On Sunday, May 18, Beth and I along with another group of teachers from school teamed up with Brady Greene of the Christian organization Vida Joven (Young Life) to do some more work in another impoverished area of the city. This time we worked in Zone 3, right next to the massive and infamous garbage dump. (Side note: we just watched a documentary about Guatemalans who live and work in this dump called Recycled Life...check it out.) Actually, this particular neighborhood was formerly the dump, but it had been cleared a while back and now there are homes/shanties here. Some have concrete floors and many do not. We were there to help build concrete floors for two families.
The day before our group arrived, the two families cleared out their possessions from their small abode and, with the assistance of some Vida Joven workers, prepared the dirt floor for concrete by leveling it. When we arrived, we split up into two teams and jumped right into the arduous work. To begin, we had to haul three wheel barrels full of sand and two of gravel from outside the neighborhood to the home in order to mix it with the concrete and water. We did this for every bag of concrete, and I believe we used five bags. All the mixing was done by shovel and was definitely hard labor! My back was killing me by the end of the day... At first we had a local man show/assist us in mixing the first bag; then we did the rest ourselves. We got better and quicker the next few times, though by the end we were slowing down quite a bit. After the concrete was mixed, we'd load up buckets (that weighed close to 100lbs. with the mix), and bring them into the home to pour on the floor and begin spreading it out by trowel.
After a couple hours we took a break and were treated to some tostadas (fried corn tortilla, guacamole, onion, and a powdery cheese like Parmesan) and bottled water by some of the local women. It was really sweet of them to make. While we ate we had a chance to chat with them and interact with the kids. Afterwards we did a little more work then headed back over to the other site to have lunch with the other group.
After lunch we returned to the home and worked another few hours to complete the floor. I'd guess it was 8' x 12' or so in size. It was seriously tough work, but it felt so good to provide something so basic yet so needed for a family. When you consider how muddy their floor must get during the rainy season, and how perpetually dirty their home is, this new floor must really give them more comfort and security.
Once again it felt great to get our hands dirty, connect with locals and see up close how the majority of people live in this country, and work to give them something to be proud of and improve their surroundings.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Making Floors with Vida Joven: Service Project #2
Friday, May 23, 2008
Bee Honey!
I don't know about you, but I prefer honey from bees, as opposed to other honey-producing creatures. And so do Guatemalans, as you can see from this clearly labeled bottle (miel de abeja = honey from bee, or bee honey).
Our Spanish teacher, Patricia, first told us about this funny redundancy. She always provides interesting insight to particular words and phrases Guatemalans use as she grew up in Spain and speaks Español de España (another redundancy?).
Friday, May 16, 2008
Supermercado Sweep
Of the many, many cultural aspect of Guatemala I love, one of my favorites is going to the Market (mercado or mercadito). While I have not been seriously shopping to a mall in nearly a year (other than Christmas in the U.S., and European stores), I have come to love going to Guatemalan mercados! There are many things I love about market shopping, and I just had to share them.
At first, James and I both found the bright and patterned cloth from Guatemala a bit tacky or overly colorful for our polite color choices in our home. Before becoming a fan of the Guate textiles, I more enjoyed soft colors like light green, tan, or white. Putting something wildlycolorful on the table or wall seemed too bold. Now that I have seen all that goes in to creating these textiles, I am in love with them all, and love looking at them at the markets! Not a mercadito trip goes by without discovering a new beloved pattern, color choice, or item covered in the textile that I would like to own. 
Everything can be purchased with some sort of textile on it: purses, CD cases, headbands, photo frames, notepad covers, shoes, belts, etc. Whatever you would like, you can get. And if you can't find it, you can just buy the cloth yourself and make it at home! Our good friend Kari loves to sew, and she is currently in the process of making us something out of colorful cloth we recently purchased.
In the States, it seems everything is becoming so similar...you can go to Kansas City, Little Rock, Chicago, or Joplin and find the same stuff in the same stores or restaurants. Kohl's, Wal-Mart, Target, Gap, Starbucks, Applebees. Borrrinnng! In Guatemala, each indigenous group and/or department (sort of like a state) has their own textile design and colors that they wear and use in their decorating. At the mercado, you can see and buy from all of the different geographical areas and indigenous groups that are very distinct and therefore very fun to look at and choose from when you shop! For example, my favorite department's designs/colors is the Todos Santos part of Guatemala. I love the bright blues, pinks, and purples, and the stripes/geometrical designs.
Part of the fun of the market is knowing that you can bargain on everything. Everything! James and I have been here long enough to know what a fair price is for different items, and so we are good at getting that price. It's fun to use our Spanish to bargain, and fun to shop around and get the best deal possible at the market. It's also fun to get even better deals based on the more you buy at one stand. Wouldn't it be nice in the grocery store or mall if, when you bought more you got everything at a better price? It's fun at the market!
I was trying my hand at selling this bright
blue fabric...I think the owner was much
better at his craft, but it was fun to try!
Spices & Peppers
Flowers
Fabric
Leather Goods
Masks
Wooden Toys
Beans(protected by statues of saints no less)
Fruit & Veg
Dyed/colored baby chickens being sold like goldfish. When a Guatemalan buys one, the chick gets put in a small plastic baggie and tied up to be taken home. We never quiet figured out why the chicks were dyed different colors.
He can tell you the date you'll die or what you are eating for lunch.
Use your imagination here!
We can't believe there are that many foods that can be eaten fried!
Women walking around with anything you can imagine on their heads.A classic: enough taquitos to feed an army
The main cathedral at the Zone 1 Guatemala City market square
Lunching at a market food stand
(some things are worth the risk!)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Bringing It Back in Black
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Outta the city and up to Earth Lodge!
Last Friday afternoon Beth and I left from school shortly after 3 and caravaned with some friends to our weekend get-away spot, Earth Lodge. Everyone was in need of some time away from the City, and this place was just the spot. Located outside of Antigua, it was a mere hour and 15 minutes or so away.
After passing through Antigua, we were supposed to take a road that led out of the town and would turn into a dirt path and then dead end; from there, we would park and hike a short distance to the lodge. Well, we must have taken the wrong road out of Antigua initially, as we did end up on a dirt road, but it wasn't the dirt road. In fact, we got some funny looks from passer byers as our caravan navigated the narrow, bumpy, dirt-filled, and sometimes-hard-to-drive-through 'road.' Thankfully we made it up the steep hill and reconnected with the road we initially should have been on that would then take us to the right dirt road.
This next dirt road also required some concentrated driving as it was also steep, narrow, and bumpy, and the dirt was so fine and thick, that any rain fall would surely turn it into an impassable path (unless you had four-wheel drive). Needless to say, I was praying for no rain the whole weekend so we wouldn't have any trouble getting out. Thankfully it never did more than briefly sprinkle, though clouds certainly loomed the majority of the time.
Finally we arrived at the end of the road. Everyone made a few multi-point turns to get their car parked with the limited space allotted. Then we unloaded our gear and set off for Earth Lodge. We had been previously warned that it was a bit of hike to get there, but I think we were all still surprised by the time and effort it took. Thankfully, the location more than made up as the view and vantage point of Earth Lodge is unmatched. The place sits up high on a hillside looking out over Antigua and faces three volcanoes.
The main lodge is small but warm and inviting, with the kitchen in the back churning out some very tasty meals. At any point you may help yourself to drinks or snacks (like "cookies as big as your head," Beth said); you just have to mark what you take on your tab. We've been to other places that also used this tab honor system, and I love it because it adds to the sense of relaxed informality--like you're part of the family. At night, there is just one communal dinner served, though you do have options of meat choices. This is also fun as it gets everyone together at one time and provides an opportunity to meet new people also staying there.
Earth Lodge has cabins, a tree house, a dorm, and campground spread over a large terraced hillside. Beth and I stayed in a cabin which was a simple elevated room that had two double beds and a desk and chair.
The view was fantastic, and right below our room was maybe the greatest rope swing I've ever been on. Not only does it swing out high above the ground, the view from where you are swinging really makes you feel like you're soaring.
Outside the dining area/lodge is an open space with chairs, tables, and hammocks and where we spent most of our time together. Down the hill from that is another open area that can be used for camping, but we also used it for yoga and Frisbee.
On Saturday morning Beth and I, along with Kristin and her two children, Jackson and Channing, went on a short hike through the neighboring farm land for some up close looks at how the locals work these incredibly steep hills, as well as some spectacular vistas of the area.
Saturday night the Earth Lodge workers organized a game of Scrabble. Each board cost Q10 ($1.30) and you could play up to five at a time. The winner took home Q170 and a portion of the proceeds went to a school nearby. The first game was for all the prize money, with subsequent games for a free drink. Beth lucked out and won the prize money, so we had some credit added to our tab! It was a fun pre-dinner activity. After dinner, we broke out Trivial Pursuit and Beth and I teamed up against a couple girls from Holland and a couple who live in Mexico doing Peace Corps work. It looked like we were going to win it, but we kept getting hung up on the sports category (which we normally don't even play when it's just us two) and ultimately lost to the Peace Corps duo.
There were 15 of us total, and I think everyone had a fun time at Earth Lodge. For being such a low-key and relaxing spot, there was plenty to do and enjoy. And with it being so close to where we live, I think we'll go back frequently.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Gas Crisis in Guate
.
Yesterday around mid-morning I took a break from work to step out on the balcony for some fresh air. I looked over at the gas station to see long lines of cars, coming from both streets it sits along, as well as traffic cops directing traffic around the congested area. I wasn't sure what to think at the time--my best guess was that gas prices went up all over town and this place still had the best deal.
Well, apparently, this was one of the only places that had gas period! And as I write this now, it appears the pumps have gone dry as there are no more lines. But cars were continuously filing in all day yesterday, well into the night.
Living in our little bubble, Beth and I were completely unaware of the situation in Guatemala City until our Spanish tutor informed us during our class last night. It seems gas workers/truck drivers are on strike due to some recent restrictions imposed that prohibit them from entering the city during peak traffic hours.
From what I can gather reading the online Guatemalan newspaper, many gas stations were limiting customers yesterday to only 3 gallons! It also sounds like bus services will be cut way back after Saturday, creating a transportation nightmare for thousands of commuters.
We're down to just a quarter tank and we were planning on spending the weekend outside of the City. But if we cannot get gas by tomorrow afternoon, it looks like we will be stuck here! Hopefully the situation will be resolved very soon and this won't be a problem for us.
Update: thankfully gas was back by Friday morning and it was just a short-lived crisis.
