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
Friday, September 24, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
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!
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!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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.
Friday, August 20, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, August 16, 2010
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!
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!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
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!
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!
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