I´m a ROCK STAR...almost

When you first start training they talk a lot about what your life if going to be like. The conditions, the loneliness, the frustrations and the idea that you are going to be a rock star for the next two years. What they mean by this is that you are going to be that person that everyone wants to know, talk to, shake hands with and you will inevitably have groupies (a.k.a the kids)!

This week I went out to two new communities. These communities were way, way, way out there…I am talking an hour and a half truck ride out there! When we showed up and I got out of the car I was mobbed, I imagine that is what celebrities feel like but on a daily basis! I was a little overwhelmed and quite frankly a little scared! But things died down and we went on to give our presentation (which went quite well)! We got to use the new computer that Caterpillar donated (thanks!) and the projector that we recently purchased for such uses! The people were really impressed, it looked like we had our stuff together, and little do they know what really goes on…lol!

After our presentation they served us lunch, tamales, which are good but not my favorite! I had one but that was not enough for them. They kept shoving more and more on to my plate. I was trying to tell them that I could not eat that much but they were not going to have it because as one older man put it, “Gringa, you are from America, everyone is fat and eats a lot there.” You have laugh sometimes because honestly they are kinda right!

Anyway back to the whole “rock star” thing! After lunch we went to look at the coffee of various families. Normally this would consist of dirt paths and a little bit of trekking through the fields but this community did it a little differently. We were hiking through who knows what kind of forest of coffee, banana, pacya, corn, beans and who knows what else to see these fields! I was jumping over barbwire fencing, over flowing rivers and well of course, cow, horse and chicken pooh! I have to say that being a “rock star” in Guatemala is really different, you have the fame yes, but not the fortune and on a daily basis you are not being pampered but instead you are covered in dirt and cow pooh! Like I said I am ALMOST a ROCK STAR!

The 4th of July minus fireworks...

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays…I don’t know why, all the patriotism or something like that! Surprisingly spending the 4th of July in a foreign country was a lot of fun! I had one of the best 4th’s in recent history, even though it was missing my favorite thing, fireworks!

The Peace Corps put on a 4th of July party which was a blast! We had hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, pasta salad, fruit, and brownies to eat, which for the first time in Guatemala my eyes were bigger than my stomach, YAY for good food! We also had, of course, lots of beer, drinking games and a raffle for free stuff to our favorite places (we poor people need a luxury here and there)! There was also a lot of good ole’ American music and for my LFC friends, an APC style dance, minus the drunken hook ups! I even had an LFC friend there!

Funny story…I was sitting in a bar with some friends the night before the 4th and this guy walked in that looked really familiar but I thought nothing of it until he turned around and said “Mackenzie?” I was a little spooked but it turned out to be a guy that I knew from little ole’ LFC! It is really funny how small the world really is because what is the chance of both us being in the same bar at the same time, really people, come on!

I have finally gotten back into the work thing again! But I have to say I remember why I was ready for a break! The disorganization of everything here is getting to the point that it might send me over the edge! We are starting to do inspections for the organic certification process, oh my gosh, I have never been in a situation where people didn’t care to be more organized! Every time I suggest something that might make a little bit more work right now but in the end will make things easier they say, “bastante” or “its ok, this is enough!” I want to pull my hair out!

On the bright side my women’s group is going really well! I planted seed with one group which will hopefully turn out well but I do not have the greenest thumb! My other group is super “pilas” or “go getters!” They are so incredible! They constantly want to know about what they can do to make things better for their families! I am looking into a stove project for them where they have to pay Q100 of the cost and provide the labor! Stoves are really important here because all of my women cook over open fires without ventilation! Translation, the smoke fills the kitchen, their lungs and eyes, along with the baby’s lungs on their back! Also there are a lot of burn injuries here due to the unsafe cooking conditions! So that is exciting…

Well that is it for now….

Mixing my two lives...

Hi everyone, its been a while but I am still alive and kickin’…

I have had a busy month, my parents visiting, starting a new project with my women’s group and turning 24, wow! It was wonderful having my parents here! Visitors are amazing because you finally get to connect your old life with your new life (and now my parents understand when I complain about things)! They also help you remember all the things you thought about when you first arrived! I had become conditioned to the beauty that I woke up to everyday (well if it isn’t raining)! My dad especially could not get over that I got to wake up and walk out on my patio and see two volcanoes extending over the horizon. He helped me remember what I had forgotten, that I live in the most beautiful place in the world! Although I live in a place full of beauty I also live as my mom said, “It is (a lot) like camping.” At first I was kind of insulted because I thought I had made my house pretty nice compared to a lot of other volunteers but the more I thought about it the more I realized how accustomed I had become to the way of life down here!

My mom was a trooper for the three weeks she was here! I started her off early on her grand adventure by picking her up at the airport and immediately putting her on a chicken bus! But the chicken bus was the least of her experiences the first day! We arrived at my house and immediately started making dinner when the rain arrived. It was a crazy storm that knocked the power out in my whole entire town, needless to say we had a candle lit dinner and a candle lit unpacking session! We visited the beach, hot springs, had meetings, a lunch with my women’s group, painted two rooms and even had a round of strep throat all in two weeks, not bad!

My dad arrived for the last week of my mom’s trip and I have to admit I was a little nervous about him coming. He had never been out of the country and there was no Mt. Dew here so who knew what kind of affect that might have on him! It actually was a blessing that he came later because by the time he arrived my mom knew the ends and outs of getting around. She knew how to get off the chicken bus quickly so that it wouldn’t leave her and she knew how to function in a world where she couldn’t communicate! That just left me to take care of my dad which honestly he really didn’t need. He assimilated very quickly to my daily routines right down to greeting people on the street with a “buenas días,” who knows maybe he will even greet you with a “buenas días!” (side note: the day after my dad returned home he was at the grocery and almost said “gracias” to the meat counter guy…thought it was funny)

My dad’s visit started off with a trip to the lake. Although it is rainy season we had pretty good days for visiting the lake! It was a great time shopping and explaining the culture to him! It was also nice to get to shop with my mom again. They were mesmerized by all of the vendors selling the same thing…my brother also commented on how they could make any money when they all sell the same thing and the answer is a giant “saber” or who knows! After the lake we headed back to my house where my dad was quickly put to work! He went with my site mates and me to collect a bunch of furniture from another volunteer who is leaving! It ended up being quite a day, a truck ride for an hour, packing the truck as full as possible, squeezing into tiny spaces left between furniture and heading home while admiring some of the most amazing views in San Martin!

The next day we decided to head to Antigua for a day of sightseeing. It turned out to be a bigger adventure than intended! The day before my muni told the chicken bus drivers they needed to pay Q5000 ($700) per bus to run. Well this did not sit well with the drivers so they tried to lynch a man (not sure who or why). Thank goodness this was broken up before anything could happen but the next day, market day, the busses were not running! Needless to say I put my parents in the back of a pick up and headed out of town only to be greeted by a swarm of angry drivers who were regulated who could pass. I was a little nervous about the situation but what was I going to do (insert another “saber”)! This was not the first uneasy experience they had had, our bus the week before broke down on an incline that was well pretty straight up, and so with good reason my parents were becoming leery of the transport situation! But things turned out ok and we had a great day!

My parents got to see me in action too! I had a meeting with the guys I work with so they got to see how inefficient things are! They also had lunch with them and saw how alcohol is involved in everything they do! After the meeting I had a meeting with my women’s group where we were cutting and flipping tires to make gardens! This is actually very hard work but my dad was amazing, working hard to help the women who were having a little trouble but came around and were doing it by themselves by the end! HUGE THANKS to my dad and my who photographed the whole event (amazing pictures I have to say)! This is not the end of the day; we came home to 7 slabs of wood that we needed to turn into a bed! My dad was amazing and got straight to work (side note: while my dad and I were doing this my mom was making GRE flashcards for me because she knows that I wouldn’t)!

Our last few days were spent in Antigua! My dad and I hike Volcano Pacaya, which up until the point of heading home was a pretty fun experience! We hiked up the side of the volcano for about an hour and then the lava appeared! It was still as amazing the second time around! The downhill was interesting because it was pouring rain, dark and my dad glasses were so foggy he couldn’t see anything so I was leading him by the arm down a very rugged path, needless to say we were ready to go home when we got to the bottom but there was a surprise in store for us! Our bus’ clutch went out and so we were stuck for 2 hours in a little town in the middle of nowhere Guatemala! We had no idea what was going on or what was going to happen, while this was all transpiring my mom was anxiously waiting in the hotel room thinking we were dead! Finally they got the bus into first gear and we coasted down the side of a mountain, on a dirt road to the highway where another bus was waiting for us, thank the lord everything turned out ok because it was a terrifying experience! This experience solidified my parent’s thoughts on the transportation situation here!

The next day was my birthday and we spent the day hanging out, shopping, people watching, etc.! That night my parents were gracious enough to take me and some of my friends out to a wonderful restaurant where we got to indulge ourselves in good food and wine! Thanks! Having them here made it an extremely special birthday!

It was hard to say good bye to them the next day but I knew they were ready to head home to “real life,” a hot shower and a good nights sleep, without fireworks, roosters or dogs! Although they are gone and I am sad, I am glad that I had the chance to share with them the place that I call home (for now) and the reasons why I am here! I am happy they got to see my work and where I live because now it is a real experience not only for me but for them too!

Brother time...

The rainy season is in full swing, blah! I had forgotten how much I hate rain. Everything get so wet, things mold over night, you are stuck in doors every afternoon, your laundry never dries and most of all there is no sun, depressing!

My brother, Brandon was here for the last 12 days. It was sooo much fun (most of the time)! We have not gotten to spend that much time together, I think, since I went to college and it was the first time that it was just the two of us! I had a blast with him! It was interesting to see the things he thought were cool, different, and interesting. I don’t know if it is just things that I have forgotten that I thought or if it is the difference between male and female or age difference! For example the traditional clothing, I think, is one of the most beautiful things about Guatemala and my brother could have cared less but he thought the machetes all the men carried were cool, and he thought it was fun that I had to burn my trash, were I see that as a hassle.

We did a lot of hanging out at my house doing nothing. We helped with the cooking and did a lot of cleaning for me! He built me a water drainage tunnel so that I would not get so much mud on my porch, all while I sat around and read! I am going to miss having someone to do stuff like that for me! He even helped with the laundry, couldn’t believe it!

We did a lot of traveling too. We went to this amazing beach in Sipacate! The first night we were there, we were the only ones on the whole beach! The beach is a black sand beach with great waves for splashing in, which we did a lot! We also find completely whole sand dollars, which for as many years as I have been going to the beach in Florida have never found. The lodging was a little rustic, think bungalows and mosquito netting! But all in all a great, relaxing weekend away!

We also hiked Volcano Pacaya, which is amazing! You hike up for about 45 minutes to this massive cooled lava “mountain” and then you hike to where the lava is flowing on the over side! I was so incredible; I cannot believe I was 10 feet from flowing lava, wow! It was so hot up there is actually melted the shoes of one of the guys we were with! Brandon was scared that his pants were gonna burn!

Brandon also got to go to one of my meetings with my women’s group. We made corn bread, which is one of his favorite foods so he was happy but bored because he could not talk with the women. The fact that Brandon could not speak Spanish did not stop the women from talking to him! He thought they were laughing at him the whole time but they were just talking about how cute and tall he was! They just thought he was the most adorable thing ever!

For his last weekend here I took Brandon to Panajachel on the lake! Normally it is incredibly beautiful but unfortunately tropical storm Alma brought rain, rain and more rain so it wasn’t as cool as normal! Plus we were stuck with each other in a hotel room for two afternoons straight, which by the end we wanted to kill each other!

I was sad for Brandon to leave but I was also ready to get back to my normal routine and I know that he was anxious to get back to start summer baseball! All in all it was amazing to finally see my brother and get to hang out with him so much, without family or friends around! It was great bonding time and we are both alive to tell about!

I miss my family....

This past week I had a very eventful week. Two Thursdays ago I got really sick, fever, horrible side and shoulder pain that lasted through Monday. So on Monday afternoon I went to the Peace Corps doctor in Guatemala City and he decided to admit me to the hospital for test, thinking I just had a kidney infection! Well it turns out that all my test came back negative for everything so I was a medical mystery! In the end he decided that it was a viral infection on the lining of my lungs that had started to affect my liver and kidneys somehow and that is why I had so much pain there! It was a somewhat scary experience because it was the first time that I can remember that I was in the hospital and then him telling me he didn’t know what just a little to much for me!

But on the other hand the hospital was great. I had a great bed, comfortable, hot shower, CABLE (got to watch all about the election as it was happening and not a month later) and good food ( I know hospital food is normally horrible but this was really good)! It was a little difficult to communicate with the nurses not because it was only Spanish but because city Spanish is soooo much different than pueblo Spanish, faster, more educated, etc.!

The city it another country within Guatemala. When I got to the city I can get, find, do almost anything that I could want or need! There are movie theaters, malls nicer than most in the states, fast food drive-through, and just in general a huge city feel! But then you will look out your window and see little women in corte, with a huge load of something on her head weaving her way through the suits and designer jeans. It is a mind boggling experience, seeing the two worlds collide is wild!

I am so EXCITED because my brother is coming on Wednesday! It has been nine months since I have seen anyone in my family and it feels almost surreal that he is coming! I think it is going to be a good experience for both of us! For him because he has never been out of the country, let a lone to a developing world. And I am anxious to see what he notices that I have become accustomed to and had forgotten is different! I just cannot wait to see him, I have missed him so much, especially watching him kick butt this season in baseball! He was pitching of the week for his conference twice, a feat never accomplished before! Sorry just had to brag a little!

So the rains have started to make their way in every couple of days and I already hate it! I don’t know what I am going to do when it is everyday…ahhh! But I guess that I have to learn with this too!

Until next time…..

On the move...

Well it has been a while since I last updated but I have been quite busy! First I moved into my new house about two and a half weeks ago and LOVE it! It has given me a new start here in San Martin. I am living in a family compound but my house is separate from the family’s but the kids come over all the time to play cards and “talk” with me in my broken Spanish! I really enjoy having people around more and I feel more integrated into the “neighborhood” I will try to upload photos as soon as I can!

My organization moved offices last week and let’s just say it was an experience! I work with all men so they told me that they needed the feminine touch “toca feminine” to set up the office! I was really excited about this because the other office’s disorganization drove me up a wall. So I started to move things around where I wanted them and they almost had a heart attack that I was moving things on my own. They kept telling me “No, you don’t need to do that.” “No, you aren’t able to do that.” I did not know how to respond to this because, as most of you know, I am really bull headed and stubborn so my first reaction was to tell them “Hell, no I can do this.” But then I realized that it was just the Guatemalan thing, that kind of stuff is a man’s work. It is times like that, that I have to sit back and be the “Guatemalan” Mackenzie, which I can tell you is hard! But I do have to say the guys that I work with are awesome, they really make sure that I am ok, I have everything that I need and that I am happy!

So decorating is tough with Guatemalans because they like things very cut and dry. What I mean by this is that they put everything in a corner or lined up exactly with the wall! There is no angling of a table or having something away from the wall so my ideas were not really well received but they went with them, so I am anxious to see if it is still the same when I go to the office today!

I have started to work with two women’s groups, which has been awesome! I pretty much just bake bread with them but I am going to try to start tire gardens with them towards the end of May or early June! The food prices here have sky rocketed and most of these women were barely making ends meet before so now many of them are not able to afford vegetables! Malnutrition is the highest here in Guatemala even though we are not the poorest country here in Central America. I keep telling the women that instead of giving the kids a Q1 to buy Tortrix (the preferred snack here) they should give them a carrot or beets or what not because then they will not have the white splotches on their faces! Working here is a, sometimes, painfully slow process, but when things work out it is an amazing feeling!

This past weekend I was able to travel up to Uspantan, El Quiche, to help build school entirely of plastic bottles stuffed with trash! It is a really cool project. It is a great project to do in Guatemala because littering is second nature here and it helps clean up the town/village! For the school they needed thousands of bottles filled with trash to the point that you could walk on the bottles without sinking in! I am attaching pictures because it is difficult to explain!

That is about it from San Martin, but I will try to get better about updating this thing!

Moving on...

The coffee harvest is finally finished, thank goodness! We ended up selling more than we had originally thought which is wonderful but we still have lot of work to do! The biggest problem is that people need money right now, they have to buy food, clothing, and have other expenses, so they end selling to the coyotes for a lower price because the Co-op does not pay until the end of the season.

There was an article in the national newspaper recently describing how bad the economy is getting here (I know this is happening all over)! The price of bread, tortillas, rice and corn has almost doubled in the last two years while most families’ incomes have not. I know that this is happening in the United States too, but in Guatemala there are not government agencies to help the low income families or banks to give loans to those who can afford them! When people don’t have the money, they don’t eat! Even though this years coffee prices were the highest they have been in years, many people sold at lower prices because they needed the money, just one obstacle of working in a developing country!

This past week I have what the Peace Corps calls reconnect. It general it is pretty boring, lots of talking, sitting and listening but all that aside it was nice to see that I am not the only that has thought about going home, who has good days and bad ones, and who is sometimes so frustrated that I don’t think I can handle it anymore! I also thought that I was the only one who had to deal with “harassment” (not necessarily the kind that happens in the states). Here in Guatemala is the more the constant “shhhh shhh” that you get from guys on the streets or the dirty jokes that men make to one another that really starts to get under your skin! But I also had another 3 days of Spanish which was wonderful since I feel like my Spanish has been getting worse since I came to site, which is I didn’t think was possible!

It was funny though because I was so excited to see everyone but by the end of the week I was ready to get back to San Martin. I never realized how use to being alone I had gotten but I felt like I was on overload being around that many people for that long, it was weird! Also, San Martin has become where I am comfortable! It is kind of like when you take a vacation and it is wonderful but you also so glad to get home; that is what it was like!

I am moving this week to a real house! It has three rooms and a bathroom, cute little porch, and is with a great family! I am really excited I will try to upload pictures as soon as I get everything settled!