Gonna Make a Change

Antigua and San Miguel Escobar: Monday, December 15

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I never got a chance to finish this blog post almost five years ago! So here it is, with what I can remember.

We started the morning out with an early walk to the town square and a delicious breakfast at Cafe Condesa.

We took a tuk-tuk to the nearby town of San Miguel Escobar to go on a coffee tour with As Green As It Gets.

We saw where they grew the coffee.

And how they processed it.

We saw their textile side business, and I bought a coffee bag shoulder bag.

We saw more of where and how they grow the coffee.

And roast it...

Michael made a large purchase of coffee.

Then we were driven back to Antigua in the back of a truck. We saw town sights on our way back.

Wow, that view coming back into Antigua!

That afternoon, we ventured into the market and had a very local lunch.

Then it was time to get ready to pack up and head home.

Support girls' and women's education in the developing world

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:06:00 +0000

Looking for a great little holiday gift and a way to support some worthy charities?

Check out my new fundraiser:

Gonna Make a Change Candles

I have designed four hand-poured soy candles in unique tins that are perfect for holiday gift-giving!

One hundred percent of the net proceeds are donated to Mayan Families and Central Asia Institute.

Check out the website for more info!

URGENT UPDATE: Disaster in Guatemala

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Mon, 31 May 2010 02:13:00 +0000

Hi all, I know you have not heard from me in a long time. I have been so busy with being a new mom that I have not had time to update Gonna Make a Change in a while.

However, I did want to leave this note quickly.

Guatemala has seen several horrific natural disasters in the past week: a volcano erruption, earthquakes, and now Hurricane Agatha. The places that Michael and I traveled to have been hit very, very hard.

People who were struggling to survive have now lost everything.

If you have read and enjoyed my account of our trip to Guatemala, I ask you to please consider donating any amount to Mayan Families, the grassroots non-profit that Michael and I support there.

Here is an update for now from the orgaization:

Sharon has lost her back bathroom and storage area into the river. We have evacuated her house and the office. The rest of the office is still intact but we are concerned the building foundations have been compromised.

We will need to rent office space ASAP, as we will be inundated immediately with requests for help from desperate people who have lost their homes and possessions.

All the Mayan Families staff are safe, however a few have lost their homes and others are in danger of losing theirs.

There are many people in emergency shelters, lots of people have lost everything.

There is desperate need for food and shelter. Any financial help no matter how small which will help feed and shelter people would be greatly appreciated.

You may remember young Glendy who works for Mayan Families, who lost her mother last year has now lost her home as well. She and her 5 brothers are now homeless.

Mayan Families needs your support more than ever, as our offices have been damaged and are not functional.

Please, if you were considering donating this our hour of Need!!

Please send donations via general fund, so we can get our new office operational as soon as possible.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

http://www.mayanfamilies.org/DonateNow

Belated Mother's Day picture

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:37:00 +0000

I got a photo from Mayan Families this week of the Mother's Day basket we sent to the Cumpar family.

Look at how much baby Antonio (the mother's baby) has grown! And Candelaria is looking more mature, herself.

Unfortunately, I have not had much time to devote to Guatemala this year, since we are expecting our first child and just moved from the city to a house in the suburbs.

But it is something I plan to go back to once we get settled into our new lives.

New blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sun, 31 May 2009 01:05:00 +0000

I am pleased to announce the launch of my new blog, Gonna Make a Change - Motherhood at gonnamakeachange-motherhood.blogspot.com.

Please check it out in the coming days and let me know what you think!

I will be including pictures, updates, what I'm reading, a list of my favorite pregnancy/childbirth/parenting blogs, some cool widgets, and more. Let me know if you have anything I should add!

Also, I would be extremely honored if you could add me to the blogs you follow. :-)

Finally blogging again

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Thu, 28 May 2009 02:24:00 +0000

It's been quite a month since my last post. We had to put our dog, Othello, down after his cognitive degeneration progessed. I had started to write a tribute to him that I was going to post here, but I didn't have a chance to finish it. I will at some point.

Thankfully, there have been a lot of positive things keeping us occupied.

For one, I am now 23 weeks pregnant. Three weeks ago, Michael and I found that we are having a boy. I am now very much showing, as you can see above. And last week I finally started feeling kicks! Now I feel them quite often. It turns out the placenta has been in the front, so it was acting as a cushion, preventing me from feeling movement sooner.

We are also getting ready to move out to the suburbs, if all goes as planned. While we love our cozy condo in Jersey City, it isn't where we want to raise kids. Both of us have been longing for a big backyard, and hopefully we will have one come mid-June. Fingers crossed till the closing, though!

I am trying to decide what I want to do about blogging. My life is in the process of changing immensely, and I will not be able to pursue one of the main themes of this blog -- adventure philanthropy/voluntourism -- for the time being. I do intend to pick it back up once our child/children is/are here and a bit older. However, right now, the adventure I'm about to embark on is that of becoming a parent, and I need to give that my full attention.

So, I am wondering whether I should continue this blog but with a different focus, or if I should put this blog on hold and start a new one. I do want to keep writing and taking pictures and sharing stories with you, my readers. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please let me know!

Thank you again for reading! I still have some travel tales I haven't yet blogged, so whatever happens, I will be posting some new stories of my past journeys when I get a chance. As I have said so many times before, stay tuned....

Quick Guatemala Update

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:27:00 +0000

Here's a picture of the Cumpar kids with their Easter/Semana Santa basket. Looks a lot healthier than last year's basket!

Back to the real world!

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:56:00 +0000

Hi all, I'm sorry for the lag in communication! Things got crazy again with work, and then Michael and I took a much-needed vacation this past week to the Caribbean.

Our destination was the island of St Martin/Sint Maarten, which has both a French and a Dutch side, hence the two different names. We were on a bareboat yacht charter, which means that we rented a sailboat for a week, and Michael captained it. The crew was myself and two of our couple friends, Miles and Sarah and Kelly and Letham.

The boat was our floating hotel and our means of getting from place to place. In the end, we visited both sides of the island, the country/island of Anguilla and of St Barths.

Michael and I originally got together as the indirect result of a charter he organized for New Year's 2006 in the British Virgin Islands. This was our first time back on a boat together...and most likely our last major trip before the birth of our child. So it had lots of special significance.

Here are some of my favorite photos from our time there:

Local restaurant in Marigot, St Martin. Supposedly, our fave traveler, Anthony Bourdain, had eaten here and recommended it.

Palm Sunday procession in Marigot, St Martin.

The procession continues down the hill.

Marigot bay

A taste of the turquoise water yet to come on the trip.

View from a patisserie in Marigot.

Closer look at the architecture and boats.

Sunset in Grand Case, St Martin -- looking towards the ocean

And looking in towards the bay

Gorgeous views until it got completely dark

And then the lights...

Boat life

Michael taking a break on deck

Michael as captain

An unexpected sign in Orient Bay, St Martin

Me in Orient Bay

Little bird and bananas at a restaurant in Ille Pinel, St Martin. Early morning, before all the people arrived.

Peace and quiet before the crowds arrive

Dinghy dock and cafe in St Barths

Michael in St Barths, mega yachts behind him

Anglican church in St Barths

Michael and I on the deck of our boat

Santiago de Atitlan to Antigua: Sunday, December 14

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Dear Readers, Thank you so much for all of your well wishes on our pregnancy! I can't wait to blog all about it.

But I feel like there is some unfinished business to take care of before I move on to this exciting new stage: I have to finish the story of our December trip to Guatemala. I still haven't shown you some of the most beautiful scenes I saw during our travels. And there still are some stories to tell. So let me begin wrapping this up...

The following morning, we had breakfast in the lodge and, sadly, got ready to leave. This was such a relaxing place, and the physical beauty of the area was just astounding. I made sure to take some last pictures.

From our table in the lodge, we looked out onto the road to see people passing on foot, tuk-tuk, and in the backs of pickups.

I was glad I finally got a shot of the pickup means of transport that is so common around here.

I took a walk down to the Posada's lakefront property.

The scenes were just so majestically beautiful, the clouds just hovering over the mountains.

I wished we had time to stay for another dip in the pool.

Or to take a canoe around the lake...we hadn't had time for that.

The fishermen looked so peaceful and meditative in their solo boats.

Ahh, we will have to come back.

I took a last look at the lounge chairs and the little sauna hut.

And then one more time back to the lodge.

I decided to try shooting a video on my way up the path to our room, as I tried to catch my breath, due to the elevation.

We packed up, and our taxi was waiting to take us to Antigua.

We drove around Lake Atitlan, and we caught a glimpse of CFCA's Guatemala facility. When we were just about to leave the lake behind, we got this panoramic vista. It was too good to pass up -- we asked the driver to stop, so we could take some more pictures.

After that, we drove through unbelievably beautiful and little inhabited country to get to the main road. We traveled up and down steep inclines and saw meadows and streams. There was no real place to pull over and stop, and it was just a two-lane road, so I have no pictures of this part of our journey.

But I will never forget the beauty on that gloriously sunny day.

Slowly, we made our way to more and more populated areas and then to a small city, where a busy market was taking place. We started seeing signs for Antigua. And then we were back in the city that had marked the conclusion of our trip last April, as well.

Last time, we had had dinner at Casa Santo Domingo, an amazing hotel and museum that is a former convent. This time, in honor of our anniversary, we decided to splurge and get a room at the hotel. It still was a relative bargain, especially compared with the States.

Here's a tour of our room:

The Postcards from Antigua Guatemala I posted in January include pictures from that Sunday, as we walked around.

Here are two other photos from that afternoon:

The gate, ready to go from 2008 to 2009.

A beautiful courtyard from a small hotel where we stopped to check email.

That night, we thoroughly enjoyed the hot tubs and big pool in one of the hotel's courtyards and then had a gourmet meal by candlelight in the restaurant. Heaven!

Big news!

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:18:00 +0000

There's another reason why I haven't been blogging that much the past few months: I have been too darn tired!!! Why? I'm pregnant!

More updates to follow!

Horseback Riding Above Lake Atitlan, Saturday, December 13

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:40:00 +0000

It's been a few months since I left off with the tale of our trip to Guatemala in December. Work and life have gotten in the way, but looking at some of my favorite bloggers' posts about Guatemala, I am inspired to finish up our travelogue.

If you have not already, make sure you check out Rudy Girón's La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo, James and Beth's Teco/Teca, and now Dave and Danaya's Hand Up Tierra Linda for nostalgia and/or inspiration to travel to this amazing place.

Back to my tale...it was our second day in Santiago Atitlan at Posada de Santiago.

Saturday morning, we rose early for a hearty breakfast at the lodge. Particularly of note were the blue corn pancakes with macadamia syrup. Not your traditional pancake, but the taste grew on you.

Then Nancy Mattison came to pick us up. I had gotten in touch with Nancy through the Posada. She and her husband, Jim, offer all kinds of horseback riding and walking tours that are combined with gourmet dining.

As it turns out, we were joined by a young guy from New York, who was also going to be part of the ride.

Nancy drove us around the lake, past the memorial to the people who had been killed during the civil war, and by a private air strip, to their house and horse ranch.

We went in through the gate to their home and past their large pack of trained dogs. Inside their house, Nancy gave us coffee, hot chocolate, and homemade coffee cake, and we met her husband, Jim.

I knew this was not going to be your run of the mill horseback riding tour from the moment Jim introduced himself as a "libertarian anarchist." Born in the Baltics (Latvia, I believe), his life in Guatemala since the early 90s is just one of many extraordinary lives he has led. He had been a professor, run various successful businesses, been an adviser to US presidents, had made tons of money and then lost it all.

The Mattisons came to Guatemala when the civil war was still on, and Jim quickly developed a reputation as someone not to be messed with. He assured us he was the only one in the area who had never been robbed and warned, "Don't think I'm not armed in three places right now."

In parts of the country, Guatemala is still a lawless place where crime, from petty robberies to contract killing can take place. Jim likes living in his fortress he designed and built himself from polished stone. It's a good place for an anarchist.

There were no papers or waivers to sign. Liability law doesn't exist like it does in the US, and he told us cooly we were all responsible for our own selves. Alrighty then.

Off we went to get our horses.

Michael hadn't been on a horse since childhood, and only once then. I had been an avid rider in my young teens, but I had only been on a horse a few times in the last 10 years. And I had never ridden Western before.

The New Yorker who came with us had never ridden before, and he was quite unnerved by the whole thing.

After getting on our respective steeds, we set off down the road for about a quarter of a mile, which had me tense to start out. I know from experience how spooked horses can get from cars, and I was without the protective equipment I was accustomed to. But there was nothing to worry about. These horses were very used to the trek.

After the road, we went down into a coffee plantation, where we had to take a path that ran right along a stretch of low trees. We had to duck down and feel the branches scraping over our heads as we passed along. The New Yorker was quite tall, so this was difficult for him to do, and he started crying out in distress.

Immediately, that got me tense again, as I flashed back to various incidents from my earlier riding career when kids had gotten scared, started yelling, and spooked the horses, thus making the situation all the worse. But again, my fears were unfounded. These horses were unflappable.

Finally, we got out of the tree lined area and started ascending the mountain. The paths were very narrow, and you really had to just trust your horse; otherwise, you might tumble into a ditch. So I slowly started to let go and relax. I had to. I couldn't hold the reins closely, like in English riding. I had to trust.

All the while, Jim was leading us in conversations about literature and politics, quoting Aristotle and John F. Kennedy, Friedrich Nietzsche and Franz Kafka, Madison and de Tocqueville, all verbatim (and not infrequently citing page numbers in specific editions!). It was unlike anything I had expected. This man was so well read, and he could remember it all!

After about an hour and a quarter of riding, we finally found ourselves at the top of the mountain. We dismounted and stopped to rest.

Below is the view west to the Pacific Ocean. There was some haze in the sky, so we couldn't actually see the water. But on a clear day, Jim assured us, it was possible to gaze that far.

A closer look, though, yielded the piles of trash by the lookout point. Trash was an issue we had talked about on the ride. We saw it so often in the otherwise beautiful fields and greenery.

Jim told us that it's part of the local culture. They don't see trash the way we do. For them, trash is a sign of affluence. You must be doing well if you can buy things that produce trash. People from the north, "do-gooders," he said, come and try to beautify and take away the trash, but it doesn't work. The trash may get collected, but then it gets dumped somewhere, like here.

To the east was Lake Atitlan, looking gorgeous, as always.

But looking at our feet yielded a different story.

Here are burnt remnants of medical waste, likely from a humanitarian mission. Jim's problem with the "do-gooders" is that they don't think about all the possible impacts of their activities: everything from what happens to the garbage to what happens if one family suddenly has a lot more than most of their community (the answer, according to him: the family becomes a target).

He said, some people here are better off than you think. Just because they live simply does not mean they don't have money. Most Guatemalan families will make money in a number of different ways: through a job, having an animal whose products they can sell, side endeavors.

It was interesting to hear Jim's perspective. While I don't think any of this is a reason not to help, it is an important reminder of the impact we may have, intentionally and unintentionally. Not everything is as it seems, and we can't always take the rules and values and life views we have in our own country and apply them elsewhere.

We rode back down the mountain, along the hair-raising paths, and through the brush. This ride had been completely unlike what I had imagined, and I was so happy for that. I felt an unearthed burning in me to start reading again, to discuss literature and politics. It was as if I had gone back to university in this three-hour jaunt.

But I was saddle sore, so I was glad to hop off my mount and head in for some lunch.

We got a tour of the house as Linda finished up the preparations for our absolutely delicious lunch.

The sun was starting to get lower in the sky, and we had finished our meal. We said goodbye to Jim, and Linda drove us back to the Posada.

On our way, we saw coffee-weighing stations along the side of the road, and Linda told us how people wait there with their coffee to sell it to wholesalers. However, these are also spots where the lawless know they can rob people, or worse. It is a difficult life.

Michael and I went back to our cottage and tried to process all that we had experienced that day. We wanted to make some changes to our lives. At the very least, we were inspired to make reading a priority and set up a library in our living room, rather than having the computer as the centerpiece. We were reminded, more than anything, of how reading opens the doors to knowledge and understanding and lends a richness to life unlike anything else.

While we were still quite full from lunch, we stuffed ourselves with more gourmet delights for dinner at the lodge. Michael had his Ron Zacapa, and I had a huge margarita. And then we settled back in our cabin.

Michael built a fire in the fireplace, and we snuggled together on that cool night, our minds still awash in thoughts from the day.

Next up: Sunday, December 14 -- we take an incredible journey from Santiago Atitlan to Antigua and stay at the inimitable Casa Santo Domingo.

Giving on the streets of New York

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:20:00 +0000

Hi all, I've missed blogging and keeping up with my favorite bloggers the past few weeks!

Soon after I wrote my last entry, I came down with a nasty cold, and then the operational tempo at work dramatically increased. My birthday was last week, and it happened to be the craziest day I have ever experienced at my current job. Thankfully, Michael was able to spirit me away at the end of day for some unbelievably delicious Indian food.

But the upshot of all this is that I have not been progressing towards my goal of finding ways to get involved in a charity locally.

However, I did have a small revelation yesterday that I wanted to share.

Yesterday, there was a hint of spring in the air. It was warm enough to walk around with my coat unbuttoned, so I decided to eat a quick lunch in Bryant Park, which is just around the corner from my office.

As I was starting to eat my sandwich, a scruffy, middle-aged man came up to my little table and asked, "Would you be able to help a combat veteran with some change? Anything would be a blessing."

I made a pained expression. I hate feeling cold hearted; however, panhandling is one of those tricky situations in any city.

First of all, you never know where your money is going to go. Will it be for alcohol or drugs? That's why it's usually better to give to an organization, instead.

Second of all, could this be a professional panhandler? There is a woman that stands at the corner of my building every morning with a "homeless" sign and has done so for the past few years. We're talking Fifth Avenue and lots of foot traffic, so this seems like more of a "job" for her.

Thirdly, pulling your wallet out on the street is never a good idea, safety-wise.

Most of the time when I have been approached, I have just given the person a sad look and said, "I'm sorry." Sometimes a particular situation has prompted me to go home and make a donation to an established charity.

But yesterday, I couldn't look away when the man asked me. There was something in his eyes, and I thought of the economic realities that are more dire than ever for anyone who needs help. The options quickly flashed through my mind: just say "sorry," open my purse and fumble for my wallet...nothing seemed right or a street-safe option. Then I looked down at the table and saw what I hadn't eaten of my lunch.

"Would you like half of my sandwich?" I asked. The man seemed taken aback. He said, "Aww. Really? Are you sure you don't want that?" I said, "No, please take it." He thanked me, took the sandwich, and then disappeared.

And then I was hit by the revelation. It was so simple, really. If you're unsure of giving money, then give food.

On my way back to the office, I thought of how my favorite Nature Valley granola bars have been such a godsend when I have been hungry while traveling, etc. So I bought a few to have in my purse, ready to give out if someone needy approaches me. At least I can give them something.

I know tons of people must have already figured this out, so this is nothing new. But I'm glad that I finally was able to realize a way to not feel paralyzed by the dilemma of giving on the streets of New York.

I want to know: what are your strategies when approached on the street?

The Challenges of Volunteering Locally

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:00:00 +0000

One of my resolutions for the new year was to get actively involved in a local charity. So far, I have not made much progress on that.

What has been the issue? Well, for one, I've had very little non-work and non-recuperating from work time so far this year. But for the other, I'm a little daunted by the prospect.

Over the past year or so, I have tried to get involved in a handful of different organizations in the New York metro area, and have not had any luck. Usually it was because my emails saying, "I really like your organization, and I'd love to volunteer; what do I need to do to get involved?" never got answered. At least one place flat-out rejected my professional skills after I filled out a lengthy application.

It was very frustrating, to say the least, to search out organizations whose missions seemed up my alley, approach them, wanting to help, and then hear nothing back.

One national organization I did finally get accepted into, after an application, references, and a background check, turned out to be not very user-friendly for new volunteers. They had a website with all sorts of materials, but it was not really clear how exactly to get involved with a local group. And then I found out that there were no hands-on opportunities within my geographic area.

That's why Mayan Families has been such a godsend. With them, it's easy. You sponsor a child; you start getting information about that child; you can send them additional food, a stove, chickens, etc. You find out about all sorts of other needs of the organization, and can get involved in as many as you would like. And you are welcomed with open arms when you come down to Guatemala to visit.

Sisterly Shenanigans' Tricia and me getting ready to distribute toys in San Jorge, Guatemala.

I want to do similar kinds of good here in my local area, but I have found it very difficult to break through. VolunteerMatch.org has a clearinghouse of all sorts of volunteer opportunities, and I receive a weekly opportunity notice. Unfortunately, I have tried to get involved in some of these opportunties, but have received no word back.

I'm sure that most of these organizations would like to have the additional volunteer support, but are just so strapped for resources that they can't take advantage of the offers of help. After all, they would need someone to read the email and respond to it, and I'm sure many organizations get hundreds of emails a day.

It's just too bad, as I suspect I am far from the only person who has had this kind of disheartening experience. I wonder how many people have been discouraged from attempting to do something to make a change in their world. Why can it be so difficult to get involved?

But I am ready and willing to give it another try, and I plan to share my journey with you, so as to get more ideas and to pass along anything I learn.

I just found out today from VolunteerMatch about an action day called "Do One Thing." It is taking place next Saturday, Valentine's Day. The objective is for everyone to do one thing on this day to help homeless youth.

A participating organization is the Covenant House in New York, which is just a short distance from where I bus into the city. So the location is easy. What they ask is for donations of clothes and personal care items for the young people who come to them from the streets. Now that's easy, too.

So, I plan to collect some donations, bring them to Covenant House, and find out a little bit more about what they do and how to get involved. Ideally, I'll see if I can interview some people and get a tour, so I can blog about that. Something like this at least allows me to get my foot in the door.

I want to know: how have you gotten involved in volunteering locally? What challenges did you have to overcome, and how did you finally get your foot in the door?

A new friend in Kenya

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 04:47:00 +0000

Hello, Friends. I'm sorry it has been a while since I last posted. As I mentioned in my last entry, work has consumed my life. But it's important to keep things in perspective and not forget about what truly matters.

I'd like to thank one of my readers (you know who you are!), whose kind words tonight reminded me of what I have been trying to do with this blog for the past 11 months. So I am reinvigorated, despite my fatigue, to get back down to business.

I have some news: Michael and I have a new sponsor child. Her name is Mwansiti, and she is an 11-year-old girl from Kenya. We're sponsoring through Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. As I had mentioned at the end of last year, I have really enjoyed their blog, and my mom has been a sponsor for a number of years.

A photo of Mwansiti. The scanner is buried, so I took a picture of the picture.

I thought it would be interesting to have a different kind of sponsor experience in addition to Mayan Families. For one, this is a different country. For another, this is a large, long-running organization. It doesn't offer the immediacy of contact you can have through Mayan Families (for example, getting photos emailed to your inbox of your sponsored kids receiving their school supplies, which is brilliant!). But it does focus on building a lifelong relationship with a person through letter writing.

As a child, I had a number of penpals, and I remember the unique joy of handwriting and sending and then receiving a letter. I fear this art will probably be lost by the time I have any children of penpal age. But CFCA uses this as the basis of the connection between sponsor and sponsored. It's intriguing...and soul-satisfying -- the idea of each getting to know the other as a person and a friend, that that is part and parcel of this relationship.

What's great is that the organization offers mission awareness trips to various countries that have programs. These trips are very reasonably priced, so they make it a very real possibility to visit your sponsored child, even in a place like Kenya. So, someday, Michael and I plan to go there!

But what I like even more is that the organization gives Americans who would never think of traveling to the developing world the opportunity and the motivation to do so. I can think of few things more exciting than that.

So, off we go with this new relationship!

I commissioned a card for my first letter to Mwansiti from a friend of mine who has a shop on Etsy: Lucky Sevens Card Design. Now I just have to write it and get it in the mail!

I want to know: what are some of your favorite sponsorship and/or penpal experiences?

Postcards from Antigua, Guatemala

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:50:00 +0000

I'm just about to go off to a week of four simultaneous events for my job, so it is BUSY! But here's a look back at some of the beautiful and calming sights of Antigua in December.

Parque Central in the early morning.

Pointsettia (Pascua) flowers floating in an ancient stone tub at Casa Santo Domingo.

Rooftop view of Antigua.

We had come for the sunset; however, the clouds started to come in, obscuring any magnificent color.

But see how dramatic the volcano looks with the mantle of thickening clouds.

Enjoy your week, everyone! Here's to finding beauty and awe in ways different than you had expected.

Gotta slow down

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:42:00 +0000

Sometimes you've got to take a breather. Things have been crazy at work, and they will just be getting busier and busier until at least the end of January.

So I still haven't finished the Guatemala entries. Rest assured, they will be coming. But this was a special weekend to relax and spend time with Michael.

But I wanted to post a picture...albeit one that is a few weeks old...of my fabulous friend, Rachel, and her new baby, Gideon. I have some readers who know and love Rachel but don't use Facebook, so they haven't seen the latest.

Isn't Gideon cute? You can already tell that he is a bright child who will have a big personality.

Here's to enjoying all the little moments of life right now!

December 2008 Guatemala Trip Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:31:00 +0000

I still have three more days to write about in our Guatemala trip recap. Here's a taste of what's coming up: horseback riding above Lake Atitlan, the gorgeous drive to Antigua, staying at the legendary Casa Santo Domingo (!), and a coffee plantation tour with As Green As It Gets. Plus, Michael, still needs to do his guest post on the veterinary clinic in Solola.

For now, here's a summary of the posts I have already written:

Arrival in Guatemala -- Saturday, December 6

First Day of Volunteering -- Sunday, December 7 -- morning

Orphanage Christmas Party -- Sunday, December 7

Back to Sharon's -- Sunday, December 7

Distributing Donations and Meeting the Cumpar Family -- Monday, December 8

The Rest of Monday -- December 8

More Distributing and Sorting...and a Sunset -- Tuesday, December 9

San Jorge Christmas Party -- Wednesday, December 10

Chichicastenango and Mayan Families Party -- Thursday, December 11

Goodbye Panajachel, Hello Santiago Atitlan -- Friday, December 12

Horseback Riding Above Lake Atitlan -- Saturday, December 13

Santiago de Atitlan to Antigua -- Sunday, December 14

Antigua and San Miguel Escobar -- Monday, December 15

External Media:

Article in the Christian Science Monitor about our trip
Helping Mayan Families blog -- this includes a post I wrote about seeing our sponsor kids
Tricia's tribute video to Feed the Dream

December trip participants, I would love to link to your roundups on this page! Please send me your link, and I will post it here!

Christmas Photo Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:13:00 +0000

It has been a CRAZY week already. Layoffs, stress, you name it.

So let me take a break and show some of my favorite photos from this Christmas in Pennsylvania. Michael gave me a new camera as a present. It's a Canon PowerShot, about eight generations more advanced than my previous (and still beloved) camera.

A rural route in Pennsylvania -- loneliness and comfort

Ice crystals on the blacktop driveway. I had never really paid them much attention before.

My Aunt Honey's welcome arrangement

The back of my aunt and uncle's house

My Uncle Charles

My Aunt Honey and Uncle Joe's collection of antiques, both inside the house and out, made for great still life shots.

I am fascinated by the blue light of winter's setting sun in this picture of their kitchen.

2009 Update -- Reading and Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:33:00 +0000

I wanted to finish writing about our Saturday in Santiago, when we went horseback riding in the mountains above Lake Atitlan. But this experience was so monumental, particularly because of the conversations we had with our guide, that I need to take some time to capture it fully. So please bear with me for a day or so.

Instead, here is an update on the first four days of 2009, particularly in regards to resolutions:

I am happy to say that I have started reading my first book of the new year! The novel is the English translation of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I had read a few of Murakami's books and short stories translated into German a while back. There was something I really liked about his style: to-the-point, but yet elegant, at times glamourous and mysterious. Murakami is one of Japan's premiere writers.

I'm a bit intimidated by the fact that this book is, as the Washington Post says, "Murakami's most ambitious attempt yet to stuff all of modern Japan into a single fictional edifice." I'm not sure how much of the subtext I will be able to figure out, since my knowledge of Japan is fairly limited. But even if I only minimally grasp what this book is trying to achieve, I can enjoy Murakami's fantastic story-telling ability.

And in order to spend less time on the computer and more time reading, Michael and I finally got the computer out of the living room and into its own nook in the dining room (hey, we live in the New York metro area...at least we have a dining room!). We also bought two lamps for the living room, so it is a lot more cozy. I'm really looking forward to reading there!

We also organized and donated a lot of clothing and other things we don't need to the Salvation Army. And we had a maid service come in and give our apartment a thorough cleaning yesterday.

So I feel a lot more in control of our life and our stuff here. We finally have some more room to move around!

Now I'm off to cook dinner...and not order take-out!

***

10pm update

Dinner turned out great! I made four courses from scratch (except for the pasta) and modified some existing recipes to better fit what I had in the fridge!

Romaine Salad with Kalamata Olives and Lemon Vinaigrette
Baked Carrots with Cheese (served in tiny cast iron casserole dishes)
Spicy Ratatouille Farfalle (Michael helped kick it up a notch with Northwoods Fire)
Savory Orange Dessert Salad

Goodbye Panajachel, Hello Santiago Atitlan, Friday, December 12

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:14:00 +0000

Friday morning, we awoke early for a last breakfast in Panajachel. We went to Deli Jasmin, a tranquil little place towards the end of Calle Santander, just before the waterfront.

Holly C., Morgan, Sarah, Tricia, Maureen, and Mary all came.

We had a scrumptious breakfast, and then it was time to say goodbye. It was hard to believe that the volunteering part of the week was over, and that we wouldn't see everyone for a while. They were such a fabulous group of ladies!

We left the Deli, and Michael and I walked down Calle Santander to get out some money before we departed for our next stop: Santiago Atitlan, which is across the lake from Panajachel.

I took a picture of one of my favorite murals. I love anything with the national bird, the quetzal.

We packed up our stuff at Dos Mundos. BTW, Michael proved once again what a gentleman he was by bringing me flowers from the market one day! You can see them on the nightstand.

Then it was time to head down to the waterfront. We made arrangements through the hotel for a private boat. Yes, it was far more expensive than taking a ferry or collectivo, but we figured our safety was worth the extra money, especially since a ferry had sunk recently in Lake Atitlan. In the end, it was less than $40.

So, someone from the hotel drove us down to the docks, and we got on our very sturdy little boat. There was a little confusion, since the teenage boy who was carrying our luggage stuck around the boat. I was trying to think of how to ask how to ask my question, and all of the sudden, I thought of "La Bamba." "Estas marinero?" I asked. Yes, it turned out he was the one who was in charge of the boat.

And we set off.

The boat was fast! We quickly approached the volcano that had seemed far away.

And then we arrived at the private dock of Posada de Santiago.

We quickly got checked in to our accommodations: a stone cottage by the name of Casita La Palma. You can see the palm tree carving on the front door.

The cottage was small, but very inviting. We had a working fireplace with wood all ready to go. There was also some interesting art on the walls.

Outside our casita, we had a little lawn.

We spied a gecko on the wall of the neighboring cottage. Thankfully, he didn't try to sell us car insurance.

We also had our very own hammock!

This was the path down to the lodge, which was the site of the restaurant, bar, and information desk.

We decided to jump right in and take the short walk down the road into the city of Santiago Atitlan. Friday is market day, so we didn't want to miss it.

We followed the pickup trucks into town and down the streets we believed would lead us to the market. And we were right. We suddenly found the sprawling warren of tented stalls selling clothing, shoes, and kitchen needs. There was only one gringa in the vicinity, and we had seen her coming out of building that seemed to house an NGO.

No one hassled us or tried to sell us anything. There were no children or women carrying tourist textiles. It was very different than Panajachel.

We found our way to the indoor food market. It was quite incredible to see all the different kinds of tomatoes and squash and tropical fruits, not to mention all the women in colorful traditional dress buying and selling. I would have loved to have taken pictures, but I knew that would have been a big faux pas in this setting. We were guests in their domain.

Michael bought some fresh cut fruit. I was wary of trying any, since the old traveler's wisdom cautions against that. So I missed out. But at least I knew I didn't have to worry about digestive problems.

We exited the building by the meat stands, with their cuts hanging from hooks or sitting on the counter. I thought about how people probably do not wash their hands after touching raw meat here. Then I promptly put it out of my mind.

We wanted to find the famous church in town, so we started walking in a direction we guessed it might be.

On the way, we saw the gorgeous carved doors of a missionary church, I believe.

Finally, we found the main church in Santiago. A missionary priest from Oklahoma had been killed here back during the war in the 1990s. The church was very simple, but it had a few nice tablets at the back telling the story of the church and the war.

Outside the church, a little boy found us and asked if we'd like to see Maximón. This is a Mayan deity who is worshipped in parts of the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Maximón has a special shrine in Santiago Atitlan that I had read about in a great article in National Geographic Traveler.

The shrine changes location every year and is watched over by members of a local Cofradia, or brotherhood. I was eager to see what this was all about. After agreeing on a price, the little boy took us down a street to an unassuming house. I peered in the window and saw a scene I had imagined. There was the statue of Maximón wrapped in ties and scarves with a man sitting watch on either side of him. Maximón had a cigar in his mouth, and there were offerings of alcohol, flowers, cigarettes, and money. Two people were knelt in prayer before the figure, and they chanted and burned incense.

It was all very bizarre. Taking a picture cost money, and we only had big bills left, so I have no photos from this experience. But pictures I have found online are very accurate.

We paid the little boy. I was considering going back to the market and buying him a shirt. His was badly torn. But when he demanded another quetzal more than our agreed price, I decided that would be his bonus. Plus, as Michael said, if we had done that, within a matter of minutes every little kid in town who gives Maximón "tours" would have been on top of us.

Michael and I found our way out of town. We saw a woman throw a rock at a street dog along the way, and it sadly reminded me of the way many people here treat dogs. The dog seemed ok, though.

Again, we were not hit up by any vendors. I think all the vendors must be down by the Santiago public dock. We didn't see that part of town at all. So we missed art galleries and shops there, which are supposed to be good. But, then again, we didn't get harrassed at all.

The walk out of town back to the Posada was beautiful.

A last glimpse of town.

People were washing clothing on the banks of the lake.

We got back to the Posada famished! Luckily, they have amazing food. We started our lunch at the Posada mirador with fresh guacamole and blue corn tortilla chips. These tortilla chips were the real deal: handmade blue corn tortillas folded in half and fried. The one thing I would have added was some jalapeno and cilantro to the guacamole. The Guatemalan variety is blander than the Mexican. And, yes, that bottle of Gallo was icy cold and dee-licious!

After lunch, we rested in the hammock and then went for a schwitz in their little sauna cabin. It was just big enough for the two of us, and it was very effective! After a while I got up the courage to jump in their big, but cold, swimming pool. It was oh so refreshing after the sauna! Then we enjoyed their mini hot tub.

After a nap, we went for dinner in the Posada lodge. Again, it was unbelievably tasty. We were still rather full from lunch, but we did our best to eat as much as we could! I know Michael had some of the best ribs of his life there. I had an exquisite Szechuan eggplant dish. This was accompanied by a gigantic margarita for me and some aged Guatemalan (and Cuban) rum for Michael.

Completely stuffed, we rolled back to our casita and caught the full moon above on our way. Michael made a fire, and we lit the candles that were provided in the room. It was very rustic and romantic! You'll see more pictures tomorrow!

2009 Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:09:00 +0000

I'm the kind of person who loves a fresh sheet of paper, a new sunrise, and any other chance to think about the future and define new goals and ways to get there.

On the other hand, this is the first time I'm sketching out my resolutions so publicly. So I'm a little afraid of not getting this right.

But I will take the plunge anyway! Here goes.

In 2009, I resolve to:

Find a local charity in which to become deeply involved. I want to be able to give back just as much to people in my geographic area as I do to those in other parts of the world. I should have a good idea of what that charity is by April.

That being said, continue my involvement with Mayan Families and ideally take an organizational role in a small part (teen pregnancy prevention, perhaps?). I've got a donation goal in my budget for this year, so I will monitor my progress against that. I should probably have some idea of the organizational goal by April.

Post here at least a few times a week and maintain friendships with my amazing blogger friends. Comment on my friends' blogs at least once a week.

That being said, not spend countless hours procrastinating online. Any more than an hour and a half per night on the internet is probably too much.

Start reading books again! One book a month is a modest goal. I was an ENGLISH MAJOR, for crying out loud! So, ideally, I should be reading much more. But baby steps first!

Spend more quality time with local friends. Particularly, have more dinners here at home with friends. How about at least one dinner per month?

Visit my parents and my friends in the Capital District. I haven't gone up since our wedding! We should definitely visit by springtime.

Keep up my German language skills. I feel like my fluency, at least as far as speaking, is starting to fade! Read the latest issue of Der Spiegel at least once a month and ideally go back to Berlin with Michael to visit friends.

Actually read the manual to my new digital camera and improve the clarity and composition of my photographs. I should have at least made some headway by February.

Those are the main ones so far. I'll amend this with any updates as we go along!

Chichicastenango and Mayan Families Party, Thursday, December 10

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:47:00 +0000

Thursday was the transition day for Michael and me. We had finished four long days of volunteer work with Mayan Families, but we hadn't yet said our goodbyes.

Since we only had four full days during our April trip to Guatemala, we only saw a small part of the country. One of our objectives on the December trip was to see a bit more.

Our first destination was Chichicastenango for its world-famous market day. "Chichi," as it is called, is less than 20 miles away from Panajachel as the crow flies. However, because of the mountainous terrain, the trip by bus can take up to three hours.

We opted for a tourist mini bus and left a gloriously beautiful Panajachel at about 8am. The bus wound up the roads that had become so familiar: the turnoff to San Jorge, the city center of Solola, and the road that had taken us here on Saturday. But then we encountered new territory...in a whole different micro-climate, it seemed. The sun disappeared behind the clouds and fog started to descend.

We went through an agricultural checkpoint as we left the department of Solola and entered El Quiche. I noticed differences in the women's cortes (skirts) -- theirs had a horizontal band a few inches below the waist. Michael remarked that we would no longer be able to use our limited Kakchiquel we (or, rather, he) had picked up in Pana. The Quiche are a different people than the Kakchiquel and have a different language.

Finally, we arrive in Chichi. It had only taken us about two hours, thankfully. The weather was chillier than we had expected, but at least I had a scarf to wrap myself in. Michael and I dove into the crowds, looking for the center of the market.

There were hundreds of stalls lining the streets, selling primarily decorative items for tourists. We pressed ahead, knowing that the famous church and the local part of the market were awaiting us further in.

And finally we saw Santo Tomas, the church I had seen before in photos and paintings.

Amazingly, it looked very much like what I had expected. There were all sorts of vendors on the steps with flowers, and there were shamans burning incense.

A registered tour guide approached us and asked if we would like a tour of the church. Unfortunately, I did not get a shot of her. But we agreed, and she led us in the side entrance. The front door of the church is reserved for the shamans, she said.

Photography was not allowed inside the church, so I will have to describe it to you. Inside it was rather dark. There were no lights -- rather the illumination came from open doors by the steps and the side. This is a Catholic church, but the locals are allowed to practice their Mayan traditions on certain days. Thursday is Mayan. Sunday is a mix of Catholic and Mayan, and I believe the rest of the days are Catholic.

All down the aisle of the church were low stone slabs, about a foot off the floor, that are used for Mayan rituals. We saw people kneeling at the slabs lighting candles or arranging small bottles of alcohol wrapped in corn husks as offerings. Each slab was apparently dedicated to a different thing: good luck, health, marriage, etc.

The church is over 400 years old and was built on the site of a Mayan temple. So in order to convert the natives to Catholicism, the powers that be had to allow them to continue to practice some of their Mayan traditions. This is called "syncretism," and it's something I'm curious to learn more about.

Being a Catholic myself, it was very surprising to see a very different use of a church than I ever had before. There was something mysterious and fascinating about it, even if it did strike me as somewhat questionable from a religious perspective.

After the tour of the church, we asked our guide to take us to the food portion of the market. We really wanted to see the meal vendors and learn a bit more about local cuisine, but we had a miscommunication, so our guide led us to the fruit and vegetable market.

Then we decided we'd explore the rest on our own, so we paid the guide and set off.

While looking for food vendors, we found our way to the back end of the market and the famous Mayan Inn. We decided to stop there for a beverage and a brief rest.

The hotel was awash in Christmas decorations, which seemed a little incongruous with the lush gardens and parrots for someone like me, who has spent every Christmas in a cold weather climate.

If you look at the painting above the fireplace, that is a depiction of the Mayan candle-lighting ceremonies in Santo Tomas.

Outside the Mayan Inn, you could see a brightly colored cemetary in the distance.

Then we went back into the market. Michael bought one of these little orange bananas. The seller was very surprised that he wanted only one. I asked if I could take a photo, but he motioned that I could only take a photo of the fruit.

We also bought some delicious blue corn tortillas, fresh off the grill. When I asked to take her picture, the woman selling the tortillas asked me for more money, so we moved on.

There were so many possible things to buy. The huipiles, cortes, and belts (women's traditional dress) were so beautiful. But we reasoned it wouldn't be that practical to buy something for display. We have prints we bought a few years ago we still haven't framed...when would we get around to doing something creative with any of these?

The paths through the inner market were packed. One of the more bizarre traffic jams we encountered involved a man holding a large, live turkey!

But we wanted to buy a few souvenirs from our trip, so we made our way over to the more touristy area. There were so many textiles, wood carvings, and more. It was overwhelming.

We stopped at this stand and were admiring the handmade wall-hangings. Of course, the vendors always want to find out what price you would pay for their wares, so they can trap you into purchasing something! I gave my price, but the woman was not willing to go that low.

So Michael and I moved on and started walking down the narrow lane filled with vendors of similar items. But the woman would not let us go. She followed us and offered a price lower than she had originally said. I continued to state my price, and we walked on. The woman kept following us, and we said, "No, gracias." Finally, it looked like we had lost her. But then, and this had to have been at least a good half mile away from her stand, she reappeared and offered a price that was a few dollars away from mine.

Michael was reminded of his grandmother and how much time and effort her handicrafts took, so he said he felt bad about bargaining the woman down any more. The question was, did I want it? There were so many beautiful things at the market. It was really hard to decide. But after this woman had put so much work into this sale, I decided to go with her. So we went back and bought the wall-hanging she is holding with the blue peacocks and the quetzal (the elusive national bird of Guatemala) at the bottom.

Then we were done shopping. It's extremely tiring to shop, even when there are thousands of fantastic items, when everyone is clamoring for your money. Not only were there many vendors whose stalls we visited, but there were also plenty of roving vendors holding up bags or quilts or toys every few paces.

So we escaped to the second story restaurant, Los Cofrades, where we could eat in relative peace.

When it was time to meet up at 1:45 for the mini bus to take us back to Pana, we came upon a dreadful scene. The mini bus was already filled with tourists, and their luggage, who had not been on the bus on the trip there! It was an agonizing half hour or so while we waited to see what would happen and small children and old women tried to sell us things.

Finally, we were let onto the bus and most of the other people had to go to a different bus. And then we were off. I couldn't wait to leave the throngs in Chichi. The church was really worthwhile, but the rest I could have done without.

As we made our way to Solola, the skies cleared, and it became a gorgeous day.

We stopped briefly at the mirador or view point to look down at Lake Atitlan.

That's a view of Panajachel from above.

After we returned, Michael went to find Chico (who had been released back to the street after recovering from surgery), and I took a tuk-tuk over to Sharon's. When I got there, they were all done for the day, so I wound up taking the tuk-tuk right back with Tricia.

The girls and I decided to go down to the lakefront for the sunset.

After our walk, we embarked on a power shopping trip. We had seen the little beaded ornaments and keychains earlier on. They are gorgeous and in the shapes of things like quetzals, angels, fish, donkeys, lady bugs, stars, etc. I found a store with an enormous selection and lower starting prices than other vendors. So we all went to the store, and Mary told the shopkeeper that we all were going to spend a lot of money and asked what was the best price he could give us for the items.

Once the price was agreed upon, we charged! I bought over 30, which I later gave to my co-workers and my family. There were so many other great things, like beaded purses (our friend, Seth, likened them to wampum) and fabulous necklaces and bracelets.

In the end, I think together we spent over $200 at this one store, which made that shopkeeper one lucky guy! It was so much fun for all of us!

After the shopping spree, I met up with Michael and we went on the hunt for beer and wine to bring to that night's farewell party for the volunteers at Patty's house.

We took a mad tuk-tuk dash to a supermarket. Unfortunately, there were only cans (no bottles) of Gallo left. But we got them and a bottle of wine. As we found out, cans are more expensive than bottled beer. Strange. I'd prefer the bottled.

Anyway, we got back and just barely scraped together the 20 Quetzales for the round trip tuk-tuk ride. That was one of the banes of our existence down there! No one ever had change, and most things were too inexpensive to use a 100 Quetzales note (which is the only kind of note the ATM gave out). By the way, the exchange rate was around 7.5 Quetzales to the dollar, but that fluctuated a bit while we were there.

Then we were let in through Patty's front gate. I was amazed at how beautiful her home is. In fact, of all the homes I have seen in my life, hers is one of my absolute favorites. Patty has a courtyard, where tables were set up for our dinner. There are trees and paths to different parts of the house.

Inside, there is an incredibly warm and inviting kitchen and living room area with a big stone fireplace.

Michael and I sat across from the fireplace for a while with this street dog that had snuck in. Not Chico, though.

It was an absolutely wonderful evening. Almost all the volunteers were there, and by now, many of them were good friends. We had a delicious salad and pasta meal. In fact, it brought back memories of my friend, Tanja's cooking in Berlin. And if any of you remember my post about her cooking, you'll know what a poignant memory that was.

The evening was pure magic, and it was the perfect way to end our time in Pana. We said our goodbyes to the Mayan Families staff and fellow volunteers and our wishes to see everyone again next year.

Thankfully, it wasn't overwhelmingly sad at the end. We made plans to meet up with Tricia's group early the next day for one last breakfast together!

2008 Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:30:00 +0000

I interrupt the Guatemala coverage to give a quick recap of 2008.

This year has been filled with a number of great things:

Our first and second trip to Guatemala and getting involved with Mayan Families

My solo trip to Mexico

Visits to Michael's relatives in Minnesota and Florida

Hosting both Easter and Thanksgiving for my family

A fantastic Christmas in Pennsylvania

Purchasing our first home

The pregnancy and birth of our dear friends, Rachel and Seth's first child

The birth of this blog! As well as communicating with so many wonderful people through blogging

Reconnecting with a number of old friends through Facebook

Becoming a philanthropist -- even though I'm not giving millions (or even close!), I am giving more and giving with more purpose than ever before

There were many other things, but these are some of the highlights.

I'm looking forward to 2009, and I'll post some of my resolutions tomorrow. Already, I have something new to look forward to.

Today, I started sponsorship of a child in Kenya through the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. I've really been enjoying their blog, which I have a link to on the right. My mom has been a long-time sponsor, and I've also been spurred on by Nikki, who has various sponsored kids around the globe.

May you all have a great end to 2008 and a wonderful start to 2009!

San Jorge Christmas Party, Wednesday, December 10

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:48:00 +0000

By Wednesday, Michael and I needed to take a break from Hotel Dos Mundos' predictable morning fare. So we walked down Calle Santander to find another breakfast option. There weren't too many places open before 8am, but we finally found something

On the way back to the hotel, Michael spotted a dog who looked like Chico.

Hold on! It was indeed Chico! How could he be out on the street and not in Patty's truck?

Michael lured him back to Patty's with some bread, and we found out the story. Chico had been crying and barking for a good part of the night, so Patty finally let Chico out of the truck. Thankfully, we were able to find him again!

Michael put a leash on him, and then Chico suddenly got very scared and submissive.

Poor guy! He had no idea what was in store for him. But it was all for the best. There are far too many ownerless dogs on the streets of Panajachel, and the best way to control their population is through catch-neuter-release programs. By getting him neutered that day, the team prevented many possible litters of unwanted puppies from being born.

As we were waiting for our transportation that morning, a whole host of vendors descended upon our group. Again, I got off fairly easy. I only bought the chicken potholder this boy is holding.

Then our van came, and it was time for our group to head to the neighboring village of San Jorge for their women's group's Christmas party.

Michael and I had visited San Jorge in April, and we saw the community center being built. You can see pictures and read our account here.

Now, the community center is finished, and it was the site of our party.

Upon arrival, we saw the area outside completely decked out for the festivities. There were balloons and the traditional pine needles on the ground for a Christmas party.

A sound system was set up, and mothers were starting to gather with their children.

Once we brought in the toys and the baskets, the leader of the women's group spoke and thanked us. Sharon also gave a speech.

More and more families trickled in.

Then it was time for the kids to line up and play some games.

The Payasitos made their return.

While the kids were outside, the volunteers inside the community center organized the toys.

By the time the Payaso and Payasitos took the stage, quite a crowd had assembled. The clown amused us all with some contests, including a dance-off with some of the women paired up with some of the boys. Everyone got a good chuckle...and the winners got prizes, including plastic pitchers for the women and toys for the kids.

Then it was time to begin the distribution of the tamale baskets. These are just some of the baskets we handed out that day! In total, there were over 200.

The distribution process was quite time-consuming. First a family would come in and get on line. The kids would each pick out a toy from the table. We usually tried first to give a child a toy or offer them a choice of two, but often times the kids saw something they liked better on the table. Then the mother would receive the basket, and the whole family would pose with Santa, making sure they had their numbers (many of the kids are sponsored students) visibile.

Some of the kids brought drawings for their sponsors. More pictures were taken, and then the drawings were collected. The kids' hands had to be marked that they had received their toys, and the mothers received the ticket for the meat portion of the basket, which would be distributed a few days before Christmas (since no one has refrigeration).

Before we knew it, it was 2pm, and we still had many, many baskets to distribute. But everyone was famished, so we stopped for lunch.

A cooking group had been hard at work with the preparation of the meal.

Women lined up with small pots to receive the portion for their family.

Each one received some chicken and then a soup was poured over that into the bowl.

Contrast that with our meal: According to Sharon, the women knew that volunteers like us are often hesitant to eat the food that is prepared, since they are afraid of getting sick. So the women all contributed money so they could buy us a meal catered by a restaurant in Panajachel! That must have cost a fortune for them. I was absolutely blown away by the depth of their generosity and gratitude. This was the most humbling meal of my life.

First we had hibiscus punch in tall glasses.

Then we were served this feast: a huge chicken breast, mashed potatoes, a mushroom gravy, rice pilaf, and broccoli. All on nice china. Again, compare this to the little pails and pots in which the women were getting their own food. I gulped back tears in my eyes and chowed down.

Even though it was an enormous portion, I did my very best to finish my entire plate in gratitude for their sacrifice.

After lunch, we had to finish bringing down the rest of the tamale baskets, which were temporarily on the roof of the community center. While up there, I took a look around at the village.

I was reminded of how much we have in the States and how much we take for granted. But I also thought about how a great quantity of personal possesions does not guarantee happiness. These children were absolutely thrilled to receive one stuffed animal as a Christmas gift. How many kids in the US would be?

I looked down and saw the crowd was thinning. Lunch was over, and it was time to finish the distribution.

One of the tamale basket recipients was the grandmother of Julio, the Mayan Families staff member whom we had first met in April. Actually, both of Julio's grandmothers were present, as well as his mother.

As the toy piles started to dwindle, I searched for the stuffed animals that would be more appropriate for the older boys who were still waiting. It was tough, but I did find some.

And these boys were able to find something they liked.

For the girls, the dolls went very fast. In fact, I learned a new word: Muñeca, since so many girls asked for one.

Sarah's sponsored student lives in San Jorge, and she spent most of the day with us. She showed a great interest in photography, so Sarah let her use her camera.

Below is a portrait the little girl snapped with my camera:

Check out Aleeya, Sharon's daughter, in traditional dress, above center! She can rock both Western and Mayan looks with ease!

Finally, the task that had seemed impossible was done: we had distributed all of the tamale baskets and all of the toys. The sun was going down, and it was time to pack up the van and head back to Panajachel.

It was a very long day, and I couldn't have hacked it without all the support of my fellow volunteers and the people we served.

On our way back, Tricia and I spied this woman doing the traditional backstrap weaving in her home! It was intriguing to see this done for real and not in a tourist setting.

I stopped by the lone concession stand on the town square and bought tiny bags of popcorn and crispies. The vendor also had the small bags of cut fruit that had fascinated me in April.

Tricia paused for a minute, and I watched the fog start to roll down the mountain.

When we got back to town, I went to find Michael. Again, cell phones would be a good call next time! We finally found each other, and we went for dinner at Las Chinitas, where we heard Ezzy from the Mayan Families Healthy Pets group sing and play guitar.

Two young vendor girls came in and tried to sell us some knickknacks. I didn't want to buy, but I did have some food left over in my bowl. So I asked the girls if they wanted to eat that. They hungrily took the bowl and devoured the food at a nearby table. They brought the bowl back completely empty. Michael had a bit left on his plate, so we gave that to them, as well. I had taken his discarded shrimp tails off the plate, since I was afraid they would have eaten those, as well!

It was an experience. We went to bed that evening with quite a lot of food for thought.

More Distributing and Sorting...and a Sunset, Tuesday, December 9

noreply@blogger.com (Holly) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:31:00 +0000

On Tuesday, Michael had the vet clinic in Solola, so he had to leave very early in the morning. I wound up meeting Cheri and Angela at breakfast, and Cheri asked me to write a post for their Helping Mayan Families blog.

So I took some time to do that and came over to Sharon's mid-morning. There, I helped some more with putting together tamale baskets and distributing toys and clothes.

Sharon showed me this little boy -- he weighed practically nothing!

Tricia got to meet her last sponsored student, Jennifer, as well as her brother, who had accompanied her to the house.

We saw the rarest of things: a man carrying a baby! This couple had twins, and the wife carried the girl, and the husband carried the boy.

Happy recipients of a basket.

This was a blind man who came in with his son.

The distribution ended in the early afternoon. After that, we had lunch prepared by the Mayan Families kitchen workers, and then it was time to get the toys ready for the San Jorge Christmas party that would take place the next day.

First a word about toys: Beanie Babies are one of the greatest inventions ever! They are perfect as gifts for just about any kids...except for older boys! The older boys were our Achilles heel. We searched through big garbage bags of toys, suitcases in the back of the house stuffed with assorted things, huge cardboard Medrano boxes, all in search of suitable toys to give boys over the age of 10 or so.

We found a few balls (soccer balls, of course, are the best gifts of all, but we couldn't find any of those), some balsa wood airplanes, a few action figures, and a toy vehicle or two, but it was slim pickings. Note for next time: stock up on the older boy toys before I go down!

Once we had the toys together, there wasn't much left to do. Tamale basket production had stopped, since we were waiting for the rest of the contents to be delivered to Sharon's, and that wouldn't be till the next day.

So I went back into Pana for the evening.

Here are some of the fried chicken street vendors. Yes, fried chicken is the ubiquitous street food.

I went down to Lake Atitlan and caught the sunset for the first time.

Of course, there were numerous roving vendors down by the water, but I got off easy. I was only arm-twisted into buying a hairband.

The sunset was gorgeous.

Then I met up with Michael at Dos Mundos' bar/cafe and got to hear about all the excitement from his day in Solola. He'll have to tell you all about it.

While we were having a drink, we met an exuberant young street dog, with whom Michael fell in love. "Chico" just walked right in the door and kept giving play bows. Michael said he would be a perfect candidate to be neutered the next day at the clinic. Meredith, the vet, was there, as well, and she agreed.

Some vendors came in, as well, and one little girl was just too cute to turn away. I bought this stuffed turtle from her.

Before we went off to dinner, we were able to find Patty, one of the co-founders of Mayan Families, who also lives next door to Dos Mundos. Chico was still hanging around, so Michael put him into the back of her pickup truck, so he'd be safe for the night.

Michael and I had wanted to go to dinner at Circus Bar, but unfortunately, they were closed that evening. Circus Bar is great for live music, and we had had dinner there back in April. Instead, we went to nearby Atlantis. It didn't have music, but the food was good.

Stay tuned for photos of Chico! The next day, the saga continued!