The year started out pretty well, the first couple of days were pretty slow. We didn’t have much to do. Felix, Pablo and I visited a few families to see if their terrain was ready for us to start working on or not. A couple of families were ready so we set forms for their foundations. On Monday the 7th we started working with our first Vision Team of 2008. We set a mobile floor, for a one room house, in the morning and made some panels in the afternoon. On Tuesday we went to San Pedro Mirador and poured a foundation for a two room house. (The small houses are 16ft. X 12ft. with one door and two windows, the two room houses are 24ft. X 12ft. divided into two 12ft. X 12ft. rooms. The two room house is actually set on a foundation that is 24ft. X 20ft. so we end up with an 8ft. X 24ft. covered corridor; it in essence becomes a third room.) Do to a lack of running water it took us a couple hours longer than usual to finish. We started at 8:30am and finished at almost 3pm. On Wednesday we built the house we’d set the floor for on Monday, it takes about half a day to build the smaller houses (house #1 of 2008). Thursday we built some more panels and had the house blessing in the afternoon. The house blessing is an opportunity for the Vision Teams to ask the family questions and offer their congratulations and well wishes. That afternoon we had their despedida, sending off, as they were going to New Hope for the last day of their trip. The Vision Team was from Minnesota and had a lady in her 60’s and a sophomore in high school. They were a lot of fun to work with and they worked hard. Friday we checked on some more terrain then went for a tour of the area just north of Antigua. During the weekend I did my laundry, had a BBQ and played some ultimate Frisbee, updated my blog and watched some NFL play-off games.
On Monday the 14th Chicho, Pablo and I went to the school in San Juan del Obispo to help them disassemble and move some classrooms that Common Hope had built for them several years ago. We were moving them to a different part of the property. At the start of the day we had a few teenaged students helping us but soon it was just the three of us and Hubo, a teacher that works at the project and in San Juan, dismantling the buildings. It took us all day but we finished taking them apart. Tuesday we set level-lines for a small house in San Gaspar and made some extra floor tiles in case one broke. Wednesday morning Pablo and I started setting the mobile floor and Chicho joined us part of the way through. In the afternoon our second Vision Team of the year showed up, from IL. The group that I worked with in the afternoon to deliver the panels and materials to San Gaspar consisted of a Youth Minister, a Retired Gynecologist, a Banker, and a Psychiatrist/ Dean of Students at Northwestern Medical School. After delivering the materials we came back to the project and made more panels. The next morning we assembled the house in San Gaspar and that afternoon we cleaned the slab and set the forms to make more floor planchas. One of the other members of the team was Sue, the Sr. Pastor at Hinsdale UCC in IL. We had some great conversations about Colorado; for many years she was a pastor in Greeley, CO. We talked about backpacking and hiking and all of the other outdoor activities that we had participated in throughout CO. Friday morning we mixed 12 wheelbarrows of sand with 12 bags of cement and 12 wheelbarrows or little rocks with a lot of water to fill the forms we set the day before. That Saturday I didn’t do a whole lot and in the evening I met up with the Vision Team to have dinner at a place called Don Rodrigo’s. The food was great, I had the salmon, and we had some great conversation about all sorts of stuff. On Sunday I cleaned around the house and then went to Monoloco to watch the Patriots beat the Chargers in the play-offs. Sunday nights at the local Irish pub, Reilly’s, they have pub-quiz, so we decided to give our collective knowledge a test. We didn’t do great, but we weren’t last ;)
Every time I go out I have the opportunity to meet someone interesting and this night was no different. I met a young woman, Amber, who was born in Japan and grew up in the states and currently living in L.A. She was just traveling and having some fun but was also looking for places to pursue her dream. She wants to find some blend of working with computers and modeling to benefit third world countries. We talked for a long time and I was really impressed and encouraged her as much as I could to continue in her pursuit.
Now Monday the 21st we had 2 Vision Teams at the same time. I spent the morning working with the group from IL at the project while Pablo and Felix worked with our new group from MN doing a foundation in San Miguel. Tuesday the IL group headed to New Hope and we started building a house with the MN group. By the end of the day we were pretty much ready for the roof.
Tuesday night my roommate Pamela was sad so we talked and I got to see some more stuff about Guatemala that just doesn’t make sense. One of her friends and his girlfriend had been carjacked/ kidnapped couple of weeks earlier and had agreed to help the police to find the perpetrators. After a few weeks the police successfully located and arrested them. The following day, (Tue.) Jan 22nd, there was an article in the paper detailing the incident and arrests. Nothing strange in that except that along with the detailed description of the events came a detailed description of the two victims—Pamela’s friends—and their addresses. Due to this her friend was going to have to move out of the country as he had become a target for the gangs as a snitch. Guatemala has many stories such as this that are just part of the reason it has been stuck in the state it is for so long.
Anyway, Wednesday morning we put the roof on the house in San Pedro Mirador and in the afternoon we had the house blessing and the despedida for the MN group. Thursday morning we went to visit some families in San Cristobal El Cerrito (the little hill). From where the road ends to the houses is about 1 or 1.5 km, it’s a hike, a lot of it uphill… The visits took almost all morning and in the afternoon, Pablo and I didn’t want to do anything so we just wandered around the project visiting people. Esteban, one of the maintenance employees, was doing some welding and I stopped to chat with him. He offered to teach me how to weld and I agreed, so after a quick intro and some practice I was successfully arc-welding stuff. Friday morning I had to be at work at 6 am because we had staff training in the city. There 30 of us total from Antigua and New Hope and our day was spent talking about a variety of things surrounding stereotypes and discrimination. Saturday I did some laundry and updated my blog. When I got home Britt and Carlos were going to walk to some ruins near-by, so I joined them. We climbed around on them and talked for a while before heading into town to see Pamela at Café No Sè. There I met a young man, Paul, who was a Major in the Air Force before he finished active duty and joined the Peace Corps. We talked about a lot of stuff including his time at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
Sunday morning Bob picked me up and several other people and we headed into the city on our way to climb a volcano. Bob and I have decided to climb as many of the volcanoes as we can, there are 20-some. On our way we stopped at the Gym where Bob coaches gymnastics. He volunteered at the project for two years and is now living and working in the city. We played on all of the apparatuses and in the giant pit filled with foam blocks. WE then headed on to find and climb Tecamburro (Tay-com-boo-rrow). We found the volcano where it was supposed to be, thankfully it hadn’t moved, and stopped first to see the acidic-sulfury lake next to it called Ixpaco (Eesh-pok-o). We took some photos and found a Lemon tree then climbed to the top of the volcano. On the way up we found a vine that we decided to swing on, and it provided much fun and enjoyment even after it broke while I was swinging on it… On our way back down we temporarily lost one of the group and spent some time looking for her, but she wasn’t far away and the day ended successfully.
This was January…, there are a lot of pictures to see… check them out :)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=18432&l=a6878&id=752630746
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=18442&l=40772&id=752630746
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=18444&l=9a812&id=752630746
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
December 15th - December 31st, 2007
December 15th was kind of a lazy Saturday and my rommate, Pamela, asked me if I wanted to go to the city and have lunch with her family. It sounded fun and I wasn't doing anything so I went along. I met Pamela's: Grandmother, Mother, Sister, Uncle, Aunt, and cousin. We sat down to eat Spinach soup and chicken enchiladas. (note: if you ever have the chance to eat a meal with a Latin-American family, take it) They spoke so fast and, a lot of the time, at the same time. After, lunch we went shopping at the super market, Hiper Paiz, which is litterally Super Wal-Mart. They purchased several of the big chains here in Guatemala and all across Central America a few years ago. I started to wonder what that will do to Guatemala, a place where families run a tienda, little store, and there are several within a community, what will a huge corporation like Wal-mart do..., Is it ultimately a good thing or not??? Anyway, we finished shopping and went back to their house to eat some more. We had some Rice Tamales, packed up Pamela's car and came back to Antigua. We met up with some friends, had a few drinks and called it an early night.
December 16th - Dia de Canastas (Baskets Day)
Tha staff all showed up by 7 am on Sunday morning to prepare for the operation..., yeah, operation. We had 8-900 families coming to the project to receive a Christmas gift basket and along with that there was an hour of entertainment for the adults and kids seperately. I was helping with passing out the baskets to the families. Each basket had a variety of useful stuff in it, like pasta and a blanket (see photos). In all we estimate that there were between 3-5,000 people that came through the project. It was a long day but really rewarding and fun too.
Decenber 17th-21st
It was a pretty normal week at work, just real quiet around the project. Pablo and I built a lot of panels in preparation for the 4 Vision Teams that were coming in January. On Wednesday I went with Chicho and another satff person to our new out-post in San Rafael. It's about a 45 minute drive north of Antigua. This is what Common Hope is looking at doing to expand their shadow of service. Building a facility like we have here in Antigua is very expensive so they don't want to do that again. Instead they are starting little outpost that use our facility as a jumping off point. This one is in the school in San Rafael. Chicho and I went to work on the stove that the school has. It was originally built too high and the cooks couldn't lift the big pots on and off of it, so we lowered it to about knee height. Thursday I started watching my friend Rocio's dog while she went back to Mexico for Christmas. Mailo is a Golden Retriever and still a puppy, one and a half years old, I think. That Friday, the 21st, we had the day off, comp time for the previous Sunday so I did nothing all day.
December 24th
This was the first low day I've had here in Guatemala.It was really different to not be around any of my Family and Friends, and even weirder that I wasn't going to be at CUC for the duration of the evening. I spent the day hanging out with Mailo and watching some sports. Then I called my father to ask him to call me later that night during Silent Night. My church has a tradition that each of the five X-mas Eve services are closed by singing Silent Night by candle light. At the 11 pm service, they have Communion right at midnight then sing Silent Night. It was about 1:15 am local time when my father called and I got to listen to the congregation sing. When they finished the whole congregation wished me a Merry Christmas. (even as I type this I'm beginning to cry) It was really nice and I appreciated it a lot. The only thing that sort of disruppted all of that was the dance party that started immediately after the barage of fireworks ended. Part of a Guatemalan's Christmas celebration includes launching off Fireworks at Midnight Christmas Day. So, for about half an hour there was a nation-wide fireworks display. At 12:30 am they turned on the music in the plaza of Santa Ana, which is directly in front of my house, and had a party til about 8 am.
Christmas Day
I got up and went for a run with Mailo, we ran for about 40 minutes, it was a beautiful day. 85 degrees or so, sunny, blue sky..., no snow anywhere..., very different from any Christmas I'd had before. I called my folks and several friends and then made some dinner. I invited my nieghbor An, from Belgium, over to join me for dinner as she was alone too. We enjoyed dinner and conversation, Pamela got home and joined us as well. All around a good day.
December 26th - 29th
Chicho, Felix and Pablo were on vacation so it was just me and Mario working. I did lots of little random stuff and just stayed busy. I also worked on a desk that I was building for Pamela. There was one in the house but it was sold to someone before we moved in just not picked up, so they finally came and got it. Pamela needs a desk for studying, so I told her I'd make her one. I used old scrap wood here at the project, plained it down and cut it up..., for my first piece of furniture I think it looks pretty good. Saturday I did my laundry and worked on the desk some more.
Sunday December 30th
I got up and was motivated to clean, so I washed all the dishes and cleaned the house. Sometime in the middle of scrubbing the toilet I got the idea to go to the beach! I asked pamela what she thought and she was up for it. So we loaded up the car with some food and beer and picked up Peter, the guy she was dating at the time, and headed south to Puerto San José. It's about an hour and a half drive south of Antigua on the Pacific Ocean. Antigua is in the hills but as soon as you start heading south it is just one gentle slope all the way to the ocean, the elevation drops, the humidity sky rockets and the temperature increases too. It was about 2 pm when we got to the black volcanic sand beach. The beach was pretty dirty, lots of trach and stuff, but it was nice. I played in the surf for a while and we sat and talked and screwed around, trying to do hand stands and front hand springs. We also got a call from our friend Carlos, telling us that he had tickets for us to go to the XL party that night in San Jose. The big Rum company here, Ron Botron, throws a huge New Years party every year. It's free but only if you know someone who gets tickets, Carlos used to work for them, so he gets tickets. We showed up and they had a huge stage set up with models, male and female, walking around in togas. Atlantis was the theme, we got a little dance performance, and then a concert by The Kumbia All-Stars, a big Mexican rock band. The rum was free and all you could drink, so I did my part..., and then a bit more... We finally left at about 2 am to head back home. Pamela drove and I fell asleep in the backseat. Somewhere down the highway, that 'bit more' didn't want to stay down, so I hung my head out the window and left it on the highway... We got home a little before 4 am and I went straight to bed.
Monday December 31st
A phone call woke me up at around noon, it was to confirm meeting plans. I was meeting up with Rocio, Terry, and Terry's friend Rob to go to the city and run in the San Silvestre 10K. I didn{t feel all that great, I wonder why, but I got up and had some tea and some food and headed into Antigua. We left at about 2 pm and got to the start of the run about 3 pm. It turned out both Terry and Rocio decided not to run so it was just Rob and I. There were about 2,000 people there, several in costumes, and only 2, yes TWO port-a-potties. Rob and I walked down the street to McDonalds to go to the bathroom. Then a 4 pm we started running. Surprisingly I felt pretty good until about k. 7, I wanted to die. I pushed through, though, and I finished in 50 minutes flat. Not that amazing in and of its self, but 10 minutes better that my previuos 10K and after a night of heavy drinking... We came back to Antigua and I showered, napped, and then headed to Rocio's house for dinner and drinks. Lot's of the Volunteers from the project were there and we ate and laughed and had some Vodka Jell-o shots. At about 11 pm we walked into Antigua where Pepsi was throwing a huge street party on Calle del Arco. I headed to the Monoloco to meet up with Carlos and Pamela and Bob. We watched the fireworks from the patio and then they kicked everyone out except for about 20 of us and they opened the bar. We listened, and sang, to loud music and drank until about 4 am. When we got back to the house Santa Ana was having another party so the music was blaring, Guatemalans don't do music quietly, and another friend came over with champange. Finally at about 6 am I was done so I went to bed and was asleep with out any problem.
That was the end of 2007! It was such a great year, so many amazing experiences, new friends old friends, Mission Trips and retreats, singing and dancing, laughing and loving, quiting my job and moving out of the country... WOW! I'm looking forward to life to come, especially in 2008!
Follow your heart and passions, life is too short to say, should've, could've, and would've...
Blessings on you and your's in this new year :)
Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14006&l=3abd5&id=752630746
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14323&l=fbb19&id=752630746
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14330&l=c5055&id=752630746
December 16th - Dia de Canastas (Baskets Day)
Tha staff all showed up by 7 am on Sunday morning to prepare for the operation..., yeah, operation. We had 8-900 families coming to the project to receive a Christmas gift basket and along with that there was an hour of entertainment for the adults and kids seperately. I was helping with passing out the baskets to the families. Each basket had a variety of useful stuff in it, like pasta and a blanket (see photos). In all we estimate that there were between 3-5,000 people that came through the project. It was a long day but really rewarding and fun too.
Decenber 17th-21st
It was a pretty normal week at work, just real quiet around the project. Pablo and I built a lot of panels in preparation for the 4 Vision Teams that were coming in January. On Wednesday I went with Chicho and another satff person to our new out-post in San Rafael. It's about a 45 minute drive north of Antigua. This is what Common Hope is looking at doing to expand their shadow of service. Building a facility like we have here in Antigua is very expensive so they don't want to do that again. Instead they are starting little outpost that use our facility as a jumping off point. This one is in the school in San Rafael. Chicho and I went to work on the stove that the school has. It was originally built too high and the cooks couldn't lift the big pots on and off of it, so we lowered it to about knee height. Thursday I started watching my friend Rocio's dog while she went back to Mexico for Christmas. Mailo is a Golden Retriever and still a puppy, one and a half years old, I think. That Friday, the 21st, we had the day off, comp time for the previous Sunday so I did nothing all day.
December 24th
This was the first low day I've had here in Guatemala.It was really different to not be around any of my Family and Friends, and even weirder that I wasn't going to be at CUC for the duration of the evening. I spent the day hanging out with Mailo and watching some sports. Then I called my father to ask him to call me later that night during Silent Night. My church has a tradition that each of the five X-mas Eve services are closed by singing Silent Night by candle light. At the 11 pm service, they have Communion right at midnight then sing Silent Night. It was about 1:15 am local time when my father called and I got to listen to the congregation sing. When they finished the whole congregation wished me a Merry Christmas. (even as I type this I'm beginning to cry) It was really nice and I appreciated it a lot. The only thing that sort of disruppted all of that was the dance party that started immediately after the barage of fireworks ended. Part of a Guatemalan's Christmas celebration includes launching off Fireworks at Midnight Christmas Day. So, for about half an hour there was a nation-wide fireworks display. At 12:30 am they turned on the music in the plaza of Santa Ana, which is directly in front of my house, and had a party til about 8 am.
Christmas Day
I got up and went for a run with Mailo, we ran for about 40 minutes, it was a beautiful day. 85 degrees or so, sunny, blue sky..., no snow anywhere..., very different from any Christmas I'd had before. I called my folks and several friends and then made some dinner. I invited my nieghbor An, from Belgium, over to join me for dinner as she was alone too. We enjoyed dinner and conversation, Pamela got home and joined us as well. All around a good day.
December 26th - 29th
Chicho, Felix and Pablo were on vacation so it was just me and Mario working. I did lots of little random stuff and just stayed busy. I also worked on a desk that I was building for Pamela. There was one in the house but it was sold to someone before we moved in just not picked up, so they finally came and got it. Pamela needs a desk for studying, so I told her I'd make her one. I used old scrap wood here at the project, plained it down and cut it up..., for my first piece of furniture I think it looks pretty good. Saturday I did my laundry and worked on the desk some more.
Sunday December 30th
I got up and was motivated to clean, so I washed all the dishes and cleaned the house. Sometime in the middle of scrubbing the toilet I got the idea to go to the beach! I asked pamela what she thought and she was up for it. So we loaded up the car with some food and beer and picked up Peter, the guy she was dating at the time, and headed south to Puerto San José. It's about an hour and a half drive south of Antigua on the Pacific Ocean. Antigua is in the hills but as soon as you start heading south it is just one gentle slope all the way to the ocean, the elevation drops, the humidity sky rockets and the temperature increases too. It was about 2 pm when we got to the black volcanic sand beach. The beach was pretty dirty, lots of trach and stuff, but it was nice. I played in the surf for a while and we sat and talked and screwed around, trying to do hand stands and front hand springs. We also got a call from our friend Carlos, telling us that he had tickets for us to go to the XL party that night in San Jose. The big Rum company here, Ron Botron, throws a huge New Years party every year. It's free but only if you know someone who gets tickets, Carlos used to work for them, so he gets tickets. We showed up and they had a huge stage set up with models, male and female, walking around in togas. Atlantis was the theme, we got a little dance performance, and then a concert by The Kumbia All-Stars, a big Mexican rock band. The rum was free and all you could drink, so I did my part..., and then a bit more... We finally left at about 2 am to head back home. Pamela drove and I fell asleep in the backseat. Somewhere down the highway, that 'bit more' didn't want to stay down, so I hung my head out the window and left it on the highway... We got home a little before 4 am and I went straight to bed.
Monday December 31st
A phone call woke me up at around noon, it was to confirm meeting plans. I was meeting up with Rocio, Terry, and Terry's friend Rob to go to the city and run in the San Silvestre 10K. I didn{t feel all that great, I wonder why, but I got up and had some tea and some food and headed into Antigua. We left at about 2 pm and got to the start of the run about 3 pm. It turned out both Terry and Rocio decided not to run so it was just Rob and I. There were about 2,000 people there, several in costumes, and only 2, yes TWO port-a-potties. Rob and I walked down the street to McDonalds to go to the bathroom. Then a 4 pm we started running. Surprisingly I felt pretty good until about k. 7, I wanted to die. I pushed through, though, and I finished in 50 minutes flat. Not that amazing in and of its self, but 10 minutes better that my previuos 10K and after a night of heavy drinking... We came back to Antigua and I showered, napped, and then headed to Rocio's house for dinner and drinks. Lot's of the Volunteers from the project were there and we ate and laughed and had some Vodka Jell-o shots. At about 11 pm we walked into Antigua where Pepsi was throwing a huge street party on Calle del Arco. I headed to the Monoloco to meet up with Carlos and Pamela and Bob. We watched the fireworks from the patio and then they kicked everyone out except for about 20 of us and they opened the bar. We listened, and sang, to loud music and drank until about 4 am. When we got back to the house Santa Ana was having another party so the music was blaring, Guatemalans don't do music quietly, and another friend came over with champange. Finally at about 6 am I was done so I went to bed and was asleep with out any problem.
That was the end of 2007! It was such a great year, so many amazing experiences, new friends old friends, Mission Trips and retreats, singing and dancing, laughing and loving, quiting my job and moving out of the country... WOW! I'm looking forward to life to come, especially in 2008!
Follow your heart and passions, life is too short to say, should've, could've, and would've...
Blessings on you and your's in this new year :)
Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14006&l=3abd5&id=752630746
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14323&l=fbb19&id=752630746
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14330&l=c5055&id=752630746
Monday, February 4, 2008
More photos...
The stories to go with these are still to come, but I'm making progress...
Check them out:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14006&l=3abd5&id=752630746
Check them out:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14006&l=3abd5&id=752630746
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Last Week in November thru December 14th
So I'm going to condense this down a bit because I'm so far behind.
November 25th - December 2nd
This was my third and final week of Spanish school and living with the Velasquez Family. I changed my afternoon class to the morning so that I could do my morning orientation at the project. On Thursday I went out after work to meet up with a guy from the states, Jack, at Reiley's. He was having a sort of going away party. It started slow but soon there were a ton of people from all around the world. England, Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Israel, Austria, France, Australia, Guatemala, Brazil, and the U.S. were all represented..., amazing! On Friday the 30th, after work, I went to meet up with Rocio and her boyfriend Terry so that I could meet Rocio's dog Mailo (My-low). I agreed to watch him while she was on vacation over Christmas, he's a beautiful and playful Golden Retriever. Later that night I went to another house in Santa Ana for the going away party for my roommate Andrea. The house was in the same place as where I was going to be moving too. It is a gated piece of property with three houses on it and a common garden. Met a bunch more people from all over the world including a young woman, Kristin, from San Fransisco that used to work at the church that helped Chris Gardner (The Pursuit of Happyness) Glide. We chatted about homelessness and life and all sorts of stuff. The next morning I had breakfast and took my laundry to the project to wash it. Then that afternoon I packed all of my stuff up and moved to my new place in Santa Ana. Jorge drove me there and then brought me back for my bike. After some quick goodbyes and I'll come to visits I was back in Santa Ana unpacking when Bob arrived. Bob is the long-term volunteer in the warehouse and he was taking my new roommate Britt and her boyfriend Carlos (Charlie) to see a dance recital. He had an extra ticket and invited me to join them, so I did. Bob's girlfriend's daughter was dancing in the recital, it was at these ruins just north of the market and it was such a cool atmosphere however, I didn't bring my camera with me so I don't have photos to share of that. Sunday saw me do absolutely nothing all day. I slept in, ate, read, watched a movie, ate, thought, read, ate, and went to bed..., good day :)
Decmber 3rd - 9th
Monday the third marked the start of my Full-time presence at the project, I still had some orientations to complete in the afternoons, but I was at the project all day. I worked with Pablo, doing what I will be doing a lot of over the next 11 months, making the panels for houses. We have two tables that we fabricate the panels on so that they come out basically the same all the time. In the afternoon I helped to cut out 1000 construction paper stars to decorate the project for Christmas. Tuesday we moved all of the planchas, concrete pavers 23" x 23" x 2", to two homes. They will eventually become a floor, there are 48 planchas for each floor, lots of heavy lifting, good for the muscles. After work I played soccer with a group of the employees. On Wednesday we laid the floor for a house in San Gaspar using the planchas, now it's ready for a house. That night I went to this little food stand across the plaza from our house. Background: Our house is on the corner of the central plaza in Santa Ana. The plaza consists of the cathedral on the East side, a small plaza, and a basketball/ popi-fut court. The stand is owned by Miguel Angel, and he cooks all sorts of stuff. That night I got a Chalupa, now this isn't the kind of Chalupa you'll find at Toxic Hell, it was more like a quesadilla with lots of extras inside. Thursday we laid another mobile floor, this one in San Miguel. That night my roommates, Britt (hospitality volunteer at C.H.) and Pamela (Guatemalan) and I went out with one of our Belgium neighbors to a bar called La Sala. We danced some Salsa, a little, I still need some more instruction, and had some laughs. Friday December 7th was the Common Hope staff Christmas party. We all loaded up in buses and headed South towards the Pacific Ocean. We came to a water park called Guatepeque. Some of us played a game of soccer for a while, it was very hot and humid, so we played for about an hour then all headed in to get in the pools. It was fun to watch some of the Guatemalans who had never seen or been on a water slide before. Some tried it out, others would have nothing to do with it. Saturday I started slow, but about 11 AM I got motivated and went to the market to buy food. While there I came across a laundry basket for Q25 = $3 and I needed one so I bought it. Now, I live a couple of kilometers from the market and I had ridden my bike. So, I took off my belt and ran it through the slots on the side and lid of the laundry basket, then clipped it to my backpack (which was full of food) and rode home. I wish someone would have taken a picture of me, it was a very Guatemalan thing to do. Later Britt and Charlie and I went to a BBQ at a friend Vance's house. Sunday I had another lazy day, it is quite nice to not have to get up on a Sunday to go to work. Britt left for the states for the holidays and Pamela's Step-mom and little brother came over, we talked an hung out and I played some basketball with her little brother until Bingo started. Sunday Night is Bingo night in Santa Ana. People come to the plaza to play bingo for Q2 and win little prize baskets, very cool small town feel to it. It reminds me a bit of my Grandmother's town Millstadt, IL.
December 10th - 14th
Monday built the house up in San Gaspar. Pablo, Felix, Mario and I worked fast. Tuesday we built the house in San Miguel. It was cool to see how excited the families were, they would have a new home to celebrate Christmas in. When I got home Bob was there and said he was going to the market, so I tagged along. We walked around and he did some shopping for Christmas gifts, I found a christmas tree for the house. It was about 4 feet high, and pretty cheap, so perfect for my house. The fun part was riding back home on the back of Bob's motorcycle with it. The next day we went to get lumber from Jocotenango. We got 20- 2"x3"x14' and 75- 2"x3"x12' boards then went to Mastil (the Home Depot/Lowe's) and got 30 sheets of the cement fiber board plus 7- 100lbs. bags of cement. When we got back to the project we set all of the wood out to dry, yes it comes wet, then started to make the pile of sand and rock that we would need to make more planchas. 14 wheelbarrows of sand, 8 of rocks and left it for the next morning. The rest of the day was just doing little things around the project. The next day we added 12 bags of cement to the sand and mixed it up, then added all of the rocks and started to added water. Mixing a large amount of concrete by hand is a great work out. We finished all of the planchas an hour before lunch and just hung out for a while. In the afternoon, more panels. That night I went out with William and David to Rainbow Cafe, then La Sala, then the Cajba. Friday we made more panels then we, the construction crew: Mario, Felix, Pablo, Chicho, and I, all went to lunch for our own little Christmas party. I had Ceviche (Say-v-chea), a Guatemalan seafood dish and a Michelada, a beer with vegetable juice added to it. After our lunch we headed back to the project and made some more panels. That night Pamela took me to Pollo Campero, which is a big chain here in Guate similar to KFC. It was an experience and the food tasted like fast food. Later we met up with William, he was leaving the next morning, and danced and stuff. Eventually I was back at the MonoLoco until it closed at 1 AM then we all headed to the after party. At around 3 am I finally ran out of gas and went home.
More of these to come..., I'll be up to date soon...
Pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12588&l=ae4dc&id=752630746
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12599&l=3385b&id=752630746
November 25th - December 2nd
This was my third and final week of Spanish school and living with the Velasquez Family. I changed my afternoon class to the morning so that I could do my morning orientation at the project. On Thursday I went out after work to meet up with a guy from the states, Jack, at Reiley's. He was having a sort of going away party. It started slow but soon there were a ton of people from all around the world. England, Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Israel, Austria, France, Australia, Guatemala, Brazil, and the U.S. were all represented..., amazing! On Friday the 30th, after work, I went to meet up with Rocio and her boyfriend Terry so that I could meet Rocio's dog Mailo (My-low). I agreed to watch him while she was on vacation over Christmas, he's a beautiful and playful Golden Retriever. Later that night I went to another house in Santa Ana for the going away party for my roommate Andrea. The house was in the same place as where I was going to be moving too. It is a gated piece of property with three houses on it and a common garden. Met a bunch more people from all over the world including a young woman, Kristin, from San Fransisco that used to work at the church that helped Chris Gardner (The Pursuit of Happyness) Glide. We chatted about homelessness and life and all sorts of stuff. The next morning I had breakfast and took my laundry to the project to wash it. Then that afternoon I packed all of my stuff up and moved to my new place in Santa Ana. Jorge drove me there and then brought me back for my bike. After some quick goodbyes and I'll come to visits I was back in Santa Ana unpacking when Bob arrived. Bob is the long-term volunteer in the warehouse and he was taking my new roommate Britt and her boyfriend Carlos (Charlie) to see a dance recital. He had an extra ticket and invited me to join them, so I did. Bob's girlfriend's daughter was dancing in the recital, it was at these ruins just north of the market and it was such a cool atmosphere however, I didn't bring my camera with me so I don't have photos to share of that. Sunday saw me do absolutely nothing all day. I slept in, ate, read, watched a movie, ate, thought, read, ate, and went to bed..., good day :)
Decmber 3rd - 9th
Monday the third marked the start of my Full-time presence at the project, I still had some orientations to complete in the afternoons, but I was at the project all day. I worked with Pablo, doing what I will be doing a lot of over the next 11 months, making the panels for houses. We have two tables that we fabricate the panels on so that they come out basically the same all the time. In the afternoon I helped to cut out 1000 construction paper stars to decorate the project for Christmas. Tuesday we moved all of the planchas, concrete pavers 23" x 23" x 2", to two homes. They will eventually become a floor, there are 48 planchas for each floor, lots of heavy lifting, good for the muscles. After work I played soccer with a group of the employees. On Wednesday we laid the floor for a house in San Gaspar using the planchas, now it's ready for a house. That night I went to this little food stand across the plaza from our house. Background: Our house is on the corner of the central plaza in Santa Ana. The plaza consists of the cathedral on the East side, a small plaza, and a basketball/ popi-fut court. The stand is owned by Miguel Angel, and he cooks all sorts of stuff. That night I got a Chalupa, now this isn't the kind of Chalupa you'll find at Toxic Hell, it was more like a quesadilla with lots of extras inside. Thursday we laid another mobile floor, this one in San Miguel. That night my roommates, Britt (hospitality volunteer at C.H.) and Pamela (Guatemalan) and I went out with one of our Belgium neighbors to a bar called La Sala. We danced some Salsa, a little, I still need some more instruction, and had some laughs. Friday December 7th was the Common Hope staff Christmas party. We all loaded up in buses and headed South towards the Pacific Ocean. We came to a water park called Guatepeque. Some of us played a game of soccer for a while, it was very hot and humid, so we played for about an hour then all headed in to get in the pools. It was fun to watch some of the Guatemalans who had never seen or been on a water slide before. Some tried it out, others would have nothing to do with it. Saturday I started slow, but about 11 AM I got motivated and went to the market to buy food. While there I came across a laundry basket for Q25 = $3 and I needed one so I bought it. Now, I live a couple of kilometers from the market and I had ridden my bike. So, I took off my belt and ran it through the slots on the side and lid of the laundry basket, then clipped it to my backpack (which was full of food) and rode home. I wish someone would have taken a picture of me, it was a very Guatemalan thing to do. Later Britt and Charlie and I went to a BBQ at a friend Vance's house. Sunday I had another lazy day, it is quite nice to not have to get up on a Sunday to go to work. Britt left for the states for the holidays and Pamela's Step-mom and little brother came over, we talked an hung out and I played some basketball with her little brother until Bingo started. Sunday Night is Bingo night in Santa Ana. People come to the plaza to play bingo for Q2 and win little prize baskets, very cool small town feel to it. It reminds me a bit of my Grandmother's town Millstadt, IL.
December 10th - 14th
Monday built the house up in San Gaspar. Pablo, Felix, Mario and I worked fast. Tuesday we built the house in San Miguel. It was cool to see how excited the families were, they would have a new home to celebrate Christmas in. When I got home Bob was there and said he was going to the market, so I tagged along. We walked around and he did some shopping for Christmas gifts, I found a christmas tree for the house. It was about 4 feet high, and pretty cheap, so perfect for my house. The fun part was riding back home on the back of Bob's motorcycle with it. The next day we went to get lumber from Jocotenango. We got 20- 2"x3"x14' and 75- 2"x3"x12' boards then went to Mastil (the Home Depot/Lowe's) and got 30 sheets of the cement fiber board plus 7- 100lbs. bags of cement. When we got back to the project we set all of the wood out to dry, yes it comes wet, then started to make the pile of sand and rock that we would need to make more planchas. 14 wheelbarrows of sand, 8 of rocks and left it for the next morning. The rest of the day was just doing little things around the project. The next day we added 12 bags of cement to the sand and mixed it up, then added all of the rocks and started to added water. Mixing a large amount of concrete by hand is a great work out. We finished all of the planchas an hour before lunch and just hung out for a while. In the afternoon, more panels. That night I went out with William and David to Rainbow Cafe, then La Sala, then the Cajba. Friday we made more panels then we, the construction crew: Mario, Felix, Pablo, Chicho, and I, all went to lunch for our own little Christmas party. I had Ceviche (Say-v-chea), a Guatemalan seafood dish and a Michelada, a beer with vegetable juice added to it. After our lunch we headed back to the project and made some more panels. That night Pamela took me to Pollo Campero, which is a big chain here in Guate similar to KFC. It was an experience and the food tasted like fast food. Later we met up with William, he was leaving the next morning, and danced and stuff. Eventually I was back at the MonoLoco until it closed at 1 AM then we all headed to the after party. At around 3 am I finally ran out of gas and went home.
More of these to come..., I'll be up to date soon...
Pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12588&l=ae4dc&id=752630746
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12599&l=3385b&id=752630746
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Hey, I know it's been a while...
I realize it has been a while so know that all is well and this week I will be working on getting everything current on here.
Ihave good news!!! I have posted pictures on my facebook page, I finally got the person I needed to download the ActiveX control so I could upload pictures!
I have added the link to the blogs that they knid of pertain too and here they are too.
These are photos through the first part of December, this week I'll be updating the blogs and adding more pictures.
X-mas Party, BBQ, and building houses:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12599&l=3385b&id=752630746
Thanksgiving and more:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12588&l=ae4dc&id=752630746
November 7th - 17th:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8779&l=4f3e2&id=752630746
November 7th -17th continued:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12584&l=cd489&id=752630746
Enjoy the photos and I'll add more stories soon.
~Peace
Ihave good news!!! I have posted pictures on my facebook page, I finally got the person I needed to download the ActiveX control so I could upload pictures!
I have added the link to the blogs that they knid of pertain too and here they are too.
These are photos through the first part of December, this week I'll be updating the blogs and adding more pictures.
X-mas Party, BBQ, and building houses:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12599&l=3385b&id=752630746
Thanksgiving and more:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12588&l=ae4dc&id=752630746
November 7th - 17th:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8779&l=4f3e2&id=752630746
November 7th -17th continued:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12584&l=cd489&id=752630746
Enjoy the photos and I'll add more stories soon.
~Peace
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Thoughts on Prayer
I just felt the need to share a couple of things with you all. First, the picture is one I took in Santiago Atitlan of the sunset and thought it would look nice on the page. Second, yesterday when I got home from checking my e-mail and walking around Antigua, I sat down and proceeded to lose myself in thought. The following is taken from my journal.
Prayer~
It’s such a simple and basic thing, spending time talking with and listening to God. All too often though it becomes talking to or at God, instead of with, and you quickly run out of time to listen. I too am guilty of this; I haven’t allowed myself to really sit with God since I got to Guatemala. That’s the most difficult part of prayer, becoming aware and then paying attention to God speaking to you, allowing the space.
This is all brought on by an event that happens daily in this house and the book I’m currently reading. Christine and Jorge sit together and pray everyday. They’re Roman Catholic so I think that most of it is repetitious and the same every time, but then there is more. I’m never sure exactly what they’re saying but I would guess that they are praying about their lives and those who share in it with them (family, friends, strangers…).
Two contrasting ideas; prayer as a personal, solitary thing, private: prayer as something to be shared with all, especially those closest to you, corporate. (For those of you grammatically or punctuation-ally gifted, sorry if that last sentence drives you nuts:) Neither one is easy, though they are both principally simple. I’ll work on shared prayer another time, right now I find my thoughts dominated by solitary/personal prayer.
In that current read I’m enjoying, Blue Highways, the writer, William Least Heat-Moon, just spent some time with a monk in Georgia who says it well, “When I go quiet I stop hearing myself and start hearing the world outside me. Then I hear something very great.”
I know that learning how to be quiet will be a life-long pursuit however; it is something that I will do for my whole life as well. As with my Spanish, I use what I have and know already daily, learning something new every time I do. I have good days and bad days, clear understanding followed by obscurity and confusion. Times when I can fully communicate and times when it seems as though I am in a foreign land where my words fall on deaf or closed ears. So it is with prayer.
“… a man becomes his attentions. His observations and curiosity, they make and remake him. …Maybe the [journey can] provide a therapy through observation of the ordinary and obvious, a means whereby the outer eye opens an inner one. …Whitman calls it ‘the profound lesson of reception.’ New ways of seeing can disclose new things…Do new things make for new ways of seeing?” ~W. L. Heat-Moon
The ordinary and the obvious are different in Guatemala than in the states, but should still facilitate the opening of my inner eye. (Perhaps more so than in the states) New perspectives can uncover new experiences and hopefully understanding and I have to believe that if one is tuned in, has good ‘reception’, that new things or experiences must lend themselves to the discovery of new perspectives or ways of seeing.
What does all of this mean?
I can only answer that for myself and for me, I realize that I have to work hard to not fill all of my time with stuff. Leading up to moving here I was certain that it would be easy for me to slow down and spend more time with myself and God. Easy; right! I am addicted to doing things and being with people. The reality of any addiction holds true for this too. I have to be a lot more: aware of my own signs, weaknesses and strengths, and more intentional.
Now, to my own defense, the last month of my life has been a continual whirlwind of activity. I have gone from person to person, place to place, all the way up to stepping on the plane. Then, as soon as I got off the plane the same pattern emerged. Only now are things starting to settle out, and come the end of this week it will get stirred up again as I will be moving out of the Velasquez home to (???). Perhaps it’s a justification; perhaps it’s the truth; perhaps, and more likely, it’s a combination of the two.
Therefore, I promise myself here (and in all of your presences) to be more aware and intentional while at the same time honoring the new relationships and experiences to come; to spend more time with myself and God while leaving the future un-written and trying not to impede the writing of the present.
Prayer~
It’s such a simple and basic thing, spending time talking with and listening to God. All too often though it becomes talking to or at God, instead of with, and you quickly run out of time to listen. I too am guilty of this; I haven’t allowed myself to really sit with God since I got to Guatemala. That’s the most difficult part of prayer, becoming aware and then paying attention to God speaking to you, allowing the space.
This is all brought on by an event that happens daily in this house and the book I’m currently reading. Christine and Jorge sit together and pray everyday. They’re Roman Catholic so I think that most of it is repetitious and the same every time, but then there is more. I’m never sure exactly what they’re saying but I would guess that they are praying about their lives and those who share in it with them (family, friends, strangers…).
Two contrasting ideas; prayer as a personal, solitary thing, private: prayer as something to be shared with all, especially those closest to you, corporate. (For those of you grammatically or punctuation-ally gifted, sorry if that last sentence drives you nuts:) Neither one is easy, though they are both principally simple. I’ll work on shared prayer another time, right now I find my thoughts dominated by solitary/personal prayer.
In that current read I’m enjoying, Blue Highways, the writer, William Least Heat-Moon, just spent some time with a monk in Georgia who says it well, “When I go quiet I stop hearing myself and start hearing the world outside me. Then I hear something very great.”
I know that learning how to be quiet will be a life-long pursuit however; it is something that I will do for my whole life as well. As with my Spanish, I use what I have and know already daily, learning something new every time I do. I have good days and bad days, clear understanding followed by obscurity and confusion. Times when I can fully communicate and times when it seems as though I am in a foreign land where my words fall on deaf or closed ears. So it is with prayer.
“… a man becomes his attentions. His observations and curiosity, they make and remake him. …Maybe the [journey can] provide a therapy through observation of the ordinary and obvious, a means whereby the outer eye opens an inner one. …Whitman calls it ‘the profound lesson of reception.’ New ways of seeing can disclose new things…Do new things make for new ways of seeing?” ~W. L. Heat-Moon
The ordinary and the obvious are different in Guatemala than in the states, but should still facilitate the opening of my inner eye. (Perhaps more so than in the states) New perspectives can uncover new experiences and hopefully understanding and I have to believe that if one is tuned in, has good ‘reception’, that new things or experiences must lend themselves to the discovery of new perspectives or ways of seeing.
What does all of this mean?
I can only answer that for myself and for me, I realize that I have to work hard to not fill all of my time with stuff. Leading up to moving here I was certain that it would be easy for me to slow down and spend more time with myself and God. Easy; right! I am addicted to doing things and being with people. The reality of any addiction holds true for this too. I have to be a lot more: aware of my own signs, weaknesses and strengths, and more intentional.
Now, to my own defense, the last month of my life has been a continual whirlwind of activity. I have gone from person to person, place to place, all the way up to stepping on the plane. Then, as soon as I got off the plane the same pattern emerged. Only now are things starting to settle out, and come the end of this week it will get stirred up again as I will be moving out of the Velasquez home to (???). Perhaps it’s a justification; perhaps it’s the truth; perhaps, and more likely, it’s a combination of the two.
Therefore, I promise myself here (and in all of your presences) to be more aware and intentional while at the same time honoring the new relationships and experiences to come; to spend more time with myself and God while leaving the future un-written and trying not to impede the writing of the present.
A speacial thanks to Ann Smith for giving me Blue Highways, it is a great book and I have really enjoyed reading it. Please add your thoughts, observations, or wisdom.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Week Two
Sunday November 18th I got up, put on my running clothes, grabbed my mp3 player and headed to the Central Park to attempt to run 6.2 miles. When I got there I met up with Rocio and Terry (Rocio works at the project and is dating Terry who's in the Peace Corps, teaching in Ciudad Vieja). The music was far to loud for being set up next to a cathedral on a Sunday morning, but I found out that they don't have mass at 8 AM on Sundays. We also ran into Karen, a long-term volunteer in the clinic, right before the race started. The beginning of the race was on Calle del Arco. We ran out of Antigua to San Felipe then over to Jocotenango, back South to Antigua passed the market and on to the highway to Ciudad Vieja, then cut east just South of Antigua to Alemeda del Calvario, heading north to 4th Street and back West to Central Park. I had felt pretty good through most of the run, less a minute or two around Km 7, and opened up for the last Km. I finished the 10K of Antigua in 59:55, and after not having run since the 23rd of September, I was pleased with my performance. The rest of the day was pretty lazy around the house and I got to meet one of Jorge and Christine's grand kids and two of there great-grand kids. That night I went to Cafe Sky to watch the sunset. While there I met Jack, from AZ but had been living in Oregon most recently, and Carl, from Toronto. They had met on the fight to GUA. We had a few drinks then decided to go get some food, we got some pasta near central park and then ended up at Cafe 2000. We watched The Guardian while enjoying some more drinks. Jack is here learning Spanish for a few weeks then traveling all over Central and South America before starting a job in Brazil. Carl is here just to be here, working odd jobs and hanging out. He taught English in Paraguay for a year and volunteered for a year in another South American country, but had spent the last year in Toronto working as an arborist and decided he missed the Latin-American vibe and needed to come back. Cool guys.
Monday I wasn't nearly as sore as I had thought I would be, so that was great. I had orientation in the clinic today. I started with the Director, Dr. Alvaro, a real nice man who was born in Guatemala then went to school and worked in Minnesota for 30+ years and moved back to Guatemala to work with C.H. I spent a little while at the reception desk, pulling files, checking people in and taking temp/weight/height for some of them. Then I spent a few minutes with the Lab Technician, they have a lab that can do a bunch of blood tests and diagnose a lot of diseases. This year they have only had to refer people, for something they couldn't diagnose, a couple of times. Then we had the Despedida for Karen, she had been here for a year and was returning to the states to begin her residency at a hospital. Then I spent a little bit of time with the dental assistant. Britt, a Vision Team coordinator, approached me and asked if I would be willing to translate for the Don Filaberto Tour on Saturday. After some convincing I agreed to do it. The rest of the day was normal: home, lunch, school, home, dinner. After dinner I was reading and pulled up some classical music on my computer, Jorge really liked it and wanted me to burn him a CD of it. Then off to bed.
Tuesday~ Woke up after a not-so-good night of rest to French Toast for breakfast, YUM! It also made me think of Sarah as she doesn't like the texture of French Toast or Pancakes... ;) I was also excited because today and tomorrow I got to work in the construction area with some of the volunteers and the Vision Team. I arrived to meet Gary and Mary and their two High school aged boys, Andy and Scott and another young man Tim. We all loaded up in the back of the truck and headed to San Juan where we hung the windows, doors and the roof. I had another incident with and laminate nail where I knocked the collar off the head of the nail and cut my thumb..., my left thumb may be very funny looking in a year, if I still have it..., knocking on wood... When we finished we had several extra boards and one of them was already nailed together for the roof, 28 feet long. So we took all of that wood down the street to the next site, where we would start work the next morning. Everything fit in the bed of the truck except the long board, so Pablo, construction employee, at 5 foot maybe, and I carried this board down the road, I'm sure it was a funny site, but unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it... Then home for lunch and off to school, except today I didn't want to sit and study so we went to the market and then to the central park, had some coffee and tea (guess which one was mine...) and a piece of cheesecake then just wandered Antigua. Luis told me all sorts of cool things as we went. When we finished, I called Gwyn to see if this phantom game of soccer was going to happen or not, and she guaranteed that it was. So I went home changed and headed back to the project. The game ended up being staff vs. volunteers, that meant the Discovery Teams (including the family I had worked with earlier in the day) vs. the Guatemalans, Gwyn and I. We had a lot of fun, and after some of the Discovery folks left it became Gringos vs. Guates. We hung in there for a couple of points and then they just kicked our butts... good times :) Went home and Jorge had some blank CDs so I burned him some of my classical music and a Frank Sinatra disc, another of his favorites. Dinner and bed.
Wednesday I got to the project and met up with some of the Vision Team that was going to work with us building a house today. We had a Doctor, Dentist, Accountant, Federal Prosecutor, College Anthropology Professor, and a Techno Geek Tim (started a company that does 3-D printing??? retired and now just travels and writes for some magazine every once in a while). The house that we were building today was a little different that others in that it had two walls already there. They were the concrete block property walls, so we just had three walls to erect, two exterior (two doors and windows) and one interior. We also got a new tool that the Discovery Team had brought down, a Sawz-All. The Guatemalans had never seen, let alone used, one before, so it was fun to show then the versatility that they have and after a couple of minuted they were hooked! Home for lunch then off to school where we looked at definite and indefinite articles and the rules for usage and omission. It was very frustrating and there are a lot of strange rules I survived though and I think I kind of understand them now. Today I also started the process of finding a place to live come the beginning of December. Britt has a house and Karen was her roommate so I talked to her and then Kaela, another C.H. employee, told me about an apartment at her complex that will be available soon. When I got home after school I talked with Jorge for a while, we have really connected over music, and I have started to look at Jorge and Christine as my Guatemalan Grandparents. I found out that Jorge is 82 and I think Christine is a little younger. Good day.
Thursday- Turkey Day in the states, here there was nothing. They don't have a Thanksgiving Day and it was fun explaining what it's like in the states during this week, with Turkey Day, no school from Wed. on, Black Friday... I got up and went to work as did everyone else. I worked with the support group today, that means I cooked, swept and mopped, and worked with the maintenance guys doing all sorts of stuff. Then home, lunch, school, and back to the project for the Despedida for the Discovery Team that was here (Gary and family and another Family). Britt gave me directions to her house and I stopped by on my way home. Her house is just Southeast of Antigua in a pueblo called Santa Ana. It's right off the main square in Santa Ana. It's a nice piece of property with 4 houses on it on the corners of a central garden. Got the tour and met her boyfriend, Charlie, and headed home for dinner. I like the idea of living in Santa Ana because it's away from the tourists in Antigua and around more actual Guatemalans, so I really like that option..., we'll see, I'll be moving like Dec. 1st. I called my family and a couple friends to wish them a Feliz Dia de Gracias, had dinner and went to bed.
Friday- PANCAKES!!! YUM!! ;) Again another normal day, off to orientation at the project, today with Maribell, director of education (she reminded me of my friend Holly S.), and then in the Psychology department. Home for lunch, school, then I went to the Bodegona and bought a bunch of fruit, I'm making a fruit salad for the Thanksgiving Dinner that all of us Gringos are having Sat. afternoon at the project, then went to the Project to make the salad and help prepare food for 40 people. We peeled 30 lbs. of potatoes, watched The Bee Movie (pirated, you can find almost anything in the market), cooked a huge pot of Broccoli, made some Jell-o, and called it a night. Tamalyn, Felipe, and Sam dropped me off at home where I was in bed pretty fast.
Saturday - I got up at about 6 am loaded up my pack and headed to the project to go with the Vision Team to Don Filaberto's home. Don Filaberto has a couple of affiliated kids and takes groups from his home in San Miguel Escobar to his farm land a couple kilometers up the Vulcan de Agua. All 12 members of the Vision Team were going, so we all piled into a van and headed out at about 6:40. I did the D. F. hike with both Vision Teams that I came with, so I was familiar with what to expect but I was still a little unsure about my translation abilities. Luckily there were two young women on the team that spoke Spanish as well, so when I had trouble with anything they helped. We sort of rotated translating. They're a fun group and joked around a lot, so I fit right in. They moved kind of slow, but they are flat landers..., Minnesotans... We had fresh tortillas, guacamole, and black beans at D.F.'s property then headed back down. We returned to the project at about 12:30. I took a shower and sliced up a pineapple to complete my fruit salad with, then headed to the kitchen where I helped Jeff and Sian to carve the Turkeys and make the gravy. At a little after 2 PM we started eating, there was a ton of food, we all ate too much, talked and laughed, and then went back for more food. When I was done Sam solicited me to come play with him on the trampoline. I was full, but I couldn't turn a three year old down. For a good hour and a half Sam and I played on the tramp, under the tramp, around the tramp, and luckily I was given some rest every once in a while when Sian would come and play with him for a bit. Then I found the couch and just sat for a long while, occasionally throwing the ball for Jeff's dog Sasha. Everyone left and it was just me a Gill, Sian's mom staying at the project. We chatted a bit, I checked my e-mail and passed out pretty early.
This morning, Sunday, I got up at 5:30, ate some food and got ready to go riding with Chicho. We were going to meet at 6 AM in front of the project, at 6:30 I just came back in. We arranged this on Tuesday and I didn't remind him, nor do I have his phone number so it just didn't happen, no worries though. I watched the sun as it crept down the volcanoes, Fuego and Acatenango, and at about 6:50 Fuego said good morning to everyone with a burp of smoke. Then I crawled back into bed and slept off some of that turkey:) I got up a little later had some leftovers and started in on updating this blog.
So there you go, I am up to date. Now if I could just get the picture thing figured out...
Blessings and Peace to you and all of yours.
Love and Hugs :)
PS- Check out my friend Pam's blog (fellow river guide and traveler extraordinaire): http://wherewasiyesterday.blogspot.com/
PICTURES: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12588&l=ae4dc&id=752630746
Monday I wasn't nearly as sore as I had thought I would be, so that was great. I had orientation in the clinic today. I started with the Director, Dr. Alvaro, a real nice man who was born in Guatemala then went to school and worked in Minnesota for 30+ years and moved back to Guatemala to work with C.H. I spent a little while at the reception desk, pulling files, checking people in and taking temp/weight/height for some of them. Then I spent a few minutes with the Lab Technician, they have a lab that can do a bunch of blood tests and diagnose a lot of diseases. This year they have only had to refer people, for something they couldn't diagnose, a couple of times. Then we had the Despedida for Karen, she had been here for a year and was returning to the states to begin her residency at a hospital. Then I spent a little bit of time with the dental assistant. Britt, a Vision Team coordinator, approached me and asked if I would be willing to translate for the Don Filaberto Tour on Saturday. After some convincing I agreed to do it. The rest of the day was normal: home, lunch, school, home, dinner. After dinner I was reading and pulled up some classical music on my computer, Jorge really liked it and wanted me to burn him a CD of it. Then off to bed.
Tuesday~ Woke up after a not-so-good night of rest to French Toast for breakfast, YUM! It also made me think of Sarah as she doesn't like the texture of French Toast or Pancakes... ;) I was also excited because today and tomorrow I got to work in the construction area with some of the volunteers and the Vision Team. I arrived to meet Gary and Mary and their two High school aged boys, Andy and Scott and another young man Tim. We all loaded up in the back of the truck and headed to San Juan where we hung the windows, doors and the roof. I had another incident with and laminate nail where I knocked the collar off the head of the nail and cut my thumb..., my left thumb may be very funny looking in a year, if I still have it..., knocking on wood... When we finished we had several extra boards and one of them was already nailed together for the roof, 28 feet long. So we took all of that wood down the street to the next site, where we would start work the next morning. Everything fit in the bed of the truck except the long board, so Pablo, construction employee, at 5 foot maybe, and I carried this board down the road, I'm sure it was a funny site, but unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it... Then home for lunch and off to school, except today I didn't want to sit and study so we went to the market and then to the central park, had some coffee and tea (guess which one was mine...) and a piece of cheesecake then just wandered Antigua. Luis told me all sorts of cool things as we went. When we finished, I called Gwyn to see if this phantom game of soccer was going to happen or not, and she guaranteed that it was. So I went home changed and headed back to the project. The game ended up being staff vs. volunteers, that meant the Discovery Teams (including the family I had worked with earlier in the day) vs. the Guatemalans, Gwyn and I. We had a lot of fun, and after some of the Discovery folks left it became Gringos vs. Guates. We hung in there for a couple of points and then they just kicked our butts... good times :) Went home and Jorge had some blank CDs so I burned him some of my classical music and a Frank Sinatra disc, another of his favorites. Dinner and bed.
Wednesday I got to the project and met up with some of the Vision Team that was going to work with us building a house today. We had a Doctor, Dentist, Accountant, Federal Prosecutor, College Anthropology Professor, and a Techno Geek Tim (started a company that does 3-D printing??? retired and now just travels and writes for some magazine every once in a while). The house that we were building today was a little different that others in that it had two walls already there. They were the concrete block property walls, so we just had three walls to erect, two exterior (two doors and windows) and one interior. We also got a new tool that the Discovery Team had brought down, a Sawz-All. The Guatemalans had never seen, let alone used, one before, so it was fun to show then the versatility that they have and after a couple of minuted they were hooked! Home for lunch then off to school where we looked at definite and indefinite articles and the rules for usage and omission. It was very frustrating and there are a lot of strange rules I survived though and I think I kind of understand them now. Today I also started the process of finding a place to live come the beginning of December. Britt has a house and Karen was her roommate so I talked to her and then Kaela, another C.H. employee, told me about an apartment at her complex that will be available soon. When I got home after school I talked with Jorge for a while, we have really connected over music, and I have started to look at Jorge and Christine as my Guatemalan Grandparents. I found out that Jorge is 82 and I think Christine is a little younger. Good day.
Thursday- Turkey Day in the states, here there was nothing. They don't have a Thanksgiving Day and it was fun explaining what it's like in the states during this week, with Turkey Day, no school from Wed. on, Black Friday... I got up and went to work as did everyone else. I worked with the support group today, that means I cooked, swept and mopped, and worked with the maintenance guys doing all sorts of stuff. Then home, lunch, school, and back to the project for the Despedida for the Discovery Team that was here (Gary and family and another Family). Britt gave me directions to her house and I stopped by on my way home. Her house is just Southeast of Antigua in a pueblo called Santa Ana. It's right off the main square in Santa Ana. It's a nice piece of property with 4 houses on it on the corners of a central garden. Got the tour and met her boyfriend, Charlie, and headed home for dinner. I like the idea of living in Santa Ana because it's away from the tourists in Antigua and around more actual Guatemalans, so I really like that option..., we'll see, I'll be moving like Dec. 1st. I called my family and a couple friends to wish them a Feliz Dia de Gracias, had dinner and went to bed.
Friday- PANCAKES!!! YUM!! ;) Again another normal day, off to orientation at the project, today with Maribell, director of education (she reminded me of my friend Holly S.), and then in the Psychology department. Home for lunch, school, then I went to the Bodegona and bought a bunch of fruit, I'm making a fruit salad for the Thanksgiving Dinner that all of us Gringos are having Sat. afternoon at the project, then went to the Project to make the salad and help prepare food for 40 people. We peeled 30 lbs. of potatoes, watched The Bee Movie (pirated, you can find almost anything in the market), cooked a huge pot of Broccoli, made some Jell-o, and called it a night. Tamalyn, Felipe, and Sam dropped me off at home where I was in bed pretty fast.
Saturday - I got up at about 6 am loaded up my pack and headed to the project to go with the Vision Team to Don Filaberto's home. Don Filaberto has a couple of affiliated kids and takes groups from his home in San Miguel Escobar to his farm land a couple kilometers up the Vulcan de Agua. All 12 members of the Vision Team were going, so we all piled into a van and headed out at about 6:40. I did the D. F. hike with both Vision Teams that I came with, so I was familiar with what to expect but I was still a little unsure about my translation abilities. Luckily there were two young women on the team that spoke Spanish as well, so when I had trouble with anything they helped. We sort of rotated translating. They're a fun group and joked around a lot, so I fit right in. They moved kind of slow, but they are flat landers..., Minnesotans... We had fresh tortillas, guacamole, and black beans at D.F.'s property then headed back down. We returned to the project at about 12:30. I took a shower and sliced up a pineapple to complete my fruit salad with, then headed to the kitchen where I helped Jeff and Sian to carve the Turkeys and make the gravy. At a little after 2 PM we started eating, there was a ton of food, we all ate too much, talked and laughed, and then went back for more food. When I was done Sam solicited me to come play with him on the trampoline. I was full, but I couldn't turn a three year old down. For a good hour and a half Sam and I played on the tramp, under the tramp, around the tramp, and luckily I was given some rest every once in a while when Sian would come and play with him for a bit. Then I found the couch and just sat for a long while, occasionally throwing the ball for Jeff's dog Sasha. Everyone left and it was just me a Gill, Sian's mom staying at the project. We chatted a bit, I checked my e-mail and passed out pretty early.
This morning, Sunday, I got up at 5:30, ate some food and got ready to go riding with Chicho. We were going to meet at 6 AM in front of the project, at 6:30 I just came back in. We arranged this on Tuesday and I didn't remind him, nor do I have his phone number so it just didn't happen, no worries though. I watched the sun as it crept down the volcanoes, Fuego and Acatenango, and at about 6:50 Fuego said good morning to everyone with a burp of smoke. Then I crawled back into bed and slept off some of that turkey:) I got up a little later had some leftovers and started in on updating this blog.
So there you go, I am up to date. Now if I could just get the picture thing figured out...
Blessings and Peace to you and all of yours.
Love and Hugs :)
PS- Check out my friend Pam's blog (fellow river guide and traveler extraordinaire): http://wherewasiyesterday.blogspot.com/
PICTURES: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12588&l=ae4dc&id=752630746
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