I have been doing a lot of thinking in the last few days and I will admit, quite a lot of worrying. However, whenever I get to worrying all I need to do is take a walk just outside of town and go into one of the barios. These are the poor towns on the outskirts of town. Out there, children play in the dirt in the streets next to the garbage they took out that morning. Garbage, dirt, it does not matter, they are happy. It does not mean that they are healthy or that they will have by US standards, "a good life." It just means that in that moment, they have found the ray of light that God in his astounding grace has sent from heaven.
If I do not want to walk as far, all I have to do is go to the house for teenaged girls at the end of town. Nuestro Aliados, the organization I will be working for, just discovered that at night police have been conducting so called "interviews" with the girls for several years. In my narrow-minded view, all I can think about is how hard it is that I do not have very much money. In reality, I am so blessed to have enough of a concept of money that I can worry about it. Those girls, who are my age, do not worry about money or what they are going to go to college next semester. They just hope that someone will give them the respect that they as simple children of God deserve.
The world is not about money or school or any of the things that the world gets caught up in. It is about simple, pure, inexplainable, undescribable grace.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
...because you are youung.
I had such a full weekend I have no idea where to start. There were so many people leaving and birthdays and just a ton of good stuff happened.
To start out Thurday night was my birthday party with my friends from school. We had dinner for those who wanted it at 7:00 and the gathering at 8:00. For the dinner I think about 6 people came and for the gathering I think there were probably 20 people total but lots of people could only make it for parts of it. Kafka, the restaurant where we at has this really cool area over the bar that you have to go over this little bridge thing to get to. They have a big long table that you eat Roman style around. It was really great for talking. My friends bought me a card and a really delicious birthday brownie, complete with ice cream and a candle.
Friday night was 80s night at Hotel Antigua. We were invited back last time we went by the hotel manager so we got in free and we had to pay for almost nothing and they kept sending us free food. It is so fun because everywhere I go with my group of friends people love having us. We love dancing and karaoke and we are always as polite and friendly as we can be. 80s night this week was really fun becaus Carlos, my big brother, came along. I was surprised about how mamy songs he knew.
Saturday I stayed at home most of the day. It was a much needed rest and I got a lot of studying done.
Sunday we ate breakfast at the cafe down the street and went to mass. It was really cool because the service was all about the Lord´s Prayer which I am really familiar with from going to Spanish service in Watertown back home. In the afternoon we had a party for Kelley, who has been such an amazing friends during the time I have been here. She left yesterday morning and it was tough to say goodbye. We ate cake in the park and we celebrated in the McDonald´s courtyard with a piñata. At first the McDonald´s employees did not look so excited about having us there so Doug went in and bought like 15 cheeseburgers, or quesoburguesas, as they are called here. We invited all of the kids in the courtyard to come and play as well. It didn´t take much for the McDonald´s people to get excited about what we were doing. They brought us out an actually piñata stick instead of the tennis racket we had been using. Unfortunately, Jenny accidentally broke the stick by wacking it into a tree. I was delegated to go and apologize to the staff. They pretty much thought that this was the funniest thing that had ever happened. I mean really, some of them laughed so hard they cried. We must have looked pretty funny, 4 adults coming up to the counter with this sad broken piñata stick, asking if we can pay for it. It was a very fun afternoon and I definately got some beautiful pictures.
After Jenny, Sarah, Kelley, and I spent some time in the sun on Jenny´s roof. Mostly I studied, but I did tan up a little bit. The sun did a lot to boost my mood. Sunday night we went out to eat. It was also Kelley´s birthday, so in the Guatemalan tradition, we set off a lot of Black Cats in the street. The staff at the restaurant loved us so they set off even more Black Cats. It was really, really loud, but equally fun.
Yesterday I took my exam and passed it. Thus I am now in Grado D. I feel pretty good about the score I got and I am excited for the new material.
In spite of all of these fun events, the highlight of my weekend was definately visiting the organization that I am going to be working for. They have a gorgeous campus and it was so amazing to start meeting the kids that I am going to be helping. The staff is young, but passionate. The director of the new infant malnutrition center is 19, my age. At first I was really shocked by this and even a little skeptical, but I had the opportunity to talk to him and it is obvious that his passion for what he is doing has led him to build up an amazing center that is going to save the lives of hundreds of children. He also told me that the most important part of everything he does is God. He credited God with all of his abilities. He used the example of Timothy and quoted some of the things Paul says to encourages him.
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
To start out Thurday night was my birthday party with my friends from school. We had dinner for those who wanted it at 7:00 and the gathering at 8:00. For the dinner I think about 6 people came and for the gathering I think there were probably 20 people total but lots of people could only make it for parts of it. Kafka, the restaurant where we at has this really cool area over the bar that you have to go over this little bridge thing to get to. They have a big long table that you eat Roman style around. It was really great for talking. My friends bought me a card and a really delicious birthday brownie, complete with ice cream and a candle.
Friday night was 80s night at Hotel Antigua. We were invited back last time we went by the hotel manager so we got in free and we had to pay for almost nothing and they kept sending us free food. It is so fun because everywhere I go with my group of friends people love having us. We love dancing and karaoke and we are always as polite and friendly as we can be. 80s night this week was really fun becaus Carlos, my big brother, came along. I was surprised about how mamy songs he knew.
Saturday I stayed at home most of the day. It was a much needed rest and I got a lot of studying done.
Sunday we ate breakfast at the cafe down the street and went to mass. It was really cool because the service was all about the Lord´s Prayer which I am really familiar with from going to Spanish service in Watertown back home. In the afternoon we had a party for Kelley, who has been such an amazing friends during the time I have been here. She left yesterday morning and it was tough to say goodbye. We ate cake in the park and we celebrated in the McDonald´s courtyard with a piñata. At first the McDonald´s employees did not look so excited about having us there so Doug went in and bought like 15 cheeseburgers, or quesoburguesas, as they are called here. We invited all of the kids in the courtyard to come and play as well. It didn´t take much for the McDonald´s people to get excited about what we were doing. They brought us out an actually piñata stick instead of the tennis racket we had been using. Unfortunately, Jenny accidentally broke the stick by wacking it into a tree. I was delegated to go and apologize to the staff. They pretty much thought that this was the funniest thing that had ever happened. I mean really, some of them laughed so hard they cried. We must have looked pretty funny, 4 adults coming up to the counter with this sad broken piñata stick, asking if we can pay for it. It was a very fun afternoon and I definately got some beautiful pictures.
After Jenny, Sarah, Kelley, and I spent some time in the sun on Jenny´s roof. Mostly I studied, but I did tan up a little bit. The sun did a lot to boost my mood. Sunday night we went out to eat. It was also Kelley´s birthday, so in the Guatemalan tradition, we set off a lot of Black Cats in the street. The staff at the restaurant loved us so they set off even more Black Cats. It was really, really loud, but equally fun.
Yesterday I took my exam and passed it. Thus I am now in Grado D. I feel pretty good about the score I got and I am excited for the new material.
In spite of all of these fun events, the highlight of my weekend was definately visiting the organization that I am going to be working for. They have a gorgeous campus and it was so amazing to start meeting the kids that I am going to be helping. The staff is young, but passionate. The director of the new infant malnutrition center is 19, my age. At first I was really shocked by this and even a little skeptical, but I had the opportunity to talk to him and it is obvious that his passion for what he is doing has led him to build up an amazing center that is going to save the lives of hundreds of children. He also told me that the most important part of everything he does is God. He credited God with all of his abilities. He used the example of Timothy and quoted some of the things Paul says to encourages him.
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
Thursday, October 23, 2008
When opportunity knocks...
Hey everyone, this is just a quick update to tell you what is going on here. I am super busy with school. My exam to pass into the next grade will be on Monday. I am confident that I will pass, but I really want to get a good score so that I know that I really have learned all of these new things. I am thinking about going 5 hours instead of 4 hours every other week. That will probably all depend on cost and whether or not that will really help me more.
Tonight friends from school are taking me out to one of my favorite restuarants for my birthday. A lot of people are coming so I am really excited and I feel really honored that they have set this all up for me. This weekend brings 80s night and Pablo and Carlos are also taking me out for my birthday.
My other big news is that I have been offered a temporary position at a non-profit organization down here. They are working to help prevent human trafficing here in Guatemala. They are based out of Antigua so I would be able to work after school. The organization cracks down on child trafficing in stone quarries and the trafficing of women mostly in the sex and slave trades. When they find them they pull the women and children out and get them into homes where they are taken care of and can learn trades. The organization is basically a stepping stone into their new lives. My job would be to help set up the database that keeps track of the women and children and links them to their parents, their former locations, their new locations, etc. My friends Brandon and Doug from school work there and they mentioned that they need another hand with this. I have been looking for a place to volunteer and I think this could be a really good fit for me. I would work with Brandon to create the system and then I would be able to make lists and input data, which I love doing! and also work with the children. It just feels like I am being directed towards this opportunity. I do not think it is just chance.
Other than that, life goes on down here.
Tonight friends from school are taking me out to one of my favorite restuarants for my birthday. A lot of people are coming so I am really excited and I feel really honored that they have set this all up for me. This weekend brings 80s night and Pablo and Carlos are also taking me out for my birthday.
My other big news is that I have been offered a temporary position at a non-profit organization down here. They are working to help prevent human trafficing here in Guatemala. They are based out of Antigua so I would be able to work after school. The organization cracks down on child trafficing in stone quarries and the trafficing of women mostly in the sex and slave trades. When they find them they pull the women and children out and get them into homes where they are taken care of and can learn trades. The organization is basically a stepping stone into their new lives. My job would be to help set up the database that keeps track of the women and children and links them to their parents, their former locations, their new locations, etc. My friends Brandon and Doug from school work there and they mentioned that they need another hand with this. I have been looking for a place to volunteer and I think this could be a really good fit for me. I would work with Brandon to create the system and then I would be able to make lists and input data, which I love doing! and also work with the children. It just feels like I am being directed towards this opportunity. I do not think it is just chance.
Other than that, life goes on down here.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Carne Asada
My birthday was most definately a birthday to remember. This was my first birthday away from home and that was definately a big step for me. I really missed my family and friends but at the same time I had a really great day.
My day started out with Pati bringing me breakfast in bed. I had melon and actual, cold milk which is a ginormous luxury. I also had chocolate corn flakes. Before you think to yourself Oh wow, corn flakes... let me explain. These were not chocolate corn flakes that just came out of a box. The flakes came out of a box but the chocolate was amazing rich Guatemalan chocolate that Pati melted down, cooled a little and then poured all over my corn flakes. Entonces, when I put milk in them I also got chocolate milk. This was a very good thing and definately started the day out right. In the morning as a present to myself I paid Q30 to visit two different ruins and a museum. The first ruin is actually down the street from my house. It was a school started by monks in the 1700s. The really beautiful part about it is that the caretakers have built a garden in and around the ruins. It was really interesting. The museum I went to was a textile museum. It was really cool because I had my own tour guide so I got to ask all kinds of questions and go at my own pace. I learned a lot about the clothes that I see every day and admire. Now I have a whole new respect and admiration fot the clothes and the people who make them. My third stop was at the ruins of this ginormous Catholic monastery. Going there is like walking into the apocalypse. It also sort of reminded me of Planet of the Apes when he sees the Statue of Liberty all buried in the sand. Very little restoration has been done on it. It was destroyed in the same earthquake in the 1700s. There are piles of stone everywhere and huge ornate chuncks of the building just lying around. It was really fun to be climbing around it. The weirdest part was that when I stood next to the wall, so much dirt and rubble had fallen in that I was almost to the top of these massive walls.
After my morning excursions I went home to help and watch my big birthday meal be cooked. This was pretty much a banquet. They cooked chicken and beef carne asada. This is meat marinated in pineapple, really thinly sliced and them grilled. Amazing! We had churritzos which are Guatemalan meat balls, also grill, and also amazing. There was grilled corn and grilled onions. They made beans and pico de gallo, my favorite beverage, Tampico, and fresh tortillas. The whole family was there including Dr. Lopez who is such an interesting and kind man. I really like talking to him. Before we ate, the family sang this rather long and rowdy medley of birthday songs. It was really fun. They clapped and shouted and jumped around. Then we ate... and ate... and ate. Sometimes when you make a really good meal and it takes two hours to cook but only twenty minutes to eat it is sort of frustrating, but this was no such thing. We ate and talked for an entire hour. Afterwards there were hugs and naps.
During the evening I played piano and read and walked through the town with Pablo. Antigua is really beautiful at night. Carlos, Andrea, Pablo, and I were going to go out dancing last night but all of us were sick in one way or another. Mostly, I was just stuffed. So we postponed the dancing util next Saturday or Friday night, or if Carlos gets his way, both.
I really enjoyed yesterday. I am so richly blessed that I live with a family who genuinely cares about me and wants me to make the most of every day I am here.
My day started out with Pati bringing me breakfast in bed. I had melon and actual, cold milk which is a ginormous luxury. I also had chocolate corn flakes. Before you think to yourself Oh wow, corn flakes... let me explain. These were not chocolate corn flakes that just came out of a box. The flakes came out of a box but the chocolate was amazing rich Guatemalan chocolate that Pati melted down, cooled a little and then poured all over my corn flakes. Entonces, when I put milk in them I also got chocolate milk. This was a very good thing and definately started the day out right. In the morning as a present to myself I paid Q30 to visit two different ruins and a museum. The first ruin is actually down the street from my house. It was a school started by monks in the 1700s. The really beautiful part about it is that the caretakers have built a garden in and around the ruins. It was really interesting. The museum I went to was a textile museum. It was really cool because I had my own tour guide so I got to ask all kinds of questions and go at my own pace. I learned a lot about the clothes that I see every day and admire. Now I have a whole new respect and admiration fot the clothes and the people who make them. My third stop was at the ruins of this ginormous Catholic monastery. Going there is like walking into the apocalypse. It also sort of reminded me of Planet of the Apes when he sees the Statue of Liberty all buried in the sand. Very little restoration has been done on it. It was destroyed in the same earthquake in the 1700s. There are piles of stone everywhere and huge ornate chuncks of the building just lying around. It was really fun to be climbing around it. The weirdest part was that when I stood next to the wall, so much dirt and rubble had fallen in that I was almost to the top of these massive walls.
After my morning excursions I went home to help and watch my big birthday meal be cooked. This was pretty much a banquet. They cooked chicken and beef carne asada. This is meat marinated in pineapple, really thinly sliced and them grilled. Amazing! We had churritzos which are Guatemalan meat balls, also grill, and also amazing. There was grilled corn and grilled onions. They made beans and pico de gallo, my favorite beverage, Tampico, and fresh tortillas. The whole family was there including Dr. Lopez who is such an interesting and kind man. I really like talking to him. Before we ate, the family sang this rather long and rowdy medley of birthday songs. It was really fun. They clapped and shouted and jumped around. Then we ate... and ate... and ate. Sometimes when you make a really good meal and it takes two hours to cook but only twenty minutes to eat it is sort of frustrating, but this was no such thing. We ate and talked for an entire hour. Afterwards there were hugs and naps.
During the evening I played piano and read and walked through the town with Pablo. Antigua is really beautiful at night. Carlos, Andrea, Pablo, and I were going to go out dancing last night but all of us were sick in one way or another. Mostly, I was just stuffed. So we postponed the dancing util next Saturday or Friday night, or if Carlos gets his way, both.
I really enjoyed yesterday. I am so richly blessed that I live with a family who genuinely cares about me and wants me to make the most of every day I am here.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Earthquakes and Parties
Yesterday I had a new experience. We had an earthquake. I was sleeping in the afternoon before lunch and then my bed started shaking. At first I thought I was still dreaming but it just kept going so I got up and went outside of my room. Pablo comes running over and tells me we have to go out into the courtyard. It was a very weird feeling. It was sort of like trying to stand still in a bouncy castle. To be honest, I thought it was fun. However, apparently it was rather large and pretty serious. Somebody told me the number on the scale but I forgot what it was. I guess earthquakes are fairly common after the rainy season. I honestly did not know they had them in Guate, but now I know.
Other than that, things are pretty laid back for the weekend. Tomorrow is my birthday. The family was going to throw a party but Adita´s mom is really sick. The family is leaving early in the morning to go see her. They are all really worried and upset. I really hope everything is okay. When they told me about postponing the party they were so incredibly sweet about it. Adita basically said that they were so sorry and she felt as if she had broken a promise to me. She told me that if I wanted to have it on the same day, they would stay and we would have it. Obviously I told them they should go. They are still going to give me the party, but it has just been moved to Monday. I told them they didn´t need to worry about it at all but they just dismissed that idea completely.
My group of friends are in Coban for the weekend so it is going to be a quiet birthday, which I am actually kind of excited about. All of the parties that people want to give me have been moved to next week so it is not as if I do not get to share it with friends. Tomorrow morning I am going to sleep in. Then I am going to help Pati, the maid (although I hate using the word maid, she is really more of a friend) clean the house. Normally the family and she does it on Saturday but since they will be gone, she would have to do it all by herself and it is a big house. I usually help out anyways so tomorrow she and I are going to clean together. Sarah and Kristen are gone for the weekend so it is just me and the family. Saturday afternoon I am planning to go to the ruins of this monastery in town. Someone, I don´t know who offhand has created all of these flower gardens in and around the ruins. It is apparently really beautiful. I am excited to go. After that I am not sure, but I am sure something will come up. I did get my first birthday present today. Yesterday in our conversation time my teacher asked me what my favorite color was, and I said that it was red. Then I asked what her favorites are and she said, brown and pink. I didn´t think anything of it until this morning there was this really pretty red bag on my chair. It was a really nice surprise.
Of course I miss my family and friends. It really hit me today that I was going to be away from my family for my birthday for the first time. I don´t really know how I feel about it, definately a little lonely. I suppose it had to happen sometime. Another year, new adventures.
Love,
Anna
Other than that, things are pretty laid back for the weekend. Tomorrow is my birthday. The family was going to throw a party but Adita´s mom is really sick. The family is leaving early in the morning to go see her. They are all really worried and upset. I really hope everything is okay. When they told me about postponing the party they were so incredibly sweet about it. Adita basically said that they were so sorry and she felt as if she had broken a promise to me. She told me that if I wanted to have it on the same day, they would stay and we would have it. Obviously I told them they should go. They are still going to give me the party, but it has just been moved to Monday. I told them they didn´t need to worry about it at all but they just dismissed that idea completely.
My group of friends are in Coban for the weekend so it is going to be a quiet birthday, which I am actually kind of excited about. All of the parties that people want to give me have been moved to next week so it is not as if I do not get to share it with friends. Tomorrow morning I am going to sleep in. Then I am going to help Pati, the maid (although I hate using the word maid, she is really more of a friend) clean the house. Normally the family and she does it on Saturday but since they will be gone, she would have to do it all by herself and it is a big house. I usually help out anyways so tomorrow she and I are going to clean together. Sarah and Kristen are gone for the weekend so it is just me and the family. Saturday afternoon I am planning to go to the ruins of this monastery in town. Someone, I don´t know who offhand has created all of these flower gardens in and around the ruins. It is apparently really beautiful. I am excited to go. After that I am not sure, but I am sure something will come up. I did get my first birthday present today. Yesterday in our conversation time my teacher asked me what my favorite color was, and I said that it was red. Then I asked what her favorites are and she said, brown and pink. I didn´t think anything of it until this morning there was this really pretty red bag on my chair. It was a really nice surprise.
Of course I miss my family and friends. It really hit me today that I was going to be away from my family for my birthday for the first time. I don´t really know how I feel about it, definately a little lonely. I suppose it had to happen sometime. Another year, new adventures.
Love,
Anna
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
American Gladiator
I just had to throw this in here because it is one of the coolest things ever. My friend Brandon who I go to school with and hang out with, he is also a good friend to have because he walks me home when it is dark, anyhow, he is my friend. We went to get carrot cake at Higher Grounds (an American run Christian cafe that has carrot cake that will change your life). While were there somehow it came up in conversation that his sister had been on American Gladiator. At first I said something about how it was cool that she had gone to tryouts. He sort of chuckled and said, "No, Anna, she won." Is that not so completely awesome. Jeff and Allie Davisson are his sister and brother-in-law. I watched almost the entire season and I they were my favorite. When he gets back they are using some of the million they won to take the entire family on a vacation. Seriously, that is super cool.
I am putting up a few new pictures, mostly of flowers and friends.
Peace ya´ll
I am putting up a few new pictures, mostly of flowers and friends.
Peace ya´ll
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Weekend Update Live with Anna Kanter
I had one of the greatest weekends I think I have ever had. So many amazing things happened and my love for Antigua and Guatemala and the world for that matter has been renewed.
Friday, instead of class, a group of students including myself went to the Corn Festival in San Antitenango. It is a town about 30 minutes from Guatemala and is just a little larger. At first I had thought we were going to the city. Guate has a celebration but the original cultural celebration is in San Antitenango. The festival started out with a play done by the school in town. Each graade level performed a different traditional dance. In between the dances a narator read the history of corn in Guatemala. The Mayans believed that God created corn on the same day we believe God created plants. The difference is that they believe instead of the dust of the ground, God created them out of corn. So, obviously, corn is very important to them. The narator also explained the various changes of corn throughout the centuries. One of my favorite parts was when he explained how every man, woman, and child is tied to the corn. It was really fascinating. I love learning about the culture, the history, etc. so this was defiantely a treat for me. My favorite dance was performed by children who were probably 11 or 12. They performed an interperative dance showing bullfighting in the country. Bullfighting in Guatemala was and still is more of a sensible need for food than a form of entertainment. The really cool part about it was that the had a kid dressed up in a cardboard bull costume and he was running around the stage with a toreador, or as people in the states know it, a matador. As the bull was running around, kids from the class were following him with candles trying to light firecrackers that were attached to his costume. This would never fly at schools in the US, I have no idea why. It really did create a very powerful effect of this raging bull being slowly brought down by the toreador. However, his cardboard costume did start on fire, but he kept dancing through till the end. It was really cool. After the play we went out into the streets for all kinds of food made with corn for really cheap prices. I am really glad that I have a strong stomach because I got to try everything. Things cost Q2 or less. That is around a fourth of a penny.
On Friday night a group of 5 of my closer friends here and myself went to 80s night at the Hotel Antigua. It is a gourgeous hotel. They had a man there who travels all over central America performing. It was supposed to be sort of a sit and listen cocktail event, but we wanted to dance, so we made it a dance party. It was so super fun. The DJ got into the dancing and started taking requests, we 2-stepped, salsa danced, rocked out, and grooved for several hours. We got the whole lounge into it. Then we found out that the DJ had 4000 karaoke songs on his computer. W had such a good time. The manager of the hotel and the DJ asked us to come back the next Friday. He offered us half price drinks and a good table. Unfortunately a bunch of people are going to Copan next weekend so there would only be 2 of us, but the week after, we will be there.
Saturday was the big Guatemala v. Trinidad and Tobego game. We went to Mono Loco to watch. I love watching soccer and the rest of the group likes it to but the really fun part is watching people, watch the game. It gets really crazy and fun. The game ended in a tie, 0-0, both teams are really good. That was a lot of fun as well.
Oh, Saturday afternoon I was invited to go to the opening of an art show in Antigua. This was such an incredible honor. It was invitation only. I was one of only 2 Americans there. Dr. Lopez translated and annotated the only Mayan text uninfluenced by any outside source. It is a huge history of a Mayan town and the wars, struggles, and good things they go through. It is unknown for certain in the text is a true story or not, but because of its descriptiveness and sometimes extremely mundane daily life sort of reports, most believe it is true. The text is in poetic form much like the Odyssey or the Iliad. It is beautiful. Anyhow, he was reading from the book at this opening and I was invited by the family to attend. Dr. Lopez read wonerfully. He was very involving. I understood most of what he was saying and I was just glued. The art exhibit is a collection of paintings by an artist from each of the countries in Central Americans. These artists are master sculpturists and painters. It was so amazing to get to meet them and hear them talk about their work in their native language. The director came over and introduced himself to me before the show opening. This is also apparently a great honor. It was such an amzazing experience and every time I think about it I just feel so honored to have been able to attend. I am so glad that my wonderful Mother takes me to museums so that I could enjoy seeing the differences between modern artists in Central America and modern artists in the US and Europe. Also, there was free food and wine, but that is somewhat beside the point.
Just a couple hours ago I had lunch with a huge group of people at Cafe Gringos. Gringo means Yankee in Spanish. The Cafe is run by an American man who generally markets for students. It is a very different dining experience. You dont order any food. You sit down and they give you Jamaica, a tea like drink, and set out place settings. Then they serve you whatever they have made for the day. Today it was roast chicken, yellow rice, cucumbers, and tomatoes. They also, of course, give you tortillas. This whole meal costs only Q25 which is about $4. It was really good. The group we had was also very diverse.
I have gotten to meet so many interesting people. Last night we met to men from Israel who are traveling the world to find themselves. Today I talked to the owner of Gringos, a new friend from Texas, a girl from England, a couple of guys from Australia, and a couple from Greece. Often if it is meal time and if you see someone on the street looking for a restuarant, you invite them to come along. That is how we end up with groups of 20-30 people for cheap lunch.
It was an all around fabulous weekend and I still have Sunday night dinner to go to.
However, the truly worst part of this entire trip is that I have run out of money. It is so frustrating to really realize that money can and does hold me back from the things I really want to do. It is hard to have to ask new friends to spot me for lunch or breakfast until I can come up with more money. I was hoping to find a job here but businesses only hire people who are staying at least 12 weeks. I love being here, and I will hopefully figure something out soon, but it really has been a wake up call. I cant predict some expenses that come up. I cant control my health or the weather. I am finding out the hard way that the only thing I can control is how I react to the setbacks. I really didnt realize that I was going to be learning things like that in the few months that I am here.
I am missing you all and I hope everyone is doing well.
Friday, instead of class, a group of students including myself went to the Corn Festival in San Antitenango. It is a town about 30 minutes from Guatemala and is just a little larger. At first I had thought we were going to the city. Guate has a celebration but the original cultural celebration is in San Antitenango. The festival started out with a play done by the school in town. Each graade level performed a different traditional dance. In between the dances a narator read the history of corn in Guatemala. The Mayans believed that God created corn on the same day we believe God created plants. The difference is that they believe instead of the dust of the ground, God created them out of corn. So, obviously, corn is very important to them. The narator also explained the various changes of corn throughout the centuries. One of my favorite parts was when he explained how every man, woman, and child is tied to the corn. It was really fascinating. I love learning about the culture, the history, etc. so this was defiantely a treat for me. My favorite dance was performed by children who were probably 11 or 12. They performed an interperative dance showing bullfighting in the country. Bullfighting in Guatemala was and still is more of a sensible need for food than a form of entertainment. The really cool part about it was that the had a kid dressed up in a cardboard bull costume and he was running around the stage with a toreador, or as people in the states know it, a matador. As the bull was running around, kids from the class were following him with candles trying to light firecrackers that were attached to his costume. This would never fly at schools in the US, I have no idea why. It really did create a very powerful effect of this raging bull being slowly brought down by the toreador. However, his cardboard costume did start on fire, but he kept dancing through till the end. It was really cool. After the play we went out into the streets for all kinds of food made with corn for really cheap prices. I am really glad that I have a strong stomach because I got to try everything. Things cost Q2 or less. That is around a fourth of a penny.
On Friday night a group of 5 of my closer friends here and myself went to 80s night at the Hotel Antigua. It is a gourgeous hotel. They had a man there who travels all over central America performing. It was supposed to be sort of a sit and listen cocktail event, but we wanted to dance, so we made it a dance party. It was so super fun. The DJ got into the dancing and started taking requests, we 2-stepped, salsa danced, rocked out, and grooved for several hours. We got the whole lounge into it. Then we found out that the DJ had 4000 karaoke songs on his computer. W had such a good time. The manager of the hotel and the DJ asked us to come back the next Friday. He offered us half price drinks and a good table. Unfortunately a bunch of people are going to Copan next weekend so there would only be 2 of us, but the week after, we will be there.
Saturday was the big Guatemala v. Trinidad and Tobego game. We went to Mono Loco to watch. I love watching soccer and the rest of the group likes it to but the really fun part is watching people, watch the game. It gets really crazy and fun. The game ended in a tie, 0-0, both teams are really good. That was a lot of fun as well.
Oh, Saturday afternoon I was invited to go to the opening of an art show in Antigua. This was such an incredible honor. It was invitation only. I was one of only 2 Americans there. Dr. Lopez translated and annotated the only Mayan text uninfluenced by any outside source. It is a huge history of a Mayan town and the wars, struggles, and good things they go through. It is unknown for certain in the text is a true story or not, but because of its descriptiveness and sometimes extremely mundane daily life sort of reports, most believe it is true. The text is in poetic form much like the Odyssey or the Iliad. It is beautiful. Anyhow, he was reading from the book at this opening and I was invited by the family to attend. Dr. Lopez read wonerfully. He was very involving. I understood most of what he was saying and I was just glued. The art exhibit is a collection of paintings by an artist from each of the countries in Central Americans. These artists are master sculpturists and painters. It was so amazing to get to meet them and hear them talk about their work in their native language. The director came over and introduced himself to me before the show opening. This is also apparently a great honor. It was such an amzazing experience and every time I think about it I just feel so honored to have been able to attend. I am so glad that my wonderful Mother takes me to museums so that I could enjoy seeing the differences between modern artists in Central America and modern artists in the US and Europe. Also, there was free food and wine, but that is somewhat beside the point.
Just a couple hours ago I had lunch with a huge group of people at Cafe Gringos. Gringo means Yankee in Spanish. The Cafe is run by an American man who generally markets for students. It is a very different dining experience. You dont order any food. You sit down and they give you Jamaica, a tea like drink, and set out place settings. Then they serve you whatever they have made for the day. Today it was roast chicken, yellow rice, cucumbers, and tomatoes. They also, of course, give you tortillas. This whole meal costs only Q25 which is about $4. It was really good. The group we had was also very diverse.
I have gotten to meet so many interesting people. Last night we met to men from Israel who are traveling the world to find themselves. Today I talked to the owner of Gringos, a new friend from Texas, a girl from England, a couple of guys from Australia, and a couple from Greece. Often if it is meal time and if you see someone on the street looking for a restuarant, you invite them to come along. That is how we end up with groups of 20-30 people for cheap lunch.
It was an all around fabulous weekend and I still have Sunday night dinner to go to.
However, the truly worst part of this entire trip is that I have run out of money. It is so frustrating to really realize that money can and does hold me back from the things I really want to do. It is hard to have to ask new friends to spot me for lunch or breakfast until I can come up with more money. I was hoping to find a job here but businesses only hire people who are staying at least 12 weeks. I love being here, and I will hopefully figure something out soon, but it really has been a wake up call. I cant predict some expenses that come up. I cant control my health or the weather. I am finding out the hard way that the only thing I can control is how I react to the setbacks. I really didnt realize that I was going to be learning things like that in the few months that I am here.
I am missing you all and I hope everyone is doing well.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Drip, Drip, Drop
I am so incredibly sick of rain. It is the rainy season and they are not kidding around with that name. Almost all day, every day it rains. It is also almost always cloudy so there is no way to predict when the rain will start and when it is going to stop. It can go from an ordinary slightly cloudy day to a complete downpour in 5 seconds. The laundry is all line dried on the balcony and none of it will dry. My towels have been perpetually damp for a week. No umbrella is large enough to keep a person dry. I am so thankful for covered streets and people who let you drip in their stores while you wait for the rain to slack off at least a little. My internet cafe guys let me sit in here even when I am not actually using a computer.
There are a few positives to the rain. The first is that it washes the poop off of the alley and into the drainage ditch. As long as it is raining you also cant smell it. Another benefit would be that everything is an amazing color. The plants look like they are glowing. The other thing I can think of is that even though people are really nice here for the most part, they are even nicer when it is raining because we are all soaked and cold. It doesnt matter what language you speak to know that it is no fun being wet. Something that really amuses me is that when you greet someone on the street as you pass them, they often say things like, "It is a beautiful day" or "Isnt it nice to be outside" and then they laugh as they walk away. Gotta love sarcasm in spanish.
There is a shop on the way to parque central that I like to stop in from time to time. It is just a little clothing store and I rarely buy anything but the shopkeeper is a sweetheart and she always shows me what is new. Anyhow every day there is a police guard standing at the door to the shop. Police guards are really common. They wear uniforms really similar to police in the US only subtract the hat and add a really big rifle. They wander through town, guard banks, and direct traffic, normal police things. For a week I have been wondering why this tiny store needs a police guard every single day. Yesterday I found out the reason and it is a very important one. The police guard is the shop girls boyfriend. He spends his entire day keeping the peace by hanging out with his girlfriend. Talk about serving the people.
Lets see what have I been up to recently. On the night of the presidential debate Sarah and I went over to Doug and Brandens. Sarah is one of my roommates and Doug and Branden are two students from CSA. We all sat around, watched the debate, and talked a little. This other man who lives in the same complex as the guys was watching with us too. He thought all of the really dry debate jokes were the funniest things ever. He actually fell out of his chair when John McCain said something about trying to nail jello to the wall. I mean, dont get me wrong, that is sort of funny, but seriously, the guy fell out of his chair! That was pretty much my biggest amusement for the week. Afterwards when Sarah and I got back to the house we bought pizza from Dominoes with Pablo. Dominoes has 2 for 1 nights so we got 2 pizzas. We ate 1 of them and I think Pablo ate a piece off of the other. We put the leftovers in the fridge and went to bed. The next afternoon Adita marches Bryan upstairs and into my room. She says to him, Bryan, what do you have to say to Anna. He looks at me and says, "Lo siento much Ana porque yo tuvi much hambre y you comi su pizza, todos de tu pizza." This translates out to, sorry Anna I was hungry so I ate your entire pizza. The kid is seven! It was a large pizza. The whole situation made me laugh. His dad bought us a new pizza. I didnt really care, mostly it just amazes me that he ate a whole pizza in between meals. You probably had to be there, but its the little things that keep you going.
School is going well. Tomorrow we are going on a field trip sort of thing to the city for the Corn Festival. A whole bunch of students and teachers are going. I am really excited, should be some good photo taking opps.
I hope this finds everyone well.
There are a few positives to the rain. The first is that it washes the poop off of the alley and into the drainage ditch. As long as it is raining you also cant smell it. Another benefit would be that everything is an amazing color. The plants look like they are glowing. The other thing I can think of is that even though people are really nice here for the most part, they are even nicer when it is raining because we are all soaked and cold. It doesnt matter what language you speak to know that it is no fun being wet. Something that really amuses me is that when you greet someone on the street as you pass them, they often say things like, "It is a beautiful day" or "Isnt it nice to be outside" and then they laugh as they walk away. Gotta love sarcasm in spanish.
There is a shop on the way to parque central that I like to stop in from time to time. It is just a little clothing store and I rarely buy anything but the shopkeeper is a sweetheart and she always shows me what is new. Anyhow every day there is a police guard standing at the door to the shop. Police guards are really common. They wear uniforms really similar to police in the US only subtract the hat and add a really big rifle. They wander through town, guard banks, and direct traffic, normal police things. For a week I have been wondering why this tiny store needs a police guard every single day. Yesterday I found out the reason and it is a very important one. The police guard is the shop girls boyfriend. He spends his entire day keeping the peace by hanging out with his girlfriend. Talk about serving the people.
Lets see what have I been up to recently. On the night of the presidential debate Sarah and I went over to Doug and Brandens. Sarah is one of my roommates and Doug and Branden are two students from CSA. We all sat around, watched the debate, and talked a little. This other man who lives in the same complex as the guys was watching with us too. He thought all of the really dry debate jokes were the funniest things ever. He actually fell out of his chair when John McCain said something about trying to nail jello to the wall. I mean, dont get me wrong, that is sort of funny, but seriously, the guy fell out of his chair! That was pretty much my biggest amusement for the week. Afterwards when Sarah and I got back to the house we bought pizza from Dominoes with Pablo. Dominoes has 2 for 1 nights so we got 2 pizzas. We ate 1 of them and I think Pablo ate a piece off of the other. We put the leftovers in the fridge and went to bed. The next afternoon Adita marches Bryan upstairs and into my room. She says to him, Bryan, what do you have to say to Anna. He looks at me and says, "Lo siento much Ana porque yo tuvi much hambre y you comi su pizza, todos de tu pizza." This translates out to, sorry Anna I was hungry so I ate your entire pizza. The kid is seven! It was a large pizza. The whole situation made me laugh. His dad bought us a new pizza. I didnt really care, mostly it just amazes me that he ate a whole pizza in between meals. You probably had to be there, but its the little things that keep you going.
School is going well. Tomorrow we are going on a field trip sort of thing to the city for the Corn Festival. A whole bunch of students and teachers are going. I am really excited, should be some good photo taking opps.
I hope this finds everyone well.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Look both ways when you cross the street
I have learned a few really usefeul skills this past week. The first is that I can now walk on the sidewalks here without tripping and without looking down at my feet all the time. It is hard to understand how useful that ability is until you have walked around here. The one thing that I will never be able to do is walk here in heels. To me, that is a superpower. There women here who walk around in these tiny stilletos and their foot always lands on the cobblestone rather that the big hole in the street next to it. In all seriousness I have watched women doing this and I do not think it would even be safe for me to try.
Another thing that women can do here is ride side saddle on motorcycles and mopeds. They dont even appear to be hanging on. I think people have been just been using the same kinds of transportation with in their families so the adapt and learn ways to get by. People ride two to a bike. It is not uncommon to see 3-4 or more people on a moped. There are cars, but I think the majority of the cars are tourist vans, took tooks, and taxis. Rarely do you see just one person in a car. There are always people out walking. While I know that cities in the US are larger and people commute greater distances ,and we have winter, I still often think about how things could change in the US if we followed the same principles
I have also gotten pretty good at crossing the street here. In the US, pedestrians have the right of way, but in Guatemala and most other countries in the world, it is the other way around. Bikes, mopeds, motorcycles, took tooks and cars all have the right of way before people. The trick is to walk into the street 4-5 feet so cars see you and when they back up at a stop sign you walk through them. Sometimes a person is nice and lets you go in front of them, but this is very rare. It is not because people are not nice here or are impatient, well some are. It is actually becasue in lots of streets there are not any stop signs so if you stop for a pedestrian you are really likely to get a bumper crash. It is actually kind of fun working your way around town. It is a different kind of experience.
This post is turning out to be all about things in the street so I guess I will tell a few more things about the streets and sidewalks here. Very different from sidewalks in the US is the friendliness. People say hello and how are you doing to eachother as they pass by on the street. There is a better feeling of community then I think we have in the states. Often hello can turn into a small conversation, where did you get that bag, you have a beautiful child, what are you up to today. If this happened on the street at home, it might be considered a little odd or to forward. Here it is very common and I love it. I love people so getting to meet maybe ten new ones on the way to school in the morning is nice. Also people have the same routine so I see some of the same people at the same time everyday.
Guatemala used to have a serious problem with garbage in the streets which then gets into the water. They also had an unemployment problem. Thus, the street sweeper was born. In the morning before any one is out, there are people who come out and pick up the streets, make sure they are clear if it has rained and report back if any repairs are needed. They are assigned an area that they take care of. It makes the streets really pleasant to walk around on. You arent in danger of stepping in someone elses gum or old food. However, street sweepers do not take care of alleys. Thus the alley to our house is full of garbage, food, etc. I really need to get a picture of the alley so you can see what I am talking about. Unfortunately I will not be able to duplicate the smell, oh darn.
I have gotten to know my way around town really well. I dont know the street names but I just sort of know where I am by where the volcano is, where the church is, etc. This seems to be a common way of getting around for people here.
I hope this post on roads and sidewalks has not been to boring. I am just fascinated by all the little and some big difference between home and here. I think that part of why I am here.
Another thing that women can do here is ride side saddle on motorcycles and mopeds. They dont even appear to be hanging on. I think people have been just been using the same kinds of transportation with in their families so the adapt and learn ways to get by. People ride two to a bike. It is not uncommon to see 3-4 or more people on a moped. There are cars, but I think the majority of the cars are tourist vans, took tooks, and taxis. Rarely do you see just one person in a car. There are always people out walking. While I know that cities in the US are larger and people commute greater distances ,and we have winter, I still often think about how things could change in the US if we followed the same principles
I have also gotten pretty good at crossing the street here. In the US, pedestrians have the right of way, but in Guatemala and most other countries in the world, it is the other way around. Bikes, mopeds, motorcycles, took tooks and cars all have the right of way before people. The trick is to walk into the street 4-5 feet so cars see you and when they back up at a stop sign you walk through them. Sometimes a person is nice and lets you go in front of them, but this is very rare. It is not because people are not nice here or are impatient, well some are. It is actually becasue in lots of streets there are not any stop signs so if you stop for a pedestrian you are really likely to get a bumper crash. It is actually kind of fun working your way around town. It is a different kind of experience.
This post is turning out to be all about things in the street so I guess I will tell a few more things about the streets and sidewalks here. Very different from sidewalks in the US is the friendliness. People say hello and how are you doing to eachother as they pass by on the street. There is a better feeling of community then I think we have in the states. Often hello can turn into a small conversation, where did you get that bag, you have a beautiful child, what are you up to today. If this happened on the street at home, it might be considered a little odd or to forward. Here it is very common and I love it. I love people so getting to meet maybe ten new ones on the way to school in the morning is nice. Also people have the same routine so I see some of the same people at the same time everyday.
Guatemala used to have a serious problem with garbage in the streets which then gets into the water. They also had an unemployment problem. Thus, the street sweeper was born. In the morning before any one is out, there are people who come out and pick up the streets, make sure they are clear if it has rained and report back if any repairs are needed. They are assigned an area that they take care of. It makes the streets really pleasant to walk around on. You arent in danger of stepping in someone elses gum or old food. However, street sweepers do not take care of alleys. Thus the alley to our house is full of garbage, food, etc. I really need to get a picture of the alley so you can see what I am talking about. Unfortunately I will not be able to duplicate the smell, oh darn.
I have gotten to know my way around town really well. I dont know the street names but I just sort of know where I am by where the volcano is, where the church is, etc. This seems to be a common way of getting around for people here.
I hope this post on roads and sidewalks has not been to boring. I am just fascinated by all the little and some big difference between home and here. I think that part of why I am here.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Salud, Amor, Dinero
In Antigua there is a woman who wanders through the city day in and day out. Nobody seems to remember her name, but her life story is almost a legend. As a young women she was apparently quite beautiful. She married young and lived in relative wealth. However, only a couple years after her marriage she began to show signs of insanity. Her husband took her to doctor after doctor but no one was able to help. As she drifted farther and farther from reality her husband felt the embarrasement of a man of his station having such a wife. He also feared that his children would be the same. He left her and their two children in the large house they lived in and moved to Guatemala City. At first the people of Antigua thought the husband had done such a generous thing by giving his wife their beautiful house. In reality the woman in her weakening condition was unable to care for the house. It became filthy and infested with insects. Her children, a son and a daughter, were not taken care of. Not even a year after her husband had left, the womans children were taken away from her and placed in an orphanage. This was the final straw for the woman. She totally lost her touch with reality. Today she begs on the streets. Some days she is calm and sits in her corner of the street, but on other days she flies at people in the streets screaming that they give her something or begging for her children. While I have only seen her on her better days, several other students have been chased down the street or had things thrown at them by her. Dr. Lopez thinks she probably has some form of dimensia or schitzophrenia. It is just such a sad story with a hopeless end. She is one of those people you would do anything to help but cant even come up with a clue as to what to do.
Sorry to have dropped off the map for awhile. I was fighting the flue. I have a much better outlook on school as I go into the weekend. I think I was just so surprised by the whole situation that I didnt know how to react. I have figured out better ways to study and talked to other students about how they handle things. I have a group of friends from school who are fun to hang out with. We have regular Sunday night dinners set up. I really do love Olga, my teacher. I am glad that I got a younger teacher, although I am sure I could have been just as fine with someone else, I dont feel like I have to act so serious about learning. Olga knows how much I want to learn this language and the culture but she can also really indentify with my shall we say, less focused side. At the same time even in our first week we have had some really deep and thoughtful conversations about religion, crime, the world as a whole, etc.
One of the funnier things about CSA is the table game. The school is set up around a central courtyard. All around the courtyard are tables where each students works with their teacher. Different tables are better than others. Do they get good light, are they in a place that is warm but not hot, is there a breeze, is their lots of space around it, is it upstairs or downstairs, the list goes on. Each week the principl comes around and talks with each student, sees if they need anything and one of the options is to ask for a different table. It is sort of a risk asking for a new one. You dont know if you will move up in the table world or down. I am not going anywhere because my table is pretty much prime real estate. The perfect amount of sun, gets a good breeze, is dry when it rains, on the second floor, lots of room around it, yeah it is table heaven.
I put up some new pictures. There are photos of my house and my room, some more general pictures of Guatemala, and pictures of the Childrens party. I pulled a few others out to make room and to keep things new and interesting.
This morning for breakfast we had the perfect example of a traditional Guatemala breakfast. This consists of scrambled eggs, beans, tortillas, coffee, and cream. The cream tastes sort of like a cross between yougurt and cream cheese. I really like it. This seems like a really odd breakfast compared to an American one. I actually really love it. It is lots of carbs to get you going and it is a bunch of different tastes all in a freshly made tortilla. Kristen, another student, really does not like the beans for breakfast thing which is understandable. However it is really funny watching her try to politely eat them.
Pablo and Jessica are both studying pretty much all day for their upcoming medical exams. School in Guatemala ends in Oct/Nov and then picks up again in Feb/Mar. They are both in their first year of university. Doing well on each final exam as gets you into better and better classes. Jessica has a son so it is harder for her to focus but she still gets in a couple hours a day. On the other hand, Pablo, who is my age, has been studying almost every hour of every day since I got here. He stops only to eat (sometimes not), get more coffee, and to sleep maybe two hours a night. He told me at supper yesterday that I could do the sleeping for him. I really dont have any objections to that. I honestly have never met or heard of anyone who can study like he does. It is incredible. He will probably be a lot more fun after this upcoming week.
That is about all I have for you today. Oh, an interesting little thought for you. In Guatemala the first time a person sneezes you say "salud", health. In responce to the second sneeze, you say "amor" (love). If they sneeze yet another time, you say "dinero", money or wealth. So, salud, amor, dinero, that is a winning combination.
Sorry to have dropped off the map for awhile. I was fighting the flue. I have a much better outlook on school as I go into the weekend. I think I was just so surprised by the whole situation that I didnt know how to react. I have figured out better ways to study and talked to other students about how they handle things. I have a group of friends from school who are fun to hang out with. We have regular Sunday night dinners set up. I really do love Olga, my teacher. I am glad that I got a younger teacher, although I am sure I could have been just as fine with someone else, I dont feel like I have to act so serious about learning. Olga knows how much I want to learn this language and the culture but she can also really indentify with my shall we say, less focused side. At the same time even in our first week we have had some really deep and thoughtful conversations about religion, crime, the world as a whole, etc.
One of the funnier things about CSA is the table game. The school is set up around a central courtyard. All around the courtyard are tables where each students works with their teacher. Different tables are better than others. Do they get good light, are they in a place that is warm but not hot, is there a breeze, is their lots of space around it, is it upstairs or downstairs, the list goes on. Each week the principl comes around and talks with each student, sees if they need anything and one of the options is to ask for a different table. It is sort of a risk asking for a new one. You dont know if you will move up in the table world or down. I am not going anywhere because my table is pretty much prime real estate. The perfect amount of sun, gets a good breeze, is dry when it rains, on the second floor, lots of room around it, yeah it is table heaven.
I put up some new pictures. There are photos of my house and my room, some more general pictures of Guatemala, and pictures of the Childrens party. I pulled a few others out to make room and to keep things new and interesting.
This morning for breakfast we had the perfect example of a traditional Guatemala breakfast. This consists of scrambled eggs, beans, tortillas, coffee, and cream. The cream tastes sort of like a cross between yougurt and cream cheese. I really like it. This seems like a really odd breakfast compared to an American one. I actually really love it. It is lots of carbs to get you going and it is a bunch of different tastes all in a freshly made tortilla. Kristen, another student, really does not like the beans for breakfast thing which is understandable. However it is really funny watching her try to politely eat them.
Pablo and Jessica are both studying pretty much all day for their upcoming medical exams. School in Guatemala ends in Oct/Nov and then picks up again in Feb/Mar. They are both in their first year of university. Doing well on each final exam as gets you into better and better classes. Jessica has a son so it is harder for her to focus but she still gets in a couple hours a day. On the other hand, Pablo, who is my age, has been studying almost every hour of every day since I got here. He stops only to eat (sometimes not), get more coffee, and to sleep maybe two hours a night. He told me at supper yesterday that I could do the sleeping for him. I really dont have any objections to that. I honestly have never met or heard of anyone who can study like he does. It is incredible. He will probably be a lot more fun after this upcoming week.
That is about all I have for you today. Oh, an interesting little thought for you. In Guatemala the first time a person sneezes you say "salud", health. In responce to the second sneeze, you say "amor" (love). If they sneeze yet another time, you say "dinero", money or wealth. So, salud, amor, dinero, that is a winning combination.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
6 Different Things About Antigua and Guatemala
1. In Guatemala, flushing toilet paper down the toilet is a criminal offence. It is punishable by fines and jail time. A basket is provided for the paper. If an inspector finds that an establishment does not have a basket, the establishment is fined. This is because the pipes in Guatemala are very narrow. One clog can back up an entire block of houses.
2. On October 1, Guatemala celebrates El Dia Del Niños, the day of the children. Bryan was super excited about this day. At school kids have a special mean and a party. Bryan had his face painted. Along the streets, stores set out huge baskets of candy and little toys. There is a childrens parade, a party in the central park, and fireworks pretty much all day all over the city. If only we had this in the states.
3. I actually just found this out yesterday. The library in Antigua houses the most complete collection of books in South America. It also countains over 6,000 photos and pieces of art from Guatemalan history. I will hopefully be going there this weekend.
4. Another thing about Guatemalan libraries. All of the books stay in the library. They are not lended out like they are in America. In fact, stealing a book is also a criminal offense.
5. If I remember correctly, Guatemala is the 3rd largest producer of coffee in the world or at least in the top 10. However, the average household has instant coffee imported from Mexico on their tables.
6. In the spanish language there is no apostrophe, only accents. So, if you see me writing contractions with out apostrophes, it is not my fault. It drives me crazy.
2. On October 1, Guatemala celebrates El Dia Del Niños, the day of the children. Bryan was super excited about this day. At school kids have a special mean and a party. Bryan had his face painted. Along the streets, stores set out huge baskets of candy and little toys. There is a childrens parade, a party in the central park, and fireworks pretty much all day all over the city. If only we had this in the states.
3. I actually just found this out yesterday. The library in Antigua houses the most complete collection of books in South America. It also countains over 6,000 photos and pieces of art from Guatemalan history. I will hopefully be going there this weekend.
4. Another thing about Guatemalan libraries. All of the books stay in the library. They are not lended out like they are in America. In fact, stealing a book is also a criminal offense.
5. If I remember correctly, Guatemala is the 3rd largest producer of coffee in the world or at least in the top 10. However, the average household has instant coffee imported from Mexico on their tables.
6. In the spanish language there is no apostrophe, only accents. So, if you see me writing contractions with out apostrophes, it is not my fault. It drives me crazy.
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