tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30593027877119671942024-02-21T09:12:31.228-08:00Life in GuatemalaCharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-23237118085518284722010-10-24T19:01:00.000-07:002010-10-24T19:19:32.706-07:00El Ultimo!Well, I think this will be my official last posting on this blog. Since I last wrote I made the journey to Florida where I spent 4 wonderful day soaking in the wisdom and good cooking of my spritely grandmother. It was a perfect buffer between the old and new lives-- providing me a few extra days of the trilled sounds of Spanish and of warmth on my skin. <br /><br />I now find myself bundled up in fleece and wool by the rotund potbelly stove that provides heat to my parent's house in Warren, New Hampshire. The Baker River and the kaleidoscope leaves are a perfect backdrop for all of the thinking and sorting-through that I'm doing. Two years of memories and images are dancing about in my head. People like to ask "so, how was it?" I wish I had some sort of concise answer. Peace Corps told us to memorize a 3 sentence answer to that question, but every time I try to, I come up with too much, or too little. So mostly I respond with something like, "It was great! Two years is a long time...how long have you got to hear about it?" <br /><br />I'm expecting an eventual wave of emotion once I realize that I won't be returning to San Sebastián anytime soon, but for now I'm thankful to be among those that I love and am reveling in the autumn colors and the comforts of home. I thought that I'd have pages to write reflecting on all that I learned and gained in Peace Corps, but in the end I think I'd rather let the stories contained in these pages speak of my journey. It's been a wild one, with more twists and turns than I'd imagined, but I've made it to the other side and am happier and (hopefully) wiser for it. Peace Corps was one hell of an adventure; here's to the next one!CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-90900564022681804722010-10-17T04:57:00.000-07:002010-10-17T05:03:44.383-07:00On My WayI'm sitting in the airport, sipping Guatemalan coffee and thinking about what the past two years have shown and meant to me. It's been totally wild. Like almost any worthwhile experience, my Peace Corps life has been an adventure and a struggle. I've learned about myself, about others and about the way the world works and where I fit into the big picture. The next few weeks will find me in Florida, Massachusetts and New Hampshire soaking up family and reintegrating into America. It will hopefully provide me some time to process and people to process with, so I'll be sure to post some post-Peace Corps thoughts and pictures. Thanks for sharing this adventure with me, for your emails and comments. I'm so glad to have been able to show you a little bit of this wonderful place that's been my home!CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-24925771860181109242010-10-11T11:20:00.000-07:002010-10-11T11:25:57.031-07:00Adios Pueblito Querido<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8P9v6LSPBShq39r5vFu60haW_kqvTO2wrNBpnGNMgeNDmMgJNp932QzNxMYU43BO6WMFVTuUznML7zT3SwBnQacK5P1v3_H2j6xEhJoQV0Q03zLEukBm7rgSLsp7g3WPc5nVaSfqE7yZx/s1600/DSC_0002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8P9v6LSPBShq39r5vFu60haW_kqvTO2wrNBpnGNMgeNDmMgJNp932QzNxMYU43BO6WMFVTuUznML7zT3SwBnQacK5P1v3_H2j6xEhJoQV0Q03zLEukBm7rgSLsp7g3WPc5nVaSfqE7yZx/s320/DSC_0002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526856148353025122" /></a> A view I will miss <br /><br /><br />My bags are packed. The house is cleaned and I removed my key from its spot on my keychain. In exactly 9.5 hours I'll load my enormous bags into my friend's car and say goodbye to SanSe for the forseen future. I don't have words to explain what I am feeling, it's something akin to heartbreak, that kind of feeling you get when something difficult and amazing is ending-- incredible nostalgia and sadness mixed with hope and a face pointed toward the road ahead.CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-1522813292034836602010-10-07T06:37:00.000-07:002010-10-07T08:17:46.563-07:005 Days and CountingI'm down to five days left in San Sebastián. Five days to spend with friends, to get in all the hugs and chats and tamales I can fit into my memory and stomach. I honestly never thought about making it here. I've dreamt about the coveted "Returned Peace Corps Volunteer" title and about life after my service, but the last week and the goodbyes were absent from those thoughts. Now that I'm here and staring down my last week, I'm nervous and sad and totally bewildered. This place, this strange and different land that I've been living in for 24 months has become my home and it's nearly impossible for me to imagine life outside of it. <br /><br />I'm used to the honking of camionetas being my alarm, Saturday nights always providing a tamale and piping hot cup of coffee, holidays meaning firecrackers and late nights. I've learned the way certain neighbors ring my doorbell, I've grown accustomed to the scream of "carrrrllllooootaaaa" from the street meaning that kids want to read books; I am a part of a family, of several families, and the idea of going away and unlearning all of those things is starting to break my heart. I love this place. I love my life. And even though I know it's time to move on, to live close to my blood-family and put down some semblance of roots, I'm having trouble saying goodbye. So I'll say "see you in a year" or "see you at so-and-so's wedding," because that makes it easier.CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-76814527036778575382010-09-28T10:40:00.010-07:002010-09-28T11:21:38.426-07:00Promoting MulticulturalismOne of the things that I've enjoyed most about being a PC volunteer, and also one of the values that I hold most dear is the idea that culture is important and worth sharing. Technology and increased travel to far-flung places are both great things; I've benefitted from both. However, one of the pitfalls of those things is an increased homogeneity that has us seeing African kids wearing Tupac shirts and Guatemalan girls playing with Barbies (oh the lovely things that seem to spread most rapidly from our culture). <br /><br />One of my goals as a volunteer has been to share my culture and others that I'm familiar with in a way that's authentic and engaging- and also that doesn't include pop music, crappy processed foods or English swear words. The world is filled with rich cultures that are worth studying and sharing, foods that are worth tasting, and music that no one can resist the urge to tap their toes or dance to. When we learn to embrace differences and appreciate what we don't understand, we learn empathy and the value of individuality. We also end up absorbing and learning a whole lot of really cool things. As such, I shared the secrets of Sushi with my Guatemalan friends a few weeks ago and loved watching them learn to make rolls and use chopsticks. So they ate it with tortillas...maybe that'll be the newest fashionable fusion food. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXXl4l6zSfifTuwL4sU2QmRTPITPI8_goer5O_hWC58TNZBwR3c3VaLmQb12OYQGsGD74XMfh53VTHOTXh-kSI7llfgzmBLE6506UojFK2jNViFV99gtoM6v-WwBWqqQcmQkWxu_roER_/s1600/DSC_0008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXXl4l6zSfifTuwL4sU2QmRTPITPI8_goer5O_hWC58TNZBwR3c3VaLmQb12OYQGsGD74XMfh53VTHOTXh-kSI7llfgzmBLE6506UojFK2jNViFV99gtoM6v-WwBWqqQcmQkWxu_roER_/s320/DSC_0008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522026359853481394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_keqGz4eKm-0p7YdO_Mgx-oehRqFJiXvv0fPTyEG5-hp-r1ElYXbeksAnsYEMRzcXlA8GMrCCVwVepuEbKT6Odm6sqSCkBQhQKw9SZbkL2mR-eNCuABeSgjk0muUtJfsNaBYuDldt4jw/s1600/DSC_0021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_keqGz4eKm-0p7YdO_Mgx-oehRqFJiXvv0fPTyEG5-hp-r1ElYXbeksAnsYEMRzcXlA8GMrCCVwVepuEbKT6Odm6sqSCkBQhQKw9SZbkL2mR-eNCuABeSgjk0muUtJfsNaBYuDldt4jw/s320/DSC_0021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522026355701216818" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBBZILnZLjK-_Pmu2RjYmR7LiRBRPCUZ0msjC3-d0Z7xhxyyLV_OqjV3Cf9BvqX8dFB-y2wE3-IBm8z7tW8Ev3H7rPPyrczYoErDawNxnX5zWl3S6pGERjUYB1ExcZPmLos-QP3CvmMOm/s1600/DSC_0012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBBZILnZLjK-_Pmu2RjYmR7LiRBRPCUZ0msjC3-d0Z7xhxyyLV_OqjV3Cf9BvqX8dFB-y2wE3-IBm8z7tW8Ev3H7rPPyrczYoErDawNxnX5zWl3S6pGERjUYB1ExcZPmLos-QP3CvmMOm/s320/DSC_0012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522026348820403602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIiicQkSZ0-GjF_VcYDTRhx5xzjbdIts80bq2QQKb5uvMco-29t1PQd1Z3btcAfcUpSIBrsNrquag1T1u02o9Q-UIgQFVRWltlYR2AZ73Y6w27Pql7WavETZwyDJct2OnlOAe8JE9S5QkQ/s1600/DSC_0009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIiicQkSZ0-GjF_VcYDTRhx5xzjbdIts80bq2QQKb5uvMco-29t1PQd1Z3btcAfcUpSIBrsNrquag1T1u02o9Q-UIgQFVRWltlYR2AZ73Y6w27Pql7WavETZwyDJct2OnlOAe8JE9S5QkQ/s320/DSC_0009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522026346399834418" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-69319200969816644232010-09-18T06:47:00.000-07:002010-09-18T06:53:20.839-07:00Saying Goodbye to the Ladies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9ZqjtUefmqUVAVK_Y8hNq6acurhZWb8rE9VQwLOoVbLycUGWjCO5EYjPPHBzoYvjQCFE4HA83RQ8cjPBS-n0xXaGB91BHr8c2bqOh2jLI257gjTutuvVfREmHyEVlT1IEgTxvvnp5rxo/s1600/DSC_0046.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9ZqjtUefmqUVAVK_Y8hNq6acurhZWb8rE9VQwLOoVbLycUGWjCO5EYjPPHBzoYvjQCFE4HA83RQ8cjPBS-n0xXaGB91BHr8c2bqOh2jLI257gjTutuvVfREmHyEVlT1IEgTxvvnp5rxo/s320/DSC_0046.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518251182713513170" /></a><br /><br />I have had the amazing privilege of working with incredible women during my time here. My job in the Municipal Women’s Office has included organizing and legalizing groups of women in each village and then getting them together on a monthly basis to train them in topics ranging from self-esteem to voting. They are women who are chosen for their leadership and their desire to improve the situation of women in their communities. <br /><br />When I first started working with them they were incredibly shy, none of them wanted to talk in front of the rest of the group, and giggling was all I got from them when I asked questions. Now that we’ve been meeting semi-frequently for two years, the women trust me and each other and share stories of their lives and ideas for the future without fear. I have loved watching that transition and sharing in lots of great moments with them—my personal favorite being a game we played where we had to pop balloons with our bodies without using our feet or hands (try it, it’s hilarious).<br /><br />I recently had my last meeting with them. They gave me hugs and asked me to come back next year. I’m going to miss these ladies but leave them knowing that they’ll continue meeting and that they have the confidence and creativity to make their communities and their own lives better.CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-56781789051223843182010-09-16T15:07:00.000-07:002010-09-16T15:26:47.328-07:00Baby Carlota!I returned from my recent trip to the U.S. to find a very special surprise. My friend Doña Dora had given birth to a baby girl and she named her Carlota, the translation of my name into Spanish. When I arrived to Dora's house to meet the new baby she put her in my arms and said to me "when you leave we want to always remember you, so we named her Carlota." It was truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Here in Guatemala when someone names a baby after you, they are called your tocayo, or namesake. Here are a few photos of Carlota and her older siblings- Vilma, Dorothy, Froylan and Viviana. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pU9kcHRt_Rk9nAYXLiTdKfkVDmbcTPz68PxNYaNDkXuPaMgnxGtG2kSacYt2iHbjm_Vk-0Kdsom84PlMc4RIBTHKJib2SkvApfrMb02LgoM3zmOwYzzEhrzH6UPjNjptuedhBMDaSef3/s1600/DSC_0183.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pU9kcHRt_Rk9nAYXLiTdKfkVDmbcTPz68PxNYaNDkXuPaMgnxGtG2kSacYt2iHbjm_Vk-0Kdsom84PlMc4RIBTHKJib2SkvApfrMb02LgoM3zmOwYzzEhrzH6UPjNjptuedhBMDaSef3/s320/DSC_0183.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517641225811371234" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsp0m6fXZ5_ZGC_Z1MZQ65veICVguLJZ4Ptx9LMnf4kGDC0o-lKdv5BGO0l_H53mXglRVZeAA7u5siPEXVh9Em-NBSN6RXdawYzXVqIWld_jX8zwfutzWUFty8T9nzJuFcMv3XThfVm1L/s1600/DSC_0186.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsp0m6fXZ5_ZGC_Z1MZQ65veICVguLJZ4Ptx9LMnf4kGDC0o-lKdv5BGO0l_H53mXglRVZeAA7u5siPEXVh9Em-NBSN6RXdawYzXVqIWld_jX8zwfutzWUFty8T9nzJuFcMv3XThfVm1L/s320/DSC_0186.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517641218405594754" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZR4vmOgLMhJe0r1EB-rWbKLU6Dw05cceSIJ-_hPrDQF-18S4NjS3aeY-TFWGrhzYLiY_4vwWtVlcEKu3qxjkR8cVRfRiYADJ3WUxpNInrDuo_EVfbC6xEdn8b5DXmzvAQP3oyb-XR_AH/s1600/DSC_0179.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZR4vmOgLMhJe0r1EB-rWbKLU6Dw05cceSIJ-_hPrDQF-18S4NjS3aeY-TFWGrhzYLiY_4vwWtVlcEKu3qxjkR8cVRfRiYADJ3WUxpNInrDuo_EVfbC6xEdn8b5DXmzvAQP3oyb-XR_AH/s320/DSC_0179.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517641211281630018" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-31222225460235267422010-09-16T14:52:00.000-07:002010-09-16T14:58:48.702-07:00On CoffeeAdmission: I LOVE coffee. If you’ve spent more than 8 hours with me, you already know that. Naturally, I was thrilled when I heard I was going to be living in Huehuetenango, famous for its coffee. There has been no shortage of coffee drinking and learning in the last two years, so I wanted to share a few of the things that I’ve learned. <br /><br />Lesson #1- Huehuetenango coffee really is unparalleled. It’s smooth and rich and wonderful. My uncle actually claims that the coffee I brought him for Christmas last year is the only coffee that doesn’t leave him with heartburn! <br /><br />Lesson #2- The coffee process is incredibly labor and knowledge intensive. I’ve gotten to watch and participate in all of the stages of coffee production: growing, picking, de-pulping, drying, shelling, toasting, milling and brewing. In that process, there will typically be at least 4 people involved- a grower, who also depulps and dries, the businessman who buys it and shells it, the toaster, and the barista who makes the drink. Each of those knowledge sets is unique and requires time and patience to learn. Which brings me to lesson 3…<br /><br />Lesson #3- The coffee industry is broken. The coffee farmers who live in my town and the surrounding areas are lucky if they receive $1 per pound of coffee (the price is based on international standards set in NY and is the price that farmers worldwide receive). The buyer then typically sells it to a buyer in the US for a 200% markup where it is toasted, packaged and sold again for another 200% markup- effectively keeping the producers in poverty and the middle men wealthy and powerful. <br /><br />I have a friend here who is the son of a coffee farmer who grew up and decided to try and change the system. He owns a coffee shop here in Huehuetenango and also trains farmers in organic techniques and fair trade regulations. <br /><br />I recently sat down with him and he explained that even “fair trade” labeled coffee in the U.S. isn’t usually fair trade, the extra $2 that we spend on the bag in a grocery store ends up somewhere in the pockets of the toasters and the “fair trade” certifying organization. He advised me that the best way to ensure that the farmer is getting a fair wage for his work is to buy direct- to buy from a toaster who has a relationship with the farmers growing his coffee. <br /><br />Living here and having friends who farm coffee has made me much more aware of where my money goes. It’s easy to drink coffee detached from the system, we don’t grow coffee in the U.S. (except in Hawaii) so we don’t see farmers toiling for poverty wages. Now that I’ve seen it I’m committed to doing all that I can to buy direct and make sure that my enjoyment of coffee doesn’t come at someone else’s expense. <br /><br />If you’re interested in learning more about direct buy, check out these websites/articles:<br />https://www.larrysbeans.com/<br />http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/coffeecity/2012795613_direct_trade_seeks_integrity_f.html?syndication=rss<br />http://www.directtradecoffee.com/<br /><br />Also, watch the film "Black Gold." It takes place in Ethiopia, but applies everywhere coffee is grown.CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-41504528149663928122010-09-16T07:43:00.000-07:002010-09-16T08:10:55.332-07:00My Third Independence DayFor the third time in my Peace Corps service I celebrated Independence Day with Guatemalan friends. Traditions here, much like in the U.S, revolve around parties, parades and food. The celebrating began on the 13th with events in the town center-- teenagers on stilts, soccer games, marimba music and then continuing at the elementary school with skits by the kids- including a full reenactment of Shrek done by the second graders! <br /><br />The 14th brought antorchas in which traditionally schools drive hundreds of Kilometers away and run back to town, the various children taking turns running and riding the highly decorated school bus. They arrive the evening before independence day to the awaiting public of the town who cheers and sets off fireworks .This year, because of the landslides, the ministry of education prohibited the antorchas. Instead of being deterred, however, the kids hiked up into the mountains surrounding town and ran down! <br /><br />And finally, the official independence day- 15th of September came and the whole town took to the street to watch the parade and fill themselves with candy apples, tostadas and cheveres. A good last Independence day—I spent time with friends who I love, saw my neighbors dressed up in their best traditional clothing and even heard Shakira’s latest hit styled by the school marching band. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFYzpEXXJj5mqmV8VjhOo4QKKah6-m49UBCsJaXx4Pznu7sSQr4ggFKX69LvMKhSTFt3ElmNl8m5bCG2MrExNiHsINku871Vooqbqxb3ZQVvdOvRp1am8Z9P9IODQmatJLCRRwHl33OZj/s1600/DSC_0382.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFYzpEXXJj5mqmV8VjhOo4QKKah6-m49UBCsJaXx4Pznu7sSQr4ggFKX69LvMKhSTFt3ElmNl8m5bCG2MrExNiHsINku871Vooqbqxb3ZQVvdOvRp1am8Z9P9IODQmatJLCRRwHl33OZj/s320/DSC_0382.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517528647173110946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hP3x8T_-pZnk8a6xNEf0KgU_Vhyphenhyphengqkvyww3krSLKQMj1Z5biq6k7eV9oq_T12oPsWy0q3-Zf3iTaX9pT6LFcvyTQ_I2b2wsBAxTJ5Hriek3rqhb5sOP-zrFAEJ3sHPd9SvgYGyrkF4tn/s1600/DSC_0696.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hP3x8T_-pZnk8a6xNEf0KgU_Vhyphenhyphengqkvyww3krSLKQMj1Z5biq6k7eV9oq_T12oPsWy0q3-Zf3iTaX9pT6LFcvyTQ_I2b2wsBAxTJ5Hriek3rqhb5sOP-zrFAEJ3sHPd9SvgYGyrkF4tn/s320/DSC_0696.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517528636603390546" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E1ZIgUFJXkJPUDvJp5a8QF9-Z1p5AFvIEjGPD-hR_9DTGN29gsUmBWdAHULVPgom3OrNuvn-fTLy_5jXSDhH4qQdmfghZhhVrjrAHi-qkyts9JsJbybuGtYj-_fEIvlKteBd59RRQlGW/s1600/DSC_0530.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E1ZIgUFJXkJPUDvJp5a8QF9-Z1p5AFvIEjGPD-hR_9DTGN29gsUmBWdAHULVPgom3OrNuvn-fTLy_5jXSDhH4qQdmfghZhhVrjrAHi-qkyts9JsJbybuGtYj-_fEIvlKteBd59RRQlGW/s320/DSC_0530.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517528625696819330" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkz5I0rui6ma7Nj3oNYF5QnYB03ECy59pBEmx_P-611Rb4u5Z75Pkss_gJTaayIQMV-293nX5HClcFvMX5Gw1nuJB-sq6pPthLDws93FqoXuTa8acBZgJeDVMxXGANMKhmk-ZhBWwXc8k/s1600/DSC_0423.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkz5I0rui6ma7Nj3oNYF5QnYB03ECy59pBEmx_P-611Rb4u5Z75Pkss_gJTaayIQMV-293nX5HClcFvMX5Gw1nuJB-sq6pPthLDws93FqoXuTa8acBZgJeDVMxXGANMKhmk-ZhBWwXc8k/s320/DSC_0423.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517528619396415778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKQ7uL9DLD-v8fitnf-hWl5pbliCGGV_HwKqjBNpWLvKTjP6cwFszMq_sygMKbkYl6ecSEQ2kzkQYbPXSK16C2Km58KsmAnoR475reRKXuCFNYdegQDIa3qJHkEan8NbeZx2uj0hF1tOy/s1600/DSC_0546.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKQ7uL9DLD-v8fitnf-hWl5pbliCGGV_HwKqjBNpWLvKTjP6cwFszMq_sygMKbkYl6ecSEQ2kzkQYbPXSK16C2Km58KsmAnoR475reRKXuCFNYdegQDIa3qJHkEan8NbeZx2uj0hF1tOy/s320/DSC_0546.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517528610523439362" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-4652573772724270992010-09-12T12:31:00.000-07:002010-09-12T12:45:04.775-07:00Landslide<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mexicoambiental.com.mx/mundo/fenomenos_clip_image002_0465.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 379px; height: 252px;" src="http://www.mexicoambiental.com.mx/mundo/fenomenos_clip_image002_0465.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I've become a delinquent blogger. Not because I don't have things to write about, but because as my time here quickly draws to a close I find myself becoming embarrassingly sentimental. So, you've been warned, the posts I'll be putting up between now and October 17th when I board a plane headed north will probably be filled with reflections and nostalgia. But before I get carried away with that I wanted to provide a little update on the madness of Guatemalan weather of late. <br /><br />If you read/listen to the news you've probably heard about the crazy weather we've had lately in Guatemala. This year has been the rainiest and most unpredictable in 60 years, according to the Free Press of Guatemala and as such my plans for a normal home stretch have been thwarted at every turn. Two weeks ago I headed to the capitol city for some doctor's appointments (which went well, no tuberculosis!) and on my way home found myself trapped between two large landslides- both of them covering public buses and their passengers. The whole country went into a state of emergency as towns were flooded, bridges washed away and more than 100km. of landslides covered the Inter-American highway which bisects the country. I was thankful to be safe and found refuge at the house of a Peace Corps volunteer nearby. We bunkered down and were battered by 4 days of crazy storms. Eventually the skies stilled and the roads cleared enough to allow my passage back through the mountains and to Huehuetenango. <br /><br />I've got exactly a month left in my site during which time I'll participate in my third Guatemalan independence day, bookending my time here. I'm looking forward to lots of time with friends and teary going away parties. Tales and pictures to come.CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-4359622241299685612010-08-15T08:37:00.001-07:002010-08-15T08:52:17.404-07:00Wedding in NH!I've been a delinquent blogger these last few weeks, but not without good reason I assure you! Two of my most beloved friends got married last week in New Hampshire and I traveled home for the festivities. The ceremony was lovely and they couldn't have picked a more inspiring backdrop for their vows. <br /><br />It's always a strange experience jumping right back into life in the states- with schedules running on time, warm water running from the tap and hugs from people I haven't seen in a long time, this trip was the same, surprising me occasionally with luxuries and oddities about American life that I'd forgotten. I think it was a good introduction to the life I'll soon be re-entering. This time, as I return to "normalcy" in Guatemala, it will be for a few short months and then I'll be saying my goodbyes. I've already begun with the teary moments and nostalgia...but that's for another post. I'm attaching a few photos of the wedding festivities, the rest are on Facebook, and I promise I'll be back to my regular tales of misadventure soon! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fou3DKDK_LiJosSfO06WGh2grZ84A_s0F066SNPhyphenhyphenAsiBAEKs3GzskGjoK8sQt06kYZ0dV7croCj0zT5Ep5dHlRdKoc7rDQG7DLnKhaw7oMEnnZh_h5N7YNuh05EtaaiLJ4UgOpyLb49/s1600/DSC_0206.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fou3DKDK_LiJosSfO06WGh2grZ84A_s0F066SNPhyphenhyphenAsiBAEKs3GzskGjoK8sQt06kYZ0dV7croCj0zT5Ep5dHlRdKoc7rDQG7DLnKhaw7oMEnnZh_h5N7YNuh05EtaaiLJ4UgOpyLb49/s320/DSC_0206.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505663491492840290" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wvq_tRHP-T7Z9Z8MrWS6gPDg7AWbaLD7ZJFCaV6GTQF9mhjJtMHgDRslr7dJFVwdJeBUM0NlVFFx7JoeQ6T-0cUbNi1GSXW0PL9FhiLOy167r3JlqPwMY79K0TLOR7m7JbE3K0u4pshd/s1600/DSC_0159.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wvq_tRHP-T7Z9Z8MrWS6gPDg7AWbaLD7ZJFCaV6GTQF9mhjJtMHgDRslr7dJFVwdJeBUM0NlVFFx7JoeQ6T-0cUbNi1GSXW0PL9FhiLOy167r3JlqPwMY79K0TLOR7m7JbE3K0u4pshd/s320/DSC_0159.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505663477946842098" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9FiYbmhW8_yefDi6zFEChK_ka5Ai9Bvx6nhyphenhyphen18ER3SpvLc9TxDHhdl4yTz8Yc8uyeX49STn2BkRcQif3XsDww2DcdTQRJcqrv0OmDLjZ_njG5xcthN4fZdEuOetk9uRVPpvNr5CmiyTe/s1600/DSC_0107.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9FiYbmhW8_yefDi6zFEChK_ka5Ai9Bvx6nhyphenhyphen18ER3SpvLc9TxDHhdl4yTz8Yc8uyeX49STn2BkRcQif3XsDww2DcdTQRJcqrv0OmDLjZ_njG5xcthN4fZdEuOetk9uRVPpvNr5CmiyTe/s320/DSC_0107.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505663470029237346" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyL8Prbxh9tdHL1k4_SLh4BzOXCUFNuqwRux0wcoerGE94f9km90ut6FaeINwApjAxPviwxcyZC5-DmBDuzCvpmsZ2wubM9ggViUpmXx_PhUpKJaz4ztvhyphenhyphenrjZodBJyGtjcXF6eYQ6Nl7j/s1600/DSC_0120_3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyL8Prbxh9tdHL1k4_SLh4BzOXCUFNuqwRux0wcoerGE94f9km90ut6FaeINwApjAxPviwxcyZC5-DmBDuzCvpmsZ2wubM9ggViUpmXx_PhUpKJaz4ztvhyphenhyphenrjZodBJyGtjcXF6eYQ6Nl7j/s320/DSC_0120_3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505663466799791826" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-37387041668920499612010-07-16T10:08:00.001-07:002010-09-19T11:06:36.961-07:00Fiestas Julias!Huehuetenango, the city near where I live, is famous for their two week July party. Last year the festivities were canceled because of the looming threat of Swine Flu, making this year's fair doubly anticipated. My friend Greg has been in town for the week and my neighbors were thrilled to have two fiesta newbies to show around. We walked the fairgrounds, towering above everyone, ate everything in site and rode the rides. The lasting impression: Guatemalans know how to party! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9NtUhQ8vVPgS79GgnqzFDPODUHdLJ_XLM9zAR14hVW_tQI40rkFXn9IjPgokiVWsmCdLLafEIdcudQBgQG4m8q0nggwohiQFZ0htuLqevAzw7FB1qng7BTWHo9PTHyoonicrvs2wyk50/s1600/PICT9889.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9NtUhQ8vVPgS79GgnqzFDPODUHdLJ_XLM9zAR14hVW_tQI40rkFXn9IjPgokiVWsmCdLLafEIdcudQBgQG4m8q0nggwohiQFZ0htuLqevAzw7FB1qng7BTWHo9PTHyoonicrvs2wyk50/s320/PICT9889.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494554159083017186" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX72rlfqyLhh6Sv_rAANZ87wMdTtGkHhwvG9jaLVL-RFyRBd6SeQmhEdMw3zG6mhwLOU5svpjMKIjUDt7wk9W-O_a51qesc5Z3D_pTr1uwHJCY8O-w-lSBxRX-UE3o6wvsXCvpBE0ww0Rr/s1600/PICT9884.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX72rlfqyLhh6Sv_rAANZ87wMdTtGkHhwvG9jaLVL-RFyRBd6SeQmhEdMw3zG6mhwLOU5svpjMKIjUDt7wk9W-O_a51qesc5Z3D_pTr1uwHJCY8O-w-lSBxRX-UE3o6wvsXCvpBE0ww0Rr/s320/PICT9884.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494554150083790978" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNp6wJySf0xP-HNt9r98PN3JMBjMipTQRabtiYN3W386iUMbM0UXhl9hO8enE2UxPK3wMY_1WnfMCf8Ko5mfzvHHHGXYJr3qkskm0GP05UFfvEHD5c0gg_qnaS1QR2_NpqmU6od4X8-Gq/s1600/PICT9859.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNp6wJySf0xP-HNt9r98PN3JMBjMipTQRabtiYN3W386iUMbM0UXhl9hO8enE2UxPK3wMY_1WnfMCf8Ko5mfzvHHHGXYJr3qkskm0GP05UFfvEHD5c0gg_qnaS1QR2_NpqmU6od4X8-Gq/s320/PICT9859.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494554147542414386" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TxNy1gy-fK4bCCWrPgGgM9ksfpqWiyPSlR7AAncDNipmldjPeNk-NA1xV2fIqFHN6bwSnffYhJKA3HqMciMzE-5kMZk-81VdjF-0xz68vBhfxsuEYOxDvJTC6-N1CNqqJA2qzIETtI-0/s1600/PICT9832.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TxNy1gy-fK4bCCWrPgGgM9ksfpqWiyPSlR7AAncDNipmldjPeNk-NA1xV2fIqFHN6bwSnffYhJKA3HqMciMzE-5kMZk-81VdjF-0xz68vBhfxsuEYOxDvJTC6-N1CNqqJA2qzIETtI-0/s320/PICT9832.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494554132384893474" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYossJ9T5vCZfre2GzQ5iRKhJASaGAUaKOBV5U2oIyttQy4cz8RzDdnZH-eb5hQ_VpbpKaOyFI6mciGgdAhrYfi5BZ2zLQZ1U9dt1kjSISKmsqdqO85-cbtiIBT_o4F6LDnuQ-HDahDZoB/s1600/PICT9830.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYossJ9T5vCZfre2GzQ5iRKhJASaGAUaKOBV5U2oIyttQy4cz8RzDdnZH-eb5hQ_VpbpKaOyFI6mciGgdAhrYfi5BZ2zLQZ1U9dt1kjSISKmsqdqO85-cbtiIBT_o4F6LDnuQ-HDahDZoB/s320/PICT9830.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494554127054158210" /></a><br /><br />Pictures compliments of Greg Bish!CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-63425511191409321062010-06-26T08:44:00.000-07:002010-06-26T12:33:36.202-07:00Kids Corner: Open for BusinessInside the library building we hung balloons and laid out snacks, sweat beading on our foreheads from the Guatemalan heat. Outside, dozens of excited kids waited for the door to be opened so they could see the kids corner they'd been watching come to life over the previous months. The mural on the wall was painted, the shelves and child-sized cushions placed on the carefully polished floor and finally the shelves were stocked with colorful books. The kids corner was complete! <br /><br />At 2:30pm, we opened the door and let the flood of little bodies pour in, most of them having arrived punctually for the first time in their lives- spurred on by the promise of a gifted book for the on-time arrivers. New books in-hand the kids sat anxiously as we welcomed them to their new space, cutting the giant red ribbon and finally allowing them to go inside and check it out. Each kid left with a crisp new book and the promise of a weekly story-time. The kids corner, I'm happy to announce, is open for business. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiV7Y-1eK99fnniL6csnWvoKESve7yaZp3Z8BDPITNJu_sC6o-rdpebHff0ToShcP2QYIqDRAWcF6QKkb7fVaMmEPJxjYxEXU0Cp75-36jblneh-37yjQbuSpXGTzgfC6TNJRjl6P-rtm-/s1600/DSCF3106.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiV7Y-1eK99fnniL6csnWvoKESve7yaZp3Z8BDPITNJu_sC6o-rdpebHff0ToShcP2QYIqDRAWcF6QKkb7fVaMmEPJxjYxEXU0Cp75-36jblneh-37yjQbuSpXGTzgfC6TNJRjl6P-rtm-/s320/DSCF3106.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487167313484153442" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjCo6IdBLP2tX3AqfZr351tU5M0GiPflqLzPPpojOSbY7WjjVI0bYoV-LAp5CICxmYRR9DZq71S4xNsXYL58x4WNydhn_wkJGFX7bLVevfiBiBhi6SwVVkZgLgspePg0QqHY7DA0SYDim/s1600/DSCF3111.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjCo6IdBLP2tX3AqfZr351tU5M0GiPflqLzPPpojOSbY7WjjVI0bYoV-LAp5CICxmYRR9DZq71S4xNsXYL58x4WNydhn_wkJGFX7bLVevfiBiBhi6SwVVkZgLgspePg0QqHY7DA0SYDim/s320/DSCF3111.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487167303927403362" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8K8ASg3XGoyj7zeFmA_YLOUF4AIXZmX4-F6mb8ljfZL1iMaDuOWnF0XW7WU7IIJLyxTmKEy3L9QL-6aaEp04N32sTpUS0jzuDGIU9GDQ5UryoLA-RbefDe5pVEHlK_Clbasjd2QPlgSpz/s1600/DSCF3090.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8K8ASg3XGoyj7zeFmA_YLOUF4AIXZmX4-F6mb8ljfZL1iMaDuOWnF0XW7WU7IIJLyxTmKEy3L9QL-6aaEp04N32sTpUS0jzuDGIU9GDQ5UryoLA-RbefDe5pVEHlK_Clbasjd2QPlgSpz/s320/DSCF3090.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487167293824136194" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkql3Ms6W9OFieIz1CtAZWAh9enY11b8ArjUReG0jJsffH-fY-7MiNruLUBfd2VQg7kNXEO9hlYgFHMvDxgSCKyElpnlt2zbiWeLxgiABZolGsoE-kkDP45oidmvjAqQTiIYaPp0uab7YZ/s1600/DSCF3091.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkql3Ms6W9OFieIz1CtAZWAh9enY11b8ArjUReG0jJsffH-fY-7MiNruLUBfd2VQg7kNXEO9hlYgFHMvDxgSCKyElpnlt2zbiWeLxgiABZolGsoE-kkDP45oidmvjAqQTiIYaPp0uab7YZ/s320/DSCF3091.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487167284212253538" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCTv1zlVDN0UqYJUCR-rppyBU_6ybe8zilK5JT7mlLsG01d6Mp4AkGfq3Sh0sdVgZaCbMyvB2K4-lDFi7dnoVKsRGfWKAROWS7P1JYY7CKSoVM6wbpUdIcrQ1eCXwg5WufN_oUCZr3ZDF/s1600/DSCF3063.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCTv1zlVDN0UqYJUCR-rppyBU_6ybe8zilK5JT7mlLsG01d6Mp4AkGfq3Sh0sdVgZaCbMyvB2K4-lDFi7dnoVKsRGfWKAROWS7P1JYY7CKSoVM6wbpUdIcrQ1eCXwg5WufN_oUCZr3ZDF/s320/DSCF3063.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487167273580202658" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-50671892853602997092010-06-26T08:30:00.000-07:002010-06-26T08:42:55.437-07:00The Latrines are Finished!Driving down into the valley Tuisquimak occupies one catches glints of light reflecting off of the tops of tin roofs, the latrines recently completed. 41 tiny tin huts poke out from their surroundings, symbolizing a significant improvement in quality of life and hygiene of this small village of 300 people. This week was the celebration for the completion of the project. The women rose at 3am to begin cooking lunch and by the time we arrived at 10, the elementary school which also serves as a common meeting area was filled with the mixed smell of cooking fires and handmade pine decorations; our ears were met with the sounds of school children and the lively plom-plom of the marimba. As we walked up to the greet them, fireworks were set off and huge smiles were flashed our way. It was quite a day- truly one of my most joyful since living in Guatemala. I wanted to experience every moment, to make memories to carry home with me. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBwlHTel_33XpFuLwr2nxlvLFd9UFRZ9zntWjcUP8B_yhXVrit3Rc1Tt9RiXO_-PsbRj1KI2P2Wl6FqRAuzZnQDwY_5M633qIe8yCMCslbxC2-RaVX8bjvlh-qpD2wYgkFG9mJrqnaXcU/s1600/DSCF3042.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBwlHTel_33XpFuLwr2nxlvLFd9UFRZ9zntWjcUP8B_yhXVrit3Rc1Tt9RiXO_-PsbRj1KI2P2Wl6FqRAuzZnQDwY_5M633qIe8yCMCslbxC2-RaVX8bjvlh-qpD2wYgkFG9mJrqnaXcU/s320/DSCF3042.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487107260451275490" /></a><br />Don Mario, Don Juan (Mayor), my dad (who came as representative of my parents' church who donated half of the funds), myself, Doña Micaela (president of the womens' group) and her daughter Vidalia in front of a completed latrine<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpnUc-9zdGCfSv7kEzuH4dolSt_Mc4FoJsTaFwaIGQ6URVUBP_SOnUXeyr4fPsym91ratLWz2vlnjW5LvFmrQSlY74u4l1YwA67AqR_Q3FA0t6AQobF0YvyfANFXLvpJcqoCVk2kj9PBJ/s1600/DSCF3032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpnUc-9zdGCfSv7kEzuH4dolSt_Mc4FoJsTaFwaIGQ6URVUBP_SOnUXeyr4fPsym91ratLWz2vlnjW5LvFmrQSlY74u4l1YwA67AqR_Q3FA0t6AQobF0YvyfANFXLvpJcqoCVk2kj9PBJ/s320/DSCF3032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487107255051618114" /></a><br />Doña Maria's gift to me was a "cinta" for my hair, which she helped me to put on<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqORnxWVkeE4s7NCpGLwGrgEHpON7FkHfCZ9ElB1F6ZTe_iiBsQtb49dQPt41OtCwQz7u_1OujQQJQMw8R3p2GcaZ9OGkda40a5XbiW72IzYTMjYYqioKr-DZh1gl7imwB-kacM-X4GgK/s1600/DSC_0165.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqORnxWVkeE4s7NCpGLwGrgEHpON7FkHfCZ9ElB1F6ZTe_iiBsQtb49dQPt41OtCwQz7u_1OujQQJQMw8R3p2GcaZ9OGkda40a5XbiW72IzYTMjYYqioKr-DZh1gl7imwB-kacM-X4GgK/s320/DSC_0165.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487107250666061794" /></a><br />A little boy standing in front of pine decorations; women cooking in the background<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCL2x3UaRhIoif0n6HQu-1-m4D1FH44gX9Vn6hp48n05S1mLJeCjG-hFFStE7tOKtqGdgpZA23c8roTq2PowJt8ZdYirdsRNnBr5LKPUAkIWQ1BSgoQ-Qynb4jCJ4EtytGtvBxYVZ9bpS4/s1600/DSC_0129.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCL2x3UaRhIoif0n6HQu-1-m4D1FH44gX9Vn6hp48n05S1mLJeCjG-hFFStE7tOKtqGdgpZA23c8roTq2PowJt8ZdYirdsRNnBr5LKPUAkIWQ1BSgoQ-Qynb4jCJ4EtytGtvBxYVZ9bpS4/s320/DSC_0129.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487107239656564962" /></a><br />The Marimba, a must-have at every Guatemalan party<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhfOtERfXqzXtaTtVSPkxcfDf9ntONv2bhPVXgym43K5jkEnuN1BnxMqJmbJs8zdRH5g_SFDDfOW6-jQ6HIK6EQhChEr21PvQurDRM1ejNvb8Snx7CXd2ikdyPD_lJLXKXS0xkpM_zQFq/s1600/DSC_0120.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhfOtERfXqzXtaTtVSPkxcfDf9ntONv2bhPVXgym43K5jkEnuN1BnxMqJmbJs8zdRH5g_SFDDfOW6-jQ6HIK6EQhChEr21PvQurDRM1ejNvb8Snx7CXd2ikdyPD_lJLXKXS0xkpM_zQFq/s320/DSC_0120.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487107226773760162" /></a><br />Seated with the women of the Tuisquimak Womens' GroupCharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-58468486550333203562010-06-24T06:55:00.006-07:002010-06-24T07:36:28.498-07:00Dad's VisitThe long-awaited visit from my dad has finally arrived. He flew in to Guatemala City on Sunday afternoon and our whirlwind week of activity began. We spent a night in Antigua, tasting the delicious coffee and getting a tour of some amazing colonial houses. The 6 hour drive to Huehue on Monday scared him into trying to convince me to come home, but after meeting my friends and neighbors he changed his mind and concedes that I live a good life, despite the apparent travel dangers. <br /><br />So far we have participated in two project inagurations, 3 meals with friends, rides on bumpy village roads and world cup fever! There's more fun to come but for now, here are a few pictures of what we've been up to. Full explanations of the project inagurations coming soon!<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTqndvuMkIRo61g4T3VV-bU1yqxr4Rz0e5QMrwA7yvbR4Z3DpY8_zdWLvp5oUZbUblSFcN4WFy1ZeDLmSHIq-Y4gE3HUkWVT7NqY3kI8ls5gWrPg7Sjbrq_nURrTLBCkRCwfTc56UloXh/s1600/DSC_0112.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTqndvuMkIRo61g4T3VV-bU1yqxr4Rz0e5QMrwA7yvbR4Z3DpY8_zdWLvp5oUZbUblSFcN4WFy1ZeDLmSHIq-Y4gE3HUkWVT7NqY3kI8ls5gWrPg7Sjbrq_nURrTLBCkRCwfTc56UloXh/s320/DSC_0112.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486344425752644530" /></a><br />On my porch- dad's new favorite hang-out<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pJJCypPOr5q0nTFhr7Nxdb4okbeHjGuSlJdQCAphQS7xQirGfBECjkR1rHy9NX4UgJUBRsd_PZgpFiFaKLaKrGaNByOkAS4wBI1opkclWp8SDwMeZvCqqBSI6A4K6DUsDPlD4PnfsFQd/s1600/DSCF3025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pJJCypPOr5q0nTFhr7Nxdb4okbeHjGuSlJdQCAphQS7xQirGfBECjkR1rHy9NX4UgJUBRsd_PZgpFiFaKLaKrGaNByOkAS4wBI1opkclWp8SDwMeZvCqqBSI6A4K6DUsDPlD4PnfsFQd/s320/DSCF3025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486344412526404562" /></a><br />Creepy stuffed squirrel for sale on the side of the road. You can buy them live too. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hrpkscL2nj3H0rFw-Zk-4qA7bal289JUSiCycDq58F5-7PBhBs-LuVg4cWakTxv-ZCvoNr4maaCXLPYks2LMsAIrYRGpfypIT7C-YTT7nXMLHbkogVcfhLB81G7dlotfaqCHLfKQlGUY/s1600/DSCF3024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hrpkscL2nj3H0rFw-Zk-4qA7bal289JUSiCycDq58F5-7PBhBs-LuVg4cWakTxv-ZCvoNr4maaCXLPYks2LMsAIrYRGpfypIT7C-YTT7nXMLHbkogVcfhLB81G7dlotfaqCHLfKQlGUY/s320/DSCF3024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486344403894377282" /></a><br />Lake Atitlan<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRegZ_FsJo1e3z-LZHbd_c8DqcBFPJ6jGox6436rqi6tdT89Lu3eTLkV5WDF6nHL7IHOC0OS-bPQM2XHeWEQDK1OryUvVJceqPkWYuABjIiTGowAAjy5Grn6EExYJp4RK953qGDl7Lfbd/s1600/DSCF3019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRegZ_FsJo1e3z-LZHbd_c8DqcBFPJ6jGox6436rqi6tdT89Lu3eTLkV5WDF6nHL7IHOC0OS-bPQM2XHeWEQDK1OryUvVJceqPkWYuABjIiTGowAAjy5Grn6EExYJp4RK953qGDl7Lfbd/s320/DSCF3019.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486344393266366130" /></a><br />Antigua! In front of Volcán AguaCharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-76460174642141543842010-06-04T05:30:00.000-07:002010-06-04T06:05:39.815-07:00A Slight Change of PlansMy plan for this week involved a visit from my dad and celebrating the successful finish of the latrines in Tuisquimak. Instead, I watched a volcano cover Guatemala in ash, ran for shelter from a tropical storm, and as a result spent 8 extra days in Antigua, all without my dad. Needless to say, sometimes things don't go as planned. <br /><br />On Friday of last week I arrived in Antigua to say goodbye to a friend who was leaving for the US, however, the eruption of Volcán Pacaya covered the capitol city and airport in ash, grounding her for an extra day. Then hot on one disaster's heels, came another- Tropical Storm Agatha. Though she was much less powerful than meteorologists predicted, Agatha damaged something like 50,000 homes and left a death toll nearing 200 in her wake. <br /><br />There were about twenty Peace Corps volunteers stuck in Antigua when we were put on "Standfast" meaning basically that we can't move from our current locations. Initially, we really had no idea what was going on outside of Antigua. The rain had stopped and all seemed okay. It took a while for the local news service to catch up on the story and by the time they did tales of giant sinkholes, whole towns covered in water and bridges out all over the country poured in. After a few days of sitting around feeling slightly helpless, we finally got an opportunity to help out with the clean-up effort. <br /><br />We were brought to one of the Peace Corps staff people's houses to see how bad the damage actually was. Eduardo's house two story house was literally covered in mud up to the second story. As he explained to us the damage and the fear that his family faced when the landslide of mud poured down from off a nearby volcano he struggled to fight back tears. He then walked us through his neighborhood and showed us that many houses were in the same condition. The day was spent shoveling out hundreds of buckets of dirt from people's homes, working alongside people from all the surrounding towns who had come to help out their neighbors. The whole thing, really, was overwhelming. It's hard to know what to say to people who have lost everything. So we grabbed shovels and dug in. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYBdy4Hmz5fSQ4C-tTMDAthVTa-h6tn_M_4kDPSInyZovoY2mkisYlSIkzh3vm7ogaYveSHEg6-P7jjBXhDRt2E2TNOJ642JO0HhSYnsJBXa63qS-M1hKxsYcVgVIJttjlx8zJnpNFmV6/s1600/DSC09096.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYBdy4Hmz5fSQ4C-tTMDAthVTa-h6tn_M_4kDPSInyZovoY2mkisYlSIkzh3vm7ogaYveSHEg6-P7jjBXhDRt2E2TNOJ642JO0HhSYnsJBXa63qS-M1hKxsYcVgVIJttjlx8zJnpNFmV6/s320/DSC09096.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478899384039684034" /></a><br />Shoveling knee-deep mud out of a local business<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYZYKrOJ8cTeTmjmeAgGSMDl0845mepT769m4rAH0izNLkhHMyfZfdXJsa-JJEF-ukLgWC5cmUAKlhMCMxGN2mw7O85hEMb0qdjOJnEM5x3G_4ugQ8maKoqaTtmmNJ5tp7b9azIBR9wv-/s1600/DSC09086.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYZYKrOJ8cTeTmjmeAgGSMDl0845mepT769m4rAH0izNLkhHMyfZfdXJsa-JJEF-ukLgWC5cmUAKlhMCMxGN2mw7O85hEMb0qdjOJnEM5x3G_4ugQ8maKoqaTtmmNJ5tp7b9azIBR9wv-/s320/DSC09086.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478899375097228754" /></a><br />A family whose home was flooded but who have been able to move back<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YDE-PTyiPCucDpGolBlnbfNmup-mfYWK4VH2YhriIOFmIEYq_lBkCUXeuhQDg_iPjy1AqjXeCtz_JN6Qw7Xst5iif20oyygQBmLW4EIFLEzs_SKRQhj8RLsoCsKd362j261wmLzu4yYq/s1600/DSC09075.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YDE-PTyiPCucDpGolBlnbfNmup-mfYWK4VH2YhriIOFmIEYq_lBkCUXeuhQDg_iPjy1AqjXeCtz_JN6Qw7Xst5iif20oyygQBmLW4EIFLEzs_SKRQhj8RLsoCsKd362j261wmLzu4yYq/s320/DSC09075.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478899370483529890" /></a><br />Eduardo's house<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNq0qQLvXYn9MA3yDGSW1Ja-H62i3i94hpsOq7o4QFioFZP-PIq7YYrIOyMdeeH-WauuU05RU9XD2jq_kAp8JC3mBgz1_MG3S4IjM7G9B5AwAwFH-ojwAQJyDPQy3zJhmOs2a0rZyvWsGb/s1600/DSC09066.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNq0qQLvXYn9MA3yDGSW1Ja-H62i3i94hpsOq7o4QFioFZP-PIq7YYrIOyMdeeH-WauuU05RU9XD2jq_kAp8JC3mBgz1_MG3S4IjM7G9B5AwAwFH-ojwAQJyDPQy3zJhmOs2a0rZyvWsGb/s320/DSC09066.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478899359653055618" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OroQfVZA23ytMjktt_ZwIig0p_0A_G5JT-eE9TYxkUcoNmNwBUNB8DB2IoBAbEQci4ko6NHBHdcs5zaFsBvV56I0wnmkeWeihHtfCSVo529mVOIbUyVL_vCoyyXWcOVvpeQ3gN7He76V/s1600/DSC09126.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OroQfVZA23ytMjktt_ZwIig0p_0A_G5JT-eE9TYxkUcoNmNwBUNB8DB2IoBAbEQci4ko6NHBHdcs5zaFsBvV56I0wnmkeWeihHtfCSVo529mVOIbUyVL_vCoyyXWcOVvpeQ3gN7He76V/s320/DSC09126.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478899389160909522" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-62850851929904466492010-05-22T10:53:00.000-07:002010-05-22T11:21:56.251-07:00We Went Shopping!The money is in, the holes are dug and the community of Tuisquimak is chomping at the bit to get their latrines built and ready for use. Purchasing materials is trickier than it sounds though, especially in Guatemala where any variable invariably makes for an adventure. <br /><br />Our adventure started at 7am when I met the president and treasurer and 9 men from the community in front of the municipal building to go to the city to buy supplies. We bussed into the city and found our first hardware store closed (all materials must be purchased at pre-determined supply stores that are proven to be the least expensive by way of price listing which we did a month earlier). When it opened, the corrugated tin that we were purchasing from them wasn't cut to size so we spent our first 2 hours cutting them with scissors. We then moved onto our next hardware store only to find that almost none of the supplies that they promised us were always in their storeroom were available. However, a few frantic phone calls to my Peace Corps boss and my friend, Jaime the Architect, fixed the issue- we changed the design of the latrines and bought different supplies that were available (new skill to put on my resume: Adaptability)! <br /><br />Next we arrived at my neighbor's house. He's our cement man and has been working 'round the clock for the last 2 weeks to pour and mold 41 latrine seats and 41 latrine floors. He finished the night before and all 82 pieces were waiting for us. Those things are HEAVY. The poor guys that came from Tuisquimak to help were dripping sweat in the 85 degree heat, but still smiling and joking, excited to get their latrines. <br /><br />Finally (and I'll admit, I was stressed at this point...we were 5 hours behind schedule and my brain was seriously overworked) we were on our way up the dirt mountain road to Tuisquimak. We moved along at a snail's pace, being careful on the washed-out areas so as not to break the cement floors. As we crested the mountain and arrived in the outskirts of Tuisquimak the truck driver began to blow the air horn, signaling to the community members to gather. By the time we arrived at the school there was quite a crowd- I'm pretty sure literally the whole turned out to see the stuff arriving. Grandmas, mamas with babies strapped to their backs, old men puffing on cigarettes, little kids in galoshes..everyone came to see the action. <br /><br />It was an incredible feeling to hear the womens' names called one by one and see the family members who will be the beneficiaries of the project come to collect the pieces. Rural Guatemalans have seen a lot of disappointment in their lifetimes, many have experienced the civil war and nearly all have been unable to attend secondary school because of lack of resources. I don't think they believed that this project was actually going to happen until they saw the truck pulling up. The next few weeks will hold a lot of busyness as we begin the process of building these babies. Keep checking back for updates! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYJrfS9CMT9ETfIsLiozDRtVpm_ML7gCjavd3jY-SAsgsAvh3RFU6U4RZQEzd-4dHPngkLryDaS293q_gYnwXzbB6qoJe8PlYs_vTDuVJ77YrFD4za4zg1vjIrS2YYg35sJJ6j_py1zJx/s1600/DSC_0014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYJrfS9CMT9ETfIsLiozDRtVpm_ML7gCjavd3jY-SAsgsAvh3RFU6U4RZQEzd-4dHPngkLryDaS293q_gYnwXzbB6qoJe8PlYs_vTDuVJ77YrFD4za4zg1vjIrS2YYg35sJJ6j_py1zJx/s320/DSC_0014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474156494517548338" /></a><br />Loading the 300 pieces of corrugated tin that will make up the walls of the latrines (first we had to cut them all to size!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_8PYL4ZBYlMTSF2OFyvpdUmcbg2eFSULDdJ0P4MITNz0lUiGfvsByDarfqmbOp_rG3pUm353lEPPw899oopdBp3TjLZPnQJgTlUjIvQjpOA9rbRfL2EhqQmqT6OLDyBcBLen4V27AjfG/s1600/DSC_0015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_8PYL4ZBYlMTSF2OFyvpdUmcbg2eFSULDdJ0P4MITNz0lUiGfvsByDarfqmbOp_rG3pUm353lEPPw899oopdBp3TjLZPnQJgTlUjIvQjpOA9rbRfL2EhqQmqT6OLDyBcBLen4V27AjfG/s320/DSC_0015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474156487886494482" /></a><br />Doña Honoria (treasurer) and Doña Micaela (president) of the women's group from Tuisquimak. The trip to pick up the supplies was a fun field-trip for us and also a great opportunity for them to learn how to manage the group's new checking account. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4wy9Fkk5cVJ04gXZRKZ2mbQO2Vnu0Bwfg-ozupjmGghPeLwGyGIm_liXw5IsAbucIAYPzdljyHcYXzEovszKpoiYefDJF5c067bLPAXwZJQi3p5wswVkiZTzsIeGZboHaUzdbKGwns6B/s1600/DSC_0080.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4wy9Fkk5cVJ04gXZRKZ2mbQO2Vnu0Bwfg-ozupjmGghPeLwGyGIm_liXw5IsAbucIAYPzdljyHcYXzEovszKpoiYefDJF5c067bLPAXwZJQi3p5wswVkiZTzsIeGZboHaUzdbKGwns6B/s320/DSC_0080.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474156477976711378" /></a><br />These are the cement form toilet seats. They're actually pretty comfy, albeit a bit cold. They also weigh about 60 pounds. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaKuitTMvtUdNQhQWnSGtoSyXVZ59he6E4-S9BayzVRh0C2HHxd6xTNeQNzX9dWNVrJgXJ4Pr69m3wUOeZxaBAKjh61IxfSXD5nZ2wWoyW6rqWV3MOm7Zt05V0F1OY-g8Hoxl8oToxI-5/s1600/DSC_0096.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaKuitTMvtUdNQhQWnSGtoSyXVZ59he6E4-S9BayzVRh0C2HHxd6xTNeQNzX9dWNVrJgXJ4Pr69m3wUOeZxaBAKjh61IxfSXD5nZ2wWoyW6rqWV3MOm7Zt05V0F1OY-g8Hoxl8oToxI-5/s320/DSC_0096.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474156466475753042" /></a><br />Carrying their supplies to her house. Seriously, these women ROCK! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wEmiMw_aHS20EYawp0NSpYpXHPObqWOMVq4direRu_tZX7g2HK1vxjMqH0W6t5ZrCEv0WaXJrS1boJzLMqjqnPO3cXOdaya90QWTiKgmU88KRkaxj3ZPb1cCySFwlvwUwIXYPNrgid4A/s1600/DSC_0102.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wEmiMw_aHS20EYawp0NSpYpXHPObqWOMVq4direRu_tZX7g2HK1vxjMqH0W6t5ZrCEv0WaXJrS1boJzLMqjqnPO3cXOdaya90QWTiKgmU88KRkaxj3ZPb1cCySFwlvwUwIXYPNrgid4A/s320/DSC_0102.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474156456155429762" /></a><br />We're pretty excited about these guysCharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-85089782281643558222010-05-22T10:29:00.000-07:002010-05-25T14:53:56.137-07:00The Latrines are Coming Along...Thanks a bunch to Jaime and Emily for coming to help us with the construction trainings! Things are shaping up quite nicely...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3L73t7iXY5coXMYrPuZlTzdbaWHbZZOS_b-2lvsP_xGt1ZSxBiif9Oeoeudb3hXsM8xP2osMJ432xAEcB_B12GJoREnT1SSJyQqFHjgkTHljZCx5bqQxzF0v-DdwTG8W_ABPBI9JSe5Y/s1600/DSC_0129.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3L73t7iXY5coXMYrPuZlTzdbaWHbZZOS_b-2lvsP_xGt1ZSxBiif9Oeoeudb3hXsM8xP2osMJ432xAEcB_B12GJoREnT1SSJyQqFHjgkTHljZCx5bqQxzF0v-DdwTG8W_ABPBI9JSe5Y/s320/DSC_0129.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474151700740404594" /></a><br />Laying down the cement floor<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHneQgPWoatPWPGdmNFzoZgEzFE02sGha0u0aeBOorM70wNFPzUR_DLPwuYhpLRafvibpqonnJLwmrkv7wywMw5YM2VPsffZ5jG-hppluC9-OzpbpKJ_yHZce9hCF5rQmdLQRu9_WLpvl/s1600/DSC_0151.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHneQgPWoatPWPGdmNFzoZgEzFE02sGha0u0aeBOorM70wNFPzUR_DLPwuYhpLRafvibpqonnJLwmrkv7wywMw5YM2VPsffZ5jG-hppluC9-OzpbpKJ_yHZce9hCF5rQmdLQRu9_WLpvl/s320/DSC_0151.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474151690701180114" /></a><br />Don't want a crooked outhouse!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9dEFDvrkXu9sVUreHLYOo2bN4OZxX_jU244rFw1CjkbBElXr1K_b9jQL7d5pbpz9pPuNBB4z1RrfmlddZOobjo_C3gXVSsR3pJyvZcYreG9QqyYpVy6j6KA_IwIr5n-ByC4WtLQwO0JN/s1600/DSC_0174.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9dEFDvrkXu9sVUreHLYOo2bN4OZxX_jU244rFw1CjkbBElXr1K_b9jQL7d5pbpz9pPuNBB4z1RrfmlddZOobjo_C3gXVSsR3pJyvZcYreG9QqyYpVy6j6KA_IwIr5n-ByC4WtLQwO0JN/s320/DSC_0174.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474151679706261730" /></a><br />Doña Honoria checking out the progress of her latrine<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZ0Bz8i_wlOIWoeZ2DlD7RevJvb7gbKN3BNqVN0t22aVm8kp-JBdBsQVNg3m6Jgd5-KweSF4GDIna_ekTY6541kQiz9-TTHJn3okWcN3zglKEncQAkIJwSBhGGPQmJYGpACQCdgvua2Ro/s1600/DSC_0227.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZ0Bz8i_wlOIWoeZ2DlD7RevJvb7gbKN3BNqVN0t22aVm8kp-JBdBsQVNg3m6Jgd5-KweSF4GDIna_ekTY6541kQiz9-TTHJn3okWcN3zglKEncQAkIJwSBhGGPQmJYGpACQCdgvua2Ro/s320/DSC_0227.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474151674530253842" /></a><br />Doña Pascuala made us some yummy chamborote beans and tortillas for lunch<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJoomwlTIO9LSbhc9kEngmRvvF8QTfAvmdW_k7S53jrieV0JNAxQulNIjJpRgHUk74xDWyYOE8-CfB7qu-3rPmqSPl4qF89ITrjeScpfEJI5QWBMR8fypswi7I76G1KOuwjFvKFVQJqwt/s1600/DSC_0267.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJoomwlTIO9LSbhc9kEngmRvvF8QTfAvmdW_k7S53jrieV0JNAxQulNIjJpRgHUk74xDWyYOE8-CfB7qu-3rPmqSPl4qF89ITrjeScpfEJI5QWBMR8fypswi7I76G1KOuwjFvKFVQJqwt/s320/DSC_0267.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474151661933027266" /></a><br />Doña Pascuala's son, Miguel, inside their brand-new latrine!CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-22972888742683833462010-05-20T11:43:00.000-07:002010-05-20T11:54:55.812-07:00Project CitizenOne of the main goals of my Peace Corps project is getting community members to participate more in community development by giving them the knowledge and tools to vote and participate in local development committees (that all towns have by law and because that's the way the collectivist culture here works). <br /><br />I have been working with my high school students the last couple of months on something called "Proyecto Ciudadano" or "Project Citizen." In the series of trainings I've given them we've talked about what it means to be a good citizen, how to vote and what documents you need, how to choose candidates and how to be involved in the development process as young people. As a culmination to these talks I divided the students into small groups based on what villages they come from. I then had them sit down with poster-paper and brainstorm all of the issues that they see in their communities. They come up with things like deforestation, water contamination, spousal abuse, bad roads and insufficient classroom space. I then left them with the task of making presentations on their proposed solution for the problem they identified as the most pressing. <br /><br />The following week when I returned I was impressed to find them practiced, organized and ready to present. Though they were incredibly shy and soft-spoken they had great ideas and I was impressed by all the hard work they had put into their presentations. Two weeks later I returned with the mayor's right hand man, the women's office coordinator, the forestry office coordinator and several local community leaders to act as a panel of judges for the presentations. The students again knocked the ball outta the park and impressed all those who came to evaluate them. I'm so proud. These kids are amazing. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3yVX-KXvj59M9i-C4KHcsdADQD-ZVBg-EnPo2cuksmqMkKV-Z1U45f85kPBzkbKkzpC0-7fzC2hPjAyuYc1OKRgyKm83ixiJfyqtncSJxvnNeUYFC8bbojhi9-oW8QB5glvB1ZfkmQT8/s1600/DSC_0308.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3yVX-KXvj59M9i-C4KHcsdADQD-ZVBg-EnPo2cuksmqMkKV-Z1U45f85kPBzkbKkzpC0-7fzC2hPjAyuYc1OKRgyKm83ixiJfyqtncSJxvnNeUYFC8bbojhi9-oW8QB5glvB1ZfkmQT8/s320/DSC_0308.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473426215775326418" /></a><br />One of the kids presenting<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYO02x21Zn834S6yfmHjcAmI8ncvJSXn94vTbtLoW9NIvQmKL1CBlrm3YFyn14vxi4Nv0CTsBQTAiAZ_K35SNCsVvi-jmI0kjaaZciNRKfBchzlS0AOsg-q889xUPylc8_qFx_ULELukIJ/s1600/DSC_0341.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYO02x21Zn834S6yfmHjcAmI8ncvJSXn94vTbtLoW9NIvQmKL1CBlrm3YFyn14vxi4Nv0CTsBQTAiAZ_K35SNCsVvi-jmI0kjaaZciNRKfBchzlS0AOsg-q889xUPylc8_qFx_ULELukIJ/s320/DSC_0341.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473426206883144770" /></a><br />A group talking about environmental contamination<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TfVd2b3H0eA0w1gjSwP7zUDKC4zfFcgzIFGLNJQed9XyZCyvSQMq0qJd0dN_Bu9RGMk_qaXLfJVU-Ym-ipMuicSoFcdZpH_LeBeqQJUbxPZ2c6MWLgbdnhc2Fi3JR7D1mv83JK5O4U4w/s1600/DSC_0379.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TfVd2b3H0eA0w1gjSwP7zUDKC4zfFcgzIFGLNJQed9XyZCyvSQMq0qJd0dN_Bu9RGMk_qaXLfJVU-Ym-ipMuicSoFcdZpH_LeBeqQJUbxPZ2c6MWLgbdnhc2Fi3JR7D1mv83JK5O4U4w/s320/DSC_0379.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473426193352329074" /></a><br />A skit about littering that had the kids in stitches<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUd0AHuDMXoVFJbD969YsjNVMUNoHlNjSCFoFPLhhmcyIhEbT_Ud_stk0bZTCw9aTv7YklVWEC-AqJLcTejJky2hZCKdnr1RCtd7-HXDY6sxbZ6iO6Rl7UAtbnklwi4uXFyFHg47lDEP7/s1600/DSC_0397.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUd0AHuDMXoVFJbD969YsjNVMUNoHlNjSCFoFPLhhmcyIhEbT_Ud_stk0bZTCw9aTv7YklVWEC-AqJLcTejJky2hZCKdnr1RCtd7-HXDY6sxbZ6iO6Rl7UAtbnklwi4uXFyFHg47lDEP7/s320/DSC_0397.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473426187090095106" /></a><br />The judges calculating their winner<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9051IgAXyCFkys6ggTRi1hN00E_c7yFRhcgPAkIKh9vsHrJHIwbSpWASOCqPyKWGRG4lwoJyu_l1GIP-iPx1ZPIelTLTe-ORCF2LLwDxg8zfyBLNMgrmsz3xrjDuuuf-cvTE1tGspCQ1T/s1600/DSC_0418.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9051IgAXyCFkys6ggTRi1hN00E_c7yFRhcgPAkIKh9vsHrJHIwbSpWASOCqPyKWGRG4lwoJyu_l1GIP-iPx1ZPIelTLTe-ORCF2LLwDxg8zfyBLNMgrmsz3xrjDuuuf-cvTE1tGspCQ1T/s320/DSC_0418.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473426181941483874" /></a><br />The winners!CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-80125456624887994712010-05-09T09:18:00.002-07:002010-05-09T09:33:28.272-07:00Elkin's 2nd and a Fiesta of Our OwnBirthdays are BIG in Guatemala, so when my friend Katie's host family invited me to their son's second birthday party, I knew I was in for a good time (and a lot of tamales). Katie lives on my way home from the capitol and as I had errands the day before, a visit was feasible. A few other friends also made the trip to partake in the festivities. <br /><br />The party preparations started early, we were up until nearly midnight the night before preparing almost 200 tamales for the feast. The next morning we were beckoned early to finish preparations, down a breakfast tamale, and herd the kids in to wait for the clown. No Guatemalan birthday party is complete without a giant paper animal to whack to death with a wooden stick, and this party was no exception- we had two piñatas and mayhem ensued after the candy began to fall. The morning ended with cake and birthday blessings for little Elkin. <br /><br />The party continued throughout the day with a lunch, birthday church service and more tamales, but as friend's of Katie's we were excused to rest and hang out in her house. The four of us ended the day with a celebration of our own- Gringa style- kabobs, wine and some much needed catching up. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXik0anCNZKMbgvKYovi84rkACUGkRHCevnYtkhWfr9iS9H5qFc3LjP_9Uv2SUdS35OOTy9oEsOVAS9KuD-lN_MKuGRIVRn1-CqzI7_kpGCt1Qyx2XwXh3khWBNlcniDXVShfYXhByRZL/s1600/DSC_0199.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXik0anCNZKMbgvKYovi84rkACUGkRHCevnYtkhWfr9iS9H5qFc3LjP_9Uv2SUdS35OOTy9oEsOVAS9KuD-lN_MKuGRIVRn1-CqzI7_kpGCt1Qyx2XwXh3khWBNlcniDXVShfYXhByRZL/s320/DSC_0199.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469308493719942082" /></a>The birthday boy got a overwhelmed with all the activity<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZfNng891-BNBubAu4D3vreMx7MOXlXt8tZCFFp0iY3Nn2QXmODYnkQmB-qQsF9L1HdgM-G7s_mR_YYqUGI1PZx2IPngkeAvPQcNupKCRSAM5wbhztlYKiO5qegTL7eP4Vzs2pK0bvdIM/s1600/DSC_0149.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZfNng891-BNBubAu4D3vreMx7MOXlXt8tZCFFp0iY3Nn2QXmODYnkQmB-qQsF9L1HdgM-G7s_mR_YYqUGI1PZx2IPngkeAvPQcNupKCRSAM5wbhztlYKiO5qegTL7eP4Vzs2pK0bvdIM/s320/DSC_0149.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469308483314983634" /></a>Stashing the spoils of the piñata<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLNWOVRrHpCNB-Ier7WWC90EHRJmG9fymL594nKOaUwjGxP-OMpHITqsi2jPSxywhtNKjf4CNz0B6nxDOdGJeLOcjPoXr_Vf5wOQNoOhovLjUJpfeN_ggN8w9kfPk5340syxAr7z5dPrO/s1600/DSC_0133.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLNWOVRrHpCNB-Ier7WWC90EHRJmG9fymL594nKOaUwjGxP-OMpHITqsi2jPSxywhtNKjf4CNz0B6nxDOdGJeLOcjPoXr_Vf5wOQNoOhovLjUJpfeN_ggN8w9kfPk5340syxAr7z5dPrO/s320/DSC_0133.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469308473499868386" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDqC2lhc1nevq4bNClVqZqOokixbyBa4Vi7A0J64-p4-xeDQ4BjyMe1EZECJ9nleAObnqkNCAGfNh5mgKBfFRtQy8tQ_4PEU9poQpITrzRGdZKKu112TNItvKMFFmcS13gLbKdsdHeA4d/s1600/DSC_0080.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDqC2lhc1nevq4bNClVqZqOokixbyBa4Vi7A0J64-p4-xeDQ4BjyMe1EZECJ9nleAObnqkNCAGfNh5mgKBfFRtQy8tQ_4PEU9poQpITrzRGdZKKu112TNItvKMFFmcS13gLbKdsdHeA4d/s320/DSC_0080.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469308470391477058" /></a>Fernando wasn't so sure about the clown<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7-cFV4eWqL8eXuznx2mS9eTn2qM7tIpufVjM6wLurvotXaGHUxJ8jxJ_CwZ0PTmtUrWfXdaoMZZ9KAmtPgKGT-YKfGlAdT5yEsMHkmD9_G6fvTT_cADO-M3Un-4vR_0QdHUNhtGgy581/s1600/DSC_0217.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7-cFV4eWqL8eXuznx2mS9eTn2qM7tIpufVjM6wLurvotXaGHUxJ8jxJ_CwZ0PTmtUrWfXdaoMZZ9KAmtPgKGT-YKfGlAdT5yEsMHkmD9_G6fvTT_cADO-M3Un-4vR_0QdHUNhtGgy581/s320/DSC_0217.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469308507071901474" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-27454930087221299072010-05-09T09:08:00.000-07:002010-05-09T09:18:25.315-07:00Books!This update on the library project has been a long time coming. Due to the imminence of the rainy season, the Tuisquimak latrine project has take precedence in my calendar and blog-posting, but I assure you, it's still plugging along. Last month I finished the kids corner, complete with a red picket fence and matching red bookshelf. The mural is painted and the books are waiting to arrive and be devoured by eager kiddos. I've been mulling over several ideas for the management of the kids library, as I don't want the books to be brought home and never returned, and have finally figured out how I'm going to do it. But more on that all later...soon we'll be flinging the doors of the kids library open and I'll post pictures and updates on that final step. <br /><br />For the moment, however, I'd like to write about an amazing donation we received last week from a Guatemala-based NGO called ChildAid. They coordinate with educational publishing houses to receive large donations of books that they then distribute to Guatemalan libraries at a very low cost. I got in touch with them about a month ago and last Thursday, after an overnight road trip with my town's mayor and librarian, we were invited into the storehouse and our trunk was filled with hundreds of beautiful, new books- math books, kids books, atlases, posters with poetry, natural history books. It was quite a sight. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCAaUdBNRggKx9U476g84n7u7R7KgfnudhdlM4uEJSCvHToFOGSzry6lUhuDoFZD-_R5u0Fg938d3NkmfDzbh75Xz2QCIVnA4YkyOiv17w1Z2rcWWe64dRc2TJDmc8qJjODGbjhQ6f2fZ/s1600/DSC_0052.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCAaUdBNRggKx9U476g84n7u7R7KgfnudhdlM4uEJSCvHToFOGSzry6lUhuDoFZD-_R5u0Fg938d3NkmfDzbh75Xz2QCIVnA4YkyOiv17w1Z2rcWWe64dRc2TJDmc8qJjODGbjhQ6f2fZ/s320/DSC_0052.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469304996418033234" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEu2N-og85LLtC9Gx64qwNu2pQ3FxJJ74Mc7OnpwgEEylZJLWNGjuTmUbC8r24FDYQTXICL-qEF2H9ew_YlW2SUozNHHm5LrI8wnTC5ba_n8AEgBlTVieA2flDiScCKrWpEg1tZYmdvGmQ/s1600/DSC_0045.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEu2N-og85LLtC9Gx64qwNu2pQ3FxJJ74Mc7OnpwgEEylZJLWNGjuTmUbC8r24FDYQTXICL-qEF2H9ew_YlW2SUozNHHm5LrI8wnTC5ba_n8AEgBlTVieA2flDiScCKrWpEg1tZYmdvGmQ/s320/DSC_0045.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469304991711388898" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3kWY55pt2qhXyUUzXXHkk3noGTZx1noUoZX3VXCedDqGJIOSbenqL6CF0tdThGcfVLxLPR8J9ryHOrmeWOM_ymGfOzzQZ4um3GzPv3XUY-9VfhMual5Qr8wxAZfQmuRTF_jzXspenZTa/s1600/DSC_0005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3kWY55pt2qhXyUUzXXHkk3noGTZx1noUoZX3VXCedDqGJIOSbenqL6CF0tdThGcfVLxLPR8J9ryHOrmeWOM_ymGfOzzQZ4um3GzPv3XUY-9VfhMual5Qr8wxAZfQmuRTF_jzXspenZTa/s320/DSC_0005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469304979727579362" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRazYQKceL0AbrKoEfSmlFghNg88r-4Rb5j5Yh-zb2ZIczK2mu2mBug60D4NYrZ7FNanXd03bGKmm6AqYv3cKt-DwV1vE5bPw4vuLIKOZcyCMu7I4ClxoqZ9FfAjupqK0uANz6PblwCoy/s1600/DSC_0035.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRazYQKceL0AbrKoEfSmlFghNg88r-4Rb5j5Yh-zb2ZIczK2mu2mBug60D4NYrZ7FNanXd03bGKmm6AqYv3cKt-DwV1vE5bPw4vuLIKOZcyCMu7I4ClxoqZ9FfAjupqK0uANz6PblwCoy/s320/DSC_0035.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469305004991856050" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-9250258852647468112010-05-04T10:06:00.000-07:002010-05-04T11:09:46.000-07:00How to Make a Tire GardenOne of the projects that many Peace Corps volunteers undertake is food security. Most of the communities in which we live are agricultural, but the food grown and eaten is often lacking in diversity. Here in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, we have a range of soils and temperatures making it an ideal place to grow a plethora of interesting foods, from tropical fruit to cold-weather veggies like brussel sprouts and spinach. <br /><br />The sustainable agriculture sector of Peace Corps teaches local farmers to use organic fertilizers and to spice up their planting and eating habits with a variety of foods. One of the coolest things that they do is planting small raised gardens in abandoned tires. Though I’m not an agriculture volunteer, I’ve had some fun of my own growing food I can’t find in the market. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, I want to pass along the how-to. Maybe you have an itch to get your hands in some dirt and a few old tires in need of new life. If so, here’s how…<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Step 1: Select a Tire</span><br />You are looking for a tire that is really worn out; the softer the better. Tires have wire inside them to help them keep their shape- you want to make sure this wire isn’t sticking out too much or you could end up running to get yourself a tetanus shot. When you kick the tire firmly with your foot, you want it to collapse a little. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TQvK5f7DbtamPCHlXRowiKMH_Uk-Qop4GzWR3iQuGCPQok0pIqVDEE06bmLnMYAKhaGbrEO02ZR98US6pSb0f5CrttC-F3Ct_y2rIGpWAcKs9tc0ehibMXM2aDQwJpDH-pTFNM9PFGRh/s1600/IMG_5350.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TQvK5f7DbtamPCHlXRowiKMH_Uk-Qop4GzWR3iQuGCPQok0pIqVDEE06bmLnMYAKhaGbrEO02ZR98US6pSb0f5CrttC-F3Ct_y2rIGpWAcKs9tc0ehibMXM2aDQwJpDH-pTFNM9PFGRh/s320/IMG_5350.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467476260560549074" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Step 2: Cut the Tire</span><br />Lay your tire on its side and using a sharp knife cut the rim off, leaving two small handles on opposing sides. Cut loops in the handles so you can use them to lift up the tire later. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKovGpuVj2M5nzJhR8ujrjnJOQ36r_NGEhV0-6efw3af-aLhIESRwWd7dLBVanWStXWfuz8GqeMDialG7E08liwni35dBOXG0n4LLP8cKIOxC8MEjfe4S0niTG4vNfNNy4qQmA9iuL8zqA/s1600/IMG_5354.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKovGpuVj2M5nzJhR8ujrjnJOQ36r_NGEhV0-6efw3af-aLhIESRwWd7dLBVanWStXWfuz8GqeMDialG7E08liwni35dBOXG0n4LLP8cKIOxC8MEjfe4S0niTG4vNfNNy4qQmA9iuL8zqA/s320/IMG_5354.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467476243410382226" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Step 3: FLIP!</span><br />This is the most physical (and fun) part of the process. Use your knees, feet, shoulders, butt, whatever necessary to flip the sucker inside-out. This creates more area for planting. Usually a good way to start the flip is to place the tire on its side and cave in one side using your foot- then shove your knee in the top and move around the edge of the tire, flipping it inside out with your hands. Have fun!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Step 4: Pause for photos</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30rM6biS2QbaYcN_piT4Y3MACsX34FJ-VJ2NL8yAYNNDfzicFChopXgeS5BgDQH9bqT6uvG693WnV8aGEync1Hsk1fCGgbU1N13bbMh8-yn3zaHmh7V0TYQKXGQ3JLlwA43qJdW4pnMFS/s1600/IMG_5364.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30rM6biS2QbaYcN_piT4Y3MACsX34FJ-VJ2NL8yAYNNDfzicFChopXgeS5BgDQH9bqT6uvG693WnV8aGEync1Hsk1fCGgbU1N13bbMh8-yn3zaHmh7V0TYQKXGQ3JLlwA43qJdW4pnMFS/s320/IMG_5364.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467471548911007586" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Step 5: Make a Bottom</span><br />Get a bunch of strong sticks and create a nest of sorts over the hole in the bottom of the tire. Then put porous fabric covering the sticks. This prevents your dirt from falling through the hole but allows excess water to escape. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0yaKoPFKlI4GTUwEv5W0dpbJ4hDrkTVSvhA_mkaUvULsKsPI5TcAH8pNOeAl7zcCUf5AL7SCeS27qz4U2G1o4xOC_YrYhvdL1LbQ7wB6HcXmobRTbdx7gT5le5g-DOokPdI47FocAtNG/s1600/IMG_5379.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0yaKoPFKlI4GTUwEv5W0dpbJ4hDrkTVSvhA_mkaUvULsKsPI5TcAH8pNOeAl7zcCUf5AL7SCeS27qz4U2G1o4xOC_YrYhvdL1LbQ7wB6HcXmobRTbdx7gT5le5g-DOokPdI47FocAtNG/s320/IMG_5379.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467471560584843954" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Step 6: Fill it With Dirt</span><br />The best dirt is a combination of compost and plain old dirt. It should be moist but not wet and clump together when you squeeze it in your hand. Fill your tires most of the way with your soil mix. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUPds4qj5ATUEG9oASxxdW1rIVvjMjntWljokklwT7S66-dnc7r-_n5DraqTqjCGxBfzvfk7H2Z9TQ0zrC5_YwNAMyFFE3XIJP6SaMlusjeSNGNJ9hp6VTVFTQw0FoK0U7RrrwEDUtgIj/s1600/DSC_0016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUPds4qj5ATUEG9oASxxdW1rIVvjMjntWljokklwT7S66-dnc7r-_n5DraqTqjCGxBfzvfk7H2Z9TQ0zrC5_YwNAMyFFE3XIJP6SaMlusjeSNGNJ9hp6VTVFTQw0FoK0U7RrrwEDUtgIj/s320/DSC_0016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467471562437873522" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Step 7: Plant</span><br />Because the tires have limited depth, some things grow better than others. Leafy greens, radishes, herbs, cucumbers, tomatoes and other above-ground small vegetables grow best. Make sure you pay attention to the depth and spacing suggested on your seed packet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Step 8: Water</span> <br />Keep your plants moist and watch out for weeds. If you find that animals are munching on your plants you can make a stick fence around the inside perimeter of the tire to keep them out. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Step 9: Harvest and Eat!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMk7vFTHjH94ZRjV8NfPpAiL2gqTF27mZ1W_R-KCs8PAj8jiAmLFmOVSG3EDi4VG-qgnqq-ks8geM_mKhTOJtOIJTcbR8H-e1ucKedKyuqIGkMc6Cqdn5sz-3Vm73Mnchkiz6-uHx8J0bN/s1600/DSC_0170.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMk7vFTHjH94ZRjV8NfPpAiL2gqTF27mZ1W_R-KCs8PAj8jiAmLFmOVSG3EDi4VG-qgnqq-ks8geM_mKhTOJtOIJTcbR8H-e1ucKedKyuqIGkMc6Cqdn5sz-3Vm73Mnchkiz6-uHx8J0bN/s320/DSC_0170.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467471573175879442" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-70244176612412797822010-04-21T05:45:00.000-07:002010-04-21T05:51:03.035-07:00Latrine PlansTomorrow I will be giving my last pre-latrine training in the community of Tuisquimak. Following that we are simply waiting for the money to arrive in accounts to begin building, but we're optimistic and very excited. The following are a few images that my friend Jim drew up for me for the latrines! It's nice to have friends who are handy like this...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3fRj2Xy2a3o_RnZNcS_nfs43K6wRurv3YvoJ_c4g3Jwd5UIujnVJN_Cck3fVdQLwqxEKJ1fK_I0QVgvY61QP79hIjSybgO3TsCOhCcpjovF71Yb7FvQrT21KLcCAEomdXj4Lj9k4SK7m/s1600/Latrine_SanSe2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3fRj2Xy2a3o_RnZNcS_nfs43K6wRurv3YvoJ_c4g3Jwd5UIujnVJN_Cck3fVdQLwqxEKJ1fK_I0QVgvY61QP79hIjSybgO3TsCOhCcpjovF71Yb7FvQrT21KLcCAEomdXj4Lj9k4SK7m/s320/Latrine_SanSe2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462571781600207602" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1Z1SeLrlVhnHv9iaj1KJjDIvZ6I2I_srkg44MmGiJ1bfMSMnOIxjW9AeFS8yKz3LqIq4u94eHmy45TyxuewuCCcTcNGYmRUlPd8jzJzMInuVsnBQ-3S8YKJ06pMmg7BDD1SQ-Aoefw3A/s1600/Latrine_SanSe2_overall.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 209px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1Z1SeLrlVhnHv9iaj1KJjDIvZ6I2I_srkg44MmGiJ1bfMSMnOIxjW9AeFS8yKz3LqIq4u94eHmy45TyxuewuCCcTcNGYmRUlPd8jzJzMInuVsnBQ-3S8YKJ06pMmg7BDD1SQ-Aoefw3A/s320/Latrine_SanSe2_overall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462571776676752898" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-32578369997607551082010-04-13T06:28:00.001-07:002010-04-13T06:49:45.188-07:00Latrines for TuisquimakOne of the ideals of Peace Corps that sets it apart from most other development agencies and volunteer organizations is that volunteers go to their communities without a cent to execute projects. Each month we are given just what we need to pay our rent, buy food and perform our duties, nothing extra. This isn't to make our lives more difficult (though it obviously does create challenges and make us creative) but to put us on the same economic level as our neighbors so that we can truly enter into life with them. <br /><br />We are put in our communities as resources, but not economic ones. We are there to learn and to teach. However, every once in a while volunteers are smacked in the face with a need in their communities that the people they are working with are struggling to resolve alone. In these cases, the volunteer is allowed to seek outside funding to help with the project but is encouraged to do it in a sustainable way in coordinated efforts with the community so that everyone learns and benefits. <br /><br />This is exactly what happened when I visited a womens' group in Tuisquimak. I was giving a talk about nutrition and needed to use the bathroom. The women blushed and started to talk among themselves and then sent me to a very rudimentary latrine constructed of bits of wood and tarp. They were obviously very embarrassed about the situation. A month later my co-workers and I returned to Tuisquimak to do a community diagnostic assessing the needs of the community. The need they expressed most fervently was for latrines to improve the hygiene and sanitation of their homes and families. The group is relatively small, 41 women, and after talking with María, we decided the project was feasible and necessary and began looking for funding. <br /><br />The funding was found in various places. First, I was adamant that a large percentage of the project come directly from the community. They agreed happily to do all of the manual labor for the projects, and to purchase materials and food for all of the trainings that are a necessary part of the project. Second, we wrote a grant proposal for USAID's Small Projects Assistance fund (specifically for PC volunteers) and were approved for the materials for the little houses that cover the latrines. That left the cement latrine bodies themselves. For that I wrote a letter to my home church and local newspaper explaining the project and my service. To date, about half of the money has come in (just over $1,000) and we are hopeful that the rest will soon arrive. <br /><br />I'll be updating my blog as the project progresses. We hope to have the money from USAID in less than a month and will immideately begin construction so as to avoid being caught in the rainy season. Check back and see how the project moves along! If you are interested in donating to this project email me at cskeniston@gmail.com <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuGWMk76L39mWkGSgk-uEPjf9q5LjSWJ3I4N6f8Op9D8X9gOF_HiyHmPPKA5WEXvhOP8XeQ7s0IIysAiOearbkgUGr5a918qTyFhSjmFr2GXsIeSKO8ZyXMRNpE3bo8aGtj50OdEF5jhM/s1600/DSC_0111.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuGWMk76L39mWkGSgk-uEPjf9q5LjSWJ3I4N6f8Op9D8X9gOF_HiyHmPPKA5WEXvhOP8XeQ7s0IIysAiOearbkgUGr5a918qTyFhSjmFr2GXsIeSKO8ZyXMRNpE3bo8aGtj50OdEF5jhM/s320/DSC_0111.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459618219154548802" /></a><br />The president and secretary of the womens' group<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEkoRMG6fSj_Dwbv3P6AxUxHa7PUH0W9-kZSbC8IlTU0dTgR713Z9MkLaofLItqWpWO8pYPrrllP2uu6uv1MvAQX5Oo5uYdKWbxGr0Usa7UIB5lLzD-FZ_qM6qIHwZsjyE3OpAE0BKhqw/s1600/DSC_0100.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEkoRMG6fSj_Dwbv3P6AxUxHa7PUH0W9-kZSbC8IlTU0dTgR713Z9MkLaofLItqWpWO8pYPrrllP2uu6uv1MvAQX5Oo5uYdKWbxGr0Usa7UIB5lLzD-FZ_qM6qIHwZsjyE3OpAE0BKhqw/s320/DSC_0100.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459618216730118290" /></a><br />They gave us pumpkins from their garden!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLAttfnWUztJC6xpGm2Se7ODl-slRid9T0e4g06DsF-taKP6V7JvvY2NhFxUdikwbTSnHaPFk6WNf6_WXoStEYG9iZzzRlzr8O14UxA4nmHES501ysidcl0nTQxRdyh37DGOFkuKgy6mm/s1600/DSC_0121.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLAttfnWUztJC6xpGm2Se7ODl-slRid9T0e4g06DsF-taKP6V7JvvY2NhFxUdikwbTSnHaPFk6WNf6_WXoStEYG9iZzzRlzr8O14UxA4nmHES501ysidcl0nTQxRdyh37DGOFkuKgy6mm/s320/DSC_0121.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459618205263752690" /></a><br />The "latrine" mentioned above. The new ones will be built of metal and wood and have actual toilet seats!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdgpQ3o7UtPWoJM-f7Ajh5Jp8YOhd12jQpQ7vdWVmgLEt10Ue-aten7V2HM5oNigWDjRwzBHCkptPEF4oKI_CIgnDuMt7hi8MtpBRkhNEfEXydIB6b8ZAXFG0BXmt4SjbZ9wgI0Iq0vrq/s1600/DSC_0119.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdgpQ3o7UtPWoJM-f7Ajh5Jp8YOhd12jQpQ7vdWVmgLEt10Ue-aten7V2HM5oNigWDjRwzBHCkptPEF4oKI_CIgnDuMt7hi8MtpBRkhNEfEXydIB6b8ZAXFG0BXmt4SjbZ9wgI0Iq0vrq/s320/DSC_0119.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459618194056210386" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3059302787711967194.post-68212092880308487752010-04-05T11:58:00.000-07:002010-04-05T12:01:56.316-07:00Abloom!One of the things I miss most about life in New England is watching everything burst into bloom during the first weeks of April. There really is nothing compared to watching buds springing up from frosty ground or the sounds of birds chirping after a long winter. Even though I haven't spent months bundled in sweaters, I've got my own bloom going on here in Guatemala: my garden! The spinach has sprung and is looking read to eat...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFmSGMBoxCRYHqxpyREsUTuCS-Y52qgSE204tetKOkdGPqCZ8nKN5b8rfkZ6cpZGWZMc-v2dazv6stqUnHPjuQd3tAtD350aLPKoyNO0guwkG2iJ9hKg72kuGLVao0RGs1xZYO_C9RCzG/s1600/DSC_0171.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFmSGMBoxCRYHqxpyREsUTuCS-Y52qgSE204tetKOkdGPqCZ8nKN5b8rfkZ6cpZGWZMc-v2dazv6stqUnHPjuQd3tAtD350aLPKoyNO0guwkG2iJ9hKg72kuGLVao0RGs1xZYO_C9RCzG/s320/DSC_0171.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456730299928809234" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvhv905dxGf0IG8Xp61k9lwo9jjDQGg4rS11ThOoQSZ7TZ2d-I9NtbiQjKavFpRjgCXJyMv8_4m0iqnaD7M3puPt6S-73KmqHjyoBTqmfMUyzE0ZtxUeQotfhba5EXlt4ZwIcxGRrXJRV/s1600/DSC_0169.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvhv905dxGf0IG8Xp61k9lwo9jjDQGg4rS11ThOoQSZ7TZ2d-I9NtbiQjKavFpRjgCXJyMv8_4m0iqnaD7M3puPt6S-73KmqHjyoBTqmfMUyzE0ZtxUeQotfhba5EXlt4ZwIcxGRrXJRV/s320/DSC_0169.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456730286147994690" /></a>CharlotteinGuatemalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980299713480614837noreply@blogger.com0