Blog Archives

Day 12 - June 8 , 2013 Gini's 64th birthday. A performance by children.

6/8/2013

Sorry I got so far behind. I have not been feeling well now for a week and we also were really busy with the last workshop and traveling back and forth between Pana (on Lake Atitlan) and La Antigua. Friday we fly up to Flores. Thanks to lonely planet for the map.

I still will need to post our last workshop with a GREAT group photo, lesson by Vilma about how to wear a corte, a few market visits and ....

Tomorrow early Vilma will leave us to return to San Lucus Toliman. It has been such an honor getting to know this brilliant, hard working native woman. You'll hear more about her tomorrow. She needs our help to get a visa to visit Joyce. The US consulate will not give her one because she is unmarried and does not own land in Guatemala..... MORE tomorrow when I'll ask the question: Does someone have name recognition with John Kerry?

So the plan for my birthday was for me to rent a van and go over to Aquas Calientes and to walk around with the pictures from when I was weaving there and see if anything would happen.

But it had been such a tiring week and I wasn't feeling great so we decided instead to just "do lunch" at La Pena del Sol and watch the performence. I brought copies of the photos from 1975.

As their website tells us: "Children with Blessing" was created in 2006 by Lesbi Chavez - and her husband Juventino - so impoverished children from their village of San Antonio Aguas Calientes could receive a quality education while strengthening their own cultural and family ties.

Click here to visit their website.

As soon as we sat down Genelle, bless her, asked to speak to the teacher and Lesbi came over and explained the program to us. She was VERY excited to see the photos. She was born in the early 70's and there was a major earthquake in 1976 (which killed over 23,000 in the country and cut off water and electricity and access to the town). She had not seen many pictures from before the quake and I gave them to her for the local museum. We also figured if anyone knew the little girl or the young girl they might see them that way.

Lesbi teaches "back strap weaving" so many sometime I'll come down and study with her.

The restaurant had a small number of people which is really too bad because the children did a great performance. The were confident, talented and well prepared! And of course adorable.

Lisbi introduced herself to the audience and then each child in turn came to the microphone and in a nice clear voice introduced themselves in Spanish or English and told about their clothes and from what region they came.

Waiting to perform and

watching others.

The corn dance honored the planting, tending and harvesting of corn/ maiz.
First the seed is presented and then blessed by the priest.
It's planted, watered, and harvested and celebrated.

There was a courtship dance. Here's just the girls waiting.

Two of the marimba players. Pictures of all of them did not turn out.

We were asked to dance - first we thought we were being asked for money so we said no. I am not sure why we said no given that we intended from the beginning to donate to the program.

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Day 11 and 12

6/8/2013

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Sorry great pictures but the stomach thing hit and then my birthday. Tomorrow 's a travel day. Hopefully tomorrow night I'll post workshop two and a birthday surprise.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!!!

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Day 11 - June 7 - Workshop #2 with experienced female and male teachers and facilitators Vilma, Ale, Tyla, Juan and Amilcar at Jocotenango, Antigua Guatemala. All workshops are on woman's health

6/7/2013

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Same teaching guide but such a very different class. To aid in effectiveness male facilitators Juan and Emilcar were brought in. With experienced teachers as students there was more joking and more classroom participation.

At the end of the day long marathon event each Student (teacher) is given a certificate signed by the Minister of Education and Genelle Grant. It is a prized object as it helps these teachers in their jobs when advancement is considered. As steady consistent work is not easy to find especially in rural Guatemala a teaching jobs is important to hold on to. Some of the young women we saw in the last workshop may need to wait a while before they are employed.

Family planning are always an important part of this workshop series presenting male and female anatomy, fertility bracelets, condom use and vasectomy.

A woman who is a child in the two child family shows that she gets a full cookie.

Ale, Emilcar and Vilma listening to a student (teacher) talk about the use of the bracelet.

Family planning exercise in which participants investigate sharing of resources in a 4 person family vs an 8 person family. A young student from the school came into see what all the laughter was about.

Juan, with his wife Tyla (both facilitators) looking on, displays his packaged condom. He's ready for his presentation which will come up in a few minutes. See previous posting to view Juan practicing on a wooden penis.

The handing out of certificates is an exciting close to the day long event. Juan and Tyla had to print a few extra when the names were wrong because it's such an important document.

More to post but can't tonight - internet dropping and we leave here at 6:30 am for another workshop and drive back to La Antigua. Oh My......

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Day 10 - Workshop number 1 - Colegio Belen - 50 young women studying to be teachers.

6/6/2013

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What an inspirational and educational day. These 50 girls from many different villages live, study and work at the school while preparing to be teachers. Tyla introduced Genelle and Genelle started off the day with deep belly breathing and relaxation techniques. The facilitators (down front) took over.

Gaby and Ale help students find pressure point on top of their heads.

Family planning - considering size of the family on food, money and inheritance.

Gaby, Wilma and Tyla help students find pressure point on top of their heads.

Bingo using reproductive terms.

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Day 9 - group of facilitators getting together

6/5/2013

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If you have followed the pictures carefully you'll see facilitators from both groups and a few new. It's fun to see now familiar faces. Tomorrow there is an all day workshop with teacher's college students.

The young women - many whom had not met each other - come from very different places - 2 from Guatemala City and one from the far west who stood on a bus for 12 hours. And many from in between.

Lots of laughter!

Gabriella wants to go to law school ! She's 17 and has graduated from teacher's college.

Also earlier in the day both Linda and I had Spanish lessons for two hours each. Intense but fun!

Graduated from medical school! She's looking at an incredible book that goes through the systems of the body in English and Spanish

Yes it's PIZZA !

Earlier in the day I sorted pencils that will be given out tomorrow. Pencils that traveled from Florida.

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Day 8 A drive from Pana back to La Antigua

6/4/2013

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Took the night off to finish Crossing Borders the second book by Rigoberta Menchu.

This is a series of photos through the windshield on the trip yesterday. Not great photos and not that interesting. Tomorrow evening I'll post some great pictures of the workshops and facilitators. Please check back then.

Thanks again for comments and emails.

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Day 7 - Visit to Pavarotti Education Center, San Lucas, Atitlan

6/3/2013

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You know I love shopping and watching people and eating good food and....
But, I came on this trip to see Genelle in action and to help in whatever way I can.

FIRST - just as we did in Antigua, we sort the materials that have been donated and mailed in a large box or carried in the extra suitcases into facilitators bags and this time 50 student bags. You'll see fertility bracelets that so many of you helped to make. Linda is sorting condoms!

SECOND we had a delicious lunch at Rita's house and met Pamela and Manuel. Damaris showed me how to make tortillas - I tried - did badly and dropped it on the floor.

THIRD:We drove to the school. Linda and I were treated to a tour. It looks like a fun and interesting place. As is the case withmany such private , ambitious endeavors the school needs money!

Computer Center

Spiritual Center

Library

Art

Carpentry

Music

Weaving

FOURTH - Genelle conducted a facilitator training for Vilma, Marina, Irving, Angel, Osbaldo and Rita. My apologies that I do not have the full names and titles. I took photographs. It was especially fun to see the bracelets handled out.

If it rains too much and the roads are not safe these facilitators will conduct the workshops next week.

Great driver. He kept us safe! Water flowing down small roads looked like the Colorado!

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Day 6 June 2 Panajachel, Lake Atitlan and Santiago Atitlan

6/2/2013

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Genelle recognized Julio Cochoy last night in a restaurant where we were watching the "girls" play marimba. Genelle and Julio had sat next to each other years ago in a van. Julio experienced the violence in his native Guatemala as a child. He is from a village on the other side of the lake. He is author of a book, “Voces Rompiendo el Silencio de Utatlan” (Voices Breaking the Silence of Utatlan), includes testimonies from 36 families from the town.

As Genelle and Julio talked they realized they are working in many of the same ways. Genelle shared the teaching guide that she uses.

He offered to drive us today from Panajachel over to the market in Santiago. In his pickup we road around the bottom end of Lake Atitlan from Panajachel to Santiago. . The trip was about 2 hours. We took the boat back just before it started to pour - again! Below are pictures of the market.

We came upon another celebration of Corpus Christi. But my battery is almost gone - it's time for dinner and I am really cold having sat in a cafe doing this for and hour and a half.

It's my husband George's birthday today. We miss him. I toasted him with a hot chocolate which he would have loved.

They say this is where clouds are made!

Lunch in Santiago Atitlan with Julio Cochoy, an indigenous man with whom we are spending the day.

Men everywhere wash their vehicles. See the splash guards that say 4 WD. Funny - there are only three wheels.

Most of the men have given up their traditional dress for every day. However see the short white embroidered pants.

Linda and Genelle get thread braided into their hair. I of course do not.

The marimba girls - they were great. It is unusual in this culture for women to play. Their parents own the restaurant.

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Comments - thanks so much from all of us. Back to work Monday.

6/1/2013

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June 1 Panajachel, Lake Atitlan - Hotel Dos Mundos

6/1/2013

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So as I wrote before we were supposed to be at Mystical Yoga Farm until next Tuesday with a few trips to schools and the college at San Lucas. But we aren't. It was such a bizarre experience. I wish I could explain it. This is when I wish I had Peggy's ability to capture a story in a few words. But within a few minutes it became clear that we did not want to be there and they did not want us. They saw it as we were just too old to do rustic and we saw it as they are not establishing a business that caters to it's customers in a welcome and open manor. The physical space was absolutely gorgeous and would have made a wonderful retreat center for the college that we will visit next week. Too bad. They did help us get a room across the lake and we slept well having carted ourselves around in the rain.

The next day we took a boat across the lake to Panajachel where we will stay until next Tuesday when we return to La Antigua. There will be a facilitators training on Monday that we will travel to. We are resting during the weekend.