Sunday Snapshot

Happy Carnaval!

Bathed in confetti...

Work vs. Play

Valentine's Day soul train!

The month of February has been incredible. We started off with a bang exploring bat caves in Semuc Champey (see pictures in last post), followed it up with a lively boat cruise, Valentine's Day dance-off, hike to a Mayan altar, and confetti-filled Carnaval celebration. Dream vacation, no? Try, dream job. Let me paint you a little picture:
We're all invited to the Valentine's Day celebration in El Basico (high school) in Caserio Central. We come bearing varied mugs and candy for the friendship gift swap. Cam is put in charge of the kids' dance contest. However, it's not surprising that these shy, angsty teenagers are repulsed by the idea of dancing in front of their peers. (Let's take a moment and reflect back to our own awkward teenage years and then compound that by a large factor due to the fact that we are in a small indigenous village.) Cam's brilliant solution? The PDs will have a dance battle instead. Well, I can tell you that we are great at making fools of ourselves, and that I may have done "the lawnmower" a few times too many. The day continued with a more familiar teenage dance scene where boys and girls occupy different sides of the room and walking across to the opposite territory is like committing treason. Emily confessed that she herself was an 8 out of 10 on the uncomfortable scale.

Tomas explaining the significance of the four altars

One of the most interesting things about living in Guatemala is the Maya influence. It's a religion, lifestyle, and culture--all three unique to this region, so we're always eager to learn more about it. On Tuesday we hiked up to a Mayan ceremonial altar with Celso, the principal of La Primaría (elementary school) in Caserio Cooperativa, and Tomas, the local mayor. Tomas is a spiritual Maya priest and helped build the altar himself.

After a short hike up, we listened to his impressive knowledge about the Mayan calendar and rituals. The next day happened to be the start of the new year! We descended through Cooperativa talking about MPI, Chaquijyá, all we've done together, and what more could be done in the future.

Carnaval is Halloween, a circus, tag, and a dance party all rolled up into a ball... and then rolled in confetti and flour. Immediately upon passing through the front doors we were assaulted with bits of paper, glitter, and unidentifiable powders. Confetti-filled eggs were smashed on our heads and kids of all ages used us as jungle gyms. The costumes were incredible, the laughter unceasing.

What's funny about life here is that all these events, and many others, are mandatory. I'm sorry, but you must participate in the dance off, you must attend the costume party, and you must hike up to see a beautiful view of Chaquijyá...

It seems a bit odd, but these community events are where our best relationships are made, with teachers and kids alike. And we count on these relationships. These relationships are the foundation of all our programs, current and future.

The best and hardest part about the PD position is that the line between work and play is blurry at best.

Mama D

Best Day Ever

Last week we were asked to participate in a parade with one of our schools. You may know this already, but you should never say no to such a request.

Walking towards the school we could hear the whistles of parade practice from the highway. When we arrived, we were greeted by a sea of rectangular cardboard cutouts, disinterested teenagers, and eardrum-rupturing marimba music. Celso, one of the third grade teachers, was running up and down the rows willing the children to do the wave as Bayron, the gym teacher, shouted instructions. We were given colored cutouts as well, and told to hold them high above our heads. Scene.

Parade day is finally here! It's 6:45 AM and we're all matching--blacks bottoms and white shirts with a red sash separating the two. Instead of the 1x1 pieces of cardboard we practiced with, we are given massive octagonal kites, each easily 7 feet in diameter. Six teachers surround me, outfitting me in traditional Mayan garb. I am to put on one of the kites like a backpack and Ginny is to "fly me" mid-parade. Cue music.

Bow forward. Bow backwards. Bow left. Bow right. Hands up. Hands down. Spirit fingers. Move your hands in a circle, suavecito. And finally break into a hoppity traditional jig for ten minutes before repeating it all over again. Now multiply this whole extravaganza by five hours and you've experienced a day in our lives, where dancing almost always takes precedent.

It's not the 9-5 you're used to, not even close, but participating in community events such as this is one of the most important parts of our job. Fostering relationships builds trust, even if you're bonding through the mutual knowledge that you look ridiculous and are not doing the Mayan jig correctly. But, in Guatemala trust is the foundation for everything. So, bring on the dances, the parades, and the bonding, as Ginny would say.

Mama D

Sunday Snapshot XXVII

Cameron and Willy gettin' down at the Sololá parade.. explanation to come.

Photo Credit: Dana Zichlin

Sunday Snapshot XVII

A modest second grade acceptance speech.
Photo Credit: Dana Zichlin

Mothers, We Salute You

Three generations.

It's been a while since we've celebrated a holiday in Chaquijyá, and what better day to break that cycle than Mother's Day? In Guatemala, Día de la Madre is celebrated in much the same way that it is in the good ole USA; they write poems, give flowers and presents, and generally spend the day talking about how much they love the women who have raised them.

But here in Guatemala there are some added perks. Today's celebrations in the primary school in Chaq Central began with mothers competing for prizes in various games... Who can make the biggest tortilla? Who can cross the finish line holding an egg on a spoon? Who can dress a baby doll blind-folded? Even, who can bottle feed their fifth-grade child orange soda the fastest?

 

After the mothers had their turn, children recited poems, choreographed dances, and volunteered to gush about their undying love for their mothers. So before I go any further, let me take this opportunity to thank all of our mothers. We wouldn't be here without your support and we love you! Without further ado, here's a video montage of today's activities from us to you... We promise to stick to the card and flowers routine again next year.

Happy Mother's Day

Love, Mama D

Spice Up Your Life

We thought you guys might enjoy hearing about our work in different way tonight, so here's Jared to tell you more about a community celebration we were a part of in early October.  Hope you enjoy.

Day of the Dead

This morning we had the opportunity to join the members of Chaquijyá for a special moment - The Day of the Dead.  Where cemeteries and death are often somber topics in the United States, here it's much the opposite.  Here, they don their nicest clothes, pack lunches, and head en masse to the nearby cemetery.


It's a time of celebration, of cherished memories, and socializing with neighbors.  A time when kids fly kites, when bright flowers adorn each grave, and when music and delicacies are passed graciously from hand-to-hand.  We'd like to share some of those moments with you.

Example of color used for family tombs.

One of the rows of families in the cemetery. 

View of Chaquijyá from the cemetery entrance.