Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
A sunny place for shady people
That's what this guy's El Salvador shirt said when I was in Europe like ten years ago. Only been here two days and love it. But missed a week in guatemala-
Some highlights-
Dinner with my Guatemalan family and Pauline and Lisa and my teacher, Ana.
Three beautiful days at La Iguana Perdida in Santa Cruz la Laguna on lake Atitlan and having a child guide take us to Maximon (look it up). Meeting people there from Santa Cruz and Humboldt and sharing thanksgiving dinner with a singing ER doc from Washington DC and a family of five from the greater New Orleans area, traveling for an indefinite amount of time while homeschooling their children. And having one of these children, age 12, serenading the entire international crowd of about 70 with classic guitar songs. Funny conversations that start with the sentence, "so on my way here, someone stole my didgeridoo". And then the accidental interview to finish up a school year with 4th graders in Panajachel at a private school started with UN values that started with gringos years ago and now serves 85% guate families, 50% for free.
Mom flew in Saturday morning and we spent a night in Antigua, had lunch at the most gorgeous place with Carolina, and then ran into a couple I had met at the lake almost a month ago. Last time I saw them, they'd literally jumped on a chicken bus to Guatemala City, the man hanging off the bottom step and onto a pole, so full that the door wouldn't close. I guess he made it!
We shuttled the next morning to El Tunco, El Salvador and have spent the last 36 hours soaking up sun, wading in the water and on the black sand, eating ceviche and lobster, and "liberating" turtles. I love it when Spanish / English translations aren't exactly the same.
Tonight we are sitting at our tiny hotel on the beach, eating mahi mahi made by an el Salvadorean chef who lived in Louisiana in the 70's and has a voice like the godfather, with a lovely couple from Hawaii and chilling out, while being protected by an armed guard with a machine gun. It's all good!
Some highlights-
Dinner with my Guatemalan family and Pauline and Lisa and my teacher, Ana.
Three beautiful days at La Iguana Perdida in Santa Cruz la Laguna on lake Atitlan and having a child guide take us to Maximon (look it up). Meeting people there from Santa Cruz and Humboldt and sharing thanksgiving dinner with a singing ER doc from Washington DC and a family of five from the greater New Orleans area, traveling for an indefinite amount of time while homeschooling their children. And having one of these children, age 12, serenading the entire international crowd of about 70 with classic guitar songs. Funny conversations that start with the sentence, "so on my way here, someone stole my didgeridoo". And then the accidental interview to finish up a school year with 4th graders in Panajachel at a private school started with UN values that started with gringos years ago and now serves 85% guate families, 50% for free.
Mom flew in Saturday morning and we spent a night in Antigua, had lunch at the most gorgeous place with Carolina, and then ran into a couple I had met at the lake almost a month ago. Last time I saw them, they'd literally jumped on a chicken bus to Guatemala City, the man hanging off the bottom step and onto a pole, so full that the door wouldn't close. I guess he made it!
We shuttled the next morning to El Tunco, El Salvador and have spent the last 36 hours soaking up sun, wading in the water and on the black sand, eating ceviche and lobster, and "liberating" turtles. I love it when Spanish / English translations aren't exactly the same.
Tonight we are sitting at our tiny hotel on the beach, eating mahi mahi made by an el Salvadorean chef who lived in Louisiana in the 70's and has a voice like the godfather, with a lovely couple from Hawaii and chilling out, while being protected by an armed guard with a machine gun. It's all good!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Heaven
I'm not a religious person. I am Jewish by culture and family ties, but don't have any tenacity about there being an absolute truth when it comes to religion. As an educator in the public sector, and a minority, I'm a firm believer in the separation of church and state, and I'm definitely sensitive about religious language. When it comes to matters of the heart I know that people respond and react in well meaning and loving ways, and try to be sensitive in my own reactions and responses.
Last week, my nurse mom and I had an IM conversation about the different terms for death. She said in her profession, they say amongst the staff that a patient has "gone to heaven". This bothered me. What is heaven? And how can one define when another is 'going' there? How long does it take? Where is it? I am just too pragmatic and roll my eyes at that (gotta work on that part). There are too many beliefs in the world about death and the presence or lack thereof of an afterlife. People often talk about how to explain what happens AFTER death. But how do you tell someone that a loved one has died? Even the word 'died' is loaded. It's passive. Deceased. Demise. Depart. Perish. Succumb. And those are only the passive synonyms.
In truth, often it is a passive experience. Passive- passed away. Passed away doesn't carry any religious connotation like "gone to heaven", so I like it more. When I was very ill and in the hospital this year, during late night nurse shift change my nurse knelt by my bed, placed her hand in praying formation and said "G-d bless you." While well meaning, this really irked me. "May you be well," would have sufficed.
So here I am the night of my grandmother's death. The second grandmother I've lost in the last 6 months. And while I don't believe in heaven, I do believe that if one believes there is one, then it is an absolute truth for that person. I don't know if my grandma, if either if my grandmas, believed in heaven. But I know if they did, then they are both there, perhaps having a cup of tea, or more likely some delicious pastry my grandma Viola made, talking about the similarities and differences in their lives, and how they both ended up settling in the same suburban area. And how each of their lives were affected by their religion during World War II, and each had husbands that served in the military in America, and each had lovely children, one of each who would meet each other very early in their lives, and share their memories of their first granddaughter, ME, when they were still very young themselves. And how each of them would have three more grandchildren each (one more shared) and how fortunate they both were to live into their 90's.
I couldn't be with my grandma Florence today, but she was heavy in my heart while we ventured out of the city. The pictures were taken, unknowingly, around the same time my grandma took her last breath. Think what you will.
Last week, my nurse mom and I had an IM conversation about the different terms for death. She said in her profession, they say amongst the staff that a patient has "gone to heaven". This bothered me. What is heaven? And how can one define when another is 'going' there? How long does it take? Where is it? I am just too pragmatic and roll my eyes at that (gotta work on that part). There are too many beliefs in the world about death and the presence or lack thereof of an afterlife. People often talk about how to explain what happens AFTER death. But how do you tell someone that a loved one has died? Even the word 'died' is loaded. It's passive. Deceased. Demise. Depart. Perish. Succumb. And those are only the passive synonyms.
In truth, often it is a passive experience. Passive- passed away. Passed away doesn't carry any religious connotation like "gone to heaven", so I like it more. When I was very ill and in the hospital this year, during late night nurse shift change my nurse knelt by my bed, placed her hand in praying formation and said "G-d bless you." While well meaning, this really irked me. "May you be well," would have sufficed.
So here I am the night of my grandmother's death. The second grandmother I've lost in the last 6 months. And while I don't believe in heaven, I do believe that if one believes there is one, then it is an absolute truth for that person. I don't know if my grandma, if either if my grandmas, believed in heaven. But I know if they did, then they are both there, perhaps having a cup of tea, or more likely some delicious pastry my grandma Viola made, talking about the similarities and differences in their lives, and how they both ended up settling in the same suburban area. And how each of their lives were affected by their religion during World War II, and each had husbands that served in the military in America, and each had lovely children, one of each who would meet each other very early in their lives, and share their memories of their first granddaughter, ME, when they were still very young themselves. And how each of them would have three more grandchildren each (one more shared) and how fortunate they both were to live into their 90's.
I couldn't be with my grandma Florence today, but she was heavy in my heart while we ventured out of the city. The pictures were taken, unknowingly, around the same time my grandma took her last breath. Think what you will.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Decisions
I just got word that my grandmother is dying. She's 90, so the time was going to come at some point. But this wasn't the point we were expecting.
Even if I got on a bus to Guatemala City right now, I could be on the first flight tomorrow to Phoenix. But she probably won't make it that long. And I don't see how rushing is going to change anything. My dad is thre. My uncle and aunt are there. My cousin flies in tomorrow.
I'm not quite sure what to do. Decisions
Even if I got on a bus to Guatemala City right now, I could be on the first flight tomorrow to Phoenix. But she probably won't make it that long. And I don't see how rushing is going to change anything. My dad is thre. My uncle and aunt are there. My cousin flies in tomorrow.
I'm not quite sure what to do. Decisions
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Chocolate
This is said with an accent of course. Cafe de chocolate, dulces con chocolate, pan de chocolate, chocolate con jenjibre, naranja, manis, nuez, licor. Chocolate entero, en polvo.
And most of it is amazing. They really like their sugar here so a few times my taste buds have been overpowered by crystallized sugar. But for the most part, it's delicious. As is the coffee. Looking forward to bringing a pound back to Xela to have in the apartment in the morning.
Still in San Cristobal. Still enchanted. Pauline's friend Lisa left to return to xela today. Pauline and I will leave Thursday. A week here and I still can't wait to come back. I'm really going to have to explore the option of spending an entire summer here. Or if when I figure out what I want to be when I grow up, be able to work from here for a month or so. It's just such a treat to the eyes and senses. And not hot. It's quite cold at night, and sunny and in the high 60's low 70's in the day. Perfect. No smog. Crisp air. I could go on and on....
And most of it is amazing. They really like their sugar here so a few times my taste buds have been overpowered by crystallized sugar. But for the most part, it's delicious. As is the coffee. Looking forward to bringing a pound back to Xela to have in the apartment in the morning.
Still in San Cristobal. Still enchanted. Pauline's friend Lisa left to return to xela today. Pauline and I will leave Thursday. A week here and I still can't wait to come back. I'm really going to have to explore the option of spending an entire summer here. Or if when I figure out what I want to be when I grow up, be able to work from here for a month or so. It's just such a treat to the eyes and senses. And not hot. It's quite cold at night, and sunny and in the high 60's low 70's in the day. Perfect. No smog. Crisp air. I could go on and on....
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Farmers market
There's not much to say. Organic coffee, different kinds of cheeses, purple broccoli, honey, gorgeous pasteles, pesto. Seriously. I am going to need to come back here and live here live here for a month at the very very least. Yes I wrote live here twice. 
Me encanta San Cristobal
Yes, it's touristy. But Mexican touristy. I could spend days wandering up and down the old streets looking at beautiful old homes and churches. San cristobal is located in a valley high in the mountains. The air is crisp and clean- such a treat after the smog of Xela.
Pauline mentioned that the whole Zapatista movement drew in the musicians and artists and clearly that is the case. Adorable ambient restaurants, bars and coffee shops line the streets. Highland Mayans come to the city to sell their beautiful textiles on the pedestrian walkways. The city feels safe and kind and of a manageable size. I could feel at home here (other than the bitter cold at night!) for some time.
Pauline, her friend Lisa and I will head back to Xela next week. And I will stay with them to finish my schooling with Ana. They have a nice clean WARM apartment and I will be healthier there.
Off to another day of smiling and meandering in San Cristobal.
Check out the guy playing a jawbone!
Pauline mentioned that the whole Zapatista movement drew in the musicians and artists and clearly that is the case. Adorable ambient restaurants, bars and coffee shops line the streets. Highland Mayans come to the city to sell their beautiful textiles on the pedestrian walkways. The city feels safe and kind and of a manageable size. I could feel at home here (other than the bitter cold at night!) for some time.
Pauline, her friend Lisa and I will head back to Xela next week. And I will stay with them to finish my schooling with Ana. They have a nice clean WARM apartment and I will be healthier there.
Off to another day of smiling and meandering in San Cristobal.
Check out the guy playing a jawbone!
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