Gradumacation - in english

Este post es en ingles. Para la traduccion en español, vaya aqui.

Last night was my last friday in Xela and Guatemala, and per school's tradition I graduated, which simply means we give a little speech or other presentation (in spanish of course). For my graduation I spoke and sang one of my favorite songs - An Irish Blessing. Here is my speech for graduation:

Good evening to everyone. I'm Chelsea, like the football team from England if you're from Guatemala or another nationality, and like the daughter of president Clinton if you're from the United States. If you don't know me, it's because I studied in the afternoon this week and last, but I've been here for eleven weeks - almost three months in total. Thus I am ancient.

I felt like, after eleven weeks, I should do something big for my graduation, but I didn't know what. My boyfriend told me, "Talk about kumquats." "kumquats?" I asked him. "Yeah, kumquats. It's a word that sounds dirty, but isn't." "This word only sounds dirty in English, " I told him, "In Spanish, kumquat doesn't resemble other words. It's just kumquat." So, my boyfriend wasn't being helpful and I'm not going to talk about kumquats.

Instead, I want to share some bits of advice that I have learned while I've been here. Because in eleven weeks, I learned a lot.

First - if it is your second or third week, and you still have not been sick, ask for a teacher who has a desk close to the bathrooms. Because you're probably going to need them.

Second - Use the bathroom about fifteen minutes before the break. Because then you can get to the kitchen much faster and have first choice of the bread and drinks, and this is very important.

Third - If you want to learn the most colorful words, play foosball with Carlos. (the director of the school)

Fourth - You should learn the difference in the pronunciation between "miedo" (fear) and "mierda" (shit) because they mean different things.

Fifth - the best donuts and other baked goods are in Bake Shop. You didn't know it, but the reason you came to Xela is for the best donut of your life, and you have to go to Bake Shop.

And finally, sixth - if you're not a college student in the US, and you're not from another country (in other words your liver is not in condition) Do not try to drink the same amount of drinks as the young folks. If you do, you will have a hangover, or possibly wake up still drunk. On a Thursday. This is not fun, I promise. Even though your teacher will be very nice and take good care of you.

I want to express my gratefullness to the school and to my teachers - by now I've had almost half of the school for my teachers - Thank you to Teresa, Shes, Saul - who taught me the difference in pronunciation between "miedo" and "mierda" - Doris, Rony in the Mountain School - another piece of advice, if you can, go to the mountain school. It's a totally different experience and it's good. Thank you to Rosario and Marleny - Marleny took care of me when I had that hangover - and thank you to Vilma, Luis, and Ailsa (Ay-ill-sa). Because of you, I can speak Spanish. I speak slowly, but I can speak. When I first came, essentially I didn't know anything. I couldn't speak Spanish and I didn't know anything about Guatemala, the people, the history, or the culture. Now I know almost 10 or 11 tenses and moods. When I speak, I mix them often, but I know them. You have also taught me a lot about the history of Guatemala and the culture. The people here are very friendly, and very generous. You have very big hearts and, in spite of everything, have hope for your country and your future. You are still working for a better tomorrow, and I admire you greatly for this.

Lastly, I want to sing a song that I learned many years ago when I was a counselor at a summer camp. I need to sing it in English because, of course, the words in Spanish don't follow the music. This song is a blessing of friendship and originally, I think, is from Ireland. At summer camp we always sang it at the last campfire in order to say "goodbye" to the summer. The translation in Spanish is:

Podría el camino subir contigo

Podría el viento siempre estar detras de ti

Podría el sol brillar sobre ti

Podría la lluvia caer suave en tus campos

Y hasta encontrarnos otra vez

Podría la tierra sostenerte

En sus huecos y sus terrenos

And the words in English are:

May the road rise with you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine upon you
May the rains fall softly on your fields
And until we meet again,
May the Earth hold you
In her hollows and her lands