Still Sorting Out Life, But I'm Doing Alright

Baseball Withdrawals (A Haiku)
I love the East just
Because I got to watch the
Yankees! Finally!

Officially survived Field Based Training! Although “survived” is probably not the best word, since that implies some sort of suffering or hardship in the process, which there really was none of (with the exception of EXTREME sweat and occasional oxygen-less salons). The East was really beautiful. Well, the city of Chiquimula was a loud, dusty dump, but the aldeas we visited were all gorgeous. We saw four volunteers’ sites and learned about all of their projects, etc.

Three favorite experiences of the week:
1) Seeing a second year volunteer’s Library project- she literally redid the entire thing. She said that when she got to site customers weren’t even allowed to touch the books; they had to ask the librarian to go find them a book they needed. Now there’s a kids corner, a Dewey decimal system, and new computers. I’m pretty sure most of you know my obsession with libraries, so that’s absolutely a dream project for me. Is it bad that I really hope wherever I wind up has a really crappy library?

2) Going with the same volunteer to work with her youth group at the town’s orphanage. We were supposed to help them paint their playground, which we were in the process of doing until a HUGE storm interrupted. We wound up just hanging out in the carport playing games and learning Spanish hand jives- including the best new game ever. It’s called Pikachu, and it’s kind of a version of rock paper scissors, only you get to hit people. Awesome.

3) Our last visit was to another second year volunteer, who started the day by taking us up on the roof of the town’s church for a gorgeous view. See pictures below!

We wound up having to come home a day early due to an impending storm (who apparently is named Mateo). It was a bummer because we had to cancel our pool party, but when I got home Wilson was soo excited to see me, and we played together the whole afternoon, which was probably more fun than a pool party and inevitable sunburn anyway.

Backtracking a bit, the Friday before FBT was my site mate Noor’s birthday. We had presentations in the morning and class allllll day, but after that the other site mates and the host moms and I had planned a little surprise party- Frank and I had to go pick up the cake in Antigua immediately after class while the moms made Chuchitos. We wound up coming home at rush hour on the camionetas, and let me tell you this bus made 1-90 on a Friday afternoon look pleasant. It was certainly an experience trying to protect the poor cake from the mounds of people smushing into every single spare molecule of air- so much so that the ayudante (the man who takes the money) was hanging off the outside of the bus by the window. We got home about a half hour late, hot and exhausted but with an intact cake. The party was really nice; it was great to have all of our families together and I think they were pleased that we included them. Frank’s birthday is this weekend and they are all very excited to do something for it, as well.

I’m hoping that the next two weeks go by just as fast as the last month has. I am at the point where I really just want to know where I’m going. I don’t really have a preference- the East was really gorgeous, and the people are a bit more laid back and liberal, which I like. But, it’s grossly hot (and it wasn’t even the hot season while we were there) and there are a lot less volunteers out there. As for the West, I don’t even know what it’s like, so I can’t really compare. I’m just running on the theory that I’ll wind up wherever I’m supposed to.
noor's birthday party
Jocotan
me on top of the church =)
again
view from the church

Find Where You Belong, Start to Take Control, Show a Little Soul

The Little Things (A Haiku)
Here in Guatemala
The milk goes in the bowl first,
Then the cereal.

Many of you have been inquiring about what exactly I will be doing for work here. My answer has been, for the most part, I haven’t the slightest idea. Training is pretty darn vague (surprise, surprise, the US Government being vague), and it’s hard to know what I’ll be doing without knowing my site. So far my work has consisted of “sewing” (aka stabbing a needle into my hand and sometimes some fabric while trying not to throw the whole mess across the table) and eating tostadas with a bunch of women. But, this weekend we had to read our “Project Plan” which explained exactly what the point of my being here is:
1. To improve the management ability and strengthen the organizational capacity of municipalities, through their Municipal Planning Offices and Municipal Women’s Offices, to deliver quality services to the population.
2. To empower and motivate community groups to actively participate in the identification, design, implementation and evaluation of sustainable-integrated community development projects/activities.
So there you have it. And I have almost exactly 26 months to achieve these things- piece of cake. As daunting as this is, our meetings with the women’s groups have been enjoyable thus far. The group we had yesterday was fun- about six women who were all very friendly and welcoming. I entertained myself by watching the children, a four year old girl and three year old boy, “play”, which consisted of him bugging the crap out of her, her mother telling her to be nice, and her behaving like an angel until she thought no one was looking and then pinching the little boy’s arms as hard as she could. I think I found another kindred spirit.

I’ve been reading like a madwoman- 8 books in the past month. God, I can’t believe I’ve been here for a month! I have to say I’m loving having the time to read something that isn’t related to a class and I’m going to have a test on eventually, but I haven’t read anything worth recommending. Trash, mostly- novel versions of People Magazine, and the like. I’m working on making a “To Read” list, so any suggestions are welcome.

Since it hasn’t been very long since my last post, I’m pretty much out of things to say. This week is filled with charlas, talks, presentations, blah blah blah. Saturday is Free Day #2 in Antigua (weeee) and then Sunday it’s off to Chiquimula, so I’m not completely sure when the next time I’ll be posting is. I’m sure I’ll have tons to share by then!

I Don’t Care, Try and Steal This…You Can’t Steal Happiness

Relámpago (A Haiku)
“Photos in the sky”,
My host sister calls it when
The lightning flashes.

This has been a very good week, for no particular reason. Wednesday we had Spanish class in the morning. We had some things get changed around and so we met Miguel in Jocotenango at the coffee plantation. It was absolutely gorgeous (see pictures below). We went back home for lunch and then had to walk to the Muni in the afternoon to meet with Clemencia, the head of the Women’s Office for the second time. We had scheduled the meeting for 3 o’clock because she had a meeting in Guate in the morning. However, when we got to the office, she was not there- still in Guate. So we had to reschedule for the next day. And so starts “La Hora Chapina”. I’m working on resigning myself to being the first to arrive at everything (by a good ½ hour) for the next two years.

Since we didn’t have a meeting, Frank and I went to watch the Carretas teams play soccer. My host brother plays on one team and Frank’s dad (who wears number 100 on his jersey) plays on the other. The game ended in a tie. As popular as soccer is here, I really don’t think I will ever be able to love a sport that can end in a tie. To me, that’s pretty much like baking all day and not having any cookies at the end of it.

Thursday we had a Muni activity in San Antonio Aguas Calientes. It was gorgeous, and the Muni was really nice. The San Antonio crew also took us to a really great bakery, which is always a plus. After lunch we had an activity with our parents at my house. Jorge, the housing coordinator, came and we did some group things like identify stereotypes that Americans have about Guatemalans and vice versa. Very mushy, PC stuff but it was also fun to have all of our madres and us together. They are so cute I can’t even handle it. My host mom is still going on about how fun the afternoon was, three days later.

We had to rush from there to our rescheduled Muni meeting, where we were told by Clemencia that she didn’t have the information we needed. We are going to work with a women’s group in our town, but the women’s groups are not managed by the women’s office anymore. Instead Doña Marta runs them and she only comes in for the mornings. But, Clemencia thought they were meeting in our town as we spoke so we went with the Spanish teachers to the house where they meet. As it turns out, they were not meeting but will meet Friday in the afternoon instead.

So, around came Friday and, after a morning filled with learning about gestures in Guatemala (I now know how to say “yo mama” in Guate sign language), we went to Doña Miriam’s house to meet with the women and…duh duh duh…sew. As most of you probably know, I am NOT a sewer- and the few times I have actually tried to be one have resulted in frustration, tears, and violence. But, I kept my composure as Allie and I tag-teamed a purse and have yet to throw anything in the process. Next week we are going to give a talk about calculating costs and making profit because eventually they want to sell the bags they make (although, I am sad to report that they will most likely never be able to sell anything I make. Composure I can maybe manage, a quality product, not so much).

Today we got up brightttt and early and headed to PC Headquarters for a Mayan Ceremony. It was really quite nice- we prayed to the earth and the 20 Mayan spirit guides for safety, protection, health, and inspiration during our service. We also prayed for our family and friends (I thought of you all) and our loved ones that had passed (I threw in a candle for my grandma). Basically we spent the morning being thankful for what we have and praying for it to stay that way, which, to me, is not a bad way to pass the day.

In other news, we found out yesterday that we’re going to the East for Field Based Training! To Chiquimula the whole group goes. Half of us were supposed to go San Marcos in the West, but because of the weather lately they decided to send us all to the East instead. I’m pretty pumped- we’ve been in the West, and the East seems like it might be a whole different world.

San Antonio Aguas Calientes (View from the parque)
Me at the Coffee Plantation
Coffee Tree
At the coffee plantation
Mayan Ceremony

Time Makes You Bolder

Business first: I’ve made two new decisions for the blog, to make it a little more fun for moi. First, Blog Titles will now be lyrics from a song I’m currently loving. This is partly for fun and partly so I don’t have to work so hard to name these stupid things. I will try to make it relevant, but I make no promises. (On that note- no pun intended- any good music you would like to send me is much appreciated, gracias!). Second, every post will have a haiku. Because what isn’t made better by a haiku? Here’s this week’s:

It’s Not the Stupidity, It’s the Humidity (A Haiku)
Didn’t realize how
Humid it is until my
Altoids melted. Boo.

Moving on. As those of you not in the “Ignorance is Bliss” camp that actually watch the news might know, Guate is having some serious weather crises. This basically translates to rain, rain, rain, rain, rain. In the words of the oh-so-wise Enrique Iglesias, Lluvia Cae. That, and a lot of landslides and road closures. Don’t worry, though, I am safe and sound in my little aldea (though our river is flowing considerably freer and deeper these days) and Peace Corps has safety precautions coming out of their ears, so we’re in good hands.

Therefore, other than some seriously drenched dress pants and a couple cancelled activities due to road closures, there has been little excitement for us trainees in terms of the weather. We did have big excitement, though, with our first free day in Antigua on Sunday! Thanks to the blunders of trainees passed, there is now a policy that we are not allowed to travel anywhere out of site during training except on three designated days, the first of which was Sunday. Many of us met up in Antigua to spend the day. We walked the town, had some coffee, hiked el Cerro de la Cruz (see picture below), had some really great sandwiches for lunch at La Café Condessa, and basically just enjoyed our freedom. Probably my favorite point of the day was my fellow UW student’s comment when asked if she ever wanted to get married: “I would never subject anyone to having to spend the rest of their lives with me”. I think we’re kindred spirits.

Speaking of reactions to the thought of marriage, I had my first bout of violent illness. Woo! I’m fully recovered now, but I think I threw up (yes- I THREW UP.) everything I had eaten since I got to Guatemala. Insta-diet, I guess. Just thought I’d share that with the world, because I’m sure you’re all sitting at home in the states wondering how my digestion’s going.

Wilson is still pretty much the light of my Guatemalan life. He cracks me up! Really all of my host family is wonderful- they love to laugh, which makes everything easier. One thing I most definitely appreciate about the Guatemalans is their ability to laugh at themselves. I think it’s something we should all do more of. I’m also getting much better at communicating so we’re all getting to know each other a bit more.

Two more weeks until Field Based Training, which means a whole week in an actual site with volunteers and hands on stuff! I’m super pumped for that because it’ll give us such a better idea of what exactly the next two years of our life will be. Honestly, though, I’m really enjoying the whole flying by the seat of your pants, living day-to-day thing for now. It’s certainly a nice change from the utterly depressing schedule of a grad student. So, off to do more of that living thing!
Un Volcan from the PC Office
My sitemates and me on Cerro Nino (View of our pueblo behind)
Cerro de la Cruz! With Antigua below =)