The Locals know me, The Best Bread, and Humbled

First, I meet people and they are here for a bit an then leave so I either have lots of friends or none at all it seems. It is actually kind of a weird feeling. Anyway, the other day I heard someone behind me yelling "Alicia" with the Spanish pronunciation. Even though I am more used to that pronunciation right now than my English pronunciation (to say it right now sounds weird to me), I never in a million years thought it was for me. Oh yes, it was my good buddy the travel agent, Javier! He just saw me and wanted to say hi! I also ran into the private school teacher and his girlfriend the other day and they said my name from the side of me a cafe and it took me a second to realize they meant me. The locals know me!!! Or at least two...I actually give people directions now. It is kind of weird to me.
Not sure if I wrote this in the blog yet or just wrote Tim...if you´ve read it skip it. One of the first days here I was walking around and smelled the best bread I think I have ever smelled in my life. this happened for 2 or 3 days. I finally found where it was coming from....SUBWAY! I go to these local lectures on Tuesday nights. they deal with different social issues in Antigua, surrounding towns or Guatemala in general. Tuesday was about a school for children with Autism that a mother and her daughter run. The social issues dealing with Autism are decades behind the USA. Anyway, back to the bread...after I finally gave in and went to the subway. It was so good! Much better than in the states. I think I must have just been deprived of familiar comforts.
The kids are out of school today and tomorrow so I didn´t volunteer this afternoon. Yesterday, I told you one of the kids was sick and I was exhausted. Well, I needed more time to digest everything before sharing the biggestpart of yesterday. Most of the day was good but very challenging. Well, I needed to feed the kids and I couldn´t find the plates or soap to wash their hands. I couldn´t leave the classroom (even though they leave their kids all the time I am just not comfortable leaving 5 young kids with disabilites on their own) so I would duck my head out and ask any employee walking by where these items were. Well, everyone would just say I don´t know, look for them (nicely but of no help). Finally an adult student, Faviola, asked me what I needed. She stayed with me the rest of the afternoon. She found the plates, helped the kids wash their hands after I found the soap, played with the kids while I tended to Sophia, or tended to Sophia while I played with the others. She told me the Spanish words for items I didn´t know. She was an absolute god send. I could not have made it through the day without her. I was acutely aware at the time, that I was dependant on a woman that depends on others for most of her daily living and will never live independently. She helped me when no one else would and she taught me essential language (and I am the language therapist-I usually teach others like her language). I was truly humbled. I have always tried (not always successful) to not judge others by their profession or how much education they have, or how much money they have, or preconceived ideas of what one can or cannot do. But yesterday, drove that point home to me. I am in a third world country and the person that has made the biggest impact of me so far is a woman with mental retardation. I have many people ask why I am working with these kids when this is what I do back in the states, don´t I want a break. Honestly, my work is my passion, not just a job, so I enjoy it even on breaks. Faviola reminded me of my belief that we are all here to help in anyway we can and sometimes those that help the most are those with the least. I cried myself to sleep last night.