Planting, Settling, Growing, Elements, Time

It is a cool night, but the rain has stopped, and the city lights shine rather brightly behind the thin haze of water particles and air pollution.  My room is cosy, and while I could have gone out, I am glad for this chance just to be alone and quiet.  I feel like the week was fast-forwarded to the end, and yet when I think of the individual days, it seems like they were lived in another era.  Still, I am starting to think that three months is going to go very quickly.  I will have to be careful not to tell myself, "It's okay, I'll do it later." because later doesn't always exist!  I guess that that is something that I should practice in everyday living, not just in "everyday living" in Guatemala. 

Hmm, Guatemala.  A friend from ICA and I were walking down by Parque Central, and a marimba band was playing on a stage in celebration of ... well, something about an "arcangel", with firecrackers going off in the background, and pigeons flying off in escape.  It could be the time of year I showed up, but fiestas (parties) don't seemed to be carefully rationed out; instead, people are looking for reasons to celebrate.  It is an interesting atmosphere, one of excitement and pride, if not for country, then for city.  My teacher last week told me of a student who asked her teacher if he was a Guatemalteco.  The teacher, who was indeed Guatemalan, answered "NO!  I'm Xelan!"  I met someone the other day who said that they liked Canada, to which I responded, "muy bien (very good)" or something like that.  They corrected me and told me that I should say "gracias".  (They complemented MY country; I should take that personally!)  Isn't that an interesting perspective?

So far, I have enjoyed the opportunities ICA has given us to gain perspective.  So far, I think that some of the activities are meant to make us feel like we are contributing something to the community, but mostly I think we are meant to be learning.  (Let the activities continue!)

Monday, the school played a movie that was produced in Guatemala, called VIP, focusing on corruption and prison life (in a Guatemalan prison), but there were no subtitles and it was the 2nd movie in a series, so the 2 of us there didn't really get a whole lot from it.  It was a serious movie, but sometimes I just had to chuckle at the absurdity of our cluelessness as to what was happening. 

 (Photo by Ina)

Tuesday, 4 of us chose to have class in the afternoon so that we could go to Fuentes Georginas (a series of hot springs) to plant some trees during the morning.  The springs had been damaged by Tormenta Agatha and heavy rains had taken its toll on the roads leading up to the springs as well.  In some places, only half of the highway remained, because the other half fell off the cliff.  The springs, part of a natural reserve, were closed to the public due to reparations.  Our guide, Marcelo, led us up the mountain (although potentially a volcano?), where we ate our breakfast, and then started our task of planting the ceders in the rich, damp soil.  Enrique, the school director, talked to us about roots that could be used for dying clothes; Marcelo showed us mushrooms that we could eat.  I got very muddy, trying to secure the ceders into their new home...oops; everyone else seemed to stay somewhat "clean". It was so good though.  I wish you could have been there.  Vines were hanging down from the branches, the air lush and fresh; you could see the steam rising from the springs below us, and the fog slowly set in.  Enrique stopped us partway down the trail, and had Marcelo share with us about his

(Ina)

experiences in the civil war, and his connections with the indigineous people.  I wish I could have understood, but my wandering mind only caught bits.  It takes so much concentration to put sentences together...even so, I don't think the experience was lacking.  After our mountain excursion, we were able to have a modified hotsprings experience, as there were some baths we could use as hot tubs in some retreat houses.  The water smelled like sulfur, so it's legit, right :)  Our way home was bumpy as we experienced the "tumulos" (major speed-bumps) which I have heard so much about.  There was a little bit of mud that caused some concern, but we got through.  It was beautiful driving through the countryside.  One student made the comment that he had missed seeing Guatemala, as he had lived in the city the whole time.  The hillsides, once all forested, are now used for agriculture, which is causing major erosion problems...but it's hard to know what else people can do to eat ...    If you are in Xela, take this drive.

 

Guess who left their camera in the city?  Photo taken by Ina



Wednesday afternoon we went to the women's prison, right in town.  One visitor and her daughter(?) brought a chicken, which was a new idea to some of us. In general, I really had no idea what to expect at the prison, and I don't know how it compares with other prisions, so I don't know how much I learned, but it was good just to be there.  Edwin, one of our teachers, planned out activities, and brought cake and coca cola. All the women were so engaged and laughed so hard.  One of the activities was for the women to write out their dreams, many of which were to take care of their own children again.  One of the volunteer opporunties with the school is to work at the prison.  Our time with the women was so fun, and Edwin did a really good job of planning relevent activities, but I think that volunteering, especially with a language barrier, could be tough.  You can pray for the girl who is working there now, as well as for opportunities to connect, inspiration for activities, and encouragement for others who are thinking of spending time with the women in the prison. 

After our time at the prison, Ina (friend at ICA) and I browsed the market a bit, but they were packing things away, so we headed home, not too long after. 

I went to class at 7:30 on Thursday so that we could end class early and attend the procession for the Patron Saint of Xela at Parque Central.  Bands, batonistas, widows, altar girls, priests, a carpet in honour of the Virgen made of grain, paint, grass, and I am not sure what else, vendors selling icecream, cotton candy and wind twirly things were all present!  Even though this was a "short parade", it didn't seem to be lacking anything (especially not firecrackers...they were there in excess)!  It was so good to have my teacher there to explain things.   She is happy that the parades are now done so that the bands will stop practicing in the afternoon!





Friday night I went to a church fundraiser supper...I am not exactly sure what for.  The church is made up of young people;  the church rents a space in a basically non-functioning mall.  It was so good to be there... I spent most of my time talking in "Spanish" with a girl from the States who has been working in Guatemala for over 1.5 years.  Besides being a relaxing time emotionally, it turned out to be a good spanish practice time too, as I wasn't SO nervous speaking with another Anglophone (mistakes still happen, don't get me wrong), but at least words came out!  so good. 

And today is Saturday, and tomorrow is Sunday!  (I did find my way to church last Sunday, although not the one I was expecting to attend!  On my hour long journey to find the Lutheran church, I stumbled across a "Prince of Peace" congregation, which was good, because it didn't seem like the Lutheran church was open...)  Tomorrow the school is supposed to go to Momostenango to see how wool blankets are produced; we'll see if it is a go after all of this rain! 

I forgot your Spanish words last week.  Sorry.   Here are some for this week:

Paraguas - umbrella (undecorated)

Niebla - fog 

Agujero - hole

Pedazo - piece

La única vez - the only time

Manga - sleeve    

With love,
Erin

  



above: Road to Fuentes Georginas (Ina)
below: a random road

above: Road to Fuentes Georginas (Ina)
below: Parque Central