The coffee plantation was great! We got to talk to the owner who is the 5th generation of the estate's original founders. He was very honest about Antigua coffee and where it fits into the coffee aficionado's cup. He explained how it is best to mix Antigua coffee with other less acidic types in order to make a more well rounded blend. I never had much time for blends in the past, so this was proof of my ignorance! He also showed me the Cuban cigars he liked best and I bought one so that I can check that item off of my bucket list. The plantation was all organic and it was great to see the individual farmers so enthusiastic about it. We also got a tour of the Mayan instruments. Interesting to hear about the legends about how the marimba originated with the Mayans, although there is no evidence to support that the pre-Columbian Mayas ever played marimbas, and much evidence to support the theory that the marimba came across the Atlantic with the African slaves. The Mayan collection of instruments is a confluence of seemingly every global culture. They have instruments from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and of their own origins.
Other than that, no philosophy for today!
Oh and I almost forgot. I went and helped with Casasito's debate club tonight. Each of the scholarship recipients from Casasito are required to participate in extracurricular activities, and the debate club is one. It is a competition and tonight was the semi-finals. The finals are in 3 weeks, so stay tuned! But I was the official timer and did my best to follow along with their arguments and questions. At one point a girl giving her presentation broke down and couldn't talk anymore. She was so cute that I felt really bad for her. After the presentations her teacher Amanda, a Casasito staff, asked her what was wrong, expecting to hear that she did not like speaking in front of a bunch of people, including three white foreigners. But as Amanda says, she often forgets what large problems these kids face. It turns out that the girl's parents were "broken" and she felt very unsafe and lots of girls are being raped in her village and she doesn't know what to do or who to turn to. She finally just couldn't take it all and lost her composure. It is gut-wrenching. What do you do in a situation like that? This girl is a very successful student to a) be receiving a scholarship from Casasito, and b) to be in the semi finals of these debates. You can't take her from the village because there are thousands more like her. I guess the truth is that progression is slow. Maybe like the women in Santiago Zamora this girl will understand the benefits of learning to speak and read Spanish, how to succeed, and how to fight Maybe she won't escape the tragedy that is her village, but her kids might, or their kids might. The grandchildren of Feno Mena in Santiago Zamora are on their way. Hopefully I can help them by not only providing their grandmothers and mothers with income from the tours, but also by giving them a sense of purpose by showing them that people in other countries support them and that their decisions are despite what their taunting neighbors say, rational, moral, and parallel to their religious sentiments.
So now I know why I'm here. There is something for me to really do, and I hope that I can start doing something tomorrow.
Buenas noches
P.S. sorry about the lack of pictures. I am not a camera guy. Maybe they will happen at some point. Who knows?
Hey Taylor, I am glad your Mom sent this link. What an amazing experience you are going to have there! I hope most of it is amazing in a positive way, but undoubtedly there will be lots of negatives too. How sad that there is so much anger and violence directed toward these women and girls. Guatemala seems to be known for that, sadly; that was what the Frontline documentary was about. Even though you are part of the solution, it has to be tough to see.
ReplyDeleteJulie