Winter is absolutely my favorite time of year in New Hampshire. Sure, Autumn is beautiful in myriad colors, and spring is lovely; everything dead bursting into life. But winter is hushed and peaceful and never fails to charm me. I was packing last night for a trip to the winter wonderland that is NH in December, dreaming of all the snowboarding and sledding and snowman making I would soon be doing when I received a text from the Peace Corps security officer saying something to the effect of "DON'T TRAVEL, protests and roadblocks likely!" I panicked, picturing myself missing my flight. So I scrambled and asked friends and neighbors how to get to the city in time to catch my flight- the 1am night-bus en-route from mexico was the only offered solution (other volunteers affectionately refer to it as the "cocaine train" because there's no way you'd drive or ride on it unless you were on cocaine).
I quickly gathered my belongings, shut my eyes for an hour of sleep and then schlepped my giant bag down to the bottom of the hill where the buses from Mexico pass. The bus arrived only minutes later and I was ushered onto what was the most luxurious bus I've seen yet in this country. This magical midnight bus spirited me away, flying gleefully through the darkened Guatemalan towns I usually curse for standing between me and the end of my journey. I arrived in Antigua without a hitch, dropped my bags at my hostel and after a cup of coffee and a check of the ole-email am off for a full day of Christmas shopping and friend visiting. Thank you, delightful mystery bus for saving my Christmas spirit. If, the next time I rise in the middle of the night to take a bus to the city, the midnight express doesn't arrive, I won't be surprised...maybe it was just Christmas miracle.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
High Points
To celebrate the end of Environmental camp I met up with a group of other Peace Corps friends and climbed Volcan Tajumulco- the tallest point in Central America! Tajumulco is a dormant volcano whose peak can be seen from all over Guatemala and has been a goal of mine since I set foot in this country.
We met up Saturday morning and hiked 4 hours to our camp site, our bodies screaming under the weight of packs that none of us had carried for a long time (it had been 16 months since my last backpacking trip! Unfortunately the PC schedule doesn't leave much opportunity for backpacking trips) We camped in a valley at the base of the summit and enjoyed a well-deserved warm meal made on a fire (Scott and I machete-ed a fallen tree to pieces to bring back wood. So hardcore).
We rose at 4am, knocked the sleep out of our eyes and ice out of our shoes and took off for the summit. I’ve only had the chance to hike above 10,000 feet 3 other times in my life and my lungs pinched at the lack of oxygen. But the moon was bright and the view was incredible so the push to the summit was lovely. I arrived at the top with Mark and Scott a little after 5am and enjoyed the full range of colors that the sunrise provided.
We met up Saturday morning and hiked 4 hours to our camp site, our bodies screaming under the weight of packs that none of us had carried for a long time (it had been 16 months since my last backpacking trip! Unfortunately the PC schedule doesn't leave much opportunity for backpacking trips) We camped in a valley at the base of the summit and enjoyed a well-deserved warm meal made on a fire (Scott and I machete-ed a fallen tree to pieces to bring back wood. So hardcore).
We rose at 4am, knocked the sleep out of our eyes and ice out of our shoes and took off for the summit. I’ve only had the chance to hike above 10,000 feet 3 other times in my life and my lungs pinched at the lack of oxygen. But the moon was bright and the view was incredible so the push to the summit was lovely. I arrived at the top with Mark and Scott a little after 5am and enjoyed the full range of colors that the sunrise provided.
Environmental Camp
To say we were overwhelmed when 80 kids showed up on day one of "La Gran Semana del Ambiente" is an understatement. Mark (my sitemate) and I had planned for a maximum of 60 kids and were totally unprepared for the amount of “energy” these kids brought with them. The first day was CRAZY. But we learned from our mistakes and tweaked as we went along. Day two was significantly better and as the week progressed, things got continually better.
The kids learned about how to care for the land, water, air, animals, and the forest through lessons, crafts, games, songs and even snacks! On the last day of camp 57 kids received diplomas for attending all week, and as we sang our final camp song I realized that it was worth all the trouble and stress. It was a pretty wild week, and while I’m not sure I’m ready to jump into another one just yet, the kids learned tons and loved their time at camp.
The kids learned about how to care for the land, water, air, animals, and the forest through lessons, crafts, games, songs and even snacks! On the last day of camp 57 kids received diplomas for attending all week, and as we sang our final camp song I realized that it was worth all the trouble and stress. It was a pretty wild week, and while I’m not sure I’m ready to jump into another one just yet, the kids learned tons and loved their time at camp.
An Opportunity for Growth
I don’t believe that poverty or wealth is measured in numbers, but rather in quality of life and the ability for growth. In my experience I would say these factors, which make a person poor or not, have more to do with environment and mindset than they do with money.
Many of the communities I visited during my time in Tanzania were by typical standards very poor, however, their ability to provide for themselves from their land, their desire for growth and ingenuity in making that happen, created a quality of life that I have not seen in many other places. The family I lived with in Mbeya had very little money. They ate the food they grew and raised, and sold sunflower oil to put their daughters through school and pay for the occasional luxury.
This attitude of self-sustainability is sadly not something that I’ve seen much of in my community here in Guatemala. It has a lot to do with years of oppression by majority groups. It probably also has a lot to do with the fact that the model of development that many NGOs have used here in the past: giving out stuff (latrines, school supplies, houses, animals, etc.) Because of those two factors, many of the women that I work with aren’t interested in listening to talks about hygiene or cooking unless there is a promise of a project or gift at the end. It can be pretty disheartening.
Six of the women that I work with have recently connected with a local company in a very interesting project, generating income via a model called micro-consignment. It differs from traditional micro-credit programs in that the women aren’t loaned any money and don’t owe anyone anything- they simply sell products for the company and earn a percentage of the profit. The products are sold at a very low cost and are items that are needed in their communities, such as eyeglasses, water filters, solar-powered lights, seeds, etc. I have been accompanying the women to their trainings as they’ve learned how to give eye-exams and promote the products.
It has been really exciting for me to see these women show a lot of commitment and ingenuity in this project. They are paying their own travel expenses to come to the trainings, taking time away from their fields and kitchens to learn a skill that will serve them in generating income and self-esteem. It shows me that despite the many hurdles they have to overcome, and despite oppression and the development history in Guatemala, they are invested and willing to work to see the changes they desire. This Friday will be their first community campaign to put their skills to the test. I’ll keep posting on the progression of the project, but for now, here are some photos of the women learning to give the eye exams…
Many of the communities I visited during my time in Tanzania were by typical standards very poor, however, their ability to provide for themselves from their land, their desire for growth and ingenuity in making that happen, created a quality of life that I have not seen in many other places. The family I lived with in Mbeya had very little money. They ate the food they grew and raised, and sold sunflower oil to put their daughters through school and pay for the occasional luxury.
This attitude of self-sustainability is sadly not something that I’ve seen much of in my community here in Guatemala. It has a lot to do with years of oppression by majority groups. It probably also has a lot to do with the fact that the model of development that many NGOs have used here in the past: giving out stuff (latrines, school supplies, houses, animals, etc.) Because of those two factors, many of the women that I work with aren’t interested in listening to talks about hygiene or cooking unless there is a promise of a project or gift at the end. It can be pretty disheartening.
Six of the women that I work with have recently connected with a local company in a very interesting project, generating income via a model called micro-consignment. It differs from traditional micro-credit programs in that the women aren’t loaned any money and don’t owe anyone anything- they simply sell products for the company and earn a percentage of the profit. The products are sold at a very low cost and are items that are needed in their communities, such as eyeglasses, water filters, solar-powered lights, seeds, etc. I have been accompanying the women to their trainings as they’ve learned how to give eye-exams and promote the products.
It has been really exciting for me to see these women show a lot of commitment and ingenuity in this project. They are paying their own travel expenses to come to the trainings, taking time away from their fields and kitchens to learn a skill that will serve them in generating income and self-esteem. It shows me that despite the many hurdles they have to overcome, and despite oppression and the development history in Guatemala, they are invested and willing to work to see the changes they desire. This Friday will be their first community campaign to put their skills to the test. I’ll keep posting on the progression of the project, but for now, here are some photos of the women learning to give the eye exams…
Thankful
I have so many things in my life to be thankful for. I have lived a remarkably healthy life for 24 years, I have incredible parents who have supported me in every endeavor I’ve ever undertaken, I have a brother who is one of the coolest people I know and a great friend, I am surrounded by friends who love me unconditionally and push me to grow and learn. I am living an exciting life, fulfilling dreams, being challenged and changed, learning about the world and about myself.
So, this Thanksgiving, while celebrating with a group of other volunteers, I raised my glass to friends, to family and to authentic experiences. Here’s to you- thank you for being a part of my life and giving me so much to be thankful for.
So, this Thanksgiving, while celebrating with a group of other volunteers, I raised my glass to friends, to family and to authentic experiences. Here’s to you- thank you for being a part of my life and giving me so much to be thankful for.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Disparity of Wealth
Throughout the last handful of years I've spent a lot of time thinking and talking about the disparity of wealth that is present in our world, our communities, and even in our relationships. It effects the way people view themselves and their roles in society. A child who grows up knowing that her needs (food, shelter, clothing) are taken care of is much more likely to finish high school, to go to university, not to marry before she chooses to, simply because she has had the luxury of security.
Disparity of wealth is visible in Guatemala in many very obvious and tangible ways. In the municipality where I live and work it often correlates with race (Spanish or indigenous descent) and location (urban or rural). The reality of my current situation is that the town center, where most of the necessary basic services- the market, the health center, the municipal offices, are located is populated by the 2% of the population that is Ladino, or of Spanish descent. The outlying rural areas, where there are much higher rates of poverty and malnutrition, is where rest of the 98% of municipal citizens live, a sweeping majority of them of indigenous descent.
This disparity in my own town was almost sickeningly obvious to me a few weeks ago when I was invited to the first birthday party of a friend's child. There were over 100 guests present at the party, all of them well dressed and groomed, bearing presents wrapped in brightly colored paper. The party had clowns, pinatas, and an abundance of foods; it went on for hours. Meanwhile outside, a small hoarde of uninvited children watched the whole thing through dirty glass. Of course, not every child could have been invited, but the selection of who was and who wasn't, seemed less based on who was friends and more on socioeconomic status.
I was invited, though, and struggled with the implications of that. The party-throwers are my friends. The kids outside are my neighbors and impromptu playmates. So what am I supposed to do? I can play the outsider card, pretend I'm clueless and be friends with everyone. Or I can speak my mind, and loose friends and trust. It's a hard thing, at times, being an outsider in a new context, the very nature of our lives and jobs to analyze situations like this one that we see in our towns. So what do we do? I honestly, don't know.
Disparity of wealth is visible in Guatemala in many very obvious and tangible ways. In the municipality where I live and work it often correlates with race (Spanish or indigenous descent) and location (urban or rural). The reality of my current situation is that the town center, where most of the necessary basic services- the market, the health center, the municipal offices, are located is populated by the 2% of the population that is Ladino, or of Spanish descent. The outlying rural areas, where there are much higher rates of poverty and malnutrition, is where rest of the 98% of municipal citizens live, a sweeping majority of them of indigenous descent.
This disparity in my own town was almost sickeningly obvious to me a few weeks ago when I was invited to the first birthday party of a friend's child. There were over 100 guests present at the party, all of them well dressed and groomed, bearing presents wrapped in brightly colored paper. The party had clowns, pinatas, and an abundance of foods; it went on for hours. Meanwhile outside, a small hoarde of uninvited children watched the whole thing through dirty glass. Of course, not every child could have been invited, but the selection of who was and who wasn't, seemed less based on who was friends and more on socioeconomic status.
I was invited, though, and struggled with the implications of that. The party-throwers are my friends. The kids outside are my neighbors and impromptu playmates. So what am I supposed to do? I can play the outsider card, pretend I'm clueless and be friends with everyone. Or I can speak my mind, and loose friends and trust. It's a hard thing, at times, being an outsider in a new context, the very nature of our lives and jobs to analyze situations like this one that we see in our towns. So what do we do? I honestly, don't know.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Dia de Los Santos
One of the most important holidays on the Guatemalan Calendar is All Saints Day, or Dia de Los Santos. Families from all over the country return to the places where they grew up, where beloved family members have been buried to mourn and remember and honor their dead.
This year, I made my own pilgrimage to the town of Todos Santos for their yearly fair. This town is the heart of the modern day Mam speaking world and nearly all its inhabitants still wear the traditional dress of their ancestors. For the week leading up to All Saints Day the normally sleepy streets are abuzz with activity- vendors and tourists and returning family members tripling the normal occupancy of the town.
The central activity of the whole event though, are the horse races which are run by twenty-five or so local men who, by the start of the race, have been drinking for well over 24 hours. The men mount their horses and proceed to run back and forth on a half-mile track for most of the day, the goal being to remain on top of your horse. Though it may sound comedic, the results are often tragic; The tradition is that if you die in the horse race, your family will be blessed by a good harvest. Thankfully, no one was badly injured in this year’s races.
This year, I made my own pilgrimage to the town of Todos Santos for their yearly fair. This town is the heart of the modern day Mam speaking world and nearly all its inhabitants still wear the traditional dress of their ancestors. For the week leading up to All Saints Day the normally sleepy streets are abuzz with activity- vendors and tourists and returning family members tripling the normal occupancy of the town.
The central activity of the whole event though, are the horse races which are run by twenty-five or so local men who, by the start of the race, have been drinking for well over 24 hours. The men mount their horses and proceed to run back and forth on a half-mile track for most of the day, the goal being to remain on top of your horse. Though it may sound comedic, the results are often tragic; The tradition is that if you die in the horse race, your family will be blessed by a good harvest. Thankfully, no one was badly injured in this year’s races.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Meet the Family
For the last six months I have been living with a Guatemalan family. Edgar and Lily are both only a few years older than me. They are teachers, parents, community members and over the course of our time together have become my good friends. I wanted to dedicate a blog post to introducing them and their 3 energetic, brilliant children to all of you. Blog world, meet the fam…
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Back to School
Work in my official Peace Corps post as been slim lately, and as a result I’ve had to get creative with finding things to fill my time. The mom and dad of the family I live with are both teachers and immediately accepted my offer for help- Lily invited me to start teaching bi-weekly classes to her high school class. At the same time another friend also invited me to do the same in the high school where she works in a nearby village. The following are a few pictures of those classes:
Saturday, October 17, 2009
A Walk in the Woods
Every other week I teach life skills classes in two different high schools. One is the “urban” school (the term being used loosely as there are only 2,000 residents of the town center) and the other is a small extension high school in one of the villages of the municipality. I dread going to the village school, not because of the students or the teacher, they are attentive and respectful, but because of the walk- it’s isolated and awash with stray dogs that never fail to send me searching for a rock to keep them at bay.
The walk to the school is generally uneventful; the only real challenges are the giant hills and abusive sun on my pale gringa skin. However, the school is in the afternoon to accommodate the students´ farming and household duties, which means that I finish my lesson and begin my journey home no earlier than 3pm. By this time most people are in their houses resting, making the walk in the fading sun lonely.
Yesterday was my day to go to Mapá, the village school, and as usual I was anxious as I finished up my lesson and began my descent back to town. Thirty minutes into my trek, as I approached the first cluster of houses since I left the school, was invited to sit and rest. I pass this house frequently and in my head I refer to it as “the nudist colony” because there is always a gaggle of bathing children out front. Today the women of the house were making small pottery animals to sell on market day. I sat for a spell, practicing Mam (the local Mayan language) and learning all about paints made from local materials, and then continued on my way. A mile or so I was met in the road by a young woman with her 2 year old daughter who immediately greeted me and invited me to stop and eat a banana with them- which I accepted, thankful for something to put in my growling stomach. Soon we continued together down the road, her daughter chattering away at me in Mam. Magdalia, as I learned she was named, was on her way to visit a sick relative, and when we arrived there she arranged for her family members to give me a ride back to my house, more than 5 miles away. I arrived home exhausted but early, smiling and thankful for such wonderful neighbors.
The walk to the school is generally uneventful; the only real challenges are the giant hills and abusive sun on my pale gringa skin. However, the school is in the afternoon to accommodate the students´ farming and household duties, which means that I finish my lesson and begin my journey home no earlier than 3pm. By this time most people are in their houses resting, making the walk in the fading sun lonely.
Yesterday was my day to go to Mapá, the village school, and as usual I was anxious as I finished up my lesson and began my descent back to town. Thirty minutes into my trek, as I approached the first cluster of houses since I left the school, was invited to sit and rest. I pass this house frequently and in my head I refer to it as “the nudist colony” because there is always a gaggle of bathing children out front. Today the women of the house were making small pottery animals to sell on market day. I sat for a spell, practicing Mam (the local Mayan language) and learning all about paints made from local materials, and then continued on my way. A mile or so I was met in the road by a young woman with her 2 year old daughter who immediately greeted me and invited me to stop and eat a banana with them- which I accepted, thankful for something to put in my growling stomach. Soon we continued together down the road, her daughter chattering away at me in Mam. Magdalia, as I learned she was named, was on her way to visit a sick relative, and when we arrived there she arranged for her family members to give me a ride back to my house, more than 5 miles away. I arrived home exhausted but early, smiling and thankful for such wonderful neighbors.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Lightless
It's 9:30p.m. on a Sunday night and save for the odd cricket, my town is silent. Even the street dogs seem to have been lulled to sleep by the darkness and lack of activity. The usual scene on a Sunday night is something akin to a carnival- neighbors, music, taco stands and burning trash piles. Tonight, it's more like sleeping. A country wide electrical outage is the culprit. The peace is unusual and I'm soaking it in. Who knows how long it will last. My laptop has power and my satellite internet modem continues to function, so I'm bathed in the blue glow of my computer screen while my neighbors sit at their kitchen tables surrounded by the soft yellow light of candles.
I hear some dogs beginning to bark again. And the lights are back.
I hear some dogs beginning to bark again. And the lights are back.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Independence Day
During my 27 months as a Peace Corps volunteer I will partake in three Independence day celebrations, bookends of sorts for my time here in Guatemala. The second of three passed a few weeks ago and I wanted to share some photos from the day.
Independence day in Guatemala differs from American independence day in that it is primarily a school holiday. For several days leading up to September 15th, the big day, schools participate in Entorchas, or long runs carrying flaming torches from point A to point B (usually upwards of 30 miles). The kids ride loud, brightly decorated buses most of the time, only getting out to run through densely populated towns, where they are drenched by flying water bags and cheered on by onlookers.
On the actual day, all school-aged children participate in an enormous parade. Some of the highlights from this year's parade included two well-practiced bands playing recent pop radio favorites and a tribute to Michael Jackson, hundreds of high school girls in traditional dress carrying the local harvest vegetables, kindergartners dressed as certain respected townspeople, a reenactment of the Mayan holdout against the Spaniards, and gigantes- children on stilts that tower above the crowd. The sky was noisy with the sound of firecrackers, the kids strung out on sugary treats, and the town center packed elbow to elbow with folks from all over the municipality. It was a good day to be in Guatemala.
Independence day in Guatemala differs from American independence day in that it is primarily a school holiday. For several days leading up to September 15th, the big day, schools participate in Entorchas, or long runs carrying flaming torches from point A to point B (usually upwards of 30 miles). The kids ride loud, brightly decorated buses most of the time, only getting out to run through densely populated towns, where they are drenched by flying water bags and cheered on by onlookers.
On the actual day, all school-aged children participate in an enormous parade. Some of the highlights from this year's parade included two well-practiced bands playing recent pop radio favorites and a tribute to Michael Jackson, hundreds of high school girls in traditional dress carrying the local harvest vegetables, kindergartners dressed as certain respected townspeople, a reenactment of the Mayan holdout against the Spaniards, and gigantes- children on stilts that tower above the crowd. The sky was noisy with the sound of firecrackers, the kids strung out on sugary treats, and the town center packed elbow to elbow with folks from all over the municipality. It was a good day to be in Guatemala.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Library Project: Take 2
I was thrilled when I arrived at my parents house in New Hampshire to have to wade through stacks of books to get to my bed. Thanks to all of you, over 60 books were donated to the library project in my town! The challenge then became: How to get them back to Guatemala and then to my town, 300 miles from the capitol!? Luckily, when checking in for my flight in Boston, a very kind spanish speaking airport attendant found my begging hilarious and waived the overweight luggage charge on my bags so that I could get all of the books here. But that was only the beginning of the journey. Over the course of a week the books were passed from car, to plane, to bus, to be dragged through two towns behind me and Kayla, to bus again, and then finally to the LIbrary in my town.
The librarian and the students were beyond excited as I withdrew each book from the suitcase and handed them over for the inspection. Phase II of the Library Project: Complete!
The next step for the library is a children's reading corner and after-school reading appreciation program. A big thank you to all of you who sent kids books! I'm hanging onto them for now until the next phase is complete and I can give them to the library knowing they'll be well taken care of. They're getting plenty of use though...almost every afternoon, my room fills up with neighbor kids who come over to read "Jorge Curioso" or "Madeline." It's pretty amazing- these are very active little kids who have never owned a book in their lives and they sit as still as stones to listen to the stories. On days when I don't go out and invite them to come in and read, they climb the walls of the house next door to see if I'm home to read to them. These kids love books!
Again, thank you so much for being involved and making this project a success! I'll keep the updates coming as the project progresses.
The librarian and the students were beyond excited as I withdrew each book from the suitcase and handed them over for the inspection. Phase II of the Library Project: Complete!
The next step for the library is a children's reading corner and after-school reading appreciation program. A big thank you to all of you who sent kids books! I'm hanging onto them for now until the next phase is complete and I can give them to the library knowing they'll be well taken care of. They're getting plenty of use though...almost every afternoon, my room fills up with neighbor kids who come over to read "Jorge Curioso" or "Madeline." It's pretty amazing- these are very active little kids who have never owned a book in their lives and they sit as still as stones to listen to the stories. On days when I don't go out and invite them to come in and read, they climb the walls of the house next door to see if I'm home to read to them. These kids love books!
Again, thank you so much for being involved and making this project a success! I'll keep the updates coming as the project progresses.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tikal
As I mentioned in my last post, one of my good friends, Kayla, came to visit me for a few weeks. Here are some photos of our trip to the incredible Mayan ruins in Tikal, El Peten.
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