27 enero 2012 viernes After an emotional 3 days of an all-volunteer conference in Xela I should just climb into bed now that I’m back in my tranquillo little town….yet my mind is still trying to process all of the recent events and the implications for Peace Corps Guatemala. Since we are “the boots on [...]
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10 enero 2012 martes Yesterday was a definite high during my Peace Corps service!! I handed over 100 quetzales ($12) as the first installment of a scholarship for shy and sweet-faced 11yr old Noreida to enable her to continue onto middle school. As the 2nd to youngest of 8 children ages 8-30yrs, she was dropping [...]
5 enero 2012 jueves Yes! My turn had finally come to summit Tajumulco, the tallest mountain in Central America, rising majestically to 4220 meters (just shy of 14,000 ft). I had envied other volunteers who had already trekked skyward up its slopes, but it seemed fitting to postpone this challenge until the arrival of [...]
30 noviembre 2011 miercoles Although we have exported much of American culture to far-flung places like Guatemala….Thanksgiving per se has yet to arrive here. Celebration in the company of friends and family over a meal is actually quite customary here, just subtract the extravagant quantity of food and add in some tortillas and beans!! Perhaps [...]
7 noviembre 2011 lunes Día de los Muertos or November 1st is a day to celebrate dearly departed loved ones…Guatemalans head to cemeteries to picnic as families, offering food up to the deceased. There are no candy skulls (as in Mexico), although eating sweet treats seems encouraged. Maybe to celebrate the sweetness of being [...]
14 octubre 2011 viernes ¿Porque no? I jumped at the invite to go camping with fellow PCVs in the Southwestern corner of Guatemala last weekend… new territory for me (both the site and camping in Guatemala). Hanging on tightly, my bus wound its way the 2hrs west from Xela to San Marcos. Leaving behind the [...]
2 octubre 2011 domingo Last jueves I stepped even more deeply into the lives of my women’s group in Xeabaj. Our jewelry-making activity was put on hold due to the visit of their CEDEPEM advisor, Victor. First, I got congratulated on my promptness despite my 45-minute walk, while those who live nearby sheepishly arrived late. [...]
28 septiembre 2011- miercoles This past month has been full of activities festive and political….my little town rolled out the red carpet for multiple nights of nail-biting elections of various princesses and the ensuing parade…well, maybe just the padres and madres were biting their nails. The princesses were indeed radiant the day of the [...]
24 septiembre 2011- sabado Quite by chance, I learned about this exciting solar project by Engineers Without Borders (EWB) happening in my town. I was recently walking a dirt road back to the center of town when I met up with and conversed with a resident of the village of Chicorral…he did not have a [...]
12 septiembre 2011 martes On this day after the 10th anniversary of the tragedy of 9-11, I am sitting at the kitchen table of my dear fellow Peace Corps friend, Yuna, in a town near Xela (Quetzaltenango) in Guatemala….some volunteers, like myself, have been asked to leave our site for a few days as [...]
1 septiembre 2011- jueves Sometimes it´s just awfully fun to toot your own horn! Enjoy this video of me instructing in Spanish how to make Chinese fried rice …two months ago I traveled to the ¨Orient¨ (eastern part of Guatemala…with hot temperatures and cowboys) to be a featured guest on the TV cooking show of [...]
25 agosto 2011- jueves ¨The days go slowly but the years go fast¨….somewhere I heard these true words. August 11th offically marked a year from when I walked with 31 other volunteers down the corridors of the newly renovated airport in Guatemala City….jetlagged, excited, and anxious about what would be this chapter of my life [...]
2 agosto 2011- martes Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would help a group of rural Guatemalan women make and fly paper airplanes! Now to give some context to that activity…Maria, the coordinator of the Municipal Women’s Office, and I have begun working with a group of women in the village [...]
14 julio 2011- jueves Yesterday began at 7:15am…with difficulty I left the warmth of my covers to freshen up in my bathroom which fronts on my sheltered patio. Turn on the faucet, but not surprised…no water yet. It comes on a few hours 2 x day in the morning and evening….when is the mystery. No [...]
12 julio 2011- martes Happy belated Fourth of July to my American friends and family back home! Hope the fireworks and barbeques for everyone were visual and culinary successes! As an American living abroad, there is a certain poignancy living so far from my native soil…yet Peace Corps helped us to celebrate our patriotism. All [...]
16 junio 2011- jueves Let’s lead off with the positive and move towards the challenges….yesterday was my 2nd baking class with 3 workmates. Menu: banana squares with chocolate chips. “Es fácil” I told them…piece of cake, so to speak. The assessment of the end product: delicioso! Last week we tackled “snickerdoodles”, rolling the dough balls [...]
6 junio 2011- lunes The arrival of new volunteers in country is siempre occasion for celebration! Por supuesto to draw them into the great variety that is our Guatemala Peace Corps family. One of our own, Sergio, is a true master at party planning. This past weekend, many of us flocked to the beautiful Lago [...]
26 mayo 2011 – jueves Moan… “will I ever get back to Guatemala?” as the delays added up on my flight out of Dallas, but finally I was settled in that metal transport tube with a lively 76 yr old Guatemalan señora as my seatmate. A few hours of lively conversation was just the confidence-booster [...]
15 mayo 2011- domingo Inside my new identity as Peace Corps volunteer, there lurks a proud mama….so it was easy choice to return to the U.S. this month. Nearly 23 years after birthing Alex, I enjoyed him showing off his well-perfected walking skills, striding confidently across the stage towards that bachelor’s degree in Environmental [...]
30 abril 2011- sabado Once upon a time there was a proud and progressive people living in a forested, tropical land with their own calendar, mathematical system and spiritual beliefs. They constructed great stone pyramids throughout the land that stretched skyward. Then came a day that foreign intruders disembarked on their beaches, and began [...]
20 abril 2011- miércoles Silence is the general rule on the bus rides to and from Xela, with many nodding off due to busy days and early awakenings…yet yesterday after some opening remark on my part, I had an interesting hour-long conversation with a Guatemalan man who lives in a nearby town. First off was [...]
20 abril 2011- miércoles “Too early!” was my thought last Saturday as the tiny black travel alarm stung into my consciousness… “it’s my birthday after all, so I should get to sleep in!” Instead I dressed quickly in layers, anticipating both extremes of temperature. Soon my volunteer friends, Claire, Yuna, and I headed out into [...]
7 abril 2011- jueves Yesterday I hiked up the path of crushed volcanic rock on Volcan Pacaya, one of the 33 volcanoes here in Guatemala. Several of this group are active volcanoes, including this one. Hikers must stop a considerable distance from the peak, but the smoke curling from the top indicated that I [...]
29 marzo 2011-martes President Kennedy’s vision and words launched Peace Corps 50 yrs ago this month…challenging youth then and now to serve in a peaceful capacity around the world. My heart swelled with pride as this message was reiterated last Friday, March 25th by Ambassador McFarland and Peace Corps Chief of Staff, Stacy Rhodes. Impressively, there [...]
11 marzo 2011- viernes Happy International Women’s Day…yes, I promise this post to be more upbeat! My sitemates, Kiki, Claire (fellow volunteers)and I decided to aprovechar (take advantage) of the special occasion of March 8th and plan various activities throughout this week. Maria, my women’s office counterpart, had planned a half-day conference for women leaders [...]
2 marzo 2011 miercoles Today I hung on tight in the back of a pickup as I bounced along 6km of a dirt road to an aldea (town) called Buena Vista. Purpose of the meeting there was to disseminate information and seek identified needs from community members regarding food security issues. Since I was invited [...]
23-febrero 2011 – miercoles Giving a flavor of life in Guatemala …as I lie in bed on Sunday morning, I can hear the footsteps on the cobblestone street as people head to market, and of course, there is the inevitable music blaring from the TIGO truck, advertising that its cell phone company has the best [...]
17 febrero 2011- jueves My training group reunited this week at the Peace Corps office…it was an opportunity to share ups and downs during the past 3 months as we have lived in sites scattered throughout Guatemala. Life varies considerably across this small country…some volunteers need to communicate primarily in indigenous languages, others suffer the [...]
Although I do not agree with this decision by Peace Corps D.C. to cancel the Municipal Development program, it does not limit what I can do during my time here…in fact, it probably lights a greater fire in me to make a difference…. Just recently I learned of an NGO called Soluciones Comunitarias founded by [...]
8 febrero 2011- martes My mind is struggling with some significant changes and losses…I’ll eventually get back to Part II for my workday in the field. A sobering message today from a friend volunteer in our training group…she is heading back to the U.S., and leaving Peace Corps service. ..I don’t know what became the [...]
4 febrero 2011- viernes Last Thursday, January 27th: My alarm signaled that 7:15am was the end of my slumber…so I arose a bit groggily. The 3:30am bus rumbling by had disturbed my sleep, oh well…Guatemala is NOT a quiet country. Quickly I scrambled an egg on my little electric burner, and chomped down some pancakes [...]
22 enero 2011- sabado Argh! Internet problems have been dogging me…first, my modem not working and now apparently our muni office doesn’t have funding to pay for internet service, so we are without for how long…who knows? Thankfully I found this wonderful internet cafe in Xela with fast WiFi…such a treat! Last night was a [...]
12 enero-miercoles 2011 Rayos! or Wow! Yesterday marked my 5-month anniversary of stepping onto Guatemalan soil. The celebration was sweetened with the arrival of 3 Xmas packages from family and friends…Mom, thanks for the potholders and sweater, Roger for the warm slippers, and Donna for chocolate-covered pretzels and book!! A snail’s pace better than nunca. [...]
7 enero 2011-viernes Whoa! A whole week into this New Year!…my 2011 resolutions include: climb 2 volcanoes in Guatemala and buy a traditional Mayan outfit to wear for special occasions. I wager a 95% chance of accomplishment! New Year’s Eve in Antigua Guatemala was a visual and cultural treat!!! Most of my training group friends [...]
29 diciembre 2010- miercoles! The flame of 2010 flickers slowly as it reaches its end. Goodbye to the triumphs and sorrows that year brought upon the world. In its place will glow the new bright fire that is 2011. Best wishes to all for a Prospero Año y Felicidad (Successful Year and Happiness). Christmas Eve awakened [...]
Que felicidad! What happiness! A 2hr bus ride to Xela last Friday brought me to the doorstep of fellow volunteers and dance lovers. After a hurried dinner of delicious homemade spinach and sausage pizza, cleverly baked in a toaster oven (we Guatemalan Peace Corps volunteers have to be creative with baking methods), Yuna and I took [...]
A quick post before I collapse into bed…after all, I spent 9 hours today traveling by camionetta from Zacapa back to my home (which meant the comfort or lack thereof of a former American schoolbus…remember, this is where all of our schoolbuses come for a second life and eventual death)…First, a little background info. I [...]
30 noviembre 2010-martes Happy Birthday to my son, Alex! My big guy (literally- he’s 6’3”!) turned 22 years old yesterday…although my physical being is in Guatemala, I was with him in spirit. So much to be thankful for this year….the opportunity to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in this beautiful country of Guatemala which [...]
23 noviembre 2010-martes ! The emotional clouds lifted this week…thanks to all for your words of support. Yesterday my two coordinators came into town to visit….so I showed them my 2 housing options. The Goldilocks house met most of their approval except for the lack of homes across from it (there is a open field). [...]
19 noviembre 2010-viernes A bit of a rough stretch these past few days…trying to figure out my host family’s expectations. I’ve been trying to make my presence fairly easy for them…I do my own laundry (takes awhile since it’s all by hand), my own cooking, and washing my dishes. Since they are retired, money is [...]
10 noviembre 2010- miercoles Tomorrow marks my 3 month anniversary of arriving in Guatemala! Interesting paradox….seems like I’ve been here forever, but everyday there are challenges to remind me of my newcomer status. Here is a poem I wrote last Saturday during the 2 hour bus ride (in between bumps) to Quezaltenango (nickname Xela) which [...]
7 noviembre 2010- domingo As for settling in, that’s what Halloween was for me, unpacking suitcases and trying to remember where I had put everything…it wasn’t until my daughter called later in the day to say Happy Halloween that I even gave it some thought. The following day was more important here: All Saints Day, [...]
28 octubre 2010- jueves In less than 24hrs I will be raising my right hand to swear in as a Peace Corps volunteer…Wow! I just got goosebumps reflecting on that. All of us are reacting with a sense of excitement and anxiety. There’s quite a few colds going around from the combo of stress and [...]
23 octubre 2010- sabado- Headed back to my usual home today…time to wrap up training and get sworn in! All in all, a productive site visit…I shook hands with many, including the mayor. Got a beginning idea of what information, computer systems, etc. exist in the municipal office as resources. Maria, the director of the [...]
22 octubre 2010-viernes It’s 4:50am and my mind is too awake to allow sleep, so I will satisfy its demand to process all that has happened in the past few days. Wednesday was a national holiday celebrating the Revolution, so governmental offices were closed. I spent the day with my host family in a neighboring [...]
20 octubre 2010- miercoles - In a series of minivans and private car, I passed through the green highlands of Guatemala to my new home yesterday…leaving the Peace Corps compound at 10:30am, we arrived nearly 6hrs later with a brief stop for a lunch of thin steak (cooked to leather consistency, so any microbios were [...]
Picture this, a grown woman neatly crammed into a large plastic bin for a warm bath…just like an overgrown baby. That would be me, of course. My host mother, Maria, very kindly offered to heat up some water for a warm bucket bath. She knew that today would be an important day, meeting my Guatemalan [...]
Hola de Pachalum! This is a town of 2,000 to the north of Antigua…I can still see my beloved volcanoes Agua and Fuego off in the distance, so I don´t feel quite so far from home. My purpose here is to check out more ideas for the work that I may be doing as a muni volunteer. This [...]
Last Sunday I attended a confirmation for the daughter of my host mom’s niece…something like that anyway. There were paper decorations on the ceiling and pine needles adorning the concrete floor. After lunch there was a significant time of everyone just sitting in chairs, looking very stoic as the music played loudly. I commented to [...]
27 septiembre 2010-lunes- Technical difficulties have led to a delay in posting…but here is a recap of images from our trip to the Oriente….I still chuckle at that name because there’s really no resemblance with the east of this country and what I consider to be the Orient (Asia)…yet poco a poco, I am getting [...]
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