Yesterday was a sick day for Hilary and I. Hilary actually managed to go to her Spanish lessons while I took refuge in the bathroom for the better part of the morning. A day of rice and salt and we were back on our feet again today! Actually, I felt completely fine and spunky by lunch yesterday, Hilary's bout was more drawn out.
Today was Hilary's last day in Antigua so we spent a lot of time researching just how much stuff she is allowed to bring as checked baggage home, and then the rest of the time combing the market, filling Delta's baggage allowances. After some careful alterations of some hammocks, I only have some rough-hewn wooden rods sticking out of my pack, awaiting the fast approaching end to my stay in Guatemala and their ultimate reunion with their respective hammocks being brought home by Hilary.
Tomorrow morning we are headed off to a place called Semuc Champey. It is slowly becoming more of a hot-spot in the Central American ecotourism scene, due to its Crater Lake-like blue water ponds and falls, and its deep caves. It's 17 hours of driving in a public shuttle in total. We hope it is worth it. There are no phones or electricity there so sayonara until Friday night!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
A weekend
Where to start... Early yesterday morning we left Casasito and met our friend Ganzalo at a coffee shop. Gonzalo was an exchange student who stayed with my friends in Hood River a couple or few years ago. We started the day off with a beautiful drive from Antigua to the coastal region. Gonzo stopped and took us to a big water park/amusement park (we opted for the water). We spent a few hours doing all of the big slides there and then started back on our way through a bunch of villages I had read about in books before coming down here. He showed us the city where he goes to school (Xela, pronounced 'shayla') and then we proceeded on to his home town of San Pedro Sacatepequez in the San Marco province. It is not in the 'highlands' but it is at about 6000' elevation. He introduced us to his Mom (his dad is running a race this weekend), his sisters, aunt, grandma and grandpa. A very welcoming family served us food and water and then Gonzalo took us out to get Pupusas, an El Salvadorian dish which is essentially a delicious filling of meat and beans and other things fried inside of a big tortilla! Very yummy. We spent the night at his house which is right downtown San Pedro.
This morning we were fed a delicious traditional breakfast and then made our way back to Antigua. After about 3 hours of passing road-side stands selling things I realized that these goods must be cheaper than in Antigua, so I asked Gonzalo and he confirmed and so we stopped and had a little shopping spree up in the highlands in a beautiful little hillside market. An hour later we stopped in a little food paradise that resembled a logging camp in the old west (of the States). We were served a delicious and huge lunch with the traditionally made tortillas which I was stoked to have because as I was bummed to find out, the traditional tortillas are no longer the norm here due to the cheap price and labor-nonintensive corn flour available in stores. A couple more hours and here we are! Back in Antigua. Both Hilary and I agree it feels like we left Casasito some time last week, not yesterday morning. It is a peculiar feeling. Annndd... pictures!
Group photo
A little post-lunch teeter tottering
Some cute little girls at the road-side market
This morning we were fed a delicious traditional breakfast and then made our way back to Antigua. After about 3 hours of passing road-side stands selling things I realized that these goods must be cheaper than in Antigua, so I asked Gonzalo and he confirmed and so we stopped and had a little shopping spree up in the highlands in a beautiful little hillside market. An hour later we stopped in a little food paradise that resembled a logging camp in the old west (of the States). We were served a delicious and huge lunch with the traditionally made tortillas which I was stoked to have because as I was bummed to find out, the traditional tortillas are no longer the norm here due to the cheap price and labor-nonintensive corn flour available in stores. A couple more hours and here we are! Back in Antigua. Both Hilary and I agree it feels like we left Casasito some time last week, not yesterday morning. It is a peculiar feeling. Annndd... pictures!
Group photo
A little post-lunch teeter tottering
Some cute little girls at the road-side market
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Dos Dias
Yesterday was a pretty average, non-eventful day. Other than going to see our Brazilian friend Paulo play at an open mic, and his friend singing T-Pain while playing a ukelele... not much eventful happened.
Today we did our usual routine of Hilary: Spanish, Me: Send emails, walk and talk to schools for two hours. But the director of Casasito, Alice, asked me yesterday if Hilary and I would go to the Los Patojos project today and conduct a survey for a Canadian elementary school program. So I agreed and Hilary translated the questions in her Spanish lessons, and then we went forth with our laptops and ventured to Jocotenango (the village where Los Patojos is) and did our thing. If you remember from earlier blogs, Los Patojos is crazy, so it was quite the interview session. We were interviewing kids from ages 6-9 ish about life in Guatemala so that the Canadian elementary school could teach their kids about Guatemalan life. We both remembered doing similar things in elementary school, so it was kind of fun! I'm not sure how accurate the survey was though... There were some 12 year old boys whispering answers and intimidating the younger ones, especially the girls, during their interviews.
It was a blast though, and Hilary actually took some pictures!
Hilary insisted on taking a Tuktuk back to Antigua
Me showing the movie Flyboys to the kids
And for some good affirmation of my decision not to try and compete with traffic on a motorcycle here... On my way to coffee this morning I ran into a crowd around an unconscious man being put on to a gurney and a crushed bike.
Today we did our usual routine of Hilary: Spanish, Me: Send emails, walk and talk to schools for two hours. But the director of Casasito, Alice, asked me yesterday if Hilary and I would go to the Los Patojos project today and conduct a survey for a Canadian elementary school program. So I agreed and Hilary translated the questions in her Spanish lessons, and then we went forth with our laptops and ventured to Jocotenango (the village where Los Patojos is) and did our thing. If you remember from earlier blogs, Los Patojos is crazy, so it was quite the interview session. We were interviewing kids from ages 6-9 ish about life in Guatemala so that the Canadian elementary school could teach their kids about Guatemalan life. We both remembered doing similar things in elementary school, so it was kind of fun! I'm not sure how accurate the survey was though... There were some 12 year old boys whispering answers and intimidating the younger ones, especially the girls, during their interviews.
It was a blast though, and Hilary actually took some pictures!
Hilary insisted on taking a Tuktuk back to Antigua
Me showing the movie Flyboys to the kids
And for some good affirmation of my decision not to try and compete with traffic on a motorcycle here... On my way to coffee this morning I ran into a crowd around an unconscious man being put on to a gurney and a crushed bike.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Any title suggestions?
Yesterday: After deciding on a Spanish school, Hilary started adjusting to Guatemalan speed... Work from 8-12 then eat and sleep for a couple hours, then do a little more work or food-prep from 2-5.
I received some very welcome news from two sources yesterday about the tour. One was from the ladies of Santiago Zamora, telling me that one of the Spanish schools I had talked to had gone on a tour last Friday. Also, the school Hilary is attending and which is the largest school in Antigua, after some negotiation, committed to doing at least 1 tour every other week. This was big news for both me and the ladies of Santiago Zamora.
I'm starting to understand the reason that I am needed here. The ladies are perfectly capable of running the tour all by themselves. The problem for them, as they told me, is that when they walk into a Spanish school in their native dress, they look no different than the random beggars who walk into doorways banging their cups on the counter. Whereas when I show up with my legal pad and pen, with a polished pitch and "American" clothes, the desk attendant doesn't shoo me out, they call the director. The sad part about this is that I understand this, don't see it changing, and have not a single idea of how to fix it for the long-term.
Right now I think I may ask the head lady of Santiago Zamora to start coming to the schools with me so that I can introduce her as my boss, and forge the relationship between her and the school so that when she walks in she is served a glass of cold water, not a dirty look and a "get out of here, beggar."
The problem with this is that directors come and go in many of the schools, or some other white person walks in 6 months later with shiny brochures and a polished pitch and the director switches to back to the for-profit tours. I can't figure out how to make it stick.
But overall, progress is being made!
I received some very welcome news from two sources yesterday about the tour. One was from the ladies of Santiago Zamora, telling me that one of the Spanish schools I had talked to had gone on a tour last Friday. Also, the school Hilary is attending and which is the largest school in Antigua, after some negotiation, committed to doing at least 1 tour every other week. This was big news for both me and the ladies of Santiago Zamora.
I'm starting to understand the reason that I am needed here. The ladies are perfectly capable of running the tour all by themselves. The problem for them, as they told me, is that when they walk into a Spanish school in their native dress, they look no different than the random beggars who walk into doorways banging their cups on the counter. Whereas when I show up with my legal pad and pen, with a polished pitch and "American" clothes, the desk attendant doesn't shoo me out, they call the director. The sad part about this is that I understand this, don't see it changing, and have not a single idea of how to fix it for the long-term.
Right now I think I may ask the head lady of Santiago Zamora to start coming to the schools with me so that I can introduce her as my boss, and forge the relationship between her and the school so that when she walks in she is served a glass of cold water, not a dirty look and a "get out of here, beggar."
The problem with this is that directors come and go in many of the schools, or some other white person walks in 6 months later with shiny brochures and a polished pitch and the director switches to back to the for-profit tours. I can't figure out how to make it stick.
But overall, progress is being made!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
A Friend
After a night of stressful flights, Hilary arrived this morning. She had to sit at the airport from 6am until 11 when my shuttle finally arrived. I apparently food poisoned myself though with the pizza I made (I think a risky looking bag of dry yeast for the dough is to blame). Anyways, I got about as much sleep as Hilary, and woke up puking and other sorts... So I took a shower and brought an empty yogurt container on to the shuttle and proceeded to ride with my head hanging out of the window for an hour while the driver picked other people up. After this ridiculous delay, we finally left Antigua. After several mysterious stops at random houses, we finally got to the airport and picked up Hilary. 2 more hours of mysterious stops followed this, and then finally we were Antigua-bound. I don't recommend that driver. What a nightmare.
But we made it and Hilary took some pictures at dinner because we were both too exhausted/distrustful of home cooking to stay in. So here we go!
A little clothing repair...
Doña Luisa's wonderful restaurant and bakery
Hilary Fighting off sleep deprivation!
"We'll take your picture if you take ours"
But we made it and Hilary took some pictures at dinner because we were both too exhausted/distrustful of home cooking to stay in. So here we go!
A little clothing repair...
Doña Luisa's wonderful restaurant and bakery
Hilary Fighting off sleep deprivation!
"We'll take your picture if you take ours"
Friday, May 13, 2011
A success
I visited the Los Patojos project yesterday. (This is a project I was thinking about volunteering at during my spare time). In short, Los Patojos is the manifestation of the absence of Ritalin in the village of Jocotenango. I don't mean this in an "these kids should be sedated" sort of way. It is just where all of the kids who for some reason don't do, can't handle, or have been kicked out of regular schools go. The only regulation that seemed to be in place was "smoke on the street." They let the kids choose what they want to study. So in one room there is one kid trying his best to break holes in a drum set, in another, breakdancing, and so forth. My personal opinion was that this should be an after school program, not simply a school. As many of you might think, it is weird that I would be against a "choose for yourself" curriculum. The problem is that these kids sit for maybe 5 minutes and actually practice something. As I sat and observed, I witnessed so much impulsive behavior that I felt like screaming. A kid would go pet the dog, run to a guitar, strum it, run to the sink, get a drink, run to the patio, breakdance, run to a classroom with an active lesson, scream, and so on. Multiply this times the 150 kids squeezed into small dirty area, and it was chaos. I couldn't see the "superior learning" that I was being told existed in that environment compared to the traditional schools. Yes, I saw kids physically in a school who otherwise wouldn't have been, but they were not "in school." They were only seeing their impulsive and undisciplined behavior get positive reinforcement. Casasito is one of the only organizations who fund Los Patojos. The director reminds me very much of the main character in the movie recently nominated for an Oscar Exit Through the Gift Shop. In short, I have a project that I may design and give to them to use in their teen program, but I can't work there. I have listened to the rationale for this approach to education, I have witnessed it in-person, and I definitively have concluded that these children are not as well prepared to enter the globalizing world as their peers in San Mateo and Santiago Zamora are.
Today I made some good progress on the tour. I had a very formal (for Guatemalan standards) meeting with the owner of Christian Spanish Academy, and the director. This was my first big meeting here and I was nervous about deliberately showing up late, as is the custom here. David, the owner, commented on my Guatemalan timing, and was very pleased with it. The meeting went off very well, and they are planning on adding the tour to their schedule of activities. CSA alone will hopefully provide an extra Q2000 of income per month for the Santiago Zamora ladies, which is a huge amount for them and a definitive success for my project.
Hilary will be arriving tomorrow! Which means you all will finally get some pictures.
Today I made some good progress on the tour. I had a very formal (for Guatemalan standards) meeting with the owner of Christian Spanish Academy, and the director. This was my first big meeting here and I was nervous about deliberately showing up late, as is the custom here. David, the owner, commented on my Guatemalan timing, and was very pleased with it. The meeting went off very well, and they are planning on adding the tour to their schedule of activities. CSA alone will hopefully provide an extra Q2000 of income per month for the Santiago Zamora ladies, which is a huge amount for them and a definitive success for my project.
Hilary will be arriving tomorrow! Which means you all will finally get some pictures.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Day of decisions
So I had to decide on the motorcycle today. Those who are reading this and wish me to stay alive will probably be glad to hear that I decided against buying it. Apparently my haggling skills suck. We started the negotiations off at the guy's asking price of Q2500 (roughly $390) and somehow we ended up at a firm Q3000! How did that happen? I decided that the extra money just wasn't worth it. So I bought myself a consolation prize. A ukelele. It is a cheap piece of crud but maybe I can learn those Jack Johnson songs that just don't sound right on the piano.
The project goes well. If anybody ever wants information on Spanish schools in Antigua, I will have visited them all by the time I've left. The vast majority of them are simply the result of the following dinner conversation: "hey honey, we could park the car on the street during the day, paint 'spanish school' over the garage-door entrance, and start a Spanish school to earn some extra money."
Lesson of the day: a band's website may look as good as that of a famous band's, but in the end who do you want to hand over $50 to go see? The same can be said for Spanish schools.
There's this little kid in the central park who always tries to get me to let him shine my shoes. I would have given in by now, but my shoes are beat-up Sperry Top Siders... Can you even shine those? I mean, I have no doubt he can. He is my favorite person to talk to though. We discuss the philosophy of whether or not my shoes could possibly be shined. He insists they could and should. Obviously I have my doubts. But I have decided that my last day here I will let him give it a go. So much for the last two years of wear and tear that has made them look what I consider to be fashionable.
The project goes well. If anybody ever wants information on Spanish schools in Antigua, I will have visited them all by the time I've left. The vast majority of them are simply the result of the following dinner conversation: "hey honey, we could park the car on the street during the day, paint 'spanish school' over the garage-door entrance, and start a Spanish school to earn some extra money."
Lesson of the day: a band's website may look as good as that of a famous band's, but in the end who do you want to hand over $50 to go see? The same can be said for Spanish schools.
There's this little kid in the central park who always tries to get me to let him shine my shoes. I would have given in by now, but my shoes are beat-up Sperry Top Siders... Can you even shine those? I mean, I have no doubt he can. He is my favorite person to talk to though. We discuss the philosophy of whether or not my shoes could possibly be shined. He insists they could and should. Obviously I have my doubts. But I have decided that my last day here I will let him give it a go. So much for the last two years of wear and tear that has made them look what I consider to be fashionable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)