We are approaching my favorite time of year in Guatemala…mango and avocado season! I heart mangos! I really have no idea what I will do when I cannot eat a fresh mango for breakfast, again for lunch and as dessert for dinner. I had never tried a mango before coming to Guatemala. Even if I had I don’t think that buying one in a grocery store in Indiana would have prepared me for the deliciousness of the mangos in Guatemala. I will admit I have become incredibly spoiled with the fresh fruit that is readily available everyday in the market. I have honestly asked myself if the fruit will be as good if it has to travel thousands of miles and days to reach my kitchen, will I ever enjoy fruit like this again!?
Avocados…I think I could end my paragraph with that one word. I do not know one Peace Corps volunteer who does not wait for this time of year. Guacamole galore! Avocados are so cheap here sometimes I feel bad paying so little for them…just for a moment! Today I bought six for Q3 which is roughly, $0.36. Now for those of you who buy avocados in the states you know that getting one for a dollar is a pretty good deal (at least in Chicago/Indiana), this is the reason I feel bad (a little I said) for only paying $0.36 for six! But for how bad I feel, I still haggle for the cheapest price I can get (where is the fun if you don’t haggle!).
If you couldn’t tell my life revolves around the seasons of food. Along with mango and avocado season it is lettuce season followed by apple and jocote (a fruit here in Guatemala)! But really my life is divided into two parts, rainy season and dry season! It is funny because I think that right now, the next month or so, is my favorite weather while, June and July are the prettiest times. Right now, the weather is just starting to get really warm (as in my clothes dry in two hours). The cloudless sky and is an amazing color of light blue that when you look at long enough begins to look almost fake. It is that time of year when you plan your day around sun because if you go anywhere midday you will be smelly when you get to where you are going, so that means market, work or errands first thing in the morning, with the rest of the day for what nots around the house or office. The only draw back of this time of year is that everything is turning brown because we are coming into the last few month of the dry season. It is ugly, dusty and downright blah! But I have got to say, I still love it!
Work has been interesting lately. I have been focusing this month on working with the Board of Directors for the new cooperative that is forming. This week I gave a talk on how to set goals, how to achieve those goals, and why planning is important. When they first wanted me to give this talk I thought they were joking, really you need someone how to teach you to make a goal and a plan, but in reality, yea they needed my guidance. The setting of the goals for the first year was quick but deciding on the actions needed to reach those goals was another thing. They had a hard time understanding why setting a goal wasn’t good enough, why the needed objectives stating how they would achieve the goals. I had a hard time explaining this because I never realized how I automatically make goals along with objectives on how to reach those goals. It was one of those experiences where I could look at the education system in the United States and say, thanks, you did a great job!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Home, Sweet, Home
I have finally settled in after my long Christmas break. I have to say it feels amazing to be back! The following is going to make my mom cringe but honestly this feels like home now, surprising right! The smells, the noise, the food, the people, everything felt like I was coming home. I never thought, even six months ago, that I would ever think about San Martin as “home” but honestly I was ready to come back. I was ready to see my friends again, slept in my bed again, go to the market and to get to hangout with my women’s group!
As most of you know I was (I still am) raising money for a stove project. I am happy to announce that out of the first eight, we have completed three. It was an amazing project to take part in. Everyone in the family got involved, the kids would help carry the supplies, the women would mix the cement and help lay the brick while the men would help teach the women how to use a level or how to wet the brick before so it doesn’t soak up all the water. It was amazing to watch the women go from timid and unbelieving in their abilities to taking charge and helping each other while we stood by and watched. If I have achieved nothing before this and achieve nothing after this I would still think that my Peace Corps service was a success for the sheer fact that those women, even if for a day, felt they were equal to the task of men!
It is incredible how fast word travels in a small town (much like rumors fly in high school). By the second week of the project 10 other people from the community had inquired about how to get a stove. This is one of the hard things about Peace Corps, limited funding. I had to tell them that I only had enough for these women but that I could provide a materials list along with instructions but also that three masons had learned how to build them so they could inquire with them. As much as I would like to give everyone who needs one a stove I feel that teaching the women and men how to build them is more sustainable than continually giving the stoves away. The more active part someone takes in building a better future for themselves and their family the more of sense of pride and achievement they feel.
This project has also brought me closer with the women I have been working with. When you spend a whole day 8 am to 6 pm with a family you begin to see who they are. I learned that most of the women, contrary to popular belief, want to know more about birth control and that many of the women watched their brothers, parents, and friends slaughtered in front of them during the war and I also learned that they have a long list of suitors lined up for me to meet (because I have to marry a Guatemalan so that I will stay here with them)! The generosity of Guatemalans is extraordinary. They would make my friends and me huge lunches that probably stretched the family budget for the week. In one instance, the program director of my friends came to visit to check out the project and they would not let him leave without having lunch. The “amable” or kindness that they show towards strangers has made me re-evaluate the kind of person I thought I was and the kind of person I want to be. I hope that one day I can invite people into my home and share with them the way that the Guatemalan women have shared with me.
As I enter into my final nine months of service, I realize the things I am going to miss the most are the things that I was the most scared of in the beginning. I was scared to live life without, now I am scared to live in a society of continuous wanting. I was scared that I would not be accepted, now I am scared I will never be accepted for just being me. I was scared I would never be able to survive without my family and friends, now I am scared I will forget how lucky I am to have those friends and family. I was scared that I would not feel content with life without the constant go, go, go, now I am scared that I will never feel this kind of contentment with my life again.
As most of you know I was (I still am) raising money for a stove project. I am happy to announce that out of the first eight, we have completed three. It was an amazing project to take part in. Everyone in the family got involved, the kids would help carry the supplies, the women would mix the cement and help lay the brick while the men would help teach the women how to use a level or how to wet the brick before so it doesn’t soak up all the water. It was amazing to watch the women go from timid and unbelieving in their abilities to taking charge and helping each other while we stood by and watched. If I have achieved nothing before this and achieve nothing after this I would still think that my Peace Corps service was a success for the sheer fact that those women, even if for a day, felt they were equal to the task of men!
It is incredible how fast word travels in a small town (much like rumors fly in high school). By the second week of the project 10 other people from the community had inquired about how to get a stove. This is one of the hard things about Peace Corps, limited funding. I had to tell them that I only had enough for these women but that I could provide a materials list along with instructions but also that three masons had learned how to build them so they could inquire with them. As much as I would like to give everyone who needs one a stove I feel that teaching the women and men how to build them is more sustainable than continually giving the stoves away. The more active part someone takes in building a better future for themselves and their family the more of sense of pride and achievement they feel.
This project has also brought me closer with the women I have been working with. When you spend a whole day 8 am to 6 pm with a family you begin to see who they are. I learned that most of the women, contrary to popular belief, want to know more about birth control and that many of the women watched their brothers, parents, and friends slaughtered in front of them during the war and I also learned that they have a long list of suitors lined up for me to meet (because I have to marry a Guatemalan so that I will stay here with them)! The generosity of Guatemalans is extraordinary. They would make my friends and me huge lunches that probably stretched the family budget for the week. In one instance, the program director of my friends came to visit to check out the project and they would not let him leave without having lunch. The “amable” or kindness that they show towards strangers has made me re-evaluate the kind of person I thought I was and the kind of person I want to be. I hope that one day I can invite people into my home and share with them the way that the Guatemalan women have shared with me.
As I enter into my final nine months of service, I realize the things I am going to miss the most are the things that I was the most scared of in the beginning. I was scared to live life without, now I am scared to live in a society of continuous wanting. I was scared that I would not be accepted, now I am scared I will never be accepted for just being me. I was scared I would never be able to survive without my family and friends, now I am scared I will forget how lucky I am to have those friends and family. I was scared that I would not feel content with life without the constant go, go, go, now I am scared that I will never feel this kind of contentment with my life again.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
New Years
I am sitting with three best friends right now waiting to celebrate the New Year! We are sharing stories and catching up!!! As much as I love Guatemala I miss my best friends! they are soooo incredible, they make me feel like me! WOW I have the best friends!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thanksgiving
I cannot believe Thanksgiving has already come and gone, WOW! Sometimes time flies while other times it snails by!
I had an exceptionally great Thanksgiving (for being away from my family). Some of us decided to head down to the beach for some rest and relaxation! I actually felt like I was on vacation, far, far away from Guatemala! The beach was beautiful, clear skies, warm weather, and great people, what more could a girl ask for!
For Thanksgiving dinner, we did really well for being in Guatemala. We had mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, stuffing, pasta salad, broccoli salad, pumpkin cookies, carrot cake, and cranberry muffins, wow, and for the entrée we had grilled Maui Maui, what a way to top off a beach Thanksgiving!
We just lounged and hungout for two days. Played some beach volleyball, watched some baby turtles be released into the ocean and over all a great time hanging out and chatting! I was seriously depressed when I got back to site but life goes on and I am looking forward to December 17, when I get to come home and have another great vacation, only I hope that this one includes SNOW!
Yesterday I went out to my site mates aldea to help with a kids camp that she was putting on. There were about 16 kids who she divided into two groups to do art and sports. I was helping out with the sports end of it, which was fun but hard because there is a whole other set of Spanish words that go with the playground! But we jumped rope and did relay races and then finished up with some basketball! It was great to see the kids just enjoying themselves, with no worries or cares in the world! You don’t see that very often here in Guatemala. Most of the time kids are working with their parents in the fields or girls are taking care of younger brothers and sisters or helping with things around the house. The girls were feisty, they all wore their shorts instead of the corte and you actually can see the difference between personalities when the corte comes off! The girls are much more aggressive without it, so good to see! I hope that they can learn to mix the two personalities, that would make a world of difference one day!
I had an exceptionally great Thanksgiving (for being away from my family). Some of us decided to head down to the beach for some rest and relaxation! I actually felt like I was on vacation, far, far away from Guatemala! The beach was beautiful, clear skies, warm weather, and great people, what more could a girl ask for!
For Thanksgiving dinner, we did really well for being in Guatemala. We had mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, stuffing, pasta salad, broccoli salad, pumpkin cookies, carrot cake, and cranberry muffins, wow, and for the entrée we had grilled Maui Maui, what a way to top off a beach Thanksgiving!
We just lounged and hungout for two days. Played some beach volleyball, watched some baby turtles be released into the ocean and over all a great time hanging out and chatting! I was seriously depressed when I got back to site but life goes on and I am looking forward to December 17, when I get to come home and have another great vacation, only I hope that this one includes SNOW!
Yesterday I went out to my site mates aldea to help with a kids camp that she was putting on. There were about 16 kids who she divided into two groups to do art and sports. I was helping out with the sports end of it, which was fun but hard because there is a whole other set of Spanish words that go with the playground! But we jumped rope and did relay races and then finished up with some basketball! It was great to see the kids just enjoying themselves, with no worries or cares in the world! You don’t see that very often here in Guatemala. Most of the time kids are working with their parents in the fields or girls are taking care of younger brothers and sisters or helping with things around the house. The girls were feisty, they all wore their shorts instead of the corte and you actually can see the difference between personalities when the corte comes off! The girls are much more aggressive without it, so good to see! I hope that they can learn to mix the two personalities, that would make a world of difference one day!
More visitors!
Part 3: A little late but better than nothing!
My crazy month ended with my best friend, Juliane and her mom visiting! It was incredible to see Juliane again, she is the first friend to visit me here and it was exciting to get to share Guatemala with her and her mom, Marlies!
We hit up the normal “hot spots” the lake, Antigua, my site and the volcano. At the lake we took a boat tour, but the wind god was not on our side that day. The waves in the lake were huge. Our boat kept getting air and our butts hurt a lot the next morning! But we got to take in an incredible sunset and great food! Actually the whole trip centered around great food, what a surprise right! While Juliane and Marlies hit up the ruins at Tikal where in true Guatemalan fashion they had a drunken tour guide who continued to get more drunk it seemed as the tour went on, smile and nod moment!
While Jules and her mom were at Tikal, I had more Spanish classes. Now I have to admit something, I am perplexed by Spanish. It is the first time in my life that I cannot just get even the jist (sp?) of something. Normally if someone explains something I might not really understand but I will have a general idea what is suppose to happen but Spanish just really gets me, AH!
We finished off the trip by a visit to my site and a little time in Antigua. It was funny though because Marlies described my house and living situation the same way my mom did, camping. They think it is a lot like camping which in a way it is but come on people it is not as bad as camping, camping is uncomfortable, and dirty but I am comfortable and clean (well most of the time)! But really we checked out the market and had a meeting with one of my women’s groups. The kids were fascinated with Marlies’ camera which resulted in a ton of great photos!
We we got back to Antigua we hike volcano Pacaya, which is one of the active volcanoes here is Guatemala. This was my fourth time up so I felt like a pro but because the lava had shifted positions on the volcano we had to hike a different way, a crazy way, a I cannot believe I am doing this way! But all ended well, after our trek through the volcanic Sahara desert sand and made our way up the moon rocks we got to the lava! Juliane and I thought it was hysterical our ridiculous it was so we had a photo shoot at the top, Theta kites were involved to give you an idea!
All good things must come to an end but I had a great time with them, so a huge Thanks to Juliane and Marlies for making the trek down here to see me!
My crazy month ended with my best friend, Juliane and her mom visiting! It was incredible to see Juliane again, she is the first friend to visit me here and it was exciting to get to share Guatemala with her and her mom, Marlies!
We hit up the normal “hot spots” the lake, Antigua, my site and the volcano. At the lake we took a boat tour, but the wind god was not on our side that day. The waves in the lake were huge. Our boat kept getting air and our butts hurt a lot the next morning! But we got to take in an incredible sunset and great food! Actually the whole trip centered around great food, what a surprise right! While Juliane and Marlies hit up the ruins at Tikal where in true Guatemalan fashion they had a drunken tour guide who continued to get more drunk it seemed as the tour went on, smile and nod moment!
While Jules and her mom were at Tikal, I had more Spanish classes. Now I have to admit something, I am perplexed by Spanish. It is the first time in my life that I cannot just get even the jist (sp?) of something. Normally if someone explains something I might not really understand but I will have a general idea what is suppose to happen but Spanish just really gets me, AH!
We finished off the trip by a visit to my site and a little time in Antigua. It was funny though because Marlies described my house and living situation the same way my mom did, camping. They think it is a lot like camping which in a way it is but come on people it is not as bad as camping, camping is uncomfortable, and dirty but I am comfortable and clean (well most of the time)! But really we checked out the market and had a meeting with one of my women’s groups. The kids were fascinated with Marlies’ camera which resulted in a ton of great photos!
We we got back to Antigua we hike volcano Pacaya, which is one of the active volcanoes here is Guatemala. This was my fourth time up so I felt like a pro but because the lava had shifted positions on the volcano we had to hike a different way, a crazy way, a I cannot believe I am doing this way! But all ended well, after our trek through the volcanic Sahara desert sand and made our way up the moon rocks we got to the lava! Juliane and I thought it was hysterical our ridiculous it was so we had a photo shoot at the top, Theta kites were involved to give you an idea!
All good things must come to an end but I had a great time with them, so a huge Thanks to Juliane and Marlies for making the trek down here to see me!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Feria...
Novermber 11 was the day of Saint Martin, the saint that my town is named after. Feria is a big deal here. Food vendors, arcade like places, bumper cars and ferris wheels, which they call the wheel of Chicago, all set up about two weeks before the actual day of the feria. I have to say that it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I actually liked having all the food vendors because it spiced up my meals and I got to have churros whenever I wanted them! There were also a bazillion vendors from out of town selling different things. It is funny because I could tell right away if they were from out of town or not because of how the treated me and the price that they gave me, ugh for out of towners!
So the weekend before is when feria actually starts. There are lots of things going on, processions, dances, concerts, lots of things! There was also a Expo-Feria this year where stores and organizations could display their products and organizations. My organization SID and the new cooperative had a booth. I have to say that it was not organized like I would have liked it to be but it got the job done. We sold about a 100 lbs of coffee and made a great profit, which was good for the guys to see that there is a local demand and market for our product!
**If anyone is interested in ordering some of our coffee it is Q 25 ($3.50)/lb. plus shipping which varies depending on weight! Just let me know!**
The actual day of feria is crazy. Everyone comes into town for varies things, church, processions, the market or the dance! My site mate and I attended the processions and wandered throughout the market during the day and then we took the plunge and rode the ferris wheel that night. The ferris wheels here are somewhat old, rusted and rattle a bit but it was feria so we thought what the heck! We also enjoyed all the great food that feria has to offer… street food baby! Well this was my first and last feria, tear!
Just a funny thing that I have realized in the last month or so…they are obsessed with fantasmas (ghost) here. They keep telling me that there is an old woman who haunts our office. Every time the guys stay over night there they have another story about this women and what she does to them during the night. I remember learning about how Guatemalan culture is full of tall tales but to actually hear my guys talking about it and totally believing in it is a whole other thing. I mean no disrespect here but growing up in a culture that finds these kind of things ridiculous it is hard not to chuckle a little. But seriously I cannot get over how serious they are about this women and what they need to do to get rid of her!
Few side notes…Chula is getting so big! She is now three months old and becoming very independent and rambunctious. I am going to be sad to leave her for Christmas vacation. On that note, I will be home Dec. 17th – Jan. 7th, YAY!
So the weekend before is when feria actually starts. There are lots of things going on, processions, dances, concerts, lots of things! There was also a Expo-Feria this year where stores and organizations could display their products and organizations. My organization SID and the new cooperative had a booth. I have to say that it was not organized like I would have liked it to be but it got the job done. We sold about a 100 lbs of coffee and made a great profit, which was good for the guys to see that there is a local demand and market for our product!
**If anyone is interested in ordering some of our coffee it is Q 25 ($3.50)/lb. plus shipping which varies depending on weight! Just let me know!**
The actual day of feria is crazy. Everyone comes into town for varies things, church, processions, the market or the dance! My site mate and I attended the processions and wandered throughout the market during the day and then we took the plunge and rode the ferris wheel that night. The ferris wheels here are somewhat old, rusted and rattle a bit but it was feria so we thought what the heck! We also enjoyed all the great food that feria has to offer… street food baby! Well this was my first and last feria, tear!
Just a funny thing that I have realized in the last month or so…they are obsessed with fantasmas (ghost) here. They keep telling me that there is an old woman who haunts our office. Every time the guys stay over night there they have another story about this women and what she does to them during the night. I remember learning about how Guatemalan culture is full of tall tales but to actually hear my guys talking about it and totally believing in it is a whole other thing. I mean no disrespect here but growing up in a culture that finds these kind of things ridiculous it is hard not to chuckle a little. But seriously I cannot get over how serious they are about this women and what they need to do to get rid of her!
Few side notes…Chula is getting so big! She is now three months old and becoming very independent and rambunctious. I am going to be sad to leave her for Christmas vacation. On that note, I will be home Dec. 17th – Jan. 7th, YAY!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Todo Santos
I have not written in a long while so this is going to be a three part post…
TODO SANTOS…wow, it was a great weekend. For those of you who don’t know Todo Santos is all saints day here in Guatemala which means it is a day of remembrance for all of the people who have pasted away. They visit the cemetery and decorate with flowers and other what nots. I spent the weekend in the town of Todo Santos, which means it was feria, yay! Each town is named after a saint so on that saints birthday it is called feria (more about that later)! Back to Todo Santos, there were about 40 volunteers there which as so much fun but the best part is the town. It is totally indigenous, everyone wears the traditional traje even the men and young boys. It was cute because the teenage boys really rocked the outfit, they popped their collars and wore John Cena t-shirts under the jacket, it was funny to see the traditional culture mixed with the culture from today!
So they whole reason to go to Todo Santos is that they have this horse race…well kind of a horse race, there is no winner except those who do not die! So the men and for the first time this year the woman, ride back and forth along this dirt road but they are also drunk as drunk can be. They try to stay on their horses as long as they can before they have to be replaced! This goes on from 8 am to about 7 pm and it continues to get funnier as the day goes on! They also wear these amazing outfits that just complete the whole festive atmosphere… I would recommend this to anyone looking to really experience Guatemalan culture!
A couple of funny stories…first, I was out in a community that was about 25 km outside of my town giving a charla about cost of production a few weeks ago that gave me some laughs. The charla went great, everyone seemed to understand everything but instead of asking questions about the charla they started to grill my about the US, our lives, our children, etc. This is totally normal behavior if it is the first time the group meets me but not during the charla. At lunch they launch into this crazy interrogation. First it is the obvious question but then they start asking me about birth control, men that is, and what I think about it, how it works, if I could tell them all the different forms, etc. all I have to say is awkward! This is not the end of it, at the end of lunch I am chatting with this grandma and her grandchildren when the father comes up and tells me he wants to regalo, or gift me, his daughter to take back to the states with me so she can have a better life, Whoo, buddy, I am 24 and do not plan on having kids anytime soon! I politely tell him that I cannot do that, after a look of disappointment he agrees and asks me if I can help him find someone to do educational charlas on family planning! At least it ended up a good situation!
TODO SANTOS…wow, it was a great weekend. For those of you who don’t know Todo Santos is all saints day here in Guatemala which means it is a day of remembrance for all of the people who have pasted away. They visit the cemetery and decorate with flowers and other what nots. I spent the weekend in the town of Todo Santos, which means it was feria, yay! Each town is named after a saint so on that saints birthday it is called feria (more about that later)! Back to Todo Santos, there were about 40 volunteers there which as so much fun but the best part is the town. It is totally indigenous, everyone wears the traditional traje even the men and young boys. It was cute because the teenage boys really rocked the outfit, they popped their collars and wore John Cena t-shirts under the jacket, it was funny to see the traditional culture mixed with the culture from today!
So they whole reason to go to Todo Santos is that they have this horse race…well kind of a horse race, there is no winner except those who do not die! So the men and for the first time this year the woman, ride back and forth along this dirt road but they are also drunk as drunk can be. They try to stay on their horses as long as they can before they have to be replaced! This goes on from 8 am to about 7 pm and it continues to get funnier as the day goes on! They also wear these amazing outfits that just complete the whole festive atmosphere… I would recommend this to anyone looking to really experience Guatemalan culture!
A couple of funny stories…first, I was out in a community that was about 25 km outside of my town giving a charla about cost of production a few weeks ago that gave me some laughs. The charla went great, everyone seemed to understand everything but instead of asking questions about the charla they started to grill my about the US, our lives, our children, etc. This is totally normal behavior if it is the first time the group meets me but not during the charla. At lunch they launch into this crazy interrogation. First it is the obvious question but then they start asking me about birth control, men that is, and what I think about it, how it works, if I could tell them all the different forms, etc. all I have to say is awkward! This is not the end of it, at the end of lunch I am chatting with this grandma and her grandchildren when the father comes up and tells me he wants to regalo, or gift me, his daughter to take back to the states with me so she can have a better life, Whoo, buddy, I am 24 and do not plan on having kids anytime soon! I politely tell him that I cannot do that, after a look of disappointment he agrees and asks me if I can help him find someone to do educational charlas on family planning! At least it ended up a good situation!
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