Reverse Culture Shock

I have been waiting for it - but it hasn't happend - yet!

I have done lots of reading about it and certainly talked with people who have experienced it so it is with a bit of trepidation I write that I have not yet experienced it - or have not experienced something that feels really shocking!

I certainly have been aware of the increased pace of life and the greater degree of commercialism. I am also continuing to feel the tug of my new found friends in Guatemala, my slower pace of life and the need to follow up with projects I was involved with. And I am wondering how I will fit in at work; will I be able to bring my carefully cultivated slower pace to my job?

And then again maybe I was not away long enough to experience it?

Or maybe some of the strategies I have been using for reentry are helping. The four day visit to Tofino with my husband was a real treat (even if it was cold and rainy). As well, about a month before I was to return I began thinking about the writing I wanted to do. The biggest piece has been a cultural values analysis of modern Mayan culture. I really enjoyed doing the research and the writing and am loving the feedback I am getting from friends and colleagues in the highlands.

The team I worked with had a potluck a couple of days after I returned so that was a great opportunity to find out how everyone was doing, bring people up to speed on projects still underway and continue discussions on project work which needs to be done here to prepare for the next trip.

I also have had almost three weeks of time to get myself back here and have used the time to think, write, talk to colleagues, walk with friends and to sleep!

We'll see.

Feliz tardes, Colleen

Bugs and Bites

I am finally done scratching and it occurred to me I did not write at all about bugs and bites while I in Guatemala. I suspect it has to do with coping with what you have to while on the ground. I wanted to share this, not because it was terrible or hugely difficult, but because it is a reality.

Shortly after we got settled in our houses in Santiago I started waking up with bites on my legs, arms and back. The first day or two I just ignored them. Hey, I was new to the country and lots of things were different. When I did eventually mention them to some of the people I was living with they said – you have bed bugs. Horrors!!! What to do?

Thank goodness for Jo who travels with tea tree oil and a spray bottle. A few drops in water and a good spray of all the bed linen every night managed the bugs. They did not stop completely but one or two bites every now and then was manageable. Jo lent me the bottle and I faithfully sprayed every bed I slept in just before bed each night.

I returned the bottle to her three weeks before we were heading home. I was now settled in a new spot and confident that there were no beg bugs. Error! No sooner had the bottle left my possession than I was getting a new kind of bite. Itchier and with more staying power. A few questions to some of the teachers I was working with told me I was now dealing with fleas – presumably from the dog living at the house I was staying at.

So, off I went to find tea tree oil and a spray bottle (that was a bit of a challenge and I ended up having to buy a small bottle of hairspray, dump it out, clean it with hot water multiple times before making my oil/water concoction). The poor dog was banished to the out of doors and was still living with a flea collar when I left.

And did I mention the scorpion? Greg had been warning us to check our bed linen and shoes because scorpions will crawl in and their bites are painful. One of my colleagues had one sleeping on his pillow which thankfully he discovered before he crawled into bed, so I became I bit more vigilant and thankfully so. I found one settled nicely into my bed linens when I checked into Paul’s Posada. Unfortunately for the scorpion he did not make it out of my bedroom – alive anyway.

So bugs and bites are real and especially in the unsanitized reality of the developing world. Ann just as importantly dealing with them is a small price to pay for the rewards which come in building relationships and understanding the world in new ways.

Best, Colleen

Home

I have been home for less than 48 hours and I have to say it all seems a bit surreal.

Normally when I travel internationally I arrive in Vancouver and make my way to the CMA to catch a flight to the Valley, but on Wed morning I was thrilled to have Mark there to greet me as I came out of the secure area. The smile on his face was worth the three months of missing him!

I am pretty tired and find that sleeping 8 - 10 hours a night is what I need (I was sleeping less that 6 most nights in Guatemala) even though I am not doing a whole lot physically. My life here seems to be very accessible - the strangest things are drinking water right out of the tap and flushing toilet paper rather than throwing it in to a basket beside the toilet. It great to have spring here with the warm sun, the smell of the sap and lots of spring wild flowers blooming in our yard.

Lots of people have talked to me about reverse culture shock and of course I have read alot about it. I have also been wondering about what I can do to mitigate and cope with it. The liteature says time to debrief is really important, and that combined with some patience, given that it can take up to six months for those who have been away a long time, seems to be the key to adjusting.

I have been doing a fair amount of writing over the last couple of weeks in addition to my daily diarizing and my blogs. I am wondering if this attempt to capture some of my thinking and my understanding will help. During the next couple of weeks I will be in contact with some folks in Guatemala as they review my writing which I suspect will also help me with my reentry.

I am off to a team pot luck tonight. I am the last to arrive home and it was kind of them to give me a couple of days to get my body and mind back on Canadian soil before the get together. Some of the folks have been home for other a month so it will be interesting to compare notes on how their reentry has been.

I am also looking forward to beginning the process of working through my 4000+ photos with a view to preparing a couple of presentations as well as finding some photos to create cards and some special gifts as well. I hope that a 30 minute slide presentation will provide me with some ways to share what I have learned with others - and help me find another way to be back here.

I'll do some more reflecting on the reentry over the next couple of weeks. Suffice to say that this first week is mostly about getting some rest, connecting with friends and family and doing some practical things like seeing my dentist and getting my hair cut.

Back to you in a few days
Colleen

Time

This is one of the dimensions of culture I find most interesting - and challenging.

I had not done alot of thinking about how time might be perceived in Guatemala and, not surprisingly, I should have. I returned to some of Hall and Hall´s writings (Understanding Cultural Differences Boston; Intercultural Press 1990) and that provided a frame for what I was experiencing. They talk about monochromatic and polychromatic ways of living time. In short, those who live the ¨Northern¨ life style tend to live in monochromatic time, where time has a value, where events are segmented off, where time is linear.

Polychromatic time sees many things happening at once, is less tangible and according to Hall and Hall is a point rather than a line. I am actually becoming more comfortable with the analogy of the point extended to be a circle ( this comes from Trompenaar and Turner´s work Riding the Waves of Culture) which allows many events to exist at the same time and even allows for the past, present and future to come together.

And in the Mayan world I have been living in time is much more polychromatic. Some of the typical characteristics of this way of experiencing and living time include the normalacy of interruption (which in itself is a culturally laden term), commitments are not givens but to be achieved if possible, people and relationships come first, changing a plan is the norm and building relationships comes before getting things done.

And for those of you who know me and my penchant for trying to get more done than time will allow, you can imagine the adjustments I needed to make to keep myself sane and more importantly to be able to understand, appreciate and particpate in a different way of being. One of my personal goals in this adventure was to find some ways to slow down a little, to not drive myself and those I work with quite so hard, and here I had the perfect opportunity to do just that.

I still make my lists and sort through my priorities for the day BUT I have learned to be more open to what the day might bring. I have had days with no structure at all ( almost unheard of for me) and enjoyed wonderful adventures because I could be open to what possibilities arose.

Take yesterday for instance. I arrived in Antigua with no plans beyond enjoying the city and hopefully linking up with a friend. The power was out and I had an interior room, so no light. I made my way to a wonderful roof top terrance were I did some thinking, had a nap and read. My friend texted ( is that a word?) me and, get this, I texted her back ( yet another new skill for a first time cell phone owner). We rendevoused at 4 and had a wonderful conversation and meal - and while she wrote some cards to mutual friends - I watched the sun set and then a fireworks display with volcanoes as a backdrop from the Cafe Sky ( a rooftop patio three stories up). Ahhh, lets here it for operating closer to polychronc time!

So how does a society work on polychronic time? Just fine thank you very much. A friend who moved to Pana from South Africa nine years ago tells me that the stress she experiences when she is in the US to visit friends and family just does not exist in Guatemala. The need to be ¨ on schedule¨ does not exist in the same where here. For example if the party is at 3, arriving some time after three and maybe even at 4 or 4;30 is just fine. No worries. ´

And it is very heartwarming to live and work in within a culture where I am more imp0rtant than the time on the clock. The extended recesses at school which allowed us to finish conversations, the random conversations on the street filled with news about what a child had accomplished or how a family member was and the extended lunches that moved from idea to idea. All examples of how people and relationship some first.

This is not to say that time and schedules do not exist in the modern Mayan world. It is just much more flexible. And I like it!

And now as I contemplate returning to the North I am also contemplating how I can integrate just a little of this polychronic time into my life at work and at home.

Adios, Colina

LIFE School

Buenas

As I prepare to load up my knapsack with what is left of my clothes and the small trinkets for family and friends, I am reflecting on what has been a wonderful last month at the Lake.

In addition to the mindboggling experiences of Semana Santa ( see below ) I have had the privilege of substitute teaching and supporting students at LIFE school located in Panajachel. Founded in 1989 on the vision and principles of Robert Mueller (http://www.centerforlivingethics.org/htmlfiles/Philosophy/philosophy.htm) an undersecretary to three Secretaries General of the UN, the school is one of those oasis of educational excitement that puts a smile on your face and makes you very glad you are a teacher!

LIFE school (www.lifeschoolweb.com) is housed in a ramshackled set of buildings held together physically by chain link fence. But the real glue that makes this a place of learning is the values which are embedded in all they do. There are about 60 kids in grades pre kindergarten to 9th (most teachers are American hence the educational jargon that reflects their terminology) with class sizes of anywhere from 5 ( for the pre kinder) to 12 in the Grade 3/4 split. The curriculum is shared following the principles developed by Robert Mueller and adheres to the Guatemalan elementary and basico ( junior high) curricula.

During the three weeks I volunteered at the school I rekindled some of the excitement I first felt about teaching during my student teaching days at McCorkindale Elementary in Vancouver. Kids learning about learning in an atmosphere which requests and requires respect, curiousity and most of all a sense of community. When you check out the website look at the ethnic mix of the kids; the impact for these kids on how they will see the world in years to come will have impacts we cannot even imagine. The family involvement in the school is palpable as parents participate on hiring committees, volunteer in the classrooms and hang out with the kids at lunch time. And they do it all on a budget of $90,000 a year!

The teachers are paid enough money to live in Pana but I gather not enough to build up much of a nest egg; at least not in cash. The professional development opportunities to be gained from working in this environment are very real and well worth considering for anyone building a career, seeking an opportunity to put some new life into their career, or even as a capstone.

I initially volunteered to help with the Grades 5 - 9 classes who are participating in a Virtual Science Fair (http://www.virtualsciencefair.com/) and very quickly that morphed into substitute teaching in every grade (except 1-2). I learned about using NVU to set up a website, saw kids play and learn together in an environment where skin colour was truly irrelevant, listend to three languages spoken by groups of kids working collaboratively on projects and enjoyed reading to a group of teenagers under a tree on the basketball court!

I left the school yesterday full of smiles at reconnecting with my life as a teacher and vowing to continue to find ways to be in the classroom. It warms my soul.

My heart is heavy as I prepare to say good bye to the Lake
Adios for today, Colina

Ex Pats

Ex pats, people leaving who were born and grew up in a different country, are numerous in Guatemala. Our world has definately become a smaller place with global business, international development, people building long term relationships with those from other cultures, the ability of people to work via the internet and with lots of retirees spending parts of their year in warm climates.

Both Panajachel and Santiago have ex pat communities with a richness of experience and opportunity for support and learning. I have met people from all of the US, from Canada, from England and Spain, from Japan and from New Zealand - all of whom have made homes or commitments to long term stays. What fascinated me was how the ex pat community or more rightly communities form and function.

In the six weeks I spend in each of the two communities I ( think I) saw some interesting patterns. Firstly there is an sixth sense you develop pretty quickly about weather someone is an ex pat or a tourist. I am not sure it is 100% accurate but it is something about the eye contact or lack there of, what they are carrying, how they handle themselves that cues you.

Secondly, that with very few exceptions, expats are very very friendly. For some I think it is about an opportunity to share their experience/understanding/learning with another traveller or sojourner. For others it is the chance to talk to someone from home or a place that reminds them of home, with someone whose world view or cultural experience is closer to theirs than the "locals". And for others it is a sincere desire to help. I am not sure if in the first weeks I had a look or some body language, but the openness I experienced with people offering to support me was very heartwarming.

Thirdly, beyond the initial friendliness there is what I have experienced in my own culture. Sometimes the interest, sharing support is authentic and is followed by offers to meet for coffee, come for dinner, attend a party; a sincere interest in building a relationship. And sometimes it goes no further and there is no interest beyond being welcoming. The former is exciting because it opens some interesting doors to some fascinating conversations. The latter is ok but I have to say I had to adjust to the reality that everyone did not want to be a friend.

I have come to learn that the key to building some of those interesting relationships is to be open; to a random conversation in a coffee shop or on a bus, to an offer to meet someone who is a friend of a friend and to offer a smile on the street. I have also learned to let the suspiciousness we have developed in North American society about contact with a stranger slip away and let the contact occur. (Of course it's important to trust your instincts and to check people out if you are making commitments where your safety could be compromised). And by doing this some very interesting things have happened.

For example, I was having a leche con cafe at Crossroad Cafe ( run by Mike and Adele and a must if you are in Pana) and struck up a conversation with a young woman who teaches at LIFE School( more on that later). As we shared our love of teaching, she asked if I would like to come and do a guest class with her grades 5 - 9 science students. I loved the hour I spend with them exploring how our memory works. Then Jen invited me to knitting night; where I met several other women ( most expats and someGuatemaltecans who have married expats). And as knitting night ended I mentioned I was looking for a place to live for a month. Jen, the teacher and our host, said she was looking for a room mate and so I moved in! And when my volunteer work with another NGO did not pan out, I connected with LIFE school and have spend a wonderful three weeks subbing, supporting students in their website development and on Friday will do a lesson for the whole school on Canada! All this from a hello.

The lesson? When a random stranger offers me a smile, trust my gut and if warrented offer back a smile, a hello and enjoy where the discussion takes you!

Adios for today
Colina

Thinking about coming home

As I woke up this morning I began thinking about my last week in Guatemala - what memories I need to ensure are imprinted, the last minute gifts I need to pick up and about how I can take home with me the sense of calm I have taken on while I have been here.

While I have been away I have read alot (a typical way to deal with the challenges of living in a culture different from your own) and included in my reading has been Jean Vanier's Becoming Human. I finished the book ( actually his Massey lectures given in 1998; Anansi Press if you are trying to track it down) and during the last reading came across this statement

"Freedom comes in discovering that the truth in not a set of fixed certitudes but a mystery we enter into one step at a time. It is a process of going deeper and deeper into an unfathomable reality."

While I am still grabbling with all he says, his understanding of freedom is captivating. I am working on trying to understand some of the cultural differences I have experiences in a way that I can write about them and the concept of a mystery and not fixed certitudes make alot of sense as I think about time and personal relationships with the context of present day Mayan culture. I already know that whatever understandings I am able to develop will be complemented with more questions - a good thing I think!

During the time I have been here my lfe has taken on a much slower pace, balancing certainly a number of commitments but not so frenetic that I am not able to sleep at night because I am consumed with details and deadlines. How to take that home with me? It seems to me that not being so driven would be a kind of freedom - so perhaps I have taken the first steps and must find ways to continue on the path. A useful focus on my thinking in the coming days.

With hopes that all is well for you

Colina

Semana Santa in Santiago

Buenas tardes

Those of you who have done any travelling or studying of Latin cultures will know that Semana Santa ( Holy Week) is a particularly important time in the year; in fact akin to the importance of Christmas in northern and western cultures. Akin in terms of the religious, family and recreational elements of culture.

When I built my plans for three months in the Atitlan area I ensured I would be able to be in Santiago for this week. And I was rewarded with a wealth of sights, smells, sounds and insights into the modern day Mayan culture which I will treasure as I think about Guatemala.

With my friends Brenda and Jo, we constructed the following summary of the week. Enjoy it and the pictures to the right!

here are the notes we wrote up the other day on Semana Santa. When we visited Suzanne, she was one of the Gringos who went into the circle at the church while they were lighting candles. She is part of a cofrodia, a Teshal or guardian, not sure which cofrodia. She says the singing and music is called the Passion of Christ. She said not all the cofrodia's were getting along, they fight a lot, and that is why some were set up at the other end of the church. this went on until 1 am, and she said no one really knows why they do this anymore. It may be around the apostles the night before Christ died. they also pray for corn and rain. She also mentioned that when Mary was dancing during the night the dagger was facing down, but when they walked her back to the church the dagger was facing up


Monday
People walk from the Pacific coast (about 8o km over a range of coastal mountains) to bring the fruits and flowers into the pueblo (town of Santiago). They arrived about 11 am at the Municipal building. After the presentation, the flowers and fruit were taken to different cofradias (homes where the saints are housed during the year. This opportunity to host one of the saints is a priviledge that is shared around the community on an annual basis). Those responsible for Maximón also preparing him and his clothing for his parade. Maximon is a figure who emerged as Catholism arrived in Guatemala in the 1500s. There stories are diverse and all include an understanding that he is a combination of both Mayan and Christian diety. Some suggest he represents Judas, others that he is some combination of Christ and the Sun God. As well on Monday those saints still in the catholic church were dressed in new shirts (oversized sports shirts) or other garments

Tuesday
The preparations continue.

Wednesday
More fruit and flowers are walked up from the Coast. At 11 am Maximón arrived at the Municipal building ( which is located adjacent to Parque Central). He had 10 – 11 scarves tied around this neck. About 2 pm he was paraded to blue building beside the Catholic church, where they hung him about 3 feet up on a cross.

People also began to clear and clean the roads, set up the huge archways made of two upright an one cross pole and covered with cyprus, cedar and moss. This archway mark the circular route the procession will take as the casket containing the statue of Christ is moved through the pueblo beginning late Friday evening. The decorating of the Catholic church had also begun.

Thursday

The cross members of the archways were lowered and decorated with fruit, small Christmas lights flowers and seed pods from the conrosa. There were a number of ceromonies in the Catholic church including the washing of feet of 13 young men and boys (representing the disciples). They paraded out of the church into the courtyard. Christ’s casket was brought out and put near the back of the church. A band starting playing music, mostly brass instruments and drum that playing late into the night. At about 6 pm, the members of the cofradias arrived for the lighting of the candles. They kept lighting more candles, praying, and sitting in a big circle with smoke and incense. We speculated this might symbolize the the apostles on the night before Jesus died. The confridias were also praying for rain and corn which is an essential element of the Mayan diet. This part of Guatemala has not had rain in at least four months (this is normal) This lighting of candles and pray went on until about 1 am.

Friday
Early in the morning 1 am to 6 am they have a dance in front on the municipal building. They run back and forth with Mary and Santiago. We understand that Santiago (Saint James) is meant to be consoling and distracting Mary. When she leaves the chuch she has a dagger in her chest facing down, but when they walked her back to the church the dagger was facing up. The meaning of this is unknown to use.

At 8 am they brought the statue of Christ church. The parade stopped for prays at the concrete cross in the church plaza, again before they entered the church and again once they got into the church. As soon as Christ entered the church, groups of volunteers begain making the carpets on the streets (albombras). These creations made of dyed sawdust and sometimes flowers, corn, pine needles and flowers take all day and night to make. They laid out a huge ross at the front of the church and then secured the statue of Christ to it.. They cleaned and dressed the statue sprayed him with deoderant. Spraying started in 1930’s and the understanding of why as been lost. A number of people, mostly elderly, walked on their needs up the lenght of the cross and kissed the face, arms and knees of the Christ figure. Money was left in an offering plate.

Between 12 – 3 there is a church service which began with the raising of the cross. After the service attended by 3+ thousand people ( all the benches were removed from the church to allow more to attend), Christ is lowered from cross, the casket is brough forward and he is put in the casket. Again, they spray him lots with deodarant.

The procession then begins. The casket is carried out of the church, some say 31 steps forward, 30 steps back. It took from 4 – 6 pm to move out of the church, down the steps and across the plaza ( it would take about 3 minutes to walk this). Statues of Mary and Santiago follow behind. Maximón also follows along for a short time. The procession then makes its way to the Municipal building and then follows in the circle created by the archways over the alfombras returning to the church about 8 am Saturday morning. At some point during the procession Mary and Santiago leave and go to Santiago’s home. They dance all night with the men and each other, trying to help Mary get over her sadness of her son dying.

Saturday
The chuch returned to normal, the streets were cleaned. Saturday evening there was lots of music to be heard around town until the wee hours of the morning.

Really interested? Consider reading a book recommended by a university prof. we met from North Carolina Rituals of Sacrifice by Vincent Stanzion, University of New Mexico Press Albuguergue 2003 ISBN 0-8263-2917-9 (paperback) or 0-8263-2916-0 (cloth)

For those not of the Catholic religion, the week is a time of family gathering, lots of food, fun and time to relax.

Posted to the right are a few of the hundreds of photos I took during the week. It was a truly amazing experience for someone who is not religious to stand in the church with thousands of others watching the ceremonies.

Adios, Colina

Teaching Lessons

One of the preplanned activities for my time in Guatemala was the teaching of nutrition lessons. Brenda and I both had an interest in sharing our understanding of how a good diet can help you be healthier but we needed some help in pulling some pieces together so it would have some logic for the kids we were going to be working with. I was really pleased to have a friend of mine with many years of experience in elementary school classrooms in Canada and in Europe spend some time with us and help as connect the dots among good nutrition, a healthy body and a healthy mind hence more success at school.

So harmed with that theme we collected information, developed some key messages, found useful handouts in Spanish and connected with graphic design students at North Island College (www.nic.bc.ca) who designed some posters for us to share with the kids we worked with.

We taught lessons to about 350 kids in grades 1 - 6 in two schools and in an after school program. I thought I had a pretty good handle on working in elementary school environments and I found there was lots to learn too!

* spend two weeks with over 300 kids and you are bound to get sick. I had a cold that lasted the better part
of a month
* teaching in a second language is very difficult, even if the kids are attentive and interested
* kids regardless of culture like lots of activity and that activity helps them learn. Our seed and rice
experiments were big hits.
* kids in this part of Guatemala do not eat raw vegetables. The look on their faces when we gave the raw
carrots was priceless. Their first reaction was to smell it, some refused to even try a bit, some spit it out
and few really liked the taste. (Reminded me of my first introduction to sushi in 1973 in Japan)
* teachers have a variety of reactions to foreigners arriving in their classrooms. Some joined right in
helping translate when the kids did not understand us. Others disappeared and stayed invisible while we
taught and some just watched. I have had some concerns that while our support in general is welcome
our presence was not in the best interest of the school curriculum. Looking forward to reading the
evaluations for more insight
* teach a lesson enough times and it begins to flow. Brenda and I taught a two hour workshop for a group
of kids last Sunday that pulled together the concepts of personal hygiene, exercise and nutrition and it
connected with the kids in ways we had not seen before.
* and lastly the messages are really important in this cultural environment where Coca Cola only arrived
at the Lake about five years ago, where vegetables and fruits are not part of the prefered diet and where
there is little money for extra curricular activity.

Happy Easter. I am off to see the creation of the frombas. More later
Colina

Smells of Guatemala

As I enter the last three weeks of my time here in Guatemala I have been thinking about what will trigger my memories of this place. As I thought about it I was reminded about how powerful our sense of smell can be. When I was in Mexico in 1993 I used an apple scented soap and to this day when I catch a wiff of that sent I am immediately back in that beautiful bathroom with the deep blue tiled tub!

So what smells might remind me of Guatemala - there are many distinctive ones on both the enjoyable and shall we say less enjoyable side of the spectrum.

I am particularly enjoying the smell of fresh fruit, especially sandia (watermelon) and naranga (oranges). There is so much fresh fruit available here for so few quesales it is a delight to gorge on what is available. We bought a watermelon yesterday for the equivalent of $1.60 Cdn and a pina (pineapple) is about the same!

Another smell is corn - it is one of the most important of the traditional foods. I think most common is the ever present tortilla ( more on that later when I write a blog on sounds) but it is also found in the tomales we buy hot in the mercado for 1Q a piece. They are really tasty with a fresh salsa ( especially if you take out the small chuck of meat) and of course buy the one that are spiced!

Oh and then there is diesel fuel. All the intercity buses run on diesel and it is a rare treat to be at the back end of one when it belches smoke. My most vivid memory to date of that rare pleasure is the trip back from Cerro de Ora on a very windy road with lots of diesel fueled trucks passing by. Let me simply say it was a good think I was sitting by an open window! I never travelled without gravol again.

And then there is Semana Santa. The massive Easter celebration has begun and I will write more in the coming days about what I see and hear but there is one smell that is so totally associated with this week. There is a very large seed pod ( large as in about six feet tall and about 9" across ) which is harvested for this week. The pod is slit open and inside is an equally long stock with multiple thin branches coming from it with multiple tiny bulbs. I firsted smelled it in Antigua four years ago and will forever think about processions and Semana Santa when I breath in the fragrance. I learned yesterday the tiny bulbs are wonderful in salads too!

The smell of dust. This is a country which does not have the pristine cleanliness of the cities and towns of the developed world, even in Guatemala City. The standards of cleanliness are different in part because it is so much harder to keep floors and windowsills and clothes clean when many of the roads and walkways are not paved; and when there is always a construction project underway. One of the most common sites as we walk from our posada into town is a mound of soil or rocks or gravel jutting out into the roadway. Most likely it is a signal that there is some building happening and the materials are for concrete. But on occassion it is a dirt slide. There is not been rain for about four months and everything is really dry. This allows sides of hills to slip down onto roadways and highways. And then this dirt blows - into your eyes, on to your clothes and of course into your homes and worksites. Its just a fact of life here and even the ever persnicky me has learned to go with the flow. ( of course it is easier when I can have a hot shower every night).

The sun has set behind Volcano San Pedro and we are going out for dinner ( you can only cook for four on a single burner so many nights in a row).

Adios para esta dia
Colina

Fair Trade

One of the interesting components of this adventure has been an opportunity to begin to develop an on the ground understanding of the concept of Fair Trade. Like many people who pride themselves on being socially conscious, I have been paying attention to labeling in the last couple of years and where there are products available I will buy fair trade.

The people I have been travelling and working with have a small non profit organization which seeks to buy and then sell products that are Fair Trade. In fact they have named their organization Comercio Justo Import Association as testament to their commitment to buy their products in a fair trade fashion. (The profits from their sales provide scholarships for young men and women to continue their education.)

I have had the opportunity to see first hand them work through their ability to track down cooperatives hidden in a maze of back alleys, to ensure their suppliers are providing the workers or members of the cooperative with a fair wage for their work, and to consider the impact of a cooperative building dependency on Comercio Justo and its ability to continue to purchase from them. We have discussed on numerous occasions a definition of fair trade and how CJIA adheres to it.

The many adventures to finding and purchasing from cooperatives led me to do a little research to try to understand some of the issues and principles behind the movement, which incidentally began only about 50 years ago with initiatives from the Mennonite Central Committee. So off I went to Wikipedia (I am forever grateful for the existence of internet cafes in the developing world) to see what I could find out. There I read the definition of fair trade used by the European Fair Trade Association, one of the leading organizations in this movement.

“Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers – especially in the South. Fair Trade Organizations, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade. Fair Trade products are produced and traded in accordance with these principles — wherever possible verified by credible, independent assurance systems.”

The site also provides a list of four key fair trade principles developed in 2008 by two other key organizations International Fair Trade Association ( IFTA) and Fairtade Organizations (FLO)

1. Market access for marginalized producers
2. Sustainable and equitable trading relationships
3. Capacity building and empowerment
4. Consumer awareness raising and advocacy.

Check out the Wikipedia site on Fair Trade for lots of good info and important links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade#cite_note-2

Where I am living now I have access to CNN and BBC. Last night I watched summary coverage of the G20 meetings in London. I have some hope that the decisions made to put $1 trillion in to the IMF to support developing countries coupled with a commitment to more transparency will provide some hope for the further growth of the fair trade movement.

And on a much smaller scale I am hoping to ask a friend in Santiago to produce some Mayan embroidery for me, for which I will reimburse her at fair trade prices. She does exquisite work and the embroidery will provide lovely gifts for my family and friends.

Finally, I have read that Music Fest www.islandmusicfest.com is setting a new standard in festivals by requiring its merchants to sell only products acquired in fair trade. Bravo!

Best, Colina

Everyday living

As I was getting some lunch today I thought you might be intersted in some tidbits about how one goes about daily tasks.

Kitchen

Rule one is the local water is not safe. So that means that anything you drink is either made with purified water ( there is an agua pura container in every kitchen where there is the money to afford the purified water) or you boil it before you eat it.

Rule two is that you never use dishes, cutlery, pots or cooking utensils that are not dry, if they have been washed in local water.

Rule three is that you cook on gas burners and with gas ovens. The ovens have no temperature controls so there is some guess work in your cookies and cakes.

Rule four is there is lots of fruits and vegetables all the time at very good prices so its easy to be a vegetarian.

Rule five - at least for me - is an avacodo a day keeps a smile on my face! At about $.30 I am smiling alot!

Bedroom

Rule one is very night before you go to bed you check to see an scorpian has snuck into your bed.

Rule number two is if you are bitten by a scorpian you eat a teaspoon of sugar and put some sugar on the bit - it takes away the skin.

Rule number three is that even though the days are warm with temperatures of about 75F or 25 C the evenings are cool so you can always get a good night's sleep.

Rule number four is you have to be able to ignore dogs barking and roosters crowing because they always do at all times of the day, and night.

Bathroom

Rule number one is you never put toilet paper in the bowl because the plumbing systems cannot handle it.

Rule number two is don't swollow any water while showering - see Rule number one in Kitchen

Rule number three is use agua pura to brush your teeth.

Rule number four is agua caliente is available almost everywhere so showing is great.

Rule number five is if you are living in Pana ( and I am) and you get your water from a well ( which we do ), you have to conserve water in April becuase the well might to dry any day.

Life in general

Rule number one is slow down, the pace of life is different. Time has a different meaning than in the North.

Rule number two is expect things to change. I am not sure if this is because I am a gringo or if this true for Guatemaltecans as well but it is really a fact of daily life.

Rule number three is expect to learn lots of new things every day.

Rule number four is expect to meet at least one interesting expat every day. Today I met Tina who is Danish born, living here in Pana with her husband and son, fluent in Spanish and providing counselling services. On Sunday it was Dave, a fellow I was meant to meeting today do to some volunteer work with. We were both traveling to the beach with mutual friends

Rule number five is expect the unexpected! Today I am going to a late afternoon yoga class where after class I will have the opportunity to enjoy natural hotsprings while sipping tea.

Adios
Colina

Using local transportation

This week I had the chance to be in Guatemala City for a couple of days. We arrived by public shuttle from Antigua to the international airport ( dropping off one of the team members heading home). Public shuttles are a very common form of transportation for gringos and there are numerous companies providing shuttle service any any town where gringos visit. We were able to book a shuttle around the corner from our hotel (Casa Cristina www.casa-cristina.com) for $5 US. We were told we had to be ready 15 minutes before the 8:30 departure and it could be as late as 8:45 before we were picked up. We were picked up within this 30 minute window, went to a few other hotels picking up others and were at the Guatemala Airport within 90 minutes. Of course one of the benefits of these shuttles is the conversations with other travellers; learning what they have been doing, what companies are good to do business with, what adventures are worth having.

In Gaute City we used local taxis to get around. We stayed in Zona Vida (the tourist zone which offers travellers and foreigners the comfort of a high police presence. This is important as Guate City is not a safe place right now) and enjoyed the great meals available at local and international restaurants. We had time to do two "tourist" trips; one to the Botanical Gardens of Juan Carlos University and the second to the Parque Central where we were the centre of attention at a mirimba concert ( being the only non Guatemalan faces in a crowd of 300). The taxi was recommended by our hotel and Rudi became our tour guide, available to take us back to the hotel and then pick us up early in the morning for the trip to the bus station ( outside Zona Vida and not a place to be unless you are getting on a bus out of the City).

All our information said that our bus to Santiago would leave at 8 am but like some many situations when you are travelling, that was not the case. The bus did not leave til 10 so we had a quick conference to explore options and decided to take the non direct route. We hopped on a bus heading in the general direction we wanted to go knowing we would have to make two other connections to get back to Santiago. The bus ( we often here them call them Chicken buses but I have learned that people here do not like that designation so I have been calling them the intercity bus or the autobus) took 2+ hours to travel what I think was about 100 km stopping regularly at posted signs and when it was waved down to pick up or drop off passengers. The money collector would come down the row at intervals collecting fairs - always in cash. At a number of the larger stops 6 - 10 different vendors would walk through the bus selling water, juices, hot and cold food and snacks. Some even just walked along the bus on either side and sold through the windows ( which are always open because of the heat)!

We jumped off the bus (literally as the stops are often very short) and waited about an hour for a connecting bus. This one was smaller and less crowded, at least to start with. As the bus progressed it picked up more passengers and before long there was three people per seat and in some situations some larger people had one cheek on one seat and the other cheek on the seat across! When they shouted our spot we all began to get up and collect our knapsacks. I must have had a brain blip to think I could do that without hanging on ( as we are still moving at about 60 km per hour around winding roads) and I landed in the lap of the man sitting across from me. This provided enormous amounts of laughter for all those sitting at the back of the bus. And in addition to then having to haul myself up I had to shinny my way through the others standing in the aisles even more quickly to the front of the bus. Off I hopped and the bus was gone when I turned around.

So now we are about 30 minutes from Santiago and the next bus will stop on the other side of town. So off we go, walking in to town with the thought we might catch a bus, a van or even hop on a pickup. Turns out the pick up was the best option and we joined about 6 others in their tipico clothing all catching a ride to Santiago. ( Riding a pickup is a routine form of transportation here. Men make some of their living driving back and forth between towns; their trucks having a bar that runs down the middle of the pick up bed for people to hang on to as the truck whizzes around the winding highways at 60 - 80 km/hr). We tapped the truck roof twice as we got close to our desired drop off point. The truck stopped, we hopped out and walked to the driver's side to find out how many Q he wanted for the trip. With that sorted out, we walked to our hotel in the jungle (Paul's Posada I mentioned earlier)

I had to make it over to Panajachel so I quickly repacked my bags so I could carry everything and took a tuc- tuc ( a three wheeled vehicle with a driver in front and room for up to three people or two people and bags of groceries or one person and a very large backpack) to the launcha site.

Here I heard the now familiar Pana Pana Pana call letting me know there was a boat heading for Pana soon. Now soon is any where from now to 45 minutes from now. I was the first on the boat so I knew it was not now. I had to negotiate my fair. The launcha captains charge different prices depending on whether you are tourist or not. I have learned that if I tell them I am a volunteer I can get a slightly better rate than the tourists. On this occasion I needed to pay Q25 but I only had a 100 bill. I gave him my 100 and then enjoyed the process of the other passengers arriving and getting settled. Just before we left one of his helpers handed me my Q75 change. Nice! Of course no life jackets as we headed across the Lake but this particular captain took it easy and so the trip across was smooth.

My day's travel for taxi, autobus, pickup, tuc tuc and launcha cost a total of Q70 including tip! A total of about $11.50. A deal by any standard for that amount of travel.

Once again a great adventure!

Adios par la dia
Colina

Food

Now that is always an interesting topic - and one of particular interest to me as I love to eat and I love to cook!

My memories of my first trip to Guatemala were not full of wonderful food so its been a surprise to have some positive stories to share. I came to Guatemala thinking I was going to lose weight and that did happen the first couple of weeks as I lived in homestays and did not have much of an appetite. But then I moved to Santiago to live with the team and was introduced to food a ala Al and Elaine! They cooked for the team for 2 1/2 weeks and boy did we eat well - all on $25 a week per person budget. Cinnamon buns, chicken stews and fruit salads are some of the most vivid memories. They would send us off each morning with our tummies full of warm porridge covered with some of the very raw brown sugar you can buy here - and we'd come home for lunches of homemade soups and biscuits. All the comforts of home!

When they left there was a big void to fill and with some trepidation I said I was interested in doing some of the cooking; trepidation because I have not even been doing much cooking in my own home let alone cook meals for 15 people three times a day. As it turned out Brenda was also interested so the two of use took on the role for just shy of two weeks with some help from Jo. I loved the opportunity to head off to the market each morning (a twenty minute walk which included a hike up a very steep hill), to explore the market to find the food needed for our menus (food is organized differently in Guatemala so it takes some getting used to), coming home with our treasures, washing all the vegetables and then getting down to food preparation. One of my favourite stories is trying to select avocados for a guacemole. I was hunched over putting them into my lap as I found ones I thought were good. Another shopper, a woman in tipico Mayan dress took one out of my hands and told me that it was not a good one (told me in sign language as I do not speak or understand Tsutjihil) and showed me what was wrong. I then showed her the other ones I had chosen and she vetted them as well. It was one of those moments where language was not important and the smile on her face as I expressed my thanks with a similar smile was memory making.

Another food story I want to share with you is about eating out. We have made three trips to San Juan, a lovely aldea close to Santiago. One the first trip Mary, a young American woman working as a volunteer in the community, introduced us to the Elinora Comidor. It is a lunchtime restaurant that seats about 50 and offers three or four selections each day. The kitchen, which you can see on your way to the sanitarios, is very basic with the standard wood stove which heats the planchas for tortilla making. Lunch is usally rice, a quarter of an avacodo, some other cooked vegetable like whiskele or carrots and grilled or fried chicken - all for Q20 (less than $3). I have loved each of the meals we have shared there.

Last story - about making tortillas. They are a staple of the diet here and when we were working on the stove project we became aware that the planchas they are cooked on are smeared with lime ( we think to reduce rusting) . Of course our Northern experience with lime is in gardening not cooking. We tend to think of lime as caustic so needless to say we were puzzled and concerned. I did some on line research which did not calm my concerns so then contacted one of my colleagues who is a PhD chemist and asked him about the use of lime in cooking. His answer - yes lime can be caustic but when it comes in contact with heat, that property is eliminated and in fact the calcium in the lime is released adding calcium to the diet. Something important for people who are living below the poverty line and especially for children and women nursing.

But the story does not end there. I was visiting at Andasa, a cooperative which began to support women who lost their husbands in the mud slide associated with Hurrican Stan. Juan who is one of the leaders lives at the headquarters in Panabaj and I had a chance to talk to him and his wife about tortilla preparation. The women buy maiz (a large hard corn kernal) and put a couple of cups of it in a pot with water to cover it and them a small pinch of lime. They boil the maiz for 20 - 30 minutes and then wash away all the liquid (the lime helps the maiz soften). Then they take the cooked corn to a shop with a machine that grinds the corn into a very thick paste the consistency of a thick cookie dough. The paste is put into a small plastic bowl and brought home ( remember every one here walks) and small globs, about 2 inches in diameter are then patted back and forth by hand to a four inch diameter cirle that is put on the plancha to cook. The patting of the tortillas is one of those sounds I will always associate with Guatemala.

And as I close this blog I am off to make myself a big fruit salad.

Adios, Colina

Safety

One of the issues I have been thinking about in the past few weeks is the differences around safety and security in Canada and in Guatemala. The the issue is one that I have considered in the context of being in the developing world where safety takes on different meanings.

Let me share some examples. This morning we took a launcha, a small outboard powered boat, across Lago Atitlan. One each of the three trips there were no lifejackets in the boat and this is typical of all launchas on the Lake. It would be unheard in Canada to be in a boat without enough lifejackets for each person. We have been travelling to and from Chacaya, the aldea we have been working in, by pickup. What that means is we all stand, or some times sit on the wheel well, for the 20 minute trip out to the village. Unheard of in Canada.

The whole food growing and distribution network is another remarkable process. Any fruit or vegetable needs to be washed in solution to remove harmful bacteria, all water consumed is bottled and you have to consider carefully eating anything off the street.

And personal security is also an issue to be paid attention to, much like it is in Canada. Going out at night is something that I do only in certain parts of town. One keeps one personal belongs close at hand in large public environments but at the same time the people are tremendously honest. We were stunned by how the kids would return scissors or pencils handed out in classes even though they have so little in the way of school supplies. There are roads you just do not travel any time of the day or night in the same way there are parts of town we avoid in our own towns and cities.

It is clearly not as clean in part because water is an issue but also because there is less money available to build the infrastructures needed. But that does not stop people from being just as clean as those of us who have the money to access the hot water showers and have people who take away the garbage.

In the end alot of it is what you get used to, what you have time and financial resources to deal with and what you are willing and able to put up with. As I come closer to this adventure ending more and more I think its all about adjustment, assessing risk and deciding when it is worth taking.

And on that note, it is time for me to take myself home by flashlight.

Buenos noche
Colina

Why not just donate?

My budget for this three month project including travel, accommodation, food, language school, my donation to the projects and a little spending money is $4000. This amount of money in Guatemala is the annual income for two families living in poverty in aldeas like Chacaya and Panabaj. And these are families with two parents, 3 – 6 children who might also be supporting one or more grandparents.

One of the questions I have been asking myself is, would I have been better to donate the $4000 to an organization already on the ground? (Sharing the Dream or Mayan Families come to mind). Of course on a purely selfish level the answer is easy. The opportunity to live and volunteer in Guatemala is an amazing gift. As well, the many opportunities I have had to meet and build relationships with people from the aldeas as well as people volunteering and working here from other countries has been enriching for me.

But what about the bigger picture – when it is not about me but about helping build a more just society; a society where all have an opportunity to live a life which offers them safety, food and potable water, shelter and time to learn and have some fun?

Early in this blog I referred to Jean Vanier’s Massey lecture entitled Becoming Human. As I was pondering this question I read a couple of passages in the second chapter that speak to the issue. He asks “Where does the broader sense of belonging come from?” And then answers, “I believe it begins with human contact, with friendship, and as we listen to each other’s stories. We are all particularly touched when someone from another culture treats us kindly, even though we are not a member of their group, or when they reveal an inner pain, weakness, and difficulties. Friendships grow between people of different backgrounds and cultures because they meet as persons, not because they share a common heritage. Such friendships grow because we all belong to the larger group of all, the human race.”

And so there is an answer to my question. I think about the kids whose tummies I tickled as they waited to see the dentist, the woman shopping at the market who showed me through sign language and a big smile how to choose the best avocadoes, or the two brothers whose stories of how they survived through the war in the 80’s. These contacts have changed me; and perhaps them. I have the opportunity to come home, to talk to family, colleagues, friends and students about what I have seen and learned. And in the context of Vanier’s message, perhaps it is there that I can add value, understanding, perspective for others. People who will consider international development work, who will donate money to organizations doing international development work or perhaps who will live, volunteer or work with people from other cultures.

As I try to understand more how I can participate in making our world a more just place, I am coming to understand, as in international education work, relationship is critical to international development work. And it is through practice I am learning to build relationships across cultures, across languages and across values.

As I approach the last five weeks of this adventure I look forward to creating and grabbing opportunities to touch and be touched by others.

Adios
Colina

Stretching

Last night our team met after dinner to prepare for the five day dental clinic. The clinic will be offered in the aldea (village) of Chacaya at their medical clinic. This clinic has two examining rooms, one of which is available to us, another small room and an out of doors reception area. Nadine has developed a plan for two operating site and a process to welcome patients to the clinic and funnel them to either the dentist or the dental assistant for their procedures.

Members of the team were asked to sterilize instruments, provide reception services, assist during procedures, clean and sterilize operating sites between procedures and keep the kids entertained while they wait. Other than the dentist and dental assistant, no one on the team has skill, training or experience working a dental clinic. Hence the stretching as we learn new skills and information to support the clinic.

And the concept of stretching is becoming an on the ground metaphor for me as I think about working in international development. We arrive into a particular situation with the skills, knowedge and attitudes we have built in our very development Western experience. And then we begin to understand what needs to happen. Then with our own, or others insights we see how we can help. Many times that means adapting the skills, attitudes and knoweldge we have to suit the needs of the project.

Let me share with you some of the things I have done in the almost six weeks I have been here that I would not have thought I might be doing. Translating from Spanish into English thank you letters from kids to their donors; shopping in local food markets where I have to use Spanish to tell the vendors what I want, cooking for 12, washing my sheets on a concrete scrub board and teaching a group of Mayan speakers how to brush their teeth! It will be interesting to see what the other six weeks brings!

With a smile on my face, I wish you Buen dia!
Colina

Group Living

Its been alot of years since I have lived with a large group of people! I had not given the reality of group life much thought beyond wondering about finding time for myself, and I have been pleasantly surprised at the experience.

We are living in luxury by Guatemalan standards, a beautiful estate called Vista Dorado which overlooks the bay around which Santiago is built. We have hot !!! and cold running water and live in two homes on the property. Six people in one and five in the other. Two of our team members have been the cooks, really the chefs as the food has been wonderful. I had thought I would lose weight here but so far that is not the case. ( Just so you all don´t think all is sweetness and light we do all our own laundry by hand and hang it to dry. And there is no drinking the water so I have to stay conscious even in the middle of the night not to inadvertantly put some nasty bugs into my system).

I share room and bathroom with two other women both in their twenties. We have come to an easy partnership in terms of space and daily routine. It helps I think that every one is here by choice and is focused on having a good experience and in making a difference for the kids and community in Chacaya.

I am the only member of the team who does not belong to the church which sponsored this mission. I was also a bit concerned that my lack of adherence to the faith of the group might be a deterent to feeling part of the group but that has certainly not been the case. The other members are understanding that I do not subscribe to their faith and I work hard to ensure I am respectful of their practices.

Religion aside we all have a strong value in social justice which is the tie that binds us together. We are seeing the fruits of our labours as kids excitedly brush their teeth, as the stoves the mission has sponsored are constructed and as the the way of offering and providing help evolved based on the relationships the mission team is building with other non profits providing service in the community.

More team members arrive in the coming days and with that the group dynamics will change but the mission is near and end and we have lot of work to do in this last 10 days. I expect at the group forms and reforms we will all be so busy getting the jobs done that the time will be gone before we know it.

Adios para hoy

Colina ( my Spanish name as Colleen is much too difficult to pronounce)

Adjusting

I haven’t had a cold in at least five years – and the one I have now is making up for all those years. I have almost lost my voice and have used up at least two rolls of toilet paper to catch the drips! I am sure it will be better in a few days but what a drag not feeling 100%.

I am typing this message while looking out of Lago Atitlan, or at least the bay around which the town of Santiago is built. The wind, so normal for each afternoon, is helping the laundry dry. Several of us took our clothes to the only laundaria in town but the clothes come back with so much soap still in the fabric that everything needed to be rinsed so we do our laundry by hand.

We finished teaching lessons at both schools yesterday and today. In retrospect I am fairly convinced that another time I would be asking what help we might provide in or for the schools rather than to tell them we had lessons in to teach. I have been impressed with the level of knowledge the teachers are sharing with the kids in the classes and am even more convinced they do not need our help with curriculum content.

I had the opportunity to attend a meeting a few days ago among a group of NGOs all providing service in one community. One of the NGOs talked about using the relationship model to identify what services they would offer. By this they meant they asked the organizations what services they needed and then through a fair trade of produce, which is sold in the US, they fund the services needed. I like the model a lot because it means the people receiving the services are not receiving charity but are in fact earning the services.

This is actually similar to the stove portion of our work here. The stoves are designed to minimize use of wood and at the same time also to maximize the cooking surface available. The design also forces all the smoke to the far end of the fire box and up the chimney minimizing the amount of smoke the women inhale while cooking. Last year this team installed three of these stoves and they families are very pleased with them. This year an additional three stoves are being installed and the men of the families who received the stoves last year will teach the men of this year’s recipients how to build the stoves.

There is a major school soccer tournament for the next seven days and everything, and I do mean everything, center around the tournament and what teams make it through the various rounds. Soccer is serious business here – for both the boys and the girls.

Adios til next time,

Why am I here?

I am sitting on a patio at Paul's Pasoda (www.paulsposada.com), visiting with Paul and several of his guests. What is unusual about Paul's is that it is in the jungle - about a five minute walk down a path lined by coffee bushes ripe with cherries ( beans ready to be picked) AND the posada has wireless access! One of many many surprises here. The mix of technology and traditional practices is fascinating and very much what I have seen in China.

I was just asked why am I here - for pleasure, for business or for work. And I answered all three! For someone who is a type A+ when it comes to work this adventure is a perfect opportunity to build some balance into my life. I find I am still "working" 6 - 8 hours each day including the teaching and planning of lessons but I am learning to find time to read a good book, visit with the many ( and I do mean many) random people I have met travelling as well as find time to research and think about the writing I want to do.

Now that I am 25% into my time away I find there is a pace to life which is appealing. I am still making lists but am learning to live "manana"; being ok with getting done what is possible each day. Today for example is research; exploring how the human body responds to the consumption of lime ( the women put a lime/water mixture on their tortilla cooking surfaces to prevent the tortillas from sticking), finding out if I need to take malarial meds if I visit Copan and checking out what institutions offer TESL or TEFL instrucion on line.

The opportunity to be in the classroom, even when I barely can make myself understood by the kids, is a thrill. The teachers who have opened their classrooms to us have been most gracious and the kids are having fun with teaching me a few words in Spanish. I am entralled with how excited the kids are to see us ( ok it might just be that we provide a great diversion and some time away from the routine) and it is pleasing to have them seek us out to ask our names and learn a little ab0ut us. We are all so curious about each other.

We have been having a discussion about the poverty we see and live in on a daily basis and how in some ways we are almost anesthetized to it. We've been talking about our reactions and wondering why we do not feel sad or overwhelmed by what we are seeing and experiencing. I am wondering if part of it might be that I have to shut myself off from the impact of it so I can survive and do what I came to do. I also wonder if it has to do with feeling like we are doing something. And it could be part of the process of culture shock I guess. Need to think more about it. If you have thoughts or ideas, please let me know.

Hasta luego

Chacaya Lower School Day 1

Chacaya is located across the bay from Santiago Atitlan. It is an aldea ( village ) of about 11,000 people; 320 of whom attend grade school at Chacaya Lower School. The team I am working with has been at this school for two years now and so our arrival was expected. The kids were excited to see us; I suspect because they knew the day would be different. Of course, their new desks had arrived over the weekend so that was a special treat. Gone were the old benches and tables; worn soft with the oil of many young hands. In are the new desks with a small shelf underneath for their books. Pretty cool stuff.

I was having real trouble understanding how we were going to teach lessons to kids who speak Tsuchay'hel ( spelling may be off), a Mayan dialect as their first language and some speak Spanish. We solved the problem with a couple of different strategies. Firstly we have two team members who have enough Spanish to be able to give the kids some basic information in Spanish - the teachers with kids who only speak the Mayan dialect could then translate. Secondly, we developed lesson plans in Spanish which we shared with the teachers so they were able to take the lead and we were able to provide the teacher's aid support and to do the activities. Lots of fun for all.

The team comes with lessons ( in this case Nutrition/Health and Bible) as well as funds for items needed for the schools; eg a stove for meal preparation, addition of a wall for safety. I would be interested in figuring out if the lessons and funds are equitably valued or if the lessons are a means to an end. The team is is also providing a dental clinic something I know is of value for the children and their parents. Some of the kids were already lining up to show our dental expert the attention they had been paying to their teeth over the last year.

The teachers and principal were most welcoming and were real troopers about our invading their classrooms. I keep wondering how I would feel as a professional teacher if a group of people arrived and took over my classroom. Day one seems to be full of grace and generosity on all parts. I have to say it was heartenening to see the kids get in to washing their hands in a very serious way!

The health issues in the community are profound; dental, lack of water, lack of work and money, diets not balanced and health issues related potable water when there is running water. Poverty is at the core - 29% of Guatemalans live below their poverty line.

Having say that, I was impressed and a bit surprised by the dress and the cleanliness of the kids; especially the older ones. Kids are responsible for their own care at an early age and it seems the older kids are taking the time to manage their personal hygiene. Much more difficult for the little ones who have less ability and training around personal care.

We do it all again tomorrow at Chacaya Upper School. I will need a good night's sleep.

One comment about dealing with culture shock - the advice I so often give students ( based on reading and research) is get involved; volunteer, play sports, make friends. The advice is faultless!

Hasta luego,

Santiago East

I write this entry from Paul's porch. Paul's is a tiny hotel in the woods about 5 minutes from our house. The hotel has wireless internet and so here I sit listening to Paul and his souschef plan their evening meal! Who would have thought?

I have now moved into our rented accommodation in Santiago. This morning we finished washing all the dishes for the second house, washed all the floors as well as did a detailed clearning of the second house. I made spagetti sauce so when the team arrives we can provide them with a nice meal - we even found some mozeralla cheese!

The new challenge, along within the waves of culture shock, is the learning to live in a communal environment. Its been more than 30 years since I have lived in a group house. I was reminded this morning about how challenges there are; many of which can be managed by staying a bit more alert than when living alone or with one person. More on this in the coming weeks.

Living in a warm climate is very pleasing; I was able to do my exercises on the lawn in the sun this morning and the floors all dried in a few minutes with the warm wind coming off the Lake.

Yesterday we had an opportunity to see the location of one of the most terrible mud slides from Hurrican Stan. Many people lost their lives when the slide came through the village of Panabaj and because the river bed was already full of mud, the second slide just filled people's homes. How can one make sense of walking by the mud filled homes knowing there are people entombed in the mud. I am still trying to sort this out.

Saturday is a team meeting to prepare for a full week of nutrition lesses. We will teach three classes each day for about 50 students in each group; three days at one school and two at the other.

I wonder how useful I can be with so little Spanish?

Hasta Luego

Santiago bound

Two weeks of Spanish school under my belt! My skills are still pretty weak but what is really interesting is that I seem to be better at the speaking than at the listening. I have connected with a woman from Washington state who has been studying Spanish in Guatemala annually for five years and she has encouraged me to really get myself into situations where I can connect with the sound of the language. I really enjoy listening to it so that sounds like great advice to me. Of course I have huge challenges with adding to my vocabulary and to dealing a language that might just have more verb conjugations than words!

One of the most interesting parts of learning and living in a new language is how often I have felt silenced because I have no words to say want I want to say - regardless of whether its in a store, at my homestay or a passing conversation on the street. I am working hard a learning some of the normal sayings so that I can feel a little more connected! Esta bien is the latest meaning thats alright, its ok, its good.

I have just spend that last couple of hours hunting and gathering; seeds for a gardening project, granolo bars for one of our team members and freshly ground coffee for the house. For someone who does not drink coffee the aroma is almost irresitable!

I leave for Santiago on a launcha about 10:30 tomorrow morning. I say ´about´ because very little in Guatemala is en punto ( on the dot ) and that works just fine for me. I leave Pana with strong possibilities I will return for a month of volunteer work after the 5 week project in Santiago. There are a large number of agencies working in the area and Mayan Families appears to be doing some of the work I could help with - supporting a new teacher in a preschool and helping some of there staff develop some conversational English. I might even be able to find an apartment to live in for that month. An interesting option for consideration.

Hastla Luego

Weekend update

Hola

It was a weekend of lots of ups and downs. I have learned the works for culture shock in Spanish and have had a full bout of it this weekend. Lots of tears and retreats to my room to sleep and read. My family in Canada ( thank goodness for the cell phone I bought) has been great encouraging me to get out of that headspace and for the most part I seem to have done that - at least for this round. I have also been encouraged to lighten up a bit and tell you about some of the interesting things I have been doing.

The big adventure last week was traveling by pickup partway up the mountain to San Gorge where I walked with a few other students and teachers along a ridge on a path that was way narrow for my liking. The reward for doing this was some absolutely breathtaking vistas of Lago Atitlan! When we climbed down from the rock and back on to the path I breathed a sigh of relief knowing we were on our way back. Wrong! We then proceded down what I can only call goat path to a cave where Mayan rituals are practiced. There was no rituals going on but lots of candles burning and evidence of fires where we are told chickens had been sacrificed. I have some photos and will try to post then in the coming days. Needless to say I was VERY happy to get back on the WIDE path and on to a bus to come back to Pana.

The other interesting happening was I taught a Study Skills class for a group of Grade 5 - 9 students at Life School ( you can google it). Yes the class was in English and I had a lot of fun talking with them about plagarisim ( likely spelled wrong as the computer always corrects me). That was for their teacher who was concerned about them copying and pasting from the internet. I spent about 45 minutes talking to them about how our memory works, the same seminar I usually give at NIC orientations. I had never shared the information with a group of kids this age - and they ate it up. Lots of fun and a great reminder about how much I love to teach. This opportunity came from a visit I had with the teacher at a local coffee shop!

I also uncovered some interesting voluteer and living opportunities for the month of April and left that meeting with a batch of thank you letters to translate from Spanish to English! Who knew I would be a translator.

Time for dinner - back in a few days.

Best, Colleen

Open to new learning

One of my goals in this adventure is to understand what happens to independent travellers or volunteers when they are away from their home culture for an extended period of time. Now in the world of international development and international work, three months is not much. But for me it seems like a very long time to be away from the people are care most about. Hence even three months presents its challenges.

One of the books I brought with me is Becoming Human, the 1998 Massey lecture given by Jean Vanier. I knew it was going to be an interesting read but I was amazed when I read this passage

¨Too much security and the refusal to evolve, to embrace change, leads to a kind of death. Too much insecurity, however, too much insecurity can also mean death. To be human is to create sufficient order so that we can move on into insecurity and seeming disorder. In this way we discover the new.¨

For those of you who know me well, this quote seem very relevant as I am one who finds security in plans and structure and I have opened myself up to three months with significantly less structure than I normally have. In the comng entries I will attempt to reflect on how I am learning from this. I also want to begin to think about what the balance of security/insecurity is for me.

Mi idioma estoy poco a poco.

Hasta luego, Colleen

One week in

As I begin my second week, I am reflecting on the poverty that I have seen. According to CIDA 29% of Guamaltecans live below the poverty line. Even in the tourist haven of Pana the poverty is in your face if you care to open your eyes and it is profound. People make do with very very little; wood stoves outside with a pila to wash their clothes. Perhaps a room for the bed and a kitchen that most likely would not have a refrigerator or even running water. And everything is so hard to keep clean - not because people do not want clean or because they are not clean but because of the costs of the amenities that allow things to be kept clean.

I had a chance to listen to a Mom of four, with tears in her eyes, as she talked about the education she so desperately wants and can not afford. The costs - only about $70 per month for tuition and then books, uniform and computer access in addition. It seems incredible to me that in our world of plenty in the North this can be real. Its complicated of course as there are kids, and internet access and all the realities of a home and parents in school and then finding work once the programs is completed.

I have also heard lots about how aid for some has become a path to a victim mentality. This only points to how important it is that what aid is provided provides for receipt in a frame of self repect, self reliance and collaboration!

Lots of sobering realities. Hasta luego, Colleen

Panajachel Day 3

Pana as it is known is full of the hustle and bustle of a small town. Highly dependant on the tourist trade, the town is smiling now that the viento ( windy ) weather has gone and the sun is warming the buildings and the streets.

I moved into homestay a couple of days ago - what a mix of emotions as I was shown how to use the key to open and lock the door, how the shower worked and told - in Spanish - what time meals would be served. I was nervous, excited when I understood that dinner was at seven ( siete ) and worried when I looked at the shower and was not really sure how it would work!

It´s humbling to realize how important language is and how unskilled I feel when I do not understand what is being said. My first lesson was the alphabet. I learned how to say the names of the letters in Spanish, some words which begin with each letter and a few idioms. While my teacher, Obed, has some English skills, he only speaks to me in Spanish. I am confused lots of the time. I am working hard to jump in and ask questions as best I can with my limited vocabulary. My dictionary is VERY important!

I am truly enjoying the opportunities I am given to learn about doing development work as I participate in conversations with a number of different groups providing humanitarian aid. Lots of questions come up about how to work respectfully and effectively with peoples who have had access to a number of different aid services; with people whose language is not English or Spanish which means that translation must happen twice and where the poverty is significant.

And I have a cell phone. My first. Given how much I travel for work and do not use a cell phone it is a treat to be able to call home every few days. The calls to Canada are very inexpensive and offer my family - and me - comfort in knowing how each other is doing.

,Til next time, Colleen

Vancouver bound

My bags are packed. I'm ready to go! Sounds like the first couple of lines of a song.

Yesterday I felt like a yoyo - excited to get going and incredibly sad about saying goodbye to Mark for three months! It is the same feeling I have every time I leave to travel internationally but, three months is such a longer commitment!

This morning it cinched up my napsack, (which seems way too heavy) and prepared to say goodbye to the Comox Valley. It as seems a bit surreal given that we are driving into the City together, will stop a Mudsharks for coffee and talk of everyday things as we drive.

One week to departure

This morning I awoke at 4 am! Birthdays to be remembered, documents to be completed, last minute purchases for our volunteer work.

Discussions with colleagues and friends about this adventure are interesting - some focus on the language issue, others on safety, others on the pleasure of being in a new place and space. All provide good wishes and I have been tucking them into my heart for the days - and nights - when I need them.

Getting ready

Sunday January 25th

With 10 days til departure I am a bundle of emotions; exciting, trepidation and curiosity. The support for this adventure from family and friends has been tremendous. The cautions about not taking on too much and being flexible to see new opportunities appreciated.

With goals to understand the realities, mostly at a heart and gut level, of a longer term sojourn I am already aware of the huge amount of work needed to prepare to be away for three months. What should I take with me, what will not come home, how to I ensure my family is supported, how do I ensure I am supported, am I leaving issues at work unattended, what medical issues can I anticipate and plan for and on the list goes.

I am hoping to blog on a weekly basis providing you with some insights more into how I am feeling and what I am experiencing rather than what I am doing.

Your reflections will be welcome reading.

Best, Colleen