As COS is quickly approaching I’ve had some fun doing some reflecting in the past few days of my service and all of the incredible experiences I’ve been through here. I thought it would be fun to make a “best of list” of some of the crazy and incredible things that I never thought I would have done if not for Peace Corps Guatemala, in addition to some notable newly acquired skills. Here goes nothing…
*Can successfully cook the traditional dish of pepian and tamalitos for a crowd of 50 over a wood fired stove. (Also can cook a number of other traditional dishes)
*Can make tortillas that have the approval of the Guatemalan women and get put in the basket to serve to everyone (the true test) – when I was first making tortillas, they kept mine back and they didn’t get put in the serving basket – a nice way to say “not quite up to par.”
*Can successfully bathe with about 2 gallons of water
*Have bathed outside under a roof eves trough in the rain when there was no water
*Have killed a chicken
*Have survived countless cold water showers, including cold water showers where the outside/inside (since there is no insulation) air temp is about the same temp as the cold water
*Can successfully survive a packed bus ride, standing for more than 2 hours if necessary, in heels, getting off the bus with 25lb backpack in one hand overhead, managing to not hit anyone in the head on the way out. (You should check out the size of my right bicep after 2 years of this)
*Can identify most tropical fruits, trees, and plants and know how to get said fruit of the trees
*Can survive on a diet of eggs, beans, and tortillas (however the emergency once a month run to the Indian food restaurant in Xela is necessary)
*Can fluently speak Spanish and hold phone conversations in Spanish (this was my biggest obstacle to start – the phone thing)
*Have figured out the “Hora Chapina” (Guatemalan time) and no longer get there 2 hours earlier than everyone else. I now know that when someone says 3 p.m. – they really mean 5 or 6 p.m. And everyone has a slightly different “Hora Chapina” that one has to figure out.
*I can successfully get anywhere I want to go without a vehicle.
* I have the patience to wait for a bus for over 3 hours and it is no longer a big deal
*I eat ceviche (seafood concoction of raw shrimp (“cooked” in lime and salt) with tomato, onion, and a variety of spices – super yummy!)
*I eat chicharron (fried pork skin)
*I can survive without water, without cable, without internet, and without electricity (Survive that is – liking it is a different story)
*I can bake a cake in a tin foil oven (that I made), over a pot of boiling water, over a wood fired stove (with wood that I carried up and chopped)
*Managed to stay in shape with a homemade set of “weights” fashioned out of various sizes and cuttings of cement block.
*I can machete chop a huge ream of bananas off a tree
*I can mix cement and build a stove from scratch (and coordinate the arrival of said materials to places far off the beaten trail)
*I can fix plumbing, tubing, showers, and just about any toilet problem (again can do it – but not an enjoyable experience)
Okay that’s about all I can think of for now but all I can say is that it’s been quite the ride. Peace Corps is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I’ve done some challenging things in life, however, it has been a very empowering experience that I am grateful to have had and now that I’m getting close to closing it out, I feel like I can do more than I’ve ever dreamed. So – as they say here - Siga adelante! (Keep moving forward!)
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Packing Ideas for new arrivals
I think the blog de moda (popular) right now is writing recommendations to the new trainees who will be coming to Guatemala in less than a month now. So, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and give my two cents worth to the whole “what should I bring” dilemma.
The best thing about Guatemala is that you can get most of everything you need here, so don’t really worry about not being able to buy notebooks or pens or clothes – they have just about everything you will need here, including McDonalds. A note on that too – you might not believe me – but pretty much everyone sooner or later is craving McDonalds. I’ve eaten more McDonald’s here in Guate than I ever did in the US.
So back to the essential stuff to pack – stuff that is either hard to find or expensive to get here and vale la pena (is worth it) to bring…
1. Computer AND a big external hard drive – The computer has been my life saver here. There are some sites with access to internet cafes, however, if you are like me, my nearest internet café is 1.5 hours away and my life improved dramatically when I finally got my computer down here. You’ll have access to internet and there is signal even deep into the jungle. You’ll be able to buy a modem and have regular internet service in just about every site. It might not be as fast as the US or quite as reliable but it will be pretty good. Even though we don’t have public electricity where I live – we have internet and cell phones.
2. Makeup and contacts – Contacts are allowed here in Guatemala so bring em. You can buy the cleaning solution here at the pharmacy. It just has to get paid for out of your own pocket and isn’t offered by the medical office. Also, any good makeup that you like – bring it. You can get it at Wal Mart in Xela or another store in Antigua – however – it is about double the price that you would pay in the US. Also, you’ll be expected to dress up more often than you might think and you’ll be glad you brought it.
3. Dressy clothes for training and workshops and swearing in – Ladies – bring heels and men – nice shoes. Almost all Guatemalan women wear heels all the time and you’ll definitely fit in more with heels. If heels are absolutely not your thing – than closed toe flats will work too. Flip flops and Chacos and tennis shoes are not allowed in the Peace Corps office – so be sure you have some nice shoes to wear to the office. I brought 2 nice pair of dress slacks and I am glad that I had them – as well as some nice blouses and cute tops. Think business casual.
4. Rechargeable batteries and battery charger – These are available here, but more expensive. Bring a few to get you started for stuff that you’ll need batteries. Esp. since there aren’t safe places to deposit batteries here – better to recharge than to buy and just throw away.
5. Some warm clothes for training – Training will be in Jan-March at the office, which is located at a higher elevation – so the training rooms can be cold. I recommend a fleece, gloves, hat, and a wrap or a scarf. I tend to run on the cold side, so it might be a bit much for some – but better to be a little warm than cold! Also, it warms up during the day but the mornings and evenings can be chilly. Once you get your site – you can make additional purchases based on your climate. However, in Guatemala there seem to be more cold sites than warm sites. And by cold I am talking about freezing temperatures – like frost and ice!
6. Ipod with portable speakers
The following is stuff that you can all buy here…
*Sheets (unless you like a high thread count – then bring them for your own bit of luxury. I did this and I am personally glad I did – however – if you don’t have a preference – you can buy them here)
*Radios/CD players
*Clothes/jewelry (note here on jewelry: don’t bring anything you would hate to lose – even small rings or a small necklace. This is the first stuff that gets stolen here from volunteers. Thieves will even go as far as removing jewelry from your neck as you sleep on a bus. Don’t bring anything that even resembles real gold or silver.
*Sunglasses – you can buy the cheap ones here – and you’ll go through a lot – I’ve been through probably 6 pair – not worth it to bring the expensive nice ones.
*Cell phones – buy a cheap one here – for as often as they are lost and stolen – don’t bring a nice one from home. Peace Corps will also provide you with a cell phone.
*Sunscreen/shampoo/lotion/razors/soap – it’s all available here so just bring enough to get you through your first few weeks.
So, basically don’t stress about packing. Anything you really need in Guatemala can be found here. You may end up paying more for something but ultimately it can be found here. Just BRING YOUR COMPUTER (but not your new Mac - like a $200 laptop or an older computer will do) and have some warm clothes on hand. You have those two things and you’ll be a happy camper.
Enjoy your last few weeks in the US and eat all your favorite foods!
The best thing about Guatemala is that you can get most of everything you need here, so don’t really worry about not being able to buy notebooks or pens or clothes – they have just about everything you will need here, including McDonalds. A note on that too – you might not believe me – but pretty much everyone sooner or later is craving McDonalds. I’ve eaten more McDonald’s here in Guate than I ever did in the US.
So back to the essential stuff to pack – stuff that is either hard to find or expensive to get here and vale la pena (is worth it) to bring…
1. Computer AND a big external hard drive – The computer has been my life saver here. There are some sites with access to internet cafes, however, if you are like me, my nearest internet café is 1.5 hours away and my life improved dramatically when I finally got my computer down here. You’ll have access to internet and there is signal even deep into the jungle. You’ll be able to buy a modem and have regular internet service in just about every site. It might not be as fast as the US or quite as reliable but it will be pretty good. Even though we don’t have public electricity where I live – we have internet and cell phones.
2. Makeup and contacts – Contacts are allowed here in Guatemala so bring em. You can buy the cleaning solution here at the pharmacy. It just has to get paid for out of your own pocket and isn’t offered by the medical office. Also, any good makeup that you like – bring it. You can get it at Wal Mart in Xela or another store in Antigua – however – it is about double the price that you would pay in the US. Also, you’ll be expected to dress up more often than you might think and you’ll be glad you brought it.
3. Dressy clothes for training and workshops and swearing in – Ladies – bring heels and men – nice shoes. Almost all Guatemalan women wear heels all the time and you’ll definitely fit in more with heels. If heels are absolutely not your thing – than closed toe flats will work too. Flip flops and Chacos and tennis shoes are not allowed in the Peace Corps office – so be sure you have some nice shoes to wear to the office. I brought 2 nice pair of dress slacks and I am glad that I had them – as well as some nice blouses and cute tops. Think business casual.
4. Rechargeable batteries and battery charger – These are available here, but more expensive. Bring a few to get you started for stuff that you’ll need batteries. Esp. since there aren’t safe places to deposit batteries here – better to recharge than to buy and just throw away.
5. Some warm clothes for training – Training will be in Jan-March at the office, which is located at a higher elevation – so the training rooms can be cold. I recommend a fleece, gloves, hat, and a wrap or a scarf. I tend to run on the cold side, so it might be a bit much for some – but better to be a little warm than cold! Also, it warms up during the day but the mornings and evenings can be chilly. Once you get your site – you can make additional purchases based on your climate. However, in Guatemala there seem to be more cold sites than warm sites. And by cold I am talking about freezing temperatures – like frost and ice!
6. Ipod with portable speakers
The following is stuff that you can all buy here…
*Sheets (unless you like a high thread count – then bring them for your own bit of luxury. I did this and I am personally glad I did – however – if you don’t have a preference – you can buy them here)
*Radios/CD players
*Clothes/jewelry (note here on jewelry: don’t bring anything you would hate to lose – even small rings or a small necklace. This is the first stuff that gets stolen here from volunteers. Thieves will even go as far as removing jewelry from your neck as you sleep on a bus. Don’t bring anything that even resembles real gold or silver.
*Sunglasses – you can buy the cheap ones here – and you’ll go through a lot – I’ve been through probably 6 pair – not worth it to bring the expensive nice ones.
*Cell phones – buy a cheap one here – for as often as they are lost and stolen – don’t bring a nice one from home. Peace Corps will also provide you with a cell phone.
*Sunscreen/shampoo/lotion/razors/soap – it’s all available here so just bring enough to get you through your first few weeks.
So, basically don’t stress about packing. Anything you really need in Guatemala can be found here. You may end up paying more for something but ultimately it can be found here. Just BRING YOUR COMPUTER (but not your new Mac - like a $200 laptop or an older computer will do) and have some warm clothes on hand. You have those two things and you’ll be a happy camper.
Enjoy your last few weeks in the US and eat all your favorite foods!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thanksgiving in the Caribbean
Oh what a wonderful Thanksgiving I had! I had a whirlwind of an awesome trip with my friend Amber on the Caribbean side of Guatemala. I had such a blast and it is hard to believe it is already over. We headed out to Livingston on Wednesday and arrived safely, surviving a 13 hour marathon travel day. Luckily Amber knew a great local rice and beans diner and we grabbed a cheap but tasty meal before falling exhausted into bed.
We stayed at the beautiful oceanside hotel called Casa Rosada. They have a wonderful little dock with hammocks lined up to enjoy a morning cup of coffee and watch the sun come up. Thanksgiving Day started off with a walk into `town `to hunt down the famous Pan de Coco (coconut bread) and return to the hammocks to discuss plans for the day. We decided to head out to the famous cascading pools called Seven Altars. We enjoyed a nice hike out along the beach and lucked out to have the whole spot to ourselves. The turquoise fresh water was so refreshing after our little hike. We spent a fair amount of time just swimming around and enjoying this little paradise in the jungle. On the hike back we stopped off at a little rancho and enjoyed a Cube Libre (rum and Coke – hey it’s not the Caribbean without rum J ). That night we headed over to Casa de la Iguana for a proper Thanksgiving feast. The friendly owner, Rusty, slaved away preparing 3 turkeys for the feast and even managed to round up a few cans of real Ocean Spray cranberries. It was pretty surreal eating such a traditional American meal surrounded by jungle – but it was awesome to celebrate with my Peace Corps friends. They even made a big chocolate cake for dessert and I am happy to say that yes I ate it all!
The next day we headed out to a little piece of paradise called Finca Tatin on the Rio Dulce. The boat came by the hotel in the morning to take us on the half hour ride down river. The finca is situated right on a little tributary of the river, with plenty of dock space to sun and relax in the hammocks. Plus, the water was clean and we were able to waste away the day, alternating between sunning, swimming, and ordering banana licuados. The food at the finca is amazing as well. We were treated to fresh fish, awesome flour tortillas that were kind of like an Indian naan bread, and broccoli soup. The lights were out by 10 p.m. since the finca runs on its own generator, which reminded me of my life here on the finca.
The next day Amber and I took out the kayaks for a few hours to look for iguanas and other wildlife along the river banks. We spotted 3 between us but as Amber says, you can tell they get hunted because as soon as we even got a little near they ran right up the trees as high as they could go. After some kayaking we returned to our tough life of sunning and swimming off the docks of the finca.
In the late afternoon we took a boat back to Livingston to enjoy the festivities of the Garifuna Fair. Everyone was out having a great time, playing drums and dancing in the streets. We had fun cruising around, trying out some of the local food. I loved the big flour tortillas that they had on the grill and then filled with grilled meat and onions – ohhhh soooo good! We also found a good pupusa stand, although far from El Salvador – still really good. For those that don’t know pupusas, it is made with a tortilla on the bottom level, filled with either pork, beans, or cheese, and then another tortilla is placed on top and the ends are sealed together. Then it is grilled to perfection! Anyway – super good and famous in El Salvdor – but they are common in Guatemala as well.
The next day began at sunrise for a marathon travel day back to site but it was well worth it!
While we were away, I realized I had passed my 23rd month of being in Guatemala – which means under 4 months to go at this point! It is getting bittersweet at this point. I am excited to start thinking about my future plans but it will be sad but also very gratifying to finish up with Peace Corps. We have our Close of Service Conference already planned in January and here it is almost December! I feel so thankful to have been able to spend the last two years with some great people. It is true when they say that volunteers represent some of the best America has to offer. It has been a rollercoaster ride, but to be able to live and work in the beautiful country of Guatemala truly has been a special privilege. Thank you!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Completion of the Stove Project and other news
Wow, how time flies! Five months from today and I will be saying goodbye to the community. I can’t believe that 22 months have already gone by. I am writing happy to say that we successfully finished the stove project. We had the inauguration on October 15, complete with a snack (every good event here includes a refaccion (snack)). We made over 400 enchiladas and used up 5 pounds of coffee! I had some great local women who volunteered their time to help me in the kitchen. We had a small ceremony to recognize the good hard work put forth by everyone to build the stoves and finished the event with a fun dance, held here on the patio. It was a great night and a fun way to draw to a close a project that started as an idea way back in January.
In regards to other news, we are full on in coffee harvest time here. We survived Tropical Depression E12 and thankfully we didn’t suffer many damages here in comparison to other parts of Guatemala where roads washed out, bridges collapsed, and entire routes to destinations such as the lake were closed out due to huge landslides. Luckily we have seen the sun lately and things are drying out and everyone is cleaning up around the country. I won’t be sad to see the end of this rainy season. It started out pretty tamely with the usual rainy afternoons and sunny mornings, however, is closing out with a bang. November is supposed to be the end of the rainy season – fingers crossed. I know I need the sun to feel good and get motivated to work. The lack thereof really takes its toll mentally and physically. Not to mention the mold and all the fun that goes with dealing with that.
I have had 2 small miracles happen in the past month or so. The first is the purchase of a small refrigerator for the hotel now that our mini hydroelectric system can support the wattage. Also, we now have a vegetable vendor from up north come to the community every Friday selling fresh veggies. This is a God-send as until now, fresh vegetables were not available in the village, only a 3 hour round trip to the market could bring such goodness. And now the vegetables even last longer than 3 days due to the frig! Oh what luxuries! So, due to this happy turn of events, I am able to expand my cooking. Last night I made these yummy beet burgers, topped with avocado and mustard. Today I was able to make a banana, soy milk, honey, and coffee smoothie = oh life is sooooo good!
So, that’s the haps down here in Guatemala. Hope everyone is enjoying the Fall back home. I miss the caramel apples, hand-picked apples, and carving pumpkins. Happy Halloween!
In regards to other news, we are full on in coffee harvest time here. We survived Tropical Depression E12 and thankfully we didn’t suffer many damages here in comparison to other parts of Guatemala where roads washed out, bridges collapsed, and entire routes to destinations such as the lake were closed out due to huge landslides. Luckily we have seen the sun lately and things are drying out and everyone is cleaning up around the country. I won’t be sad to see the end of this rainy season. It started out pretty tamely with the usual rainy afternoons and sunny mornings, however, is closing out with a bang. November is supposed to be the end of the rainy season – fingers crossed. I know I need the sun to feel good and get motivated to work. The lack thereof really takes its toll mentally and physically. Not to mention the mold and all the fun that goes with dealing with that.
I have had 2 small miracles happen in the past month or so. The first is the purchase of a small refrigerator for the hotel now that our mini hydroelectric system can support the wattage. Also, we now have a vegetable vendor from up north come to the community every Friday selling fresh veggies. This is a God-send as until now, fresh vegetables were not available in the village, only a 3 hour round trip to the market could bring such goodness. And now the vegetables even last longer than 3 days due to the frig! Oh what luxuries! So, due to this happy turn of events, I am able to expand my cooking. Last night I made these yummy beet burgers, topped with avocado and mustard. Today I was able to make a banana, soy milk, honey, and coffee smoothie = oh life is sooooo good!
So, that’s the haps down here in Guatemala. Hope everyone is enjoying the Fall back home. I miss the caramel apples, hand-picked apples, and carving pumpkins. Happy Halloween!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Stove Project Photo Update
The stove project has successfully begun! We officially started construction on June 25, with the help of 2 awesome Peace Corps volunteers who came out to help with the first few stoves. These guys are experts and were so awesome to have here for the construction of the first few stoves. The construction process isn't too difficult, however, there are some key pieces that one needs to have correct in order for the stoves to function well and having these experienced volunteers here really helped get the project off the ground with the right start. Plus, it was great to have them here over my birthday. We celebrated with a bottle of red wine and I made a chocolate cake in the artisanal oven. So that was our dinner - red wine and a BIG piece of chocolate cake - my type of dinner! Plus we invited my two good friends, Sara and Eluvia, over to celebrate. They sang the birthday song and ended it in the typical Guatemalan way by mashing my face in the cake - I'll be posting that pic too!
So, we started the stove project the next morning early. I have the help of a great mason here in the community too, so he worked closely with the two volunteers to learn the construction techniques with this stove design and we were off and building. We had an intense 3 days of construction - long hours - but well worth it as we got 3 stoves nearly done. The stoves need to dry completely before we put the final stovetop and chimney tubes on them - so that will be in about 3 weeks since it is the rainy season. However, the construction is going well and I am so happy with how the project is progressing.
Then last week I was invited to go to El Salvador with one of the volunteer leaders and our Project Specialist for a stove workshop. They are building 3 different stove designs over there and it was fun to learn how to build them and see what they are doing in Peace Corps El Salvador. El Salvador is beautiful - the climate is very tropical, similar to here on the coast. We ate the typical El Salvadorean food called pupusas - so yummy! Basically they are like 2 tortillas stacked on top of each other with something good in the center - chicharron (pork) or frijol or cheese. They are then grilled on the stovetop and topped with cabbage. We had a great trip overall - got to travel in my first double decker bus - that was awesome. I hope to be able to take some vacation time later to go back and visit and hit up the beaches and surf they are so famous for!
After El Salvador, I returned to Antigua for a fun 4th of July party with the rest of the volunteers. We all celebrated big, complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, talent show, raffle, and dancing. It is always so great to get together to see how the other volunteers are doing. The country is relatively small however, it is difficult to get out to see everyone so this is the one event where we are all together and it was a blast!
Now I am back in site trying to get caught up after being gone and continuing with the stove project and a few other things. We had a group of 30 basico students over for lunch today so I got to enjoy a nice churrasco (grilled meat), grilled onions, salsa, refried beans, and rice. This is one of my favorite meals - however - now I'm super full! However, hay que aprovechar (you need to take advantage) when there is good food since I don't always get meat out here due to the lack of refrigeration. So today is definitely a good day!
Thanks for the support everyone!
Cheers,
Tara
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Stoves!
The big theme as of late is the famous stove project. I've spent the last month here really pushing hard to get everything coordinated, materials bought, coordinating experienced volunteers to come to help with the first few, and get all the moving parts in place. Let me tell you - not easy tasks - however, fingers crossed, this Saturday should be the day that the first stove gets built. I have to say thanks to everyone for all their support, your donations to the cause, and the energy you've given me to keep moving ahead with the project. I will post some pictures later to show the construction and how everything turns out.
Other than the stoves life has been extremely busy and hence time is flying as always here. Here are a few updates from the last month or so of the goings on here in Guatemala:
1. I was invited up to Alta Verapaz during the end of May to help give a workshop on business plans. I did 3 presentations on products/services, promotion and marketing, and finally personality differences and working effectively as a team. The workshop went well overall. We were working with a tourism alliance called Viviente Verapaz, which has 11 tourist sites involved. The goal is to get more people up to this beautiful region and promote different tours and routes to help people see more of the area and stay longer.
2. Right after the business plan workshop I returned to site and the next day a group of 22 students and 2 professors came to visit from the University of British Columbia Vancouver. The group was here for 3 weeks, taking 2 courses, one in sociology and another in philosophy. It was great to have them here in the community and get to interact and learn all the updates of what is happening back in the US and Canada. I worked with the students, coordinating some volunteer projects, including painting the hotel, working with the families to collect macadamia nuts, and going out to haul sand out of the river to use for the stoves, along with some trail and bridge work. Plus, I helped out in the kitchen, supervising hygiene standards, and making up menus and doing some sous chef duties. The kitchen staff here is great - they work so hard and it all came off as a huge success. We pulled off 3 meals a day for 3 weeks for 22-26 people - crazy!
3. Other things going on while the group was here and while I was working on the stove project include...working on a work plan for Reu al Natural, a tourism alliance we have started here on the Pacific Coast to promote the area, completing a section of the Sustainable Community Tourism manual on personalities and effective teamwork, coordinating the arrival of 2 more groups (one this weekend and one the following), and getting invited to a stove workshop/conference down in El Salvador next week. As you can see, life has been busy!
However, after the group left last week, I decided it was time for a little R&R in order to gear up to the big stove project this week and the trip to El Salvador next week. I headed down to my little beach paradise and enjoyed a couple of days of surfing, hanging out with some local friends, playing some soccer, watching some soccer (Guatemala/Mexico during the Gold Cup, so sad to lose!!), and going to the community dance for Father's Day. All in all it was a great weekend of fun and relaxation - much needed. I came back to site feeling like a million dollars - as some time by the ocean always makes me feel.
I've got my birthday coming up on Friday. I plan to head down to meet the volunteers who are coming, buy some stuff to make a cake with my little oven and celebrate that night with the volunteers and my other friends here in the community.
Cheers!!
Tara
Other than the stoves life has been extremely busy and hence time is flying as always here. Here are a few updates from the last month or so of the goings on here in Guatemala:
1. I was invited up to Alta Verapaz during the end of May to help give a workshop on business plans. I did 3 presentations on products/services, promotion and marketing, and finally personality differences and working effectively as a team. The workshop went well overall. We were working with a tourism alliance called Viviente Verapaz, which has 11 tourist sites involved. The goal is to get more people up to this beautiful region and promote different tours and routes to help people see more of the area and stay longer.
2. Right after the business plan workshop I returned to site and the next day a group of 22 students and 2 professors came to visit from the University of British Columbia Vancouver. The group was here for 3 weeks, taking 2 courses, one in sociology and another in philosophy. It was great to have them here in the community and get to interact and learn all the updates of what is happening back in the US and Canada. I worked with the students, coordinating some volunteer projects, including painting the hotel, working with the families to collect macadamia nuts, and going out to haul sand out of the river to use for the stoves, along with some trail and bridge work. Plus, I helped out in the kitchen, supervising hygiene standards, and making up menus and doing some sous chef duties. The kitchen staff here is great - they work so hard and it all came off as a huge success. We pulled off 3 meals a day for 3 weeks for 22-26 people - crazy!
3. Other things going on while the group was here and while I was working on the stove project include...working on a work plan for Reu al Natural, a tourism alliance we have started here on the Pacific Coast to promote the area, completing a section of the Sustainable Community Tourism manual on personalities and effective teamwork, coordinating the arrival of 2 more groups (one this weekend and one the following), and getting invited to a stove workshop/conference down in El Salvador next week. As you can see, life has been busy!
However, after the group left last week, I decided it was time for a little R&R in order to gear up to the big stove project this week and the trip to El Salvador next week. I headed down to my little beach paradise and enjoyed a couple of days of surfing, hanging out with some local friends, playing some soccer, watching some soccer (Guatemala/Mexico during the Gold Cup, so sad to lose!!), and going to the community dance for Father's Day. All in all it was a great weekend of fun and relaxation - much needed. I came back to site feeling like a million dollars - as some time by the ocean always makes me feel.
I've got my birthday coming up on Friday. I plan to head down to meet the volunteers who are coming, buy some stuff to make a cake with my little oven and celebrate that night with the volunteers and my other friends here in the community.
Cheers!!
Tara
Friday, May 6, 2011
May!
Well my new trend seems to be one blog a month - I didn't mean for it to end up this way but year 2 has really picked up speed and I have been very busy - not all of it is work though - as I just got back from a 2 week vacation with my sister! We had such a blast! It was so nice to get 2 full weeks off to really enjoy all that Guatemala has to offer. Sometimes I get so focused on work and all the stuff going on in site that I forget Guatemala is such a diverse country with a ton of fun stuff to do and see.
We went up to Semuc Champey, which is a beautiful area in Alta Verapaz with cascading turquoise pools to swim in, caves to explore and a run rope swing. Then we stayed in Antigua to take in the activity during Semana Santa. We got to see a night procession where they carry a big float that displays the crucifiction through the streets of Antigua - followed by a large marching band - it is a very dramatic experience and was something very cool to see in real life. After Antigua we spent some time on the coast surfing and enjoying some time just relaxing in the hammocks. Then Kate came up to the finca where I live and got to meet all my friends and see what life is like up here. After that we headed to Xela for a couple of days of shopping for hand woven goods and back to Antigua. It was so awesome to have her here for 2 weeks and to have some good quality sister time! The time just flew by and soon I will be heading home for her wedding! I am counting the days - soooo excited for her and Ben!!!
Work has ramped up to full speed again after I got notification that my first grant went through and I got the first check to start on the big stove project here. Part 2 of the grant, which many in the US are so kindly helping out with by donating to the cause is in the works and I am so excited to see this stove dream become a reality here. We are having a big general assembly meeting tonight to go over the final plans and are getting ready to make the first big materials purchase. Then comes coordinating the transportation to get everything up here and then finally we get to start building. I've got a group of 20 Canadian students coming in the next couple of weeks and I think they'll be very interested in helping with the construction - should be a great project for all! I'll be posting pictures so that everyone can see the progress that we make. Now the real work begins!
This weekend is an organic fair in Xela and some members from the farm will be up there selling our macadamia nuts and coffee with me. It should be a great time - just hoping the rains hold out as we are now in the beginning of the rainy season...vamos a ver (we'll see). If anything else, it is fun to be in the city for a few days and enjoy hot showers and a variety of food options.
I've also posted some pictures from the trip for you all to enjoy!
Thanks for reading!
Tara
Friday, April 8, 2011
Women's Week in the Finca
This week turned out to be a very fun and very busy week. I got together with another local woman community leader and we decided to hold afternoon jewelry, cooking, and baking classes for the women this week. What a successful week it was. We had 16 women and girls participate in total and here is what we did... *Monday - Planning Meeting *Tuesday - Jewelry making with locally found nuts and seeds *Wednesday - Banana cookies and banana bread (using the tin foil and wire oven over a wood fire stove) *Thursday - Magdalena cake (Latin American specialty dessert) *Friday - Chicken and mushrooms with curry with garden style rice The best thing about these workshops is that the women themselves decide what they want to learn to cook and make and Pascuala and I help them with the recipes, putting the jewelry together, etc. Plus, each woman contributes the cost of the daily course so this way it has more value than if it were a donation since they are paying with their own hard earned money. We build capacity by teaching how to look for recipes and take into consideration things that are available here in the community. For example, with the cooking, we decided on banana cookies and bread since it is banana season here and everyone has so many bananas they don't know what to do with them all. In regards to the jewelry, I mentioned that the tourists we receive in the hotel especially like nature things - so I asked them to find hard nuts and seeds in the community and we made earrings and bracelets from them and then they decided if they want to sell them here in the hotel. We discussed pricing, including the value of their time. I talked about how selling jewelry that they can make for a relatively low cost can be a financial contribution to their family. All in all we had a fun time and I think everyone learned something new, including me. When we made the magdalena cake, I got roped into a contest with Dona Fide. The goal was to see who could turn egg whites into fluffy peaks the fastest, only using a fork to do the beating. Well, I can proudly say I lost, much to the laughter of the women, however, I did manage to get the fluffy peaks and they didn't even spill out when they flipped the bowl upside down to test my work! (I think they were impressed - haha!) Other than that - my days have been action packed as always here. Some of the highlights of the past week include: *Getting stuck in a 1 hour down pour coming back from Antigua after missing the bus in the morning while waiting for someone heading up to the finca. Then, riding up to the finca on the back of a pick up, mud flying everywhere - classic Peace Corps moment. *Tire falling off the bus midway up to the community - ended up sitting in the weeds for an hour after another bus luckily passed by and dropped us a tire off the roof. I'm still scratching those mosquito bites from sitting in the weeds. *Water situation finally is getting better - they tried to make it better by piping in new water to the hotel, but instead they only made it worse by not looking at the current system and installing the incoming line to an outgoing line and the thing exploded. Oh that was fun. Then my water tank was drained and I was left without water. One week later they finally put it back to the way it was and all is well in the world. *Bedroom flooded yesterday during our first big storm of the rainy season - successfully flooded and now cleaned up. *Minor earthquake yesterday to start the day *Finished a great book called Moloka'i, a historical novel based on the life of a girl on the leper colony on the Hawaiian island. Really interesting book - now on to Over the Edge of the World about Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe. That's about it for the week, yes, all that happened in just the last week and that is pretty much life as normal here. We definitely have a lot of fun here and just try to roll with the punches here - you literally never know what might happen next. Thanks for reading! Tara *
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Toughest jobs you'll ever love...
So, I have been thinking about the Peace Corps saying, toughest job you'll ever love...well when one thinks about a job they usually think about one skill set that they need to complete a series of related tasks in a specific industry. Well, Peace Corps isn't really just a job, it is a series of many many jobs, often very difficult, that you have to learn completely on the fly (hence the tough part) in order to survive and suceed. However, the end outcome of going through these daily challenges is a very impressive life skill set that makes one feel like they can accomplish just about anything - so I've got that going for me, which is nice (Caddyshack). Let me just give you a few examples as to what I'm talking about...now all of this has happened just in the last few weeks...
1. Learning to butcher a chicken for the meal - Yesterday I was suddenly swung into the role of cook and butcher here at the hotel. Originally we had a group of only 12, so one cook is sufficient for a lunch meal for this. I like to help, so I was in the kitchen too cutting veggies and doing some prep work. Then Sara our cook told me, oh we have to kill the chicken for the meal. Ok, so I learn how to do that - Sara captures it (note...stop reading here if you are squeemish) and I grab the legs and wings and Sara goes on to break it's neck. Then we have to get the feathers off so we dunk the bird in boiling water to loosen the feathers and pluck the chicken fast so that it doesn't cool too much and the feathers get stuck again. Then Sara gets out the giant cleaver and I learn how to butcher a chicken. I had never seen/participated in the whole practice start to finish before, but I must say that it was very educational and I think as a meat eater it is important to know where your food comes from and what is involved - so a very good learning experience for me.
Anyway, so we are cooking and make chow mein for lunch (actually very traditional Guatemalan food due to the large population of Chinese immigrants here). After we served the lunch, we went on to make chuchitos. We were told there would be only 30 or so people - but there ended up to be double that amount and they told us at the LAST minute. Oh there is nothing worse for a cook than to have numbers increased at the last minute - especially with dishes that involve some time and work. Sooooo... we go ahead and kill another chicken. Chuchitos are these wonderful little snacks here, made of the corn dough that you use to make tortillas (masa), which are flattened then a little piece of chicken is put in the middle, and a bit of sauce (kind of like a mole - made with tomatoes, peppers, chile, pumpkin, and seasame seeds all ground up) and then wrapped in a leaf and steamed. Well, due to this dramatic increase in the numbers we had to start using parts of the chicken in these chuchitos that I had never tasted before - we cut up the feet, the comb, the head, the neck, the spine, EVERYTHING. When it came time to eat, I was really really hoping to get lucky and get a wing piece or something - but surprise - I got the chicken foot - maybe it's good luck. I tried it, but I guess it is an acquired taste - I'm not a big fan of steamed chicken foot. I wonder who got the comb.
Anyway so yesterday ended up being a ton of work - but fun and I learned a lot of stuff as well. We worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. cooking all day and man was I exhausted but at least I have my good friend from the community to cook with and we had some great music from the local radio station to listen to.
Ok - on to more life skills learned and practiced recently...
2. Meat smoker - yes I learned how to cure and smoke meat over an open fire for another traditional Guatemalan dish I learned how to make - Chaojin (turned out excellent)
3. Artisinal oven - This oven I made out of tin foil and wire is sure coming in handy. I got together with the Recinos women and we made a rum cake (pastel borracho) last weekend. After the cake is baked you poke holes in it with a fork, then pour in a liquid made with rum, anise, cinnimon, and sugar. Oh sooooo good!
4. Translator - both verbal and written - working on translating a huge tourism document into English for the big tourism project we have going here on the coast.
5. Teacher - teaching English in the schools here in the community - but teaching english in spanish - a little confusing at times - but we're making progress.
6. Coordinator - Trying to put the finishing touches on these grants - I just have to get 2 more things in and then it goes in front of the committee tommorrow - oh trying to round this stuff up has been a process but it will be worth it in the long run. The women in the community are super excited for their new stoves.
7. Tourism expert - This is my favorite part of my job - working with the tourism places in and around Reu trying to get out some good marketing and move forward with the promotion of the area. We're attending a tourism fair next week, sponsored by one of the big clothing designers in Guatemala - complete with a fashion show and a farmer's market - should be fun!
That is about all I can think of as far as most recently, however, other skills learned here include...
*Trail building and maintenence
*Grant writing
*Presentations (planned and unplanned)
*Ambassador (unofficial)
*Guide
*Painter
*Mason
*Interior Decorator
*Motivational Speaker
*Sign builder
*Frame maker
*Photographer
So, that is the haps here in Guatemala. I am getting excited for next week as it is the big 50th Anniversary celebration and then on to Mid Service the next week (already had my mid service medical exams and dental check - all is well(knock on wood)). Then my sister will be down after that - so I've got some fun stuff to look forward to, which always helps pass the time.
Happy St. Patty's Day! Have a green beer for me!
Cheers,
Tara
1. Learning to butcher a chicken for the meal - Yesterday I was suddenly swung into the role of cook and butcher here at the hotel. Originally we had a group of only 12, so one cook is sufficient for a lunch meal for this. I like to help, so I was in the kitchen too cutting veggies and doing some prep work. Then Sara our cook told me, oh we have to kill the chicken for the meal. Ok, so I learn how to do that - Sara captures it (note...stop reading here if you are squeemish) and I grab the legs and wings and Sara goes on to break it's neck. Then we have to get the feathers off so we dunk the bird in boiling water to loosen the feathers and pluck the chicken fast so that it doesn't cool too much and the feathers get stuck again. Then Sara gets out the giant cleaver and I learn how to butcher a chicken. I had never seen/participated in the whole practice start to finish before, but I must say that it was very educational and I think as a meat eater it is important to know where your food comes from and what is involved - so a very good learning experience for me.
Anyway, so we are cooking and make chow mein for lunch (actually very traditional Guatemalan food due to the large population of Chinese immigrants here). After we served the lunch, we went on to make chuchitos. We were told there would be only 30 or so people - but there ended up to be double that amount and they told us at the LAST minute. Oh there is nothing worse for a cook than to have numbers increased at the last minute - especially with dishes that involve some time and work. Sooooo... we go ahead and kill another chicken. Chuchitos are these wonderful little snacks here, made of the corn dough that you use to make tortillas (masa), which are flattened then a little piece of chicken is put in the middle, and a bit of sauce (kind of like a mole - made with tomatoes, peppers, chile, pumpkin, and seasame seeds all ground up) and then wrapped in a leaf and steamed. Well, due to this dramatic increase in the numbers we had to start using parts of the chicken in these chuchitos that I had never tasted before - we cut up the feet, the comb, the head, the neck, the spine, EVERYTHING. When it came time to eat, I was really really hoping to get lucky and get a wing piece or something - but surprise - I got the chicken foot - maybe it's good luck. I tried it, but I guess it is an acquired taste - I'm not a big fan of steamed chicken foot. I wonder who got the comb.
Anyway so yesterday ended up being a ton of work - but fun and I learned a lot of stuff as well. We worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. cooking all day and man was I exhausted but at least I have my good friend from the community to cook with and we had some great music from the local radio station to listen to.
Ok - on to more life skills learned and practiced recently...
2. Meat smoker - yes I learned how to cure and smoke meat over an open fire for another traditional Guatemalan dish I learned how to make - Chaojin (turned out excellent)
3. Artisinal oven - This oven I made out of tin foil and wire is sure coming in handy. I got together with the Recinos women and we made a rum cake (pastel borracho) last weekend. After the cake is baked you poke holes in it with a fork, then pour in a liquid made with rum, anise, cinnimon, and sugar. Oh sooooo good!
4. Translator - both verbal and written - working on translating a huge tourism document into English for the big tourism project we have going here on the coast.
5. Teacher - teaching English in the schools here in the community - but teaching english in spanish - a little confusing at times - but we're making progress.
6. Coordinator - Trying to put the finishing touches on these grants - I just have to get 2 more things in and then it goes in front of the committee tommorrow - oh trying to round this stuff up has been a process but it will be worth it in the long run. The women in the community are super excited for their new stoves.
7. Tourism expert - This is my favorite part of my job - working with the tourism places in and around Reu trying to get out some good marketing and move forward with the promotion of the area. We're attending a tourism fair next week, sponsored by one of the big clothing designers in Guatemala - complete with a fashion show and a farmer's market - should be fun!
That is about all I can think of as far as most recently, however, other skills learned here include...
*Trail building and maintenence
*Grant writing
*Presentations (planned and unplanned)
*Ambassador (unofficial)
*Guide
*Painter
*Mason
*Interior Decorator
*Motivational Speaker
*Sign builder
*Frame maker
*Photographer
So, that is the haps here in Guatemala. I am getting excited for next week as it is the big 50th Anniversary celebration and then on to Mid Service the next week (already had my mid service medical exams and dental check - all is well(knock on wood)). Then my sister will be down after that - so I've got some fun stuff to look forward to, which always helps pass the time.
Happy St. Patty's Day! Have a green beer for me!
Cheers,
Tara
Friday, February 25, 2011
Where Did February Go?
I know it is a cliche saying, but when they say "Time Really Flies When You're Having Fun" - well, what can I say, it's true!!! And that explains February and why it's now the 25th and this is my first blog post of the month.
This February has been by far the most awesome month of my Peace Corps experience. I've had so many fun things happen this month - I'll give you a run down of all of them....
1. My parents and our neighbors from Eau Claire came to visit for a week. What a blast we had fishing for sailfish, visiting the finca, birdwatching, and showing them the best of Guatemala!
2. Field Based Training - Training the new group of ecotourism volunteers!
3. Beach trips!
4. Two grants written and submitted
5. Long term personal planning and brainstorming
6. Talking with my sister about her wedding - which is in September!!
7. Enjoying time with 2 RPCVs from Ukraine visiting the finca
So let me begin with the first bit of February. After a few days visiting my friend Steph and helping her and her muni write a business plan I headed off to Antigua to meet my parents and friends at the airport! I couldn't believe they were actually here in Guate when they stepped out of the airport doors! We immediately jumped into the van and headed down south to Sailfish Bay Lodge on the Pacific just a few km. down from Puerto Quetzal. What an awesome time we had there - just an awesome day of fishing! Definitely the best day of fishing I have ever had in my life! We caught 25 fish total, 22 sailfish the conventional method, 2 on fly (my dad and me) and 1 dorado (which we ate sashimi style about 5 minutes after it was hauled aboard :) I have never had fish so fresh in my life - I was telling the captain that a plate of that dorado would have cost about $100 in the states - it was heaping with fresh dorado - we put a little lime, salt, and soy sauce on it and MAN that was the BEST fish I have ever had!! It was nonstop action all day on the boat - we had double and triple strikes and did our arms ever feel it the next day after bringing in 100 lb sailfish all day. The greatest thing I like about the operations in Guate is that they have a catch and release rule for the sailfish and marlin. It is a great progressive law that I hope catch on in more countries so that these epic days of fishing can be sustainable into the future. The resort was beautiful too - wonderful pool, tropical drinks (Guatemalan rum!), right on the beach, beautiful sunsets - it was pure heaven for me! Plus getting to enjoy it all with my mom and dad and show them just how great of a country Guatemala is.
After the fishing days we headed to Antigua for a brief stopover then on to the finca where I live. The family in the community that I hang out with all the time invited my parents and our friends over for a chicken lunch and we brought up a chocolate cake from Reu. It was so fun for everyone to meet - my Guatemalan and my own family from America. I am treated so well here in the community and I think it was great for my parents to find out just how cared for I am here. After a night in the community, we headed to another finca for some bird watching the next day. We had a wonderful guide who knew all of the flora and fauna of the area and even spotted some rare birds such as the Mot Mot, Highland Guan, and the Chicharra. Plus, my parents were treated to some traditional Guatemalan fare such as pepian, chuchitos, and rellenitos!
After a few more days on the coast in "my world" we headed back to Antigua for a farewell dinner and some last minute market shopping. We had a wonderful dinner at one of the best restaurants in Antigua (Panza Verde) we were down to the last day! The week just flew by and I couldn't believe it was over. They'll have to come back again! Great weather, great food, great company - it can't get much better than that!
So after that awesome week, I headed back to the community where the next group of volunteers were expected in for a few days of Field Based Training. Well, after days of preperations, beds made, hotel cleaned top to bottom, flowers put out, a series of roadblocks by protesters made it impossible to get to the community. I was so excited for them to come but it wasn't meant to be. However, the good thing was that they still wanted me to give my presentations so I found a way to get out and meet them at the new training spot and got to meet all of the new volunteers. They are a great group - super psyched to be here. It is fun remembering back to being in that position last year at this time - not knowing sites, still learning so much about working in a new culture, and trying to wrap my head around everything. Now, a year later, it is amazing what I've learned, experienced, and how much I've grown and stretched as a person. So, I had a great time with the group and can't wait for their swearing in party later in March.
What else cool - going to the beach!! I love the beach - makes me so happy to be on the beach, playing in the waves, throwing the boomerang, relaxing, eating fish, drinking a cold Gallo, wandering down to the coconut seller, and just enjoying the wonderful breezes. I think all of this time in the tropics has turned me into a tropical girl - just love it!!
On a work side - I have been getting things done as well. I just turned in my 2 grants for the big stove project. If all goes well, I should have a check sufficient enough to build 40 of the 57 stoves that we want to get built here. Each stove has turned out to cost $99. It is a bit more than I originally thought - but the tremendous health and environmental improvements will be WELL worth it. Plus, the community members will be building their own stoves - so we will building capacity at the same time and if/when the stoves need repair they will be able to do it themselves with materials that are readily and inexpensively available.
Other than that - now that I'm over the year mark I am starting to think of all sorts of fun things to get involved in once I'm done with Peace Corps. I'm thinking of grad school, starting my own tour and travel company (focused on Central and South America) and all that fun stuff.
Also, my sister is getting married in September so it has been fun to talk to her as she things of dreams and plans for her big day. I can't wait for the day to come - just wish I could be there with her as she plans and be there when she tries on wedding dresses and all of that wonderful sisterly stuff that we could do. However, thankfully with technology I feel like I can stay in the loop and she is even checking out if the bridal studio has wireless so I can be Skyped in for the try on session :) Thank you technology!!!
Life is rolling right along here - big things happening! I've got the 50th Anniversary Peace Corps party to look forward to in March and also some fun time coming up in Antigua for my mid service medical exams. Also, my sissy is coming in April - so the countdown in on!
Cheers to all and thanks for reading!
Tara
This February has been by far the most awesome month of my Peace Corps experience. I've had so many fun things happen this month - I'll give you a run down of all of them....
1. My parents and our neighbors from Eau Claire came to visit for a week. What a blast we had fishing for sailfish, visiting the finca, birdwatching, and showing them the best of Guatemala!
2. Field Based Training - Training the new group of ecotourism volunteers!
3. Beach trips!
4. Two grants written and submitted
5. Long term personal planning and brainstorming
6. Talking with my sister about her wedding - which is in September!!
7. Enjoying time with 2 RPCVs from Ukraine visiting the finca
So let me begin with the first bit of February. After a few days visiting my friend Steph and helping her and her muni write a business plan I headed off to Antigua to meet my parents and friends at the airport! I couldn't believe they were actually here in Guate when they stepped out of the airport doors! We immediately jumped into the van and headed down south to Sailfish Bay Lodge on the Pacific just a few km. down from Puerto Quetzal. What an awesome time we had there - just an awesome day of fishing! Definitely the best day of fishing I have ever had in my life! We caught 25 fish total, 22 sailfish the conventional method, 2 on fly (my dad and me) and 1 dorado (which we ate sashimi style about 5 minutes after it was hauled aboard :) I have never had fish so fresh in my life - I was telling the captain that a plate of that dorado would have cost about $100 in the states - it was heaping with fresh dorado - we put a little lime, salt, and soy sauce on it and MAN that was the BEST fish I have ever had!! It was nonstop action all day on the boat - we had double and triple strikes and did our arms ever feel it the next day after bringing in 100 lb sailfish all day. The greatest thing I like about the operations in Guate is that they have a catch and release rule for the sailfish and marlin. It is a great progressive law that I hope catch on in more countries so that these epic days of fishing can be sustainable into the future. The resort was beautiful too - wonderful pool, tropical drinks (Guatemalan rum!), right on the beach, beautiful sunsets - it was pure heaven for me! Plus getting to enjoy it all with my mom and dad and show them just how great of a country Guatemala is.
After the fishing days we headed to Antigua for a brief stopover then on to the finca where I live. The family in the community that I hang out with all the time invited my parents and our friends over for a chicken lunch and we brought up a chocolate cake from Reu. It was so fun for everyone to meet - my Guatemalan and my own family from America. I am treated so well here in the community and I think it was great for my parents to find out just how cared for I am here. After a night in the community, we headed to another finca for some bird watching the next day. We had a wonderful guide who knew all of the flora and fauna of the area and even spotted some rare birds such as the Mot Mot, Highland Guan, and the Chicharra. Plus, my parents were treated to some traditional Guatemalan fare such as pepian, chuchitos, and rellenitos!
After a few more days on the coast in "my world" we headed back to Antigua for a farewell dinner and some last minute market shopping. We had a wonderful dinner at one of the best restaurants in Antigua (Panza Verde) we were down to the last day! The week just flew by and I couldn't believe it was over. They'll have to come back again! Great weather, great food, great company - it can't get much better than that!
So after that awesome week, I headed back to the community where the next group of volunteers were expected in for a few days of Field Based Training. Well, after days of preperations, beds made, hotel cleaned top to bottom, flowers put out, a series of roadblocks by protesters made it impossible to get to the community. I was so excited for them to come but it wasn't meant to be. However, the good thing was that they still wanted me to give my presentations so I found a way to get out and meet them at the new training spot and got to meet all of the new volunteers. They are a great group - super psyched to be here. It is fun remembering back to being in that position last year at this time - not knowing sites, still learning so much about working in a new culture, and trying to wrap my head around everything. Now, a year later, it is amazing what I've learned, experienced, and how much I've grown and stretched as a person. So, I had a great time with the group and can't wait for their swearing in party later in March.
What else cool - going to the beach!! I love the beach - makes me so happy to be on the beach, playing in the waves, throwing the boomerang, relaxing, eating fish, drinking a cold Gallo, wandering down to the coconut seller, and just enjoying the wonderful breezes. I think all of this time in the tropics has turned me into a tropical girl - just love it!!
On a work side - I have been getting things done as well. I just turned in my 2 grants for the big stove project. If all goes well, I should have a check sufficient enough to build 40 of the 57 stoves that we want to get built here. Each stove has turned out to cost $99. It is a bit more than I originally thought - but the tremendous health and environmental improvements will be WELL worth it. Plus, the community members will be building their own stoves - so we will building capacity at the same time and if/when the stoves need repair they will be able to do it themselves with materials that are readily and inexpensively available.
Other than that - now that I'm over the year mark I am starting to think of all sorts of fun things to get involved in once I'm done with Peace Corps. I'm thinking of grad school, starting my own tour and travel company (focused on Central and South America) and all that fun stuff.
Also, my sister is getting married in September so it has been fun to talk to her as she things of dreams and plans for her big day. I can't wait for the day to come - just wish I could be there with her as she plans and be there when she tries on wedding dresses and all of that wonderful sisterly stuff that we could do. However, thankfully with technology I feel like I can stay in the loop and she is even checking out if the bridal studio has wireless so I can be Skyped in for the try on session :) Thank you technology!!!
Life is rolling right along here - big things happening! I've got the 50th Anniversary Peace Corps party to look forward to in March and also some fun time coming up in Antigua for my mid service medical exams. Also, my sissy is coming in April - so the countdown in on!
Cheers to all and thanks for reading!
Tara
Friday, January 28, 2011
End of January
Here I am wrapping up the month of January already! I have a lot going on in my site and I am feeling like things are falling into place here.
I have all of my stove project grant paperwork filled out except for the budget and pricing estimates as I´m waiting on my counterpart to get back to me with that information. We plan to build 57 stoves in the community so that every house will have a new stove. This will improve the health of the population immensely!
I am also so excited because my parents will be down next week! I can´t wait for them to see the country and see my site and get to know everyone that I am always talking about and get a feel for my experiences and life here in Guatemala. We are going to spend a week touring around some of my favorite parts of the country - it´s going to be a blast!
Also, there are 2 volunteers at my site and we have been able to get some good things started. We are going to paint the back comedor area of the hotel, so they were washing the walls, prepping to get started with the painting. It is so fun to have other volunteers stay at the hotel at site. It is great to be able to speak English, watch movies and just have some other people to bounce ideas off of. It really makes a difference and the days are flying by.
Other than that, I have been trying to step up my exercise routine at site and try to get up to the soccer field or do a workout DVD as often as I can. Plus, I found a gym down in town that I can get to about once a week, so that will be some luxury that I can look forward to each week.
I´ve been studying for the GRE and am starting to look into grad schools as well. I plan to go back to school either the summer or fall of 2012. It is exciting looking at the programs and possibilities. I am looking seriously at a school in Oregon and Florida. There are a couple of cool program options, one being a Masters of Arts of International Business and another is a MBA with a Global Management focus. I know that I want to keep working in the international realm when I am done or else I am thinking about maybe being a professor at a university so either way, I figure that grad school will keep these two options open to me. I just need to find a way to keep my love of travel and culture intertwined with my work life.
Today I´ve got a fun free day and in town. I´ve already enjoyed a delicious pineapple smoothie and might even have to hit up McDonalds or try to find the Mexican torta place that I always hear advertised on the radio. This is my favorite part of coming to town - the food! Oh and the shopping - even though I have a Peace Corps budget - I can always look. But before I leave, I do want to buy a cool pair of shoes down here. They have the best shoes - more like fun party shoes - but I gotta get a pair before I leave.
I´m counting down the days until my Mom and Dad get here! Can´t wait for a little vacation!
Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Tara
I have all of my stove project grant paperwork filled out except for the budget and pricing estimates as I´m waiting on my counterpart to get back to me with that information. We plan to build 57 stoves in the community so that every house will have a new stove. This will improve the health of the population immensely!
I am also so excited because my parents will be down next week! I can´t wait for them to see the country and see my site and get to know everyone that I am always talking about and get a feel for my experiences and life here in Guatemala. We are going to spend a week touring around some of my favorite parts of the country - it´s going to be a blast!
Also, there are 2 volunteers at my site and we have been able to get some good things started. We are going to paint the back comedor area of the hotel, so they were washing the walls, prepping to get started with the painting. It is so fun to have other volunteers stay at the hotel at site. It is great to be able to speak English, watch movies and just have some other people to bounce ideas off of. It really makes a difference and the days are flying by.
Other than that, I have been trying to step up my exercise routine at site and try to get up to the soccer field or do a workout DVD as often as I can. Plus, I found a gym down in town that I can get to about once a week, so that will be some luxury that I can look forward to each week.
I´ve been studying for the GRE and am starting to look into grad schools as well. I plan to go back to school either the summer or fall of 2012. It is exciting looking at the programs and possibilities. I am looking seriously at a school in Oregon and Florida. There are a couple of cool program options, one being a Masters of Arts of International Business and another is a MBA with a Global Management focus. I know that I want to keep working in the international realm when I am done or else I am thinking about maybe being a professor at a university so either way, I figure that grad school will keep these two options open to me. I just need to find a way to keep my love of travel and culture intertwined with my work life.
Today I´ve got a fun free day and in town. I´ve already enjoyed a delicious pineapple smoothie and might even have to hit up McDonalds or try to find the Mexican torta place that I always hear advertised on the radio. This is my favorite part of coming to town - the food! Oh and the shopping - even though I have a Peace Corps budget - I can always look. But before I leave, I do want to buy a cool pair of shoes down here. They have the best shoes - more like fun party shoes - but I gotta get a pair before I leave.
I´m counting down the days until my Mom and Dad get here! Can´t wait for a little vacation!
Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Tara
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
And it begins
Well, last night I had the big meeting with the community to introduce the idea of the stove project. I'm happy to say that they are very interested in it and think it would improve their quality of life greatly. So, the next steps start - filling out all the SPA (Special Project Application) with the Peace Corps and getting some funds for the project. The PC will contribute 70% and the community needs to contribute 30% so that they have a vested interest in the project. We are going to try to do somewhere around 40 stoves. So, now the hard work really begins.
Other than that yesterday I had a meeting where we are trying to put together something like a Chamber of Commerce down here on the coast. Nothing like that exists and efforts to promote the area are currently very scattered and unorganized. So, we are trying to unite as one big group and work toward the common goal of increasing tourism in this area (and what's not to love - we have archeology, beaches, tropical setting, coffee and macdamia plantations, a water park, subtropical rainforests, and so much more).
So I've got plenty to keep me busy here. I'm never for a lack of work that's for sure. Other fun things happening include the following...
*Yesterday my friend Omar, a nice little kid in the community climbed up the mango tree in the backyard and filled up a bag of the first mangos of the season. We then made a fantastic salad of sour mangos (they're still green but really good), pepitoria, salt, chile, and lime = YUM!! Put salt, chile, and lime on just about anything and it makes it better :)
*Hopefully my fight with the rats will be won soon - now I've got traps and rat poison out. Their days are numbered.
*They opened a Mexican Torta comedor (sm. restaurant) in Reu - I'm in heaven. Don't know what torta is - come visit me and I'll take you :)
That's about it for now - I've got lots of paperwork to start on but I'll keep you updated and hopefully be able to post some more pictures soon.
Cheers,
Tara
Other than that yesterday I had a meeting where we are trying to put together something like a Chamber of Commerce down here on the coast. Nothing like that exists and efforts to promote the area are currently very scattered and unorganized. So, we are trying to unite as one big group and work toward the common goal of increasing tourism in this area (and what's not to love - we have archeology, beaches, tropical setting, coffee and macdamia plantations, a water park, subtropical rainforests, and so much more).
So I've got plenty to keep me busy here. I'm never for a lack of work that's for sure. Other fun things happening include the following...
*Yesterday my friend Omar, a nice little kid in the community climbed up the mango tree in the backyard and filled up a bag of the first mangos of the season. We then made a fantastic salad of sour mangos (they're still green but really good), pepitoria, salt, chile, and lime = YUM!! Put salt, chile, and lime on just about anything and it makes it better :)
*Hopefully my fight with the rats will be won soon - now I've got traps and rat poison out. Their days are numbered.
*They opened a Mexican Torta comedor (sm. restaurant) in Reu - I'm in heaven. Don't know what torta is - come visit me and I'll take you :)
That's about it for now - I've got lots of paperwork to start on but I'll keep you updated and hopefully be able to post some more pictures soon.
Cheers,
Tara
Monday, January 10, 2011
The Haps
Today is Monday and I'm getting the week rolling again. I love that it is the 10th of January already! Now I can officially say I have been in country over a year and that makes this last year seem do-able. I was just talking to my mom on Skype thinking of all the fun things that we will do when I get back home. It is nice to have things to look forward to. However, to pass the time, I've got a couple of good projects starting down here and that will take some time and hopefully this year will fly.
As far as good news goes - my sister is engaged! I am sooooo happy for her and her fiance! They are the best people in the world and I am so excited! So, that will be fun too. I hope to be able to help her plan even though I am down here in Guate and I hope to get back to the States again too. So - with that news - what a wonderful way to start 2011! A lucky year for sure!
Other wonderful news - I am a Godmother! I was asked to be Godmother for my friends Vitalino and Pascuala's new baby! His name is Diego Javier and he was born on the Day of the Kings - January 6. He is doing well. I went down to the hospital in Reu to visit them and everyone is doing great. Pascuala came home on Saturday and I went over to visit and celebrate with the family. They had her room all decorated with balloons and crepe paper and Ramon, Vitalinos brother drew a big poster with stork on it. We celebrated with some Gallo - the official beer of Guatemala and a great dinner of beef stew and tortillas. Then, Sunday, yesterday we celebrated with a fried chicken lunch - YUM! Pascuala is lucky to be living with the Recinos - my Guatemalan family. They are all so helpful. All of the women are pitching in, helping with the washing, cooking, and just taking good care of her. I go over every day to visit.
Yesterday, being Sunday was futbol day. The new generation team played yesterday and beat San Antonio, another finca and also beat the adult team here. Way to go wiros (kids)! The kids play so hard and this is their first win since the team formed. Every time they play better and better. Also, yesterday was great as I got to eat my first mangos of the season. They are still green - but super good when they prepare them by slicing them up, putting them in a plastic bag with salt, chile, and lime. You shake it all up and it is soooo good - kind of tart - but I like that.
Tomorrow I have the big meeting with all the 40 families to kick off the stove project. I'm planning my meeting notes now and I think it will go well. It is nice to get some of the first steps rolling on this project.
Other than that - I am finally enjoying some down time in the afternoons - going up to play some soccer with the kids and reading some books. People said Peace Corps is full of down time - however- it took me about a year to finally be able to carve out this down time. And it is soooo nice! Maybe I finally have the confidence to say no to people and attend to my own needs or maybe it is because I finally have my daily life down and things that used to take me forever finally aren't taking as long. I know where to find people, who to talk to, how to work the water system, how to cook efficiently, wash efficiently, etc. So, finally finally I have some free time and I love it!! What a world of difference it makes in one's well being!
That's all for now!
Cheers!
Tara
As far as good news goes - my sister is engaged! I am sooooo happy for her and her fiance! They are the best people in the world and I am so excited! So, that will be fun too. I hope to be able to help her plan even though I am down here in Guate and I hope to get back to the States again too. So - with that news - what a wonderful way to start 2011! A lucky year for sure!
Other wonderful news - I am a Godmother! I was asked to be Godmother for my friends Vitalino and Pascuala's new baby! His name is Diego Javier and he was born on the Day of the Kings - January 6. He is doing well. I went down to the hospital in Reu to visit them and everyone is doing great. Pascuala came home on Saturday and I went over to visit and celebrate with the family. They had her room all decorated with balloons and crepe paper and Ramon, Vitalinos brother drew a big poster with stork on it. We celebrated with some Gallo - the official beer of Guatemala and a great dinner of beef stew and tortillas. Then, Sunday, yesterday we celebrated with a fried chicken lunch - YUM! Pascuala is lucky to be living with the Recinos - my Guatemalan family. They are all so helpful. All of the women are pitching in, helping with the washing, cooking, and just taking good care of her. I go over every day to visit.
Yesterday, being Sunday was futbol day. The new generation team played yesterday and beat San Antonio, another finca and also beat the adult team here. Way to go wiros (kids)! The kids play so hard and this is their first win since the team formed. Every time they play better and better. Also, yesterday was great as I got to eat my first mangos of the season. They are still green - but super good when they prepare them by slicing them up, putting them in a plastic bag with salt, chile, and lime. You shake it all up and it is soooo good - kind of tart - but I like that.
Tomorrow I have the big meeting with all the 40 families to kick off the stove project. I'm planning my meeting notes now and I think it will go well. It is nice to get some of the first steps rolling on this project.
Other than that - I am finally enjoying some down time in the afternoons - going up to play some soccer with the kids and reading some books. People said Peace Corps is full of down time - however- it took me about a year to finally be able to carve out this down time. And it is soooo nice! Maybe I finally have the confidence to say no to people and attend to my own needs or maybe it is because I finally have my daily life down and things that used to take me forever finally aren't taking as long. I know where to find people, who to talk to, how to work the water system, how to cook efficiently, wash efficiently, etc. So, finally finally I have some free time and I love it!! What a world of difference it makes in one's well being!
That's all for now!
Cheers!
Tara
Monday, January 3, 2011
Christmas and New Years!
Hello all - well it is back to work officially today after a fun few weeks of celebrating - filled with lots of dancing, music, futbol games, eating, and relaxing!
I know a lot of you are interested in learning about Christmas and New Years traditions, so I will tell you how I spent the time here.
Christmas Eve began with a big futbol tournament. Everyone headed up for a Classic Tournament - turned out the 2 teams vying for first place were 2 of the teams from the community - crazy - we only have 300 people here - but 5 futbol teams - EVERYONE plays :) The team filled with mostly members from my Guatemalan family won - but not without a fight - literally. Unfortunately, there was a discrepancy on a call and the other team literally punched the ref and they all started fighting. It was unfortunate, especially since the 2 teams were of the same community but luckily no one was seriously injured. During the awards ceremony I was asked to go up and say a few words and I just went up and took the mic and told everyone how happy I was to be in the community and to feel accepted like one of the family. And I wished them all a Merry Christmas. Impromtu speeches like that are very common here in Guate and one always has to be ready to step up and take the mic and say a few words. I really like doing it - good thing I'm not shy :)
After a bit of a rest, I went over to my family's house for the first of many tamales. Tamales are made either of rice or potatoes, usually with a piece of meat inside, topped with a type of mole, and steamed in banana leaves. They are usually eaten with white bread - a special treat. Also, we are served ponche - a delicious pinepple punch, with bits of papaya, coconut, apple, and plantains in it. Also, if you're lucky you may get a bit of rum added to it :) After some tamales, we went to the house that the Posada left off at and got ready for the final procession to the church. The kids were lighting off TONS of fireworks and we lit the torches to accompany the procession. I got to carry a torch and we walked down the cobblestone path, carrying the figures of Joseph and Mary, and entered the church. The church was decorated beautifully with the nativity scene and we held the service until midnight. At midnight, everyone started hugging each other and wishing everyone a Feliz Navidad! Then, it was time to eat more tamales! After carefully walking back to the house, in the dark and trying not to get hit by any stray fireworks, we ate more tamales, drank some more ponche with rum, and ate some cookies. What a night - finally at 2:30 a.m. or so I headed home to sleep.
And now on to New Year's! New Year's Eve was spent at another futbol tournament - 6 hours - a triangular tourney. My team won again (undefeated now for almost a year) and then it was time for more tamales! This time they were the paches - made with potatoes with chicken and chile inside. These are my favorites!! Then the sugar cane liquor was brought out - imported from Veracruz, Mexico and the celebration began! My friend Oscar took out the big speakers and we started a dance party on the patios where we dry the coffee. We danced for at least 4 hours - nonstop! All kinds of music from reggaeton to cumbia to merengue to duranguense was played. It was pretty much all family out there dancing and that made it so much fun. We rang in the New Year at midnight with more hugs and fireworks and then it was off to eat more tamales!
The next morning we woke up early to head to the beach for New Year's! I love my family - boy do they know how to have a good time! The beach was packed - but still tons of fun anyway! I spent hours playing in the big waves and even spotted some surfers out in the water. The Guatemalans are pretty conservative at the beach and they don't wear swim suits like we do in the States. They all wear shorts or pants and t-shirts or tank tops. I was a little bummed about this but went with the flow to not stick out more than I already do - and was rewarded. As I was out in the water I felt this weird thing bump into me - turns out a jellyfish had hit me and if it wasn't for my tank top - it would have stung me - so there was karma I guess. Good thing I had on my tank top.
Anyway, I had a wonderful grilled fish lunch at one of the little restaurants on the beach. I ordered the "medium fish" here - was tasty! My dad asked me what kind of fish I had and I didn't know - we order by size of fish, not by type of fish. But it sure was good!
So after a fun day at the beach, we finally made it back to the community by dark and were treated to a beautiful red sunset across the big sugarcane fields - what a perfect way to end the day!
So - now it is back to work - lots to do and lots of fun stuff coming up!
Cheers and Happy New Year! I'm off to finish up my final year now in the Peace Corps!
I know a lot of you are interested in learning about Christmas and New Years traditions, so I will tell you how I spent the time here.
Christmas Eve began with a big futbol tournament. Everyone headed up for a Classic Tournament - turned out the 2 teams vying for first place were 2 of the teams from the community - crazy - we only have 300 people here - but 5 futbol teams - EVERYONE plays :) The team filled with mostly members from my Guatemalan family won - but not without a fight - literally. Unfortunately, there was a discrepancy on a call and the other team literally punched the ref and they all started fighting. It was unfortunate, especially since the 2 teams were of the same community but luckily no one was seriously injured. During the awards ceremony I was asked to go up and say a few words and I just went up and took the mic and told everyone how happy I was to be in the community and to feel accepted like one of the family. And I wished them all a Merry Christmas. Impromtu speeches like that are very common here in Guate and one always has to be ready to step up and take the mic and say a few words. I really like doing it - good thing I'm not shy :)
After a bit of a rest, I went over to my family's house for the first of many tamales. Tamales are made either of rice or potatoes, usually with a piece of meat inside, topped with a type of mole, and steamed in banana leaves. They are usually eaten with white bread - a special treat. Also, we are served ponche - a delicious pinepple punch, with bits of papaya, coconut, apple, and plantains in it. Also, if you're lucky you may get a bit of rum added to it :) After some tamales, we went to the house that the Posada left off at and got ready for the final procession to the church. The kids were lighting off TONS of fireworks and we lit the torches to accompany the procession. I got to carry a torch and we walked down the cobblestone path, carrying the figures of Joseph and Mary, and entered the church. The church was decorated beautifully with the nativity scene and we held the service until midnight. At midnight, everyone started hugging each other and wishing everyone a Feliz Navidad! Then, it was time to eat more tamales! After carefully walking back to the house, in the dark and trying not to get hit by any stray fireworks, we ate more tamales, drank some more ponche with rum, and ate some cookies. What a night - finally at 2:30 a.m. or so I headed home to sleep.
And now on to New Year's! New Year's Eve was spent at another futbol tournament - 6 hours - a triangular tourney. My team won again (undefeated now for almost a year) and then it was time for more tamales! This time they were the paches - made with potatoes with chicken and chile inside. These are my favorites!! Then the sugar cane liquor was brought out - imported from Veracruz, Mexico and the celebration began! My friend Oscar took out the big speakers and we started a dance party on the patios where we dry the coffee. We danced for at least 4 hours - nonstop! All kinds of music from reggaeton to cumbia to merengue to duranguense was played. It was pretty much all family out there dancing and that made it so much fun. We rang in the New Year at midnight with more hugs and fireworks and then it was off to eat more tamales!
The next morning we woke up early to head to the beach for New Year's! I love my family - boy do they know how to have a good time! The beach was packed - but still tons of fun anyway! I spent hours playing in the big waves and even spotted some surfers out in the water. The Guatemalans are pretty conservative at the beach and they don't wear swim suits like we do in the States. They all wear shorts or pants and t-shirts or tank tops. I was a little bummed about this but went with the flow to not stick out more than I already do - and was rewarded. As I was out in the water I felt this weird thing bump into me - turns out a jellyfish had hit me and if it wasn't for my tank top - it would have stung me - so there was karma I guess. Good thing I had on my tank top.
Anyway, I had a wonderful grilled fish lunch at one of the little restaurants on the beach. I ordered the "medium fish" here - was tasty! My dad asked me what kind of fish I had and I didn't know - we order by size of fish, not by type of fish. But it sure was good!
So after a fun day at the beach, we finally made it back to the community by dark and were treated to a beautiful red sunset across the big sugarcane fields - what a perfect way to end the day!
So - now it is back to work - lots to do and lots of fun stuff coming up!
Cheers and Happy New Year! I'm off to finish up my final year now in the Peace Corps!
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