It might be because I have so little time left here, but a lot of moments have been extra sweet over the past week. Here are a few:
1. Being stopped in traffic on a major thoroughfare and growing increasingly impatient, only to have my frustration disappear immediately when I saw the cause of the back-up. Christmas decorations being hung over the street! The moment gets extra points because the tinsel swag had the word "Gallo" in the middle. Guatemala's national beer is never far away.
2. Birthday goodness. This was less of a moment and more of a whole day that felt very right. Phone calls and emails from my family, meals at all my favorite places with my favorite people, Guatemala-version Monopoly (get ready to play when I get back) and a general sense of being loved. Thanks to all of you who made the day so lovely.
3. I found Big Red gum for sale at a gas station for the first time. I love that cinnamon-sugar explosion in your mouth at first chew: the whole pack was gone in about 10 minutes.
4. Yesterday for work I got to put on my lawyer costume (which almost included flip-flops, until I remembered I had left a pair of shoes in Roscoe) and go to the reading of a sentence and pick a copy up. That was cool enough, but what really got me excited was reading through the first couple of pages sitting in traffic on my way home and finding my name and information in the act. I know this is the silliest thing ever but I, foreign assistant allowed at the prosecutor's table with the express purpose of taking notes without any intervention, live on in Guatemala criminal court. And that's kind of sweet.
11.07.2009
11.02.2009
Dia de los Muertos
On November 1st, I headed to Santa Rosa with my stand-in family (Victor's parents, who I live with, and their extended family) to celebrate Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). First up was decorating the grave where Candy's (my "mom's") parents are buried with lilies.
Although it wasn't quite the spectacle that my Spanish II book made it out to be, the day was still completely different than anything I've ever experienced in the states. The fact that we spent a good portion of the morning hanging out in the graveyard, and even more so that we were far from the only family doing it, was out of the ordinary. And the colorful graves with fresh coats of paint and adorned with flowers, paper and real, seemed a fitting way to celebrate the life of people who had already gone. Remembering is good. Dedicating a day to remembering as a family is even better.
From there we went to the nearby farmhouse, built fairly close to the pineapple fields that are just now being harvested. Nothing, NOTHING better than fresh pineapple.
I may have mentioned this in my last post about Santa Rosa, but I'm a big fan of the chickens. At least I was, until one stole a piece of my pan de muerto (laughingly called "Dead Bread" by those who find the literal English translation funny) right out of my hand. You only get that bread for this holiday so it was substantial loss.
The other dish of the day is called Fiambre. It's this big concoction of everything: olives, sausage, beets, brussel sprouts, peas, cheese, chicken and twenty or so other ingredients in between. Apparently it grew out of the tradition of families bringing foods along with them when they met up at the graves of their loved ones on Dia de los Muertos and ending up mixing it all together: they've skipped a step now and mix it all up the night before. Considering my dislike of different types of food touching each other on my plate, you wouldn't think I would have gone for the vegetarian version they served Jo and me, but I actually loved it. Maybe it was the fact that the beets turned everything pink.
On the way home we did see some of what the images next to the vocabulary lists in my textbook depicted: people dressed up in masks dancing in the street. I didn't get my camera out for that because the events above were lovely and Guatemalan and enough. I'm so thankful my "family" took me in and let me be a part of it.
10.30.2009
Sheep, wheat and ore
The craziness of life in Guatemala is all but lost on me these days. I remember at the beginning of the year, when everything seemed new and different and worthy of a blog post or a long email home. Now, even though I'm well aware that life here is different than home, it's normalized. Just in time for me to go back to the States and readjust to crazy life there. Yay.
Tonight I drove past the dead-dog-walking that lives outside our colonia (I'm going to try to take a picture and post it one of these days, but for now think boxer mutt with almost no hair, blood red eyes and a lot of weird pink growths and spots decorating his body. He's truly the ugliest dog I've ever seen, but there's definitely a spot in my heart for him) and headed to Jo and Victor's for a game of Settlers of Catan.
When my parents came to visit last weekend (it was lovely, I'm so glad they came) they served a dual purpose: visitors and mailmen. There was a whole checked suitcase devoted to my requests and treats, including dried apple rings from Friskes and Reeses. Tucked among the snacks were some long-ovedue wedding presents for Jo and Victor, mostly games that would be hard or impossible to get here. Settlers was among them, and it's been a hit so far (we've played it two nights in a row. I love it when I find people who love board games as much as I do). I was the only one of the group who had played the game before, but it only took two games until someone beat me handily. This is not the way games usually go for me; I'm going to have to try harder.
I'm excited about the weekend ahead. It's "Dia de los Muertos" on Sunday. If you don't know what that is, ask anyone who has ever taken a Spanish class and I guarantee they can tell you. I'm excited to experience it firsthand. Recap and some pictures coming soon.
Tonight I drove past the dead-dog-walking that lives outside our colonia (I'm going to try to take a picture and post it one of these days, but for now think boxer mutt with almost no hair, blood red eyes and a lot of weird pink growths and spots decorating his body. He's truly the ugliest dog I've ever seen, but there's definitely a spot in my heart for him) and headed to Jo and Victor's for a game of Settlers of Catan.
When my parents came to visit last weekend (it was lovely, I'm so glad they came) they served a dual purpose: visitors and mailmen. There was a whole checked suitcase devoted to my requests and treats, including dried apple rings from Friskes and Reeses. Tucked among the snacks were some long-ovedue wedding presents for Jo and Victor, mostly games that would be hard or impossible to get here. Settlers was among them, and it's been a hit so far (we've played it two nights in a row. I love it when I find people who love board games as much as I do). I was the only one of the group who had played the game before, but it only took two games until someone beat me handily. This is not the way games usually go for me; I'm going to have to try harder.
I'm excited about the weekend ahead. It's "Dia de los Muertos" on Sunday. If you don't know what that is, ask anyone who has ever taken a Spanish class and I guarantee they can tell you. I'm excited to experience it firsthand. Recap and some pictures coming soon.
10.28.2009
Fireworks!!!
After a lovely evening of reading the New Yorker in my favorite bookstore, eating my favorite salad, seeing a movie (cheap movie night! $2.50!) and dropping Alex off on at his house, David and I were heading home on the mostly deserted streets of Zone 1 in Roscoe when we saw fireworks in the sky ahead of us.
At first I thought they were in celebration of a birthday -- a tradition here -- but since it wasn't 5:00 a.m. and the fireworks were making big red-and-green flowers in the sky instead of a lot of unbearable noise, that theory didn't fit.
I still don't know why they were being shot off, but I'm thankful for them and for our good timing -- we drove up the street just as the show was starting and pulled over to a sketchy gas station to watch.
Red and green and blue and gold. The show made me appreciate the randomness of Guatemala City and fall a little more in love with it. (I only spent 20 percent of the time worrying that someone was going to steal David's camera as he leaned out the window to get some footage.)
At first I thought they were in celebration of a birthday -- a tradition here -- but since it wasn't 5:00 a.m. and the fireworks were making big red-and-green flowers in the sky instead of a lot of unbearable noise, that theory didn't fit.
I still don't know why they were being shot off, but I'm thankful for them and for our good timing -- we drove up the street just as the show was starting and pulled over to a sketchy gas station to watch.
Red and green and blue and gold. The show made me appreciate the randomness of Guatemala City and fall a little more in love with it. (I only spent 20 percent of the time worrying that someone was going to steal David's camera as he leaned out the window to get some footage.)
10.18.2009
nostalgia
It's a peaceful Sunday afternoon here in Guatemala. I woke to the sound of my curtains flapping in the wind and had one of those moments where, even after all these months, I wasn't quite sure where I was.
Now I'm here, sitting on the floor with my computer and the comforting sounds of one of my old favorite albums, Transatlanticism, remembering. Remembering yesterday, when the marimba at a neighbor's birthday party was too loud to hear my movie over, remembering the beginning of this year when I was filled with wonder and confusion about this country I live in, remembering the Death Cab for Cutie concert my freshman year of college and how very, very far I've come since then.
Only a month left here. I can't believe it.
A whole month left here. So much to do.
Being assistant at another trial this week, climbing Pacaya for the third time (we're good friends now), a visit from my parents, project upon project, wedding showers, retreats, game nights and goodbye parties. Processing leaving this place I've known and loved for the past 9 months. Processing going home to the people I know and love there. Breathing.
Now I'm here, sitting on the floor with my computer and the comforting sounds of one of my old favorite albums, Transatlanticism, remembering. Remembering yesterday, when the marimba at a neighbor's birthday party was too loud to hear my movie over, remembering the beginning of this year when I was filled with wonder and confusion about this country I live in, remembering the Death Cab for Cutie concert my freshman year of college and how very, very far I've come since then.
Only a month left here. I can't believe it.
A whole month left here. So much to do.
Being assistant at another trial this week, climbing Pacaya for the third time (we're good friends now), a visit from my parents, project upon project, wedding showers, retreats, game nights and goodbye parties. Processing leaving this place I've known and loved for the past 9 months. Processing going home to the people I know and love there. Breathing.
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