cave systems. After several hours of driving, we found ourselves no longer on a paved road and houses were far and few between. Many of the houses we passed were literally huts with chickens running around the yards. Laz was beginning to question if we were lost and I must admit I was wondering what the heck I had gotten myself into. After stopping to ask for directions, we were in fact on the right track and finally made our way to PG. We managed to locate our apartment fairly easily and had our first meal at Marian’s, which is the restaurant on the roof. It was sad to say our goodbyes to Laz, but we promised to return again.

Day 8 – You were truly made to feel apart of the family here as your morning alarm clock was someone jumping on you in bed (usually Laz’s niece or nephews, and Laz himself). We were supposed to be making our way to Punta Gorda today, but there was just no way that we could leave this paradise, so we prolonged our stay for another day. I discovered my new favourite food this morning, ‘fry jacks’. Milli (Laz’s sister) definitely cooks up a storm as she is up before sunrise cooking and prepares everything over a fire. One of Laz’s nephews (Dennis) took us on a nature walk. I could not get over how much they live off of the land. Dennis, younger than us, was a wealth of knowledge and taught us everything there is to know about the plants in the area (okay, maybe not everything, but you know what I mean). Plants were used as fish hooks, birth control, anti-venom to snake bites, tea, spices, and to cure malaria to name a few. We spent the majority of the day on a waterfall tour with Laz. I would have been impressed with getting to explore and play in one waterfall, but I can’t even count how many we were able to experience! The hike down one was a little scary (I still don’t know how we walked what we did in the dark the night before!) and you are literally walking down a waterfall. Laz and Dennis had spent 4 months chiseling out stairs in the rocks for sections of the walk. After a good hike down (playing in caves and waterfalls along the way), we reached the river’s edge. After a lunch break, we made our way along the boulders lining the river to make our way up stream. We then swam across the river and came to the bottom of a series of waterfalls. The view here was breathtaking as it was little waterfalls as far up as you could see, each with a small pool at the bottom. We climbed up quite a ways to the very top, easily entertaining ourselves along the way jumping off of a small waterfall to the pool below and using the smaller waterfalls as personal massagers. We felt like Spiderman climbing up the waterfalls as due to the type of rock and the fact that the moving water kept slippery from building up, we were able to walk up and down angles that you would never normally be able to do, or fall straight down. Quite the optical illusion one might say. We then had to retrace our path back home, although once again, I am sure that I could have spent my entire week playing here. Hard to believe that places like this actually exist. Our pictures just don’t do it justice. Milli made us another unreal dinner, which included us eating rat!! It is known by the locals as ‘royal rat’ (really a huge rodent) and was hunted and killed in the jungle. They showed us another ‘royal rat’ that had been recently killed (about the size of a small dog) and I was thankful I had already eaten it (poor Melissio can’t say the same). Another fun evening of games and star gazing. Wow, we love it here and it seems like each day just keeps getting better.

Day 7 – We spent a good chunk of the day in the town and were thankful that we did so as 2 friends from Tina’s in Caye Caulker had made there way inland and discovered a hidden paradise outside of town in the jungle. They knew that we were in San Ignasio and knew they had to find us to take us there (Thanks to Lacey and Brian for sharing your jungle paradise with us!). We packed our bags and made the drive out into the jungle. It was a 15 minute hike-in, where you are basically in the middle of the jungle living with Laz (the owner) and his family. His family owns a huge portion of land, and there are eighteen different homes altogether (although you would never know as they are so spread out). There is no electricity, a flowing stream serves as your bathroom sink and bath (picture above of the 'bath/sink' from my bed) , and the shower is in the middle of a waterfall (no joke!). Their ‘house’ is a giant hut, with only a roof made of leaves and no sides. All of the beds are suspended from the roof by ropes (check out the view from my bed in the picture). We spent the evening playing games around candle light and brought mattresses outside to lay on and star gaze. We capped off the evening with a late night walk to the top of the waterfall. It was a little frightening to say the least, but most definitely worth the risk for the view. We spent some time here just enjoying the moment. Fog started setting in around the mountains so we had to make our way back while we still had visibility.

Day 6 – Hard to describe today as it was most definitely the best day of my life. We piled into a van and were headed an hour and a half into the jungle. Once we arrived at the drop spot, it was another hour hike into the jungle, crossing 3 rivers on the way. One of our guides carried his machete out the entire way, which I thought was just for show until we came across what he described as one of the deadliest snakes in the Caribbean. I guess the old saying ignorance is bless is true. After the hike we arrived to the opening of the caves we would be exploring (Actun Tunichil Muknal). With our headlamps as the only light source we would explore nearly a mile into the caves and were 1500 feet underground. There were sections of the cave where we would have to swim or wade through water, squeeze through narrow openings, and climb along the rocks. All of s sudden we came to a huge chamber that was scattered with ancient Mayan artifacts including naturally preserved skeletons. We had to remove our shoes and had an unforgettable tour of the ancient ceremonial site. Hard to believe it was occupied thousands of years ago using only fire for light. Those Mayans continue to impress me everyday. This was most definitely an adventure that wouldn’t be allowed in most countries, and one of those things that you can never really describe to someone. We went out for a night on the town with our guides and I am sure some of the locals got a few laughs out of my mad dancing skills.

Day 5 – We were up bright and early to catch the boat taxi to Belize City. It was sad to leave, but 3 of the guys from the hostel were headed in the same direction, which couldn’t have worked out better. We were quite the sight walking through the streets of Belize City with our rolling luggage bags full of teaching resources. Not something I would want to do alone and we were thankful for the boys to be with us. We caught a bus and were headed as far inland as possible to San Ignasio. The couple hour bus ride flew by as I was quite entertained by the sights. We spent the day exploring two Mayan Ruins (Cahal Pech & Xunantunich), climbing to what seemed like the top of the world and often enjoying them all to ourselves. A local guide taught us more than I could have imagined about the Mayans. I must admit that I didn’t think I would be very interested in this, but I couldn’t get enough. To get to Xunantunich, we had to cross a river using a hand-cranked 'bridge' to cross. We had the hostel to ourselves, which was on the outskirts of town, making us the only non-locals in the area. One of the guys cooked us up a great chicken curry dinner, which costs us a whopping $1.50 each. Yet another great day in Belize.

Day 4 – The locals here are some of the friendliest people I’ve met. I don’t think we could walk down the street without running into someone we knew. We spent a good chunk of the morning playing with some local boys, great to get a taste of the children of Belize before we start teaching. We ate at a local restaurant, which was really a local cooking out of his kitchen and we ate in his yard. Great lobster nonetheless. We explored the island on old school cruiser bikes and I don’t think we could have felt more like little kids if we tried. We capped off the night going to the tallest place in town, where the seats are swings. The captain and a few locals joined us and taught us a great deal about Caye Caulker and gave us a taste of Creole, a language which will be spoken by the majority of our children.

Day 3 – Oh what a day. We spent the day at sea on a sailboat, with an ‘interesting’ captain shall we say. The sun was out in full force and the ever so popular reggae was playing. Our first stop was the Coral Gardens. Our next stop was Shark Ray Alley, where we quickly jumped in with nurse sharks, stingrays, eels and tons of fish. I must admit that it was a little scary at first, but loved every minute of it. I think I could have spent all week here! Our final stop was once again amazing, with large schools of fish and a school of stingrays. What a way to spend the day. After a full day at sea, we met up with the hostel gang to bring in the New Year. The whole town was out to bring in the New Year, and we capped it off with a midnight ocean swim. What a great way to kick start 2007. I think I could really get used to this Belize life.

Day 2- Spent the day taking in the island life. Even got in trouble from a local for walking too fast. This place is the life for me. We cooled off at the local swimming spot, known as the ‘Split’. The pineapples here are delicious and we can’t seem to get enough of them. The crew at Tina’s Backpackers (our hostel) could not have been better, and we shared many laughs. One of the guys taught us how to crack open coconuts, which entertained us for quite some time, when we weren’t enjoying the coconuts, we were making great us of the hammocks. Thanks to Trisha and her catchphrase, we had the ultimate game night! Hard to describe a game with people from all over the world playing. Everyone seemed to love it and formed a great bond between the group.

Day 1 – I’ve never been so happy to see the T-Bum and Melissio in the Huston airport. After a chaotic arrival in Belize City, we boarded our little puddle jumper to Caye Caulker. Upon arrival, I knew this was paradise. Layed back would be an understatement for Belize life. Golf carts and bikes are the vehicles on this island, and large sandy pathways serve as the streets. We checked into our hostel to discover there were no beds left. We were a little worried about being homeless, but decided to drop our bags and went for a tasty seafood dinner and had a tour of the main ‘street’ from a local. We returned to the hostel to set up camp in the hammocks in front of the hostel. We felt surprisingly safe, and swaying under some palm trees on the beach next to the ocean and not to mention some random dogs sleeping under us, it wasn’t so bad. It was not so bad until a monsoon hit us. After trying to stick out the rain, we heard people from inside the hostel yelling at us to come inside. We were the crazy Canadians from day one. This was definitely the beginning of an adventure.