Today in All its Random Beauty

Time in Guate: 2 months, 3 days


For no particular reason I was in a foul mood this morning. So imagine my surprise when I got in my taxi and he asked me "how has your morning been?" I didn't even know what he said. All I thought was "I already gave you the address, what else do you need?" Then it occurred to me that he wanted to platicar (chat), which is what we ended up doing the whole way to work. He asked me where I was from and then continued to impress me with all of the english words he knew. He had me genuinely smiling and laughing, and by the time I reached the school my mood had done a 180.


Today was my first day working in the class I've been assigned to (instead of observing another volunteer & class) at the agency where I volunteer. I met all the kids I'll be working with. Everyone keeps telling me they're "special" or "difficult" or "a challenging bunch." Well being the person I am, who gets bored easily, I was excited for the challenge. These kids remind me of the kids who lived with me when I was doing proctor care w/ kids in custody- sex offenders, drug issues, etc. They were good kids. These kids have had it rough, just like them, but in different ways. I think I will fit in just fine.


It got me thinking though...why does everyone think this class is terrible? At least today, they didn't steal anything, didn't try to hurt each other... they didn't even light anything on fire. So what's the big deal?? And then I realized something that bothered me a little bit, and if anyone disagrees, please chime in.
I think the motivation for going to a third world country and working with the most disadvantaged urban children in the world is one part altruism and one part selfishness. Furthermore, I think the latter part constitutes the majority. All these 20 somethings that are here "giving back" want to feel warm fuzzies during & after the experience. They want the kids to hug them and worship them and make them feel special. And what better place? The culture here, combined with the loving, open nature of children is a perfect recipe for it. I believe this is why my group of kids is described with the aforementioned derogatory words.


I have to admit I'm disappointed that even in the midst of rescuing the discarded people of the garbage dump, there still are subgroups that remain, for the most part, discarded. How tragic. That's the way the world works. We each have a comfort zone, and don't like to be pushed outside of it. And most people's comfort zone doesn't extend into the dark corners where these types of kids spend most of their time. I'm grateful I've had opportunities to work with similar kids in the states, so only the language stands in my way as a temporary barrier, not my fears or judgements.

I'm impressed at how many volunteers there are. Good for them for putting their lives on hold to help out far away from everything familiar and comfortable. They're probably learning a lot of things I took years to learn about people and myself. I'll enjoy getting to know them better. I'm sure they each have something to teach me.


More about today- I love what I'm doing. I have so much to learn about the agency, the kids, the community, and most of all, where I belong in all of it. What can I do? How can I help? I'm so impatient with things like this. I always want to dive in head first, eyes closed.


One of the highlights of my day: describing English idioms in Spanish. Cream of the crop, egged on, black sheep, cry wolf, on the house, cry over spilled milk, corny, and my favorite- put the shoe on the other foot, which apparently means to pass the buck (hah, explaining an idiom with an idiom...) My brain was very tired after using my mediocre spanish skills to explain those and many others. The English curriculum these kids use is...well...laughable. But its sad, not funny.


I stopped at a ferreteria (home improvement store) after work today and asked if they sell dryer hose. The guy I asked (in spanish) looked at me funny and said no. When I asked if he knew where I could get one, he told me to wait. He walked to the other side of the store where he spoke with an old Guatemalan woman. She pulled her glasses off the end of her nose and walked towards me. She had a very strong face, and spoke to me in a voice that matched it. The conversation that followed is unimportant except that to mention THIS WOMAN owned the store. I was fantastically impressed in this machismo society that she had made it, and had men working for and deferring to her. WONDERFUL!


I love Guatemala.

A Few of My Favorite Things

One gift Guatemala has given me is TIME.

Time to rest, time to think, time to read, and most of all, time to do the things I love the most. Some of those things are photography, cooking, arranging flowers, and volunteering.

Sunday breakfast is a tradition for us. Today I made baguette french toast which we had with a big plate of fresh local fruit.

This is Rosa de Jamaica. They are dried flowers that you boil in water and then add sugar to make a delicious drink! Its very popular here. The flowers are for sale in the local markets as well as big stores, and you can find it on the drink menu at every restaurant. Its a little bit tart, like raspberry. I LOVE it.

This was our treasure from our first venture together to La Villa market by our apartment. ALL of this is fresh fresh fresh. We got all of this produce as well as the tortillas and a bag of maza (what you use to make tortillas) for less than 140Q which is about $17. You can't tell from the photo, but that pineapple is over 12 inches tall.
The brown fruit in the front that look like kiwi are called Zapote. (see photo below). The green squash veggie to the left of the zapote are guicoyitos. They taste like zuchinni.



This is the zapote cut open. It has a similar texture and taste as a papaya, but the flavor is slightly different. The best way I can think to describe it is avocado, papaya and brown sugar. The little green things are loroco. They have a very strong distinct flavor. People use them in many different dishes here. We put them in an omelette.



This is the omelette we made with our fresh veggies. Yum.

Another delicious creation! I bought basil from La Villa last week and made pesto with it. Lucas made a honey whole wheat pizza crust and we tossed on the pesto and some of our fresh veggies. So good, so filling, and so healthy!



Last but not least...the flowers. Flowers here are unbelievably cheap. All of the flowers in these arrangements cost $6. I was glad I had 3 vases, because the bunches of flowers are so large. I once read a book on how to spruce up and simplify your life. It said something about having fresh flowers in your house. Check and check!



A Culture of Love

Time in Guatemala: Happy 2 month Anniversary Guate!
Weather: It has been perfectly sunny and 80 degrees for over a week with only a few hours of rain the last two days!
Occupation Status: English teacher-Oxford Language Center, Volunteer-Camino Seguro 
Mental Status: Pensive, grateful
Misc: Couch coming this week?


It's been a wonderful week. I spent the afternoon on the roof of my friend's apartment building, where we sat in the pool and looked out over the city and at the beautiful volcanoes surrouding it. What a view. Sunday we had a big mexican fiesta and I met someone who works at the Embassy and I think she is someone I could become good friends with. I also started volunteering for an agency that works with families who live and work in the city dump, which has been wonderful thus far. But another post will be dedicated to that.
With Guatemalan Independence Day last week, I thought a good post topic would be a discussion of the people. Latin America in general is a very different place than the US. Guatemala has its own nuances, and I'd like to share some of them. I think Latin America has a bad reputation: lazy, dishonest, etc. So I'd like to shed some light on those misinterpretations, and hopefully those of you in the states can set anyone straight who continue to feed the negative fire.

One thing that has impressed me the most is how courteous people are. When someone walks into a room, they are greeted by each person individually, even if its a room of 12 people. This often includes handshakes (for men) and kissing cheeks (for woman/man and woman/woman) so you can imagine showing up to the party late can lead to a lot of handshaking and kissing all at once. Additionally, when someone leaves a room or group or event, the same salutations occur. Handshakes, kissing and lots of "nice to meet you, thanks for coming, see you soon" but its very genuine. The US has some regional areas like the midwest and the south in which the group mentality of inclusion is embraced, but for the most part I think the US is very individualistic. I love how kind and inclusive people are here. I have to often remember to say hello or goodbye to more than just the person who invited me.

Guatemalans are very shy initially, but once you have earned their trust, they are as loyal as can be. They are very helpful and kind. Also they love to have parties. And when you have a party, you invite EVERYONE you know. Last weekend I was invited to a party and towards the end I noticed that all the "gringos" were sitting around a table talking about politics, and all the Latin Americans were gathered around playing a game, laughing and joking all rowdy. They know how to have a good time, that's for sure.

Being on time has a loose definition. Especially when its a social setting, people just take things as they come. You get there when you get there, and you leave when you're tired. Who cares what time it is? Life is lived much slower here, and I have to admit I really enjoy that. There seems to be less pressure, less stress, less road rage (even though the traffic is like downtown Boston). People just know how to take life at an easy pace. The other day Lucas and I were at the store and he backed into the side of someone's car while he was pulling out of a parking spot. They both got out, the guy looked at it, waved his arm in a dismissing manner, smiled and got back in his car. That would be a rare sight in the US. People here are less materialistic, and more realistic. They don't expect a lot and they appreciate everything. What a good mindset.

I'm sure the more I interact with people here, the more I will learn about the culture. Thus far, I love it. It isn't easy to adjust to a different country and culture, but I think we picked the one that will make the transition very much worthwhile.

Guatemalan Cooking

In August I took a vegetarian cooking class. In September I'm taking a Classic Guatemalan cooking class. This post is dedicated to all the new food and cooking techniques I learn from class.

Week One

  Today we made tamalitos (which are tiny tamales with no filling), a turkey soup, mole with fried platains, and a salad. The soup is traditionally made for the dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) in Coban, an area in the north of Guatemala. They feed a turkey a liqour called Boch and when the turkey gets drunk, they hang it upside down by its feet and lay onions and garlic on the ground underneath. Then they cut the head off the turkey and let the blood drip on the onions and garlic, which they then use for the soup. We did not behead any drunken turkeys or even use turkey blood in any form in our soup, but we were entertained by the story while we waited for the tamalitos to cook.

Making tamales is time consuming, but fun. They take a very long time to cook as well as the work of making the tamal and then wrapping it in a corn husk or banana leaf. They are traditionally made with lard. Now that I know how to make them I would like to try it with coconut oil, which has the same consistency at lower temperatures as lard. Much healthier!

The mole with friend plantains were delicious!! Its a dessert dish, but mole can be used for many things, even breakfast. I would also like to try frying the platains in coconut oil or almond oil, which are much healthier than canola or vegetable oil.

Tamales, Ensalada, Sopa, y Mole con Platanos Fritos

 Week Two
Coming soon!!

Changing Lanes & the Price of Rice

Time in Guatemala: 6 1/2 weeks
Weather: No rain today, but at least 41 people were killed in midslides this weekend. Today is a national day of mourning.
Occupation Status: Taught my first English class at Oxford on Saturday!  
Living Situation: Los Jardines del Acueducto- mi apartamento
Mental Status: Ready for a busy (relatively speaking) week
Misc: kitchen table and couch coming this week?

This post is all about the US/Guatemala differences and the things I've seen in Guatemala that would get someone sued or killed in the US.

DMV Nightmare
Traffic here is quite bad and there is little or no pollution/emission control so the buses and many cars spew black clouds from their exhaust pipes constantly. The most common public transportation for locals is the "chicken bus." These are old school buses from the US that have been sent here. Locals buy them and charge around 3Q (45 cents) to ride. They are privately owned, so they're all painted and decorated with stickers and lights and all sorts of interesting things by the driver/owner.
Following a chicken bus down the street is entertaining. There are 2 people operating the bus: the driver and the man who stands on the steps at the door and acts as a lookout for people flagging the bus down to stop (since there aren't really "bus stops") and he also waves at cars next to the bus when it needs to change lanes to make a "stop." However, if people need to get off the bus, they just wait for it to slow down enough that they can jump out, regardless of what lane or location the bus is in. Its not uncommon to see a chicken bus turning a corner, and suddenly the back door (what US folks would call the emergency exit) flies open and a handful of Guatemalans jump out while the bus is still driving. Then, if the bus wasn't in the lane next to the sidewalk, comes the task of playing frogger among the cars. This is also quite common. Crosswalk? What's that? We don't have those here. You just run when you see a chance. 4 lanes? Well, just take it one lane at a time. You can wait in between lanes until you see another gap. Don't worry, no car will hit you. But you better watch out for motorcycles.
Many people drive motorcycles because traffic is so congested. The most common manner of riding a motorcycle is with one foot on the ground to balance yourself as you weave in and out and between lanes and cars, on and off of sidewalks...you get the idea. If you're on a motorcyle no traffic rules apply to you. You have just one thing to focus on: don't die.
Let's talk about personal space in the traffic world. There is none. If you want to change lanes, you look for a 2 ft space between cars where you can stick your nose and make the car behind you choose between hitting your fender or "letting" you in. I nearly had a heart attack on every car ride the first 3 weeks I was here, but now I'm used to it. The impressive thing is that I have only seen one accident.
What about the police, you say? Aren't they citing anyone for traffic violations? The best way I can think to explain it is to use a sports analogy. Its like the difference between a basketball game with a referee vs. a pick-up game where the players are responsible to call fouls and keep each other in line. But the definition of "in-line" becomes much more loose. That's how it is here on the roads.
Safety & Social Norms
I walked into the grocery store to see one associate standing next to a pallet full of boxes and another associate standing 10 feet above him on the storage area above the aisle. The associate on the ground was throwing boxes up to the other, who would catch and stack them.
If you're waiting in line to check out at the store and remember you needed eggs, not to worry! Just leave your cart or basket in line to hold your place and you can go do some more shopping. Every time someone does that I think of what would happen if someone tried that in the US. And I laugh.

Yes we have it, but it'll cost ya...
I've been here long enough to visit a variety of grocery stores, restaurants, etc. Below is a list of standard items and prices, for anyone who's interested.

Triscuits $6.50
Fresh Green Beans 1 lb $0.73
Twix $1.25
Brown Rice 1 lb $0.65
Bottled water 20 oz $0.23
Ground Turkey 1 lb $3.50
Quaker Squares cereal $3.25
Reese's Puffs cereal (only available at ONE store) $8.50
Blue Diamond Almond Milk $4
Pine Nuts 1 lb $20
Gala Apples 1 lb $1
Almonds 1lb bag $8
Stawberries 1/2 flat $5, 1 pint $1
Bag of Spinach $1.40
Feta Cheese 8 oz $3
Blackberries 6 oz $0.85
Ice Cream Cone (like Baskin Robbins) $1.50
Cappucino 12 oz soy $2.50
Bag of rice 12 oz $0.40
Carrots 1 lb $0.30
Windex $1.50
Powdered Sugar (sm bag) $0.80
Shredded Coconut (sm bag) $0.90
Natural Yogurt 1 liter $0.75 
Whole Wheat Flour 5 lb $4.75
Non-hydrogenated Peanut butter $8
Avocado 1 lb $0.55
Butter 1 stick $1
Gasoline $3.50/gallon
Taxi to Grocery store, Mall or University $3
Movie theater tickets $3
Meals at restaurants at priced similar to the states $7-10 average, $18-30 high-end

As you can see, some things are very cheap, some things are very expensive, some things are just not available (that I know of yet) but for the most part, I feel happy with what we have. The high prices or lack of availability of some items have led me to just make them myself. Jam and granola are very expensive, and healthy whole grain bread is hard to find & expensive, as is almond butter, so I just made them myself. I've always wanted to make more things at home. Its a good habit to be in, but this was the push I needed to finally motivate myself to do it. And things I can't make at home, I will just do without, and I like the idea of doing without. Its the nemesis of US marketing, and so we rarely do it, but its so refreshing and raw. I don't want Guatemala to be the same as the US. I'm happy its not.

A Room with a View: Antigua

Time in Guatemala: 5 1/2 weeks
Weather: No rain today. Sunny enough that my nose got a little pink walking around town
Occupation Status: resume submitted for English instructor at 2 schools, waiting for University transcripts to submit to Colegio Maya for substitute teaching, resume submitted for Volunteer Coordinator position at Camino Seguro (safepassage.org)
Living Situation: Los Jardines del Acueducto- mi apartamento
Mental Status: Ecstatic at the opportunities in my path
Misc: You're all fired! (except Mandy) Comments people, comments! Also, I'm going to start posting every other day or so. I have way too much happening for once or twice a week to suffice.

Someone from Marroquin invited Lucas and I to stay the weekend in their home in Antigua. Lucas had been there once before and said "its a palace" so I was excited to see this beautiful piece of the ancient city that, thus far, had been hidden from me behind walls. (All the buildings in Antigua, especially homes, are surrounded by 8-12 ft cement walls) I had no idea how stunning this home would turn out to be.

This is one of the street markets in the middle of town.

This is the view from just inside the front door. To the right is a sitting room

The hanging flowers are thumbergia

View of the courtyard

The 500 year old church wall, accenting the courtyard

View of the sitting room from the courtyard

Church wall reflection

Interesting cactus in the "dining room"

At night the muchachas light 50-60 candles because there are few electric lights. The table, along with almost everything in the house, is an antique.

Past the dining room are the stairs and the hallway (left) to the social room

View of the hallway from the other end. To the left, by the red chair is a large fish pond full of koi. To the right is the glass door entrance to the social room.

The social room used to be a side chapel of the church (notice the ceiling?) The xylophone looking instrument in the front is to play marimba music.

Our shower. The pipe sticking out of the wall is the "shower head"

View from the bathroom

The sink and toilet (door next to the sink is where the toilet is)

Another reflection of the church wall

Hundreds of years ago, this was the community water spot. All the women would come here to wash their clothes. It looks a little bit like an antequated hot tub. Notice all the candles? (Not a great photo-bad lighting)

I don't know why I didn't take any photos of our bedroom or the kitchen, but they were equally stunning. While we were in Antigua we went to a hotel/museum called Santo Domingo. It's a 5 star hotel and restaurant. And absolutely breathtaking. Here are some photos from Santo Domingo.

All the roads in Antigua are cobblestone hundreds of years old. Its a great way to make people drive slow!

These are rescued orchids. Who knew orchids needed rescuing? There's an organization that does this.

This is where we ate lunch. It's across the street from the house. Everything in their restaurant comes from their own farm nearby. All the food was so fresh and delicious.

Who Am I Now?

I never would have guessed how deep and vast would be the wave of change created by moving to Guatemala. One element that continues to amaze me is the effect of being so poorly equipped with Spanish proficiency. It is turning my internal world upside down in a way I didn't anticipate.

Who am I? If I answered this question independent of my external world, two words at the top of the list would be strong and independent. I have, since before I could read words longer than 3 letters, placed a lot of value on my ability to be 1-self sufficient (independent) and 2-reliable, helpful, someone you could count on to have the answer (strong). These two things are indescribably important to me, to defining myself, and quantifying my worth. In the book How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie talks about how every person conducts his life in a manner that will make him feel important. And each person feels important by different means. For me, its being strong and independent.

Its time to reassess. If I continue to operate in the same way that I have the previous 27 years, I will falter, I will crumble and I will ultimately lose my self-worth.

In my cooking class I am the "slow" one. I need extra instruction. Oftentimes the other women will ask me in spanish "you understand?" Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. How hard I must swallow when the answer is no. I have always been bright, quick to pick things up. I'm never the one lagging behind in understanding, usually I'm the one helping others understand. This is SO very humbling for me. They are so kind, so patient, so gracious, so willing to help me. I feel almost ashamed.

Who am I now? Am I independent? No. And the more I pretend I am, or can be, the longer it will take me to truly learn the nature of these people. My strength must now be in the form of my ability to change and accept my circumstances.

I am grateful, I am humble, I am meek. I continuously bow my head and accept my vulnerability, my plight of being at the mercy of...well, whoever.

What an AMAZING experience! I would dare say a small minority have the opportunity to experience such a humbling transformation. I am forced to my knees. The very basic nature of my world, externally and internally has been discarded. I must start over. Begin from scratch.
No presumptions. No expectations. Just LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of humility

The beautiful thing is that this world, these people...they want to take care of you. They place so much value in helping each other. When I let myself admit defeat and the need for others' I am awe stricken at their generosity. Such patience and love I have rarely experienced in the US-at work, at school, even in my own family (however, my mother is the most generous person I've ever known.) But here I have a safe haven in which to create this new, humble, group-oriented self.

Will I even recognize myself a year from now? I hope not. This new me harbors less fear, embraces more trust, and feels more genuine. Definitely a step in the right direction.