Last 4 Weeks in Xela and a "Christmas" Party!

When I got back to Xela after dropping off my UPenn girls back at the airport, I was sadly faced with my final four weeks in Guatemala, studying, conferencing, and writing my thesis. But all these things are such great projects, and I got to face it all hanging out with my all of the awesome “Somos Hermanos crew!” y tenemos que aprovechar (we have to seize the day)! And after these four weeks, I definitely think we did take advantage of our rapidly passing 6 months.

For the last four weeks, we no longer have volunteer projects, but instead focus on our Spanish back in private tutoring Monday-Friday for 4 hours every morning. The program is definitely designed well, giving us time to solidify the Spanish we’ve learned and tie up all the culture things we’ve been exposed to in our theses.

But despite the hard work, our group definitely found the time to have a lot of fun.

Example = “Navidad en Junio (Christmas in June)" party hosted by Judy and Raquel
Note – the awesome costumes and decorations :)
The hosts…

Doña Santa Claus and her awesome cookies (Jess, master baker)




Scrooge and the little drummer girl (Brooke and Rekha)


THE SOMOS HERMANOS GUATEMALAN CHRISTMAS CREW!
Note – 5/11 of us are Jewish :)

Roles include (from bottom to top, left to right)
Jesus = Ricky
A present = Sharon
~
Doña (Mrs.) Santa Claus = Jess
The happy hosts = Judy and Raquel
Christmas caroler = Maya
~
Excited Christmas kid = Miguel
“Christmas Nice…” = me
Scrooge = Brooke
Drummer girl = Rekha
Storm = Hang

Jammin’ to the Christmas tunes