Nothing out of the Ordinary
So, I think I have been in this country too long…because I feel like I no longer have interesting things to share with you guys. Things that are so foreign have become the norm for me…so it gets increasingly hard to put down on paper cosas that I am so accustomed to at this point... I guess that’s a good thing, right?? Means I have adapted well:)My excuse for being MIA the past month is a handful of out-of-town meetings. I don’t think I have been in Nahuala for one full week since the beginning of June. My wonderful American organization (which will remain nameless) scheduled about five different volunteer meetings for July…which basically translated to getting absolutely no work done this month. First, there was an all-volunteer conference, which included a day of speakers from different NGOs, government organizations, and the private sector…supposedly this was to help us figure out what we were going to do post-Guatemala. Then, they threw us a fabulous July 4th party – big American barbecue, cheap beer, and loud, gringo music. I didn’t even feel like I was in Guatemala that day! The next week, it was off to Antigua with my women’s groups to try and sell their weavings to a list of businesses there. It was the first time they had ever been to Antigua, and I would say they were impressed yet overwhelmed. After walking to 7 different businesses that day, we were completely exhausted. But it was well worth it – they had luck at 2 of them, so they now have two orders to fill by the end of the month. I noticed we got a lot of stares while we were in town, and I think that’s because people (both tourists and Guatemalans) aren’t used to seeing indigenous women walking with huge bundles on tops of their heads in Antigua. We ran into a bartender friend of mine on the street, and he offered to give each of the ladies a free drink if we visited him that night….I told them exactly what he said, and they acted like little schoolgirls. I think they were actually excited about getting to taste alcohol!! (But I just couldn’t do it, I felt like I would be corrupting them or something…) We did have a really nice dinner at a fancy restaurant in Antigua…but I think the women actually hated the meal…it was pasta with pesto, something they aren’t used to at all. One woman even brought tortillas with her in her bag, and started passing them around the table. What are ya gonna do! Anyways, the next day we headed to Guatemala City to visit the two businesses that we work with there, to drop off their weavings and get more thread for the next order. Overall, I love doing these trips with the women…I think it’s a great chance for them to get out of Nahuala and see things, get them out of the house for a change!
Following that excursion, I then had a two-day project design meeting with my counterpart from the Radio, at a historic hotel/farmhouse outside of Guatemala City. This hotel was out in the middle of nowhere – no TV, no cell phones, nada. The workshop was focused on how to develop a project with your counterpart, how to properly write a fund-raising proposal, where to look when soliciting for funds, etc. Since my counterpart is a non-profit, not-for-commercial radio station, they are forced to look for external funds on a yearly basis….so I am hoping to teach them how and where to look for help. They have always been dependent on a Catholic diocese from the U.S….but seeing as the Catholic Church is pretty much bankrupt, the radio has to start going down some different avenues.
Let’s see…then I had a one-day workshop with my micro-credit groups at a quiet, secluded retreat in the forest (ok, it was actually an eco-lodge). CARE (an international development agency, for those who aren’t familiar) and I facilitated classes on Communication and Self-Esteem – two topics that can’t be taught enough times to the women here. And I must confess, my ego got a big boost that day. During the overall evaluation of the workshop, the women gave my particular sections higher marks than the others…I think this is just because I am more fun though!
Finally (and very unfortunate), I rushed out of town for awhile to visit a good friend of mine. Her boyfriend broke up with her after a year, so a bunch of us girls went down to bash guys for a couple of days. We bought an inflatable kiddy pool and took it to her site because it’s so freaking hot there. Set the pool up in her backyard and all four of us got in. All the little Guatemalan children were spying on us…I am sure it made for an unusual sight. I think we might have started a trend though…in two years; I suspect every family in her neighborhood will have a blow-up pool in their backyards. And seeing as we didn’t have a fridge, we just stuck the beers in the pool to keep them cold…felt like I was in North Cackalacki!
As for my own living situation, I am presently looking for a new place. You could say that things just aren’t going so well at my current residence. For starters, my landlord plays loud reggaton at 7 on the dot every morning – and then all I hear is his foot loom while he is weaving in the late afternoon (it shakes the whole top floor). They have also started encroaching on my space….I live on the second floor, the family lives on the first floor. First, they moved huge stacks of firewood right where I used to be able to sit outside, then they moved the outdoor sink (pila) right outside my bedroom door, and now the women come up and weave on the second floor. I know this probably doesn’t sound like a big deal, and I know privacy is hard to come by here, but it’s driving me crazy!! So, I have been asking around town to see if anyone has rooms or a house to rent…and I did find one house, but it’s a fixer-upper….would take some work and I would need to install a shower and put up some walls. But I figure that I still have one year left, so I might as well make myself as comfortable as I can!
Speaking of being comfortable, I did acquire two luxuries this month:) A volunteer finished her service and was going back to the US, so she gave me her television and a Foreman grill. The Foreman grill has been a blessing from God….it has expanded my whole culinary world. As for the TV, I haven’t really watched much since there is only one English channel (our local pharmacist controls the town’s cable channels so I think I need to make better friends with him) and the cable tends to go out a lot because of the rain…but I still put it on as background noise to help my Spanish.
Well, I will try to write again this week because I want to share with ya’ll a little bit about the upcoming elections here in Guatemala. But things will be crazy again for awhile….I have a two-day workshop in Guatemala City with the Municipal Office for Women (it’s an exchange between the different offices in all the separate areas of Guatemala), then I have to do three days of medical exams (mandatory) to make sure I don’t have any weird sickness after being here a year…let’s just pray I don’t have TB cause then I wouldn’t be able to have an alcoholic drink for nine months (BTW, I get to poop in a cup for three days straight, fun huh?), and following that, my parents will be here!!! I’m finally getting to visit the prime tourist attraction here in Guatemala – the Tikal ruins up in the north. Of course, I’m looking forward to staying at nice hotels and eating some decent food, all at the expense of the ‘rents! And, we all know what happened last time I planned something with my parents (a canoe trip that went awry), but I promise that I won’t try to kill them this time!!
Miss you all,
Carin
posted by Carin Robinson @ 10:11 AM
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