tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361288899529668152024-03-12T21:29:21.320-07:00the road less traveledramblings of my life as a Peace Corps volunteer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-59172883705000005262010-10-20T13:58:00.001-07:002010-10-20T13:59:39.675-07:00World Hand Washing Day<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As a healthy schools volunteer I thought it would that World Hand Washing Day would be a wonderful opportunity to do a fun activity with the children about why we wash our hands and how we wash our hands. Unfortunately, the school year finished two weeks ago and none of the children are in school. My host sister, who is a third grade teacher, and I talked about what we could do to celebrate and incorporate kids outside of the school environment. We decided to have an activity day at my house with the kids from the neighborhood.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">On Saturday morning eleven of the neighborhood children, aged four to ten, showed up at my house and we started with an ice breaker game in which each child had to say their name, their age and their favorite food. We segued from food into the conversation of washing our hands and why we wash our hands. My host sister did a wonderful presentation with them reading the story of Mariquita Cochinita with them. Afterwards we did a question and answer with them asking them questions like, How do you think Mariquita felt when she was sick? and the kids were very enthusiastic about the activity.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Afterwards I brought out water and soap and taught each of the kids how to wash our hands before we eat and after we go do the bathroom. We played music from the radio for one minute so that they could get used to how long they needed to wash their hands for. They had a lot of fun dancing around my porch singing as they washed their hands.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The third activity we did was a drawing activity. Each child had a sheet of paper with their name on it that said Lin Ka’ba Lain _______, Ut Lain Nin Ch’aaj Lin Ruuq. That translates from Q’eqchi Mayan to My Name Is ____, and I Wash My Hands. They got to trace their hand onto the paper and color the sheets however they wanted to.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Afterwards we washed our hands again, a few of our older kids were really excited and even recruited some of the other kids from the neighborhood and showed them how to wash their hands. Afterwards everyone got to choose between pineapple or mango slices for a snack and got to take home their new handwashing poster. It was a small project but the kids really enjoyed it.</span></p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-2934266145981239162010-10-18T19:21:00.000-07:002010-10-18T19:22:19.982-07:00Arachniphobia<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Tarantulas are not a normal part of most people’s day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I do not have a normal life. As such I’ve been forced to deal with palm sized arachnids for the last 20 months. I’ve developed what I would like to call The Five Stages of Arachnid Cohabitation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stage 1: Discovery and Absolute Horror</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>There were about six blissful weeks when I first moved to Chisec when I saw no tarantulas. Sure, there were other large spiders but nothing as grotesque as a real live tarantula. Then, one day, I was cooking in the kitchen. I keep my spice jars in a basket next to the stove and I reached into the basket to get some curry powder. As my fingertips grazed the prickly fibers I panicked. Potatoes and chicken went flying as I accidentally knocked the frying pan off the stove and watched as my houseguest ran for cover behind the kitchen table. I was in shock. Had I really seen a tarantula? Was this some sort of nightmare? Was John Goodman going to come busting in through my door to save me? No. This was real. Goodman wasn’t coming and I had to take care of the spider myself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stage 2: Minor Fascination</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>After the initial shock wore off I developed a bit of a minor fascination with the tarantulas. I never went so far as to touch them, but after trapping one in the kitchen and escorting him outside with the broom I took some really cool pictures. Despite being creepy, they’re actually really interesting creatures. I Goggled tarantulas in Central America and it appears as though my new roommate is not in fact poisonous. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stage 3:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Acceptance</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>I actually came to accept that tarantulas were a part of my life in Chisec and while always a bit annoyed by their presence I usually just swept them outside or used the broom handle to scare them back into their hiding spots in the eaves of my house. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stage 4: Surprise Attack</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Only after I’d been lulled into a false sense of security did the tarantulas launch their full-scale attack on me. My brother Alex came to visit and we were packing to head up to the Tikal ruins. I dug up my running shoes and as I was about to put my foot in I noticed a rather large spider web in the shoe. A tarantula had moved in. I panicked; drop kicked the shoe outside and yelled for my brother. Alex spent the next ten minutes trying to get the tarantula out of my shoe. It’d hidden himself deep in the toe of the shoe and efforts to beat it out weren’t working. Alex suggested just squishing it in there but I didn’t want to ruin my shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I ended up taking my hiking boots<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(after a thorough inspection) up on the trip rather than the running shoes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The story doesn’t end there though. The little shit managed to ruin my shoe and my week even after he was gone. A few days after I came home I put my running shoes on to work out. I checked my shoes thoroughly for spiders and hesitantly put them on. I thought I was good, but shortly after my work out my foot began to itch like crazy. Turns out tarantulas shed their hairs when they are frightened and the beating we had given it had turned the inside of my shoe into a formidable spider hairball. The rash on my foot took over a week to go away.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stage 5: Mission to Kill</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>As my rash faded away, my anger bubbled up inside of me. I was on a mission to brutally kill every tarantula I faced. I’d had to throw out my shoes since there was no way of removing the hairs. One evening I caught a tarantula strolling across my kitchen floor. I trapped it under the colander that I use as a sort of tarantula jail and put him outside while I took a shower and contemplated how to destroy the creature. I have no idea if this was the same tarantula that ruined my shoe but in my blind rage all tarantulas were guilty of causing the evil rash on my foot</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>While in the shower I kind of chickened out. What if he could shoot his hairs at me and they stung my eyeballs and blinded me? Was this a smart idea to launch an attack on the spider on his home turf, two hours from the nearest hospital? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I planned to release the spider but Peluche, the dog, had a better idea. While I’d been showering he’d discovered the tarantula underneath the colander outside. Best. Toy. Ever. The dog proceeded to scoot the colander around the porch trying to get the tarantula out and when he finally knocked it over and the tarantula went running for the bushes Peluche hunted him down. For the next hour he mercilessly tossed the arachnid up and down in the air and pawed at it as it tried to run away. In short, he mauled the spider to death. Peluche is now my favorite animal. Sorry Sasha.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-48255710249656400332010-09-30T21:52:00.000-07:002010-09-30T20:51:18.025-07:00LSATSo I've decided that since I don't have enough crazy stuff to deal with up here in the jungle, that I'm going to attempt to tackle the LSAT. (this seemed much cooler when i was going to be taking it in Guatemala City, but now turns out ill just be one of a billion people taking it back in California since the LSAT decided to axe Guatemala off the list of places they offer the test)<div><br /></div><div>Here is a list of reasons why preparing for the LSAT in Guatemala is actually a good idea.</div><div><br /></div><div>* It's a really good distraction from facebook. </div><div><br /></div><div>* Justifies me spending 300Q a month on high speed internet (for my online review course...)</div><div><br /></div><div>* Helps me remember how to speak/read/write in English.</div><div><br /></div><div>* Gives me an excuse for staying in site on the weekends and thus not breaking the Peace Corps travel rules.</div><div><br /></div><div>* Provides a forum for interaction with other Americans (and a few Canadians) that I am otherwise deprived of since the two volunteers closest to me are gone. One got kicked out and the other quit.</div><div><br /></div><div>* Forces me to have a schedule that does not go like this. Wake up. Facebook. Go to School. Nap in Hammock. Facebook. Eat. Nap some more in the Hammock. Facebook. Eat again. Facebook. Go to bed.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I take the test Oct. 9th at Cal State East Bay. Definitely ready to knock this one out, my hammock misses me. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-23508999834583705162010-08-16T15:31:00.000-07:002010-08-16T18:53:46.956-07:00why i'm in need of a vacation<div style="text-align: center;">Why im in need of a vacation...</div> <p class="MsoNormal">My mom called me yesterday from the airport in San Diego, she and my dad have been down there attending the APA conference. Anyhow she told me that she felt just like me then went on to describe how she hadn’t changed her clothes in several days, she was stuck wearing flip flops because she couldn’t find shoes, she needed a pedicure so badly she was embarrassed to face the Vietnamese girls at For Your Nails and that her hair was so frizzy she looked like she'd gone back to her student days at Berkeley. At first I was kind of insulted, although assaults on my general state of cleanliness are nothing new, she used to tell me I looked like a homeless person when id come home from college with baskets of dirty laundry wearing sweats and old tie-dyed t-shirts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then I took a look at myself and decided, shes probably right. Most of my clothes smell like mold, I’ve developed a bad case of what we refer to as “country foot” and I can’t find my razor so I haven’t shaved my legs in a month. Heres a good visual comparison…</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Hurley from Lost <span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;">/</span>Me</p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuIGj3i6eVelRMRv8514xKFIhmZRJG4Mhz_lHTPHj-2vD2JjlGdhfe_R-UfpuEGaHjgwEkkfODO081OTK7tEMRWlUsVKZGxsbovAlMAv69yE05ZbAZLqzl7B-GCY-mRKFvPNVRkEIXAjV/s400/Screen+shot+2010-08-16+at+4.26.13+PM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506141174403441986" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">also, tony just told me a look like a contestant on survivor...not what you want to hear from your boyfriend.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">UPDATE:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> ok maybe tony had a point...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Scary dude from Survivor/Me</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OC9tOW3h6POXuNMCNJ3T7KE3IrS8P2_Vfb4GGRY__pcXzyT_XQvEqho2Bo8fM2EFprX0J7k4H1iI0uTRlQufGt185ICTT8HyKGSDe6pfsrqBL9Z6CbuqRY1imJqkeAnWCjEkENPTQvk5/s400/Screen+shot+2010-08-16+at+6.14.34+PM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506167556202910242" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-73215053706953729822010-08-16T07:55:00.000-07:002010-08-16T21:38:15.030-07:00More animal tales.<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Ok, so one more animal story.<div><br /></div><div>I woke up this morning and there was a new dog in the yard. Im going to attempt not to get attached to this dog because the last two dogs I liked mysteriously disappeared and the one dog I can't stand won't leave. Anyhow. New dog is barking and barking and barking so I go outside to see what New dog is barking at. Well, apparently he doesn't like that the pig in the yard is tied up to the mango tree and he's decided to let the pig know this by getting really close to him and barking. The pig can't do anything about it because its tied to the mango tree, although I don't think the pig knows it should be annoyed at New dog. Also, New dog kind of looks a lot like this really pathetic cat my brother used to have named Jack.</div><div><span><span></span></span><br /></div><div>Sasha, my dog back home would definitely bark if she came across a pig tied to a mango tree. Although unlike New dog I'm sure she would be much more composed even when facing a pig twice her size. She's jewish and all so shes good at avoiding ham. I haven't uploaded a picture of New dog and the pig yet, but heres one of Sasha.</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAE7u3kNdoMZkQqkq4TlSuaj_xUkC-LQQ1TQwxKmFeqHUdbFWpwE2CF3giswHmK4tmHldViDvVuWrFlagPQNwM3qLUsPdfkPDuDVAOx7OJQRPA5EhpELm2m72V2Rd_oGXlb6y7acsXGgRe/s400/kosher+dog.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506233258266741426" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">UPDATE:</div><div style="text-align: left;"> ok so i uploaded the picture of New dog and the Pig...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvfwjth9KA7SqGmenPeb_Ro_CCQPcG_A0vIJI8laqKzpii7SjwEjnIemiJ2hQ0JAqzLQWUqQsxMt6XD3FtpOeW0E210azmpCr8y-PyM7OI5dMESHx74m_o1euTNZ3Fmk22fC8PIgwxoN3/s400/Screen+shot+2010-08-16+at+1.48.56+PM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506098205236980674" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-49793115743415540842010-08-11T19:58:00.001-07:002010-08-11T19:58:59.440-07:00Animals<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Amusing/Funny/Unusual Things that I’ve Seen Animals Do In Guatemala</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span>I was sitting on the bus the other day and I looked out the window and there was a pig, a really big pig, like 20 pounds of bacon worth, chasing a duck across a soccer field. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span>Walking into town one day there was this stray dog passed out on the side of the road and sitting on top of him was a duck. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span>This one never fails to amuse me. Entire truckloads of Guatemalans will erupt into laughter when they see this. So when dogs have doggie sex, sometimes they get stuck together, and when the male dog tries to dismount he usually ends up spinning around so they are stuck together, ass to ass. Then, if they are in the middle of the street and a car is approaching they try to run away but they’re headed in opposite directions so they don’t get anywhere. It may be one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-35702218882643716242010-06-26T15:35:00.001-07:002010-06-26T18:43:37.413-07:00Travels<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So the airport finally opened and Tony was able to make it down safely. We spent most of our time in Chisec so I could finish up some projects before the two week school break. I'm in the middle of a bunch of big construction planning so lots of trying to motivate teachers, parents and masons as well as trying to find money for all these projects. ( US AID where is all this money you promised?) Tony came to school with me one day and the Q'eqchi women had a great time trying to figure out if he was a giant Guatemalan or an American. I wish we could have spent more time traveling around but unfortunately I don't have enough vacation days left to do that (saving them up for my 2 week trip back home in August). We did get to go down to Lanquin and had a wonderful time doing the candle lit cave tour and swimming in the pools up in Semuc Champey.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Nothing better than a man cleaning your room</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlwIdj9uqVQMi9K3TZx4oQw4uOkNU1iOW3zN8-bVqIsrxyTsCOys_kMo78DoH7xiW8a86kRdYXVSN6dyXdrO8xB6qEKvhRFpEKsIP_JMux7uDWx_ATK6bUB1yUU-AuUHz7rLwKgn807Ha/s320/IMG_4515.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487262290791270258" /><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;">Parent meeting in Pecajba</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9MdRU2-d6DXoLughvaP2wsGC3LWj6Yk9YNhyed7UyOpaw005huH5HYoP9eSuWfh_KmVK8U9CyDIF5I8-J2agZlQnZgKMgU8ZVbAxVOtilD9anKZQ-gD3z0r6QyyBkQPWspO_7tToJTDJ/s320/IMG_4505.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487261431644224594" /><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Waiting for a the bus in Lanquin</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZoCU0Nxo_w73RDXrTP4BCXfNkxSafQV3C4kjOY34YCPs88wXQurTVwrKGwWBa7CIlNZ7Vb668uNpEtvSA0buyP3PrpR4N_z_J8B6Ps8-p5-e84hIQPJNOuJRN9dFK9FHBTALpHqTaUyx/s320/IMG_4452_2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487260521248697362" /><div><br /></div><div>I've got my brother here now and Alex and I are heading off to Flores to go see the Mayan ruins before we head down to Antigua for the all volunteer conference and 4th of July party (which our country director decided to hold on the 3rd not the 4th, who knew she had enough power to move our independence day...)</div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-44366026089192169082010-05-29T08:03:00.001-07:002010-05-31T18:27:00.779-07:00Rain, rain go away.<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Here's whats happening in Guatemala:<div><br /></div><div>A tropical depression, that I will be referring to as "Shit Storm" has hit Guatemala. First the volcano erupted and now we're set to get hit by some nasty tropcal rain for at least the next 10 days. Peace Corps has us on lockdown on our sites and I really need to g</div><div>o to Coban to buy some cinnamon toast crunch. The airport is currently closed and if Tony can't make it down next week because of volcanic ash on the runway I'm leaving...when the airport reopens that is.<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfKHRqLpiCDNBrYiNZ50PyxkFz-sMQKNVj3rbN3Cl1tKxQjFm3lxEhRcZkA8uEa_lfu4-hdw9o9BYFZEgE4ZJ9HI1fabLHCtmX81L6Ie5025Bec1Uybbg_VdkGarAcNey_JYe6HMBM_Fj/s320/29064_108313565880908_100001067961627_66345_5989154_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477610297335458162" /><div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienMEQ8wc4GCpWZz9C51WnwmyOSZU88wfZXFpUo4L_KNpy35xWCX_-0KItAqOE9O6bGLOTHypprwShRAlb41WqO2Xf3zivjWxiP_riueC59nBOuVb8bItEj91oAQXBTEiXUiAXKrXA9n03/s320/27799_111759948868873_100001046058112_70792_4368774_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477610293197649794" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznQttxhASK313ET_BCimE0bhHz3AvTo4wfegePzWrt8eddu-ScXFqS65yOEdPCP6OrAYw8gwsndcaDhB0f9J81zxwaI5SHxfw3z3LSTiQ7gDCstJPnp6aolmUv1jzEXBcPAVPapQKkFYG/s320/IMG_4389.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476711186197873442" /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXYZqHc1MH6Yjf6YT86Qgh6SAJDkP9KexTf6rrXPnBGlrVWVzF0sKnalz3VCED0rRmX9c79EYAYdH65d0xzQ1bnIxAQQKEgy45DElXk3FMbDJWSCgqhEGnB2QNA0fpWJq-oFyalAZ4Uwe/s320/28236_1471017654832_1215338043_1314685_3691262_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476711191775910338" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe the Mayans were right, 2012 is coming. (actually my guatemalan friends were joking about this at lunch yesterday).</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKPG8PrmxEURcZkGha39eWRoALHF1Yv1gEvTJLJX-qYsmtpnW_g1pOrievHvk5L5Q7jLld3jNFm0FuVyoTWxAg8vVgn-ypKJXp6dqO5iqepnFyT0LAp9xAFAM5eRnHgepMCRAbQvq-SD_/s320/IMG_4380.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476711178854534850" /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>UPDATE: Sat afternoon</div><div><br /></div><div>So it got a little bit too wet and I'm now unofficially on lock down until at least Tuesday in Tactic at my friend Kate's house with Jareau and Kelsey. Scrabble and Trivia Pursuit for the next three days. Also, the airport is scheduled to be closed until at least thursday so they can remove the volcanic ash-turned-cement from all the water from the tropical storm. Tony and I are frantically trying to figure out what to do so that he can still get down here.</div><div><br /></div><div>UPDATE: Monday evening</div><div><br /></div><div>So Agatha, the first tropical storm of the season hit Guatemala on Saturday mid-morning and wiped out a huge part of the country. Over a hundred people are confirmed dead with dozens more missing, and over a hundred thousand people are displaced. The President issued a state of emergency but the airports still closed so help is slow to arrive. Bridges are washed out and landslides have cut off some of the major roads leaving people and PCVs in some villages isolated without power or clean water. We didn't get hit too hard up here, but the school is cancelled nation wide for at least a week. More updates to follow.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-38357684989465677402010-05-24T20:28:00.000-07:002010-05-24T20:34:41.059-07:00Tubing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8YyN3NaoxKV08A3Eza6fMeN_58x2LqmWWzYcC359q3PqLd3x7OaCDwv2RhqJ1YE89ZHcmUAgMjixcFbvIWytJ8Up0pbIIvy70lDZYYBJpfekCMsgUtQbRpymevYHopqXZeMSgDB1lbOk/s1600/DSCN0844.JPG.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8YyN3NaoxKV08A3Eza6fMeN_58x2LqmWWzYcC359q3PqLd3x7OaCDwv2RhqJ1YE89ZHcmUAgMjixcFbvIWytJ8Up0pbIIvy70lDZYYBJpfekCMsgUtQbRpymevYHopqXZeMSgDB1lbOk/s320/DSCN0844.JPG.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475045724017406018" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzgJlTYe2ORNznYDRFYlH0ysFOTRiwRpjbdNvWrGSwiZP2fX5rUvFIvDkbXtW5UVeakVWApGkttHQS7VmV_KwNPUl7Vy9Hp3UtMgEl5OWXQEIuW0mNdWau_bzo4BrI9xV6Speg1y7q6na/s1600/DSCN0840.JPG.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzgJlTYe2ORNznYDRFYlH0ysFOTRiwRpjbdNvWrGSwiZP2fX5rUvFIvDkbXtW5UVeakVWApGkttHQS7VmV_KwNPUl7Vy9Hp3UtMgEl5OWXQEIuW0mNdWau_bzo4BrI9xV6Speg1y7q6na/s320/DSCN0840.JPG.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475045717055421314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf89eis89i_0HUJi-bzqwCs_kh-AdPThyphenhyphen2paFKIMFz-nx1Whv_GPSlfJJbqnCLXOP5MjOjUe1y-OEn56jlWWGZlLmPKoUJwHC7P_t-5CyhFBjdaRtuLbxVAOOflbQqOlp0L9wJVpD5Xm79/s1600/DSCN0839.JPG.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf89eis89i_0HUJi-bzqwCs_kh-AdPThyphenhyphen2paFKIMFz-nx1Whv_GPSlfJJbqnCLXOP5MjOjUe1y-OEn56jlWWGZlLmPKoUJwHC7P_t-5CyhFBjdaRtuLbxVAOOflbQqOlp0L9wJVpD5Xm79/s320/DSCN0839.JPG.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475045714352476450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF0nzuf1NVP16jmtUvZEYFV_JeNGsQ1y-bMrPoGKdPzD-ikISqBV6Bnf0VLRtPDT4s2BsX-VDXW3mn52tZJcQK5T-HABaFPHahjx1mOmEcW-Ini_Q4VDpBXzQTUFMfM2w4hFtKmMchfJs/s1600/DSCN0842.JPG.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF0nzuf1NVP16jmtUvZEYFV_JeNGsQ1y-bMrPoGKdPzD-ikISqBV6Bnf0VLRtPDT4s2BsX-VDXW3mn52tZJcQK5T-HABaFPHahjx1mOmEcW-Ini_Q4VDpBXzQTUFMfM2w4hFtKmMchfJs/s320/DSCN0842.JPG.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475045710554456466" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsTZ6iyJ1-UqD-3orsjSZd2ZlVCPoXvt2tkt_H-K7G5TAMaFR5iR_jnPq4aZJLn7TKdY1jr_VG0Wf9Ia2znapQu4noGOiMiL7-5kUQS4GBxlyrN_A4LiDXN3F5nmLi6Mmjrr3QZZuSN6V/s1600/DSCN0835.JPG.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsTZ6iyJ1-UqD-3orsjSZd2ZlVCPoXvt2tkt_H-K7G5TAMaFR5iR_jnPq4aZJLn7TKdY1jr_VG0Wf9Ia2znapQu4noGOiMiL7-5kUQS4GBxlyrN_A4LiDXN3F5nmLi6Mmjrr3QZZuSN6V/s320/DSCN0835.JPG.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475045703920032658" /></a><br />So, a few weeks ago I was walking down the street towards the bus stop to head to work. I saw a bunch of people waiting for the buses and was not anxious to join them for a cramped spot on one of the few buses going towards my school. A bus comes, all the guatemalans get excited because it looks pretty empty, but it doesnt stop. Instead, someone leans out the window and yells my name. Turns out that a group of the tourism volunteers were coming up for a trip to the tubing site near my house. I ditched work, jumped in the van with them and spent the afternoon hanging out in the caves of Candelaria Campo Santo with the new eco vols and a few of our alta veterans. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-69107796691356992512010-04-29T17:57:00.000-07:002010-04-29T18:06:43.720-07:00Seriously?<div>From the Mirriam-Webster Dictionary:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 20px; font-family:'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif;"><div face="'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif" size="inherit" style=" margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Main Entry: <strong style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">pla·gia·rize</strong> <input type="button" onclick="return au('plagia04', 'plagiarize');" class="au" title="Listen to the pronunciation of plagiarize" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; background-image: url(http://www.merriam-webster.com/images/audio.gif); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; cursor: pointer; height: 11px; vertical-align: bottom; width: 16px; background-position: 0% 50%; "></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Pronunciation: <span class="pr" style=" margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-family:'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif;font-size:inherit;">\<span class="unicode" style=" margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family:'lucida sans unicode';font-size:0.9em;">ˈ</span>plā-jə-<span class="unicode" style=" margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family:'lucida sans unicode';font-size:0.9em;">ˌ</span>rīz <em style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-style: italic; ">also</em> -jē-ə-\</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Function: <em style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-style: italic; ">verb</em></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Inflected Form(s): <strong style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">pla·gia·rized</strong>; <strong style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">pla·gia·riz·ing</strong></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Etymology: <em style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-style: italic; ">plagiary</em></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Date: 1716</div><p class="d" face="'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif" size="inherit" style=" margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; "><em class="v" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; font-style: italic; display: block; ">transitive verb</em><strong style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: black; ">:</strong> to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own <strong style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: black; ">:</strong> use (another's production) without crediting the source<em class="v" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; font-style: italic; display: block; ">intransitive verb</em><strong style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: black; ">:</strong> to commit literary theft <strong style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: black; ">:</strong> present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source</p><p class="d" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; "><br /></p><p class="d" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; "><br /></p><p class="d" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; "><br /></p><p class="d" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'Times Serif', serif; font-size: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;">I thought plagiarism ended once we'd graduated from school. Apparently its been around long enough to have earned its own dictionary entry in 1716, so I stand corrected. After two cases of people stealing my writings and publishing them as their own I've decided that I'm going to password protect my blog. Some say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, I say thats bullshit. Do your own work. </span></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If you want the password to my blog you can email me at RebeccaDreyfuss@gmail.com for it. I'll leave it unprotected for another couple of weeks so people have a chance to read this post. Thanks to all of you who have been keeping up with me, I promise more interesting blog posts are soon to come! </div><div><br /></div></span><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-70396865559976997212010-04-13T18:59:00.000-07:002010-04-13T19:53:08.896-07:00Vacation Mexico Style<div><br /></div>Alright, I've got a pila full of dirty dishes that need washing (which I can now wash at night because Mario installed electricity in the back half of my house!!!) so I'm not going to go into too much detail right now, but I had an absolutely amazing last 2 weeks of vacation. My parent's came down and spent a few days in Antigua with me before we headed up to Playa del Carmen in Mexico and then Tony came and visited. A few photos, more to follow later!<div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbN_Y0VVT_xdWrIaUinfR8kjHxKzK7_Bq6CEzzonM8nEpVc5AmLkyrEbAxGPODQ2QqfJJLLI3xyoIzxCfShK8pxt-1Skng7Jravuzsox-gutxbo24SJHFap00DCtgzS9Uyl-PiOUaurCAK/s1600/IMG_4166.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbN_Y0VVT_xdWrIaUinfR8kjHxKzK7_Bq6CEzzonM8nEpVc5AmLkyrEbAxGPODQ2QqfJJLLI3xyoIzxCfShK8pxt-1Skng7Jravuzsox-gutxbo24SJHFap00DCtgzS9Uyl-PiOUaurCAK/s320/IMG_4166.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459820427257333074" /></a><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzg5LI8McGg5It9m8ucIfARq6TttoD_LVcjTlMHgLL3GaMbTJPmYrk3hxnDvLuVCobOjW6m1Eaok4qc2yd0SN5a5I8KtKeP3PLqedvWhwXuO9QQWGMSchBbb_kyFyPu9stt_2kr8K2jTop/s1600/IMG_4132.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzg5LI8McGg5It9m8ucIfARq6TttoD_LVcjTlMHgLL3GaMbTJPmYrk3hxnDvLuVCobOjW6m1Eaok4qc2yd0SN5a5I8KtKeP3PLqedvWhwXuO9QQWGMSchBbb_kyFyPu9stt_2kr8K2jTop/s320/IMG_4132.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459811390271164914" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWh4T0wEpi3noKi0p-QWrpcmMFaN2VT63r6cKB2ibnbYfhLahz65Z6kmjFRHCxtvBSs6WDeJ7_u271GB8-bHkOe0V9kNG9OhKKrJZw6gWKagV_Ias7-EcjD8WQYgYNRKEwXFLCxdRlvGhG/s1600/IMG_3954.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWh4T0wEpi3noKi0p-QWrpcmMFaN2VT63r6cKB2ibnbYfhLahz65Z6kmjFRHCxtvBSs6WDeJ7_u271GB8-bHkOe0V9kNG9OhKKrJZw6gWKagV_Ias7-EcjD8WQYgYNRKEwXFLCxdRlvGhG/s320/IMG_3954.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459811388274045522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKu6tRzvtHFYcZUQ3Dh5h8MGdbC0gmV-LAUiD3doIlcQvSsgkaqHtmRCAcG-oUsTOtU7HtUvh_y2WHRMuo2dhz6woAkQiUVDG6mKhVkJUisVNMV8vbNu26r5gCTWbf1CHp0GU6_Dwe_FbR/s1600/IMG_3945.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKu6tRzvtHFYcZUQ3Dh5h8MGdbC0gmV-LAUiD3doIlcQvSsgkaqHtmRCAcG-oUsTOtU7HtUvh_y2WHRMuo2dhz6woAkQiUVDG6mKhVkJUisVNMV8vbNu26r5gCTWbf1CHp0GU6_Dwe_FbR/s320/IMG_3945.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459811374316904466" /></a><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9A3iE15OjeQHDvQyJRvKUAS65eol-kvwTFwJlQH6okIR0lWH9wpFZVHlqIcBN9HxaMaE6kw5VbNvGIRxClbGphtwCcsVapdwENO_w4SqvjM58wuQdvnQU15wUqU2yFXFJV1fbZPva8go/s320/IMG_3929.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459811363979772018" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CygSVHdxmHG_545B49UxnMAOTCfUp5EMdPoTVf3LC_Fy1SjrzmHgCvM5c752ZphnQyuExF1l8-4cvrJhmhRls3x0tNHXVESFhSNFijQLre2yqMz75khAE4DTUTR_nu3bTB42ZIc9pkq4/s1600/IMG_3934.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CygSVHdxmHG_545B49UxnMAOTCfUp5EMdPoTVf3LC_Fy1SjrzmHgCvM5c752ZphnQyuExF1l8-4cvrJhmhRls3x0tNHXVESFhSNFijQLre2yqMz75khAE4DTUTR_nu3bTB42ZIc9pkq4/s320/IMG_3934.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459811370362925282" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-10905357524525921762010-03-20T10:51:00.000-07:002010-03-20T10:55:56.468-07:00Feliz Cumple!<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Happy Birthday to my fabulous parents! I love you guys!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjXvKtLKt0-aWEB-I2473ttZ_8YRKJnWUYwfrlCPByqlVA6czNM6xdTg0NbkYFeAEIh3PTgkEB-Acx9yOYKYZ7aEPM0hKRwDmVP0TSrp1ygUktLh2V2EjRr733f14JSAMzi0V_ElC60qQ/s400/P7040037.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450776134399533906" /></div><div><br /></div><div>So in exactly 5 days my parents are coming to visit me in Guatemala and then we're heading up to Playa del Maya for a little vacation in Mexico. A sort of big birthday celebration for all three of us. Can't wait!!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-39449074455942415552010-03-11T06:00:00.000-08:002010-03-12T20:12:34.986-08:00UV Water Purification<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm0QEmd37AhuHa7FVZt55szUB4YBXkp51GaW0Qe4a1rtWn0_ThpOEeFl8MFkPWC7APUfzDtHchvCU-qXAbAJ28nIPuq2NUGPJ4IX7wgeG0_UG0eTLJOpBlRg6cRs4LTKUku8NtRUaIpwl/s1600-h/IMG_3788.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm0QEmd37AhuHa7FVZt55szUB4YBXkp51GaW0Qe4a1rtWn0_ThpOEeFl8MFkPWC7APUfzDtHchvCU-qXAbAJ28nIPuq2NUGPJ4IX7wgeG0_UG0eTLJOpBlRg6cRs4LTKUku8NtRUaIpwl/s320/IMG_3788.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447966340563327442" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC33CC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So its UV water purification day with my kiddies out in aldea Pecajba</span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">basically</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">clean empty bottles + water + sun + 24 hours = more creative ways to reuse plastic bottles and clean drinking water. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">poco a poco we're cleaning up the environment and improving rural health</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Photos to follow!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">UPDATE:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So I woke up Thursday morning feeling pretty shitty. I'd had a tough time falling asleep the night before and Chris and I have both been sick for the last few days. I hit the snooze button once but the second time my alarm went off Chris yelled at me to get out of bed and go to work, so on three hours of sleep I hauled my tired self the 20 minutes to the center of town and got on a micro to the school (thank goodness this is my one school that is off the main highway so its easy to get to).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> I showed up at school and several of my second grade boys saw me and came running out of their classroom to open the gate for me. Their smiles definitely turned my morning around (although they probably could benefit from some serious flossing...) The school principal and I headed the purification project and with the hard work of the other four teachers and the enthusiasm of the children we were able to wash and fill over fifty bottles of water and place them on the tin roof to purify in the sun over the weekend. The students will now have enough water to drink during the week and Fridays are our new water purification day. After school we held a meeting with the parents in the community to explain to them the UV purification project as a way of educating them on better health practices as well as including them in the Healthy Schools project. They loved the idea and got a huge kick out of hearing me attempt to explain everything in Q'eqchi. Lots of smiles and lots of laughing.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thanks to the dedication of these teachers and the support of the families in the community the students of Pecajba will have clean drinking water all year. Hands down my best day as a Peace Corps volunteer.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC33CC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-71328419706572085782010-03-11T05:19:00.000-08:002010-03-11T05:28:18.619-08:00Peace.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluMJ_vE9uCk-mgsKlZD8CUFcXEZGBiTBi7H-ItizfDmLjOXZl0v3rlnuxpMkpPydgYus7G9RdY9t5MKPl3BiUfPM2bZFVdgqyzj2VecRSclkkWYDRrFMUXd005J1YYqJA3and7EzBE_G2/s1600-h/M95~Peace-Unknown-Posters.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 392px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluMJ_vE9uCk-mgsKlZD8CUFcXEZGBiTBi7H-ItizfDmLjOXZl0v3rlnuxpMkpPydgYus7G9RdY9t5MKPl3BiUfPM2bZFVdgqyzj2VecRSclkkWYDRrFMUXd005J1YYqJA3and7EzBE_G2/s400/M95~Peace-Unknown-Posters.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447365978397872866" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtEVJmB2ltYhbX01U-bwDrL_fohy0tHehHIpGnMBX3P3-_qp6KThWJoapWfbXJo1Wv3sONCmeeEbEGwSIp2B88dFvUB-FKegYNuPNjq1eGDmRCxHIM9Kajn4k9bojmYj8P3yhOXtQXQd6/s1600-h/IMG_2714_1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 359px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtEVJmB2ltYhbX01U-bwDrL_fohy0tHehHIpGnMBX3P3-_qp6KThWJoapWfbXJo1Wv3sONCmeeEbEGwSIp2B88dFvUB-FKegYNuPNjq1eGDmRCxHIM9Kajn4k9bojmYj8P3yhOXtQXQd6/s400/IMG_2714_1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447365970954265138" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Lago Atitlan, 3/6/09</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-9207536389725227572010-03-07T13:24:00.000-08:002010-03-07T13:27:56.761-08:00Skype<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>So I live in the middle of the jungle (seriously 600 square miles with less than 200,000 inhabitants in over 200 villages) but on occasion, my little Tigo wireless modem will pick up a signal fast enough that I can video skype. Its pretty much the most amazing thing...well id say since sliced bread but its even better since sliced bread has yet to come to Chisec. Anyhow, if any of you are on Skype and wanna chat hit me up!<div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAyq4n5EC90fZbcwv3FJ6tVmGajW4rw-9Nw1xq7Wb6FsleXx4h_2Ho_q7YSoNFMTLAVTEarDHEbt8cY7YwMjdTzhAqvOljUlwejUa2SBofQYfRtCCj6oEjpGrUWD8wXZCCUYp473AR2W5/s200/Screen+shot+2010-01-28+at+9.38.40+PM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446006698401658034" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-74882613731364268052010-03-07T09:28:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:39:24.541-08:002010 so far<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3e-ICDvG1iIydZ95aQ0wuF19ErY57E9_Mkc9lbt5NCgmvSRbOoeHNQ5HmmYfEbTTNmo0oGFlxKmRoKQ6B603peY3N_2-8EEV59D0-B0CPIAjsDU7ggxb4Q289JV4RntTGOIwiVBThJudX/s1600-h/IMG_3539.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3e-ICDvG1iIydZ95aQ0wuF19ErY57E9_Mkc9lbt5NCgmvSRbOoeHNQ5HmmYfEbTTNmo0oGFlxKmRoKQ6B603peY3N_2-8EEV59D0-B0CPIAjsDU7ggxb4Q289JV4RntTGOIwiVBThJudX/s200/IMG_3539.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445959805215135074" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">Alright, so its been awhile and while I’m sure that no one is complaining (does anyone even read this anymore) I figure that someday I’ll look back at my Peace Corps experience and think, what did I do in 2010?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So for posterities sake… here’s what’s been happening since I returned from an absolutely wonderful Christmas vacation in Lake Tahoe and San Francisco.</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">(view from my porch)</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2K0_31Ei72HbIB1ai6EtKKkbOcmWWhdoWmNe12aEVhQFu71YPc7Ga_O72eYk6ETLR1hyMAqkPbRM146D4rYu3Q0rP3R5NGaK9Hf8LsaHJAe6NnqCeOLXzMYexGZ6NLvJf7daYV3r3uVCo/s200/IMG_3414.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445951338745398754" /><p class="MsoNormal">Chisec, while normally a very tranquilo place decided to spice it up a bit and a few campesinos were lynched, some fighting ensued over land and an elementary school was burned. The gente threatened to run the police out of town after torching two of their cars, but that didn’t happen so aside from a few traffic delays, a little bit of gossip in the market and a few concerned calls from the Peace Corps safety and security director, nothing really changed in my daily routine.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Teacher protests have delayed the start of the school year in several departments in Guatemala, (perhaps they’ve been watching the news on the UC and CSU protests in California). Classes should have started at the end of January but some of my healthy school coworkers find themselves with empty classrooms and no work. Fortuately (or unfortunately depending on your political perspectives) the teachers of Chisec are working. I actually got the nerve up to ask a few of them why they were showing up for work. Turns out the school district supervisor told them that if they didn’t teach that he’d find someone else who would (again, no political comment on this, I’m just happy that the kids are getting an education and that I’ve got work to do).</p><div style="text-align: center;">Healthy Habits!</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-N84x7bpZCtho3LtRGkEOEHd5_vHyFDL0e7-RyQrEbSe5zHtute7gxa9AcK-SRkPUOvJrteL-hQZ39NyxmtRbiFsPfPC67JzHWBVVK3HRkTVhLaS55i9IbBoM8U3I54lSbpXQXugpLyS/s200/IMG_3577.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445959836563284786" /><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;">I want to be able to carry stuff on my head like these women</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2A5gyza6TcPJ7u-Gs5pikO61ULJSf1bTMwKDdpa6TxPZ-jk7W9bagUKrYO-DEAXMceMCG3WZD3-Dq-3yPAFLobnpP0sfOYDWuVvLUmJYPWKbhYt1iIhB0JSOr7_JXJZM_fbmhCahgozZ/s200/IMG_3570.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445959830735203106" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLPa_5niNVsWN6b8czuVu4xJvLjnvh2TnEa4ZkYseIqVLF4d8FO5LB7Zzfd9I92nGYdOTOh4wOec3i2M_EfxBvn1QAJf1stbJpKxGMS2MHPHd1I_yNBhYKd_wwGO7rPsTsiAoDdfR43xU/s200/IMG_3569.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445959820765280290" /><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;">Q'eqchi women working in their Tienda, thats a baby shes carring by her head...</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrWD59jz7u45ipuc6DdUMaqHD4Y0hdTQ5XtQ2rVLMJ8wVeDgA-nxSnPV_3pCRe4KrEkzIT9_W-NKAxfwNFfTY8xW6bP6aULliUOIHGF-1Ckvlbdunixp7q0TKkOsjpBXn1OzEL3A36obo/s200/IMG_3567.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445959810616279186" /><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Chisec from the front seat of the mirco.</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrbt2x6SLQ93YlEH4pKhMT_svrHTwZJL88bszmRQnEF9c9mZbboQ1MBQUD_9YztKg6NuuK4qClrrfuHIqwTjJ4ekEbtu6fqgR5AaL5M40qL-faznVA3krcRg-hPE4d70ocOzxZ8NqCwzx/s200/IMG_3592.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445951348978169058" /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMR5w7K5-8idalqX5T2zEdmZi4yunPy84lQ_fIiqEiuiw8sX1JjaEf6W4DBVTfx1mocahI8GvMwuaRFLTWBm2M61fyJvpZJEzx4LTa5Bl-LTxiQjRJMHNBJtbWLaWoUIQyzHbvrt0s9Wj/s200/IMG_3656.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445951354280216562" /><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>So I’m almost half way through my Peace Corps service (march ’09-march ’11) actually a bit over half way through my entire time here in Guatemala counting the first three months in training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My friend Dave described the first 15 months as a lot like being pushed off the edge of a pool into the water and having to learn to swim in order to survive. Sink or swim, I guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I definitely did a lot of sinking in the beginning but my head is finally above water and I’m really enjoying the experience now. I’ve gotten bossy enough with the bus drivers that I no longer end up shoved in the back with the chickens and old Guatemalan men falling asleep on me. They actually have started saving the front seat of the micro for me now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The cat calling has mostly stopped, I thought this was because the guys got bored of whistling at the gringa, but turns out that someone started a rumor that I’d gone home and gotten married to my big scary American boyfriend over Christmas and that he was gonna come down and beat up anyone that hit on me. (I’m just gonna roll with that one).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Work in the schools is going very well. Despite some rough beginnings last year with the two school district supervisors, they’ve proven to me that they are really interested in the health of the villagers and I have a lot of confidence that they will continue to support the Healthy Schools program after I leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Three of my four schools are very motivated this year, it’s the last year in the 4 year Healthy Schools program and they are working very hard towards getting their certification at the end of this school year or early next school year before I finish my service. Its an uphill battle for sure, we need to build a kitchen at one school, latrines and a stove at a second and a water tank at the third but the communities are behind the projects and the teachers are working hard to finish their grant applications so I am confident that we can accomplish the goals we’ve set out for the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The last three months have really given me an appreciation for the Guatemalans that I live and work with. There have been some wonderful break through moments both professionally and personally in the community and I have to say I am loving my time here in Chisec.</o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center;">(my teachers working hard during our training on project design and management)</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUuNfPSjjajZn_uRgw7koDNT_KjKCtGR8XMRQi3AETzZVIkIqaCk2gYvu5cb4x3x06b60motSp6qj_hh9AbGi8iM4iy3kYD5m6Z8H_BD3-AOH4bqWNaV7FnXdi5psCUF2zjSreIsZsvWh/s200/IMG_3711.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445951368994359586" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9E6C37rr60bLkdVAje5ZcNuenS4AlgEr8bv2sOIfQ0jh3WK_alyIJ2_uhyhQQv8j5Y9NEmZI2dx8_aZhJzHAzvY_8_XFeVMlmqQ9aTxvJyje4hrVPsYDvLGVIoeU3IfsrkqfxvVSYKWR/s200/IMG_3709.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445951361448580674" /><p class="MsoNormal">More to follow later in the week, I still wanna update y’all on a lot of new projects I've been working on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Wingdings, serif;">:)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Wingdings, serif;">Also count down to the quarter century of me celebration:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Wingdings, serif;">Bruce and Dorian's arrival: 18 days!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Wingdings, serif;">Vacation to Mexico: 22 days! (also my 25th birthday)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Wingdings, serif;">Tony comes to visit: 27 days!</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-1890311783305703352010-01-12T12:20:00.000-08:002010-01-12T12:37:28.065-08:00Waaay to much fun!<div><br /></div><div>So I got a new computer and I've been having way too much fun with the photo booth program. This is what boredom has brought me too.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QlP2m6KF2hnuxfH6oXJp1p0u-iB8XUlI5Agd65fWTtkhnm5coZWLalJDDR6OHXyLGsMqGCwOX79BovoQWSxkSkc3f0_0y7_K2fkH9MN8ViFqpw9hTeuVyLGn5HRqcInYYpTfzPAulqal/s1600-h/Photo+on+2010-01-12+at+13.31.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QlP2m6KF2hnuxfH6oXJp1p0u-iB8XUlI5Agd65fWTtkhnm5coZWLalJDDR6OHXyLGsMqGCwOX79BovoQWSxkSkc3f0_0y7_K2fkH9MN8ViFqpw9hTeuVyLGn5HRqcInYYpTfzPAulqal/s200/Photo+on+2010-01-12+at+13.31.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425951517893472370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YZ9YI_HKdkoy5D6hSISUl0YouH72k1SN3V9ZnGkYKWZ6aSoRyC6dMbLTetoipSVgmb5DvWZQZHAsEh3MaLwUBr-WZoOxkzbTitsjtfy8rUiX3K5nZq-Y6ya-k0ssuGT91senlvgUDkhD/s1600-h/Photo+on+2010-01-12+at+13.28+%232.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YZ9YI_HKdkoy5D6hSISUl0YouH72k1SN3V9ZnGkYKWZ6aSoRyC6dMbLTetoipSVgmb5DvWZQZHAsEh3MaLwUBr-WZoOxkzbTitsjtfy8rUiX3K5nZq-Y6ya-k0ssuGT91senlvgUDkhD/s200/Photo+on+2010-01-12+at+13.28+%232.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425951514305787218" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZ3nSGDVKeS9hJ23We5VBpG06oBYZFmuKZ9F2dWGAI-Qa14TV8BgTEcfrc7M2EiWN6cnMY-0C2RppXomzoH9QAzLkbO52VU2YnvOTEAb_OcU-w-lEWveX3BLp2JIBG4MCmESiLAoBCF_a/s1600-h/Photo+on+2010-01-12+at+13.27+%235.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZ3nSGDVKeS9hJ23We5VBpG06oBYZFmuKZ9F2dWGAI-Qa14TV8BgTEcfrc7M2EiWN6cnMY-0C2RppXomzoH9QAzLkbO52VU2YnvOTEAb_OcU-w-lEWveX3BLp2JIBG4MCmESiLAoBCF_a/s200/Photo+on+2010-01-12+at+13.27+%235.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425951504811981602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPZyTvXK3kF2-PX3T_JSCwFjg2BOIPLetNRF_tdxhWaNFX5-CWv5HuitP7A89fbLUwilktaq8fcbLJN1Ckjz6H9BffC-auOHGS5BUUNmjfh6OWzU5XyCtEKTQJAQmWhH8xihVMKd8MRoz/s1600-h/Photo+on+2010-01-12+at+13.27+%233.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPZyTvXK3kF2-PX3T_JSCwFjg2BOIPLetNRF_tdxhWaNFX5-CWv5HuitP7A89fbLUwilktaq8fcbLJN1Ckjz6H9BffC-auOHGS5BUUNmjfh6OWzU5XyCtEKTQJAQmWhH8xihVMKd8MRoz/s200/Photo+on+2010-01-12+at+13.27+%233.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425951502720260066" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6S4-eF5dmdGsQAt_kX0N_5ZeGMjGFM89ze6zriVhlbEtq0l2PCkS78h9IoZti8IQxFujLlv6ydH_rT6KAl5sJpyABlKoEavrLCepao-yf73L4nDbtviLJ42JunxRRIkrA3i4WXKV6YE_/s1600-h/Photo+on+2010-01-12+at+12.40+%232.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6S4-eF5dmdGsQAt_kX0N_5ZeGMjGFM89ze6zriVhlbEtq0l2PCkS78h9IoZti8IQxFujLlv6ydH_rT6KAl5sJpyABlKoEavrLCepao-yf73L4nDbtviLJ42JunxRRIkrA3i4WXKV6YE_/s200/Photo+on+2010-01-12+at+12.40+%232.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425951497959070978" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-80076754109149083512009-12-13T11:51:00.000-08:002009-12-13T19:49:28.205-08:002009 Book Awards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwFIDIcKb1KiN9myRJsHCh7dAbhft-x-AH7WHY52gcOBFqlzrm4IIGnVH2OtXQxa2oFEtDlMEyz1GSKEoRTVgex_Y3VcSy8NTLrzxX128W5g2tfMS6yQSK_vc2Vmc-d0iVJCj1lSPBrSp/s1600-h/images.jpeg"></a><div><br /></div><div>So heres my 2009 Book Awards, based off of the 33 books I've read so far this year. The complete list is printed on the right side of my blog. To start off, a few of my favorite quotes about reading...</div><div><br /></div><div>The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them. -Mark Twain</div><div><br /></div><div>I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. - Anna Quindlen</div><div><br /></div><div>Medicine for the soul. -Inscription over the door of the Library at Thebes</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Best re-read:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><i></i></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><i>East of Eden,</i></b><span style="font-style:normal"><b> John Steinbeck. </b></span></span></span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwFIDIcKb1KiN9myRJsHCh7dAbhft-x-AH7WHY52gcOBFqlzrm4IIGnVH2OtXQxa2oFEtDlMEyz1GSKEoRTVgex_Y3VcSy8NTLrzxX128W5g2tfMS6yQSK_vc2Vmc-d0iVJCj1lSPBrSp/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwFIDIcKb1KiN9myRJsHCh7dAbhft-x-AH7WHY52gcOBFqlzrm4IIGnVH2OtXQxa2oFEtDlMEyz1GSKEoRTVgex_Y3VcSy8NTLrzxX128W5g2tfMS6yQSK_vc2Vmc-d0iVJCj1lSPBrSp/s200/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414813445675528290" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 136px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I read this for the first time in high school and it is a constant topic of conversation between my best friend Katie and I. Steinbeck’s hopeful account of the human condition holds its place in my top 5 favorite books of all time. Timshel, baby. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none">"And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected."</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none">Honorable Mention: The Things They Carried -Tim O'Brien </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b>Best non-fiction:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b><i>Three Cups of Tea</i></b><span style="font-style:normal"><b>, Greg Mortenson <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuX1nBxALr0H9V-RfqUzKEDCcTaDPOEtKmB1eQFNUs-E0lVCclMtE5vtCl1hTMMMK7wPU3LgwmOIQ31PF3F-s0yc0v2JGRD2D4wr7afDCxlVQhsT-d86NjgZcJnw8iF8Im5Giy5ZDkSeD/s200/images-1.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414813156942495570" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 130px; " /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Mortenson was robbed of this years Nobel Peace Prize. While Obama continues to send troops into the Middle East, touting the importance of war before peace, Mortenson has taken a more radical approach towards the war on terrorism, education. He is creating a future filled with opportunities rather than dispair for the children of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt">"You can hand out condoms, drop bombs, build roads, or put in electricity, but until the girls are educated a society won’t change."</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt">"I've learned that terror doesn't happen because some group of people somewhere like Pakistan or Afghanistan simply decide to hate us. It happens because children aren't being offered a bright enough future that they have a reason to choose life over death."<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"> Honorable Mention: Tender at the Bone -Ruth Reichl<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b>Book that makes me feel homesick:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b><i>The Joy Luck Club</i></b><span style="font-style:normal"><b>, Amy Tan </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><o:p></o:p></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7izCFf8weBtVe2h7LlKpCxkkIIkaEQBvidkL1gVRnOxsjS2QliE0B370MxvC9ICidbJshkCUNu182aWf17EN6Aq_9jk5aX_2QBi24fy9Rp33kGToEonzyfFLd0cQ3H38qRGH-ZGfOlqSZ/s1600-h/images-2.jpeg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7izCFf8weBtVe2h7LlKpCxkkIIkaEQBvidkL1gVRnOxsjS2QliE0B370MxvC9ICidbJshkCUNu182aWf17EN6Aq_9jk5aX_2QBi24fy9Rp33kGToEonzyfFLd0cQ3H38qRGH-ZGfOlqSZ/s200/images-2.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414813159811797346" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 77px; height: 129px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt">Also a re-read from high school. Tan’s collection of short stories explores strong mother- daughter relationships, love, family and understanding of the past. Set in the foggy hills of San Francisco, she leaves me teary eyed and wanting to snuggle up on the couch at home with my mother.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><span style="">"Then you must teach my daughter this same lesson. How to lose your innocence but not your hope. How to laugh forever."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b>Guilty Pleasure:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b>The Twilight Series, Stephanie Meyer <o:p></o:p></b></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbktQskr7e4KNov1YAHM4cA7XKxE23Q12XRpvdXRyVEmCzDo-wYjPLGRp1jPoGgWEJnegw8t2vEfrHMU75x_kjb4Vm5OZBzYUcHf6DcfQfP-nkyK6bwMlwoSe_pwS3KCvt1hIBCAZ5VdU/s1600-h/images-3.jpeg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbktQskr7e4KNov1YAHM4cA7XKxE23Q12XRpvdXRyVEmCzDo-wYjPLGRp1jPoGgWEJnegw8t2vEfrHMU75x_kjb4Vm5OZBzYUcHf6DcfQfP-nkyK6bwMlwoSe_pwS3KCvt1hIBCAZ5VdU/s200/images-3.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414813165873887266" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 130px; " /></a><div><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Four truly horrible works of literature, but this is the guilty pleasure category and I enjoyed this vampire sci-fi fantasy series of relationships between the dead and the undead bordering on pre-teen pornography. Personally I’m more of the werewolf type, team Jacob all the way.<br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"> Honorable Mention: The Sex Lives of Cannibals -J. Maarten Troost<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b>Biggest Disappointment:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b><i>The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao</i></b><span style="font-style:normal"><b> – Junot Diaz <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCa7bwwHufcdSEUofgbKov3Odp1xX69jXdAcSoZ8j2vGdwiGsQdNaQme2ZnLlfc-Iqw_fua0Wi6p-u3pfGaDi7TeTedVPTnOcB-biRvFwPq6Vwp2Pf813PqzY1o0TGiGXQfDGk-C6I-65/s200/images-4.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414813172718219042" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 130px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I expected the winner of the Pulitzer to offer more than just footnotes, Spanish lenguaje de la calle and poor character development. There were some chapters in Oscar Wao that I did enjoy but overall it left me feeling as though Diaz’s new style and edgy language were simple a cover for a lackluster plot and over stereotyped characters.</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b>Biggest Surprise:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b><i>Middlesex – </i>Jeffrey Eugenides <o:p></o:p></b></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGHrYCMutFpcCbF4J2uHT4Av0354Zr-03uWIG26-3ig7gPhDFQaunbzNCDtD-74jpbmIYrGwKs8RHnSqYnWKk5Zs-JJHCu01OxPFce1ZjJjS6M7CrWbQywyVTLWu-0j_1RBw99zNedea5/s1600-h/images-5.jpeg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGHrYCMutFpcCbF4J2uHT4Av0354Zr-03uWIG26-3ig7gPhDFQaunbzNCDtD-74jpbmIYrGwKs8RHnSqYnWKk5Zs-JJHCu01OxPFce1ZjJjS6M7CrWbQywyVTLWu-0j_1RBw99zNedea5/s200/images-5.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414813178635510786" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 129px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></b><span style="font-weight:normal">Recommended to me by several people, I’ve been anxious to read this book for a while. Eugenides takes a story filled with incest taboos, pre-teen sexual exploration and the difficult coming of age of a pseudo male hermaphrodite and creates a story of love and pain, growth and family, and grief and hope, that is remarkably relatable to all. He shows us that normal only exists in fairy tales and that it’s our differences that bring us together in this shared experience of life. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt">"Emotions, in my experience, aren't covered by single words. I don't believe in "sadness," "joy," or "regret." Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling. I'd like to have at my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic train-car constructions like, say, "the happiness that attends disaster." Or: "the disappointment of sleeping with one's fantasy." I'd like to show how "intimations of mortality brought on by aging family members" connects with "the hatred of mirrors that begins in middle age." I'd like to have a word for "the sadness inspired by failing restaurants" as well as for "the excitement of getting a room with a minibar." I've never had the right words to describe my life, and now that I've entered my story, I need them more than ever. "<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"> Honorable Mention: The Time Travelers Wife - Audrey Niggenegger</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b>Book of the Year:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><b><i>The Cider House Rules</i></b><span style="font-style:normal"><b> – John Irving </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><o:p></o:p></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3XU14kW2YssyMNHjWw97LgNmEWzHe5XbtDG7OPSVoM6FydHwiNF-7rSH-e4nz9rd7D5Yy9AwWH_hh-znFnQBF1oib3LUlQp_bKTc9_DZ6SxvV7Jndw1qLeOa514dOLc-HGVPJCGyq2h9/s1600-h/images-6.jpeg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3XU14kW2YssyMNHjWw97LgNmEWzHe5XbtDG7OPSVoM6FydHwiNF-7rSH-e4nz9rd7D5Yy9AwWH_hh-znFnQBF1oib3LUlQp_bKTc9_DZ6SxvV7Jndw1qLeOa514dOLc-HGVPJCGyq2h9/s200/images-6.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414813439174805490" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 135px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt">Irving’s tale of Homer Wells and the St. Cloud’s orphanage guides the reader through such an array of emotions you finish feeling that all the compassion, the love, the wit, the hate, the anger and the confusion of this characters is somehow a part of you. One of the most sincere novels I’ve read and by far my favorite of 2009.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt">"“Here in St. Cloud’s,” Dr. Larch wrote, “ I have been given the choice of playing God or leaving practically everything up to chance. It is my experience that practically everything is left up to chance much of the time; men who believe in good and evil, and who believe that good should win, should watch for those moments when it is possible to play God – we should seize those moments. There won’t be many”"<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:300.65pt">Honorable Mention: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">East of Eden</span>, John Steinbeck</p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-35604638030805949772009-11-10T09:56:00.000-08:002009-11-10T10:19:40.236-08:00Packing<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been in Guatemala for almost a year now and the new class of Healthy Schools volunteers are receiving their invitations and preparing for their January departure. I’ve got a few emails from people asking about packing tips for Guatemala, so here it goes.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Guatemala is a very geographically diverse country. Some volunteers live in the mountains at altitudes about 9,000 ft. Temperatures can drop below freezing and with no in door heating, fleeces, flannels and down sleeping bags are a must. I’ve got friend whose pilas (large basins used to store water during the week) freeze during the night, and they’ve sent home for warmer pajamas, thicker socks and hats and gloves. I spent the last week in Antigua, and a major cold front came in. The temperatures didn’t get above 50 all day and there’s no heat at the training center so be prepared to be bundled up even<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>in the classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Out of the 180 or so volunteers in Guatemala, around 170 would tell you leave your flip flops, tank tops and sundresses at home, its too cold to get a tan. However, I spent most of the months of April, May, June and July wishing that it was culturally appropriate to wear a bikini to work. I live in arguably the hottest site in Guatemala. It’s a constant joke at the training center that the volunteers in Chisec don’t know how to pack for trips out of Alta Verapaz because I never show up with enough clothing (this was also a problem of mine back in California). Temperatures here range from about 75-110 year round. Its so humid that any thick cottons will mold before they dry and everything picks up this warm jungle smell. The only long pants I’ve worn in site are my white linen pants because they protect my legs from bugs and sun, and even those get too hot sometimes. I rarely wear anything with sleeves and I don’t even know what happened to all my socks (I haven’t pulled them out to wear since basketball season ended in June). While I own several pairs of shoes, great hiking boots, running shoes, business casual flats, I only wear my rainbow sandals in site unless I’m working out. I’ve yet to see a Q’eqchi woman wear closed toed shoes and really I could probably get away with not wearing shoes at all. Men tend to wear rain boots or cowboy boots all year round, but they make up for the amount of coverage on their feet by rarely wearing shirts. One of the returned volunteers from Chisec decided he was going to go an entire month without wearing a shirt to see if anyone notice. He was disappointed to find that people simply assumed he’d finally “gone native”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A few weeks ago I took most of my clothes into Coban to get washed and dried (no dryers in Chisec). I left everything at a friends house in San Cristobal so that they don’t get ruined by the mold up here. I guess the best bit of advice I can give is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>don’t pack anything you aren’t willing to part with after your service. Hand washing, harsh soaps and the weather wear away your clothes here much faster than in the U.S.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m off to wash my pillow cases (all my bedding molded while I was away for the week)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-90050097456417858722009-10-28T18:43:00.000-07:002009-10-28T19:56:29.197-07:00Halloween<div><br /></div><div>So just because we're living in remote villages in the middle of the jungle does not mean Peace Corps volunteers don't celebrate American holidays. In fact, many PCVs spend months planning, designing and sewing costumes. The volunteers in Alta Verapaz (the best volunteers in Guatemala) throw an annual Halloween party and this year the theme was super heroes and super villians.<br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFfRP2omI9awOxc-03q0MvWhVlEktMtDT7dvPZj3rVkxOpn0NFd30ShJNy3kyimcHvJ7r3sCY0mohMRbWUPzyNYn-f-o4FQeacAeyVvBwZMxhWLDxSAFKSf6BW0e2dDwAJ5XLHyUoMHA_/s1600-h/11464_861945003153_1216394_48441793_7278736_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFfRP2omI9awOxc-03q0MvWhVlEktMtDT7dvPZj3rVkxOpn0NFd30ShJNy3kyimcHvJ7r3sCY0mohMRbWUPzyNYn-f-o4FQeacAeyVvBwZMxhWLDxSAFKSf6BW0e2dDwAJ5XLHyUoMHA_/s320/11464_861945003153_1216394_48441793_7278736_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397850247361852818" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUJYm4SmaZ0dtakMfwi-DaqFuggdFzrkQhUmBDPZw7SEilSL4m2XaHfP5S7XT0emAGCfksGc6ap3vh4rWPn7qmQbTZgzZpIT6iLXSVrskRah4TAjI7Zj5G4Nr-7EfecvZyBtZoT0EhsHV/s1600-h/n1216394_3093.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUJYm4SmaZ0dtakMfwi-DaqFuggdFzrkQhUmBDPZw7SEilSL4m2XaHfP5S7XT0emAGCfksGc6ap3vh4rWPn7qmQbTZgzZpIT6iLXSVrskRah4TAjI7Zj5G4Nr-7EfecvZyBtZoT0EhsHV/s320/n1216394_3093.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397847538150113762" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-1Oq3jEEJy-6vToiklLrLNgWr8MYW_FA27kZyWjcsSJj7kDQhavO2mvOKLZFXEF7_ttwom4RFdgW1Ry8gkzgC1GPN77iYcAg7NieXTqTDmaJbvL-ZN3CDkQ1mqeHQpQBs3RtxvqpcHxX/s1600-h/IMG_4493.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div></span><img style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-1Oq3jEEJy-6vToiklLrLNgWr8MYW_FA27kZyWjcsSJj7kDQhavO2mvOKLZFXEF7_ttwom4RFdgW1Ry8gkzgC1GPN77iYcAg7NieXTqTDmaJbvL-ZN3CDkQ1mqeHQpQBs3RtxvqpcHxX/s320/IMG_4493.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397833334325207986" /></a><div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pet8RapmeApxv9Nf4ukod8Yr8o6eoqnALG8xhi3MHsMQC8_PjdT_dr2JvFoOfnhS5JW67m8qtZxrrO40Meb476XJudug3gCzoz-xdzctPcDxC1wMOX1iHRC2e59amBOueREmBcyT7Yc2/s1600-h/IMG_4476.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pet8RapmeApxv9Nf4ukod8Yr8o6eoqnALG8xhi3MHsMQC8_PjdT_dr2JvFoOfnhS5JW67m8qtZxrrO40Meb476XJudug3gCzoz-xdzctPcDxC1wMOX1iHRC2e59amBOueREmBcyT7Yc2/s320/IMG_4476.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397833330122960914" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkiPkT2Uxh5hao0jhvVBNGrvoN9x13EG258cmXUraOMsUjKMgqb4jH3haKIgLCLGcYKIoAZ_9PKSoVaJeZkyLbvezWRTqyl_ifpC88VaE_j26zOLY-vsL5iPxSwK1w647LQUTLUwpfB18/s1600-h/IMG_4473.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkiPkT2Uxh5hao0jhvVBNGrvoN9x13EG258cmXUraOMsUjKMgqb4jH3haKIgLCLGcYKIoAZ_9PKSoVaJeZkyLbvezWRTqyl_ifpC88VaE_j26zOLY-vsL5iPxSwK1w647LQUTLUwpfB18/s320/IMG_4473.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397833324416832370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYw8SVzx7yCsXyuXR3EdFUXadAFh6ZFeevCoK1dHRkzi7F9nsyrMli3m_TmNbqPgQIJt_xkX1N_K_kqhi2nhAi7znOATUJvj85um4jJXu6DOUWnC2eu9BMj3eT33TnBzbi1M729SbFcGS/s1600-h/IMG_4459.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYw8SVzx7yCsXyuXR3EdFUXadAFh6ZFeevCoK1dHRkzi7F9nsyrMli3m_TmNbqPgQIJt_xkX1N_K_kqhi2nhAi7znOATUJvj85um4jJXu6DOUWnC2eu9BMj3eT33TnBzbi1M729SbFcGS/s320/IMG_4459.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397833325652086994" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGf_eFmOq5Hs4hvTZGibIglmxjJbAiJG0t3EciAbmGwj-KGVM6EgemUY4Z7YRaiKU6NxQxmBVmSS-ShJPUTjuKNSVqzjnXmqLl2MflviwO0o6wj7wgm0sKboeEw7gc_t19bKWKUL5qcf9/s1600-h/IMG_4455.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGf_eFmOq5Hs4hvTZGibIglmxjJbAiJG0t3EciAbmGwj-KGVM6EgemUY4Z7YRaiKU6NxQxmBVmSS-ShJPUTjuKNSVqzjnXmqLl2MflviwO0o6wj7wgm0sKboeEw7gc_t19bKWKUL5qcf9/s320/IMG_4455.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397833314977510786" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-44651136464775078512009-10-24T16:26:00.000-07:002009-10-24T16:40:59.657-07:00Where in the world is Amy Van Buren.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Amy and Becca do Guatemala</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-d3SJ1-f6SnV4_RL8X9RKd66QUu5mALhwBova7byP2Qs53mvZjVHvMiRpzwDEuFoYi_gzZO7lw06mpnIiTBC2hf7Nfpna2ffg4porBBBnUhxxYkbhh1SzA4aLphlY6ZDo1yw5-ZEleeSF/s1600-h/7726_572977142184_13301106_34039424_5575567_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-d3SJ1-f6SnV4_RL8X9RKd66QUu5mALhwBova7byP2Qs53mvZjVHvMiRpzwDEuFoYi_gzZO7lw06mpnIiTBC2hf7Nfpna2ffg4porBBBnUhxxYkbhh1SzA4aLphlY6ZDo1yw5-ZEleeSF/s320/7726_572977142184_13301106_34039424_5575567_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396314178616929410" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Church in Panajachel</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjwCEeAxMrQkz1oMC4g-vdPx2NHSlB-7rS_lpPFnHgiXfwF-SvWSpJmFO20FLG7zjbhYdLSxBvpxy7U7Y3RnXT2lknEWhoydgLr0Y5ruPu_KHB9C47aYyAk6ohffV1oyLDm1Sv4USKIus/s1600-h/7726_572977137194_13301106_34039423_5113169_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjwCEeAxMrQkz1oMC4g-vdPx2NHSlB-7rS_lpPFnHgiXfwF-SvWSpJmFO20FLG7zjbhYdLSxBvpxy7U7Y3RnXT2lknEWhoydgLr0Y5ruPu_KHB9C47aYyAk6ohffV1oyLDm1Sv4USKIus/s320/7726_572977137194_13301106_34039423_5113169_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396314175333695746" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Amzo in the boat</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzAUc9IaqL2KO5rx2_0mvkccOAqaMzK6t0uagJm-yosxIvo2NBR2DwtN8Xc3AZ-C1JCEOlPb1U7emtoZU2TiCFQ-uGZaooT1EFpOe7kwGF6Man7VzwDwbAsukLdbQ_g52kfRKkOrznrmb/s1600-h/7726_572977122224_13301106_34039420_5242174_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzAUc9IaqL2KO5rx2_0mvkccOAqaMzK6t0uagJm-yosxIvo2NBR2DwtN8Xc3AZ-C1JCEOlPb1U7emtoZU2TiCFQ-uGZaooT1EFpOe7kwGF6Man7VzwDwbAsukLdbQ_g52kfRKkOrznrmb/s320/7726_572977122224_13301106_34039420_5242174_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396314169758426578" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Santa Cruz la Laguna</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZ806Ig6ZQAWv4iWjUAk5scWiWQid9WzmbAhZJ1nUiSQj-2n0e2JIOeuWyoWPTiRnOPeUaWYaactJpBasUeyfgiA9A9yJVVjDGng5SdR78p4aghAbUDpIfmGw3C2CPO8CLAzLU-wvsJ1w/s1600-h/7726_572977117234_13301106_34039419_1730617_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZ806Ig6ZQAWv4iWjUAk5scWiWQid9WzmbAhZJ1nUiSQj-2n0e2JIOeuWyoWPTiRnOPeUaWYaactJpBasUeyfgiA9A9yJVVjDGng5SdR78p4aghAbUDpIfmGw3C2CPO8CLAzLU-wvsJ1w/s320/7726_572977117234_13301106_34039419_1730617_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396314163435739074" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Lago Atitlan and the volcano</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXufKDcBtJmfJVSZ3nDzevvOqz6-GOhNGU_8OZbVUEk-fhGSUCl6ZnDzRBX0AOGgOeNN7-DZbUg9KFaLK1d2chyL1CSqpXOU2PH4NT0k9KSzhQjm_B0OvCRTiwiJ_yjwvBcbmG0IZpldhn/s1600-h/7726_572977107254_13301106_34039417_98425_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXufKDcBtJmfJVSZ3nDzevvOqz6-GOhNGU_8OZbVUEk-fhGSUCl6ZnDzRBX0AOGgOeNN7-DZbUg9KFaLK1d2chyL1CSqpXOU2PH4NT0k9KSzhQjm_B0OvCRTiwiJ_yjwvBcbmG0IZpldhn/s320/7726_572977107254_13301106_34039417_98425_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396313696488627602" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">A room with a view</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyI-VC1P6DgcMROIHkKC-5Z0uMF3aR-wylDRRL4W8P7SJMWvBV7nqgFnVlgVv6ewUK73mYbzdYPF_nJ9Mu4xl6sRdyiSEn8Ov-m62roXWoR5fVesmSZATZXUrAETO_WvHy7Ql7iucAy49A/s1600-h/7726_572977092284_13301106_34039414_1839207_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyI-VC1P6DgcMROIHkKC-5Z0uMF3aR-wylDRRL4W8P7SJMWvBV7nqgFnVlgVv6ewUK73mYbzdYPF_nJ9Mu4xl6sRdyiSEn8Ov-m62roXWoR5fVesmSZATZXUrAETO_WvHy7Ql7iucAy49A/s320/7726_572977092284_13301106_34039414_1839207_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396313698224984290" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Catching some z's</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIWBRbTdUOn07NEma6ZSvldjjrYCBNwiza52bJgfPgynfqGVhiwsHyDx0DUE4b9JJUHsUzAT4OBlgHOETPBHrHijWskyw_p3fYd-x2Xv88fGnLG7RuPOwpjPK_Orz23nItQ0xubwdOpPS/s1600-h/7726_572977067334_13301106_34039409_6131203_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIWBRbTdUOn07NEma6ZSvldjjrYCBNwiza52bJgfPgynfqGVhiwsHyDx0DUE4b9JJUHsUzAT4OBlgHOETPBHrHijWskyw_p3fYd-x2Xv88fGnLG7RuPOwpjPK_Orz23nItQ0xubwdOpPS/s320/7726_572977067334_13301106_34039409_6131203_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396313691562977026" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">posing</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhfohxHT8BHin1_4Za_qYL00Ct1qlNptjwbdUOJ16FurmeIvGK5pAsSHw9CYb4vVWRg4fFqT-sfcsUqr4BOsVyfK8TpAyFgXqJsmajJyoB7avslYLiIO2fsg9pABOg7gcWubyl0_a0fYy/s1600-h/7726_572977062344_13301106_34039408_3012224_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhfohxHT8BHin1_4Za_qYL00Ct1qlNptjwbdUOJ16FurmeIvGK5pAsSHw9CYb4vVWRg4fFqT-sfcsUqr4BOsVyfK8TpAyFgXqJsmajJyoB7avslYLiIO2fsg9pABOg7gcWubyl0_a0fYy/s320/7726_572977062344_13301106_34039408_3012224_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396313693986549202" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">our attempt to spell out KT, missing our other best friend</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C4lnFZROQ4aeCZ0rYZ_ddwPjQElsFdt4O50QUiaH-gLA5bXGkAvwXIauIR57QzOKbcAGQ78PSDcUII5Gi0fNPl7vNFf1TV-0Wk-yu6CwDlsyzVLUJpOWScWGareW4OG4aPjmwvlkyvD6/s1600-h/7726_572977057354_13301106_34039407_3057088_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C4lnFZROQ4aeCZ0rYZ_ddwPjQElsFdt4O50QUiaH-gLA5bXGkAvwXIauIR57QzOKbcAGQ78PSDcUII5Gi0fNPl7vNFf1TV-0Wk-yu6CwDlsyzVLUJpOWScWGareW4OG4aPjmwvlkyvD6/s320/7726_572977057354_13301106_34039407_3057088_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396313689449122690" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">surprise?</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqSxIlhqRup9CIGgnLj7b3t8k470kXxi0uPFniiLI5XIbMt6lcqcK7ycDYeT0FKkmsGnZj7lkkmThAgOUtHh9a5wHUx_yivcdKpJ0cbz-2mSlhX8_RBB6VcOQ-xUuxM20yLuIdOJ6lyFF/s1600-h/7726_572977047374_13301106_34039405_2901570_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqSxIlhqRup9CIGgnLj7b3t8k470kXxi0uPFniiLI5XIbMt6lcqcK7ycDYeT0FKkmsGnZj7lkkmThAgOUtHh9a5wHUx_yivcdKpJ0cbz-2mSlhX8_RBB6VcOQ-xUuxM20yLuIdOJ6lyFF/s320/7726_572977047374_13301106_34039405_2901570_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396313235604902786" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">View from the mountains above Santa Cruz</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1DPddED__OXMhadv-zyKKStaJSdG-ChH03d98e1xKY9Cyy1Hq4QWchNShpZjFVRiP6n3mPLSZnuJXPTG-G3esqjJa0bMm9pznhukkvbvJmQHBd0qvyH8atIU9Q0mn7Gr0naUh3_RNCK3/s1600-h/7726_572977022424_13301106_34039401_5012505_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1DPddED__OXMhadv-zyKKStaJSdG-ChH03d98e1xKY9Cyy1Hq4QWchNShpZjFVRiP6n3mPLSZnuJXPTG-G3esqjJa0bMm9pznhukkvbvJmQHBd0qvyH8atIU9Q0mn7Gr0naUh3_RNCK3/s320/7726_572977022424_13301106_34039401_5012505_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396313234578007346" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Amy reading up</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OrJi399PqN7Bc6ZfBWew7ioi0G7GGFDYl2EkqCYTuSNxcrdoOrAYzVE9w63a8SVqhzoTdPA8qA1o3SFtVXkXLsUg7VRLcngWltrHXaBAfgqjsWAqvYkHI3pm34No2UhwLjIrx2Rj8oES/s1600-h/7726_572977017434_13301106_34039400_6325844_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OrJi399PqN7Bc6ZfBWew7ioi0G7GGFDYl2EkqCYTuSNxcrdoOrAYzVE9w63a8SVqhzoTdPA8qA1o3SFtVXkXLsUg7VRLcngWltrHXaBAfgqjsWAqvYkHI3pm34No2UhwLjIrx2Rj8oES/s320/7726_572977017434_13301106_34039400_6325844_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396313234332135282" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Relaxing</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfWUPn516g2l1Xwmc33kJbdgRo7OKDJpLnomhTijS434ASHF4giBlJvmuPj3ZvfdpD-yvYvHu62xH6nAUdPPfvfurIS1LxPZukk2qj5IKNT0M38WSjd4O80Qh4lpIOVYN0mswR3N_IJfv/s1600-h/7726_572977012444_13301106_34039399_6394560_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfWUPn516g2l1Xwmc33kJbdgRo7OKDJpLnomhTijS434ASHF4giBlJvmuPj3ZvfdpD-yvYvHu62xH6nAUdPPfvfurIS1LxPZukk2qj5IKNT0M38WSjd4O80Qh4lpIOVYN0mswR3N_IJfv/s320/7726_572977012444_13301106_34039399_6394560_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396313228227909666" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Guatemalan man on the boat</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMgnOS7levaGwVZubj-uuKi28_5otaiSJuqCv83KNUstL2yIyNcA2bNE_VHSGNXjHeLTXgbOO-TFxH8jSV3v4mRtBBhEWwrUB6I7nnyA-6s9oF2ubw7fSwHngCgghfAscswUTcnFu9bGI/s1600-h/7726_572976972524_13301106_34039391_2829643_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMgnOS7levaGwVZubj-uuKi28_5otaiSJuqCv83KNUstL2yIyNcA2bNE_VHSGNXjHeLTXgbOO-TFxH8jSV3v4mRtBBhEWwrUB6I7nnyA-6s9oF2ubw7fSwHngCgghfAscswUTcnFu9bGI/s320/7726_572976972524_13301106_34039391_2829643_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396312894152320658" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Hammock style</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtknN-aIf4RwMbQcXXCFK2oaf123CfpCil3qC1FyKWvix1zdZE-mlM6mamUxT3IP2oB-RqqVdFvJ4t8OKmt158oS8qGQ4B4F0FdrvNAtf-_e5fGzl_kHnAgVVFfOpDzq7QelrtHVoqKM3/s1600-h/7726_572976962544_13301106_34039389_1611730_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtknN-aIf4RwMbQcXXCFK2oaf123CfpCil3qC1FyKWvix1zdZE-mlM6mamUxT3IP2oB-RqqVdFvJ4t8OKmt158oS8qGQ4B4F0FdrvNAtf-_e5fGzl_kHnAgVVFfOpDzq7QelrtHVoqKM3/s320/7726_572976962544_13301106_34039389_1611730_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396312888393765986" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Lake side</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7d8PQRKqlefrNOE3i4a2Pj6l1zzbFbe0iVUiXG9CbJ-qyYm3vnruGe8sIqJ4cNkl5rrncRClm1__dZXGk1A7C2HNiePvsFmZBW44fl6urTVRQJTQUrf5Mfa-xgKMWpRrzMISYAgupXIf/s1600-h/7726_572976947574_13301106_34039386_7122248_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7d8PQRKqlefrNOE3i4a2Pj6l1zzbFbe0iVUiXG9CbJ-qyYm3vnruGe8sIqJ4cNkl5rrncRClm1__dZXGk1A7C2HNiePvsFmZBW44fl6urTVRQJTQUrf5Mfa-xgKMWpRrzMISYAgupXIf/s320/7726_572976947574_13301106_34039386_7122248_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396312886184698130" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">lunch.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MVtt3ymJm3z-2oYoxzoe7s_-xFsyEic0P3Bao37LMGQ_RXhVfECZtii204tarW9gVpdDqt4EnsY6O0FNAO2M91KezTC_7K-Apk4ic-N68HKizhGSkM0NFyYS_-Q17ZiMd1LtawFKtsYV/s1600-h/7726_572976917634_13301106_34039381_684975_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MVtt3ymJm3z-2oYoxzoe7s_-xFsyEic0P3Bao37LMGQ_RXhVfECZtii204tarW9gVpdDqt4EnsY6O0FNAO2M91KezTC_7K-Apk4ic-N68HKizhGSkM0NFyYS_-Q17ZiMd1LtawFKtsYV/s320/7726_572976917634_13301106_34039381_684975_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396312882316693858" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Road down to San Marcos</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-4KXadjJ2nmYk-0EYHYQhLSCzKw7tqZ4gKLRXZZpK1NxpOCOIDHXh82_9hE4wR9WOp2IDqUcn4mhWPk9um-34KxB9NL5K_LF5wCqCUFo2D8YFfeu2lqtVi86rCGIXzoyU1RWXHw8GoOV/s1600-h/7726_572976857754_13301106_34039370_7384430_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-4KXadjJ2nmYk-0EYHYQhLSCzKw7tqZ4gKLRXZZpK1NxpOCOIDHXh82_9hE4wR9WOp2IDqUcn4mhWPk9um-34KxB9NL5K_LF5wCqCUFo2D8YFfeu2lqtVi86rCGIXzoyU1RWXHw8GoOV/s320/7726_572976857754_13301106_34039370_7384430_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396312875864692850" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Lots of love.</div><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-57113677463095530392009-09-26T19:44:00.000-07:002009-09-26T19:56:22.307-07:00RoomiesLove them or hate them, life is full of sharing rooms, houses, and leftovers with roommates. I’ve had a lot of roommates in the past, some I’ve loved, others I’ve been less than enthusiastic about and life here in Guatemala is no different. Now Peace Corps policy prohibits us from cohabiting with other Peace Corps volunteers, something about not integrating with society kind of deal, although personally I think Guatemalans find it quite bizarre that I’m not living with my family or at least friends. I think some even generally feel sorry for my solitary home life, which may explain the frequent early morning visits from several of my male teachers. (that or my habit of doing yoga at 6am in just shorts and a sports bra). Someone must have put an ad up on craiglist advertising my house. Possibly something along the lines of:<br />Gringa seeks roommates in her cozy two bedroom hut to aid in further integration into jungle lifestyle.<div><br />Recent responses to the alleged ad have included, scorpions, tarantulas, this horrendous arachnid known as a tailless whip scorpion which is neither scorpion nor spider, toads, mice, iguanas, ants, mosquitoes and the neighbors dog (he came running into my house a few nights ago dragging not just the chain they use to tie him up with but the entire tree branch he was tied to). And just like roommates they eat my food, keep me up late at night and steal my stuff. The dog ran off with one of my shower sandals earlier today, I took off after him but the little mutt is fast.<br />Generally my roommates are annoying but I deal. Its easier to gently relocate the tarantulas outside then clean up the hairy squished mess and I even caught one of the scorpions (hes living in an empty peanut butter jar). The tailless whip scorpion has escaped my attempts at smashing him with a boot so many times that I’ve decided to adopt the motto “walk softly and carry a big stick”. If my life were a reality show it would be called Survivor: Guatemalan Jungles, life in a giant terrarium…lets just say I'm glad I sleep underneath a mosquito net.<br /><br /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Would you want this living in your shower?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7StTI_gNbVpY-q50ul9uyBg2SoFYTD4jsVYJxz5O7qxdEm5XwyL_I3r3ZsX5SM4jRj9bun4laFI1hw5AoYM7pAWSjYRYmPSnmZ_ALgcjHn7d01QNehz34mJsWad0UE6nS-kShzvmjKaL/s320/this+does+not+belong+in+my+pila.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385972959552627490" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " />Tailless whip scorpion</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-83972708766491636852009-09-13T20:33:00.001-07:002009-09-14T06:15:04.190-07:00smattering of photos from life in Guatemala<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdv0qPBxhS4DOw3StstIh4UwXkrGJqF85sqZqd-uTDhfGITswEgyQAFDRJVNdyUpMVj1BSU3IclSaRS43Sd7l8CZcgpLN5Nwhc1tukMfqe3OIDD4isIeEht-OIAuo2_EVsHnfFAutlsrOq/s1600-h/6773_579687115214_306295_34231635_3481631_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdv0qPBxhS4DOw3StstIh4UwXkrGJqF85sqZqd-uTDhfGITswEgyQAFDRJVNdyUpMVj1BSU3IclSaRS43Sd7l8CZcgpLN5Nwhc1tukMfqe3OIDD4isIeEht-OIAuo2_EVsHnfFAutlsrOq/s320/6773_579687115214_306295_34231635_3481631_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381162613028934754" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Chris and some guatemalan boys</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78Fw1IZHnpDrgRHYBqtvLb4bJCT6qSwO0aEw_c6k5UyNKDpedZjYwSbJgbrsuSftbsZDbO61b0E-Fqvispws1uZUz6L2UdeMC0K8TOUxe_ZvLd80jtplOI_LNveFBvQCuFoMQEeovwBXn/s1600-h/6773_579687499444_306295_34231650_6786794_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78Fw1IZHnpDrgRHYBqtvLb4bJCT6qSwO0aEw_c6k5UyNKDpedZjYwSbJgbrsuSftbsZDbO61b0E-Fqvispws1uZUz6L2UdeMC0K8TOUxe_ZvLd80jtplOI_LNveFBvQCuFoMQEeovwBXn/s320/6773_579687499444_306295_34231650_6786794_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381162606547879186" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">new roommate</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeEFZM2EYgy1oyVstjonu2j87EkOiNtcurWori0C10RGQ1u_TOrxk6mgjNNfyppuH_mvG31c6sVSMnNzF7pg75Iee5lONc8y2P2qNEFCAM4U0ruehAqaDH-aQrw-StilgKRI35X-PlUOw/s1600-h/6773_579688153134_306295_34231701_8377474_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeEFZM2EYgy1oyVstjonu2j87EkOiNtcurWori0C10RGQ1u_TOrxk6mgjNNfyppuH_mvG31c6sVSMnNzF7pg75Iee5lONc8y2P2qNEFCAM4U0ruehAqaDH-aQrw-StilgKRI35X-PlUOw/s320/6773_579688153134_306295_34231701_8377474_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381162602142294162" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">mike and chris bbqing in tactic</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3I6CglBOEGw7oIk8G0DbRciHTrqHdaf4TrhBl5sNHJAD4_cmqkwdAkOVoHWAEf8oc1IFjqB12M2pmzd5MGiJJCTdC9x8ZyciF53PHSuIYm4l401EY8Nd04P0DxCrpB22GtDcLV37ZawG/s1600-h/6773_579688158124_306295_34231702_6971131_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3I6CglBOEGw7oIk8G0DbRciHTrqHdaf4TrhBl5sNHJAD4_cmqkwdAkOVoHWAEf8oc1IFjqB12M2pmzd5MGiJJCTdC9x8ZyciF53PHSuIYm4l401EY8Nd04P0DxCrpB22GtDcLV37ZawG/s320/6773_579688158124_306295_34231702_6971131_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381162592745522674" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">mike and michelle</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwRTW97yejFdt9DGCoymvMQ-nLQQ2lyDAOSb3AlIdRo9ceHZ1VBobN36eiN5PNB6geU624ijOxsbbcAd6ZaSQ-E-jIu5xbZK_kKwgLqSTagEF5YJxIht2-jKgfhYcE9PdYlu0MzqP1K2z/s1600-h/6773_579688168104_306295_34231704_6257185_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwRTW97yejFdt9DGCoymvMQ-nLQQ2lyDAOSb3AlIdRo9ceHZ1VBobN36eiN5PNB6geU624ijOxsbbcAd6ZaSQ-E-jIu5xbZK_kKwgLqSTagEF5YJxIht2-jKgfhYcE9PdYlu0MzqP1K2z/s320/6773_579688168104_306295_34231704_6257185_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381162055114519858" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">lorba and her meat</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCO5ePJfRSF50mz5kbtQsN6SalgaZQIwx_vAruyMoZQlkUEw4V6PmNjCGHdRUGDc5RSuNFQkyPQtB_djFPunoBGl5EVOyyMmFaFZRTg1ZTeztXM9Y1E9ht5elJ3ABZsad2enB_sn7scuyb/s1600-h/n306295_32267123_8373.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCO5ePJfRSF50mz5kbtQsN6SalgaZQIwx_vAruyMoZQlkUEw4V6PmNjCGHdRUGDc5RSuNFQkyPQtB_djFPunoBGl5EVOyyMmFaFZRTg1ZTeztXM9Y1E9ht5elJ3ABZsad2enB_sn7scuyb/s320/n306295_32267123_8373.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381162048247575378" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">the famous arch in antigua</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1B-zkxqlGaj_UvL0XDeIFHbDkJK3KuiopUKeLwZXvx9TDCfQXasa0KoAx8bkhgcNGCQXVwMPh8r2Vl7JlzQhEXP-6eqiokgZWjDNmKMYjBoswRXrtRxlKsu_uSXiKJ_8PH76p7Jai-5Y3/s1600-h/n306295_32267124_9910.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1B-zkxqlGaj_UvL0XDeIFHbDkJK3KuiopUKeLwZXvx9TDCfQXasa0KoAx8bkhgcNGCQXVwMPh8r2Vl7JlzQhEXP-6eqiokgZWjDNmKMYjBoswRXrtRxlKsu_uSXiKJ_8PH76p7Jai-5Y3/s320/n306295_32267124_9910.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381162043866224914" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">antigua churches</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9sLlCeb4EMaLZ7pQyvJs79QZwm4Qo5ejga_2-mY0YdhyphenhyphenAVbhPGiFAZQTkYwRfa1IfUBJIKiG-saclpO5-anBJx2PXqQXNEI9xpeOHJp0DyOAbhdkJx-dwhU52pZqN9AfFRtrgBmOW8Vx/s1600-h/n306295_32329436_8339.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9sLlCeb4EMaLZ7pQyvJs79QZwm4Qo5ejga_2-mY0YdhyphenhyphenAVbhPGiFAZQTkYwRfa1IfUBJIKiG-saclpO5-anBJx2PXqQXNEI9xpeOHJp0DyOAbhdkJx-dwhU52pZqN9AfFRtrgBmOW8Vx/s320/n306295_32329436_8339.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381162035268299250" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcztFxyUvqsOiY47N5DPFwGUjYml4uFFDUkD6KA1iCduvkAtdDGAXOtzC3W-C_YZLqM3Heasaohu_6Nkw-4ogF2YeSi2iRzv3TymI7gkVNAhY5oQmsmaunWdbGZRygPWi1Kw5o71K4w_O/s1600-h/n306295_32329444_488.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcztFxyUvqsOiY47N5DPFwGUjYml4uFFDUkD6KA1iCduvkAtdDGAXOtzC3W-C_YZLqM3Heasaohu_6Nkw-4ogF2YeSi2iRzv3TymI7gkVNAhY5oQmsmaunWdbGZRygPWi1Kw5o71K4w_O/s320/n306295_32329444_488.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381162033124504514" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">salto(waterfall) </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQEKdHFh1tbn_5oZCeqXqFYqXeoio3VlS313lw7b82np_1mselHoaMryCKjZTD5cP2K5wMSPtCMVnqXU2GmrMqtLmQmrVEljG0sS2RmzTMURrvmtzHPpyStVR9M156hjyrzQv9t_CGZ5b/s1600-h/n306295_32435115_6239.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQEKdHFh1tbn_5oZCeqXqFYqXeoio3VlS313lw7b82np_1mselHoaMryCKjZTD5cP2K5wMSPtCMVnqXU2GmrMqtLmQmrVEljG0sS2RmzTMURrvmtzHPpyStVR9M156hjyrzQv9t_CGZ5b/s320/n306295_32435115_6239.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381161536567046866" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">antigua with Volcan Agua in the background</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCMy9fG0wfcoa6MokYJr2d60rCTd_C0fc98B9VzRktW6l-9JKVPY_Z1RzhBiVITlPiRNYcc3CYXeXY7TJxHIqkww7ACTJuyC4e27A7UU-tPvBgKh20Zclsixrk79vvkwdmLKsDqfnSRCf/s1600-h/n306295_32608957_7318.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCMy9fG0wfcoa6MokYJr2d60rCTd_C0fc98B9VzRktW6l-9JKVPY_Z1RzhBiVITlPiRNYcc3CYXeXY7TJxHIqkww7ACTJuyC4e27A7UU-tPvBgKh20Zclsixrk79vvkwdmLKsDqfnSRCf/s320/n306295_32608957_7318.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381161533733162162" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">carrying a load</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTdnucvJ3RtpOXNqMh4WXHdnu1ROHX46YxBm8ZHEKkGsB8Nx74IddNvzxEJaOo9MahDMIIh9gvLT9y2hfLlUNAwei3kQO7xAJARwylWtPczZD-p6OpVLtAkTymEHJcQyJ1k6P9lnh5pjr/s1600-h/n306295_32608981_8057.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTdnucvJ3RtpOXNqMh4WXHdnu1ROHX46YxBm8ZHEKkGsB8Nx74IddNvzxEJaOo9MahDMIIh9gvLT9y2hfLlUNAwei3kQO7xAJARwylWtPczZD-p6OpVLtAkTymEHJcQyJ1k6P9lnh5pjr/s320/n306295_32608981_8057.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381161523032560274" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">the parrot that lives in the yard</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2Ut3eocSDyC0MoX_uGhZLDqw9X-LX18zlzCejJniRaTsA3TxwtLgqsRA4YaAr0gEXaY_zg70lxkmX_t-3XrgmI233J2gReCdil4AOHjmqamSBh98b-SNj9j1tjvsIkigzRoeC6syox6P/s1600-h/n306295_32608982_995.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2Ut3eocSDyC0MoX_uGhZLDqw9X-LX18zlzCejJniRaTsA3TxwtLgqsRA4YaAr0gEXaY_zg70lxkmX_t-3XrgmI233J2gReCdil4AOHjmqamSBh98b-SNj9j1tjvsIkigzRoeC6syox6P/s320/n306295_32608982_995.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381161522380698130" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">cuevas candelaria campo santo</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9IGNefGj6TkAAVSMNCzOh_id8dHpNEG5xdzOKCPEV0aKkLdOQnSX5ZISCkFw_w9g54v-K68x5llsk00M1kFWHTbLWvGDlTIlZTaHlUn9_hLynrpnyoTrbsAaKEnzThns6iq5xwM-DrkB/s1600-h/n306295_32998069_1473.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9IGNefGj6TkAAVSMNCzOh_id8dHpNEG5xdzOKCPEV0aKkLdOQnSX5ZISCkFw_w9g54v-K68x5llsk00M1kFWHTbLWvGDlTIlZTaHlUn9_hLynrpnyoTrbsAaKEnzThns6iq5xwM-DrkB/s320/n306295_32998069_1473.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381161514737117778" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Chris's house (where ive been living until he comes back in Oct)</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-3614976211415168582009-09-13T11:26:00.000-07:002009-09-13T20:09:45.234-07:00mudslide!<div>About a month ago Chris and I were headed to Coban to watch a big soccer game. About an 45 minutes into the two hour ride all traffic stopped, and for a road that rarely sees more than two or three cars in the same mile stretch, it was crazy seeing about a hundred cars backed up. Everyone got out, and after arguing with the driver about getting a refund on half of our fare, we followed the crowd and started walking. Turns out heavy rains turned the hillside to heavy mud and in the middle of the night a huge plot of a corn field fell. We had to walk about 300 yards through mud below the highway with all of our stuff to get to the other side. Chris was wearing boots so he had no problem, but I was in my rainbows (as usual) and ended up hiking in my bare feet. Here are some pics Chris took of the mudslide.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQS6fhNL5Cu280v5WfGxwWO8bE8iQHZCokADRVQKfJvSY4n8PBdQiV06OOG3nZhCUyGo3PHQETUiuVa5sxxijWZvVD2kk5DFLVej7OZkALR96FnmpoJYO9w1JihJMSVTZl253IevqQT1k6/s1600-h/IMG_4236+copy.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQS6fhNL5Cu280v5WfGxwWO8bE8iQHZCokADRVQKfJvSY4n8PBdQiV06OOG3nZhCUyGo3PHQETUiuVa5sxxijWZvVD2kk5DFLVej7OZkALR96FnmpoJYO9w1JihJMSVTZl253IevqQT1k6/s400/IMG_4236+copy.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381024567129078674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpR6TrnPTDuufED1r0NCF9G7fSNd2kYngGhAK9KOUXZqMRmzdadRNP6gaxwfkOA_Lz_NaspisNdLrlPeJEKNSUwZdMuHo2zJVm6w-9Enm_6MjIqi09B1vB75IQRWzQYcDlRZpWRMMXhzP/s1600-h/IMG_4221+copy.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpR6TrnPTDuufED1r0NCF9G7fSNd2kYngGhAK9KOUXZqMRmzdadRNP6gaxwfkOA_Lz_NaspisNdLrlPeJEKNSUwZdMuHo2zJVm6w-9Enm_6MjIqi09B1vB75IQRWzQYcDlRZpWRMMXhzP/s400/IMG_4221+copy.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381024564680843586" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUHMrvXPOgJey60116Z8-PkTi24_leH1_pMRuuEJaexYTz5AHuKa1mGuI6X6eSyleLNyRe4teEtBYKHMRryVmmLDVwHhYodL1gQlDZGjurgg8uggzO1TgKsTDjozbx0DU1_ooVY5e-LJp/s1600-h/IMG_4224+copy.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUHMrvXPOgJey60116Z8-PkTi24_leH1_pMRuuEJaexYTz5AHuKa1mGuI6X6eSyleLNyRe4teEtBYKHMRryVmmLDVwHhYodL1gQlDZGjurgg8uggzO1TgKsTDjozbx0DU1_ooVY5e-LJp/s400/IMG_4224+copy.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381024554408477026" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPKkKpuygfjDp2IC9eqAjiFygXWeptB1MOblj4UBWu3GvVYSzp40EeRXdKa9iwRd5ddau-W2p9MmJoOREnXO_fMvlKxjj9zh232LJ_HNW8wgCVzhU853BrDSLH_SeDvMDErNdECLP4vti/s1600-h/IMG_4218.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPKkKpuygfjDp2IC9eqAjiFygXWeptB1MOblj4UBWu3GvVYSzp40EeRXdKa9iwRd5ddau-W2p9MmJoOREnXO_fMvlKxjj9zh232LJ_HNW8wgCVzhU853BrDSLH_SeDvMDErNdECLP4vti/s400/IMG_4218.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381024549752221106" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736128889952966815.post-27086549370902775522009-09-13T10:15:00.000-07:002009-09-13T10:42:02.229-07:00just getting bySo food is in a major shortage down here because, well aid isn't reaching the needy and theres a major draught. (Its barely rained at all in the last month and this is supposed to be the height of the rainey season) The poor indigenous people can't afford to keep the food they grow and they have to sell their beans and eggs instead of giving them to their kids. People are malnourished because all they can afford is tortillas and while they dont really look like the starving African babies you see on television and in new articles because they're full of corn, they are really sick and struggle to survive and sometimes fall asleep on eachother/me on the buses.<br /><br />What this translates to is that food prices are skyrocketing. Tomatoes cost 2 Quetzales/lb in March and they now cost 5Q/lb. There are no reason for the price increase other than the food crisis (no seasonal factors) but for whatever reason apples are dirt cheap, probably because they have such a short season and also because Guatemalans seem opposed to anything that you can't fry or serve in a bag.<br /><br />So what does this all mean, it means that I can buy a pound of apples for 2Q (8.4Q=$1). So today I was like alright im gonna by some apples, but they arent all pretty and groomed like the ones in the states (did you know their are federal regulations in the US of A about what produce has to look like, ie no funny looking carrots, lopsided apples, etc) so I didnt want to just eat the apples plain, with bruises and potential ameobas so I decided to cook them. I peeled, cored and cubed the apples and threw them in a pot with some water, some sugar, a ton of cinnamon and let them boil. I passed out in the hammock and 30 minutes later woke up, turned the stove off and smashed up the apples into their gooey goodness. Tastes just like apple pie filling.<br /><br />But not to make light of a very serious problem, Healthy Schools volunteers, myself included, have been hosting special community meetings to parents, teachers, women's groups and other social organizations to stress the importance of proper nutrition and cost saving ways to provide food for not just children but all those going hungry. And while the problem is much more deeply routed than spending habits and lack of education, we are doing what we can.<div><br /></div><div>Below are a few links to articles about this crisis in Guatemala.</div><div><br /></div><div>Economist:</div><div>http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displayStory.cfm?</div><div>story_id=14313735&source=hptextfeature<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>CNN:</div><div>http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/09/09/guatemala.calamity/index.html<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0