Captions to Fried Chicken

So, for some reason I couldn't post captions for the pictures I posted about Guatemalans loving chicken, but essentially, some of my neighbors who are well-behaved and super cute told me that their family had never been to Pollo Campero. I was shocked! That's like an American saying they've NEVER been to Burger King, McDonalds OR Wendy's (except Pollo Campero is way more expensive than fast food). It's practically unthinkable that any Guatemalan family-no matter their income level-had not at least sampled a tasty morsel of this universally loved and attended restuarant's famous friend chicken.

The pictures below are of their first offical visit to and tasting of Pollo Campero chicken. Judging by the empty plates and licked fingers, I think they liked it : 0)

We had a lovely picnic in the zoo and the weather was perfect! I made rice and Dona Jauana made tortillas and we shared a 2 liter of Coke along with out 14 pieces of delighfully crispy chicken, french fries and special Pollo Campero ketchup (it deserves a place next to the mentionin of chicken and fries because it is SO...and I mean SO good!)

I love the first picture because the baby is hidden in most of the pics but in this one, he was determined to show his face!

The one with the boy holding a stick with a bag on it was especially funny because this little jokester saw the fish in the pond at the zoo and decided to make himself a weapon so he could bring a few home for dinner. When he realized the stick wasn't long enough, he used the plastic bag to tie two together. He eventually put one on the end like a net...future engineers of Guatemala man....

I wish the pics show how high up these slides really are...It's probably totally unsafe for children under 10 lol It looks like I'm scared to go down but really the boys wanted to go down slowly the first time and I'm just wondering how my skinny little arms are going to support my weight as I try to slow myself down using the sides.

It was a great day and I know they really enjoyed the whole experienc, the bus ride to Xela, setting up the picnic in the zoo, getting to see the animals and going down the slides...well, if they didn't, Cristina and I sure did!

*Sigh. Another great memory to tuck into the memory box.

Guatemalans Love Fried Chicken Too

Home Sweet Home

So just a quick update (I'm vowing to be better about updating in 2011...we'll see how long it lasts : )

REALLY enjoyed my time in the States for Christmas. I have to thank my mom for bringing me home, she did a GREAT job keeping it a surprise. I don't think I've ever seen my dad or my sister so surprised!

We ate so much: went to the Indian buffet, had steak, shrimp and twice baked potatoes for Christmas dinner, had dal (lentils) and a delicious asian dish by my sister....I must have gained 4 pounds while home!

One of the best things...SPICES! Mom is so generous. She really hooked me up. I brought home Garam Masala, Chipotle Chile Powder, White Pepper, Paprika, Cumin Seeds and SO much more! Ahhhh!! I'm excited to try new recipes with all my goodies. And thankfully mom and dad made bags and bags of delicious granola.

The time just flew by of course! Glad to be at home and working again...I will say that when I walked into my living room it seemed so naked until I remembered that we don't use carpet in Guatemala. I'm still getting used to it even though I've been home for 4 days already.

I'm missin mom's food but glad to be home : )

Will post pics of our humble but entertaining New Year's Celebration.

IT.IS.SO.COLD

Soooooo let me describe for you what my hygiene life looks like now that it's winter.

First, imagine that you live in a house made of cement bricks. Now imagine that somewhere in the house there are gaps where there is direct contact with outside air (i.e. a gap between the walls and the roof or a HUGE space between the door and the floor where air and dust creep in.

Now imagine that it's....oooooh between 38-41 degrees fahrenheit. (When I originally looked up the temp is said 55 but I'm pretty sure the ground and plants don't freeze at 55 degrees fahrenheit....I'm just sayin)

Now let's add the most important detail of all-there is no central heating (or heating of any sort for that matter) and NO insulation.

Let's recap:


Cement block walls + gaps where outside air can seep (or flow) in + no central heating.

What does that translate to?
Looking like this INSIDE the house between the hours of 4pm to 10am.
I'm talking a heavy jacket, long-underwear, long socks, a hat and a scarf.
And of course less time spent here...

showering.

Yep you heard right. Sometimes I won't shower aaaaaaall week.

Now you might think that's appalling. Under normal circumstances, I would tend to agree. BUT when it's so cold that you can't possibly sweat and you refuse to work out both because you're almost at 8,000 feet (aka the air is too thin to inhale once walking velocity has reached faster than a stroll) and because Guatemala is extremely-extremely mountainous (where 80% of the time you honestly do walk uphill both ways)...are my failure to exercise excuses sounding valid? In any case, the main point is that the reasons for showering have also declined.

There. My secret's out. I don't shower in the winter.

But think it through. Most of you have no idea what it's like to actually live in a cement building with cement floors and gaps in the walls. Now picture trying to strip down like your clothes are infested with fireants and jump into your cement shower before the freezing air can touch your ashy skin (again a product of the intense, indoor cold).

Trying not to convulse too violently, (lest you chip a beautiful tooth) you soap down. Finally the bathroom is heating up to a bearable temperature but you're already thinking about how you dread shutting off the hot water.

Although you know that running the shower directly affects your electricity bill, you say "screw it, it's too cold to get out" and bask in the warmness/continue to worry about how your this will aversly affect your electricity bill. BUT you remember that this is your first shower all week and it's Thursday and take those few extra minutes to enjoy those minutes of bearable temperature that you so desperately need.

The "fireants in your clothes" speed returns for steps 1-3 (dry off, put on lotion, put on clothes) and finally you're back to the status quo-two jackets, scarf, hat and visible breathe.

Aaaaaaah winter in Guatemala : )

Slightly Frustrated

Some random pictures to get us started before I start ranting and raving. Students practicing healthy habits at the handwashing station the school principal built (using his own time and physical labor : )

A great idea by some of our teachers to hang soap in pantyhose so it doesn't get lost. Builds up a nice lather too!

Me with some students at one of our schools in the mountains.

So during one of my school visits today the principal asked me to go to a meeting the the president and right-hand man of the parent's association. I of course agreed, knowing how valuable face time is to building "confianza" or repoire with the community.

*Sidenote about "confianza": this idea doesn't really exist in the States outside of the realm of personal relationships/friendships. However, here in Guatemala, a lot of one is able to accomplish in their two years of service depends on the confianza or personal relationship they have with their communities and colleagues.

In the states, one is judged by their resume, accomplishments, recommendations etc. Their WORK. But here, even if you were the former president and you started working in a little town with the locals, you would be judged based on your relationship with your co-workers or neighbors rather than your credentials. I had always heard about this phenomena but coming from the states, it's just so hard to imagine that anyone would judge you based on something other than your accomplishments and education. Sometimes its frustrating.

Back on topic, why I'm irritated.

So during this meeting, I carefully laid out the need for and explained the key aspects of the program: If you ask any 5 year old what they should do before they eat they will tell you "wash your hands". But how many of them actually do it? To be healthy in word and in action, the students will all have a toothbrush and toothpaste to school so they can start practicing healthy habits. Also, we will be checking different aspects of their personal hygiene every day to encourage them to come to school with clean clothes, a clean face, hands and nails, etc. (in more detail of course). I wrapped up by asking for questions, concerns or doubts.

Do you know the ONLY question they had?

"So basically all your're bringing is moral support? Are you gonna do any projects or give an economic aid?"

I was half furious, half full of pity, half angry at foreign aid policy (I realize that's a lot of halves but I was feeling a lot of things). They warned us about this in training. All over the world but specifically here in Guatemala, international aid policies and well-meaning but completely ignorant foreigners have ruined any sense of personal-investement or stake in the future that Guatemalans had/could potentially have by creating a reliance on hand-outs.

It's sad to see how much damage can be done when people have a "receiver" mentality based on a constant stream of donted resources. I mean I've certainly done my fair share of donating: clothes, toothbrushes, old electronics, so don't get me wrong, I'm not throwing any stones. This is just something interesting to think about for anyone who still reads this blog: what kinds of traits we are fomenting in the people we are trying to help?

When we tell the teachers that the parents will be responsible for buying their children toothbrushes and toothpaste etc, there are always a few in EVERY group that are quick to inform us that the parents will be unwilling to cooperate or to suggest we look for donations from Colgate the (monopolizing) toothpaste company in Guatemala. Some even angrily ask us why the government isn't providing the children with toothbrushes. This is NOT the government's job! Each parent needs to invest in the health of their children because, in the end, the government won't be there to pay to extract teeth, to buy giardia medication etc.

Being an outsider, it's pretty easy to see how years and years of thoughtful donations has done severe damage to the Guatemalan mentality, making it extremely difficult for sustainable progress to occur.

This damage can even bee seen in terms of non-tangible resources. We always begin our meetings by explaining (in various ways) that we will not personally give health lessons to the students or train the parents 0n health concepts on behalf of the Health Center. Why? Because when we return home, the teachers and professional will not be able to carry on the work because we organized and did everything ourselves. Therefore, it's better for everyone in the community that we train the professionals to give any necessary workshops and build up the knowledge base and competency of those who will remain in the community.

Despite explaining this multiple times in various ways, the idea has yet to sink in for our teachers and Health Center that we should not and are not there to do their job for them. It's very difficult to get everyone on the same page. In the past, the presence of volunteers/aid was a clear indication that the locals should step back and allow the more knowledgable, better equipped foreigners to handle everything. After working only a few months in development, I can see why this is indeed easier for the volunteers.

Training professionals requires patience, extra resources and a fair amount of time in both the long and short-term. But avoiding the necessary has not only stymied real and sustained progress but ingrained in Guatemalans a mentality that the onus lies on the volunteer and that the outsider is more capable than the local.

So now that that's all out...I feel only slightly better. But the real question is where do we go from here?

That's tough. But one thing I do know: from now on I will think twice before donating material resources. It's important to be mindful of the long-term effects of our actions, no matter how generous or pure our intentions. Giving "stuff" is hard to label as bad when people need shoes and toothbrushes right? I would say not exactly. The average family living in the villages that I've lived in/visited buys Coke or Pepsi products regularly, has a TV (many have cable) and buys other non-necessity items. Receiving the necessities via donation more deeply ingrains in every generation the idea that things like toothbrushes, shoes, combs, etc are not the parent's responsiblity to buy but rather a right that each has to receive free of charge.

My suggestion--besides giving up a few weeks, months or years to participate in sustainable change--a great way is to donate to organizations that are investing the time to train professionals and locals to get what they need for themselves.

I hope this has been infomational. Perhaps you've even started you thinking about the impact our donations have on local mentalities and are evaluating the type of volunteer services that you have given/hope to give in the future. If so, I can rest a little easier knowing that at least the word is out and maybe, just maybe, we can start doing things the right way.

Thanks for listening to my rant : 0)

Yuna

Random Pics: Swear In, a Birthday Party and a Wedding

For the first three months of a Peace Corps Volunteer's stay in the country where they will serve, they are trainees. Each training group goes through 12 weeks of technical training (learning how to do their job, getting resources, ideas and peer training), language training in small groups of 4-5, culture training and immersion through host-family living and health training (to ensure each one knows local health risks, necessary precautions and preventitive measures).

FINALLY after three LONG months arrives Swear In. After the ceremony the trainees are offically Peace Corps volunteers and shortly after all split up and go to their assigned sites.


Here are a few pictures from the January 2010 Guatemala training class Swear In.

The girls from my training group with our host families. The families were so kind...treated us like their own children they did.


Someone from every training town!

Everyone was all gussied up!

Here are the girls from my training town.

The first pic of the Olintepeque/San Francisco La Union duo (aka me and my work partner Cristina).

The hotel where they had the ceremony was beautiful!

During training one of the girls in my training group (5 of us lived in the same town) had a birthday. Her host family generously invited us all over to celebrate!

There was a pinata! Her little host brother was the first to take a swing.

It's a lot harder than it looks! Especially if people give you wrong directions!

We played musical chairs and did the limbo. I won the limbo despite being relatively enormous. My friend's host mom is so short she walked right under the bar for the first 5 rounds! Too bad I can't find the picture of her breezing under : /

There were firecrackers (a Guatemalan tradition) and whiskey toast!

The wedding:

Here comes the flower girl and the ring bearer followed by the bridesmaids.

And there's the bride!!

On her way out with the groom...you can tell I didn't care as much about him as I did about her dress because I failed to include his head in the picture....but I got the dress!

Outside waiting to go get food!

A picture with Mama Maira. MAN I look gangly.

That's all for now...more random pictures to follow!

Who said integrating had to be hard?

Aaaahhhhh....another successful day of integrating into the community!

Since my nose wouldn't stop dripping and I couldn't stop sniffing, I stayed home and started on the mountain of paperwork I'd been putting off. Having successfully accomplished more than I'd intended to (I set very low standards for myself this morning), I decided to make a blackberry pie while the dough for my calzones was rising.

Although I had initially decided to make a personal-sized pie, I realized that-if it turned out- this pie could be a great way to meet more neighbors. With the large mound of pie crust in fridge, there was no reason not to. Although I failed to add enough sugar, it was an overall very successful first attempt at blackberry pie!

Quite pleased with myelf, I ate a nice-sized piece, added some more sugar to the pie and took two pieces over to my neighbor who had just bought me some bowls and a few sticks of butter since she felt bad that I'm poor and my house is it next to empty...and then ate another piece.

Things were NOT looking good. I'd seen this trend before. Make a pie "for the neighbors" or some cookies "for the children" and a fourth....OK, alright...half ends up making its way down my intestines before the night is over. I had to do something before another afternoon ended with me eating an unhealthy amount of some kind of pastry.

Luckly, I had forgotten I promised the neighbor kids around the corner that we would play soccer at 4pm. SCORE! Maybe, I thought, I'll run off the cookie dough from the weekend and at least the crust from the pie I ate the other day.

After soccer and a few games of freeze tag in the field in front of the school (p.s. watch out for the hidden mud-holes...they'll getcha), we headed back to my house for a blackberry pie extravaganza!

It was a great sharing experience! I learned a few new words (marchitarse-to wilt), realized I didn't know the word for gazelle in Spanish (gacela), learned that if you touch a certain tree it stunts your growth and other miscellaneous but important things ....they asked about the States, shared the words they knew in English and each tried on my glasses; it was the kind of cultural experience you hope for when in a foreign country.

After sharing spoonfuls of blackberry pie on the steps of my house as the sun slowly made its way towards the mountains, we parted ways-sweaty, tired and covered in blackberry juice.

It was a good day!