40 days and 40 nights

Since I haven’t written for an entire month before just a few days ago, I thought I’d bring everyone up to speed with a more informative update.

A bit about my host family: they’re wonderful people, I really couldn’t have asked for better-hearted and kinder people to live with my two and a half month initiation into my two year living stint in Guatemala. My Guatemalan Dad, Don Gabriel, owns a construction company and my Guatemalan Mom, Doña Lubia, runs two corner stores, one in our town and another the next town over.

By Guatemalan standards they are quite well off, which means by Peace Corps standards I’m quite spoiled. Unlike some of my site mates, I have the luxury of running water in our house (with only occasional interruptions), warm showers every morning from what I like to call a “suicide shower;” because there is no heated water, the heater that is attached to the shower is connected to about 4-5 wires right above your head; but instead of being frightened by it, seeing wires in my shower have become a pleasure. Despite my current living situation, though, my site for the next two years could very well have no running water at all, so I’m trying not to get too comfortable.

I have two host siblings, but they’re both married and have families of their own. Eddy is 30 and lives just down the street with his wife, two children, 6 and 3, and have one on the way. Gaby just got married this April to Eduardo and they live in the next town over. They have also been extremely welcoming, friendly and great to get along with. Maria-Reina, Eddy’s daughter, is very charming; though she took me by surprised when one of her first questions to me when I first met her was “do I have an iPod?” Very cute and once in a while I help her practice her English since she has English class every Saturday in Guate (short for Guatemala City).

My family is wonderful though. They’re extremely talkative, so making an effort to talk comes second nature to them. They’ve taken me out to a few places to show me different places around the area, and have also taken me to relative’s houses to have dinner. My second week here Doña Lubia said I should invite my friends over for lunch/dinner. Since then some of my site mates have come over a few times and every time Don Gabriel says “esta es tu casa” (this is your home). They can talk up a storm and I can still understand them!

It is pretty much an unwritten rule that at some point during Peace Corps Service, PCVs will get some kind of “stomach-related” irritation; but let’s not beat around the bush here: diarrhea will probably get the best of any PCV. Hell, we had an entire medical session dedicated to it, which gave a whole new meaning to “D-Day” Though I haven’t had any “major” disturbances, I’ve had some up and down days, and Doña Lubia has been extremely helpful. Because our host families are not allowed to give us any OTC or especially prescription medication, Doña Lubia has given me a bit of herbal teas from leaves she picks from the garden outside in the yard, which is just one more reason my host family is awesome.

My Spanish is getting better every day, it seems. I still understand a lot better than I can speak, but my comprehension is improving immensely, and my conversation skills are also getting better, thanks to my family. We will be sadly be switching Spanish teachers, which means Mirsa, our teacher since our first week of training, will no longer be teaching us. To ensure that we hear a variety of Spanish, PC Guatemala switches teachers once throughout training.

From Thursday morning till Friday evening we had non-stop rain. Saturday was so heavy that all the streets in town started flooding about mid-calf. I was still at Sara’s house when I decided I should get home and drop off some of my stuff before heading to Antigua to work on a project with Scott, from Alotenango. When I reached the street I realized I should have left a bit earlier. The streets had turned into brown rivers, streaming downwards towards the valley. I walked on as much sidewalk as I could until there was no more.

I stood there looking at the water flowing for about 10 seconds deciding on whether or not I should just turn back to Sara’s and wait it out, but knowing that this could very well last a good day, I did what is considered a bit taboo here otherwise: I took off my socks and shoes and walked barefoot through the flooded streets I tried not to let my imagination take over when I felt soft, mushy substance between my toes and concentrated on not dropping my shoes into the brown water.

After getting home and changing into more weather-appropriate clothes, I left the house with Tevas and capris. I have yet to purchase my rain boots, which would have come in quite useful many times now, and could have possibly saved me from this cold I have now gotten. Tomorrow we leave for field-based training in Sololá, on Lake Atitlán, about 3 hours west of our training site. There we will meet some more current volunteers and have about three and a half days of site visits and activities. This past week the Marketing volunteers and Food Security trainees have been preparing “charlas,” or presentations, on better practices, usually to groups of farmers or entreprneurs. It’s all based on Adult Experiential learning and is really
a great way to teach adults in a non-conventional way.

That’s pretty much it for now. I’m getting used to the food (mainly black beans, fresh tortillas, cream and fried plantains is a staple dinner) and freshly squeezed lime-onade or instant (yes, instant) coffee. You’d that a country, such as Guatemala, that is known for its’ coffee would have great coffee readily available at an affordable price. Unfortunately for me (other PCVs and all Guatemalans who appreciate good coffee), the export price for coffee is much more worth the coffee farmer’s while to sell to foreign markets than to sell in-country, which just adds to the list of sacrifices being made while here. But believe you me, the benefits far out weight the sacrifices.