Abloom!

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...

La Jungla

Holy week in Guatemala means traffic, noise, and excitement, so instead of hanging around to see it all (last year was enough for me) I headed into the jungles of Petén with a few good friends. The goal: El Mirador, ancient Mayan ruins that boast arguably the largest pyramid in the world, sculptures in relief, and wildlife galore. Just getting to the state of Petén took us over 20 hours on buses. From there we hired a guide who led us 2 days into the jungle, passing buried ruins all the way, to El Mirador. The hike provided us relief from the busyness of Semana Santa in other parts of Guatemala and also a much needed vacation.

Me, a teacher?

One of the interesting and often nerve-wracking things about Peace Corps is that it provides you opportunities to do jobs you aren't trained for and that you never thought you'd do, like teaching. Though I love working with people, I don't consider myself much of a teacher and after a 10 year old broke his wrist in a snowboarding lesson I was teaching, I swore off the job for good. However, in Peace Corps I've found myself doing many things that I never thought I'd do, and really having a lot of fun.

Twice a month I teach in a village high school a two hour walk from my house. The school is basically a government trial to see if putting high schools in villages will work (the current system requires high school students to come to town centers, often hours away, which obviously is prohibitive for many students). I began teaching life skills there last year. The lessons have ranged from leadership and self-esteem to basic sexuality. The kids are sometimes frustratingly shy, but I enjoy working with them and the progress I've seen in the students I worked with last year is remarkable.

In addition to the high school class, I jump at any chance given by my office to teach a womens' group. A few weeks ago another volunteer was visiting me and I gave her my camera so I would have a few pictures of me with these groups that I teach but never have the chance to take pictures with.

Hermanito en Guatemala!

After nearly 21 months living in Guatemala, my brother Aaron made it down here to see what I've been up to. I kept him pretty busy, we visited Antigua, Guatemala City, Lake Atitlan, and some smaller local places. I also dragged him to work with me for 4 days and even got him to help me build a gate for the children's library I'm working on. I had a blast and despite 2 seriously burned legs, so did he! Photo evidence of the fun:

9 Things: An Update

A few months ago I blogged about 9 things I'd like to do before I finish my Peace Corps service in October. By way of an update I have the following to offer...

Garden planted!


Beer brewed!

Keep checking for updates....there are more to come:)

The Day I Knew I Was Culturally Integrated...

..was not the day that Spanish rolled off my tongue thoughtlessly or the day I ate 5 tortillas at a meal, it was the day my 4 host brother was crying from cutting onions and instead of snatching the sharp, potentially dangers tool from him, I ran upstairs to bring him my swimming goggles so he could continue cutting, tearlessly. Apparently I've grown accustomed to children carrying around machetes and such. Oh my.

International Women's Day

In celebration of el Día Internacional de la Mujer I'd like to say a few words about some of the incredible women that I've been working with for the last 18 months. As I've alluded to in other posts, women here have the cards stacked seriously against them. First, Guatemala is infamous for "machismo." Machismo is a kind of socialized sexism that says that men are dependent on women for everything, that they should and will always be subservient, that their minds are weaker and their bodies good only for serving the "stronger" sex. Second, the women I live with are poor, often extremely poor. They are dependent on their land to produce so that they can eat, and in years of drought or plague the consequences are grave. Lastly, the women I work with are indigenous. Though their culture is rich and ancient, they are treated as second-class citizens by many of their Spanish-descent neighbors. They struggle to understand in school (if they are lucky enough to go) and they have to fight tooth and nail to gain the place in society that people of the dominant culture treat as a birthright.

Despite the odds, and all of the boulders placed in their paths, many of these women thrive. They whisper to each other that the world doesn't have to be as it is, that domestic violence and lack of education don't need to be the norm; they fight for the development of their communities, for their rights to clean water, education and vaccination for their children. And little by little they change themselves and the people around them. They are strong, they are persistent and they are inspiring.