tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63692261802732639922024-02-20T01:38:57.414-08:00Ungowa!This is a journal of my time in Guatemala as a Peace Corps Volunteer working in municipal development. The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the United States government or the Peace Corps.Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-90322235145138803932010-09-21T09:36:00.000-07:002010-09-28T15:51:00.065-07:00Adios, Guatemala<span style="font-weight:bold;">THANKS, GAYLE</span> <br /><br />As I prepare to leave Guatemala I want to record a few thoughts in what will probably be my last blog entry before I get on that plane for the United States in a few short weeks. <br /><br />First, thanks to those of you who have followed this blog. It was originally suggested to me to start a blog by my friend Gayle. Although she never became a "follower" I nevertheless took her advice and I hope that some of you feel you have benefited from the entries and photos. With this blog I attempted to provide a medium in which friends and family could get a glimpse into my life and mindset as a Peace Corps volunteer here in this small Central American country. I enjoyed the little blogging I did and again thanks for reading and for your comments.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">ADIOS, GUATEMALA</span><br /><br />I'm going to miss certain people here in my little corner of the country. I've made a few good friends who are a beautiful representation of Guatemalan culture and her people. I already know that once I'm in the U.S. I'll long for simple dinners followed by a half hour in the adobe temazcal (mayan steam bath) where the weekly stresses drift away with the eucalyptus scented vapor. I'll miss the relatively quiet weekends dedicated to reading, sipping good coffee and smoking my briarwood Italian pipe. I'll miss conversations with my site mate RJ. I'll miss working alongside Guatemalans in the office, in the ditches, in the jungle. These are some of the hardest (and smallest!) workers and toughest people in the world; not to mention how nice and respectful many of them can be. The ones that make it out of here do not deserve to be treated like shit by xenophobic idiots in the U.S. who have a habit of blaming outsiders for our political follies and social misfortunes (Mao Zedong). Because of my new Guatemalan friends, my departure will be partly melancholic. <br /><br />But certainly there is part of me ready to go. This is one of the most violent countries I've ever lived in and/or visited. With a 99% impunity rate, less than 1% of all crimes are ever solved and result in someone seeing a day in jail. In other words, if you have a problem and a gun you have a 99% chance of getting away with eliminating your problem. Thankfully I have not been the target of anyone's rage or random attacks on public transportation. I'm fortunately far from the epicenter of Guatemala's violence which is the capital, Guatemala City. But the towns where you'll likely bump into a Peace Corps volunteer can't be described as havens in this otherwise hotbed of violence and lawlessness. <br /><br />The word to describe the local situation is <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">tense</span></span>. Grudges left over from the internal armed conflict, land disputes, lack of security, extreme poverty, guns (from the U.S.!!) and ignorance have created a dangerous situation and the tension can be felt in almost any small community you will find us. People here are not innocent until proven guilty. Rather if you are believed to have wronged someone or a group of people, despite the lack of reason and/or evidence against you, you might be the next person the news reports was thrown in a stack of old tires and lit on fire. I felt like I was walking on eggshells in almost any community where I had a project. <br /><br />With virtually no trustworthy police there is no resolution to be found working with local authorities; in other words those responsible for dealing with crime and punishment. In fact many of them are involved in the very delinquency that plagues this country. This area has become a boiling pot of aggression where locals take the law into their own hands and it has been hard to live amongst such tension for 2 years. Although we, as Peace Corps volunteers, don't often see the violence since we are trained to avoid it, I imagine most of my colleagues would agree the tension can be felt. I have no other way of explaining the phenomenon of being able to feel something that is often not seen. Maybe it's the same phenomenon that has given birth to thousands of religions; past, present and future. <br /><br />These people, and everyone in the world, deserve a country of laws, not of men. I believe John Adams said that. And it's sad that politicians on both the national and municipal level are ill equipped and reluctant to do something about it. The victims remain the poorest Guatemalans like villagers where I live. They are the victims of racism, classism, sexism, and many other human chauvinisms that prevent us from developing individually and as a community. This must stop. And that means the Guatemalan oligarchy must be dismantled. Human greed and political cowardice are the roots of the problem here and all over the world. One look at the wealth gap here in Guatemala will tell you same. In a country where up to 50% of children under the age of 5 are malnourished, Guatemala has at the same time some of the highest rates of obesity. It's very clear. If you're not rich then you're extremely poor. There's virtually no middle class or way of escaping poverty. The quality of education must be improved in the rural areas or these people will remain blind to what the wealthy 2% are doing to this nation of 14 million people.<br /><br />Guatemala is a lawless country packed full of violent men and mountebanks bringing it treacherously close to the precipice of a truly failed state. I could go on and on about the environmental destruction, deforestation, and political cowardice but I choose not to go into that right now. With the slight apprehension of feeling guilty for being able to leave, I'm anxiously looking forward to my awaited departure for all the above reasons. <br /><br />I want to use this space here at the end of my last blog entry to say, with all the ups and down, my time as a Peace Corps volunteer has been worth the last 27 months of my life. Christopher Hitchens in his impressive book <span style="font-style:italic;">Letters to a Young Contrarian</span> said that living abroad was as important to one's education as a radical as the reading of any book. Had Peace Corps not existed it would have been difficult, but not impossible, to live in Guatemala for over two years and have had the type of international experience that many of us can only dream of -- an experience both of character building and humiliation. I've had some of the best organizational and medical support you can imagine. I warmly thank you for your tax dollars. Whereas some tax dollars go to starting despicable conflicts that only exist for the economic benefit of CEOs and shareholders of large U.S. companies, others go to supporting U.S. citizens who want to work hand in hand with our brothers and sisters in the developing world. I think we should be proud of the fact that we, with all of its faults as an organization, have a program like the Peace Corps. I hope you are as happy as I am that I'm returning to the United States a much more informed citizen with new passion and energy to be part of worthy struggles no matter where I find myself. After all, you're to thank. <br /><br />UNGOWA!!Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-81121314632448019152010-07-21T12:34:00.000-07:002010-07-21T12:36:33.701-07:00Imaginary Friend Puts Ends to Geologic StudyLast week a well-known French geologist and professor at the University of Lausanne, Dr. Brochard, his two assistants from the University of San Carlos, and I were thrown out of a community just south of where I live. There is a major geologic fault called Polochic which passes through this area and has caused many destructive earthquakes. Dr. Brochard has been coming to this area of Guatemala every year for the past 4 years to study the Polochic Fault, culminating in our recent attempt to open up a trench where it was likely he could have recorded the recent history of the fault's activity. Recent for geologic time that is! Earthquakes leave their mark in various ways. In this area passes a river and in the sediment near the river he would have been able to determine what has happened here. His past research has provided the municipality where I live with valuable information resulting in new school designs and locations appropriate for construction which would be less affected when this area experiences another destructive quake. He is also taking water samples to determine if there is an underground water source near the fault that could potentially solve the communities every growing water problems. <br /><br />We had been working in this community and surrounding areas surveying ideal trench sites. We had multiple meetings with community members. The mayor attended meetings with us in order to build trust in the communities. In short, we did just about all we could and eventually received permission from one land owner to open a trench on his site. His neighbor, however, did not want us around and when the municipal machinery showed to dig a trench the driver was met by a shower of rocks coming from the neighbor and his sons. <br /><br />At this time I went to the municipality to speak with the authorities about this small obstacle. They sent a few police officers down and asked some local village leaders to get to the trench site immediately and diffuse the situation. By the time everyone arrived the machinery was in place to open the trench, the neighbor had stopped chucking stones, and the driver was ready to break for lunch. This gave certain members of the community time to gather supporters. So when we returned in the afternoon there was a much larger crowd, mainly angry women, ready to kick us out of their community. And that's exactly what they did.<br /><br />After two years of living here in rural Guatemala and as I enter my last 3 months of service I've come to understand certain things. I understand that when I'm hungry, I'm a bit frustrated and I'm sure you feel the same way. Now apply that to a community where about 100% of the population is in a constant struggle to put food on the table. They anger easily. This being a region torn apart by a recent 36 year long armed conflict, there are certainly those factors working in tandem. <br /><br />Living in extreme poverty, having been a victim violence, still trying to recover from that trauma, not being able to read and write; all these things and more would have you feel as if you're living in a constant state of shock. The mind, not being able to endure such conditions for long periods of time, needs some type of solace, some type of warm, safe shelter to seek refuge from the past horrors and present problems stemming from food insecurity, incest, etc. For the vast majority, if not literally everyone around where I live, this solace is found inside churches. It's found in the seemingly peaceful biblical messages. If this were all it were, nice passages from the bible and a cup of hot tea shared with fellow church members, I probably wouldn't have much of a problem with it. But this is not where it stops. The church leaders demand a complete and utter personal surrender to an omnipotent supernatural entity that can not and should not ever be challenged. <br /><br />Getting kicked out of a community for reasons I've mentioned, reasons stemming from the aftermath of the armed conflict and food security, are things I can understand and sympathize with. But it really salted the wound when people kept saying things like "God only knows when earthquakes happen and he will protect us." Well, last I've heard God isn't conducting geologic studies in the area nor advising people before he decides to move the earth around. Preventing geologists from doing their work which would have put in the hands of authorities the information they need in order to plan for future disasters is an almost direct result of religious mind manipulation. It's ignorant and it's dangerous. Instead of jumping around hollering all day about personal surrender I suggest that local church leaders dedicate more time (and their enlarged coffer!) to teaching people how to read and write and think critically. But then again this would be working them out of a job. <br /><br />This is not a well thought out blog rather a ramble from a recently frustrated development "professional" dedicated to the advancement of rural communities. I encourage your comments.Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-54985935786327245122010-06-23T13:53:00.000-07:002010-06-23T14:17:46.382-07:00World CupThe biggest sporting event in the world is currently taking place in South Africa. Boasting over one billion television viewers, The World Cup remains the most watched event on television. And Guatemala is no exception. Football (I prefer to use the international terminology) is on everyone's minds and lips here. It's most excited to see your team play but even when other countries are playing it's likely the outcome will affect the team you're rooting for. This makes almost every game a reason to park yourself in front of the TV with your friends for 90 minutes of uninterrupted action. As some of you may already know, the USA team qualified for the round of 8 today. They will play on Saturday against Ghana. I hope you all tune in for what will surely be a nail-biter. <br /><br />Apart from all the football action on TV, communities all around the world coordinate local football tournaments to honor the spirit of the World Cup. I can't begin to tell you how many different matches are going on here in my look corner of the world on any given day. I get invited to play every now and again but football has never really been my sport despite the fact that I love watching it. In the United States it's really just taking off quite honestly. Maybe it's unfair to say it's taking off since we already have "Major League Soccer" and most every town big and small has some sort of soccer league or school team. But it most certainly is in it's infancy if we were to compare it to the football culture of England per say. And we've got a LOOONG way to go if we are ever to catch up to the football culture and prowess of the likes of Brazil, Argentina, or Italy. <br /><br />All in all I want to say that it's wonderful to be in Latin America during World Cup. Sports do, and always should, bring people together in the spirit of competition. And there is no finer nor more exciting tournament (all sports included) than the World Cup. I encourage you all to watch a few games and help build our own strong football culture in the U.S. You might even recognize someone wearing a jersey from Brazil and it's a great way to start a conversation and make a new friend from some far off football crazy part of the world.<br /><br />Go USA! <br /><br />Ungowa!!Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-33129153753436321672010-05-11T16:07:00.000-07:002010-05-11T16:55:41.467-07:00Volcan TajumulcoA Peace Corps buddy of mine, RJ, and I stood on the summit of the tallest point in Central America. At 4,200 meters, Volcan Tajumulco is situated in the western part of Guatemala. From the top (felt great to be at about 14,000 feet again) we could see at least three of Guatemala's more than 30 majestic volcanoes. We could also see the country north of us, Mexico, where Volcan Tacana lies directly on the Guatemalan Mexican boarder. We were in cloud cover most of the day but I was able to snap a few photos when it would temporarily clear. Unfortunately we never got a break from the clouds while we were on the summit. All in all it was a magical and meaningful day in the hiking boots. <br /><br />As we enter nice hiking weather, I hope all of you make free time to get out and enjoy the wonders of nature. I recommend Richard Dawkin's new book <span style="font-style:italic;">The Greatest Show on Earth </span> as reading material that will have you appreciating all of the biological diversity and will educate you on why it's here. After reading this book it is impossible for me to look at the world in the same way. The works of E.O. Wilson and Carl Sagan affected me in a similar way. <br /><br />Happy trails and remember... UNGOWA!!Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-69533304083524977312010-04-30T13:44:00.000-07:002010-04-30T14:54:02.426-07:00An Overdue Entry -- Our Ambassador and Building BridgesHello all my faithful followers. This is a long overdue blog entry, I know. I have either been very busy or very lazy. The truth is I've been both. I've been lazy about blogging and busy experiencing a few things I will now describe. <br /><br />First, the U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala, Stephen McFarland, was in my town taking part in an activity not far outside the pueblo. Afterward he dedicated about an hour to visit with us Peace Corps volunteers (PCV). We had coffee, cake and a good conversation about what we PCVs are doing up here in the Guatemalan highlands. Overall I must say that Ambassador McFarland is very dedicated to his job and is a big supporter of Peace Corps. <br /><br />Now on to building bridges. I have dedicated much of my time recently to an NGO called Bridges to Prosperity (www.bridgestoprosperity.org). They specialize in foot bridges and have projects in Africa, the Americas, and other places on this planet of ours. They have three foot bridge projects in the area where I live. Before becoming involved with them I had no idea how big of an impact a bridge can have on a small community.<br /><br />At one of the three bridge sites here, the bridge connects two small communities with an aggregate population of about 1,500. There is only one school and one health clinic located in the larger of the two communities. During the rainy season (May - Nov in Guatemala)the kids from the smaller community can't go to school and nobody can get to the health clinic because they are unable to cross the swollen river dividing the two communities. During times of emergency, a complicated labor for example, this bridge makes it possible for the villagers from the smaller town to get the medical attention they desperately need. And it very well can be a matter of life and death. <br /><br />Bridges to Prosperity is one of the few non profit organizations specializing in foot bridge construction. They've recently been featured in Parade Magazine and you can find the article on their website. It's been informative and fun working with this organization and in the next two months I will help with the construction of two more bridges here in our special little spot in the highlands. Downloading pictures takes a lot of time here where the internet speed is slower than a heard of drunk turtles stampeding through peanut butter. But you can get a good idea what I'm talking about by visiting their website. <br /><br />I'm only about 6 months away from completing my 2 year Peace Corps service. Whao!!Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-37897579603707795202009-09-23T15:00:00.000-07:002010-09-30T10:25:56.192-07:00Hey, Gringo!I recently wrote this to be featured in a local publication assembled by Peace Corps volunteers here in Guatemala. I don't know if they will publish it but it sure makes for a good blog entry. One thing you should know to understand this in its entirety. "Chapin or Chapina" is the local word for Guatemalan. Oh, and "miercoles" is Wednesday but it's a nice way of saying shit. Enjoy!<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> Hey, Gringo!<br /><br />Ah the infamous, <span style="font-style:italic;">gringo</span>. Maybe it’s whispered from the lips of an indigenous woman and followed by a few giggles from her and her friends, or you’re greeted in the office with a hand shake and an exuberant “¿Qué dice, pinche gringo?” How do you normally react? Many times I’ve heard friends respond with a “hola, chapin(a),” as if this were the equivalent. Well, today it is but the word has evolved from an entirely different meaning. <br /><br />We feel and respond to things based on previous experiences. If the majority of your experiences with <span style="font-style:italic;">gringo</span> have been instances in which it was being used as a pejorative directed to U.S. Americans, mainly Anglos, then you’ll probably really get tired of this word by month six. Even though I believe the vast majority of times its use is innocuous and simply acts as a colloquial demonym, it can effectively separates us from the rest of the group and causes an invisible divide that leaves us feeling alienated from our new peers. And when inclusiveness and integration is our goal, these adverse effects can certainly cause frustration. For these and many other reasons, I decided to research the etymology of <span style="font-style:italic;">gringo</span>. <br /><br />I think we’ve all heard the tired answer (the importance of research having been disregarded by whoever mentions it and then foolishly passed off as truth) that the Mexicans would yell to the soldiers fighting in the Texas frontier “Green, go!” meaning “Hey you in the green uniform, leave our country.” Although that would have been no defense against manifest destiny, I’m sure that’s exactly how the Mexicans felt. And eventually "Green, go!" evolved into the word in question. Simply not true.<br /><br />Something a little more intriguing dates back to a similar period during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Hundreds of Irish-Americans were sent by the U.S. government to fight against Mexico. Tired of maltreatment from their Anglo-Protestant officers and doubting why they were fighting against a Catholic country in the first place, many of the Irish and others dissented and joined ranks with the Mexican forces. They called themselves San Patricios (San Patrick’s Battalion). Green being the color of the Irish, they sang “Green Grow the Rushes O!” (based on a Robert Burns poem) or a version of a Scottish song “Green Grows the Laurel” which the Irish called “Green Grow the Lilacs.” The songs eventually became popular with American cowboys and those listening from the other side of the border couldn’t hear the words clearly and “Green grow…” became gringo and later evolved to mean people from the United States. (Wikipedia) I rather wish this story were true but, alas, it’s a crock of miercoles and not supported by any real evidence. And these explanations have chronology working against them.<br /><br />In his diccionario, compiled prior to 1750, Terreros y Pando, a Spanish historian notes that gringo was a nickname given to foreigners in Malaga and Madrid who spoke Spanish with an unintelligible accent. In this same region of Spain it was a word applied to the Irish. Maybe it sounded like they were speaking gibberish. Have you met any Irish? Moving right along…<br /><br />Jumping into the 1830’s the German Johan Jakob von Tschudi and the Frenchman Arseve Isabelle, both mention the use of the word. In his travels in Peru during the years 1838-1842, Tschudi recounts how Peruvian women "prefer marrying a gringo to a paisanito." (Van Ostrand, Maggie: Where Did the Word Gringo Come From Anyway? 2003)<br /><br />¿Qué es eso? ¿Contais en gringo? (What is this? / Are you using gringo language?) These lines from the play “Elena” by Manuel Breton de los Herreros in 1834 is yet further evidence of its Spanish roots. It eventually became incorporated into the Diccionario de la Real Academia in 1869. <br /><br />Clearly the word was in use long before any conflict along the Mexican-American border and does not have its roots in this region of the world. According to many opinions, gringo is a corrected form of griego as used in the old Spanish expression – hablar en griego. We have the same expression in English – It’s all Greek to me. In Shakespear’s Julius Caesar (1599), Casca, a conspirator against Caesar proclaims:<br /><br />Nay, an I tell you that, I’ll ne’er look you i’ the face again; but those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but for mine own part, it was Greek to me.<br /><br />Nowadays <span style="font-style:italic;">gringo</span> certainly refers to a U.S. citizen because being called an “Americano” doesn’t make sense since it refers to anyone from Canada all the way down to Argentina. And “estadounidense” is quite a mouthful. <br /><br />So, all my friends from Gingolandia, when you hear <span style="font-style:italic;">gringo</span> thoughtlessly escape the mouth of a friend or stranger, I hope you find it an opportunity to discuss the origins of this etymological legend.<br /><br />Ungowa!!Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-72778914091715583012009-09-14T08:42:00.002-07:002009-09-14T10:16:10.829-07:00Alternative RecyclingOne project that I think would interest you working in the area of <span style="font-style:italic;">alternative recycling</span> in order to manage trash. Countries like Guatemala don't have the infrastructure in order to offer recycling collection programs. Furthermore, recycling materials requires a lot of energy to convert these materials into materials which can be used in the production process. Also, it requires a lot of energy to collect and transport these materials. <br /><br />Here in Guatemala we're faced with basically no recycling programs outside the larger cities, very few sanitary land fills, a whole mess of illegal dumps, a custom of throwing trash on the ground and/or burning it, and little to no education regarding the evils of poor trash management. Poor trash management causes malaria and dengue fever outbreaks, respiratory and intestinal infections, parasites, cholera, y un largo etcétera. Mixed with extreme malnutrition, these complications stemming from poor trash management can end in the death of children. This has created a need for inventive ways to manage trash and one thing I would like to highlight in this blog is the use of eco-bricks for use in construction. An eco-brick, or <span style="font-style:italic;">eco-ladrillo</span>, is a plastic bottle stuffed with inorganic trash like plastic bags and Styrofoam. While these things would otherwise end up in the local water supply, an illegal dump, or burnt inside the kitchen poisoning the land, water, air and lungs of young children and their mothers, some communities are using these things to build schools, bathrooms, benches, houses and walls. <br /><br />I've become connected with an NGO, Pura Vida, out of San Marcos La Laguna which is a beautiful community located on the shores of Lake Atitlan. They were the first ones to develop the use of eco-ladrillos here in Guatemala. The Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs) who served here in my site before me build a two room schoolhouse out of eco-ladrillos and I had the pleasure of helping construct another one in a village about 45 minutes northeast of me. My congratulations to a fellow PCV who put that project together. Now I'm working with Pura Vida to update their construction manual and highlight other projects realized by PCVs around Guatemala. <br /><br />All of this has really opened my eyes to alternative forms of recycling and reusing trash. Huge need for more schools + a load of trash in the streets = more use of eco-ladrillos. I've presented to schools and hospital staff on the use of eco-ladrillos and I feel as if things are starting to catch on. I'll be giving another presentation in a town about 5 hours away from me where a PCV is working with a group of women who want to build a kitchen to serve schoolchildren in this village. <br /><br />Regardless of the outcome of any of these projects or ideas, trash management is something we all have to think about. I just read a NYTimes article today on the state of our tap water in the U.S. and how many water sources are polluted and not meeting EPA standards. What we personally choose to put in our bodies or what we breath, air poisoned by thoughtless companies and fellow citizens and ourselves, is the business of all of us no matter where we call home. I have to refer to the wonderful essay "Tragedy of the Commons." There is no technological solution to these problems. We're headed for disaster if we think we can simply solve any problem with the latest gadget or chemical solution. We simply have to stop doing what we know is wrong and what we know is damaging ourselves, our children and future generations by altering our actions and educating young people. <br /><br />I'm not saying eco-ladrillos are a sustainable part of the solution. It's just an immediate solution to a long-term problem and I hope that one day there are not heaps upon heaps of trash in the streets which we can turn into construction material. I just think it's a creative way to use our waste to avoid a big problem we're currently faced with here in my site and many other pueblos all over Guatemala. <br /><br />One thing I would like you all to remember is .... UNGOWA!!<br /><br />Thanks for reading and I welcome your comments and questions.Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-88383458728420117242009-08-05T13:26:00.000-07:002009-08-10T08:29:10.666-07:00Rabbits, Worms and a PhotojournalistWow! it’s been quite a while since my last blog entry. Looking at it realizing the last thing I wrote about was the mysterious murder of Rodrigo Rosenberg makes me feel like a year has passed since I updated this. By the way, no information of any worth has been discovered regarding the Rosenberg case. <br /><br />Let’s see… what of interest has happened lately. I have 5 rabbits and thousands of worms. Both came from fellow Peace Corps volunteers (PCV) living in a neighboring town who recently closed their service and moved back to the U.S. The rabbits are eating and shitting machines. It’s incredible. I then gather the rabbit poop and feed it to the California earth worms which reside in both a large wooden box and a tire I flipped inside which transformed it into a large holding container. The worms devour the rabbit poop and then poop themselves. But worm poop is considered some of the best organic fertilizer known to man. I use the fertilizer for our flowers and soon will be planting a big vegetable garden on the property where I live. Worms also eat kitchen scraps. For those of you who are interested in vermicomposting, I recommend looking into it. I believe this process is starting to catch on in the U.S.<br /> <br />At some point in time I’ll start eating the rabbits. A female can give birth to up to 50 bunnies a year. And considering that I have two breeding couples, that equals a whole lot of bunnies. A chef in Antigua is interested in adding hasenpfeffer to his four-dish menu (fancy restaurant) so we’re going to slaughter and cook a few up serving as a test run. I’ll let you know how it turns out. My rabbits are New Zealanders by the way. Big white fluffy things with blood red eyes.<br /><br />In other news, a photojournalist and former PCV spent a week with me documenting my life before he moved on to other volunteers in other countries in Central and South America. Peace Corps is turning 50 in 2011 and he’s collecting photos and conducting interviews with hopes it will be valuable material for the Peace Corps as it prepares to tell its story after half a century of service. I’ve posted just a few of his amazing pictures on my blog. Thanks, Rich! It was great to have you here and good luck with your future projects. <br /><br />In just about one week’s time I will have completed my first year in Guatemala. I arrived on August 13th of last year. It’s a bit surreal to imagine that the new Municipal Development training group is about to arrive and our mentors are about to close their service. Now our group is the senior one and we have to work even harder on our quest to constantly improve this program and carry the torch. I’m mentoring one of the new trainees and look forward to meeting and discussing issues with them all. Ours is a difficult program. We are representatives of the U.S. government yet we work in Guatemalan government offices at the municipal level. We have to constantly be thinking of the fine line we walk as we do our best to remain neutral and apolitical which castrates our voice in many ways. This is the first time I’ve ever had to self-filter out of concern that what I have to say could offend a politician (ours and theirs). I’ve learned to deal with it but that doesn’t mean it feels good. <br /><br />I’m going to Antigua again soon to attend a workshop on project design and management with a technician from the planning office where I work. I’ve struck up a friendship with a woman in there and looking forward to seeing her again. She works at a hotel where I normally stay when I’m there. Stay tuned for more information on the romantic front.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy some of these new photos and the short update. I will try harder to keep the blog more current. <br /><br />In vino veritas, my friends. Raise a glass for me and think about how I can’t get any good vino down here!<br /><br />Oh, I’ll be in Los Angeles for a few days and then up to Coos Bay, Oregon to where my sister and her family is moving around Thanksgiving time. Maybe I’ll see some of you then.<br /><br />And please don’t ever forgot – Ungowa!Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-73643274066445401432009-05-14T10:08:00.000-07:002009-06-01T10:41:48.011-07:00National CrisisAs some of you may have heard, Guatemala is experiencing one of its worst political crisis in history. A few weeks ago a well-known businessman, Khalil Mula, and his daughter Marjorie were murdered. Their lawyer, Rodrigo Rosenberg, was investigating their deaths and on Sunday, May 10, he was shot to death while riding his bicycle. A few days after Rodrigo Rosenberg was assassinated, a video hit the media that Mr. Rosenberg recorded. In the video he accusses the president of Guatemala of orchestrating his assassination. I have been asked not to get into the details due to my position as a Peace Corps volunteer and writing about this controversial political issue can be interpreted as wanting to influence the political climate here which is not the purpose of an apolitical itentity such as the Peace Corps. If you would like to learn more about what is happening here regarding this cris, please search the internet for English language articles. If you are a Spanish speaker, you can read articles on www.prensalibre.com.Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-7077656768769630622009-04-27T13:44:00.000-07:002009-04-27T13:50:33.737-07:00Semana Santa, Rambo and The Quilters<span style="font-weight:bold;">Semana Santa<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Holy week, Semana Santa, is the largest religious holiday in Guatemala which leads up to Easter Sunday. From the famed religious processions in Antigua, to the beautiful <span style="font-style:italic;">alfombra</span> ( rugs) people make in the street with dyed sawdust, it’s a week of relaxation and celebration with family and friends; not to mention a bunch of religulousness but most of you know how I feel about that anyway so I’ll spare you the soapbox speech just this once. <br /><br />I remained in my site as the office was closed and I felt it important to spend the holiday in my community as a way to further integrate. I was in Antigua the week before the holiday and participated in a pre-Semana Santa procession where hundreds were present. Truth be told I was on the way to a pub and I could only get there by marching in the procession with hundreds of others. I can only imagine how crowded it gets during holy week. <br /><br />On holy Friday the team in the planning office and I made an <span style="font-style:italic;">alfombra</span> in front of the municipal building. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the 5 hours together before the procession came and trampled our creation on their way to the church; as is the tradition. It’s similar to a Tibetan mandala only the <span style="font-style:italic;">alfombras</span> are much less complicated and don’t require nearly as much time to make. But making something only to quickly destroy it is the shared commonality. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Rambo and the Quilters<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />A good buddy from Colorado, Steve, is the co-owner of a travel company and he recently brought a group of quilting enthusiasts from the U.S. to Guatemala where they experienced one of the country’s finest attributes – its textile history. There are literally thousands of different traditional outfits worn by both Mayan women and men and the group spent a week here visiting textile museums, meeting with famous quilting experts (or should I say artists?) and of course they did some sightseeing. I took the week off and traveled around with them. <br /><br />Some of the highlights include staying three nights in Casa Santo Domingo, Guatemala’s most remarkable hotel. It’s an old convent which was converted into a 5-star hotel in the 80’s. I’ve never seen anything like it. They did an amazing job preserving the ancient structure and surrounding colonial ruins and blending it with modern amenities. I certainly enjoyed a few swims in the pool and delicious cuisine. I have to admit that I missed the usual fare of beans and eggs and tortillas but I certainly didn’t complain eating filet mignon for dinner or cream cheese, lox and capers for breakfast. I also made friends with the massage therapist, Milton, who offered to sneak me in to the pool area anytime I’m in Antigua. His family used to host Peace Corps volunteers and he appreciates what we do and have to go through during our 2 years here.<br /><br />We also went to Chichicastenango, Central America’s largest indigenous arts market, and then headed up to Petén to visit the Tikal Ruins. Tikal was inexplicably magical. From spider and howler monkeys to leaf cutter ants to some of the most impressive Mayan temples and ruins in this part of Central America, I saw and learned a lot and fell in love with this country all over again. <br /><br />So a week with 15 quilters, mainly older grandma types (very endearing though), who do you think the tour company should have provided as the guide? A Guatemalan quilting enthusiast who could connect with their clients? No, not quite. The guide knew a lot about Guatemalan textile history, no doubt about it. He just happened to be a former Kaibil commander during the internal conflict. The Kaibilis, referred to as killing machines, are known as the most elite special-forces unit in Guatemala. Specialists in jungle warfare and survival, these guys are unstoppable killers. The only foreign special-forces unit currently operating in the Congo is a Kaibil team. Vinicio, our fearless guide, and his unit were responsible for countless raids in the Ixil Triangle over many years (where the worst of the worst went down), 915 total confirmed kills, and who knows what else. There are reports that the Kaibiles did some things to the villagers not worth repeating on this blog. <br /><br />He would tell stories about the war to all the quilters over the on-board microphone on the bus. Nobody had a frame of reference and I think I might have been the only one who had some insight as to what he was saying. For example, he was part of three military coups; one of which put Rios Montt in charge of the country. If you know anything about what happened during this period in Guatemala’s history, you’ll know what a brutal leader Montt turned out to be. Vinicio was a wealth of knowledge about quilting, the history of the war, and the jungles of Petén. Everywhere we went people recognized him and addressed him by his nickname, <span style="font-style:italic;">Rambo</span>. <br /><br />So that’s a little taste of my week with Rambo and the quilters. Thanks, Steve, for giving me the opportunity to spend the week with you guys. And if you don’t come back to Guatemala sometime soon, Rambo and I are going to track you down and put you in the machete corner. Rambo taught me a lot of new phrases.Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-9110764429008403702009-03-19T09:40:00.000-07:002009-03-19T10:22:53.947-07:00The Scam, a Familiar Face and Some Important Lessons<span style="font-weight:bold;">La Estafa<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />About a month ago a man, Benicio, from Coban (city up north), arrived in this small pueblo where I live and rented a room in the Hotel Casa Blanca where I am a permanent resident. He told me he was the director of a Guatemalan nonprofit which provides poor families monthly with 100lbs of corn, 25lbs of beans, 25lbs of sugar, amongst other provisions. The families pay 11 Quetzales (less than $2) a month. Malnutrition is a huge problem here but I wish there were more NGOs showing people how to start family gardens. There are many ways to fight hunger and the neediest require immediate relief so I didn’t argue the seemingly paternalistic aspects of this program.<br /><br />He proceeded to hire a few locals to help with secretarial duties and work with community leaders promoting the program throughout villages surrounding our pueblo. In about two weeks time he had thousands signed up for the program and collected the first month’s payment, cash money that is. During this process I saw many COCODE presidents whom I’ve worked with bring hundreds of people from their communities to take advantage of this program. COCODES stand for Consejo Comunitario de Desarrollo which is a community development council. They are the legal development body at the aldea (village) level. It began to appear that Benicio should be working with the municipal planning office where I work. I asked him in passing if he would like me to introduce him to the staff and the mayor and encouraged him to coordinate his efforts with our office. He responded by saying that he didn’t want to work with the muni due to political reasons. I wasn’t sure what he meant by his comment and I decided not to dig any further not really knowing the guy and understanding how sticky politics can be here. <br /><br />I was washing my dishes at the outdoor pila (large water container for washing dishes, clothes, etc.) one sunny afternoon when Guillermo approached me and said he had problemas. Guillermo lives up on the third floor at the Casa Blanca and had borrowed a pickup from a friend to drive Benicio into the villages. All in all Benicio owed him 4,000 Quetzales for his time and truck rental. Guillermo started explaining how Benicio left town a few days prior with about Q35,000 in cash ($4,375), a large sum here in Guatemala. Benicio robbed more than Q11 from these families, he vanished with their hope of receiving food to feed their hungry families. <br /><br />La estafa means scam in Spanish and this country is full of them. It’s sad to see los estafadores (scammers, swindlers) preying on the poor and I learned a valuable lesson. From this point on I will make it a point to research organizations trying to fly under the radar of the local authorities. Nobody should be forced to work with the authorities, but avoiding the authorities is a sign and I missed it. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Paisana<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br /> The first familiar face from the U.S. arrived a little more than a week ago. I know Carrie from my days at the Orbis International House. She valiantly quick her job and decided to stuff her pack with the essentials and travel around the world. Her first stop was Guatemala where she is taking Spanish classes and preparing to volunteer for various NGOs as she makes her way down to South America. I applaud her efforts knowing it takes an exceptional person to do this. <br /><br />I picked her up from the airport in the capital, Guatemala City, and we spent a few days in Antigua before heading to Xelajú, or just Xela, where there are some of the best Spanish language schools in the world. You can live with a host family and get one on one lessons 5 hours a day, food included, for as low as $150/week. Good deal. Look into it if you ever wanted to learn this remarkable and useful language. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Epifanías<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />During my Peace Corps training I was selected by my training group to give a speech during our swearing in at the ambassador’s house. It’s like being the valedictorian and I was honored to be chosen. In two weeks we will all be back at the Peace Corps country office/training center for a week-long conference and additional Spanish training called Reconnect. I will be giving another speech as part of my duties as group spokesperson if you will. I’d like to share some of the contents of my speech with my “followers” (all 8 of you). Much of this comes from people I’ve listened to or passages I’ve read. Many props to the great ethno botanist Wade Davis. Enjoy.<br /><br />• People in the developing countries are not failed attempts at being us. <br />• There is no such thing as development. There are simply thousands of ways of experiencing humanity. <br />• Who knows what of England who only England knows?<br />• The measure of a society is not only what it does but the quality of its aspirations<br />• Western religion has and currently is destroying indigenous cultures. <br />• Fewer than half of the 6,000 languages spoken when we were born are not being taught to children. In our lifetime more than half of the human legacy will be lost forever if we don't do something to stop this.<br />• We are not so different from other people in the world. The things that make us xenophobic and ignorant are basically the same everywhere.<br />• Few will have the greatness to bend history; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation ... It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is thus shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.<br /> -- Robert F. Kennedy, University of Cape Town, South Africa, N.U.S.A.S. "Day of Affirmation" Speech June 6, 1966Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-44690298368752120822009-02-20T13:48:00.000-08:002009-03-18T08:24:43.991-07:00Mangos, The Zona Reyna, and mining in San MarcosI just returned from a trip to the northern most extremes of the Guatemalan department of El Quiché. It’s called the Zona Reyna. The climate is mainly tropical. There are monkeys and all sorts of wonderful biodiversity living in the densely covered hills of this section of the Guatemalan highlands. I spent about 3 days there working with the staff of the planning office where I work. We went to 4 different communities to conduct a socioeconomic study which will ultimately be sent to the “Cohesión Social” office headed up by the first lady of Guatemala. She recently visited the area and promised a 40 million Quetzales investment for infrastructure, health and education projects in addition to building homes, donating water retention tanks and fuel efficient wood-burning stoves. This will keep us very busy all year and will provide me a chance to get deeply involved with project planning. Now that my Spanish has reached a higher level of fluency I am becoming a more integral part of the planning office which is what I’ve been working hard to attain for the last 3 months. <br /><br />Anyway, the Zona Reyna trip was eye-opening. The central government has focused development projects on the 45 poorest communities of Guatemala; the Zona Reyna being one of them. So this was the first time I spent any significant amount of time surrounded by extreme poverty Guatemalan style. I’ll write more about what this looks and feels like in coming blogs. I’ll include photos and deeper thoughts. But for now I still need some time to digest it. <br /><br />We’re now entering la cosecha de mango, mango season. Or literally, “mango harvest.” The large ones cost 1 Quetzal ($ .12) and the smaller ones Q .50. Both are delicious and I eat at least 2 a day. We also have a wonderful variety of fruit here from granadias to anonas to tomates silvestres which are wild tomatoes and taste like the cross between a tomato and a ??? I can’t figure it out. Some people have said guava but I disagree. Anyway, they’re delicious. And it’s my prediction that someone is going to become a millionaire exporting anonas to the U.S. From what I’ve been told there are no anona orchards and the anona fruit you find in the market is from the random tree people come across out in the hills. It’s worth looking into.<br /><br />And now to the third part of this blog entry: Mining in San Marcos. I had the following article emailed to me from a Peace Corps colleague. It’s about a gold mining operation in the department of San Marcos. It’s owned by a Canadian gold mining company called GoldCorp and the article brings up many interesting points. I’ve even considered going on the next trip to meet with people in the community to discuss the effects mining is having on communities located around the Marlin mine as it is called. I may even take a water sample from one of the local rivers. There is a water testing laboratory where I live and it would be an interesting experiment. <br /><br />I think you would enjoy reading this article so here is the link:<br /><br />http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/1711/1/<br /><br />Thanks for staying in touch and reading my blog entries. I am now going to watch a TED Talk that I recently downloaded. And if you don’t know what that is exactly, I highly encourage you to visit www.Ted.com to find out. <br /><br />And remember… UNGOWA!!Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-32703572789026750102009-02-10T08:04:00.000-08:002009-02-10T08:08:05.529-08:00Lucky to be hereI wanted to quickly update my blog since some time has passed between now and the previous entry. I find myself very busy these days and I’ve worked hard to be this busy so gracias de antemano por ignorar the large time gaps between blog entries.<br /> <br />I just returned to the office after working in the field for a week as a translator between a group of Canadian volunteers and people in the communities surrounding my site. It was my first time working as a translator and I learned an indescribable amount about the importance of being more of a cultural guide than a translator. The volunteers and I spent a week in rural communities building fuel-efficient wood-burning stoves (estufas mejoradas). These stoves reduce the amount of wood needed to cook for large families and also pipes the smoke out of the kitchen which prevents lung illnesses and blindness. Many families here are cooking on an open fire. With these stoves women spend less time overall cooking and communities as a whole can focus on reforestation projects.<br /> <br />The most important thing that I realized during the previous week is that I am in love with this community and my Peace Corps service. I realize now how lucky I was to have received this area as my site. Sorry I can’t post the name of my town on my blog for security reasons but you can email me personally if you’d like to know.<br /> <br />One project that I am just starting to work on with my site mate is a recycling collection center where recyclable material is dropped off and then used to make eco-bricks. Eco-bricks are plastic soda, water, juice, etc., bottles filled with plastic trash and when compacted correctly replace bricks or concrete blocks when building just about anything and they clean the community at the same time. I recently visited the NGO located near Lago Atitlan called Pura Vida which is the definitive NGO working to churn out eco-bricks. It was my first time at the lake and I must echo the words of Alduous Huxley and say it is the most beautiful lake in the world. Please visit it before you die.<br /><br />Some of you have asked for an update on the landslide. The leaders of this community effort which I had the pleasure helping raised about 12,000 Quetzales ($1,540), a mountain of clothes and enough nonperishable food to feed certain families affected by the landslide. We actually didn’t bring any of the provisions to the shelters where evacuees are living. With the help of the national relief agency and Red Cross Guatemala we were able to identify families who lost a family member but live in communities not affected by the landslide directly. The vast majority of these families, if not all of them, had the father of the house or a working-age male son working in the fields where it occurred. These families, based on what I was told, are not receiving government aide so these families received everything we collected in my site. More provisions keep coming to us and when we have another significant load we will bring it to the families. What would really be nice are school supplies since school just started and it is expensive for a family to equip their children with what they need for the classroom. <br /><br />I hope you all are doing very well and I look forward to seeing you down here in Guatemala some day. Thanks for reading and remember… UNGOWA!Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-15960671650423861322009-01-12T07:42:00.000-08:002009-01-12T07:48:16.445-08:00La visita al derrumbe y los alberguesThe dense fog from the night before has yet to burn off. As I sit here looking out my window on this opaque Sunday morning, the low hissing of water heating on my miniature stove, a live version of After the Gold Rush gently radiating from my computer speakers, it’s a near perfect morning to update the blog. <br /><br />A lot has happened this last week and that is a nice thing to be able to type because during my first two months I’ve mainly had a lot of time to study Spanish and read. As 2008 wrapped up so did much of the work and since I arrived here in my site in November it was difficult to identify where I could lend any assistance. Coupled with the fact I was new to office and we all needed time to build confianza, it lead to much free time and playfulness. But now things are picking up and there are many areas where I can dedicate my time and energy. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">El derrumbe<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />My sites mates and I recently had a chance to visit the site of the giant landslide that occurred about twenty miles away last week – my first time in a disaster area. A person in our community put the visit together and contacted the national disaster prevention/relief agency, CONRED, and the Red Cross of Guatemala (RCG) and they agreed to show us around the shelters. Three volunteers from Pamplona, Spain, our pueblo’s publicity officer, and a few other committed community members were along for the journey. I luckily secured a spot in the back of the pickup. <br /><br />The representatives from CONRED and RCG greeted us with open arms as we pulled up after an hour-long dusty yet scenic ride. The static, red record light on the camera came on and after a few words from CONRED and RCG everyone broke for lunch. I ducked into the market just before we had left for this area and luckily had a few bananas and an orange in my bag. As I was getting my intake of fruit and sitting in the sun I noticed that across the street was a house were people were receiving food supplies. The line extended out the door and every few minutes a Mayan would walk out with a bright orange bag full of food and other things delicately balanced on their head. And behind me was an ad hoc thatched-roof shelter where a group of Mayan women and children were resting. Three or four dogs were laying in the shade and there was a heap of bottled fruit juice and soda in the center. If there was water there wasn’t much of it amongst the bottled high fructose corn syrup.<br /><br />After about 30 minutes CONRED and RCG lowered the rope barrier and we drove into the area where we were to be brought to visit the shelters (el albergue). Most people were staying in churches, normally the largest structure in these remote and rural areas villages tucked away in the highlands of Guatemala. I asked the CONRED official about the latest figures and he told me that there were 38 dead, more than 20 missing (I’ve heard as high as 60), and 1,300 without a home. He also said that the numbers were conservative and I’m sure we can expect them to rise in the coming weeks. <br /><br />We got to the first shelter, an Evangelical church. The children were playing, the women were making corn tortillas or breast feeding babies and the men were standing in a circle talking with the leaders in our group; a glance at the omnipresent social structure here. There were volunteers from many different national and local agencies roaming around; some were involved in serious conversation, others were snapping photos. The children LOVED seeing their digital images after a photo was taken and I even showed one of them how to take a picture. Some asked if I could give them their photo and the explanations of how the photos first needed to be printed were followed by looks of confusion and curiosity. In an area this secluded from the modern, high-tech, flashy western world, I can understand why they were left wondering why I wouldn’t just give them their photo. <br />After visiting another shelter similar to the first, we headed to a place located alongside the dirt road where there were two large trucks which were turned into shelters. Up to four families were living in each one and one of the displaced living there was very candid in what they needed. Soap for washing clothes and dishes and bathing were in dire need as was chlorine to sanitize the water and children’s shoes. <br /><br />We returned to our pueblo and the publicity people got the videos on the local TV channel that very night. And on Saturday night they had an event in the park and collected food and clothing and almost 400 Quetzales (Guatemalan currency). My site mates and I are working with other volunteers in the country to collect more items as there will be need in this area for some time to come. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">El pan<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />I made my first loaf of bread yesterday. I followed a whole wheat bread recipe but improvised by adding a little oatmeal and flax seed. I think it turned out pretty damn well and will be making a few more loaves today with one of my site mates. I intend to never have to buy mass-produced bread while serving as a PC volunteer. The big manufacturer of bread here is called Bimbo. The name alone creates a desire to be proficient at making one’s own bread. If any of you come for a visit, you’ll get fresh, home-made bread and by that time I’ll surely be an artisan. <br /><br />Thanks for reading.<br /><br />¡Que siga la lucha!Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-17503258807828209072009-01-05T08:27:00.000-08:002009-01-05T08:38:45.784-08:00El gigantesco derrumbeRecently we have experienced a "derrumbe" of gigantic proportions close to where I live. A "derrumbe" is a landslide and this one let loose some 10,000 tons of rock and earth and buried an "aldea" which is the word for a small community. As of right now the media has reported 33 deaths and many people were brought to the hospital here. I'm safe as are my site mates and our thoughts are with the victims and their families. <br /><br />If you would like to read more information in Spanish here is a link:<br /><br />http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2009/enero/05/286819.html<br /><br />And here is an English report on CNN:<br /><br />http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/01/05/guatemala.landslide/index.htmlAron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-17142012466403978602008-12-30T09:36:00.000-08:002008-12-30T09:56:33.798-08:00Christmas in NebajI spent Xmas in Nebaj which is a pueblo in the Ixil region located here in the department of El Quiche. Don, an older gentleman originally from the hills of eastern Tennessee, owns a restaurant and hostel called Popi's. Every year he makes traditional rice tamales and distributes them to the hospital and jail. A group of us gringos, some PC volunteers and some trekking guides, helped hand them out on Xmas eve (noche buena). Then on Xmas we partook in a wonderful duck dinner and were joined by some travelers from Israel and Italy. <br /><br />The next morning I woke with a stomach ache (duck is a thick and greasy meat). I stupidly ate a big breakfast and topped it off with a piece of apple pie. Then I got on a micro to head back to my site. It's a long, windy and bumpy road. With that combination I proceeded to barf after I got off the micro to wait for a connecting ride. Thank goodness I was able to hold out until I was outside. So, that was my Xmas. <br /><br />I came to understand that Xmas is a big holiday here and everyone stays up to midnight on Xmas eve. There's lots of partying, fireworks, music (blaring music!!) and general clamor in the streets. Glad to know people are having fun but I wish I had my ear plugs. The music didn't stop until 3am. There seems to be a phenomenon here were people use public space in any which way they choose and either disregard or don't consider the people around them. Their short term goals outweigh the overall desire or health of the community as a whole -- <span style="font-style:italic;">Tragedy of the Commons</span> I suppose. <br /><br />Hope you all had a great holiday and that your New Year's celebration is fantastic and safe.Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369226180273263992.post-84183954881902711972008-12-19T10:38:00.000-08:002008-12-30T08:43:01.426-08:00Ungowa! IntroductionThanks to everyone who requested I start a blog. Now you guys better read it and post some comments! I'm glad that we now have a medium in which I can share updates, thoughts, and photos and have them available to a wider audience.<br /><br />I have been living in Guatemala now for over 4 months. I spent the first three of them in the department (equivalent to a state in the U.S.) of Sacatepéquez training for my assignment and the last month here in my site. I don't think I can mention it's name due to Peace Corps rules. I should mention that I'm a PC volunteer working in the area of municipal development. More about that to come.<br /><br />My site is the largest, in regards to area, municipality in all of Guatemala. It's the birthplace of the Nobel Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu. But nobody here seems to really care about that. I'll explain why in a future blog. If you're interested in the subject, I recommend you read "I, Rigoberta Menchu." And then read the book, "Rigoberta Menchu: And the Story of All Poor Guatemalans" by the anthropologist David Stoll.<br /><br />I'm located in the northwestern highlands of Guatemala and my site is about 80% indigenous Maya. The predominant language is K' iche' (kee-che) and most people speak Spanish although they would consider it their second language. Makes for communicating slightly difficult especially when I'm shopping on market day.<br /><br />Well, that's all I have time for today. I'll make sure to post a longer blog next week when I can dedicate some more time to it.Aron Rosenthalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05555916747634486997noreply@blogger.com2