Lots going on

Wow - it has been awhile since I have written but I am going to try to cover a bunch in this blog to get you all caught up.

First off, before I left for the US for a vacation and early Christmas celebration with my family, we had In Service Training. This is a chance to hear from other volunteers about some of their projects and to really get motivated for the second year. This is the year they say most things get done and I would say this will be the case with me here. A lot of the first year is just spent trying to figure out what is going on, who is in charge, and how about to accomplish the goals of the community and your own. Well, during IST, we went to visit a volunteer who successfully completed a stove project. Through a Peace Corps SPA grant and contribution by the beneficiaries, they completed more than 50 new stoves in the community. This is important in that the new stoves are much more efficient (saving the cutting of the forests) and also that the home environment is so much more healthy. The stoves are outfitted with chimneys and all of the smoke that was previously breathed in the house now can piped outside where the health damage isn't nearly as serious as it would be in the house. And since respiratory illnesses are one of the leading causes of death here in Guatemala, something like this can make a huge difference, adding on 14-16 years of life on average from what I've read.

Well, after all of this, an idea started brewing in my mind. This is going to be a HUGE project but I think my community would benefit greatly from it. I have been invited in many houses here and the cooking situation is not a very safe or healthy one. All of the houses here cook over an open fire, set up using a couple of cement blocks and a few pieces of rebar. There is no chimney and the smoke fills the room. Often this room is the main gathering room of the family. Also, it poses a huge risk - both of fire and also the probability of a child accidently falling into the fire as there is no barrier around the fire. So, I am starting by putting the feelers out in my community and already there is some interest. The families will have to contribute a bit financially and will have to agree to attend building training sessions and to help build their stoves. I would also like to set up some talks about nutrition here. So, I am thinking this is going to be my big 2nd year project - it is pretty daunting - but I am getting the ball rolling and we'll see how it turns out.

Wish me luck!
Cheers!

Ready for a trip home and Recommendations for Other Volunteers Coming to Guate

Ok - today finished up our last cooking class and I have to say it was a success. The only rough part was that there was no water (AGAIN, sigh....) at the hotel, so that presents a program when trying to wash dishes, clean up, flush toilets, etc. However, for our last meal - we made a chicken with onions and garlic - and Pepsi in the sauce. It turned out really good. We also ended up making tortas out of the long green stems of the onions - those turned out awesome too. Oh yeah, and I made the rice. The tortas are amazing things that you make by hand whipping egg whites to a foam and then covering whatever vegetable you have (in a grated or chopped form) with the egg white foam stuff and then frying them in a pan. They are really good! We also made a lime flan - all on a plancha (wood fire stove) with our new tin foil oven. I am happy to say that everything turned out great! However, I am pretty exhausted. We started in at 7:30 a.m. and we just finished. It was a long day as it is fairly exhausting working, especially with the kids constantly asking me questions and also the no agua thing - they kept turning on the chorro (faucet) saying "no hay agua" - and I'm like - I know - there wasn't agua last time and there still isn't now...geez. Only I really understand how the complicated tubing system to the hotel works and I kept explaining to them that the water tank up top isn't working because the filter is bad and for some reason there was no water pressure. Only later did I learn that someone recently hooked up a hose to the hotel water system and was directing all the water to their house....ahhhhhh! Of course they don't tell you...I spent an hour last night checking every connection, every detail of the water system, in the dark (kind of like Clark W Griswall now that I think of it) and it should have been working...I couldn't figure it out...but then via a small side switch that I didn't think about - someone was piping water way from it. The biggest issue I have it that he I am running around, asking everyone if they knew if anything happened with the water or the spring and they are just like - no hay agua - no urgency to fix it - just "no hay..." So, I was frusterated beyond belief, finally discovered the problem, and FINALLY we have some water.

The other frusteration right now are the chuchos (stray dogs) - man do I hate them. I know it is a strong word - but these dogs are the bane of my existence here. They make a terrible mess with the garbage here - one got into the kitchen today (I don't know how) knocked over a bunch of clean dishes, and stole some chicken. Ewwww...how I hate these chuchos - the fleas, the skin problems, the smell, the mess...

Ok, but enough of that stuff - those are my frusterations and I'm about ready for a bit of a break...

But, now a little about a packing list for those trainees who are going to come in this Jan...

Most Impt Things I Have...
1. My computer (with DVD)
2. IPOD with charger
3. Surge protector (get a good one)
4. 2 prong electrical adaptor
5. Makeup - the good stuff from home
6. Tennis shoes
7.Headlamp
8. Leatherman
9. My own sheets (size full)
10. Quick dry towel
11. Photos of friends and family
12. Good lotion and essential oils
13. Comfortable pair of heels

A few notes... Most toiletry stuff you can get here in Guate, so don't bring a lot of it - just enough to get you through the first week or so. Also, in regards to clothes - don't spend a lot on expensive stuff - washing stuff in a pila ruins most stuff quickly and plus there are lots of PACAS here (like Goodwill) where you can buy American clothes for cheap. Do bring some dress up clothes - I wear my button up shirts and nice pants a lot here. Even though I am living in the country - people still dress really nice for meetings and stuff -so I am glad that I have nice blouses and dress pants. Also, a comfortable pair of heels is great - the footwear here is generally more formal than the US. I wear my flip flops around the finca, but whenever I go to town or am in meetings - it's always heels (even on cobblestones).

So, that's about it from here - yes it is def. getting to be my time for a break. However, the big party is tomorrow, and I might need to kick it all off with a nice Pepsi/rum just to relax a bit after the chucho and water fiasco today.

Pictures of The Baking Class

Keeping Busy til Vacation!

Luckily a lot is going on here in site as I am getting so excited to leave for a vacation home to the US that I can barely concentrate! I can't believe by the time I get home I will have been in country for almost a year! Time has flown by and it has been a complete rollercoaster of a ride - but it feels really good to have this much time under my belt. In January the new group of Eco Tourism volunteers will be coming in and hopefully maybe I can help train them. Even now, I like to read the blogs of the other trainees - as they are experiencing their first few weeks in country, then field based training, then swearing in, reconnect...it feels good to be that much further along and to be making time.

Right now, I am working with a good friend of mine, Pasquala, and we are organizing a baking class this week for the women in the community. We went around on Saturday night, going door to door telling them what we are offering (making cakes, donuts, carrot cake etc. in artesenal ovens) and trying to get people to sign up (offering the promise of diplomas in the end - a big motivation factor here...). So, we started this afternoon with a meeting discussing what the costs will be to each woman and discussed which recipes they have an interest in). It is important for the women to take on some of this cost as I am learning more and more - if people invest in their learning or training - even a little bit - it will mean so much more to then than if they get it all for free. We only had 5 women show up out of the 15 who said yes - but this is pretty typical here - and 5 is better than nothing. We're hoping to make economical treats so that maybe the women can replicate it in their house and sell their goods for a little extra income. Tomorrow we are making pineapple cake - YUM!

The other huge deal that is going on at the end of the week is the big QUINCE of one of the daughters of one of the most important families here in the village. It is going to be the biggest party in the history of the community - over 500 people are invited - 300 lbs. of chicken have been bought - a marimba is coming in - and we start with the serenade at 3 a.m. (again - early mornings...sigh...) Anyway, I went dress shopping with the family last Friday and am pleased to say I have found my dress - an awesome black number with a little sparkle (I'll show you pics in December). Everyone is getting so excited - it is all anyone can talk about. I am in charge of the decorations with 2 other people from the community and we are starting in on Thursday - so with the decorations and two more days of the cake classes - my days are going to be jam packed. This is good though - time is flying!

Other than that - walked over to another finca yesterday for a soccer game - got to see some more terrain which is always nice and I walked over with my favorite family - so it is always nice to spend Sundays with them. Plus they invited me over for tamales de elote - which are sweet corn tamalitos - really good! They take such good care of me and tonight when I brought them over a papaya from one of the trees here at the hotel, when I entered - I always say "permiso" as it is the polite thing to do here when you enter another person's house but they told me tonight that I don't have to say that because it is my second house - so it is the small things like that that really mean a lot to me here.

Other than that - life as normal here - we're getting a lot more group business right now, there is not so much rain so my clothes dry, my skin has gotten used to the bug bites and now they don't even itch anymore, am psyched because Dona Pancha in the community bought a gas refrig and now I can buy a cold Pepsi every now and then and man is it good.

That's about it - counting down the days to my trip home! Can't wait to see you all and place for order for a Starbucks soy latte when I step off the plane in America.

Good thing I am Good at Public Speaking

Well, you just never know here when you will be faced with making a speech in front of a bunch of people you don't know without prior notice. This has happened countless times here and just happened again yesterday. Here I am trying to wake up, sitting in the hotel kitchen drinking some coffee - it's a Sunday after all - normally a day to relax. I knew a group was coming - suppossedly at 8 a.m. - but that normally means 10 .m. here - so I thought I had some time and anyway I wasn't worried since no one told me anything that I was suppossed to do...well, here they come at 8:15 a.m. - actually on time for Guatemala - very impressive - a group of university students. The thing I wasn't ready for was when my counterpart walks in and asks if I'm busy - I'm like - well, not really - so he is like - well come with me. I still have no idea what is going on - I am still in my glasses and haven't really "gotten ready" yet since no one told me anything...well, I go out and meet the professors - very nice people - and there are about 20 business administration students there. Then my counterpart is like - why don't you give them a presentation about your organization and the projects you are working on and tourism. Wow - okay then - luckily at this point I know the in's and out's pretty well and can speak intelligently about tourism so it turned out to be no problem and I really enjoyed hanging out with the students after. However, this is just an example of one of many times when stuff happens totally out of the blue here - complete randomness - nothing planned - or if it is planned - then lack of communication to the people who are involved in said plan....oh well. The good thing is that at this point of my life here - almost nothing surprises me and I can just roll with it. Here is an example of random things that don't even make me flinch anymore...

1. gun shots/firecrackers and being able to tell them apart
2. people walking around carrying an array of knives and machetes - whether they are working or not and feeling safer when police with guns board the bus
3. Impromtu speeches
4. Random shout outs - whistles, chancita (blonde), que guapa (how beautiful), I love you... - I probably get about 20 of these a day - and significantly more when I am in a city
5. Being on a bus that is passing 4 trucks on blind corners with a cliff on 1 or 2 slides - I don't even flinch anymore
6. Eating meat that has not been refrigerated for 48 hours
7. Spiders in the shower
8. People taking my picture while I am shopping at the grocery store
8. People rolling up to talk to me with a boa constrictor around their neck
9. Impromtu 10 km or more hikes through the jungle or on the side of the road when the bus breaks down unexpectantly
10. Warm weak beer
11. 12 year olds driving trucks
12. People lifting up the windows on the buses to sell you whatever you might need through the window (I actually really like this - you can just ask them (within reason) for about anything you want and they will get it for you before the bus takes off - need a newspaper, gum, water, lollipop - just ask these guys and they will find it for you. Talk about service - love it!

Other good news - there is a new store that opened above the soccer field and it has electricity and a fridge/freezer and sells......chocobananos!!!! Yeeeaaaahhhhh!!! And only .50 too! Plus they sell hot dogs, bread, fruit, veggies - this is a great store! And it just opened!

So - I have a lot to do before my trip home - there are decorations to plan for a quincinera (15th b'day party), our first group of bird watchers are coming, more planning for our tourism group, plus in service training - these days are going to fly.

Cheers,
Tara

November!

Well time is really starting to fly now! I can't believe it is November already - just 2 more months and it will already be a year in country. The days really do go by quickly here - it is already 8 p.m. and I am wondering where the day went!

I have been keeping very busy lately and that really helps. I am still working on my big tourism project - bringing a mix of hotels, plantations, communities, restaurants, and an archeological site together to promote as a group effort. We are working as a great team and it will be fun to watch this take off. I was just up in Coban last week for the Primer Encuentro de Turismo Comunitario here in Guatemala. That means it was the first meeting of community based tourism projects here in Guatemala. The meeting was organized by INGUAT, the national tourism organization here in Guatemala. It is pretty cool to be able to continue working in tourism at a high level even though my project is fairly small scale. I never thought all of my experience in tourism would be put to work down here - the great thing is that I can speak intelligently on the issues and even give them some ideas on how we have made things work in the US and how the US clientele think. I made some great contacts at the meeting and also it was a great opportunity to see my Peace Corps friends. It is soooo nice getting together with them and comparing stories and see how everyone is doing. I am so amazed at some of them - speaking almost fluent Queqchi! We had great weather - didn't get hit by the "chipi chipi" - meaning never ending mist/drizzle - we actually had great weather. Also, got to stay at a nice hotel - which was amazing - hot water, water pressure, and I got to eat meat everyday! And there were monkeys there too!

Coming back I spent a day in Antigua doing some Christmas shopping and just enjoying Antigua - doing laundry in a washing machine and there was a DRYER too - oh I pulled my nice warm clean clothes out of the dryer and just held them up against my face - what a wonderful feeling - warm dry clothes that smell soooo good - oh it truly is the little things. And I got to watch TV and they had cable too at the hotel in Antigua. I watched Jersey Shore for the first time ever - wow - I kind of wish they wouldn't show that here - I hope people don't get the impression that all Americans act like that - it is kind of embarassing and now I know where some of our stereotypes come from. It is really different watching these programs now with a very different point of view. Antigua was great - got to enjoy eating bagels in the morning, enjoyed some sorbet in the afternoons, and generally loved wandering around Antigua. Oh yeah - I got to find a new taco place where they make great tacos al pastor!

Got back to site on Sunday and it was a crazy travel day - the first camioneta (bus) was packed - tons of people traveling for Todos Santos - with flowers and adornments. Then got on another bus, a Pullman, like an old US Greyhound which usually are really nice and you get your own seat - but this time there were no seats and I stood for 3 hours - but a really nice guy offered to hold my backpack on his lap the WHOLE time. The kindness of strangers in this country is really amazing - people are soooo helpful! At first I was very wary of this kind of helpfulness - thinking it was a scam or they wanted something - but no - truly people are that nice here. Then we got to the bridge just outside of my stop and there was a HUGE line - like 5-6 lines wide and on both sides. They picked probably one of THE busiest travel days of the year to try to fix the bridge - What the....??? So - I got off the bus and decided to walk across the bridge and hike to my bus stop to get up to the community. It was hot and I had a heavy load - but I didn't mind too much - except for the constant whistles and horn honks the entire way! Now I know what it is like being a celebrity - must be the blonde hair - but it is crazy here - constant whistles, horn honks, chching, yells of "canchita" (little blonde), que linda (how pretty), que hermosa (how beautiful), I love you...., ohhhhhh that is background music of my life here - at least in cities of on the side of the road- but don't worry - they don't mean anything by it and I just ignore it or sometimes they do get really creative and they get a smile out of me. Wow - when I get back to the States and I don't get this kind of attention I am going to wonder what happened to me!

Then yesterday was Todos Santos and I walked up to the cemetary in the forest with Sara's family. We adorned the grave sites and lit candles and enjoyed walking around and visiting with everyone.

On another note I was asked to be the godmother for the child of Vitalino and Pasquala. She is due in December and I hope I am here for it. It is a big honor and I am happy that they asked me. So that is exciting news too.

Other random things that I am thinking about/miss from the US...

*Ice cubes (namely I'm thinking about iced coffee)
*US sense of humor (The Office) - and cable TV
*Traveling in cars (as oppossed to public transport)
*Getting my own seat in a car - put it this way - the seats in coach on the plane are going to feel spacious compared to what I am used to
*Lettuce - I haven't eaten a salad in 10 months
*Sandwiches - the book I am reading constantly refers to sandwiches and it is driving me nuts!
*Getting to eat exactly what you want when you want it
*Dancing - oh I am missing my time at the dance studio

Stuff I Love about Guate
*Not having to get up out of your seat (or half or quarter of a seat) to get anything - they bring the paper, snacks, bananas, cold soda - anything right to you - LOVE this!!
*People being so helpful and helping me travel with my heavy bags
*GREAT music in the camionetas
*The cleanliness at McDonalds - they keep it sooo clean and there are free newspapers to read and they carry your tray for you and open the door for you - what service!
*My Guatemalan family - The Recinos that have taken me in here in Guate - they are so kind and generous - this has really helped my integration here in the community.

So that is about it for now! We have some volunteers here and they brought The Office with them - oh one of my favorite shows from the US - yes!!

Cheers!
Tara

The Countdown is On!

Yeah!!!! I am so excited - my ticket for a trip home has officially been bought and I get to go home for a little over 2 weeks in December. I literally am counting down the days. I even made one of the paper chains like you make in elementary school to count down the days til Santa Claus comes. Somehow just ripping off one of those paper loops every days helps. I am soooo excited to go home for a visit. In December it will be almost 1 full year since I have seen my family. It has been waaaaayyyy too long!

In the meantime, luckily time has been flying here. I am really busy with this big tourism project, lots of meetings and since travel time takes so long here - one meeting a day basically means my whole day is used up what with all the travel time necessary to get there and back to site. I am not kidding, if I have a meeting out of site, it is at least a 6 hour ordeal and sometimes it involves spending a night out of site as the last car goes up at about 1:00 p.m. so if the meeting is after that, I would need to plan to spend the night somewhere.

Other than the big tourism project, the school term is finishing up tomorrow. I give my final English exam to my primario students tomorrow and then that is it until January when we start in with a new plan for the year, including workshops on environmental education.

Since everything is pretty random, I will write some random notes below of some cool things that have happened since the last blog post...

1. Got to meet a really fascinating archeologist at Takalik Abaj, this amazing pre-classic site near where I am living. The pre-classic period involves the time when the Olmec and the Maya were in this area. He has invited me back to spend more time at the site and I can't wait to go back and learn more from him. It is fascinating and pretty surreal to be able to call this part of my work.

2. The other cool thing - in my tourism project we are putting together so many cool places and activities - things that we have all around us here on the Pacific Slope of Guatemala include:
*Preclassic ruins
*Active volcano (one of the 10 most dangerous in the world)
*Canopy tours
*Beaches and surfing
*Productive coffee, macadamia, banana, and rubber plantations
*Bird watching (parrots, quetzal, painted bunting)
*Waterfalls and pristine subtropical jungle
*Tropical vibe
This place is cool and I can't believe that my job right now is putting all of this cool stuff together and promoting it to tour ops. I can't believe no one else has not done this before me.

3. Tomorrow I am making tamales and ponche.
4. I was recently buzzed by 2 bats - you open the door here and you never know what you will find - bats, tarantulas, beetles, cats...
5. It hasn't rained in 2 whole days - SUN and STARS! I forgot what the moon looked like! My clothes dried on the line in only 1 day - a record! Tomorrow we are heading up to play some soccer for the first time in a loooooonnnnnggg time.
6. Just finished reading the book The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - loved it! What a great series! I finally am getting some good reading time in down here - makes me so happy!

Well, that is about it for now! Counting down the days til my visit to the States - can't wait!

Love you!
Tara

Keepin Busy

Things have turned around lately for this Peace Corps volunteer. I really think months 3-6 are some of the hardest. The initial novelty wears off, you're not quite sure what projects are going to take off and where your role really lies in the communty. However, as of now I can happily say that I have turned the corner and things are really starting to come together. I am working on this big tourism project to try to pull all of the eco and agro tourism sites together here on the Pacific Slope, mixing in a few hotels as well. We are going to promote the region as a whole - something that really hasn't been done in this region and I think it is going to take off. A lot of hard work is involved but it is looking like this is going to be my big project down here - forming something like a Chamber of Commerce or Regional Tourism Committee for this part of Guatemala.

Other than the work part of my life down here - my social life has ramped up as well. I was recently invited to a wedding here on the 30th and it was so fun to be involved and feel accepted by one of the local families. I went over early to help with decorations - we made a balloon arch out of saplings that we chopped down with a machete and hung balloons all over the inside of the house and outside under the lamina shelter. We found palm branches and another pretty fern type plant called Cola de Quetzal - meaning Quetzal (the national bird) tail. The wedding was a huge success - we spent the day dancing to some great music and eating lots of fried chicken. I think I had like 4 chicken legs - this is the most meat I've had in 1 day in months! What a feast!

I feel so happy to now have my Guatemalan family here in the community. I go with them to cheer on the soccer team - which consists of all of their boys playing on one team. They are a family of 14 children and their boys are all fantastic soccer players - so the team is mostly "puro" Recinos. They recently won the championship and we celebrated with firecrackers, tons of noisemakers, and a huge lunch and party after the game.

Other than the festivities of late - today was a day of absolute luxury for me. No one is here in the hotel and I got up, made some breakfast (eggs and tortillas...), washed clothes, and got to talk to my sister on Skype. Then after running outside to collect my clothes off the line as it started to rain (again) I called my mom and got to Skype with her too. It was such a great day! I tell ya, Skype and my computer makes all the difference to my happiness. Just being able to feel like you are in the same room talking to someone and actually see them makes me soooo happy. Then, I made some dinner - trying out an experiment. There is this stuff called Protemas here and it is dehyrated soy flakes. If you rehydrate it and blend it up and put it in tomato sauce it is suppossed to give it the texture of meat. So, I finally had the time and decided to try it. The stuff is kind of gnarly when it is rehydrated - brown and kind of smells weird and has a funky texture, so it wasn't super appetizing making this dish, but what the heck...blended it up and combined it with some fresh tomatoes and garlic and made the sauce. It wasn't too bad but it was definitely missing that rich meat taste. Oh well, I guess I can pretend to eat meat. That is the one thing I really miss - access to a wide variety of food. For those of you that go camping, you know the feeling, after a few days you really start to crave a certain food and that is the first thing you eat when you get back to town. Now imagine months without those cravings fulfilled - just reading magazines with pictures of food makes me go crazy. I find myself dreaming about food. Don't get me wrong - I'm not starving or anything - there is plenty to eat - but it just isn't really satisfying. The countdown is on for my return home before Christmas. I cannot wait to eat bread, real bread, sandwiches, fish, salads, a big steak, BACON, mashed potatoes, gravy, roast beef, bagels, turkey sandwiches...sandwiches - I really miss those the most.

That is about it - my day of luxury continues - I might watch a movie or curl up and read my book for the next few hours, without interuption - ohhh the bliss - nothing but the sound of the rain. And tomorrow I get to sleep in! SLEEP - something that I never seem to be able to get enough of here.

Good night and thanks for reading!
Saludos,
Tara

Standfast Take III

Geez, the weather here just doesn't let up. Just when the terrain here is saturated enough and the river levels are up to the level of the bridge decks, another big storm system comes in...and in comes the text message from headquarters with another Standfast. This means that we need to stay wherever it is we are, call in, and wait out the storm. Luckily I am here in site and we are surrounded by thick jungle with good root systems so I am not in too much danger here. However, the road systems are another story. Most of the roads have been cut out of steep mountains, however, when the roads were cut, not much in the way of reinforcement was put in and with soils saturated the mountains literally start coming down. This is getting especially bad since the country hadn't yet recovered from Agatha and the last big storm system and in comes the next.

So, in regards to what is going on here, my mood has definitely improved and I am feeling good again. Here is the latest and greatest on what has been going on here and some other notes...

1. My friend Steph came in to help me give an environmental education workshop to the teachers here. It was so great to see her and compare notes and just talk. She was impressed with my adaption here and it was nice to hear that. When you're new to a community and constantly trying to figure it out, sometimes you feel like you're always a step behind, however, it was nice to have a friend point out some successes. Thanks Steph - it was great having you here.

2. When a giant tarantula crawls out from the cupboard when I am eating dinner, I don't even flinch, I just keep eating and watch it go. The one thing I still run from though are bats. At least tarantulas don't carry rabies.

3. I am working on a huge tourism project here - helping to organize all of the rural and agro-turismo spots here on the Pacific Coast. It is a huge project - but I think it will take off. It is looking like this might be my primary project for the remainder of my time here -1.5 yrs - no longer 2 - yeah!!!!

4. I can make just about anything out of the following ingredients...Maseca (used to make tortillas), eggs, beans, pasta, pancake mix, tomato, onion, potatoes, camote (sweet potato), carrots, garlic, Natura's tomato sauce, and oatmeal, and bananas. That is my diet here...and these are my meals...pancakes, pancakes with bananas, pancakes with coffee grounds (actually really good), omelettes, scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, chirmol (salsa), egg and potato/camote hash, oatmeal, oatmeal with bananas and honey, empanandas, enchiladas (completely different here - not like back home), eggs and beans, tortillas with honey and salt, pasta, Cup O Noodle, and that's about it. Oh yeah and rice... I can make a pretty good veggie curry. Really, seriuosly, that is all I eat. Thank God for multi-vitamins and my occassional trips to Reu for McDonalds. Living the forced vegetarian dream...oh meat products how I miss them! I remember asking my class of english students what their favorite food was and they all said meat - not any favorite dish or type of meat - just meat. I thought that was strange -not anymore. Ask me my favorite food right now - I'll give you the same answer - meat!

5. Skype - got to talk to my sister this week and I tell ya - this makes all the difference to me. I have the best sister in the world and chatting with her on Skype reminds me of all of good times we had, chatting it up and drinking wine on the blue couch. Oh those were the days!

6. Coffee season is on - the harvest has started. I tell ya, after living on a finca, I will never look at a cup of coffee the same. It is incredible the work that goes in getting the coffee fruit from the tree to the beneficio to the roaster to the cup. The coffee plants all have bright red coffee fruit right now and they are beautiful to look at.

7. Just watched Sex and the City 2! It is crazy how movies can bring you back. Oh it was so fun to watch and dream about America again. Movies can really take you away and for a couple of hours there I forgot I was in the jungle. However, it really makes me miss the U.S. But the good thing is it reminds me that it all is still there and waiting for me to come back!

8. 2 months to go - then Thanksgiving, In Service Training, and then HOME for Christmas. I can't wait - it finally feels in my grasp!

That is about all I can think of for now. Things have really kicked into gear here and I finally feel like I am working on some worthwhile stuff and have December to look forward to. Thanks for reading and for all of your support.

Saludos,
Tara

Some Conclusions

Life is definitely not easy here and finally it was time to put up some boundries. I recently read another person's blog post of how they have finally decided to dedicate their service to their work in development and are going to quit bending and taking the emotional hit trying to not offend anyone. I think I am in a similar place. In trying not to offend anyone and fit in to the Guatemalan mold, I have ended up exhausting myself. It can be done, but one can not do this for 2 years, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is a limit and I have reached it. I was keeping up a frantic pace working at the hotel and trying to start many different projects. Finally, I realized that I really wasn't able to help anyone or myself in this fashion and I needed to get organized and nail down some priorities and also put my own sanity at the top of the list. Living in an agricultural community, I have learned that they have no schedule and really no built in breaks or times to relax. I have a ton of respect for this kind of work, however, it just wasn't working for me. After my entire life in America built around weekends and working hard, while looking forward to a break, I realized I need to create this structure again here. However, I think my community is having a hard time accepting it. I have shared my new schedule and working hours with everyone, however, I don't think they quite get it. For example, today is Saturday, they did not ask me to help with a group, so I decided to not set my alarm and see what happens - well, I was so exhausted I ended up sleeping til noon, awoken by a knock on my door by someone worried that I was sick. I live in a very public place (the community hotel) and this little experiment of mine proved that sleeping in til 12 p.m. on a Saturday is unheard of here and cause for alarm. I remember the good ol days in the US when I could sleep in til 9 or 10, lounge in bed, read my book, make some coffee, keep reading and relaxing all day if I want. Here, if someone does that, it means they are sick or something is definitely wrong with them. I really used to be worried what people would think of me, however, these types of days are key to my mental health and they will have to learn that this volunteer needs some time to recharge. I can work really hard but I have learned that I need my weekends and I need my space to be by myself with my books and my music to recharge. The work here is mentally exhausting and if I am going to survive these two years, I need to build in this time for a mental recharge. Now on to my random notes section...

1. We just were taken off Standfast, which basically means no movement - I was stuck in Xela for a week - but that was actually really fun - LOVED being in a city for a week! Oh I love cities! I will never not live in a city again - I love them - the hussle and bussle - the choices, the food, the shopping, the convenience. The weather here is something else - TONS of rain and storms - lots of mudslides and destruction. Luckily my community is safe - however - my heart goes out to those who have lost their homes and loved ones. It really is quite the deal down here now and the roads are def. not very safe.

2. Thank you for the care package Mom and Dad! Oh to eat some salt and vinegar chips, get some Clinique makeup, magazines, a FAN, Bath and Body Works lotion, and so many more goodies. It is like my old life packed in a box and some days I really miss my old life.

3.My friend Steph is coming next week to help me put on an environmental education training for the teachers here - can't wait for that.

4. Can't wait to go home for Christmas - having something good to look forward to every couple of months really helps.

5. I am so thankful for my computer and Skype! I love being able to connect with family and friends! I don't think I will ever live this far away for this long ever again. This experience is really helping me learn about me - my own personal likes and dislikes - and what I need to be happy. It is really tough being so far away from family. I miss them alot.

6. Music - music is one of those things that really helps me through the tough days - luckily there is tons of good music here that I love - rap, reggaeton, bachata, salsa. Can't wait to get home and get on a dance team again - really miss that part of my life.

7. Likes: Mexican tortas, cheap hot dogs, cheap music, sculpted hair on guys, strong coffee, big thunderstorms, the view of the volcano, parrots, the french fry stand, soccer games, speaking Spanish...

So, that is what has been going on lately here. I am finding my voice again, putting down some rules, and have learned that if I am going to be effective I have got to be myself or I won't be able to make anyone happy. Thanks for reading and can't wait to see many of you when I come home in December! I am counting down the days!

Some Photos Finally!

Thanks for your patience everyone! Finally some pics! These took like :30 min. to upload so I am not going to add more tonight - but this is an idea of what we have here. The first pic is of the kids - this is the day the first ground was dug for the new school we are getting. The last 3 pics are of the hotel we have here adn this is where I live. I have 1 room in the hotel and the pics are of the common areas. I will try to get some volcano and sunset pics up here and also some tarantula pics.

Tarantulas, reggaeton, mud, coffee, and soccer

These 5 words sum up a lot of what has been going on in my life lately. I am happy to say that my outlook on life has been looking up lately and I have had a good couple of days. Firstly, I have to give a big shout out to Sara's family here in the community. Sara is our cook and basically unofficially in charge in teh eco tourism hotel. Slowly but surely I have become good friends with her. We eat breakfast together in the mornings and enjoy some coffee before starting the day. She is my first good friend here in the community and things really start getting better once you have some real friends, not just acquaintances. Her nieces come over at night and I bring up my radio and we rock out to reggaeton while Sara cooks for the guests. It is such a fun atmosphere! I found out that the town calls this family the "parranderos" - meaning 'party animals' because everyone in this family loves music, loves to dance, play futbol and have a good time. They have been so welcoming to me and I thank them so much for this.

Today I went down to Reu and did some shopping for food in the afternoon. In the morning, I was invited to go watch my students play a futbol championship. I am happy to say that they won the entire thing. We have the best futbol teams in this whole region - the little kids, youth, and adults! They all are increible players! The football game was held in another community and we walked over, carrying tubs of plastic bags filled with fresco for the other players. The field was pretty muddy and the players were slipping and sliding all over and I got pretty dirty as well trying to walk around and find a place to sit but it was all worth it. I hung out with Sara's nieces and had fun watching the game. The hottest fashion trend here are these clips of bright pink, blue, and purple fake hair pieces and I was given one by one of the girls, so of course I sported my new look at the game...and yes, I have regressed to basically a teenager here since everyone my age is married and really doesn't leave the house, so I hang out with the youth - it keeps me young :) I still can't believe how dressed up everyone gets for these games. I met all the kids in the school at 8 a.m. to find them all dressed to the nines with heels, ready to walk a mile on cobblestones to the other community. They are all putting on heavy makeup, lipstick, and doing their hair. I have my big black sunglasses with and immediately those are borrowed by the girls. They are all obsessed with the latest fashions.

After the game, I head down to catch the midday bus (Fridays there are 2 buses a day - YEAH) and head down to Reu to do some shopping. I get down at 2:30 p.m. and still haven't had lunch so I make a beeline for McDonald's (LOVE this here) and then head over to the supermarket. Then I make it back to the terminal and find our bus and ask the driver what time he is going to leave today (yes - no schedule - you have to ask) and realize I still have plenty of time to hit up the fresh produce section in the mercado. I buy my customary tomatoes, onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, and bananas and head back. I have the luck to sit next to one of Sara's brothers for the ride home and enjoy talking with him on the ride back to the community. I bought some ham and cheese and bread and plan on sharing this luxury with Sara and her nieces for dinner. We don't have refrigeration here, so ham and cheese is one of those maybe once a week treats. I get back and bring up some eggs, ham, cheese, avocados, and tostadas to the kitchen and Sara whips up some amazing omelettes for us and we all enjoy these followed by some chocolates from the US. It is these evenings that I really enjoy here in the community. It is amazing how food and music can quickly form friendships. I think this will have to become a tradition.

Other notes:

1. Tarantulas - at this point I have found 3 in my new room and luckily every one of them have been killed. Oh I hope there aren't any more. They are big and hairy and give me nightmares. Thank God for mosquito nets.

2. Coffee - I recently got an in depth tour of the coffee beneficiary and it is so interesting. I LOVE coffee so much and Don Oswaldo, Elfido's dad, who is in charge of the entire deal here showed me around. He is so passionate about coffee and knows so much - it is great working with him. What a breath of fresh air after dealing with Javier. It is such an interesting and exhaustive process getting coffee from plant to cup - and I love it. I see a possible future in coffee :)

That's about it for now. It was a good day and little by little I feel like I am making some headway in this community and gaining the oh so elusive confianza - the real stuff - no just the common courtesies.

Rollercoaster

So not every day is roses and butterflies here. I knew that going in. You often hear volunteers comparing this experience to that of a rollercoaster. Some days are amazing and other days you feel like you just got run over by a camioneta...what they call a bus here. Well, that was my Saturday. My counterpart is not the most upstanding citizen here in Guate. He is rather corrupt, irresponsable, machista, and a whole other list of words that I won't use here. Anyway, was had a tourism fair in Xela this weekend and he left me to plan the whole thing and every time I tried to talk to him about it, he would walk out of the room while I was in mid sentence. So, I show up at the fair on time and call him to ask where he is. Oh, he hasn't left the community yet with all of our display stuff...great! It takes about 2 hours to get there and finally he shows up 3 hours late after everything is under way with the organizers asking me where he is and where our stuff is...how embarassing. Finally he calls me, tells me he is at some intersection and I go over and he just hands me the stuff and drives off...no help at all. So, I proceed to work the whole day alone. Everyone else has tons of people from their community at their booth, me, no one, the lone gringa. Luckily my friends Amber and Steph were there and they hung out with me and were there to offer emotional support. Surprisingly my counterpart shows up at 5, right at the end, drops his 3 kids off in the booth for me to watch, don't worry about it, he didn't even ask, just drops his kids and leaves. So, I am about to freak out, but luckily my friend Amber sees this and we go for a little walk for me to calm down a bit. I am eternally grateful for my friends here in Guate. They are the key to my sanity. So, Sunday passes much the same way. My counterpart comes to "help" for a few hours, shows up at midday, orders me around a bit and rolls his eyes at me and then leaves, leaving me with his child again. Oh it is sooooo hard to work with someone that you have absolutely no respect for whatsoever. However, the good thing is it is teaching me to stand up for what I believe it and I am not letting him boss me around. I have forced myself to gather my strength and speak for what I believe in and not back down. I used to be afraid to do this but I am learning how to hold my ground in difficult situations and this is a skill that will be good to have. I am never one for conflict but at least this is teaching me the skills to stand firm and get better at dealing with this stuff everyday, but man is it exhausting.

So, after this bit of a downer blog, I try to think of at least 3 good things that happened to me each day to remind myself that life really isn't so bad...so here are my 3 things....

1. The ride in the back of the pick up back to the community. I really love riding in the fresh air and not being enclosed in a car.

2. Got to sleep in today until 7:45 a.m. which is a big deal in my world!

3. I have a computer now here at site and love being connected to the world again.

Thanks for reading and thanks for your support!

A big long update!

Ok, it has been awhile since I have written. The time has completely gotten away from me. I was in Antigua for almost 2 weeks with 3 days of training with one of my colleagues and then I spent the weekend there since it was too far to go back to site and turn around and come right back for Reconnect. Reconnect was a great time to get together with everyone from my training group and learn what everyone was up to after 4 months or so in site. It was nice to be able to get back and share frusterations and some success stories as well. The best thing about all of this is realizing that you aren’t alone in most situations. One of the most frusterating situations for me right now is the feeling that I can never be alone. I am a person that really values my alone time. It gives me time to recharge and step back out into the world and work again. Even right now as I type this one of the people from my community is sitting here staring at me wondering when I am going to be done, not talking, just sitting here. I told him that I had some work to do and that I should be done in a half an hour or so, hoping that he would take the hint and leave, but to no avail. This is typical. I could be happily in my bed, peacefully enjoying a Sunday morning, my ONLY day to sleep in past 6 a.m. and my counterpart will be yelling for me below my window at 7 a.m. Geez!! I mean, if my door is closed, that means I am not available. One of the issues is that I live in the hotel in the community since there is no other housing option available that meets PC guidelines. Hence, I feel like I am on duty 24.7. There is absolutely NO separation between work and my private life. It is like every time I do something, there is an interruption. I just pick up the phone to make a call and someone is yelling at me outside my window or knocking on my door. I decide to go use the restroom and someone comes looking for me wanting to have a conservation with me while I use the restroom. I have had full conservations with people while I am showering. They aren’t in the shower, haha, but yelling at me over the shower stall. I mean I have gone from privacy in the US to absolutely NONE here. I might as well be living in a glass box on display for all to see. So, that is my little vent session….
On a brighter note…here are some of the other things that have been happening in my life…
I am now teaching 2 English classes, one in basico and one with the 12 to 15 year olds. If some of my other work is frusteratingly slow, I do enjoy teaching because I can actually see some quicker results as the kids learn.
I will be getting a computer in about a week! I cant wait to be able to use Skype to communicate with everyone. One of the biggest regrets I had was not bringing my computer. It is going to change my life here. If there are any of you PC invitees reading this…bring your computer!!!!
I have the BEST family ever! I recently received the best box of goodies a girl could ever ask for…loads of high quality chocolate, the next vampire book Eclipse, magazines, MAKE UP, snacks, great smelling lotion, ohhh I was so excited to open up this package of goodies! Thank you to everyone. It truly makes a difference reading all of your notes and realizing that everyone is still thinking of me back home. Also, the beef jerky was a great addition! Not having refrigeration really makes one appreciate jerky. The lack of refrigeration has made me a 6 day a week vegetarian, but not by choice! I get one precious day a week with meat.

Random note, so I was shutting off all the lights in the hotel one night, taking advantage of the rare night when no one was here and walking up the steps come 2 guys in black, carrying rifles. Geez, it scared me! I was like, well, this is it! Then, I realized they were my 2 friends from the community and they were on nightly patrol. Turns out 2 guys from the community take turns and stay up all night guarding the community with rifles. Luckily these guys are my friends so I sat and chatted with them about arts and crafts for awhile, making earrings out of seeds and we hunted giant frogs for awhile around the hotel, but geez, I mean that is the kind of weird stuff that goes on in my life just about daily.
Another earthquake struck last Sunday. Again, lying in bed trying to sleep in, the ground starts shaking and I am like, ok, do I get up and run out of the hotel or wait it out and see if it gets worse. I made the call to stay in bed and luckily it quickly subsided. I am learning to hate these earthquakes though, you just never know and they really get the heart pounding and adrenaline going. There is no way to avoid it. It is like your body knows that it is fight or flight time and it is ready to move if necessary and fast.
People ask me what I miss the most and that answer is salad. I know this is weird coming from a forced vegetarian in the middle of a tropical jungle, but the weird thing about Guatemalan diet is that it doesn’t really include fresh fruits and vegetables. Sure, I can buy them in town and bring them up the 45 min trek to the community but in the heat, I have to eat them fast or they go bad, but there is NO PLACE in the community to buy or collect fresh fruit or vegetables. I have started a garden, but geez it is so weird that in the middle of this jungle while anything grows, they don’t grow fruit trees. I mean we have some fruit every now and then but I was expecting loads and there really isn’t any quantity. My diet, for those that want to know consists of eggs, potatoes, tortillas (that I make myself, by hand), pasta, oatmeal, and anything that can be mixed with tomatoes, onion, and garlic…oh yeah and pancakes. That is pretty much what I live on…and beans.
So that is my life in short lately. I must admit it was kind of rough getting back from Reconnect, living in a hotel for a week in Antigua with hot water, a washing machine, a television with CABLE, restaurants, and tons of friends to speak in English. The first few days back it was tough to get out of bed, but now it has been 2 weeks and I am settled in again. But oh some days I wish for the Easy Button. There is no Easy Button here, ever. But every day I get up, try to get at least 1 thing accomplished and if I can do that, I consider it a pretty good day.

Rainy Season

Wow, they are not kidding when they say Guatemala has a rainy season. We have been receiving a TON! I think a lot of it has to do with the storms out in the Pacific but still, the rain is pretty incredible. It has been raining almost nonstop in my site for like 4 days, but I think it should return back to normal soon, with normal being rain only in the afternoons and nights.

I have been managing to keep myself fairly busy. We have another group in house right now but they are so well organized I feel like I haven´t had to work nearly as hard as before. I am trying to get a marketing plan together for the hotel and market it to other universities and Spanish schools in Xela and Antigua. Also, I found a great recycling place in Xela that buys plastic bottles and paper. If we get enough of it, they will even come down close to where I am and pick it up. So...that is in the works. Other than that, I have a lot of ideas. I am just trying to get the idea across to them that I am not there to DO everything and be responsible for everything. I am there to offer suggestions and give trainings and support them in their operation, but not DO the work and be in charge of everything. This is a frusterating situation that leaves me very busy and in the end it won´t really help anyone because they aren´t learning how to do these things. So, little by little I am trying to change this, but it is a slow process. Peace Corps is right in that it is the toughest job you´ll ever love. I would never classify a day as easy, but I still really enjoy the work and am happy to be here.

But in between all of this work and planning, I definitely have some down time and these are some of the things I enjoy doing:

1. Knocking avocados off the tree and trying to find them in the weeds.
2. Knocking limes down too
3. Making a tea of lime and honey
4. Paseando, which means walking around with no agenda, haha! I love to walk around and just talk to people, go over to Sara´s store to buy pan (bread), talk to the kids about the latest music, the rain, etc.
5. Going to the campo to play futbol or run laps. I still am not very good at futbol, but I LOVE to kick the ball as hard as I can. It is sooo fun and a good way to release some stress!
6. Going to Reu and ordering pineapple liquados
7. Watching the World Cup right now! Go Argentina!
8. Hanging out with Sara in the kitchen and helping teach her baby, Sarita how to walk with all of her nieces.
9. Cooking breakfast to my favorite radio station, radio PUM PUM! haha! That is the name of the channel!
10. Reading the Prensa Libre - the paper is such a luxury! I get one a week!
11. Trying to figure out new combinations of food to make with the ingredients of eggs, potatos, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and beans. Yes, that is my diet, pretty much in full, with the alternation of pancakes and oatmeal for breakfast. Oh yeah, some avocado thrown in now too.

Ok, that is basically my life now. Come on down and visit!

Bachata in the Internet Cafe

Oh what wonders a weekend away can do. I was able to get away to the city for a weekend and am relaxing in the internet cafe, listening to one of my favorite types of Latin music, bachata, and am feeling pretty good. If you want to hear from bachata, check out the group Aventura on Itunes. Last night a bunch of us went out dancing and it is so nice to be able to get out and do that and see some other volunteers and see how everyone is doing.

I have been VERY busy for the past 5 weeks. We had a great group of university students studying at my site and taking classes in the afternoon. I coordinated all of their volunteer activities and basically served as their point person with the community for the past 5 weeks, so I have really had no down time since I live at the hotel on site. It has been crazy, but this weekend I had a chance to catch up on some sleep and haven´t had to answer any questions in like 72 hours, so that is great. (Side note on just how great the music is right now, loving it!!)

So, doing lots of projects at site. I am starting an alliance with other rural tourism sites close by and promoting them. Plus, this univesity group worked really well, so am trying to get a new part to the website up advertising this opportunity and going to get in touch with universities and faculty. Plus, we got t shirts made, have been working on bird watching, trail sign building, making contracts, a reservation book, and a whole number of other things. My life is crazy busy and I feel like I hardly have down time.

But when I do have down time, I love watching the World Cup soccer right now, eating these things called Best Bars, which are actually really crappy Guate chocolate bars that take on a whole new wonderful flavor when you dip them in coffee, a la, Tim Tam slam style. Other random notes:

1. I am constantly amazed that there aren´t more bus accidents here. Normal bus time to Xela is like 2 hours from where I am. The bus driver on Friday cut that by an hour, passing like 4 trucks around every blind curve going like 50 mph, yeah, was convinced I might not survive that ride.

2. Ate this fruit called nanci, I think it is spelled this way. Super good til I was told they are known for carrying amoebas. Great, t minus 2 days til the week incubation time is up. Knock on wood this particular batch didn´t have any or I have a nice trip to the Dr. coming up.

3. Experienced a Guate national hospital, don´t worry though, I wasn´t there because of me. I was translating for someone. But you know you aren´t in the US when there are dogs running around the hospital and you have to go to the tienda across the street to buy soap and toilet paper, these things are not supplied at the hospital. That is right, hospital, germs, no soap, saber...

4. New top favorite food, frozen pineapple liquados, soooooo good!

5. Annoying fact - almost every guy that I interact with, even in business situations thinks he has a chance to date me and references that fact about every other sentence. It can be very frusterating to work with some of these people when every other sentence they are asking you to be their wife, saying how beautiful you are, asking you out, asking if you have a boyfriend, etc. etc. etc. Ahhhh, even when I tell them to stop, then I am enojada, which means a lady who is mad, but that doesn´t stop em either. AHHHH, sometimes it can be a little rough.

But for the most part things are going well, it is just that there are things down there that I deal with on a daily basis that definitely are not ok things to say or do in the US and it is a constant battle to keep these things at bay.

I have a 4th of July party coming up so I am excited for that. Only a couple of weeks now and my birthday is coming up too. I think I am going to buy myself a cake. It is really good down here!

Thanks for all of the notes from everyone! I appreciate all of your support!
Cheers!
Tara

Project Time

Ok, so I am fully recovered from illness, knock on wood, and feeling more positive about things. Alot has happened in just a small week. We are getting started on some projects here, namely bird cataloging and sign making for the trail. We are going out into the jungle once or twice a week and observing birds and cataloging what species we have here, what time we saw them, where, and how many. The worst part is getting up at 4:45 a.m. to get out in the woods in time for them to wake up and start singing and flying around. Once I am out there it is nice and I really enjoy it but waking up early is one thing I definitely am taking awhile to get used to in this country. I now consider waking up at 7 a.m. sleeping in. For those who know me, this is VERY un Tara like behavior. I enjoy my sleep. But, back to bird watching some of the birds in this place are just so beautiful. We have a huge variety here and they are all so colorful. The hard part is identifying them since I am unfamiliar with most of the species and all of the migratory ones that I know are now back up North since it is warmer.

Other fun stuff.... we are making signs out of wood and then using a router to carve out the letters to put out on the trail. There are hundreds of miles of trails around here and nothing is marked, so you can imagine how easy it is to get lost especially since you can´t see above the canopy. So, hopefully this will help the tourists that come to visit.

The rainy season has fully begun here, and the waterfall is cranking. But, you also have to be careful as I saw a whole tree go over the falls yesterday and alot of earth is moving with it too. It has been raining here practically day and night, but I actually kind of like it. It is peaceful and pretty relaxing but I miss going up to the soccer field to play in the afternoons.

I think tomorrow I am going over to another finca with our group to do a canopy tour and can´t wait to check that out. We have a group of University students staying with us for a month and I was asked to talk to their philosophy class on Monday so I am excited to do that. I really enjoy that kind of thing.

Other random notes from the field,

1. Last Sunday our bus got stuck in the mud on the way down and buried itself up to it´s hubs in mud. I got out and walked back, who knows how long it took to get it unstuck.

2. You can buy fresh roasted peanuts in the market here for only Q6, so good!

3. A cold shower at 6 a.m. is still something that I am not used to

That is about it! Thanks for all of the notes and well wishes!

Cheers!
Tara

Rough Week

So, I knew I would be having some ups and downs while I was down here and I must admit this has been a rough week. I find if I think in the long term, two years is a really long time and it really isnt healthy to think too far in the future. i need to just take one day at a time. i am in town today and it is nice to get out of the community every now and then. we have a big group in town and i think my problems started when they brought in a virus and i came down with the stomach flu on friday. i thought it was from the street tacos i ate the night before but when 12 of the 20 students including me all starting puking and having to use 1 bathroom, that is when the horror really started to set in. So, let me tell ya it was a rough and rather disgusting 24 hours. i am happy to say that after that everyone is now better but wow, what a deal. Esp. when you are sick all you want are a few modern comforts and when those arent available, like cold water or a cold 7 up things can really seem bleak. i really just wanted my Mom to be there to crush up some ice cubes and tell me that I would be better and a nice private bathroom on which to curl up on a clean cold tile floor. but, when you are working with a fairly nasty bathroom, luke warm water and high temps and humidity and sickness, well, let me tell ya things can get depressing fast. then you think of all the laundry you are doing to have to do by hand and where the water is going to come from to do the laundry and who is going to put on the water (it is usually me) and it involves a bit of a hike, and i wonder what i got myself into. well, that was a few days ago and after a few days of feeling sorry for myself, i am feeling almost back to normal, a few pounds lighter and a little weaker, but im coming back around.

sometimes things are just tough here. there are some days my brain is working really well and other days it is like my brain has had way too much and it just shuts down and even processing simple transactions can be difficult. i am constantly trying to guess what my co workers are thinking and how they are reacting to what i say and do and it is still hard to get in the groove of things because they are basing every action on a cultural perspective about exactly the opposite of what we have in the states. So everything can be complicated as i am trying to take care of my own needs and trying to anticipate what those i am working with are going to do esp. when communication is indirect and i basically have to read minds to get the answer. i can ask a very direct question and not really get a response adn then i ask again and get a different response less than 30 sec. later so then i go into the well, lets see what happens mode. for instance, i am was sitting with my counterpart in his truck in town, he points to an ice cream shop and asks if i want to use internet, tehre is no sign for internet, only an ice cream shop. well, ok, so i think maybe we are getting ice cream first, so i go in and suddenly 2 brand new notebook computers and wireless internet it produced from behind the counter out of no where. then my counterpart is like, what ice cream are you going to buy me? okay, so i guess i am buying ice cream....ok and here some two more people, guess i am buying their ice cream too. and now we are having ice cream and i am trying to do internet and help him with his internet too and he is telling me to watch his truck which he left running across the road, for like half an hour at this point, and now he just left in his truck and i dont know where he went or when he is coming back or where we are going to meet him. luckily my friend kevin is here and i have him to hang out with and to try to figure out what the plan is later, but it is stuff like this, where it is constant not knowing what is going on, not getting clear answers, that can be a little difficult at times. in this job, you have to be very ok with ambiguity and not knowing what the hell is going on about 50% of the time if you are lucky.

so dont worry i am still surviving here and i am feeling better and just thankful for my health which hangs in a precarious balance down here, something ready to bring you down the moment you let your guard down.

that is all for now...miss everyone like crazy and cant wait til you all come down to visit.

love you tons!
Tara

Whats New

First off, sorry for the intermitant blog posts. It is hard to find time here to post with the sketchy electricty, internet that takes 1 hour to open 4 emails, and all the work and everything in between. But, for the most part life is good here and I am feeling more and more comfortable every day here. They weren´t kidding when they said work is slow going here. I have a list of things to get done and if I get one thing accomplished per day, I am feeling pretty good. Nothing here is in a central location or already organized. If you want to do something, you really have to want to do it and spend a lot of energy and time to get it done.

My bosses from the Peace Corps came out for a site visit yesterday and it was great to talk to them. They gave me some good ideas and helped give me direction on a few projects with some ideas on how to start. Some ideas we currently have here are starting a bird watching program here, collecting bottles to make into eco bricks to build something here, starting an environmental education project with the teachers here, and working with the tourism committee that just was reestablished with our first meeting yesterday to work on quality service and continuous improvement in the hotel. So things are rolling and I am still teaching English as well which is actually very fun.

Here are some interesting random thoughts and experiences since the last post,

1. Went to Xocomil this awesome water park here in Guatemala. It was so fun and for a day I felt I was back to my normal life.

2. Went dancing in Xela and got to meet some of the other PC volunteers here. I realize that every now and then I need a break and it is good to get into the city and eat a good meal and get out for some fun.

3. I love the camionetas, as long as they aren´t too packed. I have been having good luck with the music on them too. Recently they have been playing some great tunes. I have also purchased the PC CD entitled, Now, That´s What I Call Camioneta, Volume 1. I will be happy to burn a copy for anyone´s listening pleasure.

4. The volcano went off again this morning. It is pretty cool to have a live volcano just minutes

OK, electircty is off! Have to publish now!

Life is looking up

Ok, so I have gotten over my bit of site envy. I had a great meeting with the Peace Corps crew a few days ago and meeting with these great people always affirms why I am here. We have such a great set of supportive volunteers and staff, I feel very lucky to be a volunteer.

I had a great night in Xela a few nights ago. I got to go out salsa dancing for the first time in 5 months and I realized just how much I missed it. The only difficult part is they dance on one here and I am used to dancing on two. For all non salseros out there, that is basically an opposite count, but I figured it out and it was really fun. I also visited my friend in her site, the plush site, and had a great time with her. We baked oatmeal bars with mocha frosting and had plantains and beans for breakfast. Plus, they make these really good all fruit frozen popsicles and we got them for free after talking with the store owners so long. They also make these really good tortillas there with queso in the center and the tortilla made of flour. This is unusual for my area, but tipico for their area. So, it was fun to hango out with my friend and compare notes and just chill for a night.

I got back to my site yesterday and have started right in again and am feeling more and more at home here. I told my friend here that I need to start concentrating on what I got accomplished here and not what needs to still be accomplished. So today, my list of accomplishments include,

1. Successfully filling the water tank of the hotel
2. Getting tour operator prices done for the hotel
3. Making stawberry syrup out of a pound of fresh strawberries for my morning pancakes
4. Finished my May calendar to send to Peace Corps
5. Checked all of the email for the community
6. Talked to my counterpart and got permission to attend the national tourism fair here
7. Successfully kicked the dog out of the hotel 3 times
8. Shaved my legs (you don.t realize how big of an accomplishment this is taking a Navy shower, read...douse yourself with water, turn water off, shampoo hair, soap up, shave (I bought a small bucket to fill with water to take into the shower and use this for shaving and washing the razor) then, turn water back on and rinse quickly and get out.
9. Successfully scolded 4 children from stealing fruit from the trees in the hotel grounds - you gotta be on them fast or if they learn you are a softie they will definitely aprovechar, meaning take advantage of the situation

So, 9 things accomplished today. Plus, my friend made these wonderful donut like things tonight for dinner. Yes, I am eating donuts for dinner, hey Im in the jungle, I guess I can do what I want, haha! We made them out of pancake batter and wawter and fried them in oil and put honey on them! ooooohhhh sooo good!

Ok, the electricty just went out and this computer screen is successfully attracting some of the most disgusting bugs in the country and one just flew up my nose! Yuck!! And down my shirt! Ok, Im out! Peace!

Site Envy

Ok, so I know that you aren´t suppossed to compare things and wish to have things, but I am in the site of another volunteer today since I have a meeting tomorrow and am staying overnight with her. Oh, her site is so nice, she has stores and internet cafes and chocobananos and easy transportation access, not to mention electricity and paved roads and water. What a luxury to be able to walk down the street and buy bread or go to a comedor to have lunch. Or have a refrigerator or an oven...ah...this is kind of hard to see. Don´t get me wrong, I like my site and it is very beautiful and will do some good work there, but darn, the living is tough in my site. Everything is difficult and I have none of the modern luxuries of life.

But, don´t worry I will be fine but right now am just having some site envy. Come to come later!

Cheers,
Tara

Weekend Off

So, I have my first weekend off from swearing in and it is great! I have been able to meet up with the girls from my training group and it is so nice to catch up with them. WE are all having completely different experiences and it is fun to catch notes. I think of all of the girls I have the most rustic living situation though. You don´t really realize what you miss until you have it again and that is why these trips to the city are bittersweet. I come in and have electicity and access to meat and all the food I could ever want and hot showers and it is all soooooo wonderful. Then, it makes it a little hard to go back. But, once I am back and settled in I don´t really miss the modern conveniences that much. But, I think it will be good to be able to get into the city for a breather every now and then. We went out and did some dancing last night and it is always so fun to have this free time.

They aren´t kidding when they say Peace Corps is a 24 hour job in your site. You can never forget that you are always being watched and judged and you can never do anything without everyone knowing. This is why it is important to always be responsible and respectful at site and work hard. However, this makes for VERY tiring days. My days start at 6 a.m., work for a few hours, most recently painting and doing some work in the hotel and trying to get organized. Breakfast is at 8 and then we work straight through to 230. It is kind of hard because all of the guys I work with have their moms or wives who are cooking during this time and their food is ready, meanwhile, I have to cook in between and after work and clean and wash clothes by hand and it makes for very busy days.

I started teaching English last week and I really think I am going to enjoy this. In regards to our hotel, I am going to make a calendar so that they know who is coming and when and also start working on some long term planning in regards to a business plan. It is kind of hard because I am given no direction in my work and pretty much have to try to figure out what is going on and what needs to be done and create my own jobs and work. It can be a little tough trying to pull all of this constant ambiguity into a concrete work plan and then carry it out. Oh well, little by little, I think I will be able to get some good projects started.

So, I have been eating my way through this weekend off, started the day with a big breakfast burrito, those who know me know my obsession with these, lol, followed it up with a choco banano and then lunch at an Indian restaurant. Plus, I just found a bead store and bought some stuff to make earrings out of the macadamia and coffee seeds. There are other cool needs on the jungle floor too and now I have some stuff to start making some cool jewelry in my spare time, haha spare time...

I am feeling good in my site though, making friends and playing a lot of soccer with the girls. Also, have started running some laps up on the field and doing some skills training with the ball. It is a fun diversion. Sometimes it starts pouring rain while we are up on the field since we are approaching the rainy season, but it feels good since it can get hot at my site.

Oh yeah, wild creature update, saw a moth as big as a dinner plate the other day! I swear the insect and creature sittings get bigger every day. Also, another tip is never wear your headlamp on your head since this big insect population will fly right into your face. Carry the headlamp low and put it far away from where you are, for example, if I am brushing my teeth, I put the headlamp down and stand like 10 ft. away to avoid the huge bugs that come zooming in. YUCK!

That is all for now! THanks for all the natural insect repellent advice. I will try it this week!

Cheers!

136 Bites and Counting

Yes this is the brutal reality of living in the jungle. My legs are covered with mosquito and other insect bites, 136 and counting, and this is only the region from my calves down. Dont even get me started about the itching. I am trying really hard not to use repellent because 2 years with Deet soaking into your skin cant be good for you. So, I am trying really hard to get used to it. Or if anyone comes to visit and knows some really good natural remedy and is able to get it down to me please let me know.

So life is going well here but it is definitely hard work. Everything is hard work, from buying food and supplies, transporting food and supplies, cooking, cleaning, washing. All of it is all manual work and extremely exhausting. Free time is very rare here. However, little by little I am figuring out life and little by little things are getting less overwhelming. The same goes with the work, it is hard to know what to start on since there is so much that needs help. For example, they just promised a group the use of the pool, however, it has been out of order for 2 years now, has a hole, is super dirty and it is the dry season and I have no idea how we are going to fill it, nonetheless find chemicals to treat it. I told them this and advised them against offering it, but they did anyway saying it is possible to fix it in 2 days and find the water to fill it. Vamos a ver...what a disaster in the making. This is what I am up against. They just dont think about this stuff ahead of time or think about who is going to do the work and all that. I have to teach them in business that you cant offer what you dont have.

I start teaching English here tomorrow and that will be fun. I am teaching at the basico level, but this includes kids from age 12 to 20. They know some words in english but tomorrow I am going to evaluate where they are and where to go from here.

I went to another community yesterday to play soccer with the girls team and we tied. We lost in the kick off at the end but it was fun to visit the other community and play with the team. However, the team uniforms are another story. They are all smaller in size here and only had shorts and jersey in 1 size, that size small. Yikes! Good thing they are used to seeing everything very small here as I barely fit into the shorts and top, it was sooo tight!

Well, I am off to practice futbol with the team now!
Cheers,
Tara

Getting to the end of the week

Im down in the city for my one day opportunity to buy everything I need for the week. I am lucky that there are 2 buses on Friday so I dont have to rush around as much. I can take my time here to walk around more and enjoy it. I need to buy some shorts today at the Paca shops, think thrift shops, all the stuff from Goodwill and the DI, yes, the DI, thanks SLC, ends up here and you can find some pretty good deals. I got lucky to be in a town that isnt as conservative as most here, and I am able to wear shorts playing soccer. Side note, I have seen girls teams playing ball in full on traditional traje. Anyway, so I get to wear shorts when playing, so I am psyched. I also need to find a few more casual t shirts since my job involves a lot of physical work and hiking, which I am loving.

I was invited to a birthday party of one of the sons of the girls who works in the hotel. It was fun to go over and feel a bit more accepted into the coummunity. It is all about gaining confianza here, that is confidence. It happens little by little, but it is key to working within the community. We were treated to fried chicken and a veggie salad and luckily I could trust the food since Sara cooks in the hotel and knows gringo stomachs. All of the veggies were cooked, whew! We also had a big blue cake for dessert. We sang Happy Birthday in English and at the end, there is another song that I love¨...Ya queremos pastel, ya queremos pastel... lol! It basically means, now we want the cake, now we want the cake! lol! At the end, Sara pushed her son´s face in the cake and it was all blue! He was so surprised! It was funny, I have never seen this tradition here before. Luckily they cut the cake differently here, for some reason, they dont cut the middle of the cake, they just cut the part about 5 to 6 inches in. All throughout the birthday party for there was so great music blasting and I was like, yes, I love this family. My town is all about the music and so I fit in perfectly, it is integral to my daily happiness to have good music.

So, I am learning to whistle more here too. Everyone in the community whistles like a bird when they approach or to get your attention. Not the bad whistles, like the macho guys on the corner, but more like a bird whistle. It is kind of cool, you know someone arrives based on their whistle and you whistle back to let them know where you are and they just find you. We also have tons of birds at our site and we are trying to compile a bird book of all of the birds in the coummunity. There are some gorgeous ones. My counterpart can make almost all of the sounds of them. We are going to start going out to record sighting and try to put together a catalogue since I think the place has great aveturismo, birdwatching as a tourist activity, potential.

Anway, I was invited to play in a soccer invitational at another town on the 18th so I will head over with the girls. It is fun playing, although, I am still learning the ins and outs of the game.

What else, laundry, need to remember to get that in earlier. I did some yesterday, put it out on the line, forgot about it, and a huge storm came in, needless to say, the clothes are still out on the line 24 hrs. later.

Im off to go food shopping now, lots of canned beans, canned chicken, tomato sauce, oatmeal and pasta. It is tough to get in fruits and veggies here since they go bad fast in this hot climate and almost impossible to find more at my site. We have banana trees and mango trees, but we´re waiting for them to ripen. Also, I am going to start learning to cook the native herbs and plants with eggs since that is the local custom. I am learning the different plants, but I need to make sure I have a local expert come with me and show me exactly how to prepare them. Also, there is a bee hive with 25 bee boxes with honey. This weekend I am going to learn how to smoke them and get the honey out. Oh yeah, and we´re going giant frog hunting too.

Hope all is well!
Cheers!
Tara

Projects and Things I Like

Well, I am done working for the day. I am lucky to have scored free internet for 2 months from the volunteer who just left and although I am in the middle of nowhere, I have wireless internet. Thank you technology! I thought I would write to say a little about what I have been up to and what I am really liking about my site.

1. Poured concrete and applied it to the new addition of the hotel we are building here. Yes, there I was mixing concrete and smoothing out a new floor. I must say it turned out pretty well. I had a lot of help as there were a group of students here for a week doing a service learning spring break trip. It was really fun to work with him.

2. Just finishing painting around a couple of windows, trimwork, and a wall inside the hotel. Might I say the windows were about 20 ft. up and I was standing on a rickety ladder trying to do this and not fall off. Dont worry though, I am being careful and I had someone holding the ladder.

3. Workdays begin here at 630 a.m. Soooo early! But then we are done by 230 so that is the plus. I gotta get used to this though. I have been going to be at 8 p.m. just to get up!

4. I played 2 soccer games yesterday with the girls team. It is so fun! But we played in like 90 degree heat and 90 percent humidity. Needless to say I was exhausted afterwards.

5. The cool thing about the soccer game is that this guy from town brought his stereo system with a diesel generator (the hot commodity around here) and cranked the tunes, the music I LOVE, all through the games. I was like, yes, this place is perfect for me.

6. Another reason this place is perfect for me. We already that 2 dances in 1 week. Now when I say dance it is not like what I am used to when I go out dancing in the US, think more of a 7th grade dance. Boys on one side, girls on the other, all very shy but when they get up the nerve to ask you to dance, they can really dance and it is very fun!

7. I love the afternoon thunderstorms here and the rain. It is really relaxing.

That is about it for now! I need to do take a shower since I am still covered in paint! Hope all is well!

Cheers!
Tara

Semana Santa

Hey Everyone!

Feliz Semana Santa! I am here in my site now and am learning all of the traditions of the community. Everything started on Wednesday with a group of 12 guys all dressed in red entering the community with drums and other loud noise makers to announce their arrivals. These guys represented the devil and they all had crazy masks with big tongues and some guys were dressed up as women too. Anyway, they had a devil leader and he told them all to do crazy stuff, for example leap frog, pushups, and some yelling and laughing. I think the 12 guys in red represented the 12 disciples and were the prediction that one of the disciples would betray Jesus. No one knew who at this point, so they were all possible, entonces, all in red with the potential to be influenced by the Devil. If anyone out there in cyber land has a better handle on this, please share, I think I understand it, but could use more info. Anyway, after the devil dance, we started the procession, carrying Jesus on a platform up the hill to the house of a man in the community who is sick. We didnt have a live band, so the processional music was played on a tape recorder, plugged in to a diesel generator that was pushed up the hill behind us on a hand truck. Anyway, we all made it and we entered the house and proceeded to have a chuch service in the house. We fit about 100 people in a small room and it was standing room only. The sick gentleman lay in a bed in the middle of the room and the service was about an hour long to celebrate the Last Supper.

Yesterday was the death of Jesus on the cross and the community demonstrated this with the devils all in red coming out again. They brought out a huge 40 ft.wooden telephone pole with a cross at the top and dug a hole in the ground, not very deep, in front of the school and the devils danced around it. Then Jesus came out in purple and the lead Devil had Jesus climb the pole, about 30 to 40 ft. straight up, he climbed it in flip flops,and then stood up on a tiny platform and then a devil climbed up behind him, again in flip flops, and demonstrated the act of pounding nails into Jesus hands and trying him up. I was scared they were going to fall off of the pole was going to tip over since it wasnt in the ground very deep, but all went well and no one fell off. I have never seen anything quite like it.

Last night to celebrate they had a lottery kind of like Bingo but with pictures. They crank up the music and the whole community comes out to play and win prizes. Then I was introduced on the loudspeaker in front of the whole community and was asked up front to give a speech. Luckily I was prepared for this as impromtu speeches in Guatemala are quite common so that went well. You just never know when you will be asked to speak in front of 200 people in this country. Anyway, we did some dancing to some Ranchero music and played Duck Duck Goose with all the children of the community to the music of Pitbull and Daddy Yankee...if your not familiar with these artists, think club hip hop music. Yeah, never have played childrens games set to this music before. Anyway, all was fun and we danced and played til midnight.

Ive got a soccer game to watch today as I am on the womens team. We are going to watch the boys play to try to learn some strategy. Im playing defense. These women are so good and they play in flip flops and bare feet! Hard core!

Anyway, that is all is now!
Cheers and Happy Easter!
Tara

Half Way There

Well, I am sitting here in a hostel tonight in Xela and I am a little more than half way to my site. I will get there tomorrow around noon hopefully. Today was a very busy day. It was a long travel day from Antigua, the site of our Swearing In Ceremony, out to Xela. We spent a fun couple of days with the group in Antigua before we all went our separate ways for the next 2 years. We do have reconnect in 3 months and the occasional get together but life will now be very different from training. I am excited and ready for the challenge though. Thank you to everyone for all of your great messages and emails. These really brighten my day and I love hearing from you all.

Antigua was great! These purple trees in the park are in bloom now and Semana Santa is just around the corner. They are having these giant processions with the men and boys all dressed in purple robes, carrying these huge floats down the cobblestone road. It is pretty incredible to watch. Tons of people are in town and last Sunday I waited in a 3 hour cola, line, to get on one of the camionetas out to Guate, for my last week with my host family. Anyway, Antigua is busy now and I got in my one and only night of dancing and now I am off!

I have to give a huge shout out to the ayudantes today. These are my favorite guys in Guatemala. They are the helpers on the buses and they were a huge help to me today as I tried to find my way out to Xela. I had a backpack and two other big bags and they were always there to help every step of the way. As I was waiting, an ayudante was looking for me bus to arrive and then he is like, corrate! corrate! meaning run run your bus is here. They then helped to secure my bags so that they didn't go flying while we rallied around mountain corners at like 50 mph in these pimped out buses, which is another impressive feat in themselves. These buses get totally overhauled, new engine, back 1/3 of the American school bus cut off, inside totally redone and pimped, luggage racks and ladders put on, plus a really sweet paint job, and extra loud horn installed. I really like the transportation system here. It really makes traveling fun and exciting.

Anyway, back to more ayudante props, so they helped me figure out where to change buses, and at these stops buses are going in every direction with ayudantes calling out the names of the places. You basically listen for your town, then starting heading that direction with your stuff. The ayudante will see you coming and will step out into traffic and block traffic for your to cross the street since they are always in a hurry to get the bus back on the road. They will help you across the street at the same time as grabbing your bags and scrambling onto the roof of the bus as it takes off down the road. All of this happens in like 15 sec. - it is an amazing operation. Thank you ayudantes!!!

Anyway, after a long day of traveling I am happy at the hostel tonight. I had my first hot shower in 3 months and it was heaven. I stood under it for like 5 minutes. I felt bad because water is short here, but it just felt sooo good! Plus, we found his Indian restaurant that was awesome too. Needless to say, I am ready for bed and am feeling pretty fat and sassy right now with my wonderful meal and hot shower!

Good night!!
Tara