Peace Corps Guatemala...in Mexico?

As one of my fellow trainees said, “I’d like to know if I’m going to hell with the devil…”

THE NEWS YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR (ok, maybe not, but I have) WHO & WHERE! I am headed for a town a little south of the Mexican border called Jacaltenango, in Huehuetenango (Western Highlands) with my compañ ero, Damian. I heard through the grapevine that our site is the furthest one from Peace Corps headquarters (approx 8 hours by bus?) and I am stoked to call it home for the next two years!

The process of getting to this point was a little stressful. We were paired through a questionnaire-type of deal with questions about what time of day we do our best work, what we look for in a colleague, what kind of conflict resolution method we tend to gravitate towards (explosion), who we think we’d work well with etc. and we found out our partners on Tuesday. Kristin and Damian…FBFF (Future Best Friends Forever…I’m thinking about having jackets made…kidding, it’s way too hot in Huehue for that… haha)

As for our site assignment, the reveal was pretty fun- our technical trainer made a map on the ground with tape and with our eyes closed we were led to our relative locations on the map and then told to open our eyes all at once. I opened my eyes and was a little shocked that there was no one behind us- yikes! The more I find out about our new home the more excited I become.

The area is 100% indigenous and while most of them can communicate in Spanish, the Indigenous language is Popti (Damian has informed me that we will be learning to speak it, I am supportive of this goal.) I feel like once we get a handle on the language that we’ll fit in really well up there…except maybe for the fact that I’m a pale, redhead and Damian is a really tall, black dude. So…We may stand out a little haha.

Here's a really awkward photo of us that I stole from Grace....thanks.

Apparently standing any closer together would just be too much too soon haha

That’s all I can really say about our site for right now… We will be visiting Huehue next week and getting our living situations figured out; meeting counterparts; touring schools, and FREAKING OUT (!? Nahhhh….)

I promise to take lots of pictures of my new home…well I’m going to try REAL HARD.

I am lugging a bunch of my stuff up there with me on this trip and as I’ve been packing up my suitcases I can’t help but feel a little sad to leave my host community and my fellow trainees; we’ve had a great time together ; matching friendship bracelets and all (sniffle).

I also can’t fathom how I’ve accumulated so much crap in such a short period of time…a little embarrassing if I’m being entirely honest.

I will really miss my host family and my home here. It’s been so great every time I open my door to come home to big, pleading blue eyed, khaki-wearing, baby (the calendar at the head of my bed, which for reasons unknown has picture of a white baby above an advertisement for fried chicken… not sure what the two have to do with each other…) I’m even going to miss Loba (host-family dog); we became such amigas once she stopped trying to eat my face. Funny how that happens.

seriously...

As for what comes next I’ll be sure to let you know. It’s impossible to relay everything but I can say that I’m feeling really good about the picture coming into focus in front of me...

The ultimate test of my Spanish and Technical skills acquired during training is approaching. WISH ME LUCK!

PEACE & LOVE!

A Ver?

A VER?

My life in pictures…would be very short because I am really bad at taking pictures on a regular basis but I do have some gems from Field-Based Training (which henceforth will be referred to as FBT because I’m lazy and acronyms are what’s hot right now).

On what’s hot right now besides acronyms- Bri has informed me that “Weak Sauce” is officially a buzz-word according to a magazine (People?) and I just have to say, IT’S ABOUT TIME. The definition went something like, “used to describe an incredibly lame person or thing.” so choice, I like where it‘s been and I love where it‘s going.

Now that I’ve established that weak sauce is in I’d like to use it in a sentence; not having any money to do fun stuff is weak sauce. I definitely am learning what it’s like to live on a budget; yes, my meals are pretty much covered by my family but when it costs Q30.00 for shampoo and I get that much for one day I find myself a little in the red over time just purchasing necessities (like shampoo… and a snicker’s bar). I read in my guide book that Guatemala is one of backpacker’s favorite places to travel to because you can basically live off of a few dollars a day, which is pretty accurate and awesome. In case you don’t know the conversion rate, there are about 8 quetzales to 1 dollar; so I have been living the high life with the little money I did come into the country with. I do have to try and haggle every time I buy something in Antigua because since there are so many gringos around pretty much everything starts off at double the price. There are these great second-hand tiendas that sell clothes called Pacas; being a thrifty gal I very much enjoy these places but as it turns out I am not very good at negotiating the price. It’s like the vendors can see how much I want something and they hold firm on ridiculous prices that I have reluctantly paid.

Here’s how the exchange goes: (*asterisks indicate what I’m thinking in my head*)

Just a day at the Paca in Antigua

kristin: may I try this on? *dude, this cute oooh and it’s forever 21 no wonder I like it...

Vendor: yes, of course

kristin: thanks *I hope this fits*

Vendor: it fits you well, very pretty.

kristin: thanks, do you have a mirror?

Vendor: Yes (hands me smallest mirror ever)

kristin: thanks *Wow can’t see myself at all, this is pointless* How much?

Vendor: Q150, very good price

kristin: No, I can’t pay that much *are you kidding me?*

Vendor: how much you want to pay?

kristin: *crap, divide by two…multiply by 4 etc etc…* Q75

Vendor: No, Q150 it’s very high quality.

kristin: I can’t pay that, Q85? *this is used forever 21 do not say “high quality;” why do I want this so bad? ahhhh*

Vendor: No, ok, Q135, for you

kristin: I need to think about it *divide by eight…how much is that?*

Vendor: Q135

kristin: (to friends) was it cute? I couldn’t even really see it *should I walk away and pretend I’m not interested? What if someone else comes and buys it while I’m trying to prove that I‘m not interested?!*

Friends: yes, very cute.

kristin: ughhh Q135?

Vendor: yes.

kristin: ok *can’t believe I just paid that, I’m such a sucker, I hope it looks good*

Later, at home…

kristin: (while looking in mirror) wow, highway robbery. Oh well.

Later, with other people who went shopping at the Paca

Friend: look what I bought!

Kristin: ah that’s adorable where did you find it?

Friend: the Paca

Kristin: how much did you pay? *seriously, that’s really cute*

Friend: Q15

Kristin: nice, I love the paca I bought this dress there! *I can’t believe she only paid Q15 for that!!! That;s like <$2.00*

Friend: how much was it?

Kristin: (SILENCE) *I suck at negotiating; embarrassing*

El fin.

Moral of the story; never pay what they ask unless it’s next to nothing and never let them see the lust in your eyes for whatever they’re selling because then they’ve got you.

Speaking of lust in my eyes…

Just kidding.

More on FBT.

Me and Lauren!

We stayed in hostels and it was so fun; just like living in the dorms (Barnhart #544 for lifeeee) school by day and hanging with friends by night. All of us healthy-schoolers got to know each other a little bit better which was great! Now I’m just wondering who i'm going to be paired up with!? a little nervous i'll admit, being randomly paired up freshman year set the bar pretty high...I wonder if my sitemate and i will move our beds together before the end of our first year together... miss you bri.

Bottom line is that we’re all here to do the same job and no matter what happens it’ll be fine.

so…I’m going to calm down about it. Very calm right now.

On that note, I got a good rush of adrenaline followed by embarrassment at the taller (lecture) that we went to in Tecpan. I was in a group that did a little dynamica (skit) on washing your hands. I tell you, once I got that mic in my hands it was just like presenting sexual wellness to incoming freshmen again…except it was hand-washing…in Spanish. I thought things went pretty well and then one of the training directors came up to me after and explained that I was using the wrong word for “steps.”

What I said: niveles (levels)

What I should have said: pasos (steps)

Boy was my face red- but whatever they got the point….and I’ll never forget the word for “steps” again…win/win haha. That’s why we run these tests!

This was also the week of carnaval (?) which is punctuated by little kids going absolutely BONKERS! The basic gist is as follows.

-vendors sell eggs that have been drained of eggy-ness and filled with confetti, glitter and general craft trash.

-children purchase colorful eggs.

-children attack each other and all gringos visiting schools, trying to learn about the education system etc…with craft eggs and dirty hands full of glitter and paint (and when I say attack I mean ATTACK; slaps to faces, pulling on scarves, throwing of eggs etc)

I am sadly still trying to get all of the crap off of my fleece jacket…I hate glitter.

Actually, tragically, as we were leaving one of the schools one of my fellow trainees got smacked on the head with a real egg by some little punk that came running out of his house adjacent to the school. All I have to say is she is a good sport; I don’t know how many people would’ve been so nonchalant about it; it was like, “well, that happened, do you think I can use your sink? can I borrow a shirt?” Dear Laura, you’re my hero. Love, Kristin.

In other news…

-I started reading Chelsea Handler’s book, “my horizontal life” and it’s hysterical.

-I am starting to feel really dumb around all of these smart people and I have to keep reminding myself that just because I’m a theater major who went to state school doesn’t mean I don‘t have anything to offer…cue scene from Bridget Jones:

Interviewer: what do you think about the el Niño phenomenon?

Bridget: Blip. Yeah, I think that Latin music is on its way out.

I’ll be sure to brush up on my current events when I can get an internet connection as to avoid above scenario haha.

- I got sick again; lucky me. I got to barf at one of the schools we visited with children playing outside of my stall door. Niceeee.

-One of the directors at one of the schools told me that I am going to steal children. Well, not exactly…but he was giving us advice and then pointed at me and said that parents would be reluctant to trust me because I have yellow hair and people like me steal children here…

Sounds like me.

Yellow hair.

So I’ve got that going for me/against me. Good to know; but seriously- do not steal children, it’s bad.

-I discovered something new about my computer and all computers everywhere that have windows XP. Did you know that if you hit ctrl, alt and one of the up arrows on your keyboard, all at the same time that it will flip you’re screen upside-down?

Well. I do. Now. It is easily remedied by hitting ctrl, alt and the down arrow all at the same time. Very proud to know this trick.

- My Spanish is improving! Barring my little “niveles”/ “pasos” mix-up, I am starting to feel like I am not completely hopeless at communicating with people which is really a welcome sentiment.

- I got to skype with Dave, Rob, Dad & Kathleen while in Antigua the other day which was really great! I also chatted it up with Kristina and Bri from the Hotel during FBT! Miss and love you family/urban family!

-I found out that for my projects in healthy schools I am not going to be able to apply for the financial support through the peace corps small projects fund and instead it sounds like I need to fundraise a different way…this does not please me. So if you’d like to donate to me doing something like…helping a school get running water, you let me know…

- I am really anxious to get my site assignment…17 days but who’s counting?

- I have followed suit with some of the other volunteers to use the expression, “A ver” which means essentially, “we’ll see” I am not entirely sure how to use it appropriately…so…there’s that.

-The volcano just made a REALLY LOUD RUMBLING!!! I hope I don’t have some wacky malaria dream involving some Dante’s Peak scenario tonight…

- I cannot take credit for the photos taken...I may have handed off my camera to a fellow volunteer to snap some memories for me because i was dying that day; ENJOY!

That’s all for now. Peace & Love! 　

PUCHICA!

PUCHICA! (WOW!)



I've been in-country for a little over a month...Here are some random observations:



Sometimes when we touch- the honesty really is too much- camioneta rides.



Refresher Vocab:

Camioneta: "Chicken Bus" aka an old US school bus that has been transformed into a public transit system.

Ayudante: "The Helper" aka the guy who you pay which is generally carried out once the bus is full. He maneuvers his way through the bus to collect money and get intimate with all aisle-dwelling passengers.



As a Peace Corps Trainee, when I learned about the policy on pregnancy and how best to avoid pregnancy while in service I thought- "this is silly, we've been to college, we know how to not get pregnant." Then I rode on a crowded camioneta and was like, "oh, THATS how people get pregnant." Mystery solved.

Let's do this!



I am on the fence about camioneta rides...sometimes I feel like a little cuddle, so it's nice; other times, I'm sweating profusely, stuffed into the aisles with my butt at someone's face level thinking, "there's got to be some way around traveling like this..", "Gee, I hope I hope i dont get robbed," or "I know we don't know eachother well but, would you mind if i sat on your lap?" It's been interesting to say the least. I've been really lucky a couple times to get on a camioneta that is playing some SWEET dance tunes and if i close my eyes and nod my head, it's almost like i'm not there...



You know you're in a crowded Camioneta when:

- you don't even need to hold on because there are so many people crammed up in your junk that even if the bus takes a corner too fast there isnt a problem because where would you go?

- there are people standing on the stairs BEFORE you board it but the Ayudante insists there's more room.

-you cant see where your stop is and consequently miss it.

-someone could potentially rob or molest you while you stand fully aware and completely unable to do anything about it (because you can't move your arms or legs).

-you can smell what the person next to you: ate for lunch, does for a living, frequency of bathing...

-you leave the bus smelling of above frangrances.



Other than that...

Training is going along swimmingly. I learned how to teach HIV/AIDS education and prevention in Spanish, so...Obviously pretty stoked on that. (Also learned really awesome way to explain a bodily fluid that involves hamburgers...if you're curious i'll email you).



This Gringa belongs to _____. It turns out there are people in my community/my extended host family who've seen me on the camioneta or around town who then report back to their families that they saw, "Dona Betty's Gringa" (nice).



Victory is mine! I figured out how to reorganize my ipod playlists through my netbook! Now i don't have that awkward Michael Jackson song come up in the middle of my, "bedtime random" mix... Can't even tell you how many times i've been on the cusp of sleep and "Black or white" has come on and hit me in the face like a wet fish.



That similie was real weird but i'm keeping it.



Tomorrow is Valentine's day and the birthday of my host mother's deceased husband, it is also coincidentally my mother's birthday whom is also deceased. Very strange.
My host mother told me that she used to buy a new dress and cook a big dinner but that now she buys flowers and takes them to his grave.
I am so struck by the mental image I have of her in the graveyard. It breaks my heart that we are all bound to lose the people that we love someday, or already have. It makes me want to squeeze you all real tight! (Virtual hug).



Enough of that.



I have been a little sick. I am actually hoping that i've got the gripe (cold) because if not it means that my allergies are in full effect and as there are only two seasons here...I can look forward to feeling gross for half the year if I'm allergic to something during this season. Crossing my fingers.

I will say that i miss being sick in my own bed in my own house. Not being able to fix my own food or have access to the types of things that normally make me feel better (aka Harry Potter and vegetable soup) is a real bummer; I plan to make these things available when i live on my own again.



Speaking of Harry Potter... My external DVD player that I bought to compliment my netbook won't work and i have to ask what the deal is. WHY WOULD YOU SELL AND EXTERNAL DVD PLAYER WITHOUT THE SOFTWARE?! I ask you SONY! It's rude and i dont like it. I needed a pick-me-up; wanted to put in some Bridget Jones but no, not possible because i dont have a DVD decoder installed. Luckily for me I can download a DVD decoder from the internet for only 19.95 onto my computer OH WAIT, I can't get high-speed internet in my current site...I hate you SONY (but i love you Cher). So if any of you know a way to get a DVD decoder onto a disk for SONY external DVD drive I would love you forever and beyond.



Starting tomorrow I embark on Field-Based Training. Basically a little microbus comes and picks all of us Healthy Schools kids up and we head out to visit Volunteers in the field to carry out training activities where real volunteers are working. I am jazzed to get a better idea of what we're going to be doing and I am pumped to spend some time getting to know the other volunteers better because i am going to be paired up with one of them when we finally get our site assignments (less than a month!) I am also really excited to stay in a hotel where rumor has it, there are showers. Yay!



In case you don't know, my skype name is "kmorty" - if you'd like to skype with me on the off chance that i have internet strong enough to carry out that operation; I'd love to!



Here's what i'm thinking right now:

- I would still really like a good cup of coffee/dark beer simultaneously.

- I have borrowed some books from the Peace Corps Volunteer library: currently reading, "at first sight" by Nicholas Sparks.

- Wish my DVD player would work.

- Excited to be in Antigua for a little relaxation today.

- REALLY excited for Field Based Training.

- Hoping that skype will work this afternoon so i can catch up with people. BE ONLINE!



As usual I miss and love you all. I hope that everyone is doing well. In the meantime I'll be stalking you all on facebook (keeping it classy) till i get to see your smiling faces! Happy Valentine's Day!

PEACE & LOVE!

GUATEVER.

I saw the title of this blog on a t-shirt and if it hadn´t been red i would have been all over that.

I just killed an ENORMOUS spider. I feel a little bit sad that I squashed it so badly that I couldn’t even capture its enormity on my camera but it had to be done- there was no time for negotiations with this spider as it’s proximity to my bed was a deal-breaker.

I went to a Baile (dance) this weekend in one of the neighboring aldeas (towns). The festival was kind of nuts; from a US point of view it was a mix between Halloween, Disneyland, and a gay pride parade… although I’m not sure that was necessarily the goal. Children wearing masks and running about, people dressed up as sponge-bob square-pants, and men in heels- Guatemalan men are crazy! I wish I got a photo of all of the men dressed up in drag but I didn’t know how to politely ask. I did capture a few of the Disneyland -esque scenes; people were in cartoon character costumes dancing together in the street. It was awesome. One of the disadvantages to being a white person in Guatemala is that there is no way not to stand out. It makes it really difficult to do anything under the radar- like nod your head with the music at a baile… at one point in the festival I made this mistake my friends and I and were grabbed into the circle of scantily clad “women” (read: men in drag) dancing while everyone else stands watching; horrifying but a good time none the less. I found out that there was actually a contest going on over who had the best costume and who was the best dancer among those in the circle; there were Q. 400 (Quetzales) at stake. I really hope the guy in the pink ball gown won…he was dancing his butt off spinning around a pink parasol and sporting a floppy sunhat; glamorous.

I also went to a Finca (plantation) for coffee last week and am now determined to make my own roast from my own coffee tree. Basically the steps are as follows: (1) you have a coffee tree and it grows some berries; (2) pick the berries when they’re red; (3) break open berries and harvest seeds inside; (4) dry seeds in the sun for several days; (5) shell the seeds, e.g. harvest the coffee beans from inside seed; (6) toast the beans; (7) enjoy awesome coffee. Ok…so there’s a few more steps than that but those are the main ideas. So all I need to start this adventure is a coffee tree! There is the minor problem of the plant taking about 5 years to mature to the point where it makes berries…but I feel like I can figure out a way around starting from scratch… like being really nice to someone who has a 5-year-old coffee tree. Game on.

If you want to be popular when you come to Guatemala you may want these things; (1) Fireworks- people go NUTS for fireworks around here; I’ll explain more later. (2) Any type of ball and dog treats- if you want children/animals to like you/ not eat your face and (3) the willingness to say, “Buenos Dias/tardes/noches” to every person you see.

Things you might want to stay sane in Guatemala: (1) earplugs- it‘s noisy here, I’m telling you they LOVE fireworks, (2) a Spanish-English dictionary and (3) the ability to laugh at yourself…can’t even begin to stress the importance of this.

Things I would like right now:

-Another book to read; have recently finished Barbara Kingsolver’s, Prodigal Summer and Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding.

-A book on how to cite documents…as am unsure I did so accurately above…ugghhh

-A new CD mix of music to listen to

-A freaking taco or tostada
-A good cup of coffee/dark beer simultaneously.

Would also love to get some mail from friends/family- must look up my address to guilt you all into it properly…

Those of you that know me well know that I can sleep through anything- lights on, music blaring, parties, class, while in the middle of eating a burrito… you know; there’s very little that comes between me and sleep. That being said, my sleep has only been slightly disrupted and I share these stories for enjoyment and vicarious-living purposes only-

About the noise:

-if you’re lucky enough to live close to a highway (like I do) you get all of the benefits of Camioneta (chicken bus) noise pollution; a thrilling orchestra of honks, tires on gravel, and the room trembling as they go by.

-Until I moved here I was under the misapprehension that roosters crow at dawn, this is just simply not true. Gallos (Roosters) will crow all day everyday and all through the night. This makes sleeping continuously through the night difficult and has dispelled any sort of farm fantasy I had about waking up to the rooster crowing at dawn. What’s for dinner? ROOSTER. That’s all I’m saying…

-For the love of fireworks! Fireworks are huge here- they are a must to celebrate every occasion, especially birthdays. What people like to do on the morning of someone’s birthday (by morning of course I mean 3-5AM) is light off fireworks on the person’s doorstep to wake them up (or give them a heart-attack; whichever). So while you’re lying in your bed enjoying another 3 hours of consecutive sleep-hours (in-between rooster crows) you awake to the sound of gunshots thinking the civil war has broken out on your doorstep but don’t worry- it’s just someone’s birthday. While at first I was opposed to this as a means to celebrate someone’s birth I am now leaning towards pirating this tactic and implementing it for rousing the birthday girl/boy back in the states; friends this is your only warning- I’m really looking forward to your birthdays.

Things I might have:
-bedbugs or fleas…

I have a series of bites that have emerged of late. This does not please me. I shouldn’t have given the dog treats, please revise list above of things you might want accordingly. Haha.

-a growing dependence on sugar as a major food group.

People like sugar here almost as much as they like fireworks…its started a vicious love/hate relationship that starts with me not wanting any sugar, drinking some coffee (read: sugar water) and then subsequently craving more sugar for the rest of the day; must find way to stop this.

-Mental problems/ADD.

I just read through this post.

More stories to come I’m sure. Until then - I’d love to know what’s new in your lives! And maybe some tips on how to get rid of potential bedbugs from a down sleeping bag (sorry Rob, thanks for lending it to me…)

XOXO!