Notes from Guatemala

Coban 1/2 Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:30:00 +0000

I know, I know. It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a blog. Mia Culpa. It’s not that I haven’t been doing anything. Really it’s that I’ve been doing a lot of things. So how do I get you all caught up? I think I’ll stick with one topic at a time. As my faithful readers know I am somewhere between an “avid runner” and a “retired competitive 1500m runner”. This spring I came out of retirement to run a ½ marathon in Coban. Coban is a city in the center of the country, a bit more tropical than Tejutla and a ½ marathon is a bit over 13 miles. I had been invited to run in the ½ marathon by Fito, the brother of the mom of my host family (my host uncle). He’s a doctor in Guatemala City. His wife is from Coban and they have family and a house up there. Another brother, Rolando, was also going to run. Having 13-miles hanging over my head was good motivation to get out of bed and run in the morning or to get a quick run in after work over the past few months. I ended up going up there with my friend Amy. We got in Saturday and the race was Sunday. After getting my number and t-shirt we went over the family’s house. The brothers were going to go out and get Churasco (BBQ Beef) for dinner. Coach Stanforth would never have allowed us to have Churasco the night before a race so Amy and I headed off looking for Pasta. After about an hour of wandering around town we ended up at nice little Churasco place. O’well. There were huge crowds and lots of festivities associated with the race. Even fireworks. A few gringos, but mostly Guatemalans. The race had about 3000 registered competitors and another 1000 or so who just ran. There were also a dozen runners from Kenya. It was pretty crowded at the beginning, but after the first couple of miles it cleared up a bit. The course was out and back so our cheering section was able to root us on at a couple of points (in Spanish of course). I ran 1:40:10 which is about 7:37 per mile. All things considered I was happy with that time. Not sure if I’ll be running it next year, but it’s always fun to get back in some semblance of “shape”. If I’m doing my math right, this marks the 10th country that I’ve raced in and the first in Latin America.

The Work

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:28:00 +0000

I have written about a wide variety or cultural experiences and social activities in my blog. An old friend of the family, who was a Peace Corps Volunteer in India, pointed out to me recently that I had yet to write about what I’m actually doing…the work.

The Peace Corps tries to find, with varying degrees of success, qualified Americans to volunteer in specific, well defined, projects working directly with host country nationals. Peace Corps Guatemala has six program areas: Agriculture (Improved Techniques and Marketing), Health in Schools, Appropriate Technology, Eco-Tourism, Youth Development, and Municipal Development. I’m in the Municipal Development Program.

The Municipal Development Program (Muni for short) places volunteers in Planning Offices at the Municipality level of government (a cross between a city and county government in the United States). With 10+ years of experience as an Air Force Officer the Peace Corps seemed to think that I could impart some management and planning knowledge on the office and municipality.

The program goals are two-fold. 1) To improve the functioning of the Municipality 2) To increase citizen participation. Under Goal #1 I have facilitated the creation of Annual Goals for each of the workers in the office and based on the Goals we created an Annual Plan. I’ve worked on creating databases of information on the different communities in the municipality. I’m also working on a Community Diagnostic which should provide us some valuable information on the needs in the different communities. The list goes on. Goal #2 is more at the grass-roots level and it involves me working with community groups. Guatemalan law allows for the creation of legalized citizen participation groups at the community level known as Consejos de Desarrollo Comunitario (Community Development Councils). In Tejutla we have 62 of these groups. To better manage them I worked with my counterpart and the City Council to create 8 micro-regions. We were able to implement the regions during March of this year. Together with the NGO CARE International, I’m embarking on a training program on different aspects of citizen participation such as: The Law of the System of Development Councils, Project Design and Implementation, etc. I’ve also chosen a number of community groups to work more directly with. I meet with a women’s group every two weeks and I’m advising the Volunteer Forrest Fire Fighters of which I’m also a member (the Forest Fire Fighters, not the women’s group). On the more macro level I’m advising a network of women’s groups and I worked with them and the City Council to get two seats on the Municipal Level Development Council.

If it all sounds a bit nebulous it’s because it is. I sometimes wish I was building something or helping plant something where I could see tangible results from my actions. At the same time I understand the importance of good governance and am excited to be able to play a small role in the bettering of the local government in Tejutla.

So that’s what I’m doing and what I’ll be doing for the next 18-months or so. Am I busy? At times. Am I challenged? In different ways than I have been previously in my life. Am I happy to be here? Absolutely.

Traditional Easter Carpets

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:32:00 +0000

Easter is a big deal here. It’s not just Easter Sunday, it’s the entire week of Semana Santa (Holy Week). Beginning with Palm Sunday there are many processions and celebrations. In the processions you find different groups carrying statues of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, or other random Saints through the towns. In more touristy locations such as Antigua these are hugely popular with foreigners and quite the show, although there are celebrations throughout the entire country. Even though I had the majority of the week off of work, I decided to stay in Tejutla for Semana Santa. The biggest procession is on Viernes Santa (Holy Friday) and it involves the construction of Alfombras (carpets) along the route of the procession. These are not carpets in the traditional sense of the word, rather they are intricate designs on the street constructed of colored wood chips, straw, flowers, or other assorted , mostly organic, items. The host family I had stayed with invited me to help with the construction of theirs. I think the invitation was in part based on the assumption that I would make a large pot of Starbucks Coffee to start the day (which I did). The work started Thursday when the family used different dies to color the wood chips and also cut out various molds. Friday started around 6am with the infusion of coffee and then we were off to the races. Over the course of the next 3 ½ hours 5 of use were engaged in the laying out of the Alfombra (17.5 manhours if you are one of those guys). The molds were used to make the forms of the crosses, the diamond borders, and other fine details. There were about 40 other families doing the same thing throughout the town. The procession started at the cemetery and made its way to the Catholic Church. The priest, the alter servers, and the groups carrying the statues walked directly over the alformbras stopping periodically to read scripture, pray, and sing hymns. I’m sure the tradition started with the Spanish in some form or another and it’s beautifully carried on today. I went to Easter Vigil which of course was followed by another procession. This time we were not walking across alfombras, but a lot of firecrackers were set-off as we made our way through the town. It was an Easter to remember and great to be part of the celebration.

Volcan de Tajumulco - What a View!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:21:00 +0000

At 13,486 feet above Sea Level, the Volcano Tajumulco is the highest peak in Central America. It’s also visible from the village of Tejutla, not unlike Mount Rainer hovering over the Puget Sound Area. There are of course many differences the most significant being the climatology. Mount Rainer has glaciers and is covered in snow and ice year-round while Tajumulco may get a dusting of snow in January or February. I think I can safely say that I “climbed” Tajumulco but a more accurate description may be to say that I “hiked” Tajumulco. My sitemate Matt and his friend Brenda headed in the afternoon for the trailhead. Matt had “climbed” Tajumulco once before in November. We ended up in the back of a pick-up and then on top of a load of bricks on our way to the trailhead which is less than an hour from Tajumulco. We made the ascent to the campsite and pitched our tents. There was a German couple with a Guatemalan guide who were already up there and gracious enough to share their fire. Early to bed as usual when you’re camping. The alarms were set for 4:30 am to finish up the ascent in time to see the sunrise. It’s is supposed to be a phenomenal view of the Pacific Ocean, Mexico and countless peaks throughout Guatemala. Unfortuantely for us we were in the middle of clouds with 0/0 visibility we had to settle for the good exercise that goes along with “climbing” mountains and the knowledge that the Volconoe isn’t going anywhere for the next 20-months and we’ll have the opportunity to summit again. Next time I think I’ll check the weather report.

Welcome Home

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:51:00 +0000

I moved into a house on my own this past week. I spent the first 3 ½ months in my site living with a wonderful family, but it was time to be out on my own again. Based on some life decisions, like quitting my job to travel and then join the Peace Corps, I haven’t really been on my own since the December of 2006 (thanks K.C., Mom & Dad, the host families, and people who put me up on “Paul’s Imposition Tour 2007”). Kind of crazy. It’s a fun little house with plenty of room for just me. My favorite part is an odd room which is more or less built on top of the house. It has windows on three sides and is very airy (and quite dusty too). Kind of reminds me of a tree house or a fort you would have had as a kid. I’ve taken to drinking my coffee up there in the morning. This is my house for the next two years. It brings a question to mind…what’s home or perhaps where’s home? Certainly my youth was spent in Seattle (okay, Federal Way if you want to be exacting). Then the Air Force settled me in 3 States and 3 Countries over the course of the next 14 years (and countless more for shorter durations). There were the 8-months spent vagabonding around the U.S. and now Peace Corps Guatemala. The question of home may pertain to the building, but there is so much more to it than that. People have come into and out of my life with varying degrees of impact. Some have been there throughout. Life in the moment has always been a confluence of people, events, and locations. Sometimes for the very good and sometimes for the very bad. Sometimes for the very fun and sometimes I’ve had to “embrace the suck”. The “houses”. There was the spilt level on 305th Street (aka the “Family Home”), the dorm room, the thatched roof cottage vintage 1600, the apartment with the view of the Pacific Ocean, the dorm room part II, the house with the apple orchard and far too much land to maintain, the bachelor pad, and the “Family Home” once again. All were the canvas for my memories. It will be interesting to see what new ones I will create in this quirky little house. There was a saying we had in the Air Force: Home is where the Air Force takes you. I suppose even since I’ve hung up my flight cap, the sentiment holds true.

Quick Facts

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:37:00 +0000

When I got my assignment to Guatemala as a Peace Corps Volunteers part of me was wondering what Peace Corps is doing there. Guatemala seemed to me to be more of a tourist destination than a place that needs Peace Corps Volunteers (granted I have a tendency to vacation in some austere locations). And besides, the Peace Corps has been in Guatemala for over 45-years...is there really stuff left to do? During a conversation early in my training, I asked one of the staff members “when will the Peace Corp’s work be done”. His was response was “when there were no longer children starving in the countryside”. Fair enough. I thought I would take a few minutes to share with you, my three faithful readers, some facts about Guatemala I have come across in my time here which have helped me understand and contextualize my service. I tried to stick to the facts which are more or less not disputed or colored by political debate.
- Over 2 million people lack access to basic needs such as healthcare and education (of 11 million) - 1 of 4 rural children graduate from elementary school
- Half of all children suffer from chronic malnutrition
- As of 2003 57% of the population lived in poverty and 21.5% in extreme poverty
- In my municipality of 30,000 plus people, 90% of the houses are made of Adobe, 2% are made of wood, and 8% are made of block
- My municipality ranks #21/332 in the nation for Poverty and #12/332 for extreme poverty
- The 1996 Peace Accords ended a 36-year civil war, the longest and bloodiest of Latin America’s cold war era civil wars
- The civil war left an estimated 200,000 dead or “disappeared”.
- The Earth’s axis tilts 23 degrees off vertical causing seasonal variation
- For the period of 2000-2004, only 7 percent of congressional representatives in Guatemala were women, and only 11 percent were indigenous.
- The United Nations recently listed Guatemala as the fifth most dangerous country in Latin America, with 44 homicides for every 100,000 people.
- Of every 100 homicides, 93 are left unsolved
- Guatemala received a score of only 2.5 of 10 on Transparency International’s 2005 Corruption Perception Index, ranking alongside Libya, Afghanistan (been there), and Philippines, slightly worse than Zimbabwe, Belarus, and Vietnam, and slightly better than Russia, Republic of the Congo, and Venezuela (they all sound like great places to visit).
- Of the denunciations of public servants presented to the Public Ministry, only three percent are investigated and concluded
- Many existing Municipal Planning Offices lack qualified personnel for technical analysis and advanced planning (I’m working in a Municipal Planning Office)

Sweet 15

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 04:37:00 +0000

For the ladies in Latin America, it’s the 15th birthday that is celebrated in style. It’s a coming of age, not in any sort of scandalous way. I was fortunate to be able to celebrate the 15th birthday (quinceanos) of the daughter of my host family Faviola this past weekend. What was probably the best part about it for me was that I wasn’t just a guest. I helped the family set-up the decorations for the celebration, I was one of the last to leave at 4 in the morning after we cleaned up the majority of the decorations, and I was the only non-family member to dance with Favi during the formal part of the evening (at the urging of the fam). All the aunts, uncles, and cousins came for the event; needless to say it was a full house. The festivities began with mass on Saturday night. Favi had her own chair and kneeler in front of the alter and there were special blessings just for her. She wore something that was a cross between a prom dress and a wedding dress (not actually tacky in any way). The party was in the municipal salon. She made a grand entrance and there were speeches made by her father and godparents. She gave a lovely speech thanking the right people. One rather fun tradition is called “El ultimo baile con un muneca” (“The last dance with a doll”). She danced with a doll and then at the end handed it over to her next youngest female relative, supposedly signifying her transition from childhood to adulthood. Good food. Good dancing. Good cake. Good fun. I think this experience and others like it, more than working in the office during the day, is what I’m going to cherish from my time here in Guatemala.

When you come out to Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:29:00 +0000

I had the opportunity to go with some of my Guatemalan counterparts to some potential “eco-tourism” sites around the Tejutla area. There is no succinct definition of “eco-tourism”, but basically it indicates that the main tourist attraction is the environment or perhaps something cultural and that the visitor is conscientious and will attempt to do no harm. Our first stop was a little adlea called Los Arcos. As the name implies it has an arch. Allegedly it was build 1000 or so years ago, but I’m not sure anybody knows. There isn’t much too, but it was kind of interesting, although I see it from the bus every time I head out of town. Next we went up the ways to El Chorro Viente Polos which has a beautiful waterfall. The road to it is less than perfect and I’m sure it’s impassible in the winter. There was somebody shooting guns at the bottom so we decided not to go down there. The third site was a corn field near Cuya. Surrounding the field were three small mounds, perhaps the size of a small one-story home in the US. As it was related to me, these were ancient Mayan sites of worship althought they looked a lot like piles of dirt. Also in the middle of the field was small stone table which was perhaps used for some sort of sacrifice. The next stop was a hilltop outside of Cuya with a nice view of the valley. Our final stop was a place called agua tibia (warm water). The water wasn’t actually warm. There were signs that some people in the past had tried to make this a destination of sorts (pools and the like), but it’s all in disrepair at this point. Maybe I’m jaded because I’ve seen the Great Wall of China (or at least the portion that’s a replica built by the Chinese government in the 1980’s), but I’m not sure I would go out of my way to see any of these sites. The most spectacular of all the places was certainly the waterfall, but it’s a long drive to just look at it. It’s actually encouraging to see the municipality try and think in terms of how to take advantage of its resources, but I’m not convinced that Tejutla is going to be a tourist destination except for those of you who come out to visit, in which case we’ll undoubtedly be looking at an old broken table in the middle of a corn field. I'm sure you can't wait.

Panahachel—strikingly beautiful, but…

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:41:00 +0000

I’m not a loather. Really. I ended up spending New Years with the majority of the volunteers from my training class in Panahachel (Pana). Pana is located on beautiful Lake Atitlan one of the most spectacular places I’ve seen in the world. It’s a large lake with mysterious winds surrounded by three majestic volcanoes. Certainly the view is wonderful. It was also great to see my friends from training who I haven’t been able to spend much time with since we headed off to our sites. Mi problema was, more than anything, the sheer number of gringos in the town and the blatant catering to the tourists. It’s okay if you cater to me, but I don’t want to know you’re doing it. In terms of self definition (and we all have one), I have always thought of myself more of a traveler or explorer than a tourist. If given the choice of staying at a 4-star resort or a simple accomidation I will almost always choose the simple one unless someone else is paying the bill. I have no desire to go to Cancun except in a sort of anthropologist capacity. I had a relatively nice and comfortable hotel and a hot shower with more than adequate water pressure (a luxury here). I was with friends and good times were had. A little drinking. A little dancing. Staying up past my bedtime. Nevertheless I couldn’t get past “Pana-Rock” (Pana’s version of Hard Rock Cafe) and the vendors covering every square inch of the main road. This place is also commonly referred to as “Gringotenango”. Perhaps I should be more accepting. I have a friend who related to me a story before I went to pana. She had been volunteering at a mission in San Lucas Toliman also on Lake Atitlan. One afternoon she and some other volunteers decided to take a boat over to pana. They were discussing their plans with one of the staff at the mission. He looked at them with a bit of disappointment, and asked them “why”. There response naturally was they had heard it was a nice town and fun. He replied, in all seriousness “well, if you like it, it’s your damn own fault”. Will I be back? I’m not a lemming (again, self definition), but if the group goes I’m probably up for it. I’ll definitely head back to Lake Atitlan to explore some of the other villages surrounding it. There is supposed to be a nice hike from Xela to Lake Atitlan which takes a couple of days. Of course, if someone else is paying the bill, I’ll stay at a 4-star resort.

Christmas in Guatemala

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 15:46:00 +0000

This wasn´t my first Christmas away from family, and in all likelihood it won’t be my last. This was, however, my first Christmas in Guatemala and with that came a number of new traditions. The first of these was the “Posada”. The word Posada roughly means rest. It is a sort of reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and not finding room at the inn. The tradition has evolved into a nightly pilgrimage to a different family´s house the 10-days leading up to Christmas. There is a procession with two children dressed as Mary and Joseph and statues of Mary and Joseph. Lots of candles. When the procession arrives at the house a series of responsorials are sung. Alter a while the crowd is let into the house (or courtyard). Some prayers are said and it ends with tamalitos and tea or coffee. It is a very simple and reflective way to prepare for Christmas. The days leading up to Christmas my host family was busy preparing a Nativity set. This included cutting out a cloth backdrop and Stars, buying different types colored sawdust, getting out the little play animals. Christmas eve the ladies in the house busied themselves making Tamales. At about 10 pm those of us who were not directly evolved in Tamale making went to mass. A simple celebration, and surprisingly no overwhelmed with people like Churches in the U.S. on Christmas (and Easter). At midnight, about the time mass was ending, people started lighting off fireworks in the streets. When we made our way back to the house the family respectfully placed the baby Jesus in the manger and then said a series of prayers ending with a decate of the rosary. After that tamales, bread, fruit punch, candy, and nuts were in order. There were only a few gifts exchanged, none amongst the family proper and we talked until a bit alter two. Christmas day was simple as well. We ate a late breakfast followed by a late, although large, lunch. We capped the day off watching the movie Elf in Spanish (my gift to them). Although one would always prefer to be with their own family during the holidays, this was a joyous Christmas with my Guatemalan family.

Dennis Rodman comes to Tejutla

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:32:00 +0000

Each year in the six-weeks leading up to Christmas the community holds a basketball tournament. The timing is such because it’s the dry (albeit cold) season and the students are out of school. As luck would have it, the father of my host family was able to find me a team. Those of you who know me in person (versus just knowing me through the internet) know that I’m 5´11 ¾” tall. I’m not sure exactly the average height of the Guatemalan male, but I’m guessing it’s about 5’5” if not a little under. I have a theory that it has to do with drinking coffee with dinner everynight starting at the age of 2. I also get the sense that they play a lot more soccer than basketball in this country. I base that on the lack of some fundamental skills in basketball. Don’t get me wrong, they can dribble and shoot, but it’s a bit rough. With the exception of one freakishly tall Guatemalan, I’m the tallest guy in the tournament. I’m also the only one who seems to get the fundamental concept of blocking out and rebounding. The first game the team wasn’t really flowing. It could have been that fact that they don’t ever practice and I hadn’t picked up a basketball in three years. The second game things were going a bit better. I was a rebounding machine until I got two technicals and kicked out of the game. Yes, I know…poor form. Here’s what happen. The other team found their best defensive technique to be to hold onto my shirt when I was under the basket. I got a bit worked up when this 5´2” Guatemalan muscled the ball from me since his buddy had my shirt wrapped up in his arms. Once I got free I elbowed my way in to get the ball back, perhaps with a bit more force than is acceptable in a church league. Just like back home, the choose referees here with less than perfect vision. So I got the first technical for the incidental blow to the chest of the other player with my elbow. After that I decided it was important that I explain some of the rules of the game to the ref. Of course I turned to my native tongue to do so. It turns out that he actually did speak a little English after all, at least he understood the F-Bomb when I dropped that a couple of times trying to add emphasis to some of the finer points. Last two games have gone better—Double-Doubles with a good amount of points and boards. We actually won the last one. It’s like what Coach Lindeman used to tell us on the Track Team…we’re just out there to have fun, and winning is fun! We´ll see how the rest of the tournament goes, hopefully I won’t pass up the opportunity to keep my mouth shut this time.

It’s better to be a coward…

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:41:00 +0000

The public transportation system in Guatemala isn’t the safest. In fact, as Peace Corps Volunteers we are prohibited from taking public transportation inside Guatemala City. Last Wednesday I headed down to Antigua to spend the night there before heading into the city to have Thanksgiving dinner with a family from the US Embassy. I ended up going with two other volunteers. We got a late start since the axle broke on the bus one volunteer was riding down from her town. The delay meant we missed the last Pullman (think Greyhound) and had to take a Camioneta (think crowded school bus) for the 7-hour journey. Aside from a sore arse and a bit of boredom, things were going just fine until we got outside of Tecpan and three men stood up, pulled out pistols, and demanded all of our money and valuables. Not just the gringos, but also everyone’s. They were equal opportunity robbers. Unfortunately, I had made the tactical error of brining my laptop (free Wireless in Antigua) and my digital camera (to take pictures of turkey?). They had a keen interested in the three gringos on the bus and rightfully so since all told they made off with a couple of laptops, a digital camera, two I-Pods, about $200, my watch, and a bit of my pride. They had the due diligence to feel around my crotch and find my money/passport carrier. Fortunately, they only wanted the cash. For no good reason, I also had my class ring with me, but one of my colleagues was nice enough to hide it after she was frisked. I never did actually find out where she put it, but I suspect it was somewhere that doesn’t get much sunshine if you know what I mean. The ladrones (robbers) had control of the bus for about 45-minutes in total and got off in the middle of nowhere, probably to a getaway car. I have to say, they were quite good at what they did, but I see bad Karma heading their way. This is fairly uncommon and I chock it up to bad luck, and yet common enough that the Guatemalans saw no point in notifying the police. We of course made the necessary phone calls to the Peace Corps and they reacted appropriately. Not cool, but probably not the most danger I’ve ever been in. That night my fellow volunteers bought me the commiserate amount of drinks for an armed robbery at a bar in Antigua. Of course there was an Irishman/Philosopher at the bar who was able to pass on to me some words of wisdom (an ol’ saying in his country said with a thick Irish accent) “It’s better to be a coward for 5-minutes than to live the rest of your life dead”. Wise indeed.

Swearing-In

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:39:00 +0000

It is hard to believe I’m actually a Peace Corps Volunteer now. If you weren’t keeping score, we had three months of training before we were sworn in as Volunteers and now the 24-months of service clock starts. If you would have told me 18-months ago that I would be a Peace Corps volunteer I would have told you that you were crazy. The 16th of November we swore it at the Ambassador’s residence. It was a nice ceremony and two members from each host family were invited. I am sure for many of the Guatemalans this was on of the nicest houses they have ever seen, actually now that I think of it, it was one of the nicer houses I had seen too. We were then able to spend the weekend in Antigua-Guatemala, which was a nice change and a good chance to get together with friends before we went off to the four winds. Now it's time to get to work.

Veteran’s Day

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:36:00 +0000

I wrote the following e-mail to my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers on Veteran’s Day. I figured some of my blog readers might enjoy it also.

It seems like a lifetime ago and a world away that I was wearing the uniform of our armed forces and yet on this day last year I was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. What a difference a year makes. When I think of Veteran’s I tend to think of my father and my uncles who served in Vietnam and my grandfathers who fought in World War II, but after wearing the uniform for more than ten-years and serving in Iraq and Afghanistan I suppose Veteran’s Day is for me as well. Today I can’t help but think of and pray for the soldiers in the mountains of Afghanistan, the sailors afloat in the Mediterranean, the marines on the ground in Iraq, and the airmen putting jets in the air around the world. I can’t help but remember the many men and women who have given their lives in defense of our nation.

And still I find myself today in Guatemala serving in the Peace Corps. Most people who find out for the first time I traded in my Air Force combat boots for Peace Corps Birkenstocks have some degree of astonishment. It was a very personal decision involving a sincere desire to work at the grassroots level in development and have a rich and deep cross-cultural experience. In the end I consider it a continuation of the same strain of service to our nation that I started when I was sworn into the Air Force.

Although I deployed to some austere locations, I consider myself fortunate to not have seen the face of war in the way that many members of our military do. I refer to them simply as heroes. Over the years I did have the opportunity to drink coffee with a Serbian man who was only a child when the war in Bosnia ended who nonetheless continued to have a deep rooted hatred for Muslims. I met Afghan Air Corps leaders who were working hard for a better and more secure country even though they had known nothing but brutal occupation in their lifetime. I found myself living on a base in Iraq receiving almost daily mortar and rocket attacks from local farmers who in desperation received a small sum of money from insurgents to light the fuse (and run). I heard stories from Koreans who have been separated from their families for more than two generations because of a tyrannical dictator. I have to question where these seeds of hatred come from and what can be done about it. I truly believe that improving the lives of people on an individual level, exposing others to American freedoms, and gaining a better understanding of how others live can have nothing but a positive affect on the world we live in today. That is exactly what we’re doing in Guatemala.

I find far more similarities than differences between the service I am doing now and the service I did in uniform. I found myself then and find myself now surrounded by motivated people who at their core want to make the world a better and safer place. People willing to make significant personal sacrifices. People who want to decrease human suffering and improve the lives of the less fortunate. We hear of decision makers who are hawks and of decision makers who are doves, but I believe war and peace are on more of a spectrum with a lot of ground in the middle. President Kennedy, the visionary of the Peace Corps, served with distinction as a Naval Officer in World War II and I think he understood this too.

Today is not about just or unjust wars, quagmires or long-term strategy, troop surges or withdrawals. Today we don’t talk about a Global War of Terrorism, low-intensity conflict, or nuclear proliferation in an unstable world. Today is purely about remembering the men and women who have served and are serving as soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in our armed forces. I know of no collective body that wants to avoid conflict more than our men and women in uniform. And yet, when they are called to serve, when they are called to put their life on the line, they step forward and do so without hesitation.

I recognize that I’m not the first veteran to serve in the Peace Corps and I’m certain I won’t be the last. Over the years I encountered a number of returned Peace Corps Volunteers who were proudly serving in the Armed Forces. In my mind, they are now making peace in a different way. In my mind I’m still fighting for the same things I fought for when I wore the uniform in a different way.

I have seen war and I have seen peace and I can attest to the fact that peace is better. And while I’m thinking of my brothers and sisters in arms in faraway lands this Veteran’s Day I am proud to be here serving with my brothers and sister in peace. I hope all of you take a moment today to think of and honor the men and women who are serving and have served in our armed forces. If you have a friend in the military drop them an e-mail. If your mom, dad, uncle, or aunt served, give them a call and say thanks. That’s what today’s about.

Sincerely

Paul

Where’s Pauldo?

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 02:17:00 +0000

We got our sites this week. It was fun to find out where we’re each going to spend the next two years. We actually got a map and put it up at a bar in Antigua with pictures of each of the trainess taped to their site. There are three programs in my training class—municipal development, agriculture security (growing stuff) and agriculture marketing (selling stuff). Each program director had the opportunity to get to know us over the course of the last two months and also had visibility on the available sites. We got a chance to give him our druthers, but at the end of the day he tried to match our skills and desires with the needs of the available sites. It would have been fun to be a fly on the wall. I told our program director that I was willing to go anywhere and I wouldn’t mind going “somewhere shitty”. I also menioned that I thought the place I visited where all the men wear red pants would be a good fit. He had other thoughts. We acutally talked the day he finalized the list and he asked if I would be okay with going somewhere else (where they don’t wear red pants). I had to put my trust in him. I’m actually heading up to Tejutla, San Marcos near the border with Mexico. It’s about 1-hour from the main town of San Marcos, not that remote, and not that “shity”. I think the overwhelming reason I’m going there is because the guy who has been there the past two years has been extremely involved in the office and the town’s business and our director wanted to send someone who might be able to continue his level of work. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. I know from experience that it’s much easier to follow a screw-ball or chuckle-head so we’ll see how this goes. The other thing which is slightly unerving is that he was a native Spanish speaker (I you’re reading this you’re a good dude and you did a great job). I’m sure it will all work out just fine. I guess we’ll find out when I head up there in a couple of weeks!

Dia del Muertos – Go Fly a Kite

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 02:03:00 +0000

The first of November was the Dia de Muertos or “Day of the Dead”. It’s also know as All Saints Day. One tradition in Guatemala is to go during the week and paint the graves of your ancestors as well as lay flowers. Many people actually go to the cemetery the night of the 1st for a good part of the night. The other thing that Guatemalans do is fly kites. Not your normal made in china kites that you get a Wal-Mart, but homemade kites of varying sizes. I went over to Santiago to see these kites. There were teams of men flying these kites right from the cemetary which ranged in size from 10 feet to over 100 feet tall. There were made with differing sizes of bamboo and something aproximating tissue paper (I believe it was a higher grade than what we use in gift bags). In a mixture of Mayan and Catholic tradition the thought is that the kites can help you get closer to your ancestors (who are in heaven which is of course on top of the sky). I’m happy to report that the kites over about 30 feet tall weren’t actually flown. I’m assuming is was because of some sort of catostophic disaster that occurred in years past. They certainly looked airworthy and were cool to check out nonetheless.

Spanish

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:37:00 +0000

Learning a new language is never an easy thing. I have my good days and I have my bad days. Overall I feel like I’m improving, but I can’t wait for the morning where I wake up and I’m fluent. Apparently it doesn’t happen that way. My level coming in was “Intermediate-Low”. Basically that meant I can ask and answer simple questions. After 5-weeks we had another evaluation. I’m improved to “Intermediate-Intermediate” which means I can ask and answer slightly more advanced yet still simple questions. It’s good to know I’m getting better, although I was hoping to move up one more level. A saying we hear a lot is “Poco a Poco” which roughly translates to “Little by Little”. It’s a little intimidating to think that in less than four weeks I will not have any more Spanish classes and my lessons will consist of living by myself in a Guatemalan community and trying tto function with government offices, communtiy groups, and NGOs. O’well “el es que el es” (“it is what it is”, at least I think that’s what I said!)

Noise

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:33:00 +0000

Our Volunteer handbook mentioned that one thing that causes most volunteers some irritation is noise. I didn’t believe it when I read it, but now after living in Guatemala for about 6-weeks I know what they were talking about. It’s always noisy. I mean always. Right now in the background there rain on a metal roof and an electric guitar and drums coming form the Evangelical Church next door. By next door I mean I can step out of my room (from the door that leads to nowhere) and onto the roof of the church. In the morning there will be Roosters doing their thing. There is a random loudspeaker about 15ft from my room that makes occasional announcements about whatever needs to be announced. Saturday night there was a rather loud prayer and worship service occurring no more than 20ft from where I was trying to sleep that went until 5am. Like many places in the world, Guatemalans tend to celebrate by blowing things up. In their case they do it the civilized manner of lighting a string or six of firecrackers. At least they aren’t shooting guns in the air like some other countries I’ve been in. I can guarantee you when I get to my permanent site I’ll be paying particular attention the proximity of my house to any Evangelical Church and/or farm animals.

Name that fruit or vegetable

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:44:00 +0000

I suppose it should come to me as no surprise that there are fruits and vegetables down here that I wouldn’t find back home in the States, but it never ceases to amaze me. From time to time my host family will put a bowl full of a vegetable soup in front of me and I start trying to figure out what exactly I’m eating. One popular vegetable is called Guicoy and it’s a cross between a potatoe and a cucumber. There are tiny little apple like fruits called Guayava and there is a little nectarine like fruit with at large seed in the middle. I feel kind of silly having to ask whether you eat the peel (and seeds), but I guess you just grow up learning that with the fruits you encounter in your youth. Any guesses on the fruit in the photo?

It’s harder when it’s not your native language

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:42:00 +0000

I really don’t have much of a fear of public speaking. Between different jobs I had in the Air Force I was given ample opportunity to speak in public to varying sizes of groups. This past week we had the opportunity to give our first (of presumably many) talks in Spanish. Although my Spanish is certainly better than it was when I arrived, I’m nowhere near fluent. It makes it a challenge and at the same time fun. The talk covered the organization of a community group so I felt comfortable with the topic and actually we pulled it off very well. An interesting observation which was made to me was that it’s possible that we may know Spanish than our audience if they come from an indigenous village. Not sure I’m ready to pick up a Mayan language…vamos a ver.

Yes, that nice old lady just pulled the head off a Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 02:40:00 +0000

Today we had a bit of a cutural experience. My Spanish class went to a village called San Andres Iztapa. The village is fairly typical except that they have a special chapel there to worship the wicked Saint Simon. To call it a church is a bit of an stretch, although it’s in the shape of the church. There were a couple of rituals occuring simultaniously. Inside the church, people were lining up to go up to the alter and be hit all over their bodies with herbs and then have aguardiente (alcohol) spit out all over them by a lady in front of the statue of Saint Simon. There were people kneeling and liting cadles as well. Outside people were making small fires of incense, wood, candles, eggs, candies, and a number of other odd and sundry items. There would be some words said and then the fire was lit. Some people knelt really close to it and others jumped over it. We watched this for close to two hours waiting in anticipation to see what would happen with a chicken we saw one group of ladies bring into the courtyard. As the ladies were getting the fire ready, the two young girls were playing with the chicken. The chicken’s minutes were numbers because when the fire got going this nice old lady pulled the head off the Chicken (about 10 feet from where I was sitting). With blood soaked hands, she proceeded to throw the head on the fire and then when the body stopped moving (as in “running around like a chicken with your head cut off”) she threw the torso on the fire. The worshiping of, or perhaps praying to, San Simon is a mixture of some Catholic rituals and some indiginous riturals, although neither would claim it and I’m certainly not ready to sign-up. It wasn’t at all tourisy, but we didn’t feel out of place or unwelcome either. I’ve seen a lot of things in my time, but the sacrificing of a Chicken now ranks up there. After our few ours in Iztapa we returned to the town of Chimalentango for lunch…I had beef.

Camioneta Etiquette

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 16:45:00 +0000

My primary mode of transportation besides my own two feet is Camionetas. These are old U.S. School Buses which have made the journey down here to transport the majority of Guatemalans from one place to another. They are also affectionately known as “Chicken Buses”, although I have yet to see a chicken on one. The buses are painted in bright colors. The drivers are usually competent, if not a bit aggressive. Every once in a while you get a Mario Andretti want-to-be. As a guy who is 5’11 ¾” it’s sometimes hard to fit in the seats, especially if you find yourself sitting over one of the wheels. When it’s full they put 3 to a seat and then they fill up the middle as well. There is a guy who they call the “ayudante” (Spanish for Helper) who makes his way thought the bus with some frequency and collects the fare form the new faces. This guy is amazing. He can remember who is new on a bus packed with 70 people. I suppose recognizing me isn’t that hard. When you have more than just a backpack the ayudante climbs up ladders that have been affixed to the bus and puts your stuff on a luggage rack. I’ve seen lots of baskets on their way to market up there as well as an occasional bicycle. One of the more amazing ayudante tricks I saw was one night a few weeks back when on a crowded bus the guy climbed from the doorway to the top while the bus was going down the road at 35mph to retrieve the goods of someone who was getting off at the next stop. It’s really a great experience, although not always the most comfortable. Perhaps after a few years it might get old.

Bucket Showers

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 16:40:00 +0000

You kind of get used to certain creature comforts that you may have had for more than 30-years. One of the ones which I was used to was a “normal” shower. As I recall, you turn the water on and adjust it so hot and cold meet in the right proportion and you enjoy and adequate amount of water pressure to thoroughly clean your body. No so much here. At least not at the house where I’m staying. Every morning I boil a decent size pot of water and bring it into the “shower” with me. In the shower there are two or three 5-gallon buckets of cold water. I then proceed to fill a bowl which is about the size of a dog-food bowl with a bit of the hot water and a decent amount of cold water and dump it over my head. Repeat about 25-times with different amounts of lathering and shampoo and I’m pretty clean. This morning I accidentally dropped my soap in the hot water. Not thinking, I reached in there to grab it. Not a good idea. I think the technical term is “scald”, but whatever it was it wasn’t pleasant, but I know it could have been worse.

Far Far Way

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 16:38:00 +0000

I spent three days this past week in a place called “Todos Santos” or All Saints. It’s in a departmento called Huehuetanango which is up near the border with Mexico in the Northwest of the country. I was visiting a volunteer who has been doing the Municipal Development program for the past two years. He’s had a very successful run and will be leaving soon. The town is famous because the men wear a traditional clothing which consists of red bellbottoms with white strips and a white jean jacket with blue and yellow strips and an embroidered collar (I´m not making this up). It wasn’t just a few of the older men wearing this, it was almost all of the men over the age of 6. It didn’t matter if it was the mayor or guys working on the “road construction” project. To get up there I took something approximating a Greyhound for almost 6 hours and then another camioneta (think school bus) for another 2 ½ hours, the last hour of which was on a dirt road. Funny enough, I think I could be very happy in a place like this.

Trip into the Big City

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 02:58:00 +0000

This past week we made the trip into Guatemala City with my Spanish teacher. The Peace Corps offices are in the city while the training center is located in a nice little town called Santa Lucia Milpas Altas about an hour from the city. Milpas Altas means tall corn stocks, but you probably already knew that. In January the offices will be co-located in Santa Lucia. After that point the only business we would have in the city would be a medical appointment. I'll tell it you you as it is...the city kind of sucks. Lots of traffic and pollution. For our safety we have to get off the bus on the outskirts and take a cab if we need to travel in the city. The good thing, I suppose, is that you can find anything you might ever conceivably need in the city. I even came across a GAP! It's a world away from where I'm living now and I don't imagine I'll make any more trips in there than I have to unless of course I need a new pair of Khakis.