Thanksgiving

This was one of the best Thanksgivings ever. Despite my bad cold that left me bed ridden for a few days, I was well enough by Thanksgiving to shop and prepare dinner all day long. My friends and I decided to cook for our host families and share this U.S. tradition. Between the 4 of us and our families, we had to prepare for 20 people. The food was strange for our familes, but they ate all of it down to the bones of the Turkey. Before we ate, everyone went around the room and said one thing they were greatful for. I have never done that in the U.S. so I felt like we really captured the spirit of giving thanks, family, and friends.

Mi Vida en Xela

It will be three months this weekend that I have been in Guatemala. I have a return ticket back to the U.S. for Decebmer 16th. But as many of you know, i´m not coming back...just yet. I can´t come back, I´m not ready, nor have I accomplished my goal. As my return date approached, I kept thinking about how could I stay longer. I can´t leave just yet. And then, there it happened, an unexpected opportunity was presented to me that would help me stay longer. The school´s student coordinator was going on vacation for 5 weeks and needed someone to work in the office in her place. She takes registration, conducts orientation for new students, and translates conferences. The thought of translating scares the crap out of me, but i´m going to do it anyway. For me the best way to learn is by doing, so i´m just going for it. My biggest fear is having people see me fuck up. So i´m just going to suck it up and accept that fact that i will make mistakes. I graciously accepted the job and I begin this Wednesday. Now for almost 5 weeks of work, i will get paid about Q2,600 which is roughly $350. So i´m not doing it for the fame and glory, but for the experience. So sorry friends and family, no Christmas gifts this year. Though i will be brining back burnt CDs of Guatemala´s hottest club singles. Thats the best i can do with my budget, but hey they really get the party started! I have a life here. My Guatemalan sister, Maria Jose, turned nine last week and there was a birthday party. Her mom made a cake with a cute clown in the center. After she blew out the candles her mom told her to kiss the clown and when she did, her mom pushed her face into the center of the cake. it was pretty hilarious and Maria Jose is such a good sport she just laughed it off. A good friend of mine at school had a dinner to celebrate the first day of Hannukah. I am taking a few salsa lessons and once a week I sing with my favorite teacher. My salsa teacher is a trip and constantly reminds me that my hands and arms are flowers and i must use them to "shine." Each dance move has a cleaver name, usually an animal..."El delphin, cobra, or conejo (rabbit)" I am really enjoying being a student again with no real responsibilities, though that will change once i start my job. Lately i have found myself questioning why I am here. sometimes i wake up and realize that i am currently living in Guatemala... how crazy is that? I often think that I didn´t come here to just learn Spanish, there is something else that has called me here.

Election Day November 4

(Written by my friend Katy Lynch) November 4th is a very special day in Guatemala. It is the presidential elections. The first elections this year held on Sept 16th, but since no candidate had a clear majority, the two top candidates now participate in runoffs, which are today. They are Otto Perez Molina of the Partido Patriota, who was active in the oppressive military regime of the civil war. His motto is "Mano Dura", rule with a hard first. Alvaro Colom of the Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza Guatemala, who is associated with narco-trafficing and also a total sell-out from the leftist party. So, much like in the US, there is not much of a choice. But tonight we should know the results. (Colom) won. An interesting fact about the election policy here is that yesterday, Saturday, the day before the election and today, the day of the election, the sale of alcohol is prohibited. We only realized this when we tried to go dancing last night and found EVERY bar and club closed. The law is designed to ensure that people are making clear decisions and to prevent violence.

Alicia Keys

So my favorite artist is coming out with a new album this week. who is gonna get it for me and send it? Kinda bummed i won´t be able to get it down here the day it comes out. it would be a great christmas gift...hint, hint!

La Cantante

This past week, I requested to study with the teacher that is also the school guitar player and singer. He is known for teaching students songs and he often helps students prepare music for graduation. I wanted to learn songs of protest. Not only did I learn songs but we sang together. He is the first person I have ever formally sang an entire song in front of. He said he would help me prepare a song to sing for my graduation in January (if i want). Can you believe it? I MAY actually sing for the first time in front of people (in Spanish ofcourse) and none of my friends or family will be there. Maybe it is better that way. He is a wonderful teacher and person. He made me laugh everday and I definately love a guy that can make me laugh. So inevitably I formed a slight crush. Not the kind of crush were you want to "make out" and have like ten thousand of his babies, but the kind that you just enjoy their presence and look forward to saying hello to them everyday. I found it pretty cool that he has a daughter my age that is studying medicine in Cuba on a scholarship. This program in Cuba is designed to graduate doctors that will go and work in poor communities all over Central and South America. Speaking of crushes, I have come to have an unspoken relationship with a family of kids I walk by everyday. Its so simple, I´m not sure how to explain it. It began with the eldest daughter (maybe about 13 or 14 years old?) She is Maya (i can tell by the traditional dress she wears) and everyday we smile at eachother. She has (i think) 3 siblings, if i were to guess...the next eldest girl is 9, another girl 4 and a boy age 2 or 3. Walking by the restaurant, smiling at the children and having them smile back at me, has been a high light of my daily routine for weeks now, especially with the eldest one. This past week the eldest was standing on the side walk close enough for me to say "Good morning, how are you?" and she replyed "Good and you?" After weeks of no talking we finally exchanged words. It was a special moment for me.

El Dia De Los Muertos

November 1st was the "The Day of The Dead" (or Saints) It is a day to remember and celebrate loved ones who have died. It is a pretty big deal here in Guatemala. Families go to cemetary and literally hang out. Some families bring food, there are vendors all over selling flowers, it is tradition for kids to fly kites, and i purchased a bag of cotton candy in the cemetary. There was laughter and kids playing everywhere. Here is a picture. The cemetary was beautiful and completely covered in fresh flowers. So many flowers you could barley see the graves. Most of the tombs are above ground.

Para Don Pedro

Go to my friends blog to read the story of a man that survived 15 days of torture by the army. The school sponsered a conference so he could tell his story.
http://kagisolechibuku.livejournal.com/

The Beach "Playa Tilapa"

Hey, never knew what "mangroves" was until now. Check out the cool way the trees, roots, and shrubs grow.

Went to beach this weekend. The first photo is the entrance to our hotel. We had to take a small boat to get to there. It was a long trip (about 5 hours) on two very crowded buses. A school bus with at least 3 people to a seat bumping bachata and reggaeton music. It made it very hard for me to study. Not sure why, but we were the only ones on the entire beach. It was freaking hot!!! And the waves were so strong we could barley swim without the threat of drowning. One room with two double beds 75Q or 10 dollars for the night, one pineapple smoothie in a plastic bag for 5Q or about 70 cents, a boat tour of the beautiful mangroove 30Q or $4 per person, one fish dinner and 3 beers 50Q....not catching a parisite or having diarrea...priceless.

Viva la Mujer

This picture is hanging in a union office here in Xela. Though it was pretty cool.

Las Fuentes Georginas

Sunday, October 21, I went to these natural hot springs called Las Fuentes Georginas. It was like being in a gigantic jaccuzi but without the bubbles. Ok, so maybe not so much like a jaccuzi but a huge hot bath in the middle of the forest... very relaxing and steemy. Spanish is still coming along slowly. I am able to say things like "kidnapped, tortured, army, vicious cycle, illiteracy, and justice" but can´t say everyday things like "Have you seen that movie that came out last week, I would like to go with my friends?"My friend this week caught a parisite and had to go to the doctor to have her stool sampled. Not so much fun for her! I had a small infection in my eye and had to wear my glasses all week. I´m amazed at how i don´t miss home and how i´m not tired of eating eggs, beans, and bread everynight. I don´t eat for pleasure as much as I used to. The school and teachers here are awesome! I look forward to meeting a new teacher everyweek. They are activists, feminist, artisits, they are former nurses, psycologists, guerillas, survivors of the war. My little host sister this week was watching the Disney movie "High School Musical" dubed in Spanish. Teaching english to middle school kids has been a lot of fun. For our last class, we played games the whole time, pictionary, musical chairs, and red light green light. This Wednesday is graduation for the kids so i will not be teaching anymore. Kids are the same all across the world. In my class of 8 students, I had "the comedian" who had something to say about everything and would get bored with the simplicity of learning "Hi, my name is Daniel", I had the "I´m so smart, i know every answer, i will correct the teacher and sit in the front row everyday, be cute and wear an adorable sweater" kid. The kid that would always show up late, the kid that always wanted to be picked first, The kid that needed help everytime you called on them and you hoped they would answer correctly without another students blurting out the answer or trying to whisper in their ear. The kid that didn´t like to be called on but secretly did because kids can like being the center of attention sometimes. i´ll remember their energy, smiles, and how they never could really say the words "girl, forest, or favorite."

El Veinte De Octubre 1944

Saturday October 20, I participated in a march/demonstration to celebrate the Revolution of October 20, 1944. "Dia de la Revolucion." This day has several meanings, but in particular to remember the tens years of social reform, democracy, and hope during the years of 1944-1954. In October 1944 the people organized to overthrow the facist dictator Jorge Obico. Ubico allowed massive foreign investment, particularly enabling the United Fruit Company (which has now dissolved into Chiquita, Dole and Del Monte). He also allowed foreign ownership of the largest electric company and railroads. The two new presidents were dedicated to agarian reform or the redistribution of land to the people because about 70% of the land was owned by 2.2% of the richest people. The revolution of 1944 brought into power Arevalo and Arbenz Guzman who sought to change this system of campesino servitude and unequal land distribution. During this time, Social Security system was started, 860,000 acres of land was redistributed to 100,00 families, for the first time (and last time since) education received the most federal funds, followed by health and housing. These policies, particularly around land distribution, were perceived as such a threat to US foreign investment that the CIA launched a complete overthrow of this government. Of course, in 1954, the reasons were disguised as --the threat of communism-- in Central America. In reality, the elected presidents were not communist, and their political tendencies were more center than left. The CIA intevention, OPERATION PBSUCCESS, installed Casillo Armas, who was followed by several horrible miliary dictators, including the infamous Rios Montt. (please excuse the lack of info here). In 1960 the country entered a civil war, which lasted until the signing of the Peace Accords in 1996. This 36 year period was marked by genocide and continued oppression. 200,000 (probably more, estimates vary) people were killed, 55,000 disappeared and 1.5 million displaced. Entire towns, entire families, and innumerous social leaders were destroyed. A strong guerrilla movement was built up during this time with support from the international community and sympathetic countries. It has only been 11 years since the signing of the Peace Accords, which brough an end to the legalized violence, but did not do much to change the social conditions of the country. More people die on a daily bases now then during the war, however people are dying because of poverty, hunger, and violent acts. Since this time, people here have been trying to accualize the promises made in the Accords. In 1999, a referendum of the people demanded that these so called Accords, be made into law. However, due to perceptions that this would allow legal reverse-discrimination, nothing was changed. People look back on the Revolution as a time of hope, prosperity and possibility. However, this event also brings up the roots of the civil war which the country is still recovering from. For more info go to the wikipedia link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_Guatemalan_coup_d

Hot Chocolate

I had a pretty low key weekend. Friday night i went dancing, ofcoarse. Found the same guy that flipped me the friday before. He showed me some new moves. I received an apology from Sergio for being stupid last weekend. He asked me if I would like to hang out again...no drinking this time. We drank hot chocolate and played chess for a few hours at a local café. He´s a nice person and great salsa dancer so I gave him another chance. Sunday evening i went to the movies and saw "The Messangers." Typical horror movie with bad acting. It cost 25 Q or about $3.2. Took what they call the "micro bus" for 1 quetzal or about 15 cents to the mall. The movie was in english with spanish subtitles. A pretty cool project is being coordinated at the cultural center next door. They are trying to put on the vagina monolouges and recruit women in the community to talk about their experiences and write. HELLO! This is so up my ally. I talked to one of the other American students that is going to coordinate it to see if i can help out. The first meeting will take place in November.

Time

Time exists and passes differenly here. My life in the U.S. seems so far away. Its a bit heavy on the soul being here because i´m not just learning a language, i´m learning history, and listening to many stories. Though it has been almost 4 weeks, I feel like I have known my "new" friends for a lot longer than a month. Im learning how to talk all over again and often stumble over my words. People are very open about their lives and pain here, men fall in love quickly, and things often get lost in translation. A fun exercise I did in class last week was telling my teacher about Eddie Murphy´s movie "Coming to America" in Spanish. It was pretty cool..."Habia una vez un príncipe de Africa... or There was a prince from Africa...." This past friday night, I danced so much Salsa I often couldn´t catch my breath. And for the first time ever my dance partner flipped me off the ground during a turn. It was pretty scary but I went with it! On Sunday afternoon, my friends and I met up with a few Guatemalan guys we met at Kokolocos (bar/club). We met at Parque Central which is the Center of Town. There is a huge festival going on every weekend for the month of October to celebrate the Virgin Mary. We met for a few drinks, talked, and practiced our spanish. But by the end of the evening, one amigo named Sergio, had a few too many cervezas (beers) and tried to kiss me several times. He´s a cute guy but not so much drunk. The night ended early around ten thirty cuz i had class in the morning.
This October is the 40th anniversary of Ernesto Ché Guevara´s death/murder. So i´m learning more about him, his life, and views. Tonight the school is having an activity in his memory. "La revolución no se lleva en los labios para vivir de ella, se lleva en el corazon para morir por ella." -Ché. (Do not live for the revolution and carry her in your lips (words) carry the revolution in your heart and die for her) Again...the meaning of the quote gets lost in translation...sorry! Does anyone want a T-shirt of Ché wearing a t-shirt of Ché? Ha! Those Che fans know what I mean. Till next time. much love

Nuevo Amanecer

This past Saturday I visited a community made up of 182 people called "Nuevo Amanecer" or "New Dawn."A community of former refugees that had to flee to Mexico to escape persecution, torture, or death. As I stated a few weeks ago the worst years of the civil war were in the early 1980´s. This is when the majority of the massacres occured and it was very dangerous to organize, assembly, or speak against the government. I got to hear the story of how this community formed and the story of a man named Don Pedro and his son, Amaro. Don Pedro was a leader in his community and of many cooperatives. He helped organize a campaign to request affordable and better prices for food and supplies (such as chemical fertilizer). Everyday necesities so people can survive. He was kidnapped and tortured for 15 days without food or water by the army. Upon his return, he and his famliy secretly and illegally fled to Mexico in fear of further harm or possible death. His wife and children had to carry his broken, bruised body to Mexico, because the torture made it impossible for him to walk. In Mexico the refugees faced several challenges. For one, Guatemala news spread the idea that those seeking asylum were wild, violent people and two since they didn´t have documentation so many children couldn´t attend school. The Catholic (Mexican) church played a significant role in helping families get documentation and helped families return to Guatemala 15 years later in July 1998. It took two 1/2 years to build the community Nuevo Amanecer. Don Pedro noted that the government has not responed to the needs of refugees, nor is there any political will to help the poor. The construction of the community and purchase of land was made possible by donations, the church, international support, and by "knocking door to door" in search of anyone that can assist. Nuevo Amanecer does produce its own honey and is trying to get a market and space to sell their product but has not yet done so. Honey is sold at the school and it is the best honey i have ever had. A jar cost 20Q or $2.60.
Don Pedro´s son, Amaro, was eight years old when he and his family left for Mexico. By age 10 he was learning about the political climate in his country and by age 20 Amaro returned to Guatemala to join the guerilla forces "ORPA" later to form the "URNG." These revolution groups made it a point not only to fight but to educate. So they were in the refugee camps in Mexico teaching people about the situation back home. Imagine the trama of seeing your father near death and having to leave your home. What were you doing at age 20?
Remember that from 1954 till mid 80s Guatemala was ruled by a serious of militant dictators. The guerilla forces formed as a direct response to the oppression, injustices, and genocide carried out by the government (which the U.S. supported and sent funding). The leaders of the guerilla forces were actually ex-military that did not agree witht the government. Amaro´s guerilla name was Ronald. He spoke of the hard times living in the mountains and in the woods. Men and woman worked together fighting, gathering food, hiking, and training. Times were very difficult during the four years Amaro lived in the mountains. Sometimes there was nothing to eat, they sleept on the ground with nothing but a tarp to layer the ground, if it rained they slept in their clothes soaking wet, they watched each other die and suffer with the vision of one day changing the state of the country. They had no pay or salary just the promise of change and hope of justice. Amaro made sure to point out that "a gun does not make a guerilla, a gun does not change a country..." so the revolutionary forces made sure to educate each other and the people. They taught each other how to read, write, they taught each other politics, history..so they knew who the are.. past, present, future. Amaro talked about responsibility. His responsibity to people, to humans, to his brothers and sisters. And this responsibility ignites his motivation to serve and to speak the truth about what happened here so that we don´t forget. He ended his story with a simple line "If only these mountains could speak because they have seen and lived the suffering of the war." Amaro often places his hand on his chest, right over his heart when he speaks and this is how I will remember him.

Sucky Day

This Tuesday was the worse day ever for learning Spanish. I was so unbelievably (i know i cant spell) fustrated with direct objects, reflexive pronouns, congegating verbs present, past, future, irregular verbs and words....AAARRGGGG!!! I really started to tear up in the middle of a lecture. My teacher got a little freaked out yet still continued to try and teach me. I felt like saying...just let me be. But she insisted that I cheer up. I called many people to try and vent...but most of you didn´t pick up. Pick up your freaking phones!!!! Thanks Bonnie! It is so fustrating being Puerto Rican and not being able to speak Spanish! My friend, Vida, from Brookly, NY is also Puerto Rican and is going through the same thing. So we have been able to talk about that and connect on this issue. Oh and my favorite part of the day was when a dog pissed on my head. i was walking down the street and there was a dog peeing off the roof. I thought it was starting to rain...but no...dog piss! Last night I went to a bar and had a couple of glasses of red wine with my friend Kati (her real name is Caitlin). We had the same waitor as last week. He remembered us. He is from Belize and speaks fluet English and Spanish. Most people from Belize are of African descent and speak English (i think, that is what someone told me) Before we left he asked me for my number and if we can hang out on friday. So here I am in Central America surrounded by Latinos and the first person to ask me out is a brotha ofcoarse!

This Week´s Fun Facts

-Today, October 1, is a national holiday "Dia de los niños" A day to celebration children. Kids are given special treatment and a party at school.
-My friend Vida and I went looking for facial cleanser and continued to tell the guy at the counter that we wanted "Sopa para la cara" he gave us a blank stare then we realized we where asking for soup for the face.
-Solid bowel movements...Hurray!
-Carlos Peña of Guatemala won Latin American Idol
-My teacher and I went to "La Cafè La Luna" Friday afternoon for class and drank hot chocolate. La luna means the moon.
-Every friday night there is a graduation dinner for students finishing up their classes. This is a picture of us cooking, ok so i just chopped some veggies. See that big pot of water and veggies? my friends host Mom put a few drops of Clorox in there to kill germs....yummy!

Check out the beautiful hand made scarfs and fabrics Maria Lopez is selling. She is wearing traditional dress of Maya women. She is Quichè and tried to teach me and my friends a few words in Quichè.

Hike

Though I am out of shape and the hike up was difficult, I am thankful for my body and its ability to do such things. Take care of your body so that it can take you to beautiful places like this.

Laguna Chikobal

At the center of the mountain/volcano was a sacred lake. Human beings are not allowed to swim or go into this lake. This lake is believed to have positive energy and be connected to the Pacific ocean. There was a Maya ceremony of the "Mam" people going on while we walked along the lake. The "Mam" are the second largest Maya group. "Quichè" are the largest. There was music and they were in a circle with the spiritual guides in the center. I felt rude walking by their ceremony, but our guide, Amaro, said it was ok. We sat on a small beach area, you can see up ahead in the photo. There we ate our lunch and Amaro talked about his experience in the guerilla forces. He spoke about sleeping in the forest, going without food, but being a part of a just cause. He spoke of his father and how his father was a leader in his community and a leader of the Catholic church. His father was taken and tortured for ten days by the military and survived. He remembers being eight years old and seeing his dad covered from head to toe in blood and bruises. Amaro made a point to say that this part of Guatemalan history is not taught in school, so there are many people who are unware of the massacres and stories of people like he and his father. Amaro told a moving story, but what stood out to me was his love and dedication to God. He spoke of his spirit and how we need to thank God for everything we have. God has provided us with all we need, just look around. His spirituality has given him strength, love, and a full heart which can not be filled with material riches. After he told his story, somehow we began to chat one on one about life, God, and people. Its amazing how we come in contact with so many people and never know their story. It was a clear sky that morning and the lake was perfectly still. From behind the forest, a massive body of fog began to move over the trees and toward the lake. It moved quickly and seemed to move as if it had a spirit, a purpose. I have never seen anything like it in my life. Within ten to fifteen minutes the fog covered the entire lake falling on us like a soft blanket. I was in awe...and yet completly annoyed at the chatter going on in the background from our group of "tourist." I walked to a quiet spot, underneath a tree to watch the fog move so smoothly. There I weeped (just a little) wiped my tears with the scarf around my waist, and wished I had a friend with me.

La Cancion Protesta

This week I attended a conference on political songs of protest. It was interesting and lead by one of the teachers. Every conference is conducted in Spanish and translated into English. Songs of protest were used to denounce or speak against an oppressive government, to propose solutions and to honor those who have died. There was a time when singing particular songs were illegal in Central and South America and many artists were killed for their music. One artist I learned about was Violetta Parra of Chile. We listened to the music of Victor Jarra who was tortured and assasinated in September 1973. His captors beat his hands and told him to "play your guitar now."He was a firm believer in not singing just to sing, but singing with a purpose and vision. He is well known for the song "Te recuerdo Amanda" or "I remember you, Amanda." It is about two factory workers in love, but they are too busy with work to be together. In the 1970s, Ali Rafael Primera of Venezuela, died in an "accident" but it is beleived that the accident was really an assasination. We listened to his song "Casas de Cartón." It is about people and children that live on the street in cardboard "houses" while the dogs of rich people go to school. Here is a verse: "Qué triste se oye la lluvia en los techos de cartón: qué triste vivi mi gente en las casas de cartón...mira que pesa el sufrir...hoy es lo mismo que ayer, es un mundo sin mañana..." Translation: "how said to hear the rain fall on the cardboard roofs, how said to see my people in these cardboard houses...the weight of suffering...today is the same as yesterday, a world without tomorrow." And Carlos and Luis Mejía are known for "Liberation Theory" in their music. They sing about injustice and about God being a passive participant in life. They refer to Jesus, not as a savior, but as a revoluntionary that fought against the Roman empire and who fought for the oppressed. The main theme I got from the conference was that you can kill the people, but not the message, ideology, or vision.

Thursday

During the class break I went to the roof of the school to rest with other students. Around 11am it was warm and sunny. Its now 5pm, raining and freaking chilly. Its the rainy season and pretty typical for this time of year. Today, in the center of town, began the celebration of the Virgin Mary. It will be a month long celebration. Yesterday I purchased two beautiful scarfs from a women selling hand made products on the street for 20 quetzales (Q) each which is about $2.6 each. Here one american dollar is equal to about 7.6 Q. My host family receives 300 Q per week for my room and board (about $40 a week) An ice cream cone is 5 Q or 65 cents, cup of hot chocolate is 7 Q or 95 cents, class of wine is 15Q or $2 and the minimun wage is about 40Q a day or $5 a day. I have only been here eleven days but I am very overwhelmed. Class is intense and i´m getting more information then I can retain. My brain hurts! Learning another language in 3 months is a daunting task and I fear that I will not be able to do it. I´m feeling a little discouraged. Today I left class early to take a nap. The cultural center next door was looking for volunteers to teach english to neighborhood children. I went to meet the students and observe the class yesterday. I soon became an active participant and will be taking over the class with my friend Kati next week. The kids are a lot of fun and I´m sure I will enjoy it for the next few weeks. I will be teaching twice a week for an hour and a half. There are about 8 kids in the class.

Phone Calls

I set up a Skype account at www.skype.com where I can make phone calls on a computer to the US for 2 cents a minute. I plan to make phone calls every Sunday by going to an internet café. If you have a computer you can set up a skype account and phone calls computer to computer are free. Leave your name, number, and a good time to reach ya if you want me to give you a call on Sunday. I also purchased a cell phone here for $25. In case of emergency my cell number is 40253653. Peace

San Fransico

This photo was taken by my friend, Vida. 3 girls that live in a town called San Fransico. The school went on a trip this past Saturday to this town. It is about an hour and a half away. I learned a little bit about this collective community and about the culture and spirit of Mayan people. The leader of the community looked up my birth date in the Mayan calendar. My birthdate is represented by the number 10 and the bee or wasp. The past of my birthdate is the number 2 and the rabbit and my future is represented by the number 5 and the spider.

Bridge

Another photo for ya. One of the quotes written on the walls of the school is ¡Un pueblo con hambre, es un pueblo sin paz! A country that is hungry is a country without peace.

Here is a picture of one of the streets in Xela. This week I have a new teacher,Teresa. Classes are instructed only in Spanish. It is one on one instruction for 5 hours a day. Class is from 8am-1pm. And someone asked if my host family knows any English...that would be a big..NO. I´m still getting used to brushing my teeth with bottled water and throwing all toilet paper in a trash can.

First Week

On Sunday, Ingrid met me at the airport and accompanied me to Xela. I made sure not to drink anything because I knew there would be no rest room breaks during this long drive. On the bus we talked about poverty, min wage, gangs, organized crime and later found out that Ingrid was a member of the UNRG. I was extremely disatified with the fact that my poor Spanish skills kept me from understanding her story.
Every Monday the school, Proyecto Linguistico Quetzalteco de Español (PLQE), holds orientation for new students. PLQE is a socially conscious institution and one of their goals is to educate people about the history and current social and political situation of Guatemala. They hold conferences each week were community members give lectures around particular topics such as child labor, immigration, distribution of land etc. All profits are donated to support local community projects. For example the cultural center next door gives children the opportunity to take art classes or a scholarship program so children can attend middle and high school. Here, education is free only through elementary school.
My home is about a five minute walk from the school. My parents are Carmen and Hector. I found this to be special because my grandmothers name is Carmen and my fathers name was Hector. They have two daughters Luz Cecilia (16yrs) and Maria Jose (8yrs). They both greated me with smiles and my first night there Maria Jose showed me all of her school books and family pictures. I´m looking forward to the party we are planning next week to watch the final episode of Latin American Idol. A Guatemalan young man is in the final two.
Shesnarda (my teacher) and I meet every day from 2-7pm. She is wonderful! Learning Spanish is often put aside when we go off on tangents about life and politics. Really though, she talks and I listen.
I´ve made a couple friends, two young women from the states. One is from New York and the other from the west coast..Portland and LA area. We meet every night around 8:15 to walk around town, go to a bar and have a drink. The other night we went to a bar/restaurant called "La Fonda del Ché." They identify with Ernesto Ché´Guevara and his dream of having a united Latin America. They had an awesome live band "Sentimiento Andino" which is Andean Folk. I hope to purchase their CD before I leave.

Very Brief History of Guatemala

Before I talk about my experiences, i want to give very brief history/info so you have some understanding of the social and political climate of the country. Especially since i know many of you reading this have no Guatemalan history. I apologize for the simplicity of this telling. The country is about 60% Mayan with 22 differ languages. After the Spanish invasion of 1521 about 2/3 of the Mayan population was killed and wiped out. September 15, 1821 Guatemala gained independance from Spain. There was a huge U.S. influence in the 1800s. By 1920 the United Fruit Company owned 75% of the usuable land, owned railroads, ports, & electric companies. So clearly the ownership of Guatemala was not held by the people. In Oct 1944 there was a massive uprising to overthrow the dictator. Teachers played a huge role in organizing, protesting, and winning this movement. Over the next decade, which was also during time of cold war, propoganda spread and anyone with differ views from government were considered a communist. This fear of communism led U.S. to beleive Guatemala was a "threat" to U.S. and in 1954 the CIA funded a coup d´etat to overthrow the government. This began 36 years of civil war. November 1960 was the first guerilla uprising, but the government was able to put an end to this. In 1980 several guerilla groups came together to form one united group called Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca or URNG. The 1970s-1980s were the worst years. Union leaders, activits, professors, school teachers, student leaders, Catholics, were assasinated or kidnapped to get rid of any people even suspected of organizing or speaking against the government. From 1978-1982 a military tactic called "tierra arrasada" or scorched earth was implemented. Over 500 masacres occured killing mostly Mayan men, women, and children. The U.S. government funded and trained Guatemalan officials during this time period. The U.S. military training school in Georgia then known as "The School of the Americas" and today known as "Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation" was a school to equip and train leaders of Latin America. During the 1960´s it changed its focus to train "counterinsurgency in order to prevent communism from spreading." It is beleived that military tactics taught violated human rights laws and that the leaders that carried out the massacres attended the school. In 1996 A Peace Agreement was signed to end the civil war. Although a peace accord is on paper, not much has changed for the people of Guatemala. Poverty, illitercy, and violence are still prevelant. With all that said, this November are the presidential elections. The two candidates left are right wing conservative and one is a military official that attended "The school of the Americas" and took part in the "tierra arrasad" in the 70s and 80s.

i´m here in Xela

just sending a quick note that i made it! i landed in Guatemala city around 2pm and took a four hour bus ride to Xela. I had orientation this morning and will meet my host family this afternoon. I stayed in a hotel last night, which was more like a hostel. It was freaking chilly last night, due primarly to the fact that we are so high up, about 8,000 feet in the mountains. I had a roomate. A nice fellow from Sweden who just finished his PhD in chemical engineering. He is traveling and working on his 3rd language. I´ll write more later. But overall very excited about being here. peace

First Journal Entry

Despite ‘the breakup,’ I have truly enjoyed life the past few months. This summer has been filled with unexpected miracles. I connected with old faces, made new friends, and went out every weekend. I chose not to sit on the couch after work everyday, watch TV and slowly rot my brain. My proudest moment was when I made a decision that normally would have scared the shizit out of me. I quit my job, moved out of my apartment, and decided to study abroad without knowing where I would go or how I would pay for it. In that moment, that leap of faith, everything was taken care of without me even knowing it. I needed a place to stay and I was given a home, I needed money and it came from people I didn’t know were paying attention, and I needed support and I was given my own cheerleading team (metaphorically speaking ofcoarse). Yeah, some may think it was easy because I have no kids or a mortgage…there is some truth to that. But those who know me know what it meant to do this and how I have changed over the years.
I’ve also learned a lot this summer. The more I am myself the more people are drawn to me, I don’t need to pretend. I’ve learned that you usually don’t receive from the same places you give. So give without expecting something in return. Although my mother was not able to take care of me or be the woman I’ve always wanted, I have acquired several ‘moms’ along the way. “It takes a village to raise a child.” And just when I thought there are more ignorant, assholes in this world than good people, I witness a simple act of brilliance that makes me believe again that people really are good at heart.
Thanks to all my peoples for your support: Family in Waterbury & Rocky Hill, RC folks, The WPI admissions office, and the crew holding it down in Worcester (aka Woosta) Hadley, Bonnie, Caroline, Joi, Dalya, and The DeCaro’s. Shout outs to my favorite going away gifts: the mosquito repellent key chain and my office card listing “The 10 Lessons I’ve learned from Tiana.” Special thanks to the psychic that told me I wasn’t living up to my potential, because that gave me a kick in the butt to do something. Although I highly doubt her other predictions will come true. I wonder if I could get my money back if they don’t? Hasta Luego for now. I’ll be thinking of you in Guatemala! Con Amor, Tiana

Paulo Coelho- By The River Piedra I Sat Down & Wept

The more we love, the closer we come to spiritual experience. Those who are truly enlightened, those whose souls are illuminated by love, have been able to overcome all of the inhibitions and preconceptions of their era. They have been able to sing, laugh, and to pray out loud; they have danced and shared what Saint Paul called "the madness of saintliness." They have been joyful-because those who love, conquer the world and have no fear of loss. True love is an act of total surrender.
This book is about the importance of that surrender. Pilar and her companion are fictitious, but they represent the many conflicts that beset us in our search for love. Sooner or later, we have to overcome our fears, because the spiritual path can only be traveled through the daily experience of love.
Thomas Merton once said that the spiritual life is essentially to love. One doesn't love in order to do what is good or to help or to protect someone. If we act that way, we are perceiving the other as a simple object, and we are seeing ourselves as wise and generous persons. This has nothing to do with love. To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.