I get pretty excited when I have the chance to run errands for work, especially because I'm the only intern who knows how to drive a manual so I feel proud when I'm asked. Obviously, when someone asked me to drive them from the office to the bank this morning, I consented happily.
As we were getting ready to make a right turn out of the parking lot to head back to the office after our errand, we saw two men walking down the sidewalk towards my car. Walking might be a little generous; stumbling would probably be more accurate. One was leaning very heavily on the other guy's shoulder who was in turn doing his best to hold him up, but both were staggering around and obviously trashed.
To better understand the joy I recieved from encountering two drunk men on the road heading towards me, consider that the more upright guy was waving a white cane around - they were both completely blind. This was confirmed when they didn't stop walking or even slow down as they came closer, but instead slammed into my car and laid there, draped over the driver's side window for a while.
I had no idea what to do because they didn't look like they had any intention of getting up. Finally I started slowly backing up, which apparently signalled to them that they had run into a car, not a bed, causing them to back off my car. I hastily drove off.
I love running errands.
6.15.2009
Weekend in Guate, take 1
Meet three important characters in my weekend:
1. Roscoe the new car.
I've been relying on taxis, buses, Jo and hitchhiking (just kidding on the last one) a lot since I arrived in Guatemala. It's been all fine and dandy, but as an independent woman (ha) it's been a little rough not to be able to go where I want to, when I want to, as fast as I want to.
Enter the nasty blue junker Jenny christened "Roscoe," after her grandfather. (In case any of Jenny's relatives ever stumble across this blog, let me say that the levels of cleanliness and beauty of Car Roscoe have nothing to do with the levels of cleanliness and beauty of Man Roscoe.) He's old, a little shaky, but a great companion as I wander around Guate.
Currently two people from work are teaching us the new route in to the office. Tomorrow we're trying on our own for the first time, so if there aren't any updates on this blog for over a week, you can assume we're still wandering around the back streets of Guatemala in our business casual. Hey, at least that would mean Jenny was still here instead of heading back to Georgia and leaving me all alone.
Well, not all alone. Which brings me to:
2. Karri the new intern.
She arrived this week, she doesn't eat much meat, she laughs a lot and she's a tinge sarcastic. She likes people with a "streak of trouble in their eyes" and I don't think there's much more I can sk for. I'm looking forward to getting to know her better.
We're setting up shop in our new house for the summer. It's beautiful, high-ceilinged, and already christened by its first earthquake with us as occupants. The chandelier above my bed rattled a bit Sunday morning at 8 o'clock and as my bed rocked back and forth, I thought, "Is there a better way to start the day?"
Actually it was a great day, mostly because we spent most of it in:
3. Antigua (the old city)
More a setting than a character, Antigua's charm hasn't faded yet for me. I doubt I'll ever get tired of its ruins, colorful storefronts, volcanoes and comforting American food. Yes, Antigua is a place to escape. But we need that sometimes.
After eating with some friends and walking around a bit, we dropped off a few things at the house where:
4. Jo and her Australian family
are staying this month. I've got to say that although they make me miss my family dearly, it's been fun to be around people of that dynamic. I love my 20-something friends but there's a dynamic when you're hanging around with a family that can't be replicated. This weekend we attended the last shower for Jo, and then on Saturday we went to her civil ceremony.
I can't remember if I've mentioned this on the blog before, but in Guatemala there are essentially two weddings: one smaller simple ceremony performed by a lawyer where only the families of the bride and groom gather to witness them sign the marriage contract. It's actually quite lovely, and feels very much like a real wedding.
That makes it weird, because although the bride and groom are legally married, they're not married "in the eyes of God" until the religious ceremony, usually the following week. That's the real party, with the wedding dress and bridesmaids and many guests. But somehow, even with all that to look forward to, this week feels anticlimactic. I bet you I'll feel differently on Sunday. Wow I cry a lot at weddings these days.
1. Roscoe the new car.
I've been relying on taxis, buses, Jo and hitchhiking (just kidding on the last one) a lot since I arrived in Guatemala. It's been all fine and dandy, but as an independent woman (ha) it's been a little rough not to be able to go where I want to, when I want to, as fast as I want to.
Enter the nasty blue junker Jenny christened "Roscoe," after her grandfather. (In case any of Jenny's relatives ever stumble across this blog, let me say that the levels of cleanliness and beauty of Car Roscoe have nothing to do with the levels of cleanliness and beauty of Man Roscoe.) He's old, a little shaky, but a great companion as I wander around Guate.
Currently two people from work are teaching us the new route in to the office. Tomorrow we're trying on our own for the first time, so if there aren't any updates on this blog for over a week, you can assume we're still wandering around the back streets of Guatemala in our business casual. Hey, at least that would mean Jenny was still here instead of heading back to Georgia and leaving me all alone.
Well, not all alone. Which brings me to:
2. Karri the new intern.
She arrived this week, she doesn't eat much meat, she laughs a lot and she's a tinge sarcastic. She likes people with a "streak of trouble in their eyes" and I don't think there's much more I can sk for. I'm looking forward to getting to know her better.
We're setting up shop in our new house for the summer. It's beautiful, high-ceilinged, and already christened by its first earthquake with us as occupants. The chandelier above my bed rattled a bit Sunday morning at 8 o'clock and as my bed rocked back and forth, I thought, "Is there a better way to start the day?"
Actually it was a great day, mostly because we spent most of it in:
3. Antigua (the old city)
More a setting than a character, Antigua's charm hasn't faded yet for me. I doubt I'll ever get tired of its ruins, colorful storefronts, volcanoes and comforting American food. Yes, Antigua is a place to escape. But we need that sometimes.
After eating with some friends and walking around a bit, we dropped off a few things at the house where:
4. Jo and her Australian family
are staying this month. I've got to say that although they make me miss my family dearly, it's been fun to be around people of that dynamic. I love my 20-something friends but there's a dynamic when you're hanging around with a family that can't be replicated. This weekend we attended the last shower for Jo, and then on Saturday we went to her civil ceremony.
I can't remember if I've mentioned this on the blog before, but in Guatemala there are essentially two weddings: one smaller simple ceremony performed by a lawyer where only the families of the bride and groom gather to witness them sign the marriage contract. It's actually quite lovely, and feels very much like a real wedding.
That makes it weird, because although the bride and groom are legally married, they're not married "in the eyes of God" until the religious ceremony, usually the following week. That's the real party, with the wedding dress and bridesmaids and many guests. But somehow, even with all that to look forward to, this week feels anticlimactic. I bet you I'll feel differently on Sunday. Wow I cry a lot at weddings these days.
6.11.2009
El Salvador
I didn't take this photo, but would have been close enough to take a good one I hadn't forgotten my camera. It wasn't this clear on the day Jenny, Alex and I went to visit Volcan Izalco in El Salvador, but as the clouds surrounding the peak broke for several minutes at a time you could see the volcano it all of its glory.
We went last weekend to visit the parents of one of my dear friends from college. We arrived at the bus station (I was a little sick) to find Diane's mom and her little sister (who reminded me so much of Diane) waiting for us. They were so sweet. Seriously. They took us home, and spent the weekend making sure that we got to see a lot of the country.
Unfortunately Jenny and I were ridiculously sick and couldn't be away from the bathroom for more than 30 minutes, so we didn't really live up to their adventurous expectations. Instead of climbing the volcano, as planned, we climbed up to this abandoned (almost) hotel on a neighboring hill for the view. It was built while the volcano was active to provide a view of the lava and excitment; unfortunately one year before it was finished, the volcano went dormant. Now it looks a bit overrun - more than anything else it looks like it is straight out of Jurassic Park.
From there we went to swim in the Pacific (my stomach allowed me to do that) and back to their house, where we ate pupusas and watched El Salvador beat Mexico in a World Cup qualifying game (so fun). Before the game, there were a lot of people around the city in royal blue El Salvador shirts and medical masks to make fun of Mexico, home of swine flu (by the way, the epidemic is getting a little scary here in Guatemala). There were also cars circling the hotel where the Mexico team was staying all night, blasting music to try to keep the players awake.
The best part of the weekend, though, was meeting Diane's family and getting to know the place she's from. All the pictures around the house, going past her old school, meeting her precious Grandma... it made me miss her dreadfully. I can't wait to see her again.
6.02.2009
Front Porch Cafe
The following NPR story about home has me all excited. I know every voice in the story, and I'm thrilled to think that these familiar voices have been broadcast around the nation today on Morning Edition.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104794481 (click on "Listen Now" and a media player will launch)
Really. I couldn't be happier. A story about home (and one my parents are quite involved in on top of it) and NPR in one place? Heavenly.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104794481 (click on "Listen Now" and a media player will launch)
Really. I couldn't be happier. A story about home (and one my parents are quite involved in on top of it) and NPR in one place? Heavenly.
6.01.2009
Sticky hair and melted chocolate
As you know from my frequent posts about transportation, getting around
The other day I took a bus into work for the first time in a long time and was reminded why I dislike it so much. After being jammed into a bus holding more than twice its capacity, I was feelingreally sick and claustrophobic. I was wedged between three guatemaltecos, all sporting slick gelled hair. As their heads repeatedly hit my arms that were holding on for dear life as we wove in and out of traffic, I became increasingly sticky, sick and disgusted. I’m ashamed to admit this, but as soon as the bus stopped I squeezed my way past the workers, students and grandmas on the bus, got off, and hailed a taxi. How non-hardcore is that.
Thank goodness for don Roberto. This sweet taxi driver met one of my coworkers when she was sick early this year and couldn’t drive, and since that day he has been the unofficial chauffer / friend of all in the office. I love chatting with taxi drivers in general, but don Roberto takes the cake. He always asks about my wedding (he brought Colin and I to the airport when he visited last month and knew about our engagement before Colin did), tells me about his family and teaches me about Guate.
For example, one day last week we left work early because the office was being fumigated (ha, there’s a story – originally scheduled to happen while we were all in the office) and he picked me up to take me back to Boca del Monte, where I live. We were driving down the road I always use to go home when we came upon a line of about twenty taxis parked along the road next to a gate. Don Roberto informed me that they’re there almost every day waiting for a flight containing all the deported Guatemalans from the
Well, the families and taxis waiting there knew, I guess.
Anyway, don Roberto and his friends who he sends when he can’t come pick us up make
In other news, I had the privilege of meeting one of my faithful blog readers this weekend. My roommate’s mom is here to help with the wedding plans – I can hardly believe it’s already time! I’m pretty excited to meet the people that I’ve heard stories about over the past few months. So far everyone has lived up to my mental pictures of them – I like Jo’s mom just as much as I thought I would, if not more.
We spent the day yesterday in the lovely house in
Finally, I found my favorite
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.
O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.
If you read this far into this post, congratulations. You qualify as a faithful blog reader and I hope to meet you someday, and, you just read some really awesome hymn lyrics.
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