Gen Takahashi (International Coordinator)

Born and raised in Japan and USA, Gen has found his third home here in Quetzaltenango since 2005. Before coming to Guatemala, he has been teaching Japanese in several high schools in California and New Hampshire, USA.

His first visit to Guatemala was a life-changing one. Originally, he came to Quetzaltenango just to learn Spanish to improve his career prospect (It's difficult to find a Japanese teaching position in the US while virtually every high school has Spanish program.), but as he had spent the summer of 2004 in Xela, he has experienced something totally unexpected: authentic connection to people. He felt more "at home" in Quetzaltenago, Guatemala than in his native Japan and the States.

In other words, he felt more alive in Xela than any other place he had ever been to. A long talk with a big family living under one roof, washing clothes with his own hands, running into some friends on the streets, a candle-lit night from blackouts... All these things, inconveniences and frustrations included, were radical departure from his old and totally predictable world. Fortunately, he loved this new life style. That was the reason he came back to Xela to start this school with his new and old friends.

His responsibilities are: responding to inquiries from participants, maintaining the website, meeting instructors, host families and volunteer organizations, washing dishes and scraping gums off from under the seats, serving herbal teas, guiding participants around Quetzaltenango, painting the school's rather humble, weather-beaten building, using a plunger to "unstuck" the out of commission bathroom, etc.

They are interesting tasks as he has never or rarely done most of them in his old life but the best part of his job is the sense of oneness with his partners including host families, instructors, volunteer organizations and of course, new participants to the program. He feels that he has done something meaningful when the authentic connection takes place between and within people from all the different walks of life.

It is very hard for him to know what he would be doing in the future. If he were to go back in time a few years to meet with his old self, his old self could have never believed what he is doing right now. The life is really happening every day as he meets and get inspired by new participants. His life, along with every member of the organization, is evolving without halt. Because of it, he does not plan much. He would rather live for today and for those near and dear.

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