Belize: Day Thirteen (Nina Moreno)

Our second annual Students for Global Communication service-learning trip to Belize was a success!  We would first and foremost like to thank all who contributed to getting us here.  A special thank you to Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, Tindol Construction, Kingsville Noon Rotary Club, and Valdez Trucking.  This trip would not have been possible without your generous contributions!

To the principal, teachers and students at Stella Maris School, thank you for welcoming us with open arms.  Your students have left a lasting impression on each of us and we look forward to the opportunity to work with each of you again someday.

This trip would not have run as smoothly without Ewart, our representative from the University of Belize.  Thank you for setting up our tours, meals, accommodations, and our visit at Stella Maris School.

We would also like to thank those from TAMUK who helped us in our travels to Belize.  President Tallant who let Dr. Al and Brittany Ambriz present to the President’s Circle.  Marilou Salazar and Debbie Cruz from International Studies who made all of the arrangements and followed us while we were here.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Alan Seitel and Professor Melissa Garcia for leading us on this amazing journey and sharing their knowledge of speech-language pathology with each of us!  The two of you have led us through an experience that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

To all of our parents, family and children, thank you for your continuous support before and during our travels.  This trip would not have been possible without a strong and loving support group back in the U.S. We love you all and look forward to being with you again!

This trip has gone as quickly as it has come, but the memories will last forever!  Each of us has grown as students and clinicians throughout this trip.  We came with supplies and materials to improve language intervention in the classroom, but the students and teachers at Stella Maris gave us so much more than we could have imagined.  This trip has been an unBelizeable experience that we will cherish throughout our careers as speech-language pathologists!

Belize: Day Twelve (Lauren Perkins)

Today was our last day in Belize!  We spent the day touring the Lamanai Mayan ruins.  We took an hour drive to the river boat that we rode to the ruins. Our tour guide was named Amir.  He grew up in Lamanai and on the river so he knew the local names and scientific names of all the animals and plants.  He told us that the Maya called the river "The River of Strange Faces," but when the Spaniards came they didn't ask if the river had a name and renamed it the New River.

We saw lilies and other flowers that only bloom in the day, and several animals like iguanas, hawks, cranes, "Jesus Christ" birds (named because they appear to walk on water), and lots and lots of termite nests.

When we got to the ruins we had a lunch of chicken, potatoes, and rice and beans.  It was so delicious and Amir told us that his mother had personally cooked the meal for us!

Then we went on a tour of the ruins.  Amir knew a lot about this area as well, and about the ruins themselves.  He showed us the sacred tree of the Mayan people.  He said that they believed the roots led to the underworld and that the branches held up heaven.  We also saw some howler monkeys! We got to the first pyramid which was the temple of the Jaguar.  We all climbed up to the top (except for Dr. Al and one of the girls from TAMIU, Maris) and took several photos and admired the view.  Then we walked to the remains of a house and Amir pointed out the bedrooms and told us that the kitchen would be in the middle.  He also said that there were many bedrooms because the king would have married several women from different tribes to encourage good relations.

Then we walked past the ball court where Amir explained to us the ball game that would happen there.  The players would play in teams of 2.  They had a ball that was about 10 to 15 lbs and they had to use their elbows, knees and hips to push the ball into a hoop and the winners would be rewarded by being sacrificed.  By being sacrificed, they were sent directly to heaven instead of having to travel through hell first, as the Mayans believed.

Next we went to the big temple.  Most of us climbed all the way to the top, which was very tall. Amir said that this ruin was higher than the trees and that from the very top you could see the whole southern part of Belize.  It was exhilirating being all the way up on top of the temple.  On the way down, I got a lilttle scared, but everyone in our group was very supportive and kind and helped me to calm down and reach the bottom.  That is probably my favorite thing that I've gained from this trip - 19 really good friends.  We've been through a lot together, but everyone used their skills to support and benefit the group.

We all defnitiely benefited so much from this trip, growing both as people and as clinicians.  I am so glad that I got to have this experience.  I had to think on my toes and apply the all the things that I learned in my externship site and in my classes.  I also got to learn a lot about how children with special needs are educated in another country.  Even though we came to Belize to provide the school with speech and language services and matierials, I can honestly say that we all have gained much more than we could ever give.

Belize: Day Eleven (Brittany Ambriz)

And that's a wrap!

Today was our last day at the Stella Maris School in Belize!!! After our usual morning routine of breakfast and bus rides, we headed off to our classrooms to join the students for the last time! Since the morning had been filled with rain, many of the classrooms were missing quite a few students. My “infant” classroom started out with only 4 students, with one more joining us about 30 minutes after school started. 

Since there were not many students, the teacher told me I could do any of the activities I had prepared with them. Throughout the week, the students were working on number identification and matching with dots. I created games with numbers attached with velcro on one side and sections with dots on the other. The child had to match the number with the number of dots. Since there were only 5 students, I was able to have them sit closely together and work on it together with my help. They seemed to really enjoy this activity. The classroom teachers even sat closely and watched everything I did. They asked questions about how I was doing things and where I got the activity. I was also able to utilize another thing I had taught the children yesterday. “Keep my hands to myself!” With the children sitting at such close proximity to each other, this was a great learning opportunity to go over what we had learned the day before. They were all really responsive to everything I did with them.

Throughout the day, I was able to have many conversations with the teacher about the Belize school system and compare it to the school system back in the US. Come to find out, many aspects of teaching were similar, if not the same. Hearing this teacher talk about what she wishes she could do to further help these special needs children was amazing. The passion all these teachers have for education is something to look up to!

Towards the end of the day, there was a school assembly in the cafeteria. The principle held this assembly to honor and thank our group for coming again this year! The assembly was beautiful and moving! The children all sang the songs “This Little Light of Mine” and “Open the Eyes of my Heart.” Hearing all these children sing at the top of their lungs made me tear up a bit. It was a moment that I could never forget!! After the singing, the principle said some very kind words then many of the students from each classroom got up and gave their student helper a gift. This was something none of us expected. These teachers showed us their appreciation for us with beautiful tokens to take back with us! One little boy even got the courage to go up and say a small speech to us. He thanked us for everything we did for them and told us he loved each and every one of us. This was the point when many of us started crying. Simply seeing the joy we have brought to this little school and everybody in it moved every single one of us.

We often tell each other that we have gotten more out of this experience than we could have ever imagined. The small acts of kindness the people of Belize have shown us will forever be in our hearts!​

Belize: Day Ten (Stephanie Ramirez)

Before coming to Belize, my friends joked that I would meet someone, fall in love and never return to the states. They were right. I did fall head-over-heels in love. However, it wasn’t with the man of my dreams as they suspected, it was with the students of Stella Maris School. My imagination of what it would be like to work with the students had always run wild, but the moment I met these kids and had the opportunity to work with them, it changed me forever. This has been the chance of a lifetime and the best chapter of my educational life. It saddens me knowing that tomorrow will be our last day to not only work with the kids, but to be a part of this wonderful learning experience.

Of the 7 days we’ve been in Belize, this was the easiest morning for me to wake up and get out of bed. The teachers and students were the first thing that came to mind. I think I speak on behalf of the group when I say our ideas are expanding everyday we are here and we are tapping into a part of our brains that we never knew existed. For this school and all those that are a part of it, we have no limits. As we sat around the breakfast table, we reflected on how we were going to tackle the day and what materials we could create to better help the teachers implement their lesson. It was heart-warming to know that all of us are making the students and teachers our number one priority. Walking into our assigned classroom, the kids cheered for our return. I was asked to start the morning off by reading “The Shepherd and the Wise Men- Luke 2:8-20;Matthew 2:1-12”. I stopped occasionally to ask questions about the material to make sure they were attentive and using their listening skills. As I’ve mentioned in previously blogs, I think it’s wonderful that religion and God is incorporated into every classroom and teaching. This is something that has been eradicated in the public schools in the United States. The hearts of these children are bigger than you would believe. For instance, the student who was chosen to say the “morning prayer” thanked God for family, food, water, every student in the class by name, and ended by thanking God for everyone in the entire world. I was captured in a beautiful moment. These kids are so innocent and so loving, how could I not fall in love with them?

Today’s teaching moments started off with a refresh of the letters of the alphabet, the days of the week, the months of the year, and their worship songs. The lesson of the morning was Antonyms. The teacher allowed my partner and me to intervene and assist the kids in learning opposites. It was rewarding to experience them understand the concept after a good amount of drilling. They are also showing progress in their turn taking skills, and attentiveness. We then engaged in an activity of matching opposites such as,“big and little” and “night and day”. After awhile of play, we returned to the board where they were asked to recall information from the prior activity. This then focused on memory recall.

At Stella Maris, the kids are given 2 breaks throughout the day. I truly believe this is necessary because they tend to lose focus and become fatigued after being drilled all morning and afternoon. During these breaks, the kitchen staff has been so awesome to our group and brings us snacks. Today, they treated us with ham salad and paste sandwiches with a side of homemade cupcakes. I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to work with the kids so after I happily ate my snack, I joined them on the playground. I learned today that children in Belize are serious about their game of basketball. Do not get in their way. They beat me fair and square, I will admit. To cool off, I sat on a bench and observed all of them playing around me. The other day I made a comment in my blog about how I noticed a little boy drinking from the outside water pipe and that I wasn’t sure if this was normal or if he was just really dehydrated. Well, today I watched many kids go up to that same pipe and cup water into their hands to drink. As noted before, this put so much into perspective for me. We are so lucky for things we never take into account. I also noticed the help these kids offer each other. A younger boy, about the age of 4, was wandering on the basketball court where all the older boys were rough playing. A student from another class ran onto the court and nicely carried the little boy off to make sure he didn’t get hurt. I also noticed the students in wheelchairs being pushed around by their classmates outside on the playground. It was such a beautiful sight to see them including one another no matter what restrictions they may face. My favorite moment, however, was witnessing a younger student walking a blind student to the sink and helped him wash his hands. As I remained sitting on the bench, a little girl approached me on the playground and showed me the doll she received from another clinician who evaluated her with an assessment. She told me that was the first doll she’s ever had and she was naming her sprinkle. It’s little things like this that make my heart melt. I reflected on my childhood and wished I could’ve given some of my toys to these kids, who are almost 8 years old, and have never owned a Barbie doll.

Today was library day for the kids in my class. They took a vote between watching Dora and Barney. They chose Barney. This was the perfect opportunity for me to have a one on one moment with a student who is in a wheel chair, has very limited mobile abilities, and is non-verbal. I’ve noticed this week that he is placed in the back of the room and doesn’t engage in the daily lessons. I put a book in his hands and he wasn’t sure what to do with it. He felt every inch of the book and using hand over hand teaching, we flipped through the pages. I kept saying, “Lets close the book”, “Let’s open the book”. Unexpectedly, he repeated the word “close”. The teachers looked over at us in disbelief and couldn’t believe what they heard. It’s moments such as this that remind me why I am in the field of Speech Pathology and what a difference it’s made in my life thus far.

I’d like to give credit to the teachers of Stella Maris School. They are great at what they do. After lunch, the teacher gave a lesson on how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. She asked for my opinion on how she was going to go forth and break it down for the students and wanted to see if I had any further suggestions. We collaborated and together came up with a teaching to simplify the process and make it fun for the kids. My partner asked her to write a list of supplies she needed for her classroom because we want to donate whatever we can to make things easier for her from here on forth. She was hesitant in writing the list and made sure we knew it was greatly appreciated. These adventures we have experienced in Belize, in a new environment, are reason enough to expand our studies in international countries. Tomorrow will be the hardest day our group will have to face. We need to remember and give each other constant reminders that this is not goodbye, but simply a “See You Later, Stella Maris."

Belize: Day Nine (Michele Valdez)

I awoke today with butterflies of excitement in my belly; we are finally going to do some therapy in Belize! Yay!  

After another great breakfast we were picked up by the Stella Maris school bus and off we went! Upon arriving at the school, we were assigned to our classrooms and we excitedly made our way to our new home away from home for the next few days. Initially, I was assigned to an upper level classroom of about 8 students (5 boys and 3 girls). When we walked in (my partner and I), we were greeted with all the children standing and saying, “Good morning, Welcome to our class!” Too cute! The teacher then resumed her lesson on the nativity of Jesus. As she read the story, she assigned the children to the different roles and had them reenact the Nativity. Two things I loved about this: religion was incorporated into the lesson and the teacher used multiple modalities to reinforce learning of the topic. Next, she worked on adjectives and again, she did everything right. She was pretty great! And the children were very attentive and well behaved. I had heard that the teachers and children were phenomenal and after this first experience in the classroom, I have to say I agree. 

After about an hour in that classroom, I left to the resource room to get some supplies and ran in to our tour guide who was looking for Mrs. Garcia. I proceeded to help locate her and in the process came across a room that we had neglected to provide support to. It was hidden away from the main classroom areas and we would have never seen it had I not come about it by happenstance. When I entered the classroom, Mrs. Garcia (the Stella Maris teacher, not the TAMIU professor) was very happy to see me and asked if I would be supporting her classroom. Her students were severely Autistic and would have definitely benefited from our presence. I assured her I would return and I set off to find Dr. Al or Mrs. Garcia let them know of the situation. Once I found Dr. Al and informed him of the classroom population, he readily agreed for me to work with that room and assigned a partner to help out.

When Christina and I arrived in the classroom and introduced ourselves to the teachers, we jumped right in. We pulled out to two of the children (suggested by the teacher) and worked on object identification. I think their unfamiliarity with us impeded therapy a little because after working with the group and some interaction on the playground, they were more receptive to our instruction.

After lunch, the children were provided with a functional language lesson using object identification of a plate, glass, and silverware. The teacher was receptive to our feedback of beginning the children with one step instructions and praising their accomplishments, no matter how small. In fact, both teachers were receptive to all of our feedback and immediately began to implement our suggestions.

When working with the children the rest of the day, we utilized modeling, oral/sign combinations, gesturing, and hand over hand instruction, which was a new concept to the teachers. We conversed with the teachers while the children were on break we learned more about the children, their background, and the level of parental involvement. This was great insight and will allow us to better serve these children in the days to come. The teachers appeared disappointed to learn we would only be with them for a week. I feel that same disappointment in my heart.

After only a day with these great teachers and kids, I feel like I could do this work on a more permanent basis.  I have thoroughly enjoying the cultural aspects of this trip and learning about this beautiful county but after spending time in the classroom, I feel like the children could really benefit from us being at Stella Maris longer. I know Speech Therapy does not exist in this country but if it did, I might consider relocating. I have really grown to love Belize and I can see why Dr. Al and Mrs. Garcia are so passionate about this country. It just so unBelizeable!!

Belize: Day Eight (Heidi Nessenson)

The day has finally come that we got to go to Stella Maris School and present information on language disorders to the teachers. We had 6 groups present their presentations, which included the topics of Bilingualism/dual language, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and literacy. Upon arriving at the school, we met the teachers very briefly and then began our first presentation. The teachers seemed very eager to hear us present and seemed interested in the material as it pertained directly to the students in their classrooms.

When asked to come up to participate in a clinician-student role play, most of the teachers became shy and refrained from hopping out their chairs; this may have been due to fear of failure or embarrassment, which is understandable and something that I can also relate to. One question that was asked by one of the teachers was, "What is the role of a speech language pathologist?" This was a very important and broad question. We answered somewhere along the lines of: someone who specializes in a variety of disorders that include, but are not limited to, language, fluency, articulation, phonology, semantics, syntax, literacy, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. We also explained to the teachers that speech therapists can work with a variety of populations ranging from infancy to geriatrics, and in an array of work settings, such as hospitals, Rehab center, school, etc.

The teachers and staff of the school who knew we were visiting were beyond generous in that they were attentive to our every need and desired to make us feel as comfortable as possible. For example, while sitting watching our groups present material to the teachers, a female staff member came in and set a gigantic tray of chicken salad sandwiches down, along with fresh water packets, and juice. It was so sweet and interesting to see how they wanted to serve us although we were really there to serve them! It was truly incredible. I have never seen this type and degree of hospitality in the United States, at least not with individuals I have just met and who know very little about me.

After our first presentation set, we had a tasty Chinese style lunch that was quite different from our recent authentic dinning, but was still appreciated of course. Once we ate, some girls, including myself, went out with Dr. Al on the balcony and just observed all the students bustling about below during recess. The children seemed so excited to be out in the fresh air enjoying each others company, with some playing games of ball around the playground. Some students caught our attention and lighted up with joy as if we were famous superheros. They waved, smiled, and a few children even ran up the stairs to where we were to give us a hug and ask us questions. The students seemed so fascinated by us and were really endearing. I am glad that a few of us were able to interact with some students today even though we hadn't planned to necessarily. Seeing their excited, beaming faces made my day and really got me excited for the rest of the week of working with the students.

Getting back from the outside scene, we met the librarian who was also an extremely warm and hospitable individual.  I, and a few other girls, shook his hand and then listened to him tell us about the library, the location where we did our presentations. The librarian was also kind enough to bring us johnny cakes and fruit juice during a second presentation set! Like I said before, the teachers and staff were so attentive to our needs and it was evident that there main agenda was making us feel as comfortable and welcomed as possible. Once all the groups finished presenting, we opened the floor for anymore questions teachers may have had concerning the content presented, the materials we brought, etc. Then we cleaned up the room, thanked the teachers for listening to us with a materials gift (classroom supplies) for their classroom, and said our goodbyes for the day.

Before getting on the bus, I went to the restroom where I met a woman cleaning the stalls. Although most people might just mind their own business or ignore janitorial staff, I wanted to at least say hi to her and ask her and how she was doing today--so I did. This woman actually was very personable and asked me how long I was staying here in Belize city, and said that she hoped to see me around again. I told I would most likely see her as my team and I would be working at Stella Maris School for the rest of the week. I thought this encounter was so different to similar instances I've had in America. For example, when I ask cashiers, janitors, restaurant servers, or really anyone whom I'm not previously acquainted with. "How are you?" their typical response is "good" or "fine," and that's that--end of story. However, I've noticed in Belize that people of various occupations actually seem sincere and interested to talk with others whether they've know the person for 10 years or 10 seconds. It seems to be a night-and-day paradigm.

Tomorrow we will going into the classrooms at Stella Maris School to work with students on both assessment and therapy. I am really excited to finally get to do therapy with these kids, interact with them and with their teachers, and ultimately encourage their development and growth in language and as individuals.

Belize: Day Seven (Christina Hernandez)

It was an early morning today. We woke up around 6-6:30am and gathered our things before heading to breakfast. The girls from TAMUK who stood at the Chaleanor hotel were able to eat breakfast on the roof top of the hotel overlooking the city and into the water. There was an amazing breeze as well. After breakfast we walked over to the Bone Fish hotel where the other group of girls were staying at. We boarded the bus and said our goodbyes to Dangriga. We continued to get stared at as we left the city but soon we made our way back down the beautiful hummingbird highway which is just relaxing to sit down and look out the window. It still amazes me at all the green you see.

As we continued with our journey we were able to stop at the University of Belize. It was a lot nicer than most of us had anticipated and it was a nice campus. Unfortunately, the bookstore and buildings were closed due to it being a Sunday but we were able to take some nice photos. The dorms at the university also substitute as hurricane shelters for the people of Belize. This was actually the way the dorms were able to be built; if the university agreed for them to also serve as the shelters. Eward actually works at this campus and takes an hour to a two hour bus ride from Belize City to the university. The bus prices is five Belizean dollars which I found a little expense compared to the prices of everything else we have been seeing. While leaving, we saw a government assembly building which was built as a mayan structure. Eward explained that when it was built, the first prime minister wanted it to not be painted so it remains unpainted to this day. Also while driving I noticed there aren’t any police officers. I saw two police stations but no activity or patrol cars. It makes me think if something were to happen, where can I get help?

Maybe this is a safe city and there’s some sort of underlying understanding. I’m not really sure.
After the university we made a stop at the Belize zoo. We asked what city the zoo was located in but we were told it's not a specific city but a mile point. This was interesting to hear. It makes me wonder how people can find places by a simple mile point but I guess the locals are used to it. The zoo was nothing like any other zoo I've ever been to. All the animals here are rescue animals which is amazing. They each had their own story written by their cage or tree. Reading their stories actually made me sad but happy at the same time that they were rescued and now safe. We wanted to get into the jaguar cage exhibit however they only allow six people inside total in one day and they have already reached the limit before we got there so a few people were slightly disappointed. Before boarding the bus we visited the gift shop where a few people made some purchases.

For lunch today we ate at Cheers; it was extremely close to the zoo. I had the chicken fajitas which was different than an American chicken fajita plate. This one came with a big pita instead of tortillas and pureed beans. Nonetheless is was still good. We then re-boarded the bus and headed back to the princess hotel. I’m actually excited to be in one spot for the rest of the trip, and to have bed sheets. Our beds did not have sheets last night in Dangriga. This is something we probably take for granted; simply having sheets on a bed.

Once back at the Princess Hotel we began preparing for our presentations tomorrow at the Stella Maris school.The real reason we came! It’s exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time. I will be presenting on dual language development. It all became more real once I saw everyone working on their presentations and preparing their materials. I’m nervous for tomorrow but in a good way! I feel once we begin working with the kids we won’t want to leave. We’re finally going to be able to do what we love!

Belize: Day Five (Kelsey Schendel)

Wow! What an amazing day we had today. I fell asleep last night listening to music coming from a local band playing at a restaurant about 50 yards away. People were also popping fireworks still celebrating the beginning of the New Year. For breakfast we ate at the Cozy Corner Restaurant. The waitress brought me a traditional Belizian breakfast. It consisted of ham, scrambled eggs, fried jacks, refried beans, and some of the best homemade strawberry jam I have ever had. The fried jacks almost remind me of sopapillas and are a good substitute for toast. While we were sitting at breakfast, a group of people overheard where we were coming from and I was shocked to hear that they were a group from Kingsville, Texas as well. What are the chances that we run into a group from the same city as us? The group is down here for mission work through the Kingsville Baptist Church. I thought to myself that we must be in a fabulous place if both groups decided to visit Placencia. The group was excited to hear what our plans were while we are here in Belize.

Our group was sad to hear that any excursions that involved water were cancelled due to the roughness of the water. However, we knew we would have plenty of things to enjoy and a whole city to explore. We decided to walk down the beach and stop in every local place we passed. The first place we stopped at was such a nice local restaurant. A woman approached us with some things she had made and wanted to see if we were interested in buying. I could not get over all of the beautiful things the woman had handmade. The woman pulled out bracelets that she had made out of watermelon seeds. The bracelets were beautiful and I could not believe they were made out of the seeds that we usually do not make use of in the United States. The woman put effort into something so simple and made it beautiful. That is something I have truly come to appreciate about the culture of the people of Belize. They make use of everything and appreciate everything that they have. The woman had also made necklaces and bracelets out of coconut shells. I decided to buy a beautiful bracelet made out of coconut shells that the woman had dyed different colors. She took something so simple and made it beautiful for me to enjoy for a lifetime. I also bought some handmade headbands that are extravagant and I cannot wait to wear them and people ask me where I got them from. Some people in my group thought that I paid too much for the headbands, but I did not care. I knew this was how this woman made a living for her and her family and I was more than happy to contribute for a pretty headband. I also thought it was something that was actually handmade in Belize when I would pay a lot more in America for something made in China or Mexico.

As we continued to walk down the beach and walk into different local places, I could not help but smile at how excited the local people got for us to walk into their place. Each one wanted to know our story, where we were coming from, and what we were planning on doing while in Belize. I thought it is so nice to have people actually ask us about ourselves and truly care what we had to say. The people in Belize are genuine and take advantage of the conversations they have with others. Sometimes it is hard to find this in the United States and I have really enjoyed the experiences I have had here. We decided to eat at a restaurant that is owned by a man from Belgium that has been a resident of Belize for twenty years now. The menu was filled with Belgium and Belize entrees to choose from. Our waitresses were local woman from Belize that had a lot to share with us. When one of the waitresses would approach us, she would ensure everything was alright and give us a friendly pat on the back. It was nice to have someone actually care about the people they were serving and not just be into making money. Due to such wonderful hospitality, we decided to stay and talk to them about the country of Belize.

They were so interested to hear about what we do in America and us about what they do here in this part of Belize. One of our waitresses was telling us that the girls here in Belize are only thought of as getting pregnant and having babies so they did not recieve much support to go to secondary school. I was shocked to hear this because she was such a sweet, brilliant woman. I could not imagine someone denying me the opportunity to get an education and better myself. However, I guess this is part of the culture here and it is something that the woman have to respect. While at the restaurant, we met a lot of people who have moved here from all over the world. They were telling us how wonderful it is to live here and that Placencia is one of the safest places to live in the entire country of Belize. One of our waitresses' kids showed up at the restaurant and we really enjoyed meeting them. The waitresses' son had a deck of cards and he has been teaching himself magic tricks. I asked him to show us one of his tricks and he was so excited to show it to us. For a ten year old, he was really good and took pride in all of his tricks. The waitress also told us that her eight year old niece goes to the Stella Maris school and she is deaf and currently cannot talk. She was so thrilled to hear that we are going to Stella Maris School to work with the children there. This really made me happy and made me thankful that I was offered the opportunity to work with others.

I cannot wait to go back to the United States and tell my parents all about it. I am hoping I can convince them and we can make a trip back here. Tomorrow we are traveling to Dangrigia, Stann Creek to take a tour of the village. I am excited to see what tomorrow will bring. 

Belize: Day Four (Caryn Delong)

Happy New Year from Belize!  Today we left Belize City and headed to Placencia.  We left the hotel around 8 a.m. to begin our four hour journey.   On the way, we passed through many different towns, saw some beautiful sites, and learned a little more about Belize.  Our first stop for gas was in Belmopan.  Belmopan is the capital of Belize which houses the University of Belize as well as all legislative buildings.  While stopped there we all bought drinks and snacks.  I tried the sweet potato chips today for the first time and must admit they are my new favorite Belizean snack!  Shortly after leaving Belmopan, we headed down the Hummingbird Highway; this highway is said to be one of the most beautiful highways in the world and after experiening it myself, I have to agree (at least its one of the most beautiful I've seen so far in my life).  The highway was filled with breathtaking forestry and farms.  We saw many houses along the way, both big and small, but one thing I noticed was that I did not see any markets; this made me wonder if the people in these towns barter their own goods amongst each other or if they must travel into town to get their food and supplies.  Further down the Hummingbird Highway we passed through Belize's citrus country.  Citrus country was filled with all types of citrus trees and we learned the Belize grows one of the sweetest oranges in the world. I personally am more of a fan of sour oranges, but would still love to try these oranges!

Finally we arrived in Placencia! Immediately we knew this was a different town than Belize City.  Large mansions covered the land upon entering the city.  Further into town however, the houses got smaller and you felt like you were back to that simple Belizean lifestyle.  Everyone waved as we passed in the bus and I immediately felt comfort.  Our hotel is quaint and right on the water; has a very tropical feel to it.  After arriving and eating lunch, we got into our groups to begin working on our presentations for Stella Maris School.  We were instructed to make a ten minute presentation  that can then be demonstrated to as well as practiced by the teachers.  Although many of us had issues connecting to the internet, we all got a good start on our presentations and the excitement to begin helping these children is definitely growing stronger! I cannot wait to see what these next few days in Placencia hold for us before finally arriving at Stella Maris!

Belize: Day Three (Nancy Davis)

Today our Students for Global Communication group traveled to the Altun Ha Mayan ruins.  To begin the day, we ate breakfast at the hotel restaurant.  I noticed that the food was very Americanized.  The hotel offered an omelette station, french toast, bacon, and yogurts.  The restaurant also had different kinds of cheeses, and cereal with milk that came from a box, which were the only things I noticed that were not typical American breakfast foods.  The cereal with milk from a box was actually not too different from an American bowl of cereal with milk from a cow in terms of taste and texture.  


After breakfast, our group met our tour guide for the day, Roland, and we boarded the bus for an exciting day at the ruins!  Roland gave us a lot of Belize history and information about how life is in current day Belize as we traveled by bus.  We were provided with a lot of fun facts!  We drove by a few of the local prestigious high schools, and we were informed that those high schools are gender specific.  We learned that Spanish is included in school curricula from elementary school up through high school even though English is the primary language in Belize.  This sounds very similar to how Americans typically have to take a few years of a second language in school, but I would imagine it is less effective for Americans since they only take the language for a few years versus from elementary school through high school like the Belizeans.  Belizeans speak creole with their family and friends at home as well.  Roland also told us that words that end in "er" are pronounced with an "a" sound.  For example, the word "better" is pronounced "betta" in Belize.  I found this very interesting!  Roland told us that the major way of transportation was by water until the 1920s.  I noticed that the rivers are very curvy so I imagine that it took a lot longer to travel by water than it does by roadway now.  We also learned that most children by 1 year of age are able to swim, and this makes sense considering the people would have been used to traveling by water and it would have been safer for the children that way.  We also found out that in Belize, prostitution is illegal, however, "special waitresses" are acceptable in their culture, and there are many hotels that rent out rooms by 2 or 3 hour increments.  Roland also informed our group that sugar is the biggest export of Belize, and sugar cane is burned to produce electricity in northern Belize.  I think that sounds very efficient considering sugar is so common in Belize!  We all noticed on the bus ride that there were no speed limit signs, and we later found out from Roland that it's because there are no people to regulate the speeds.  I almost couldn't believe it.  I cannot imagine Americans having no speed limits and driving however they want.  It is amazing that Belize is able to do that and there are not more accidents.  However, I did notice that there were lots of speed bumps throughout the roadways, so I assume they help to keep vehicles at safer speeds.  We were also informed that local gas is $4.70 per gallon currently.  If that was the price in the United States, there is no way that the majority of Americans would be able to drive as much and as far as we do.  


Once we arrived to the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha, I was amazed by the size of them!  The Altun Ha ruins were once palaces, temples, homes, and burials for the Mayan people.  Roland began our tour with a nature walk around the grounds.  Our group was able to smell and taste the All Spice tree leaves.  It smelled wonderful!  We all learned that the All Spice leaves were used to create Novocaine, and we experienced it when the leaves were in our mouths.  Our tongues went slightly numb in the places where the leaf hit.  None of us had any idea that All Spice leaves were a main ingredient for Novocaine prior to the tour!  I imagine those leaves were very important to the Mayans back in 600AD when they were living there since they served a multipurpose.  We also learned that the Bay Cedar trees were the natural Imodium of the rain forest, so I'm sure they were very useful to the Mayans as well!  Roland talked to us about and showed us many other trees around the ruins, and they all seemed to have their own purpose, and were all beautiful in their own ways.  We learned that the Mayans only cut things from the rain forest (for example, leaves for a thatch roof) 9 days before or 9 days after a full moon.  The people would try to cut them down as close to the date of a full moon as possible.  Towards the end of our nature tour, Roland showed us the major body of water for the Mayan people.  He told us that the body of water has never gone dry since the day it was discovered.  I found this very impressive considering how unpredictable the weather is, and how quickly weather patterns change.  I suppose it just goes to show that the Mayans knew what they were doing when they chose a place to settle and build their Mayan villages.  

Overall, I was greatly impressed with the ruins.  They were very large and I can't imagine having to build those huge structures with nothing but human strength.  I enjoyed the tours and learned a lot!  I am very much looking forward to traveling down to Dangriga tomorrow with my group!