Day 7 On the road again by Kay Hines

Today we are traveling all day from the Orlando, FL area through Georgia and into Tennessee. We left Orlando at 7:30 a.m. and hope to arrive at Maryville, Tennessee by 10:00 p.m. tonight.

Many of the girls are sleeping as we travel and because I hate to awaken them, I will write some of my impressions of the trip.

The girls are settling in a bit now and getting more used to the size of the US. They are awed by how wide the streets are and by how far you can travel on them. Remember that Guatemala is about the size of Tennessee and that will help you know how they feel. I keep showing the maps of the US and of the states in which we are traveling and trying to explain size to them by telling them how long it would take to travel between 2 places by car. I’m not sure how much that means to them.

We ate lunch at Kentucy Fried Chicken. In Guatemala "Pollo Compero" is the large chicken chain. The girls all thought that Pollo Compero was better and I agree.

The girls comment on the orderliness here and are impressed by it.

In Guatemala the mass transit is buses. The girls have asked several times, “Where are all of the buses”? Another much asked question is – “Where are all of the people? Why do we not see them walking along the roads”?

The girls are amazed by the standard of living here and the homes in which we have stayed. They like the gardens in front of the houses as do I. When I am in Guatemala I really miss seeing grass. The cities there have streets, sidewalks, and then walls for the view of the passerby. Any plaza or grass or fountain is located inside the walls and not able to be seen from the streets.

Several of the girls have had difficulty knowing how to turn on different types of faucets and shower heads or how to work a stopper in the tub. They think it is funny to have so many different, confusing types.

But as is universal in any language and culture, babies and children have drawn the girls to them wherever they have been encountered.

One of the girls, who shall remain nameless, and who knows very little English was teasing with Dr. Jim one day in the van. She remarked loudly from the back, “Dr. Jim, you suck” and then laughed and laughed as did Dr. Jim. She was quite apologetic after an explanation of the significance of this – something that no doubt she had heard some other young person say. I tried also to explain that this is often said about situations rather than people. Well, we all live and learn. She is learning lots of English though!

The girls are all learning a lot of English no matter what their level of knowledge of it is. They are all being challenged there.
All 19 of us will be a one house tonight. Three bathrooms but only one hot water heater. Should be interesting.