Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Gringo
So, guatemala is largely a homogenous society. People are either ladino or indigenous. in consequence, when you have blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin, you stand out. and, i would imagine, if i lived in rural guatemala and was Guatemelan, and saw someone like me, i would be really really surprised. and so, what often happens in this case, is they say "Gringo". I don't think it's an insult. I just think they find it strange to see us, and the point it out. kids do it a lot. so do drunks (which surprisingly often know the most english for some reason).
my site
i'm quite close to the tallest point in central america, it's a volcanoe. i can see it. it's big. there's a bar in my town called the "bat cave". we have a beautiful center park. there's a woman who makes pizza there, it's pretty good considering i'm in guatemala. monday through friday, my host country agency feeds me breakfast, lunch, and dinner (this is what we call luck, also delicious). i am to work with two NGO's, ONG's, Non-governmental organizations. one of them is local and one is from Spain. It is called INTERVIDA. They have a lot of professionals working there, architects, agronomists, doctors, blah blah blah. which is nice, because i will learn good spanish from them, and I will be able to learn alot of other information from them as well. so, i think i win. i'll be working a lot. 8-6, M-F. so yeah, i'm looking forward to it. i'll keep you updated.
casi terminado/almost finished
So, we had our last real day of training on friday. I swear in and become a Peace Corps Volunteer (up until then, I'm just a Trainee). We get to go to the American Ambassador's home. He attends, and I have to wear a tie. Then we're going to the Peace Corps' assistant director's home for food. Thursday, which is thanksgiving, we get to go to an embassy family's home for some turkey and all the fixings if i have anything to say about it. it will be super. then friday, i go to my site, move in to my room, and buy some stuff that i'll need, who knows what that is or where i might be able to buy it. then monday, i start work. it's gonna be great. however, we were just told by one volunteer that the first 3 months in site are terrible (she used stronger words, but let's be civil, folks). but i'm not gonna worry about it really. sure my spanish isn't fantastic, sure i'm not exactly sure what i'll be doing and sometimes what i'm doing, but c'mon. i'm in guatemala, things couldn't be too much further from any kind of experience i've ever had, so, let's go.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Guatemala's History
Here's a timeline link of Guatemala's history.
It's pretty striking. I need to read a lot more about it. But from what I understand, the US was afraid that Guatemala was going to be taken over by communists in the 50s, and the US staged a coup that flung the country into several decades of civil war where hundreds of thousands of people died, mostly killed by the government, and most of them were indigenous people. I've also heard (again, i need to read more) that the Military that was doing a lot of this killing was funded by the US.
There's also some incredible indigenous populations of people in Guatemala still today. There are departments (like states) where over 80% of the people speak an indigenous language (of mayan origin) and many still dress in the traditional ways. I think that is pretty incredible.
so, check it out, it's interesting. if you know more than I, tell me what's up.
It's pretty striking. I need to read a lot more about it. But from what I understand, the US was afraid that Guatemala was going to be taken over by communists in the 50s, and the US staged a coup that flung the country into several decades of civil war where hundreds of thousands of people died, mostly killed by the government, and most of them were indigenous people. I've also heard (again, i need to read more) that the Military that was doing a lot of this killing was funded by the US.
There's also some incredible indigenous populations of people in Guatemala still today. There are departments (like states) where over 80% of the people speak an indigenous language (of mayan origin) and many still dress in the traditional ways. I think that is pretty incredible.
so, check it out, it's interesting. if you know more than I, tell me what's up.
bah
alright, didn't so much post last weekend. what are you gonna do, i'm in guatemala.
so, in the last two weeks, here are some highlights.
*got pickpocketed for the 1st time on a bus. lost 3 dollars, the real money was somewhere else. enjoy my wallet, I kind of liked it.
*saw the biggest kites that I or YOU for that matter have ever seen. it was on the Day of the Dead. also saw people get hit by the biggest kites that i've ever seen fall out of the sky.
*found out where i'll be living for the next 2 years. pretty exciting. i know a little bit about the job, but will know a lot more this week. i got the job that nobody really wanted. it is quite demanding, and sounds like it is hard to even take vacation. It seems that in the Peace Corps, it's not common to have a 40 hour week, or to work all 5 days a week (I'm not putting down the PC, or saying that volunteers are lazy, it's just kind of how it works. maybe i'll write about this sometime.) I think i will have a 40 hour week. i get to visit my site this week. it's up high, and it's gonna be a little cold until march.
*the weather changed. it gets relatively cold. at night it has been about 50 F. Now, that doesn't sound so bad. but, there are no heaters in the homes. there's not insulation. most walls are concrete blocks. the roofs are of tin, and there are cracks where the walls and the roofs connect (i can see light between the wall and the roof). so, it's a little cold at night. there's also wind now too. one day really felt like fall in MN, i told my host family that it was the perfect day for a game of american football, and it was.
*it was my host sister's 7th birthday and halloween. she dressed up as a witch. there were a lot of kids getting into their costumes at my house. i told them all they were ugly.
*bought a cell phone. maybe i'll call ya. i know it sounds rediculous that i have a cell phone in the Peace Corps. but it's good for safety, and will be useful for work.
that's all i can think of. take it easy all.
so, in the last two weeks, here are some highlights.
*got pickpocketed for the 1st time on a bus. lost 3 dollars, the real money was somewhere else. enjoy my wallet, I kind of liked it.
*saw the biggest kites that I or YOU for that matter have ever seen. it was on the Day of the Dead. also saw people get hit by the biggest kites that i've ever seen fall out of the sky.
*found out where i'll be living for the next 2 years. pretty exciting. i know a little bit about the job, but will know a lot more this week. i got the job that nobody really wanted. it is quite demanding, and sounds like it is hard to even take vacation. It seems that in the Peace Corps, it's not common to have a 40 hour week, or to work all 5 days a week (I'm not putting down the PC, or saying that volunteers are lazy, it's just kind of how it works. maybe i'll write about this sometime.) I think i will have a 40 hour week. i get to visit my site this week. it's up high, and it's gonna be a little cold until march.
*the weather changed. it gets relatively cold. at night it has been about 50 F. Now, that doesn't sound so bad. but, there are no heaters in the homes. there's not insulation. most walls are concrete blocks. the roofs are of tin, and there are cracks where the walls and the roofs connect (i can see light between the wall and the roof). so, it's a little cold at night. there's also wind now too. one day really felt like fall in MN, i told my host family that it was the perfect day for a game of american football, and it was.
*it was my host sister's 7th birthday and halloween. she dressed up as a witch. there were a lot of kids getting into their costumes at my house. i told them all they were ugly.
*bought a cell phone. maybe i'll call ya. i know it sounds rediculous that i have a cell phone in the Peace Corps. but it's good for safety, and will be useful for work.
that's all i can think of. take it easy all.