The ABC’s of Rabinal – Achi, Bananos, and Cortes

By Anna Varghese

It’s Day 30 here in Rabinal, and I’ve reached the point where I’ve stopped questioning my surroundings and am comfortable with my life here.  I eat four tortillas at every meal (even with spaghetti). I’ve almost gotten the hang of washing clothes by hand, and I wear cortés (traditional Mayan skirts) almost every day with my very American sunglasses.  I don’t even sleep with a mosquito net anymore, though that is mostly due to the fact that I lost mine on Day 5.

I am so in love with how beautiful Rabinal is – the mountains that surround us, the fields of corn that tower over my head, and the trees with their unbelievably enormous leaves.  I love eating the “chocobananos” (chocolate-dipped frozen bananas) that street vendors sell and the fact that everyone greets each other while walking around town.  I especially love the deep connection the people here have to their Mayan culture and the way it shapes the daily life and customs of Rabinal.

The absolute best part of my life right now – the frijoles to my platanos, one could say – are the ten students who we work with.  They are all so wonderful in their own unique way and spending time with them has definitely been the highlight of my trip so far.

One of the best parts of my day is always the truck ride home with them after school.  We listen to music and laugh as the horribly rocky roads toss us around. The students teach us how to speak Achi, the indigenous language spoken in Rabinal, and laugh because we pronounce the words incorrectly.  One day we spent the entire ride teaching each other songs from Guatemala, Mexico, and the U.S. and translated them back and forth from Spanish to English and Spanish to Achi.  We’ve picked up on some Guatemalan slang, and some of the kids have started saying things  like “Good job!” and “Okay!” in  English, and even give us high-fives when we say goodbye at the end of the day.

They have been so welcoming to us as foreigners and so willing to share their culture both as teenagers in the modern world and as part of the rich Mayan culture.  This experience has been so amazing and I’m sure it will be heartbreaking to have to leave in a month!