hey all
so i was feeling guilty that i hadn't posted in a while, but i just realized that i seem to manage to get online to do it every Monday. which is perfect!
as for any developments with the laundromat..... well, we have yet to have one of the meetings with the coordinators at the universities. i guess i should not have had such high expectations when i last blogged. each time we have visited (with a pre arranged meeting time) there has been some reason or the next as to why we couldn't discuss anything. BUT tomorrow we are going again, and i am crossing my fingers that something will happen!
we have made the poster that i think i told you all about a few blogs ago - it says (in Spanish and colored in by the children) "thank you for all your help" and there are about 30 cut out hands all decorated by the children surrounding it. I'm really impressed, and I'm excited to get it up in the laundromat. we are going to frame it first, so it can have a life of longer than a day!
my life here is still going great. last Tuesday i got deathly ill - well okay, not deathly, but very ill from eating fish. apparently the fish i ate that Sunday before was bad and infected my stomach some way. but w/e...I'm fine now!!
i leave in about a week - this is super sad to think about, as i am becoming very attached to my host family as well as Marlo the coordinator at my school..... i also found a kitten today and i know i am going to fall in love with it. her name is besito, and i found her on the street being taken care of by a complete drunk- when i found the kitten she was tied to a leash wrapped around the passed out guys hand.
but she is doing fine now, and I'm getting her spade in a few days. :-)
okay! i have got to run......
luego
Monday, August 24, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Developments
Hey All,
So thought I would fill you all in on what is going on at the laundromat.
Basically I have contacted all the schools in Xela that have a business program and set up a meeting with the coordinator of the programs. I want to meet with them in order to discuss getting us an intern for 5 to 6 months...and that way we will have a full time general manager.
We have written up sort of a proposition to give to the coordinators so that they know a little bit about the organization behind the laundromat and the reasons why we want an intern.
We have our first meeting tomorrow and then another on Wednesday - i really hope they go well and something comes out of them!
I am also getting together some art that the children at the shelter made so that i can put it up in the Laundromat - i thought this would be a great way to bring the shelter closer to the La Lavandaria.
As for other updates, I hiked Tajumulcu this weekend. The highest point in central America - it was a two day, very challenging but rewarding hike and i am extremely happy to have done (although my body is telling me otherwise today!).
My Spanish is getting better by the day and I have adjusted completely to the lifestyle here in Xela (coffee at breakfast, lunch and dinner!)
Anyways, hope ur enjoying the blog as much as I enjoy writing it.
Will let you know asap how the meetings go and things progress!
Luego!
So thought I would fill you all in on what is going on at the laundromat.
Basically I have contacted all the schools in Xela that have a business program and set up a meeting with the coordinator of the programs. I want to meet with them in order to discuss getting us an intern for 5 to 6 months...and that way we will have a full time general manager.
We have written up sort of a proposition to give to the coordinators so that they know a little bit about the organization behind the laundromat and the reasons why we want an intern.
We have our first meeting tomorrow and then another on Wednesday - i really hope they go well and something comes out of them!
I am also getting together some art that the children at the shelter made so that i can put it up in the Laundromat - i thought this would be a great way to bring the shelter closer to the La Lavandaria.
As for other updates, I hiked Tajumulcu this weekend. The highest point in central America - it was a two day, very challenging but rewarding hike and i am extremely happy to have done (although my body is telling me otherwise today!).
My Spanish is getting better by the day and I have adjusted completely to the lifestyle here in Xela (coffee at breakfast, lunch and dinner!)
Anyways, hope ur enjoying the blog as much as I enjoy writing it.
Will let you know asap how the meetings go and things progress!
Luego!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Almost a week in!
Hello All,
Wow, so I have already been here for almost a week- that is just an incredible thought. Time flies when you are having fun I guess!
And having fun is what I am doing- not only with my volunteer job but also in all other aspects of my life here in Guatemala. I am now beginning to meet great friends, one from Germany, and one from England and a few from the US. We go out in the evenings, have a beer or so and chat underneath the Guatemala stars and the presence of the Xela Cathedral. It's beautiful I tell you!
In regards to my volunteer position, it is going great. Yesterday, we worked like dogs getting flyers, posters and frequent customer cards printed and distributed to all the schools, cafes and hostels in the city. I’m hoping with that little bit of promotion that business will pick up this week and for next few- although that could be debatable considering the season for tourists and travellers is dyeing down and therefore there are less people in town to be doing their laundry. But nevertheless, there is no way it can hurt us....
That is the first project I wanted to tackle for the Laundromat and I believe it was the easiest (as they were doing absolutely nothing!). My next project is to find the Laundromat an intern, as currently there is no one that is solely responsible for the business and it is pretty much being run by a lady who sees it as one of her last priorities (as she is also the coordinator of the women’s shelter that is connected to the Laundromat).
I see this as a huge issue, because without someone who is completely dedicated to the business, it will fail - as little things like promotions and budgeting will not get done. For example, the current manager (Maria is her name) thought it would be a good idea to just buy a new dryer the last time one of them broke (instead of getting a repair man for an hour and fixing it).
So as for now, those are the two problems (promotions and a proper general manager) that I am taking by the reins and hopefully solving. I am in love with what I am doing and I am so happy that I will leave here feeling as though I accomplished something.
Well, I should probably stop playing around and get started on my research.... yay.
Thanks for reading this again :-) If you have any questions, feel free to ask! And if you would like to see pictures, go to my Facebook page (feel free too add me as a friend too!)
Rebecca
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The first day = very exciting
Hey All,
So, I arrived in Xela yesterday evening. After a 2 hour plane ride and a 4 hour bus ride (in a huge bus with a diver that went 80 miles per hour on the worst, winding roads in the world) i arrived at my destination. I am living with a host family in a small, but quaint little home in the center of the city. So far the food is amazing, my bed is comfertable and well, the showers...are um... lets just say not as hot as i would like, but it could be worse!
Anyways, today I met with the coordiator who is organizing my volunteer activities here...... she and I basically talked about what I wanted to do wtih the luandromat and it looks as though im going to be able to have quite a bit of leverage.... although, there is so much work that needs to be done.
Apparently, last year a volunteer came down for 2 months and wrote up an entire business plan on the laundromat and so i have decided to use her plan (which from what iv read so far is just amazing and very accurate) to implement some of her ideas while i am here.... so, really, it worked out great. she did the back ground work and now it is my job to make things happen.
It looks as though it will be challenging but i am super excited to begin.
Anyways this internet cafe is closing as i write this, so id better go. But I will update the blog as much as possible!
Hasta Luego!
So, I arrived in Xela yesterday evening. After a 2 hour plane ride and a 4 hour bus ride (in a huge bus with a diver that went 80 miles per hour on the worst, winding roads in the world) i arrived at my destination. I am living with a host family in a small, but quaint little home in the center of the city. So far the food is amazing, my bed is comfertable and well, the showers...are um... lets just say not as hot as i would like, but it could be worse!
Anyways, today I met with the coordiator who is organizing my volunteer activities here...... she and I basically talked about what I wanted to do wtih the luandromat and it looks as though im going to be able to have quite a bit of leverage.... although, there is so much work that needs to be done.
Apparently, last year a volunteer came down for 2 months and wrote up an entire business plan on the laundromat and so i have decided to use her plan (which from what iv read so far is just amazing and very accurate) to implement some of her ideas while i am here.... so, really, it worked out great. she did the back ground work and now it is my job to make things happen.
It looks as though it will be challenging but i am super excited to begin.
Anyways this internet cafe is closing as i write this, so id better go. But I will update the blog as much as possible!
Hasta Luego!
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