Household Name?

The world is indeed a big place.  And within big places live many different types of lives.  Por ejemplo, a world event can happen and receive headline news status, yet not quite reach the ears of the whole world.  And how does that happen?  Well, some people live life without the luxuries of technology, without the luxury of breaks in their day's schedule to relax and watch the news, or without the basic ability to read.  So, is there such as thing as a household name?  I'm brought to this questions based on my reflection of listening to a sport commentator communicating the significance of a star athlete's performance.  Most recently, I can recall a commentator saying, "Dirk Nowitski is a household name, folks.  Around the world people are sitting in their kitchen saying his name".

When I was studying Spanish for a month and learning to talk in casual conversations with my teacher, the subject of entertainment and fame came up.  In my Spanish book, I translated questions from English to Spanish, questions that used real life scenarios such as people's names.  Newsflash: my teacher did not know who Oprah was.  He did not even know who Elvis was.  I couldn't believe it, especially since my teacher wasn't even Mayan, he was Guatemalan but Ladino, meaning not of traditional descent so he has lived with having a television his whole life, having gone to school, and he occasionally visits an internet cafe to connect to the web.

What's the lesson here?  I don't know if there is one.  I just hope we don't live our lives in ignorance thinking there is equality in the world or that just because we've obtained the 'luxuries' means we are 'better' in comparison.  Some communities here may be ignorant of 'what the world has to offer', in terms of luxuries, but they certainly still comprehend how to live and live it respectfully.  They know how to live with what they have, which is something not often found in the States.

Above the Clouds

So, as we were driving to Xela the other week there was a stretch of road through the mountains that got up there in altitude.  It turned out to be the most beautiful sight imaginable.

In fact, we drove above the clouds.  Meaning, communities were housed above the clouds.  Now, from having come from the known to be flat land of Indiana, altitude is a sight to see to begin with.  But I was surprised at the ability to look down at the clouds.

Unfortunately, I was not able to get a quality photo because as I pulled out my camera quickly, the setting was on "sepia" without my knowledge, but here it is:

Travel Tips for Coming to Guatemala

This post is meant to be used as a guide for international traveling, specifically laying out details for Guatemala.  Information can be taken as advice for travelers, or could simply be read to become further informed of the culture in which we live.

First Advice:
-pack light, but bring layers (the day hours are nice 70's, but mornings and evening get chilly).  Some people wear scarves or winter hats, but usually a sweatshirt is enough.  Keep in mind that you'll likely want to buy some of the textiles sold on the street (sweaters, shirts).
-bring Cipro (which you get from your doctor's prescription to be taken when stomach sick from food virus)
-bring bug repellant

Is it safe there?
Panajachel has a very low crime rate.  Calle Santander is the main, heavily traveled street by tourists during both the day and night.  It is wise to practice standard prevention techniques by being cautious and aware of your surroundings, but there is no danger of being mugged or confronted in any form.  Community policing is very common, meaning that people look out for each other on the street, in terms of preventing theft.

How do I get to Panajachel from Guatemala City/the airport?
Panajachel is a 3 hour drive from the airport.  A van shuttle is recommended; both private and public options are available and both are arranged through tourist agencies and are safe, secure, and comfortable.  Per person for a private shuttle averages about $20 (one way) for the 3 hr drive.

Will I have email access?
Many hotels provide free wifi access, however not all.  Many cafes also have wifi and it is very accessible. Quality of equipment and speed of service is not equivalent to that experienced in the States.

Are the local buses, known as chicken buses, safe to ride?
Chicken buses are very common for the locals.  The buses are old school buses used in the States.  In fact, many of them still have the "Blue Bird Midwest" plaque and model information and stickers, such as "keeping your children safe is our business".  I rode a chicken bus last week to an outside village about an hour away and the bus plaque actually said it was made in 1979!!!  Now, most of the buses are from the 90's, but you never know what to expect.  The plaques also list the capacity information (i.e. 47), however Guatemalans have no concept of maximum capacity.  When in Xela, Jenny and I rode a public 12 passenger van to get to the movie theater, and they put 27 people in there, literally (only 3 young kids).  The chicken buses are great for short distances, and is a worthy cultural experience, but not to be considered for long-term or long-distance needs.

Do shops and restaurants accept U.S. dollars?
The exchange rate is about 7.5, so for every $1 you get 7.5 Q...so things are pretty cheap here.  An average  meal at a restaurant would be about 30 Q, or $4.  When you are shopping on the street from vendors, dollars are often accepted, but change is given back in Q.  More official stores, like the grocery, only accept Q.  Credit/Debit cards are also usually accepted, however not recommended because each charge comes with an international fee.  There are several secure ATM's.  We'd recommend bringing a good amount of dollars when leaving the States, but be sure to carry it securely (such as in a hidden pants wallet).

Is the food safe to eat?
Tourists are very common, so the local restaurants do very good at catering to the needs and desires of foreigners.  Eating salads and vegetables that are washed with tap water will make you sick, so typically meals like french fries, rice, beans, and meats are safest, but there are plenty of safe restaurants where you don't have to worry about how it was prepared.  Eating from street vendors is always at your own risk of getting sick, but over time your body would adapt.

How much are hotels?
You should be able to find a very nice hotel (hot water, breakfast, wifi) ranging from $30-50 per night.  Some get higher than that, but if you are on a budget then you can be within that range, possibly less.

What should I do there?
In Panajachel there are many day trip possibilities to neighboring villages across the lake.  You can hike a volcano, do an adventurous zip-line through a forest of trees, shop at the cultural market, take a class to learn how to weave textiles, volunteer at a local orphanage or NGO, learn how to make tortillas, visit with us, or just relax (find a hammock, walk on the shoreline).  Throughout the country you can take a coffee plantation tour, visit Mayan ruins, hike, tour caves (underwater), go to the ocean beach, and more, plus just relax.

If you have additionally questions then just comment and we can repost with new answers!

Weekend in the Big City

David and I took a trip this weekend to Xela, the second largest city in Guatemala. It's not really a "big city" by US standards: no skyscrapers, no public bus, no yellow taxis. But it seemed like a big city to us. After 3 months in rural towns and villages throughout the lake region, we found ourselves walking the streets of Xela, staring and pointing at glimpses of home. It was our first time in 3 months to see a traffic light, to enter a mall, to go into a Wal-Mart (yes, a real Wal-Mart), to eat ethnic food (how I've missed curry), or to eat at a McDonald's. The funny thing is, that when I was living in the states I pretty much tried to avoid many of these activities: I'm not a huge fan of Wal-Mart, I really don't like McDonald's that much, and I rarely enjoy a trip to a mall or huge shopping center. I don't know why I was so excited to take part in these activities in Guatemala. I guess it brought me back to a little bit of home, although seeing Mayan women dressed in traditional traje walking passed a GAP store was a very weird sight.

None-the-less, we took advantage of our time in the big city and even watched a movie in a real movie theater. The movie only cost $3.25, but the popcorn was way overpriced (just like home!). The mall food court had a Subway. I was so, so excited. It really did taste just like Subway back home, even with the Southwest Chipotle sauce. I was very impressed. And attached to the mall was a huge Wal-Mart. I walked in and was immediately struck by the huge-ness of the store and the aisles upon aisles of stuff. We have a Dispensa in Pana and it's actually owned by Wal-Mart. But it consists of 4 aisles and a fresh fruit section about the size of a walk-in closet. And that's big for Pana. So walking into the warehouse-sized Wal-Mart was surprisingly foreign to me (considering this is what I was used to back home).

Of course, it wouldn't be Guatemala without armed men standing around in the middle of the park, protecting something...

We enjoyed the Christmas decorations a lot. Wearing t-shirts and sandals does not feel like Christmas time for us Indiana folk, so seeing a huge Christmas tree in the central park helped.

Sunday we took a break from the mall and Wal-Mart and enjoyed reading in the Central Park...

We ate Xela's famous xeca con frijol (sweet bread with black beans in the middle - this picture is for you Carolyn!)

And we ended our time in Xela with lunch at McDonald's. It was expensive (compared to most of our meals for around $3 or $4). And David thought he ordered chicken strips, but it didn't really turn out that way...look of disappointment:

Notice how small the drink and fries are? We were like, what? Where's the biggie size?!?! ( : 

It was a fun trip with a few luxuries from the states, but it was good to get back home...

Q of D

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

       -Robert Brault

Happy Thanksgiving! (and Q of D)

Here we are, in Guatemala, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  


"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy


Enjoy your day and really soak in the moments of fellowship.


And as for the day after Thanksgiving, allow yourself to be free from the stress of shopping with millions of others by starting your Black Friday online with www.buy-it-forward.com, where the deals are and in alignment with the holiday spirit of giving.

Meet Santiago

We have been living in our current home for nearly 3 months.  It has had it's share of hardships (including: cold showers, mold, smelling water pipes, lack of insulation, no screens on windows), but there has always been one consistent thing that makes us happy to live in the home.  And that happy thing is the landlady's maintenance man, who works in our courtyard 4 days a week.

Can you tell why we like him so much?

He is the most friendly guy to interact with.  He has a positive attitude and is a very hard worker.  He only has a few teeth.  He doesn't speak Spanish fluently, but only his native tongue.  He is always very grateful and appreciative of Jenny and I.  We give him lunches from our kitchen several times a week.  One of the main reasons living in this home is difficult is because of our landlady.  She is very controlling and doesn't treat Santiago well.  When we give him lunch, he has to hide it from her because she considers him her work and doesn't need us to interact with him.

We have been able to locate a new place to live, starting early December.  It became a difficult decision (whether or not to move) solely because of Santiago.  We are currently working on arrangements with his schedule to work it out that we can still see him on a consistent basis.  But we feel that since our house was not very good quality, and because we didn't want to support our landlady for being disrespectful, that we needed to transition when we get the chance (plus we've been told that our landlady has a history of kicking tenants out with no warning...which actually happened last month with our Guatemalan neighbors with the two small children...we are now trying to support that family by having the mother do our laundry every week).

Here are pictures of those kids.  We miss them too.  Actually, when we decided to move here it was because of the closeness in community to the Guatemalans, so now that they have been taken away from us we feel our home is to be made elsewhere.

Full Immersion

As many of you may know, there is a Guatemalan family that Jenny and I have been connected to for several years now that has been of special interest to ours.  In the past year, especially, given the nature of their year-old daughter who suffers from severe dietary restraints and is now considered a 'miracle' surviver.  Anyway, we don't live close in proximity to the family, but we visited with them last weekend in their hometown and stayed the night at their parent's home...meaning we finally fully immersed!

It was great to visit with the family and see the baby:

We brought some games and played Phase 10, dice-style:

I got to practice my Spanish.  The visiting turned out to be quite the family reunion because most all of their  relatives live in the same area.  It was very comforting to be around multiple generations...there will never be any replacement of our own family, but it was very nice to be welcomed in and treated so nicely by this family:

Jenny learned how to make tortillas from scratch, which is the custom here for all the women:

And notice how we simply put a chair in front of the open flame oven to prevent the baby from approaching it!

This is a picture of the group gathered around the table in the kitchen.  It was fun to teach some of the adults some English words. The moms particularly asked us how to say "she is sleeping", because the daughter was sleeping on her mother's lap.  The food was filling, but not provided with the typical table manners as what would be expected in the States.  For instance, there was a jar of salt in the middle of the table and people would lick their fingers and dip them into the jar to consume the salt with their food (fyi keep in mind that for many impoverished families living in this part of the world, a typical meal is made up of only tortillas and salt).

The homes are most commonly built with cement blocks, so no insulation, etc.  Here's an image from above the homes.

The terrain is very mountainous and beautiful.  We went for a walk with the family to their old house.  Along the way we got to play with the younger kids and listen to the stories of the adults when they were kids.  When the family left their old home they abandoned it (didn't try to sell it or anything).  So when we stopped by it, they went in and, much to our surprise, there was still a lot of stuff inside!  The family actually took out some clothes to take to their current home.

The girls were just so cute!

  

We miss you all very much, and hope all is well with your current endeavors.  The first few months so far have been full of many great experiences and humble challenges.  We are thankful for the interactions we have here and are so glad we're able to stay connected to you all even when we're not close in proximity.

F of D

In 2004, a lab at a university in Texas received a $6 million federal grant to breed radioactive armadillos for possible use in warfare.

Technology: Everythings Amazing, Nobodys Happy

Check out this funny clip of a comedian's take on technology.

I love his humor, but his message can actually be taken very 'deep'.  What does make us happy?  

For another humorous resource, check out the White Whines list, which is a collection of "First-World Problems" (i.e. which cell phone to own, etc) that are pulled off of Twitter and Facebook posts.  The term "First-World" plays off of the "Third-World" problems (i.e. poverty, hunger, etc).  Read the site, it's hilarious...such as the comment by one person saying, "iPhones are so affordable poor people have them now...My phone is plain and common.  About ready to switch carriers."

...it sure is enlightening to compare those "problems" to  those experienced around the world, in the Third-World.