First here is a little something to again extrapolate on the different beliefs that are held down here.
So when I was talking to my mom on the phone a while back, there was a cat wailing quite loudly. A few minutes later after first hearing it, all the children and mom from the house came outside in a big ruckus to where I was sitting saying that this cat was a bad, evil cat. Without even thinking twice, they lit off firecrackers to scare the cat. They later explained to me that the cats that wail like this are evil and sent by the devil. They told me that they can sound like a baby crying or laughing and can attack people. I asked them how they know the difference between good and evil cats, but only said the way to tell was by its wailing.
On another note the next night, I made no-bake cookies, which is perfect since there is not stove here. It was a huge success which makes it 3 in a row – Spaghetti, peanut butter cookies, and now the no-bake cookies.
So when I was talking to my mom on the phone a while back, there was a cat wailing quite loudly. A few minutes later after first hearing it, all the children and mom from the house came outside in a big ruckus to where I was sitting saying that this cat was a bad, evil cat. Without even thinking twice, they lit off firecrackers to scare the cat. They later explained to me that the cats that wail like this are evil and sent by the devil. They told me that they can sound like a baby crying or laughing and can attack people. I asked them how they know the difference between good and evil cats, but only said the way to tell was by its wailing.
On another note the next night, I made no-bake cookies, which is perfect since there is not stove here. It was a huge success which makes it 3 in a row – Spaghetti, peanut butter cookies, and now the no-bake cookies.
OK, to catch you up on what I have been doing, it can basically be summed up with the title.
This last weekend I finished 3 days of meetings with the NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) through which I will be working and by which will be supported while in my aldea. This agency will have people who are working in and around San Carlos Alzatate. I know they will be a good resource along with the Peace Corps for support and knowledge of things I don’t know.
The first day of the meeting started a hard day. I began with a hot shower and a casual stroll to the agency office where I arrived 7 minutes prior to when I was told to arrive, 8:00am. When I got there though, I found that everyone had already left for the meeting which was being held in a different place the next town over. The secretary told me how to get there and I spent the next 45 minutes walking and searching for the place which was on a street after a gasoline station called “Shelly” which I later realized was a “Shell” station. When I asked the president if I had misinterpreted the time that I was to arrive, he said “No, you heard right. I just wanted to leave earlier at 7:45. I am a punctual person.” Needless to say, I was not very happy with him through the day and thought of how punctuality did not mean leaving or arriving sporadically early. But I am complaining of little things and really it was not that bad. Every boss has his quirks and every culture has its differences too. This will just have to be something I will remember for coming meetings.
Unfortunately the rest of the day proved to be frustrating on a different level. From 9am-7pm, I was lectured on the current and historical aspects of politics, the society, and the economy of Guatemala. Normally, this would be something I would enjoy, but among other things, there was a horrible echo in the room preventing me from understanding half of what was being said. It just seemed to continue on forever and there was hardly any audience interaction.
Thankfully though, the next 2 days would be much better, not shorter, but ones in which were more comprehensible, dynamic, and not filled with aggravations by the president of the organization. Also this center where we had the meeting was built for Carmelites as a special area for occasions like retreats. I got to meet the staff there and by the last day one of the workers invited me to his family’s house which was nearby where I live and also the cooks and I had made plans to make a pizza during my next visit to the area.
Really, though, I was craving a pizza, a really good pizza, something home-made and was craving it so much that I could not wait and convinced my previous host family in San Bartolome (I stayed with them while going to the meetings) that we should cook pizzas for lunch on Saturday. After having my spaghetti, they were all for trying something else new. (There are places like Dominos or Pizza Hut, but we all know that this does not compare to the home-made pizza) I spent Friday evening preparing the sauce from scratch (tomatoes, basil, oregano, onions, garlic) and Saturday I prepared the dough. It was really exciting because it was the first time I had worked with something that was supposed to rise – and it did too. We made about 7 differently-sized pizzas and all turned out a little different (I was experimenting with the crust and toppings) and all turned out really well. Nothing burned, all was edible, and the taste was great. Furthermore, my pizza desires were quenched with this oh so sweet taste of Italian food. For my first time ever cooking any kind of pizza, I was really proud of myself. My host family asked my several times how many times I had done this in the past. I just never… I had only watched my mom and someone else do it in the past.
After the weekend, I got the honor on the 14th of January to meet with the World Director of Peace Corps at an informal dinner. I found out I was 1 of a few people (there were about 10 people in all there) who got invited of the 180 current volunteers in Guatemala. It was pretty much luck I think in getting invited. It was also very lucky that the Director decided to visit Guatemala. This guy was a former Peace Corps volunteer in the 60´s so I felt like he could really understand how to run this organization and could understand the needs of us volunteers. Even though he knew all the congressmen and president and meets regularly with other foreign powers in other countries, he said that meeting with volunteers was truly the most important thing he does. Whether it was politics speak or not, it sure made me feel good. Plus, I am sure the really nice dinner made me feel good too.
This last weekend I finished 3 days of meetings with the NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) through which I will be working and by which will be supported while in my aldea. This agency will have people who are working in and around San Carlos Alzatate. I know they will be a good resource along with the Peace Corps for support and knowledge of things I don’t know.
The first day of the meeting started a hard day. I began with a hot shower and a casual stroll to the agency office where I arrived 7 minutes prior to when I was told to arrive, 8:00am. When I got there though, I found that everyone had already left for the meeting which was being held in a different place the next town over. The secretary told me how to get there and I spent the next 45 minutes walking and searching for the place which was on a street after a gasoline station called “Shelly” which I later realized was a “Shell” station. When I asked the president if I had misinterpreted the time that I was to arrive, he said “No, you heard right. I just wanted to leave earlier at 7:45. I am a punctual person.” Needless to say, I was not very happy with him through the day and thought of how punctuality did not mean leaving or arriving sporadically early. But I am complaining of little things and really it was not that bad. Every boss has his quirks and every culture has its differences too. This will just have to be something I will remember for coming meetings.
Unfortunately the rest of the day proved to be frustrating on a different level. From 9am-7pm, I was lectured on the current and historical aspects of politics, the society, and the economy of Guatemala. Normally, this would be something I would enjoy, but among other things, there was a horrible echo in the room preventing me from understanding half of what was being said. It just seemed to continue on forever and there was hardly any audience interaction.
Thankfully though, the next 2 days would be much better, not shorter, but ones in which were more comprehensible, dynamic, and not filled with aggravations by the president of the organization. Also this center where we had the meeting was built for Carmelites as a special area for occasions like retreats. I got to meet the staff there and by the last day one of the workers invited me to his family’s house which was nearby where I live and also the cooks and I had made plans to make a pizza during my next visit to the area.
Really, though, I was craving a pizza, a really good pizza, something home-made and was craving it so much that I could not wait and convinced my previous host family in San Bartolome (I stayed with them while going to the meetings) that we should cook pizzas for lunch on Saturday. After having my spaghetti, they were all for trying something else new. (There are places like Dominos or Pizza Hut, but we all know that this does not compare to the home-made pizza) I spent Friday evening preparing the sauce from scratch (tomatoes, basil, oregano, onions, garlic) and Saturday I prepared the dough. It was really exciting because it was the first time I had worked with something that was supposed to rise – and it did too. We made about 7 differently-sized pizzas and all turned out a little different (I was experimenting with the crust and toppings) and all turned out really well. Nothing burned, all was edible, and the taste was great. Furthermore, my pizza desires were quenched with this oh so sweet taste of Italian food. For my first time ever cooking any kind of pizza, I was really proud of myself. My host family asked my several times how many times I had done this in the past. I just never… I had only watched my mom and someone else do it in the past.
After the weekend, I got the honor on the 14th of January to meet with the World Director of Peace Corps at an informal dinner. I found out I was 1 of a few people (there were about 10 people in all there) who got invited of the 180 current volunteers in Guatemala. It was pretty much luck I think in getting invited. It was also very lucky that the Director decided to visit Guatemala. This guy was a former Peace Corps volunteer in the 60´s so I felt like he could really understand how to run this organization and could understand the needs of us volunteers. Even though he knew all the congressmen and president and meets regularly with other foreign powers in other countries, he said that meeting with volunteers was truly the most important thing he does. Whether it was politics speak or not, it sure made me feel good. Plus, I am sure the really nice dinner made me feel good too.
And finally after meeting with the world director, I was had regional meetings in San Carlos with the same NGO to plan for the year what we were going to do.
Oh, I also wanted to say thank you so much for all the packages that have come and filled my room. I was overwhelmed by all the food that I got and think it is safe to say that I will have a taste of home until my brother visits me in late February or probably even after that. Your over generosity made me feel quite special and you have put a huge smile on my face as well as many other kids who are benefiting from my windfall.
Lesson #2 -- Machismo
Machismo is something I see down here in which roles of women and men can be rigidly defined and men are perceived to be the superior, dominating gender. I’ll do my best to explain it by giving some examples of which I have seen or heard.
Example #1
I was talking with a woman about her interests and wishes for the coming year in terms of what projects she might want to do and about the problems she had this past year with things like gardens, chickens, hygiene and nutrition of the family, and family organization. When talking about family organization, which deals with things like making sure that there is more equality in the jobs of the wife and husband, the woman mentioned that she wished her husband would give her support in the projects she wanted to do. I did not realize the extent of her situation until I asked her about planting a vegetable garden. She told me “My husband won’t let me. If I do something that my husband told me not to do, I get hit and punished. Even if I don’t have dinner ready for him the moment he arrives from working in the fields, he hits and punishes me.” Now I don’t know the exact kind of abuse that she takes, but hearing that left me overwhelmed. When I asked her if he was always like this, such as when they first met, she told me that it was standard for to not show the true character of someone until after marriage.
Example #2
The wife of the family with whom I am living had been having some bad pains which she described as coming from her uterine tract. She was in pain, was worried, and wanted to have someone exam her to see what the problem was, such as if there was a tumor or other growth causing the pain. The husband, though, said no and did not give her permission to go. She told me this crying. I am not sure if she ever went to see a doctor.
Example #3
In general here in the rural part of the “Oriente” (the east), the man does the “work” or has the job in which he is generally working in the fields growing crops like coffee or beans or corn. The wife is in charge of all the things dealing with the home. She along with the other daughters of the house:
- Gather, carry, and chop firewood
- Prepare all meals
- Take care of all the children
- Clean the entire house
- Do all the laundry (There is no washing machine down here)
- Take care of the animals like the pigs or chickens
- Tend the gardens if allowed
- Do all the dishes
- Wake up first to start the chores and generally go to bed last
- Carry heavy things usually on their heads (women carry heavy things more often than men)
When the husband is home, he is waited upon and can relax. Only when there is nothing to do can the wife and her daughters relax. The roles are so engrained that women can be feel uncomfortable or wont permit even me to do things like wash dishes or my clothes or even take my dishes from the table to the pila (which is an outdoor sink and the only sink at that). I am always told “Please just leave it.” or “No, don’t do that. I can do that.” or “Please let me do that.” Right now, I just trying to do these little things like take care of my dishes, clean my room, wash some of my clothes (which let me tell you is hard work and definitely hurts the hands from scrubbing on cement) and being appreciative when something is done for me or asking for when I can help with something. I know that though I probably have a long way to go though and know that I do not either demonstrate a model of equality either.
Bigger question that will be racking my brain while living here will be:
- Can I help in this area and if so what can I do?
- Or should I even try to involve myself with this and focus only on my specific program in improving the nutrition of the family?
Just in my short time here and personally meeting with women, 5 women have shared with me their personal stories of being beaten by husbands or brothers and being worked to the point of exhaustion and sickness. It hurts me so much to hear these stories but all that I know that I can do right now is listen.
Example #1
I was talking with a woman about her interests and wishes for the coming year in terms of what projects she might want to do and about the problems she had this past year with things like gardens, chickens, hygiene and nutrition of the family, and family organization. When talking about family organization, which deals with things like making sure that there is more equality in the jobs of the wife and husband, the woman mentioned that she wished her husband would give her support in the projects she wanted to do. I did not realize the extent of her situation until I asked her about planting a vegetable garden. She told me “My husband won’t let me. If I do something that my husband told me not to do, I get hit and punished. Even if I don’t have dinner ready for him the moment he arrives from working in the fields, he hits and punishes me.” Now I don’t know the exact kind of abuse that she takes, but hearing that left me overwhelmed. When I asked her if he was always like this, such as when they first met, she told me that it was standard for to not show the true character of someone until after marriage.
Example #2
The wife of the family with whom I am living had been having some bad pains which she described as coming from her uterine tract. She was in pain, was worried, and wanted to have someone exam her to see what the problem was, such as if there was a tumor or other growth causing the pain. The husband, though, said no and did not give her permission to go. She told me this crying. I am not sure if she ever went to see a doctor.
Example #3
In general here in the rural part of the “Oriente” (the east), the man does the “work” or has the job in which he is generally working in the fields growing crops like coffee or beans or corn. The wife is in charge of all the things dealing with the home. She along with the other daughters of the house:
- Gather, carry, and chop firewood
- Prepare all meals
- Take care of all the children
- Clean the entire house
- Do all the laundry (There is no washing machine down here)
- Take care of the animals like the pigs or chickens
- Tend the gardens if allowed
- Do all the dishes
- Wake up first to start the chores and generally go to bed last
- Carry heavy things usually on their heads (women carry heavy things more often than men)
When the husband is home, he is waited upon and can relax. Only when there is nothing to do can the wife and her daughters relax. The roles are so engrained that women can be feel uncomfortable or wont permit even me to do things like wash dishes or my clothes or even take my dishes from the table to the pila (which is an outdoor sink and the only sink at that). I am always told “Please just leave it.” or “No, don’t do that. I can do that.” or “Please let me do that.” Right now, I just trying to do these little things like take care of my dishes, clean my room, wash some of my clothes (which let me tell you is hard work and definitely hurts the hands from scrubbing on cement) and being appreciative when something is done for me or asking for when I can help with something. I know that though I probably have a long way to go though and know that I do not either demonstrate a model of equality either.
Bigger question that will be racking my brain while living here will be:
- Can I help in this area and if so what can I do?
- Or should I even try to involve myself with this and focus only on my specific program in improving the nutrition of the family?
Just in my short time here and personally meeting with women, 5 women have shared with me their personal stories of being beaten by husbands or brothers and being worked to the point of exhaustion and sickness. It hurts me so much to hear these stories but all that I know that I can do right now is listen.
Here is a picture of me and people of the aldea in which I am living making no-bake cookies. They turned out great as I already mentioned. In the picture you can see them cooling on banana leafs. As you can imagine by the number of people in the picture, the cookies went fast. Oh, I can also tell you that this is the kitchen of the house in which I am living. You cant see it, but in the back toward the left is where the plancha is, which is brick stove we put wood into and then cook things on the metal top. Since there is no oven, the no-bake cookies were the best option for the house. Also in the picture are part of the banana bunches hanging from the rafter. You can only see just parts of them in you look toward the top of the picture. Having bananas in the kitchen in great quantities in a normality which I enjoy.
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