Blog Profile: She doesn’t speak Spanish

“I’m moving to Guatemala, but I don’t speak Spanish… at all”

The no habla Espanol “she” is Kerry Smith, a blogger from North Carolina who works in a school for the nonprofit Lemonade International.  Kerry didn’t go to Guatemala to become a teacher; she want to be a student, in a Spanish language school this past January. However, after a trip to India fell through, a confluence of events led her to the work she is doing now in Guatemala City

The association with Lemonade International first came about coincidentally; she met Bill and Cherie Cummings when a mutual friend invited her to a gala.  Although she knew at the time that her calling was to help the impoverished in developing countries, it wasn’t until she was in Guatemala that she reconnected with the Cummings’ to begin work with La Limonada.  What had started as a study trip became a life-changing journey (corny as it sounds), for which she sacrificed her home in the US (including her cat) for the fulfillment of a personal goal in Guatemala City.

For such a dramatic change, the daily routine of prayer with fellow teachers followed by school and a bus ride around the city must bring some comfort.  The La Limon School holds two class sessions, corresponding with those in the public schools; when not in the morning or afternoon session there, students come to La Limon.  The lessons Kerry teaches cover anything from hygiene to the bible, English to tooth brushing.

The blog itself is an amalgamation of observations of life for Guatemalans, photographs and personal experiences.  As Kerry’s faith is a defining part of her as well as her work, it is a common thread throughout the blog, which I felt lent a really wonderful sense of her; that you are not just reading the words on the page but the person writing them and their influences.  I had a lot of fun reading it, and came away inspired.  Though the ultimate outcome of her trip has been so much more meaningful than expected, she still gets what she came for:  a little improvement of her Spanish, a day, a phrase, a prayer at a time.

To check out Kerry’s blog, please click here.

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Blog: Think Green, Live Clean

TGLCI would like to introduce you to a blog that my twelve year old daughter discovered and recommended, Think Green, Live Clean.  TGLC provides people with the simplest, easiest, and smartest solutions for living a ‘greener’ lifestyle.
 
One of TGLC’s contributing writers is Trent Hodges, a Peace Corps volunteer currently residing in Santa Catarina Barahona, and working on a project called Sustainable Community Tourism.  The idea behind the project is to create income for communities through preserving their natural surroundings and implementing tourism.  The goal is to create small scale tourism in local communities where the monetary benefits go straight to the people.  In this manner, the community derives more benefit from conserving their natural surroundings rather than the alternatives such as deforestation, hunting, and intrusive development. 
 
Trent will be blogging about his two year journey in Guatemala on Think Green Live Clean.  If you would like to join him on his adventure, please bookmark this link.

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Profile: MY2K Blog

my2klogoWe’ve all heard the dire prediction:  2012, the end of the Mayan calender also signifies the end of the world.  When there’s a movie about it with John Cusack, you know it’s getting serious.

The MY2K blog takes a closer look at the symbols that make up the calendar (known as ‘glyphs’) and the meanings behind them.  They take the form of books, carvings on rock and drawings.  The blog explores the Mayan culture in many incarnations: from modern art to ruins, from 2012 comic strips to ancient customs.  It is incredibly readable because it doesn’t take itself too seriously while still conveying new and interesting information.

The blog’s author, Susan, first became inspired by Guatemala in the 1970s when she backpacked around Central America with her soon-to-be husband.  That was her first experience with the glyphs:  seeing someone do a rubbing of a small stelae type monument in the middle of the jungle, though they were hardly a rarity there.  Later, she read a book about the Mayans which made a reference to the infamous doomsday date and made her realize the sophistication of the Mayan civilization.

The blog doesn’t follow strict guidelines when it comes to source material; instead, Susan uses most any literature that inspires further questions for her to consider. The fact that the entries make sense of a broad spectrum of material is the aspect of her blog Susan is most proud of.

The response from the public has been very positive; like Susan, they are fascinated by the subject material.  Although many blogs exist on 2012 and Mayan culture, her’s remains popular because she chooses to focus on the historical realities of the Mayan culture rather than capitalizing on the sensationalism of an end-of-days prediction.

She doesn’t think the world will end in 2012, but the hype surrounding it will be enormous, which won’t hurt her blog’s success.

To continue reading about the MY2K blog, please follow this link.

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