Updates from the field

Buenos Dias! This week had some definite highlights and lowlights.

To start with the less than stellar parts, I had my first serious encounter with a Guatemalan stomach bug and spent all day Thursday and Friday in bed. I was pitiful, really. I’m so thankful to be living with such a wonderful host family, though – I was pampered and given lots of chamomile tea and white bread. My host mom even went to the pharmacy for me and I got to consume suero oral (Oral Rehydration Therapy, basically Pedia-lite but a major public health break through that I had previously only read about). The pharmacist also said that several other extranjeros had come in complaining of the same symptoms, leading my Guatemalan host brother to quip that it’s probably a virus targeted against gringos. My host mom and the pharmacist are in agreement that whatever I had was caused by the change in weather, so I’m not really sure which theory is more plausible.

After all that, I am still here and kicking, and I should feel much more empathy with the niños in the clinic when I talk about microbes and parasites and upset tummies.
There’s not much to update in terms of clinic news – I was absent Thursday and Friday, and we’re closed all next week for Holy Week. Monday through Wednesday went well, though, and I'm ALMOST confident enough to lead a class unassisted.

The most exciting thing that happened this week, and probably in my Xela experience thus far, was hands down Doña Elena’s birthday party Saturday night. My host mom turned 65 this weekend, and her daughter in Spain sponsored a huge shindig to celebrate. They rented out a salon around the corner from the house and invited all kinds of relatives, friends, and neighbors for dinner and dancing and toasting. The party ran from 5 or so to after 10, and it was good that I had been doing nothing but resting the two days prior because I don’t know if I would have been able to keep up otherwise!


There was literally an hour of line dancing to marimba music, which I’ve been told is extremely ‘folklorical’ but really popular only among older people. The men and women line up facing each other, and take turns advancing as a group toward the other line, then retreating, and at some pre-determined time, a waiter shows up and offers everyone their choice of shots, mixed-drinks, or beer. I didn’t participate in the marimba line dance, but I did get to employ my knowledge of basic salsa steps later on in the evening.

I was not only the sole gringa in the room, BUT I was also wearing a borrowed traje and dangly earrings, so several of Doña Elena’s friends brought their sons over to dance with me. It was noted that if only I had darker hair, skin, and eyes, and if I shrunk several inches, I could easily be mistaken for a Guatemalan.

The traje is simply beautiful, and I’m glad I didn’t know until the next day how much it cost (> $300 USD) or I would’ve been much more self-conscious. It’s an ordeal to put on, and I definitely couldn’t have done it myself. Doña Elena, her mother, and her daughter all helped me slip on the embroidered tunic (huipil), alter the sleeves since my arms are apparently bigger than the average Mayan woman’s, slip the skirt (corte) over my head and tie it into place, tightly, around my waist. Even after I was physically wearing the traje, it took several minutes of tugging and adjusting to that I appeared just-so. Here I am passing muster with Doña Elena and Raul, my host brother:

I’ve heard that if young girls don’t start wearing the traje early, they’re very unlikely to ever wear one since it takes time to get accustomed to tying on a heavy skirt every day. And among Doña Elena’s friends and family, only a small number wear the traje daily; most women wear them only on special occasions, like the birthday party. The close relatives came over Sunday morning to watch Doña Elena open all her gifts (and there were trash bags full), and only two of the dozen or so women who wore trajes the night before had on a traje in the morning.

Below is one more picture from the party, this one of the family about to receive all the guests and well-wishers:

I don’t think I’ll be wearing a traje again any time soon, but aside from that, I’m not quite sure what the coming week holds. The general plan is to hang around Xela and take it easy. Towards the end of the week, there should be some pretty sweet processions in honor of Maundy Thursday/Good Friday/Easter, and I’d definitely like to catch those. Guatemalans are consistently surprised to learn of the US’s lack of parades during Holy Week, and I think they might have a point. Everything is more exciting with intricately designed carpets of colored sawdust and men in somber suits carrying wooden floats depicting religious scenes…even the Resurrection.

On the whole, I think birthday parties trump stomach bugs, and I give week six a thumbs up.

Con cariño,

Katy

In which Katy gets frustrated with blogger.com's formatting tools and only uploads 3 photos, leaving the text wacky as well...

Hola a todos! Though I really wish I could have participated in Beer Bike weekend at Rice, on the whole I think my week in Xela was exciting enough to hold its own.

Highlights include salsa lessons, sunburns at the beach, a Bake Shop visit, and figuring out how to French braid.

I realized I have some photos of Xela that I hadn’t posted yet, so without further ado, here they are:

The picture above is a view of the Parque Central. Check out the pronounced neo-classical influence! A former dictator had a thing for Roman art, so Xela’s central park has some columns and a rotunda, and the bus terminal has a Temple of Minerva, no joke. See below:

At the clinic this week, my work was all over the map. Since my education team partner left last weekend, I’m restricted in that I’m unable to travel to schools and present lessons alone. The plan, then, was for me to present the in-clinic lessons to students visiting Primeros Pasos as their school fieldtrip this week. Due to a scheduling mix-up, however, Monday was the only day a school group visited the clinic.

Tuesday, I learned how to register patients at the front desk and manage the queue to see the doctor. Wednesday, I accompanied the group in charge of distributing medications to students who had visited the clinic earlier and tested positive for parasites. We drove to the Llano del Pinal community school, divided the medicines by grade, and entered the appropriate classrooms to summon the students who needed medication. The process was definitely not in line with US doctor-patient privacy standards, but the kids seemed excited to receive their meds, even in front of their classmates. I was struck as well by how healthy most of the students appeared, despite more than 1/5 of them having parasites. I hadn’t realized the prevalence of parasites in the communities – the experience drove home the importance of the hygiene and sanitation lessons I’ve been teaching!

Thursday and Friday, I hung out at the clinic, chatting and planning and coloring a storybook about Mariquita, a little girl who, appropriately enough, gets a parasite because she doesn’t wash her hands or her fruit before eating it. All in all, a good week’s work with lots of variety, but I am looking forward to getting back to teaching Monday. The preschoolers are scheduled to visit the clinic this week, so my lessons should be entertaining if nothing else :)

Outside of the clinic, I was invited to a group salsa lesson Monday evening. Suffice it to say, it was clear that I dropped out of my salsa class at Rice. By the end of the lesson, I had at least some of the basic steps down…if not exactly in time with the music. Hopefully that will come with more practice. Luckily, Xela is full of salsa bars and restaurants so there are plenty of places to brush up on my steps if I feel inspired. Vamos a ver.

Also, Jazz month wrapped up this week in Xela, and I was able to score tickets to the two last shows. Both were very good. Thursday night’s show was an Italian trio who charmed the crowd by speaking Spanish (poorly) and playing Luna de Xelaju as their encore. The song is a point of pride for all Quetzaltecos, and the auditorium was on their feet applauding. I've included a youtube clip (complete with a Guatemalan slideshow!) of the song below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpCjimHGrxM

Friday’s show was the grand finale for a reason, I think, as the Mexican saxophone-guitar duo were easily my favorites of the three shows I attended. They played a world tour of sorts, choosing songs from South Africa, Peru, US, France, and of course, Mexico. They had a Mexican flag on stage with them, and I laughed because my Spanish teacher had vented to me about Mexican patriotism and its in-your-face attitude just last week. The relations between Mexico and Guatemala are sort of a sore subject in Xela, actually, as many Guatemalans feel not only that Mexicans have an overly jingoistic nationalism, but that Mexico has appropriated many aspects of Guatemalan identity (particularly Mayan heritage and the marimba) for use in the Mexican tourism industry. Having never previously thought about Guatemalan-Mexican rivalries before, it’s been some interesting food for thought.

Finally, I was able to travel again this weekend. I hadn’t initially planned on leaving Xela, but two medical volunteers at the clinic decided to go the Pacific coast and I tagged along. It still amazes me the huge variety in Guatemalan climate and topography – for such a small country, there’s a wealth of diversity. In three hours, we left the 50ish and cloudy mountains of Xela and arrived in the oh-so-hot and humid beach. The beach is named Tilapita, and the town has one hotel:

It’s very close to Mexico but pleasantly underdeveloped. It was exhausting to lay on the beach, walk along the water, frolic in the ocean, swing in a hammock, eat ceviche, drink beer, eat garlic grilled shrimp, drink a smoothie, and read in the sunshine all weekend, but I’m happy to say I made it back to Xela in one piece.

That wraps up week 5, but stay tuned for week 6 because it’s rumored I might make an appearance in a traditional Mayan traje for my host mother’s birthday celebration. Adios y hasta pronto!

one month down, five to go!

One month in Guatemala already!

Time has flown by, which I have been told is a sign that I might be having fun.

My compañera and I wrapped up our school workshops this week, despite having to plan around circuses, talent shows in honor of International Women’s Day, and absent teachers. The three weeks we spent presenting in Xepache went pretty well, especially since it was the first time either of us had taught a series of health education workshops in rural Guatemalan primary schools.
Here we are (albeit looking at two different cameras) with three estudiantes:

I’m looking forward to applying what we’ve learned the past few weeks to other lessons in other schools to come. As an example, we’ve found that techniques that work well include true/false quizzes at the end of each lesson, and interactive presentations that elicit student participation. Techniques that are less effective include presenting abstract concepts with few props, and talking about serious subjects without offering constructive or empowering suggestions.

Here’s a photo of the 6^th graders completing their self-initiated proyecto escolar, the subject of our last workshop with them. We only presented to concept of undertaking some sort of project that would benefit the school, and they came up with repainting their desks and doorway. They purchased/brought from home all the necessary supplies and the class had already almost finished painting by the time we came by to check up on their progress. Their creativity, coordination, and execution were impressive!

I’m not sure what next week holds for me as a health educator, since my compañera is returning to los Estados Unidos after this weekend and I can’t present in schools without a partner. Because I’m planning on volunteering with the clinic through August, however, the director of the education program has informed me of her plans to train me as her ‘mano derecha’ (right hand), so hopefully I’ll gain a better understanding of the program’s backstage workings and learn more about the clinic itself, as well. More updates to come, of course, as more details emerge.

To celebrate my friend’s last weekend in Guatemala, a group of us caravanned to Lago Atitlan. Wow! Here is a view from the roof of our hotel:

Not bad for $4.50 a night! Aldous Huxley said that Lake Atitlan was the most beautiful lake in the world.

I have to say I agree. We had lunch under an open-air, thatched roof lakeside cabana, took a boat from San Pedro to Santiago Atitlan that afternoon and enjoyed a music festival in the woods. It was hippie central - VW buses, impromptu camping, and bands of roving acrobats included – and decidedly not an authentic example of traditional highland Guatemalan culture, but it was still very cool.

We heard a mix of bluegrass, alt-country, Guatemalan protest music, and salsa-inspired dance tunes, and I even got to see the Texan guitarist whom I missed seeing at this week’s jazz concert in Xela. Who knew there was a Guatemalan tour circuit for Austin-based musicians?

We took the last lancha before dark back from Santiago to San Pedro, had a delicious dinner at an Israeli-owned lounge/restaurant, and fell asleep by 10 pm. I am already excited for my next trip to the lake, whenever that may be. It’s only about 2 hours from Xela by car, and while probably a bit slower by bus, it’s still an easy weekend excursion with a multitude of swimming and hiking options that I’ve yet to sample.

Aside from teaching and travelling this week, I was able to attend yoga class twice and get a jog in, as well. I eased into running around Xela given the altitude, cobblestone streets, and plethora of hills, but after 3 successful half-hour forays I think I’m ready to incorporate a run or two into my weekly routine. My challenge is to not become a gordita despite the large quantities of pan dulce and chocobananos (chocolate dipped frozen bananas, my favorite snack ever) I consume regularly. Thrice-weekly Spanish lessons are an on-going fixture, as well, and I continue to struggle with the subjunctive tense and the difference between por and para. The problem with learning Spanish in Guatemala is that everyone is so friendly and forgiving, so I rarely get corrected when I make mistakes. As long as my Spanish is comprehensible, Xelans just go with it. While this arrangement is great for communication and my self-esteem, it most definitely does not help me improve my command of the language. My lessons are the only 2-hour blocks in which I consistently get corrected and castigated for butchering verb conjugations, and it’s nice to have that space.

For now, that’s all the news I have from Xela. Until next week’s chronicle, abrazos y besitos, mis amigos!

Week Three's Adventures

After 21 days in Guatemala, things continue to be excellent.

My first night in the country, I stayed with my homestay family from last summer in Antigua. My former host mom told me that outside of Antigua, Xela is the only other place she’d consider living, and she went on and on about the city’s reputation as a home for arts and culture and how poets and musicians roam the streets and fill the cafes. I hadn’t seen much in the way of artistic expression during my talks on puberty in the schools, but that’s to be expected, really. And though there’s live music in multiple venues every night of the week, my evenings thus far have been full of playing with my 4-year old homestay brother and watching movies dubbed into Spanish. After three weeks, however, I took it upon myself to investigate Xela’s artsy side.


Thursday evening was my introduction to Jazz month, and I accompanied a friend to a free concert in the Municipal Theatre (see above). The musicians were from Spain, and I had far too much fun imitating their accents…I was actually just thrilled to be able to understand Spanish well enough to distinguish accents from Guatemala to those from Spain. It was a 90-minute show, complete with the weirdest instrument I’ve ever seen played. It’s called a viola rueda (wheeled-viola, more or less) and is some medieval cross between accordion, finger harp, and a violin (see below). The music was flamenco-inspired jazz, and I really enjoyed the evening.


On a less artsy note, my education team partner and I wrapped up our second of three weeks in Xepache primary school. We only presented lessons Monday – Wednesday, because there were special events scheduled Thursday and Friday. Of course, when we presented our tentative schedule last week, there was no mention of any reason why Thursday or Friday wouldn’t be possibilities. It’s been an exercise in flexibility so far, which is wonderful and all part of adjusting to another country. Actually, all of our touchy lessons, like Domestic Violence and Puberty, went extremely well. The students were very receptive to what we had to say, even though watching two gringas talk about testiculos is SO FUNNY giggle giggle smirk, the students answered all of our quiz questions well at the end of the lesson. My partner even said she saw a girl write down the emergency numbers we left on the board during our Domestic Violence presentation, so that lesson was particularly relevant.

This weekend, we had initially planned to visit Lago Atitlan, but a stomach bug sidelined my friend who had the idea, so we postponed the trip to another weekend. Instead, I climbed La Muela (The Molar), a rock formation on the outskirts of town, with some other clinic volunteers. The adventure was a stimulating mix of walking on flat roads, climbing up steep paths, and scampering from volcanic boulder to boulder.


Half of the group continued to scramble across the rocks after we reached the titular summit, but a friend and I had each fulfilled our La Muela quota for the day and so we descended back to the road and caught a pick-up back into town. Here is a picture of me deciding that four hours of climbing was quite sufficient.


Sunday, another clinic volunteer and I took a bus to Chichicastenango, a highland town about 2 hours away, to visit their weekly market. Every Thursday and Sunday Chichi hosts one of the largest, most visited markets in the country. It’s a tourist attraction for sure, but there are plenty of Guatemalans doing their shopping there as well, so it’s a good blend. Also, I liked having the tourists around because I felt much less gringa in comparison to the groups of pasty Europeans being shepherded by vested tour guides. I overheard one American yelling in English at a local textile vendor. Why, you might ask? For not understanding his English. Ugh. However, some of the other vendors knew how to say “Good Price, Lady” in English, French, and Spanish, so maybe the angry Americano just had warped expectations. Anyway, I successfully purchased gifts for my family, transportation to and from Chichi and Xela, and lunch for a whopping $22.50 USD. Here's one of the the many avenues in the labyrinth:


We were also able to glimpse the local cathedral, which serves as a place of worship for Christians, Mayans, and those who synthesize a bit of both religious traditions. Check out the fire burning on the front steps – Lonely Planet assures me that Mayan worshipers treat the church steps like the steps of a pyramid and perform the same prayers and rituals as they would at a Mayan temple. Very cool. Also, in a historical tidbit, the Popul Vuh, a written collection of Quiche Maya cosmological beliefs and legends, was stored and re-discovered in this very church in the 1800s.


I almost forgot to mention BAKE SHOP, the most wonderful store in the history of the world. The happiness and satisfaction of this week were only amplified by my introduction to Bake Shop, a Mennonite-run bakery open twice a week in the Xela market. I had the most delicious blueberry-filled donut of all time, purchased banana bread for my host family, and have serious plans to come back and try the cinnamon buns, goat yogurt, bagels, and other tasty wares. Rest assured that whatever else this coming week holds for me, there will most definitely be a follow-up excursion to Bake Shop.

Until then, un abrazo y besitos!