On Hand Washing or The Value of Synthetics

So although our host families are paid to take care of our laundry for us, I’ve decided that a part of my cultural adaptation will be to wash my own clothes by hand. I figure, I’ve gotta learn this skill in order to live on my own in a few months. Plus, its darn good exercise.

First a few words about the machinery. The pila (pronounced pee-lah) is a big stone trough that has three parts. The middle is a big pool, in which water is stored because it is often scarce. When the town water is on, families will fill this pool with water to be used when the water is imminently turned off. The sides are shallow sink-shaped fixtures where on one side dishes are washed, and on the other, everything else is washed (clothes, false teeth, hair, etc.)

So to begin your hand-washing experience, you first must soak your clothes in a giant bucket for no less than an hour (much more if you allow your clothes to reach the level of grimyness that I have). You then lay your clothes flat on the stone pila. The soap is a softball-sized orange ball that you roll all over your clothes. This is when the fun begins. You then commence with grinding your clothes into the stones to work in the soap and scare out the dirt. Note: when first using this method you will fear for the life if your clothes. However, I’ve found that mine can withstand the abuse. Once the clothes are sufficiently scrubbed, you then rinse several times, wring dry, and hang on a clothes-line, which likely will be in full view of anyone passing through or by your house and elicit giggles from the neighborhood kids.

In closing, let me make an argument against the use of cotton in places where a pila/clothesline are the washing implements. Without a dryer, cotton will NEVER, never go back to its original size. I’m starting to look like a little girl in my dad’s clothes. However, my sturdy synthetics have remained their faithful to their tagged sizes. A word to the wise: stick with syntheticsJ

l{m here

Thats right, i have arrived! I have absolutely no idea how to use these Guatemalan keyboards so my emails and this blog post are filled with lots of errors and strange symbols. i feel like this really describes how i feel in this new place though. My ability to speak spanish is elementary at best ( i seem to communicate quite clearly with the 5 year old who i live with, but no one else!) and also filled with errors.

Its hard to put into words how it feels to be here. I cant believe i arrived here exactly a week ago. it really feels like months. i spent my first few days living with a host family in the town where the peace corps office is located. then on saturday i moved to an adorable little town just north of antigua (wikipedia-now!) where im living with an older woman who is an amazing cook and determined to give me a good introduction to the delicious Guatemalan cuisine (poor me, right?). i am currently spending about 6 hours a day in spanish classes, which are really helping, but i still feel like a crazy person when i try to express myself. however, sign language goes a long way and im getting pretty good at making things up! fortunately, i can usually get my point across using a combination of arm flailing and english words infused with spanish endings.

Ill be living in my current town for the next 3 months while i train for my peace corps service. after i successfully test at an intermediate spanish level and show that im technically competent to perform my job, ill swear in on halloween and begin two years service to a rural Guatemalan town. im excited and nervous and homesick and ecstatic to be here all at once. i really have no idea what im getting myself into, but i think im gonna like it.

Uncharted Waters

One week from today I'll be back in DC for training.

One week and one day from now I'll be in Guatemala! It hasn't fully set in, but the idea of 27 months in Guatemala is starting to get really exciting. Here's to the unknown!

Now if only I had any idea how to pack for 2 years...