Updates
BEYKER has almost finished his last year of kindergarten, also called “prepa” in Guatemala. In January he will start the first grade. Recently he brought home a six-page story that he had written and illustrated IN ENGLISH. What were you doing in kindergarten? He is now proudly working on his multiplication tables which I recall as being fifth grade work, maybe third grade now. And four digit addition and subtraction. And Duolingo’s math and reading programs. Recently he wanted to play in the municipal chess tournament. There were over 120 players, Beyker was the youngest by five years or so but he still managed to win a couple of games.
We are exploring educational alternatives for this child who is obviously gifted so that he might be able to take charge of his own learning.
Recently, my next door neighbors, adopted a gorgeous little boy of sixteen months. They had applied to adopt several years ago and had just about given up when they received a call that there was a “match.” Yes, there was and within two weeks Freddie had come home. Beyker met Freddie then asked his grandmother, “How can it be that Mr. Scott has a baby who can walk after just two weeks?”
As it turns out Beyker can both walk and dance.
DIEGO is fully launched into IE University in Madrid, Spain where he is studying business administration. He keeps using the word “amazing” whenever he is asked about his experience. The university has students from one hundred and thirty countries speaking forty languages thus all the classes are conducted in English. Diego says he has many new friends from different countries yet he seems to be taking his studies seriously. Phew!
The tower in the background is Diego’s campus. Not visible are the indoor soccer pitch, swimming pool, gym, basketball court and adjacent mall with restaurants, Apple store, Starbucks and more. His favorite class is financial accounting along with marketing. He says his professors are “amazing” and his homework “super interesting.”
Diego’s metro stop to go to school is the stop for the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of the Real Madrid soccer team. So far, Diego has managed to attend one game with a fellow student who is also from Antigua. Another weekend he traveled to Barcelona with two new friends, one of whom has access to a family apartment.
As the holidays loom Diego is fielding offers from friends. Will it be Switzerland with friends from Antigua who now live in Barcelona or something else? Lucky boy.
BERNABELLA who was so befuddled about what to do with a grandchild whose mother was not able to breast feed recently brought the baby and the baby’s mother around to show us what a difference some big cans of Similac were making.
I am not at all certain what they were feeding the little girl before we provided the Similac but grandma reports that now she is a chubby baby rather than underweight as she was on her previous diet. Formula is very pricey here and completely out of the budget of someone like Bernabella. My housekeeper continues to counsel her each Thursday when she brings flowers to use only filtered water with the Similac. Now that the child is more than six months she also offers her recipes for fresh vegetable soups for the child.
Without the Similac this child may well have become another malnutrition statistic. If she had survived she might have grown up stunted and/or had cognitive issues. This while the corrupt elite class in Guatemala drives around in Porsches and helicopters among their various houses. No wonder there is a movement afoot to address the corruption and inequality.
NUSLY has apparently, sadly, answered the call of the coyotes in her town and is headed north to the states. I was unable to get her to relocate from her pueblo closer to Antigua where there is more work but now she is willing to find her way across the border with the United States. She has left her three kids in the care of her husband who is a nice fellow but doesn’t seem to be able to work for some reason. Isaac, her youngest at seven, was at my house yesterday for a swimming class. He seemed unusually sad and distracted. His pal, Beyker, told me that Isaac told him that his mom was going to the United States with her brothers and sisters. There were problems at work apparently and she left her job and has given in to hopelessness. She knew I did not approve thus left it to others to share her news. No response to WhatsApp messages today so I guess it is too late to try and talk her out of it. It was the lure of family members who have made the trip successfully and report that there is plenty of work. Yes, there is. Fingers crossed that she makes it safely and finds what she is looking for. It is likely that, if she makes it to the US without incident, she will earn enough money to pay a coyote to bring her husband and children. And little Isaac will become yet another undocumented immigrant.
