tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64213529621751274642024-02-19T08:24:18.895-08:00La rubia con las gafas"The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02910127135891113779noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6421352962175127464.post-26294907273485147482013-09-02T16:20:00.000-07:002013-09-02T16:21:27.361-07:00First week in site!!!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Aves de Paradiso</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">As a
part of the final week of training, we each prepared short ‘commitment to serve’
presentations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was interested in what
some of the volunteers would come up with because we have some very creative
and artistic people in our group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think that most of us cried throughout the majority of our presentations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emotions were running rampant that week and I think the presentations were a much needed, cathartic release of energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Here
is a written version of my ‘commitment to serve’ presentation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is hopefully a bit more eloquent and
understandable than the version I spoke in my presentation considering that I
began to cry the moment I stood up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">The
eloquent version of my story:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">I believe everything on this
earth happens for a reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
believe in coincidences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a bird
of paradise flower, an ave de paradiso. I remember immediately falling in love
with the flower the first time I saw it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The intense orange and blue petals provide a sharp contrast against the
broad leaves of the shrubby plant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
asymmetrical and sharp frame make it both beautiful and somehow masculine at
the same time; I find the contrast fascinating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The flower is generally used as a symbol for joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is tattooed on the top of my foot to
remind me to find joy in the everyday happenings of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have only seen birds of paradise in three
places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know they exist in other
places, but I have only seen them in three.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first time I saw a bird of paradise flower was during my study
abroad in South Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of my
favorite memories of South Africa include our service project in the Townships
and our intense discussions of health issues among the country’s poorest
populations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t realize it at the
time, but these ethical debates were laying the foundation for my passion for
public health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">The second time I saw bird of
paradise flowers was during my two years at USF for grad school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, they were scattered across the Tampa Bay
region, but most significantly, they were planted in abundance in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>front of the main entrance to the College of
Public Health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Guatemala is the third place in
my life that I have seen bird of paradise flowers, and they are everywhere here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My host mom in training had a bird of
paradise plant on her roof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Again, I don’t believe in
coincidences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2Ukb63Nx2DQGhdjX8NXWO8vQ1-toJhNhZ4y00Re4515C60pgtuyLyGrtiq_Um0WXWpakpR-RrnmiKJyuqfEwVP5ce2yct4JwwY4PSv6O98eFcuqyRIWFA3Cc60cYmdMp7UFvOWyUdnpx/s1600/DSCN0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2Ukb63Nx2DQGhdjX8NXWO8vQ1-toJhNhZ4y00Re4515C60pgtuyLyGrtiq_Um0WXWpakpR-RrnmiKJyuqfEwVP5ce2yct4JwwY4PSv6O98eFcuqyRIWFA3Cc60cYmdMp7UFvOWyUdnpx/s1600/DSCN0307.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aves de Paradiso en Guatemala</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">I
should add that the day after I told my host mom this story, I walked into my
room to find a bouquet of bird of paradise flowers on my desk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Is this real life? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Well,
I’ve been at site for about a week now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really don’t have any
complaints, other than the fact that this is probably the most stressed I have
been in a VERY long time. However, I don’t want to use this space as an area to
vent that stress, so I am going to focus on the good!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Mi sitio: </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">I’m
located in northern Totonicapán, about two hours from the capital of
Quetzaltenango/Xela (One hour if you are traveling by car instead of bus).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m located in a fairly medium sized
site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My city itself has about 3,000
people and the population of the municipality (the city plus the surrounding
aldeas) is about 18,600 people. The municipality has 13 aldeas or
villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These aldeas are VERY poor
with high rates of maternal and child death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>66% of the children in the municipality are malnourished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the population in the town center
speak Spanish as their primary language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The populations in the aldeas are Maya K’iche’ and speak primarily in K’iche’,
although many speak Spanish as well. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeTeUWL_PoNEupr2XMbtIi33j5pD8K9bf-Znw2fXGLMUV_V1rYQrrl88RSPTCT_3CEWwzrukAlVk4CGMBNdl-wLy0nVwEqpP1SfiXysEyQE9abOmGpnVn_o6b979gPVB2-vo-wVTfq5TT/s1600/DSCN0556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeTeUWL_PoNEupr2XMbtIi33j5pD8K9bf-Znw2fXGLMUV_V1rYQrrl88RSPTCT_3CEWwzrukAlVk4CGMBNdl-wLy0nVwEqpP1SfiXysEyQE9abOmGpnVn_o6b979gPVB2-vo-wVTfq5TT/s1600/DSCN0556.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from one of the aldeas near my site</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5dKqK_SCIc4kxxhxzmjP7mqsLPACLk1mU0N0k5qsf6jY78AKP5fd3-fF-Vd86A25Xlh8nabwQhpnBBV8O16nh_9-EzKD8sAkYt9fay62Oci_hcYAYkNlr1pHoARckF0NUbS-S1oAP-6-/s1600/DSCN0557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5dKqK_SCIc4kxxhxzmjP7mqsLPACLk1mU0N0k5qsf6jY78AKP5fd3-fF-Vd86A25Xlh8nabwQhpnBBV8O16nh_9-EzKD8sAkYt9fay62Oci_hcYAYkNlr1pHoARckF0NUbS-S1oAP-6-/s1600/DSCN0557.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helped measure and weigh babies in an aldea my first day at site!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">The
road to my site was paved within the last year and streets within the town
center are either paved or cobblestone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The roads to and within the aldeas are dirt and are often inaccessible for
short periods of time due to landslides and deep mud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">My
elevation is about 2,370 meters or 1.47 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At this elevation, I’m actually down in a valley, so fortunately I’m
blocked from the worst of the cold weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Right now, during Guatemala’s winter, I don’t think it gets too far
above 60 during the day time—and that’s when it’s sunny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During Guatemala’s summer (from Novermber-ish
through April-ish) it gets down to near freezing at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m looking forward to my next Xela trip so I
can buy a coat! Hahaha! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">I will
be working at a CAP or a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Centro de Atención
Permanente</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The centro is a 24-hour
health center that is the head of the entire municipality (I think).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My counterpart is the TSR for this
municipality and she is AWESOME! The TSR or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tecnico
en salud rural </i>basically does anything and everything public health for the
municipality, including environmental health, maternal and child health and
even pet vaccinations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is extremely
busy but I think that once the ball gets moving (and I get over my shell shock)
we can accomplish a lot together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">¡Qué rico son los baños!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">My
site is about 1km from thermal baths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
went for the first time with another volunteer in site and then I went again
the next day with my host family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
walk down to the baños is beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
a completely different side to Guate that I had yet to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road dips and curves through lush pine
forests, and the air at this time of year is thick and humid despite the cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can watch the dense misty clouds roll
across the tree tops and down below further in the valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only way I can think to describe the
atmosphere around my site is to ask you imagine the classic tropical rainforest
that you would see in movies, with air so humid and thick that you can see the
condensation in the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now drop the
temperature by about 50 degrees and replace the tropical vines and palm trees
with a gigantic pine forest and you have my city in Toto.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">The 12km
road to my site was paved with the last year and the 1km road to the baños was
finished within the last six months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Small
landsides are very common on the road in and out of both my site and the baños.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When making the short trek, the other
volunteer and I had to skirt around an area that was covered in mud from a
recent landslide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get the impression
that the landslides were much worse before the road was paved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">As you
get closer and closer the baños, the sound of rushing water drifts up from
ravine below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t see the rushing
river until you make the final turn into the baños.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The river, at the moment, is very muddy because
of all of the rain.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a fairly
large paved parking lot in front of the baños entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This lot is filled with tuk-tuks, micros and
fletes either dropping people off or picking them up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A small gate blocks the entrance and there is
a middle-aged woman there collecting donations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Normally, entrance is Q1 for residents, Q2 for visitors and Q10 for a
private baño.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As of right now, there is
no entrance charge because of muni issues (more about that later) so people are
collecting donations—I’m not sure what the donations are for…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Inside
the gate are several vendors selling fried food, snacks, guacals (small plastic
bowls), soap, shampoo and body sponges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are changing rooms with green wooden-slatted doors and cement
benches to rest your clothes on while you bathe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think there are four cement baños which are
about 15ft x 15ft x 3ft, one larger baño about a third of the size of a lap
pool and then a pool which is about 2/3 the size of a lap pool. The two larger baños
look just like cement in-ground pools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The largest pool is emptied on Mondays and Saturdays to refill it with
the hot water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The smaller baños are
constantly refilled with steaming water, and for as much as you would like to
climb into the baño as it is being filled, I would recommend against it unless
you want to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">caldo</i> (a type of soup).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are also maybe 10 private baños the
size of a hot tub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We used one of these
when I returned with my host family.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Generally
women wear either a very large bathing gown or shorts and a tank top to bath
while the men wear either loose shorts or underwear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone sits on the raised cement ledge of
the baño about a foot of the ground and you use a guacal to ladle bowlfuls of
water onto yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes a bit of
technique to learn not to splash soapy water back into the baño.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women fold their tops down to bathe and you
try not to look your neighbor in the eye as he/she is soaping and rinsing
his/her privates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After you are clean,
you turn around and slide into the steamy water for a soak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entire experience is very intimate yet
very social at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
learned that this is where the town gossip spreads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">The
other volunteer introduced me to several people as we made our way around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time that we explained that it was my
first time to the baños we got the same response: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">¡Qué rico son los baños!</i> (How rich/good are the baths!!)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">A change in perspective</span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">I
tried to come into Peace Corps with no expectations;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want to be disappointed by anything
and I knew that everyone has a different PC experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the advertisements you see of PCV’s
and their homes feature adobe houses with thatched roofs, latrines or pit
toilets and a hammock for a bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
Safety and Security Coordinator’s response to those pictures was literally “Haha!
Not in Guatemala.” Due to the frequent number of earthquakes, we are not
allowed to live in adobe houses, we have to live with a host family and we have
to have doors that lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we live on
the first floor, there must be bars on our windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guatemala has the highest theft rate against
volunteers of any PC country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(We were
only recently surpassed in this achievement by Samoa? (I think) but they only
have something like 17 volunteers, so percentage wise, that’s not saying much…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my home, I have electricity (most of the
time) and running water (most of the time). When the electricity goes out, the
pump that runs water to the second floor also goes out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">I also
REALLY got lucky with my host family assignment; I already had a
bed/sheets/comforter in my room along with a dresser/closet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My host family is also letting me pay a bit
extra to share meals with them and eventually, when I want to start cooking for
myself, I have permission to use their kitchen and kitchen utensils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other volunteers in Guate have arrived in
their families with nothing but four walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">My
host family is in the upper percentile of wealth in this community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They own one of the three bus lines that run
in and out of the community, several micros and tuk-tuks, a corner store,
several apartments above the corner store, and a hair salon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They invited me to move into the apartments
above the corner store whenever I feel like it…I’m thinking in the future I may
like to do so, but I have to see how that will float over with PC
security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My host mom is 31 and my host
dad is 42.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have three sons who are
twelve, nine and eight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The twelve
year-old is only home on the weekends as he attends school in Xela.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their home has four bedrooms, one bathroom
with a shower, and the family has a maid, which they call a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">muchacha</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m still not sure how to field some of these
expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t feel comfortable treating
her as the family does and I’m not sure how the family expects me to treat
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t expect her to do my laundry
or clean up after me, but I don’t want to insult her and I don’t want to insult
my family by doing these things for myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m still working on this one……</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheXxmxLRa6y3K5FAZ-JXLO5xSHg0T4Wzj5_RA8OwbgwLfK25bERlt-7OFnMm3V3e7iSWTN8FLzYLoID91eFN89z7b8CnS_UB4KF7dlbXQshLX6FAioCa4SgzJAOBTHW8FJtw8D1mO1i7e/s1600/DSCN0558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheXxmxLRa6y3K5FAZ-JXLO5xSHg0T4Wzj5_RA8OwbgwLfK25bERlt-7OFnMm3V3e7iSWTN8FLzYLoID91eFN89z7b8CnS_UB4KF7dlbXQshLX6FAioCa4SgzJAOBTHW8FJtw8D1mO1i7e/s1600/DSCN0558.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>View out of my window (note the futbol/basketball cancha!)</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></b></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aeK45jkNV_3X0Gntct435ku5PFRupgbmRP6gqcMvjAw5eWLRflK_xuSlvTohsu_aNc_ULNKzV2h8T_w3efyigtb_wxVzx_8sUfy4NZvv5puW5pJj2YyTMc5M9ECd_BqxQUV5Y7mF6j5a/s1600/DSCN0560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aeK45jkNV_3X0Gntct435ku5PFRupgbmRP6gqcMvjAw5eWLRflK_xuSlvTohsu_aNc_ULNKzV2h8T_w3efyigtb_wxVzx_8sUfy4NZvv5puW5pJj2YyTMc5M9ECd_BqxQUV5Y7mF6j5a/s1600/DSCN0560.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Another view of my site from my window!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XFRxPLY8-nTm0aYE0OP__b2qVTzW5SgqzkZ79wiOq-Z23zC7MUDQL6ytWxlgkIq24P9nNVvPm3hGZ_6xzdUMUKRkMaldF9W3498DLmOt9ZB6-tB-K8vJFhJO9opPXcJucEGVJ04S4aC4/s1600/DSCN0561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XFRxPLY8-nTm0aYE0OP__b2qVTzW5SgqzkZ79wiOq-Z23zC7MUDQL6ytWxlgkIq24P9nNVvPm3hGZ_6xzdUMUKRkMaldF9W3498DLmOt9ZB6-tB-K8vJFhJO9opPXcJucEGVJ04S4aC4/s1600/DSCN0561.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>View out the front window of my host family's buses (and some wicked cool clouds!)</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">The muni and some political
issues in my site </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">OK.
Maybe a bit about the Guatemalan governmental structure first…Sorry if this is boring,
but it may be helpful in the explanation of what’s going on in my site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the top, you have the country of
Guatemala.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The country is divided into 22
departments, somewhat like states in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each department is then broken up into municipalities; Totonicapán has
eight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each municipality has its own
mayor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each municipality has a ‘town
center’ and then surrounding aldeas or villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The aldeas are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> suburbs of the town center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some of the aldeas are clumped together and others are kilometers apart.
It’s actually fairly arbitrary where the lines of the municipality are drawn
and there is a lot of internal conflict about which aldeas fall under which
municipality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are also two groups of people, the
COMUDE (at the municipality level) and the COCODE (an elected group at the
community level).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every community
project and law within the muni needs the stamp of approval from the mayor, the
COMUDE and the COCODE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Okie
dokie, now that that’s done, here’s what’s happening in my muni.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is some sort of disagreement between
the mayor and the COCODE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no idea</i> what the disagreement is/was but
now the mayor is being audited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About
three weeks ago, the people started protesting against the muni and basically
took over the mayor’s office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The muni
has been shut down ever since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every
person who works for the muni has not been working for the past three weeks or
so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This also means that every service
provided by the muni (including garbage collection) has not happened for three
weeks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">At
this moment, this conflict doesn’t really affect me or my work because the
Centro de Salud is not governed directly be the muni. The issue lies in how
this conflict will be resolved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far,
the people in my municipality have been adamant that everything be resolved
peacefully, otherwise, I would not have been sent to my site last week and the
other two volunteers currently here would have been pulled out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The municipal building is immediately next to
the health center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have not seen any
demonstrators yet, but I have to be extremely cognizant of whether or not I’m
walking into a protest as I walk to the centro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have to be ready to leave at the drop of a hat just in case something
does happen at the muni.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Planes, trains and
automobiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">I’m
not sure what percentage of people in the western highlands own some sort of
transportation, but I’m pretty sure it’s a very low percentage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the top questions I get asked by
nationals is whether or not I know how to drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My answer is always the same, “yes, but only
automatics and I’m not allowed to drive in Guatemala”. I don’t think many women
here know how to drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main forms
of transportation for Guatemalans, (and PCVs) are camionettas, microbuses,
tuk-tuks, fletes and good old-fashioned feet. Tuk-tuks are little three-wheeled
golf carts, usually with curtains on the sides to protect its passengers from
rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tuk-tuks gain a lot of speed
whipping down the mountain roads and they look like they’re flying as the black
curtains flare out the sides! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fletes are
pick-up trucks; pile as many people as you can in the back and take off! (Look
in my older posts for a description of camionettas and micros!)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">PC-Guatemala
is one of only PC countries that has a shuttle system for its volunteers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not permitted to travel on the interamerican
highway, the main highway that stretches from east to west across the country,
in any form of transportation except for private vehicles/shuttles and the PC
shuttle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a shuttle that travels
back and forth between Xela and Antigua twice a day to help PCVs get
around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">There
are several areas of the country that we not allowed to travel in as volunteers
because of security issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of
these restrictions have to do with trafficking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As volunteers, when we travel to other countries for vacations, we must
abide by the travel and security rules in that country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Guate, we have such a complicated
transportation policy that other volunteers are prohibited from traveling here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CRAZY! But it makes me feel safer! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZPHR9PtLvrn66ZxFyYgHLuO67lwr69IKUwhOJHu_5ibE7uwYDMMw0LjUUoiQLsBTXbCT6oMl_LH9tiFiaRHu9GkMxZlz-Cs9ENlIODTJyZr_M-YHneew5IRqkaw_nOLOaCadISSpqrwh/s1600/DSCN0552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZPHR9PtLvrn66ZxFyYgHLuO67lwr69IKUwhOJHu_5ibE7uwYDMMw0LjUUoiQLsBTXbCT6oMl_LH9tiFiaRHu9GkMxZlz-Cs9ENlIODTJyZr_M-YHneew5IRqkaw_nOLOaCadISSpqrwh/s1600/DSCN0552.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Lake Atitlan, Solola</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02910127135891113779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6421352962175127464.post-67968138330830533432013-08-06T06:56:00.002-07:002013-08-06T06:58:51.907-07:00Field based training<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Field Based Training</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Guatemalan countryside is like nothing I have ever witnessed
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to say ‘rolling hills’
but I think the more appropriate term would be ‘rolling mountains’ spread out
as far as I could see. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything below the
horizon was green and the sky a brilliant blue with puffy white clouds that
appear before your eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have felt the
sensation of walking in a cloud before: foggy mornings and humid Florida air
will do that, but I have never before stood on a mountainside and watched as a
cloud moved at eye level directly into my path.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have traveled through the twisting mountain roads of the
Appalachians and Southern Rockies, but I’m finding it hard to make comparisons between
those mountain ranges and the never ending maze of switchbacks, steep cliffs and
teeth-clenching curves that are the Guatemalan Western Highlands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realized that bridges through the mountains
are almost non-existent; if there is a ravine, the road navigates around
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no gradual inclines and
very few dynamite-carved paths through the volcanic rock, just switchbacks that
make you rock in your seat and hope that you don’t tear a hole in the bus’s
brown pleather seats with your white-knuckle grip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Field Based Training, or FBT, gave us the opportunity to see
how current volunteers are living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
started off the long weekend by visiting the Areas de Salud in both Xela
(Quetzaltenango) and Totonicapán.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An Area
de Salud is the equivalent of a State Health Department in the US, so we were
very privileged to be given tours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
also met with JICA, the Japanese version of the Peace Corps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It got me really pumped up to see some of our
potential counterparts!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spent the rest of the weekend living with another
volunteer in one of the furthest, most rural sites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It. Was. Amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was one of the areas that had
experienced genocide during the civil war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The ‘cortes’, or traditional Mayan skirts, that the women wear in this
area are red in honor of the blood that was spilt during the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Travel to and from this site was a story in and of itself.
(Oh, I should clarify here that I can’t post names of specific sites on the
internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been problems with
people internet stalking PC volunteers, calling their homes in the US and
pretending that they kidnapped volunteers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not fun, hence the lack of specific site names…) Anyways, it was about a
1.5 hour ride in the Peace Corps van to get from Totonicapán to the capital of
Quiche.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there it was another 2.5
hour ride in a microbus or ‘micro’ to another city where I changed micros again
for another half hour ride to my final destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dramamine was my best friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I need to give a short description of these micros.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are what I would normally call a ‘church
van’; those vans that can safely fit eleven or twelve people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, not in Guatemala.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My entire concept of ‘fitting’ has changed
since I have lived here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Fitting’ means
we are going to squeeze 20ish people (25 if you put people on top) into a micro—the
door may or may not be closed in order to achieve this phenomenon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During one of these exercises in human
contortion, my micro whizzed past another sardine stuffed micro as we were
barreling through the steep mountain cliffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The ayudante, the guy that gymnastics through the micro to collect
everyone’s fare, leans out the window and shouts “MUY TRANQUILLO!!” to the
driver of the other micro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just about
lost it! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK, so back to FBT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was amazed by how well this volunteer had integrated herself into her
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She stopped and introduced us
every couple of feet in the pueblo to the people she knew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen now just how outgoing I need to be
in order to successfully get myself into the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have my work cut out for me, but it’s
doable! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I went with two other PCTs and a handful of other volunteers
to hike up to a waterfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it
took us three micro rides to get to the pueblo near the waterfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we walked to the trail head, a man came
out of his tienda and asked us if we were going up to the waterfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After confirming his suspicions, he told us
that we needed to pay him Q5 each to walk up to the waterfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We asked if he had identification to prove
that he wasn’t just trying to rip us off and he couldn’t prove that he had a
legitimate right to ask us for money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
explained to him that we were volunteers living in the country; we were not
tourists and explained that when some of the volunteers went a few weeks
earlier, they didn’t have to pay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Realizing
that we weren’t going to be duped, he let us continue on our way…interesting
experience and I’m glad the current volunteers were there to help us navigate
through it!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The path to the waterfall wound through the Guatemalan
forest and was often traversed by families toting horses laden with crops and
branches, men with heavy packs on their backs and women balancing giant baskets
and buckets of food on their heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was amazed by how sloppy and uncoordinated I felt struggling to hop from rock
to rock without falling into the ankle deep mud when these women traveled this
path, probably daily, in sandals with 50 pound weights balanced on top of the
heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could hear the rushing stream and waterfall before I could
see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The path turned around the
mountain bend, and like a misty curtain, the waterfall appeared between the
trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It only took a few minutes of
standing near its base to become completely drenched by the cool water
vapor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After getting our fill of the base
of the water fall, we traversed back up the side of the mountain to dry off in
the sun (and some of the volunteers went swimming). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to add in a
quick quip about my amazing ability to laugh at myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I have the worst balance ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love hiking/climbing/outdoor adventure
stuff, I’m just really, really bad at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I literally ate dirt on this hike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When hiking down hill, it is not that uncommon to fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most people fall backwards onto their butt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being conscious of the camera that was in my
butt pocket, I turned mid-fall and landed on my face in the foliage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I am that person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the return trip from the waterfall I had one of the most
surreal experiences of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Four of
us were going back to the same site and needed to change micros at a
crossroads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we stood waiting at the
country crossroad, one of the volunteers ran into the tienda and bought us bags
of water for 50 centavos each and mango suckers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We waited for a good 10 minutes and a micro
had yet to arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point, a
pickup truck stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The passenger in
the truck was from the same pueblo as the volunteer I was staying with, so we
jumped into the bed of the pickup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I leaned up against the cab of the truck and looked out
across the rolling milpas fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
sun warmed my skin and I enjoyed my mango dulce and bag of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The four of us sat facing each other with our
muddy legs tangled, laughing and sharing stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was something out of a movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the grand scheme of things, that 20 minute
ride didn’t really mean much, but for some reason, it made me realize that I
can survive the next two years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even amongst
the chatter from my friends, the wind whipping around the cab and the
struggling chug of the engine, I distinctly heard God telling me that I can do
this. This is where I am meant to be right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPe-2GkaWhQU6YYEhoWKcqUB06TBggwbdhJ28XENwxEDDnyO8vWIzVf37hOWW8MkhvMVQBZ0ZW4Wn2UCL3wOGr-ZCREtu2rIIJshkH28zaHWo6DLoAl4dsriXtRMFJp7ra5mOoY_NJ6zKq/s1600/DSCN0472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPe-2GkaWhQU6YYEhoWKcqUB06TBggwbdhJ28XENwxEDDnyO8vWIzVf37hOWW8MkhvMVQBZ0ZW4Wn2UCL3wOGr-ZCREtu2rIIJshkH28zaHWo6DLoAl4dsriXtRMFJp7ra5mOoY_NJ6zKq/s1600/DSCN0472.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhYu_ZApVdUTxEQ2-yM-LeHYe8KTFSTCFnobsqbPXxihMQBMApAF5jomiYDqGDnGMsuawOevZ36oWpofcbYbffxhvwJ1qgBUvNhFM343DYWGmRll6hc84XPvPV7-8EqCDepNU2BA-vLkM/s1600/DSCN0474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhYu_ZApVdUTxEQ2-yM-LeHYe8KTFSTCFnobsqbPXxihMQBMApAF5jomiYDqGDnGMsuawOevZ36oWpofcbYbffxhvwJ1qgBUvNhFM343DYWGmRll6hc84XPvPV7-8EqCDepNU2BA-vLkM/s1600/DSCN0474.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloud sweeping in! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNEFdPaw_p30cXugvhnJCdGy7T7bs-0TBKYhhhxbrvLyZWU7wN2HKfdZtBIij14Gb6bLogys0joeHzZox7RsHVHwSfR_G3vNlikI5btvNCV1BEwS2Srok7gQF8voOX4r65ZA6p4MQAGB8/s1600/DSCN0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNEFdPaw_p30cXugvhnJCdGy7T7bs-0TBKYhhhxbrvLyZWU7wN2HKfdZtBIij14Gb6bLogys0joeHzZox7RsHVHwSfR_G3vNlikI5btvNCV1BEwS2Srok7gQF8voOX4r65ZA6p4MQAGB8/s1600/DSCN0476.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making Vida Cereal at a Club de Embarazadas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02910127135891113779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6421352962175127464.post-6013642233836766382013-07-23T11:24:00.003-07:002013-07-23T11:25:53.805-07:00Half way through PCT<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No soy bandita!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We were
walking around the city with our language/culture facilitator when suddenly a
little girl pops out from an alley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
shrieks, and runs back to hide behind her mother’s legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we pass, she starts crying, saying “Ellas
van a llevarme!!” or “They are going to take me away!”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lesson of
the day: Guatemalan mothers tell their children that if they don’t behave, the
gringos are going to come and take them away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Soy Americana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soy gringa. Soy
boogyman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chuchos, chuchos everywhere!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chucho is
the term used for street dogs in Guatemala and they are everywhere! Many are
flea-infested and mangy, with skin clinging to their bones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The streets are fairly dirty because dog poop
is all over (adding to the copious amounts of cow poop and horse poop).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many
Guatemaltecos have dogs, but they are not seen the same way as pets are in the
US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dogs here are usually tied up
outside of homes for protection against thieves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first host family had a dog named
Spike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spike got loose and killed three
chickens while I was there! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My current
host family has a dog named Bobby (pronounced “Buawby”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bobby is some sort of cocker spaniel mix and
is eleven years old with bad hips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
dog is SO adorable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he isn’t barking
at chuchos through the door, he is usually sitting outside the kitchen or
underneath the stairwell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They call it
Bobby’s cave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bobby enjoys eating the
family’s leftovers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He doesn’t like
picante. I asked… </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Spanglish: The Official Language of
Peace Corps Guatemala</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So, learning
Spanish has produced some pretty hilarious mix-ups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know there have been a ton more, but these
are the few that I can remember from class and my own daily living:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Embarrasada”
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is not</i> ‘embarrassed’ but ‘pregnant’. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘Caballos’=
horses, ‘cebollas’= onions, and ‘caballeros’=men</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘Manos’=hands
and ‘monos’=monkeys</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“muerden”=they
bite, “mueren”=they die </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“mascota” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">does mean</i> ‘mascot’, but also means ‘pet’</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“huevos”
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“chuchos”=street
dogs, “chuchito”= a type of tamale, “chapines”=slang for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘guatemaltecos’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Esconder”=to
hide, “Encontrar”= to find (you don’t want to know how often I have asked “Did
you hide what you were looking for?”)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“cervesa” =
beer, “servilleta”=napkin</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“madera”=wood,
“mareada”= dizzy</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“bomberos”=
firefighters, “bombas”=fireworks</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oh the weird
looks we get when we talk about hands in the forest and the firefighters
exploding in the sky…..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The sounds of Guate</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bombas crack
open the sky every morning for birthday celebrations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you get over the urge to roll out of bed
and hit the deck every morning, it actually becomes a fairly good wake-up call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the bombas don’t wake you up at 5:30,
around 6:00am the propane gas truck rolls through town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This truck channels the blues mobile with its
white loudspeakers strapped to the roof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every morning and evening we are serenaded with a continuous pattern of
a loud horn blast follow by “Zeta GAAAAAAAASS!” and then the theme song “Zeta!
Zeta! Zeta Gas!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took us a while to
figure out what the truck was saying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One volunteer comically thought it was shouting “get uuuppppp!” every
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Occasionally
the egg truck also rolls through town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
too has large speakers attached to its roof lacks the catchy theme song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, we hear “Huevos! Huevos! Quince
huevos por diez quetzals!” Not a bad price….</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of my
favorite sounds is the kids playing futbol in the allies and streets!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coming from a world where video games rule
all, it is actually refreshing to hear kids playing sports outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
sound that I find extremely comical—family conversations with the
grandparents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as I can tell, hearing
aids are pretty much nonexistent so when the abuelos come over, every
conversation is a screaming match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
all I could do to respectfully listen to my host mom explaining how the
tortilla cloth my abuela brought over was not my aunt’s, but rather my
mom’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“ESO ES MIO! NO ES DE ELLA! YO LO
COMPRE!!” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">THIS IS MINE! IT’S NOT HERS! I
BOUGHT IT! </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Creepy Crawlies</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not so bad
right now….knock on ‘madera’….</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I did kill
an enormous spider in my room—some spindly looking daddy-long-legs creepy thing
that was a little bigger than a half-dollar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And several other volunteers have reported cockroaches in the bathrooms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And I have
fleas. My host mom says that they’re mosquito bites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel bad, because I think she thought that
I was inferring that I got the bites while I was in her house, but I probably
got them just from walking down the street with all of the chuchos… </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chicken bus: eventful story #1</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have
officially ridden the infamous chicken buses! The PCTs all went to Antigua to
visit a finca de café (a coffee farm).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The four of us from my training site went with our language instructor
from the training site to another city where we transferred to the Antigua
chicken bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We round the corner to the
Antigua bus stop and immediately here choruses of “Corre! Corre!” (Run!
Run!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we run, but not to the front
of the bus—we jump up into the back of the bus through the emergency exit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure the door was even closed before
we took off! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Every seat
had at least three people, some four if they had kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We squished onto a seat—one cheek in the
isle, one on the seat, which meant that every time the bus whipped around the
corner of the mountainous road, you ended up doing a squat in the isle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As one volunteer said, the two people sitting
next to here were passionately swapping spit and were sitting very close so she
had a bit more room….</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We arrived
in Antigua and needed to exit the bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Three of us, plus our instructor, started working our way to the front
of the bus but one volunteer got stuck in the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got off the bus and I turned around to
find the other volunteer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to
panic because the bus pulled away and I didn’t see her right away. Turns out
she jumped out of the emergency exit in the back! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We switched
buses again to get to the finca, and while this bus was less crowded, it was
just as humorous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to describe the
interior of this bus to give the appropriate image of Guatemalan public transportation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of these buses are discarded school
buses from the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most have LED running
lights around the windshield and some sort of sticker theme happening on the inside:
spiderman, Disney’s Cars, transformers, etc. This particular bus lacked the
stickers, but had a giant holographic image of Jesus, a teddy bear chilling in
a hammock and a stuffed monkey peering out of one of the luggage racks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ayudante—the guy who walks through the
bus collecting the fare—was wearing a shirt that said (in English) “This is
what the world’s greatest mom looks like”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m not
being sarcastic when I say that this was truly one of the most fun things I
have ever done! </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Coffee Finca, hubo muchas mariposas!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Trumpet Flowers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Papaya Tree</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Aves de Paradiso, of course!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Something to think about. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many of our
clothes in the US are made in Guatemala.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We wear these clothes for a while and then donate them to charities.
Charities bundle up these clothes in large “Pacas” and then sell them at very
cheap prices to countries around the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Paca clothes end up back on the store shelves of the people who made
the clothes in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try
explaining this to your host dad…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Doing laundry</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Generally,
my host mom does my laundry, but on the occasion when my clothes are really
dirty or when I have to wash my ropa interior, this is how it’s done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fill up the round circular bin with
water and a bit of detergent, then dump your clothes inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let your clothes soak for a good 15
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Eat breakfast/lunch while clothes are
soaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Take one piece of clothing (let’s say
a sock) and place it in the clothes lavadora side of the pila.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using one hand to hold the top edge of the
sock, enjabonar (put soap on) on the sock and then scrub the sock back and
forth across the corrugated cement sink floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Flip the sock over, repeat. Turn the sock inside out and repeat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rinse out sock with pila water and
put into a clean bucket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After washing
all of your laundry, bring it up to the roof and hang it on the clothes line by
wedging the corners of your clothes between the braided strands of line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hope that it doesn’t rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it does rain, shrug and just believe that
your clothes are getting an extra rinse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being sick…doesn’t matter where you
are, it’s still horrible!</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Without
going into too much detail on the internet, I spent two nights in Guatemala
City in the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I wasn’t
feeling well, but I think PC went a bit overboard with the number of tests I
had done! Every time I went into a test I got the same question, (either in
broken English or Spanish) “Who are you? Why are you getting all of these
tests? And who is paying for this?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The exam
rooms (Xray, ultrasound,CT, etc) were the only rooms that had air
conditioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My room had two fans
hanging on the wall and an open window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But interestingly enough, my doctor in the hospital is the only doctor
in Guate qualified to attend to the US president if he ever needed medical
attention while in country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">More
interesting than my actual stay in the hospital was my return home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still not feeling 100% my host mom and family
refused to serve me ‘cold’ foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any
type of pasta (be it hot or cold), salad, or fruit was out the window for the
next few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My host dad constantly
teased me because a few days before my hospital stint I had helped with some of
the family chores by washing and cutting up a mountain of guicoyitos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He kept saying that they gave me too much
work to do and I was stressed! Hahaha! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The feria. AKA the entire town is
really cranky from lack of sleep…</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BANG! Pop!
Pop! Pop! All night every night for the past week or so. Bombas—fireworks and
firecrackers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had previously gotten
used to waking up early every morning <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to
the sweet sounds of bombas for birthday celebrations, but now that it is the
final weekend of the Feria, the joyful sounds of celebration continue on ALL
NIGHT!! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Music, bombas and borachos.
Halfway through the night, I lost one of my ear plugs so every time I rolled
over I had to switch ears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
interesting thing about this Feria is that it is put on by the Catholic church
in my town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My host-family is evangelical
and therefore their church does not allow them to attend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(They are not permitted to dance or
sing).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried testing the waters to see
if my host family would suggest that I stop by at night to check out the Feria,
and if I were to ask, I’m pretty sure I would get a resounding “NO!”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Two of my PCT site mates (and me)!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
The e;ntrance to the Puesto de Salud where three other trainees and I are going to host a health fair!</div>
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mercado!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Vendors for the Feria</div>
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Are you brave enough to ride?</div>
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<br /></div>
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The "Muni" or municipalidad where most city functions are held</div>
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Your average tienda...this one tends to over charge us because we are gringas!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Marimba!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So I spent a
significant amount of time listening to Salsa music and the Spanish radio
station in Tampa in order to prepare for Guate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Turns out, the major music preference is Marimba, not salsa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today at the Feria seven different Marimba
bands joined together on stage to form a 50-member band.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town had spent a great deal of time
assembling a large stage with a giant red canvas tent in the middle of the
market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It started raining…well, down
pouring, and the Marimba band just kept playing on! Everyone huddled underneath
the canvas and under covers of the food vendors and I lamented the fact that my
laundry was getting a second rinse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After the
rain let up, the crowed spread back out, the Marimba continued, and people
started dancing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the most
adorable couple was this 70 year old gringo couple who were tearing down the
house! The other volunteers and I all agreed that we hope we have that same
vivacity for life 50 years down the road from now! </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Drunk horses.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like all
scheduled events in Guatemala, the Feria’s horse parade started about 2 and a
half hours later than it was supposed to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This gave us an excellent opportunity to chat with the volunteers from
our sister city and people watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Venders walked up and down the street with cowboy hats piled three feet
high on top of their heads with shouts of “Sombreros! Sombreros! Sombritos por
los ninos!” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We met
another gringo and his family who moved to Guatemala a little over a year
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They built a school and now the
father of the family facilitates the running of the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How cool! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now back to
this horse business… when the parade or “desfile” finally began, horses pranced
sideways and backwards down the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With their feet clopping choppily they made their way down the
street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began to notice that some of
the horses were frothing at the mouth and not knowing much about horses, didn’t
think too much of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was until one
of the smaller horses was stopped directly in front of us and a rather large
cervesa (beer) was force fed directly into the horse’s mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little further down the parade route, we
saw a horse eating pizza as well…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
I picked my chin up off the floor we surmised that this was how they got the
horses to ‘dance’ down the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I asked my
host mom about it later, and her exact words were “La gente está loca!” (People
are crazy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was watching from
further down the street and saw that they were feeding beer to the horses right
in front of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said that they give
beer to the horses every year before the parade but I got the impression that
it was odd that they just happened to stop and do it in front of six American
girls….</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chicken bus: eventful story #2</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
particular bus had a small flat screen TV above the windshield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the entire 30 minute ride back from
Antigua, we were serenaded with Latin music videos from the 90’s. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Check that one off the bucket list!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I rode a
horse up a volcano. Yup! Sure did!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We arrived
at the PC office bright and early with full water bottles, some banana bread
and sliced sandía (watermelon).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spit
off into 3 minibuses and took off for Pacaya, one of the few active volcanos in
Guate. (Pacaya’s last major eruption was three years ago!) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The paved
winding roads leading up to Pacaya turned into dirt as we approached the
base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Children surrounded us as we
climbed out of the vans asking if we would like to rent walking sticks for Q5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After “subir-ing” for a good 20-30 minutes uphill
on foot, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I caved in and rented a horse!
Hahaha! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The horse
took me to a point about 25 minutes from the top of the volcano and then it was
on foot from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked upwards on
paths carved through the sharp volcanic rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A fairly constant stream of white airy smoke puffed out of the mouth of
Pacaya looking like nothing more than white clouds, but the occasional belch of
black smoke and the steamy vents peaking out of the quagmire of rocks was just
enough to remind us that we were indeed climbing up an active volcano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We spent a
good 45 minutes at the top where I was fairly content to just sit back and take
the whole experience in. The green<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lake
Amatitlan was off to my right; the Volcán de Fuego, Volcán de Agua and
Acatenango were to my left, surrounded by puffy white clouds; and the smoking
Pacaya was directly behind me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not
sure what more I could have asked for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We didn’t
take exactly the same route to ‘bajar’ the volcano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This new path involved what we called
“snow-shoeing” down the side of the volcano on what was at least a 60 degree
incline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The volcanic rock was crumbled
into round tiny pieces that varied in sizes from peas to grapes, and we
‘walked’ down it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And by ‘walked’ I mean
that we surfed, bounced, slid, skidded, jumped, rolled and just plain fell down
the side of the volcano! Ha! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This fairly
direct route took us about half way down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After taking a minute to empty out our shoes, put band aids on our
elbows and ankles, and complain about how our host moms were going to kill us
for getting our socks dirty, we continued on!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We landed at
the bottom of the volcano with a few scrapes, ashy faces and wobbly knees but
overall, no worse for the wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
I did crack up when I got home because when I blew my nose, everything that
came out was grey!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I’m on top of the world, hey! I’m on
top of the world, hey!” </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Vulcan de agua</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Been waiting on this for a while
now! Been paying my dues to the dirt!”</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I’ve been waiting to smile, hey!
I’ve been holding it in for a while, hey!”</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They grey rock is the lava from Pacaya's last major eruption, three years ago. </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I’ll take you with me if I can! I’m
on top of the world!” </span></i></div>
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From left to right, Acatenango, Vulcan de Fuego and Vulcan de Agua</div>
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Pacaya</div>
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No more horse....</div>
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Volcanic Vent</div>
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Lake Amatitlan</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02910127135891113779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6421352962175127464.post-83108027006387467632013-07-03T16:12:00.000-07:002013-07-03T16:12:38.378-07:00Hace dos semanas que vivo en Guatemala! <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">So, I am still not sure how I want this
blog to unfold or what type of story I would like to tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have consistent internet access—not
sure if I ever will—so I’m currently writing this at my desk at *home and I
will eventually upload this online when I can get to the internet café!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For right now, I’m thinking I may just jot
down some stories from these beginning days!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Of
course I can carry my suitcases! </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Well, sort of….two 50 pound suitcases and a
hiking backpack ready to split at the seams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think my arms were about to fall off, but I came prepared! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
landed in Guatemala in the late afternoon after a day of traveling, most of us
running on less than five hours of sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were very fortunate to be greeted by a handful of PCV’s and our program
directors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They helped us navigate
through security and eventually got us on a bus to the PC headquarters about 45
minutes outside of Guatemala City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
stayed the first three nights in Guatemala with a host family within walking
distance of the office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t tell you
how much my Spanish has improved since those first three days…and we’ve been
here less than two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m pretty
sure that first host family laughed their butts off at me, but they were very
patient and hand gestures worked just fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am so grateful to the other volunteer that I was living with me in
this home—she translated for me almost the whole time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">During those first three days we had our
language interviews and did a bunch of semi-interesting (but not really)
orientation stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were placed in our
training sites according to our language levels, those with lower language
levels being a bit closer to the office than the volunteers who rocked their
language interviews—definitely not me! Hahaha! I’m about a 15 minute camionetta
ride from the PC office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We travel to
the PC office usually 1-2 times per week and then we have language classes in
our communities when we are not in the office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our technical trainings are sprinkled in there as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will pretty much be our schedule for the
next 9, well now 8 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Zz2T-z1HQOOHnIwHtqlE0h9xpMcfAQ7xlv-pX1xgvDLVHb4Eo0E0WU3RHC9daIZ1XgBiRnZZPjcs1XgvRB2x9qLP7Ka-WaoQKigVhO_7qsTa-7kD0xZWh1je-BdBU9gjJh5oUiK75nEv/s1600/DSCN0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Zz2T-z1HQOOHnIwHtqlE0h9xpMcfAQ7xlv-pX1xgvDLVHb4Eo0E0WU3RHC9daIZ1XgBiRnZZPjcs1XgvRB2x9qLP7Ka-WaoQKigVhO_7qsTa-7kD0xZWh1je-BdBU9gjJh5oUiK75nEv/s1600/DSCN0201.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> DC Airport Sunrise! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Me llamoLicda Cristina y soy unafacilatadora de
capatacion en salud.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Interesting factoid: only 3% of Guatemala’s
population has a college degree, hence my introduction as Licda Cristina (or
licenciada Cristina).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A high respect is
placed upon people with college degrees thus the extra title.Once I’m placed in
my final site, an aldea or puebla probably in the highlands, I will be working
with local health centers and with the municipality on Maternal and Child
Health education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will mostly be
working to help train health educators with an occasional class with pregnant
mothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am so excited to help build
people! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I’m not sure how true this is, and by no
means am I relying on this statement, but I have been told by both my host mom
and the PC staff that just by being a gringa in Guatemala (who is also Licda)
we will have some sort of reverence in our communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gringos in Antigua are tourists, but gringos
in pueblos and aldeas are usually doing some sort of community restoration or
mission work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been told that in
many places, most Guatemaltecos will assume this and not give us too much
trouble….again, this doesn’t mean much as the number one crime reported by PCVs
in Guatemala is theft, but it means that we won’t get too many questions about
why that gringa is always walking down the street! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">On another note, I will be known in my
placement sites as ‘Cristina’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cristina
is a very common name here so even when I introduce myself as Christine, I
still end up getting called Cristina or Cristi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I figured I’ll just change it and reduce some confusion! And EVERYBODY
learns my name fairly quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Partially
because most of the pueblo is related in one way or another, but as a pale
blonde gringa, I stand out pretty well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is not uncommon for whispers of “ellaesmuyalta” to follow me around—this is the
only place I have ever been where my 5’2’’ frame is considered tall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m still not 100% used to the staring and
pointing (an offense usually committed by the niños), but I suspect it will get
better as I get more familiar with the community! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nIiQAk43C9JCY6gIS0mETBU38L2Wln1EGgcTUuFYRGr08WoqBv9vf-sBOvcctCckT977oOo-Z2evcWRa5YxTPlN6jSNThhaEROty9dkgjpCqIuzmA3Izln0sToeYNvxgtYxqWqG5mt0N/s1600/DSCN0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nIiQAk43C9JCY6gIS0mETBU38L2Wln1EGgcTUuFYRGr08WoqBv9vf-sBOvcctCckT977oOo-Z2evcWRa5YxTPlN6jSNThhaEROty9dkgjpCqIuzmA3Izln0sToeYNvxgtYxqWqG5mt0N/s1600/DSCN0211.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixX3ozjFHCGl7BA2cqjDNgE1G7rjObR6jVxSV5YwnCNrhqBECVVK2eJtrXlNtLpDQhblMr0UTq07u3_zCa5HMtNGwifoA3O6onF0aYgOqo70AOWvYNRr7OVY57Pp9pIMPPjCBITkQgDJg_/s1600/DSCN0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixX3ozjFHCGl7BA2cqjDNgE1G7rjObR6jVxSV5YwnCNrhqBECVVK2eJtrXlNtLpDQhblMr0UTq07u3_zCa5HMtNGwifoA3O6onF0aYgOqo70AOWvYNRr7OVY57Pp9pIMPPjCBITkQgDJg_/s1600/DSCN0217.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Some of the PCTs</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The
wheels on the bus go round and round and the passengers definitely go UP and
DOWN! </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The 15 minute camionetta trip from my
training site to the office costs Q3.00 round trip, or about $0.38 USD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Camionettas are old US school buses that now
function as the main transportation for many guatemaltecos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m pretty sure the only training the
drivers have was learned while watching Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in
Speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last Saturday, the camionetta we
road to the PC office had a single LED strip placed just above the windshield
that started flashing in time to whatever techno music the driver was playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The roads in many of the pueblos are
cobblestone/brick but the interconnecting streets and highways are all
paved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When driving in the pueblos, be
prepared to have your teeth rattled and your lunch tossed! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">At
what time exactly do you stop saying “buenastardes!” and start saying
“buenasnoches!”???</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I don’t think I have ever met a more
genuine group of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the
attitudes change from pueblo to pueblo, but you greet everyone on the street
with a “buenosdias/tardes/noches”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although
this is a cultural tradition, it has also been my most effective strategy for
diffusing the wide-eyed stares! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Prayers are said at every family gathering
and before every meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After every meal,
you say “gracias” before leaving table and there is a chorus of “buen provecho”
that follows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or if you are walking
through a room filled with people eating, you shout “buen provecho!” and get a
chorus of “muchas gracias!” back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love
it! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Mucho
amorpor los madres!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">On my first Sunday at my training site I
got to see my host family’s campo in the mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went
with another volunteer, my host dad, grandpa, and my host family’s four
grandchildren.The farms are gorgeous, up in the volcanic mountains with flowers
around every corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most common
crops are corn, snow peas, zucchini and cucumbers-I think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We learned that most of the snow peas and
zucchini grown here will eventually be exported to the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got to see my first arbol de aguacate, or
avocado tree!! Me gusta avocados mucho! In the market, you can usually get an
avocado for 1-3 quetzales (13-38 cents) depending on the size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Anyways, back to our walk, there was a
gorgeous red lily that my host father picked for his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the kids saw what he had done, they all
wanted to pick flowers for their mothers as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So adorable!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">On our hike back, I got to learn my first
Guatemalan children’s rhyme/game! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Groupo:
“Cristina come pan en la casa de San Juan!”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Cristina: “Quien? Yo?”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Groupo: “Si! Tu!”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Cristina: “Yo no fui!”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Groupo: “Entonces, quien?”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Cristina: (say the another
person’s name and start over)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I think we must have played this game for a
good thirty minutes while walking back...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAW6oxLPJAXrv5GJKvO_AKNxvSoyzoxGWNAIDNPaRsfkCnbMHrErcuP7DhymuewnFi8yXfW-l4Xaemi5a4Gv_t8479QPAopdl7Mlr6WiOYb3mv98gFmbTdLES0nFglkcb3M2v62BgHb3d/s1600/DSCN0233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAW6oxLPJAXrv5GJKvO_AKNxvSoyzoxGWNAIDNPaRsfkCnbMHrErcuP7DhymuewnFi8yXfW-l4Xaemi5a4Gv_t8479QPAopdl7Mlr6WiOYb3mv98gFmbTdLES0nFglkcb3M2v62BgHb3d/s1600/DSCN0233.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US"> Some of the local huertos</span><br /><span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKfMBaifnA9j2Wy1JwQSJPGa1WHMlNurfLFAVqoFEitQ0NdqvmoWUnWkKl759N9PqYLzs6ewRn8B-ihsRTETSpONZjogh4AGbhcCsZtcrk4YmbCnFN68b42I8eQUVrA5phq6WgKTVpJ5G/s1600/DSCN0236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKfMBaifnA9j2Wy1JwQSJPGa1WHMlNurfLFAVqoFEitQ0NdqvmoWUnWkKl759N9PqYLzs6ewRn8B-ihsRTETSpONZjogh4AGbhcCsZtcrk4YmbCnFN68b42I8eQUVrA5phq6WgKTVpJ5G/s1600/DSCN0236.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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</span><span lang="EN-US"> Un aguacate en el arbol!!</span><br /><span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Getting the aguacates <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Oh,
the things children say…</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">So I’m sitting at the kitchen table with my
host parents, their parents, another volunteer and her host parents (who happen
to be my host siblings, so technically this other volunteer could be my
host-host daughter…I’ll have to draw a family tree!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My host parents’ 3 y/o granddaughter is
sitting on the living room couch which backs up to the kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly we hear:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">“Unatortugita, </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">diceperezosa,</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">meduele
la cabeza,</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">tengoganas
de dormir!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">(A
little turtle, says lazily, my head hurts, I feel like sleeping! )</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">My host mom in turn says “Lilly*, mucho
ruidosa!” (too noisy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what does
Lilly start doing? Of course, she starts singing/screaming at the top of her
lungs about the little turtle with the headache.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I have laughed so hard! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Lilly’s third birthday is this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She knows that her birthday is coming up and
is pretty much convinced that every family gathering is her birthday
party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also insists on being called
“Linda princesa Lilly”. All of the other niñas son feas, perolinda Lilly
esunaprincessa!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">This is the same child that after
precariously studying my arm, asked why I had so many bug bites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After my host dad stopped laughing, I had to
explain that my freckles weren’t in fact bug bites, only spots from the sun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">*Lilly
is not her real name……</span></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">So
this is why everyone says I will gain weight here!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">One word: Tortillas. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Tortillas, tortillas, y
mas tortillas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">At
every meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, we’re having rice with
potatoes and chicken? Not nearly enough carbs, let’s get you more tortillas! In
this culture, there is actually a specific verb for making tortillas:
tortillar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned that one of the
first things a mother will do to her daughter in-law is send her off to make
tortillas to see how circular she can get them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Just to tip the calorie counter over the
scale, someone in my host family runs the panaderia in town, so in addition to
the heaping stack of tortillas in the middle of the table are the most
delisioso fresh sweet rolls, and French bread I have ever had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every once in a while my host brother sends
back a banana bread muffin especially for me! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A basic meal is usually some rice and
either beef or chicken with veggies (usually carrots, zucchini or guicoy-a type
of squash).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of fresh fruit too!
Pineapple, passion fruit, lychee, dragon fruit and granadías.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure what granadías are called in
English, but the kids here call them mocos—boogers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granadías have a tough yellow-orange skin and
are a little smaller than a baseball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You crack/tear open the fruit and on the insides are little sacks of
juicy, gross-looking tastiness. It’s one of those things where you can’t really
think too much about what it looks like, because it really does look like you
are scooping boogers up into your mouth, but it tastes really good! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I get up in the morning and usually get a
bit of grief for not being very hungry at 7:30 breakfast—panqueques, eggs, or
cereal with hot milk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 10 am, one of
the volunteer’s host moms serves us ‘rafe’ a tea/café and snack break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By snack, I mean a rather large chuchito (a
type of tamale).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then lunch at noon, the
largest meal of the day—rice with pollo or carne, veggies, tortillas, bread, and
juice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dinner, at 8pm, has been sopa or
soup the past few nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">I went with my
host mom to buy meat the other day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
was an experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not necessarily good
or bad, only different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The butcher shop
was an unrefrigerated storefront about the same size as a ticket booth and was
set up in much the same way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patrons
walk up to the window and peer into the store to see what type of meat is
left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From what I could tell, on this
particular Sunday, two cows were slaughtered and the various cuts were hanging
from meat hooks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do I know it was
two cows, you ask? Well that would be because there were definitely two skinned
cow heads hanging by hooks right in front of the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">Another thing
every volunteer has commented on is the amount of seasoning guatemaltecos use!
There is a lot of salt used in seasoning meats and sauces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the sugar. Oh my gosh! The instant coffee
mix that they buy here usually already has sugar in it, but it is not uncommon
to see someone dump another giant tablespoon or two into their café or tea or
juice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Café is also regularly given to
the kids here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not strong by any
means, but it is still coffee!! Pepsi is also a staple at any family gathering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">And speaking of
family gatherings….Family is HUGE here! Many families often live together in
the same house or on the same street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everyone constantly jumps from house to house for meals and just to
visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lilly’s 3<sup>rd</sup> birthday
party this Sunday will have 150 guests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And every family gathering includes food! This past Sunday, after eating
lunch I went with my host mom to a baby shower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Two other PCTs were also there…).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At one point, I was sitting there holding two giant chuchitos on one plate,
a piece of cake balancing on a plate on one knee and a cup of Pepsi between my
legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked across the room to the
other two volunteers and after we made eye contact we could not stop laughing!
We had the same horrified expression on our faces, wondering how in the world
we were supposed to scarf all of this down after just finishing a giant lunch!
Leaving food behind is a big no-no in this culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">I’m still trying
to think of what ‘traditional’ American food I can cook for my host
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The biggest problem is that I’m
not sure what ingredients I can find in the tiendas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only thing that keeps popping into my
head are fajitas, and while not a common meal in Guatemala, they definitely do
make fajitas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m thinking that if I can
find some ground beef, I can make meatloaf and mashed potatoes! </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Carne Asada con arroz </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"> The family celebrating my host abuela´s 85th birthday</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02910127135891113779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6421352962175127464.post-62778107412226636502013-06-10T19:32:00.000-07:002013-06-10T19:32:05.963-07:00One week and counting!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The countdown is officially into the single digits. Oh boy. Yup. This is really happening. And this CAN officially happen now that I finally have a big enough suitcase! Hahaha! (seriously, I could pack Wrigley if I wanted to...) And at this time next week I will be pulling that suitcase closed with a hearty final <i><b>ZIP!</b></i><br />
<br />
This past month has seen two moves and periods of goodbyes. First the move from Tampa to Chi-town, and now the move from home! The warmth, generosity and support I have received from my friends has been amazing! (And thanks to those of you who let me dump piles of stuff in their apartment because I have poor visual-spacial skills and underestimated the amount of junk I own and overestimated the size of my car!)<br />
<br />
With only one week left, I am still unpacking, cleaning, and figuring out what and how to repack! The details are starting to catch up with me-renewing my driver's license, organizing music, starting this blog, figuring out what to do with my cell phone, finalizing student loan paperwork, TRYING TO FIND A DARN PAIR OF KHAKI PANTS, and scouring the stores for a duffel bag with both wheels <i>and</i> a shoulder strap!<br />
<br />
Everyday is such a roller coaster and my emotions are all over the place. I keeping saying that this must be what pregnant women feel like; one moment I am nervous beyond belief and the next my extreme joy takes over! <br />
<br />
So for now, I'm just repeating the mantra: <i>one week, one week, one week, one week....</i><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02910127135891113779noreply@blogger.com0