Saturday, August 15, 2009

The Rains Return



The rhythm of life in small Guatemalan villages is largely dependant on the whims of the weather. When it rains, stores and homes close their doors and inhabitants retreat inside to sip coffee, talk, and catch up on telenovelas. When the sun shines, the streets fill with food vendors, drying laundry, and old men lounging and sipping on cusha, local homemade liquor. The rains that come every May are expected and anticipated by weeks of planting, preparing the soil to consume what the sky gives and turn it into corn to be eaten as tortillas, tamales, and atoll the rest of the year.

This year the rains came in May and soaked the fields, but in June the rain clouds fled, leaving only sun, drying cornstalks, and concerned townspeople. June came and went without more than a few minutes of rain, as did July and the first summer corn crop was lost. The second was planted in the bone dry soil in hopes that the rains would return, but still not a drop fell. When I talk to the kids in my town, one of their first questions is usually “Carlota, tu no sabes cuando llegare la lluvia?” Charlotte, do you know when the rains are coming? The Mayan traditional religionists hike up into the hills to perform ceremonies pleading for relief of the heat and the drought. The second week of August arrived with promising, dark, saturated rain clouds, but still nothing.

And then they came. Yesterday afternoon as I lounged on my bed, reading and dreaming of the temperate New Hampshire summers and my grandma’s swimming pool, door open in hopes of a breeze, I heard it. The slow and steady build up, the pattering of rain on my plastic laminate roof, a gradual crescendo until I couldn’t hear my own excited laughter over the thunder of giant rain drops drumming on every surface. I’m not sure if the rain is here to stay, to finish out the shortened rainy season; the clouds have again scurried away to hide somewhere in the wibbly, humid sky. But yesterday’s rains have at least given the corn a few days of respite, a long awaited drink.

Friday, August 14, 2009

1 Year



Well blog readers, we’ve made it a year- I in Peace Corps Guatemala, and you in following the meandering tales of this blog. I can hardly believe that a year ago I was getting off a plane in Guatemala City, marveling at the new sites, smells, people, and emotions that Guatemala was presenting me with.

It’s been quite a ride, full of ups and downs. I think I’ve felt more emotion (excitement, fear, frustration, surprise) in the past year than I knew I was capable of. I’ve learned to function in a second language and culture and met some really incredible people.

I now fully understand why Peace Corps is for two years. It’s taken me this past year to learn the language and culture (which I still struggle with) and to gain the trust of the people I am attempting to work with. All of the volunteers that I’ve talked to say that the second year is the better of the two- getting to see the results of hard work and relishing in the friendships formed over the first year.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the past year wasn’t really challenging, but looking back I’m glad I survived it and am ready for another. It was quite a year; here’s to another!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Market Day

Today is Market day. Every Wednesday and Sunday vendors from every pocket of the municipality and from as far as the Mexican border come here to roll out their wares. Main Street is transformed from sleepy to bustling.

The first vendors begin to raise tarps and booths as early as 4am. The racket used to wake me, but I’ve grown accustomed now and sleep until the man selling newspapers passes by my house- my personal market day alarm clock. Market day is a day for people from all of the far-reaching communities to do their weekly shopping, visit the local government office, go to church (as many of the local churches coordinate services with market schedule), and visit with friends. The only transportation that comes and goes from the villages is on market day.

We have the best market around- with the distinction that a majority of the goods come from within the municipality. Though you can’t find the more exotic veggies that come from elsewhere- asparagus, eggplant and spinach, the plethora of local herbal plants and greens is impressive.

In addition to being famous for the variety of goods, we’re famous for the rouge shopping methods of the local women. I have, on more than one occasion, been elbowed in the side so someone can get to the veggies they want. Within the Peace Corps circle there’s a cautionary tale about the market here- one volunteer, in pursuit of fresh oranges, found herself knocked down flat by a local lady (likely no taller than 5 feet). The moral of the story is- shop local; be steady on your feet.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Xela and Fuentes Georginas

To celebrate our (almost) one year anniversary as volunteers, my training group descended upon Xela for a weekend of fun. We spent one night in the city, went out for dinner, played some pool, and wandered the city by night. The second night we spent at Fuentes Georginas, hot springs located just outside the city. After a day of soaking in the springs we curled up by fireplaces in our cabanas and talked about all of the adventures the past year has brought us.


Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Library Project

One of the secondary projects that I am currently working on is the improvement of our local library. In previous posts I’ve talked about some of the hurdles that my town faces: incredibly high rates of abject poverty, hopelessness, alcoholism, equality issues for both women and for the 98% indigenous Mayan, etc.

One issue that I’m tackling in a small way in my town is illiteracy. In addition to doing community surveys to assess which villages need the most help and encouraging them to seek out literacy classes, I am currently working on a library project. The municipal government has shown that it takes literacy seriously by purchasing a new building for the Library and installing 10 computers for students to use. However, the less than 500 books that the library currently has are insufficient.


When I approached the librarian to ask how I could help he said there were two major things that the library lacked- text books and maps. Over the next two months I had him compile a list of the books that students requested that the library didn’t have. I then made an online wishlist where people could purchase books for the library. Then I approached the mayor and asked him to support the library by buying paint for a map project. He said yes, and we got to work.


The last two weeks, I have spent with two high school students, painting giant maps of the world, of Guatemala, of our department(state), and our town. I realized the necessity for the maps when one of the members of the mayors committee came into the room while we were painting and commented that the world map was a lovely map of Central America.


Even as we were painting students were floating in and out of the room studying the maps and quizzing each other on which countries they knew. My favorite comment of the week was when a student came in and said “Wow! Compared to the whole world Guatemala is like a little bean!” It’s exciting to have made something I can leave in my town permanently that I know will not only help the students do better on their exams, but will also help them to think more globally.


The library project goes on- books are still being collected (if you’re interested in purchasing a book for the project, follow this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/14KD7RLYALKEW ) The next step in the project is to work on a program to get kids excited about reading- I’m planning to start story time in September and possibly also do some other monthly events that will get people coming to the library and making reading a part of their lives.

Here are a few pictures from the painting process…