The Long Weekend!

This week's post will be a look at this weekend, and the trip we took to Guatemala City. Normally, I would try to add a bit more information, but we were fortunate to have many opportunities and activities this weekend, and there will be plenty of material!

We headed into Guatemala City on Friday directly after Spanish classes, and went directly to our first stop: FAFG. This stands for Fundación de Antropología Forense de Guatemala; translated, Foundation of Anthropological Forensics of Guatemala. The purpose of this foundation has its roots in the wars of Guatemala and bringing healing in the aftermath. This is a project that works primarily to bring rest to Guatemalans who have not been able to properly bury their dead. During the recent civil war, many Guatemalans were killed and put into mass graves or random areas. This is devastating for the families of the dead, who may have had no closure whatsoever. Now, when a grave is discovered, FAFG is contacted and they collect the remains. As the graves are massive and many bones are contained within, the FAFG has to work to identify the victims. They do so through dental identification, forensics, location, and family provided information. We were able to see how they determine age, dental records, and DNA sampling. When the bodies are identified, the families are able to take the remains and bury them properly. This is a necessary step in the healing process of the families and of Guatemala. This was all very fascinating. We, however, were not able to take pictures, and the included pictures are from the foundation's web site.

 

















Later on Friday, we visited a relief map of Guatemala that is (almost) to scale! This was quite a sight. It was very interesting to see where we were in relation to the rest of the country and have an areal view of our valley and the volcanoes that surround us.

Scale relief map of Guatemala. We live in between some of those huge mountains.

Pacific Ocean.

After a good night's sleep, we headed to Guatemala's national cemetery. The cemetery was a very different experience. All the tombs are above ground and what we know as a traditional burial is not in existence in Guatemala. The size and design of the tombs are very proportionate to the wealth of the people who are renting them. That is right: renting. Each space that is occupied in the cemetery is paid for monthly. If the family of the deceased is unable to pay for their space, the body is removed and put into a "potter's field." There are tombs of all shapes and sizes from giant buildings, larger than most houses, to small boxes. Some of the buildings that are rented out by the individual space are so tall that ladders are used to reach the individual boxes. The pictures below will give you a better idea.

A good example of the method of burial. Each cubicle contains a body.

The inside of an uninhabited cubicle.

"Apartment building" style! Ladders would be used to reach the top.

 

Directly behind the cemetery is the city's garbage dump. Unsavory, but appropriate in a way. As we walked through the cemetery, we could easily smell the rotting garbage. In the back of one of the groups of tombs, we could look off a cliff down onto the massive pile of garbage and the incoming trucks that were being swarmed by people waiting to rummage through the discarded waste. The poorest of the poor in Guatemala frequent the dump to rummage for that which they can use or sell, such as bundles of cardboard. In the past, the dump was a popular place for homeless to come and sleep. A few years ago, however, a fire broke out, burning many of the inhabitants. For this reason, no one is allowed to sleep there. In addition, we were not allowed to enter the dump for safety reasons and, presumably, because the government is not too fond of having its worst shown openly. The vultures circled over us and the garbage and the dogs rummaged below us. This was a clear and heavy contrast to the part of Guatemala that we have become accustomed to. As our host professor, Paul Nemecek, expressed to us, it is necessary to see the beauty and the poverty of Guatemala to even begin to experience and understand the country. Although the country is poverty-stricken, there has been recent economic growth. In our trip this weekend, we were able to visit a mall that would make many in the states seem shabby. But we were also exposed to much of the ugliest of the country.

Above view of the Guatemala City dump.

This morning, we attended a church in Guatemala City called "Casa de Dios" (House of God). This is a Guatemalan "mega church" that is currently outgrowing its current giant facility. The construction of "Ciudad de Dios" (City of God) is under way. As an example of the size and impact of the church, a candidate for the presidency has recently taken an angle in his campaign of association with this church. Using their logo and photos of the pastor without permission, he tried to gain an edge. Today, the pastor denied any connection with the candidate and expressed that the members of the church were not encouraged in any direction and that the leadership in the church did not support either candidate officially. The church, by my observation, is frequented by the more well-off of the inhabitants of the city. With a large production of the music and offering, hints of "prosperity gospel", throughout the message, and general grandeur, the entire service is televised and can be seen in the states. I have not much to say about this experience. I have never been to a church of this size in the states, and I don't assume that all are bad in any way or in nature. All of the staff was extremely welcoming and accommodating to our group, which needed many headsets for translation. This experience gave me good perspective.

All that is left is a general update! Everything is going grandly! Studies are humming along, trips are fun and informative, and my leisure time is very relaxing! I take many walks though town to find new things and study vocabulary. There are lots of awesome places to sit and study or just relax and pass time with friends. I am starting (Lord willing) my internship this coming week and will be updating you on that next Sunday. Please comment with any questions or comments.



Check out a friends blog if you didn't get enough awesome info! http://dshinabarger.wordpress.com/

Also, check out iie.org/gilman. I will be providing some more information on this later on.

Hey, guys! Another week down! This week's post is going to be slightly different. In the past, I have been "theming" the posts to fit a topic. This week will be a random assortment of goodies that I have not been able to fit into the recent topics! I may repeat this in the future. So, without delay:

Random Topic #1: Trip to San Antonio


While on this trip, we have the privilege of taking bi-weekly trips to see the various sights around Guatemala. We have seen, and I have shown you, various museums, ruins, and religious sights. Since the rips are every other week, we have one weekend to ourselves to relax, catch up on homework, do laundry, and hang out. This has been such a weekend. However, we did have the opportunity to make a small trip the the pueblo (town) of San Antonio, a small village outside Antigua. The purpose of our trip was to visit a small group of women who make many of the products sold in the markets here in Guatemala. The unique thing about this group is that they make all their products by hand. They specialize in blankets, trinkets, and various types of clothing. I realize that sounds like a vague description. This is because I found from pipes, to baby carriers, to masks in this small factory! While we were there, the women who make the items gave us a presentation. they informed is that they were trying to preserve the customs of the Mayan people who originated there. These customs (and presentation) include how to make the clothing, the procedure and customs of a traditional Mayan wedding, how to make tortillas, and how to make coffee! This was a very cool experience. In each aspect of the presentation, we were encouraged to participate. Four students engaged in a mock wedding, everyone made tortillas, and a few students were able to try grinding coffee by hand! In addition, we all got to try some special stew that the Mayans eat on special occasions.

Method of making blankets.

Depiction of traditional Mayan wedding.

Us learning how to make tortillas.

Hand-grinding coffee!

Random Topic #2: Laundry

Upon our arrival, we were given coupons to the internet cafe and the laundromat that are associated with the school. When it came time to do laundry, we took our clothes to the laundromat. In addition to the realization that the walk was a little bit farther than I would like to carry the amount of laundry that I produce, I found that I produce much more laundry than I want to pay for each week! Considering these things, we (Corey and I) decided to buy our own laundry soap (About three American dollars for what we will be able to use for many weeks. In the laundromat, we would pay almost a dollar per pound.) and give hand washing a go! Our host family graciously gave us access to their laundry equipment, consisting of a stationary stone washboard, a water source, several tubs for soaking, and drying lines. Following the example of one of the students living here before us, we put soap in a basin, soaked our clothes in it for about a half hour, scrubbed the clothes on the stationary stone, wrung them out, and hung them up! Needless to say, it rained within an hour of when I hung them up and continued through the night! Consequently, they are still hanging up. I have to say there was something very gratifying about washing my clothes in this manner. It was very enjoyable to stand out in the warm air, listen to some music, and scrub my clothes. I plan to continue in this manner all semester.

Soaking my clothes in detergent.

The washboard.

Random Topic #3: Kenneth's Birthday Party!

So today was Kenneth's birthday! Kenneth is a little boy that lives with us (Elder and Marina are his grandparents.) and he turned seven today. Elder and Marina are awesome hosts, and put on quite the party. We were invited and encouraged to participate in every aspect, and also were encouraged to invite some friends. My good friend Kayla ended up coming and took some good swings at the pinata.

The entertainment and the birthday boy!

We do pinatas right, here in Antigua!

Random Topic #4: General Update

As a general update, I thought I might let everyone know that all is well here in Antigua. No more earthquakes since my last update and all students are well and healthy. My classes are chugging along and I can tell I have been improving greatly. I am becoming more confident daily. During the weekends I get anxious because I do not have the opportunity to speak as much Spanish as I do on a normal basis during the week. So right about now I am itching to get back to the grindstone. The majority of the students in our group are finished with Spanish classes for the semester, as the goal of their lessons was some culture and the ability to get around in Antigua sufficiently. There will be around seven of us still going to class every day, making the 10:00 "pausa," or break, a little less of a social experience. Everything has become comfortable and many things are becoming more and more natural. This being said, I still have a general feeling of adventure here and I love the fact that I can go out at any time and experience something new. It definitely does not seem like we have been here for four weeks, but we are coming up on that mark! I am torn between the need for progress and forward motion and the desire for this trip to never end!

THE HARDSHIPS OF LIFE IN ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA:

All right, so the title is obviously a little sarcastic. Life here in Antigua is awesome! I have little to no complaints. I do, however, have some things that I would like to share with you that could be viewed as difficult, inconvenient, or dangerous. Not to worry, however. The following items are minimal, easily managed, and nothing to stress about!

The first point of interest is the rainy season. This is hardly worthy of mention, except I though it would be a good opportunity to share some pictures I took! It gets pretty wet here and we have to take care to travel without things that can get ruined in water, or else always keep an umbrella. It rains sporadically and for various amounts of time. Worst case scenario, we can always take a tuktuk! A tuktuk is, basically a small motorized trike with about two more seats installed on it than there should be. Antigua's equivalent of a taxi.

Something that I have had to get used to while living here is the care that is needed to ensure safety. This should be something that any student thinks about as he or she considers going out of the country for any amount of time. Our caution comes in the form of how we travel around the city, especially at night.  The crime rate in Antigua is extremely low. That being said, we are not trying to invite trouble. In the last couple of years, there have been only a few instances of crime against tourists. Although these have few and far between, we are constantly vigilant, making sure we don't have targets on us. During the day, it is safe for males and females to travel in any size group. As it becomes darker, we make sure to be in larger groups and keep at least one male with a group of females. Additionally, there are police constantly patrolling the streets at all times. As it is the tourists that bring capital into Antigua primarily, it is in the city's best interest to keep the "extranjeros," or foreigners safe. All in all, we little to worry about. We do, however, take much more care when we go into Guatemala City.

Entrance to the National Museum

This weekend, we made a trip into the capitol of Guatemala, Guatemala City, to see some museums and the market. After classes on Friday, we got on a bus and headed into the city. We visited a museum that contained the largest/oldest collection of Myan art and architecture (pictures below). The next day, we visited the palace, a giant mansion of sorts that a Guatemalan ruler built for himself. It has since been changed into a cultural center and historical location. We visited the Guatemalan Cathedral, a beautiful building. Finally, we took a trip to the market and headed home. My apologies for the slight messiness of the pictures. It is a little difficult to get them to a point that is pleasing to the eye.

Scale Model of Tikal.

Jade necklace and flares. Should I get some like that?

Myan king, much as he was found.

Maximon, said to be the reincarnation of an apostle. Guatemalans still bring offerings to shrines like this in hopes of an answer to prayer.

Meeting room in the Palace. Used for formal meetings.

Peace Rose at the Palace. Changed every day to symbolize another day of peace in Guatemala. This custom was put into place after the end of the recent civil war.

This picture and the two above are of the Cathedral.

So, excluding the challenges of language (becoming less and less of a challenge as I learn more and more), getting used to the food (great food, the body just needs time to adjust), and overcoming the desire to sleep (once again, I just had to get used to a different schedule), I have one final challenge to share. I'm sure that many students thinking of going on a study abroad program, especially for a semester or longer, consider what it will be like to be away from home/school/loved ones for such a long period of time. I have only been away from the United States for about two and a half weeks, so I'm sure that, as time goes on, my thoughts and feelings about this will change. I don't typically get homesick and have not yet while in Guatemala. As of now, however, I have mixed feelings. Naturally, if I sit around and look at pictures of home and try to stay updated about what is going on back at school, I find myself missing those places more and more. The more I video chat with friends and family, the stronger the feeling of their absence becomes. Conversely, if I stay busy and keep my head in my books, it is easier to focus on studies and enjoy my time here. This, naturally, poses a problem. I have to stay in touch with those that I care about, but I can't spend my time here thinking about home the whole time. I have concluded that a balance is needed and I am finding that balance for myself. I spend most of my day studying and exploring the Guatemalan culture. I choose to spend less time communicating with those at home and checking the latest buzz on Facebook. I try to make the little bit of time that I do have for communication count and utilize video chat services often. If you are reading this as a student considering a semester abroad, this is an aspect of the package to consider. Can you manage to be away from home and school and friends for that amount of time? Can you stand to be away from your significant other for that amount of time? However, I have been dating my lovely girlfriend, Stephanie, for about a year and a half now, and it was hard to leave her for three months. It is a little bit difficult realizing all that I am missing out on back at school. I believe, however, that the experience is well worth it.

So far, my experience studying in Guatemala has been phenomenal, and I think that studying abroad is very beneficial for many reasons. All of the "hardships" mentioned above are manageable and can hardly even be called such. So, all is well. As always, thanks for taking the time to check out my posts and I hope that you find them interesting, informative, and helpful! Feel free to comment with suggestions for a post or questions.


A good resource for students thinking about studying abroad: Gilman Scholarship Program.

Hey, everyone! It's Sunday number two here in Guatemala, and that means update time! I'm pleased to say that my time in Guatemala has been excellent so far and I'm excited to share a little bit of it with all of you!

I'll start off with some information about how my classes have been going, as they are one of the primary purposes for my semester here and I had not yet attended at my last post. Classes have been a mixture of hard work, extreme concentration, fun, and coffee! First, the hard work: The style of the class sessions at La Union (the language school here in Antigua that SAU has partnered with) is one-on-one tutoring. At first blush, this is what every student could want! A chance to be with a teacher and have their full attention. Can you imagine that on a University pamphlet? "Our school offers a teacher to student ratio of one to one!" You get the point. Upon experiencing this, however, I have found another aspect to consider and work with. As a one on one situation of learning is effective and desirable, it is also much more intense than a normal classroom environment. I have never experienced a class with over thirty-five or so students, and an average class size for me would be around ten to fifteen. Even with such a low number of students, it is easy to fade into the background. Do your homework, take notes, and get your grade at the end. Imagine if every time your teacher asked a question in class, you were the only one able to answer. This is the case with one on one tutoring. Each verbal exercise, quiz question, and article of conversation is directed solely at the student. Now, imagine how much more you would study and how much more you would have to be ready if you knew you were the only one answering questions. That is also the case. After my first day of class, I realized that I would have to be on top of the ball at all times in order that I would feel good about the sessions. Meaning, if I am getting many questions wrong, and am having to be constantly corrected, it is not fun for me or my "maestro." My first day of classes was much like this. I was nervous and I had not studied all summer. Not a good idea at all. I fumbled over words and made silly mistakes. My teacher constantly corrected me and I got down on myself, making it worse. So my advice to Past Evan and future prospective study abroad students is to study in preparation for studying! I accept the fact that I will make mistakes, but I wish to make them fewer. I am not at all saying that I don't appreciate or think that this style is effective. I am loving it and learning quickly. Summary: one on one tutoring is very hard, and I have been stretched a lot.

Since I have been in Guatemala, I have been tired almost constantly. This may be due to the fact that it gets dark here around 5:30 at night, the time difference, etc. However, I theorize that I have been very tired because of the mental toll that my classes have been taking on me. As the previous behemoth of a paragraph states, a one on one class structure is tough. I take this class for four hours a day with a half hour break. This regimen of concentration, mental translation, and verbal exercises takes a toll on me mentally. As I'm growing and learning, I realize that I am not forced to exert myself mentally this consistently on a normal basis. I am getting used to it, and have had some time this weekend for R&R. Whether it be that I'm getting better at Spanish or that my mind is getting used to the extra work, I am enjoying classes more and more each day.

I shan't make my schooling out to be nothing but grueling, boring exercises. I also have a lot of fun studying and learning! The style and method of teaching at La Union allows for individualized teaching, outings, and special activities, all of which I have experienced, even in a mere five days. The basic structure of a day at my school is: I walk in and talk to some friends before class and grab a cup of coffee (I knew you were waiting for when the coffee came into the picture...). I, then, take a seat at my table and have a brief discussion with my teacher about the night before, bits of news, and the like. The rest of the time is spent fulfilling our lesson plan, a plan of learning that has been written up by my teacher and myself. The basic means of learning are conversation, question and response exercises, writing exercises, and other various practices. This usually continues to the end of our time, excluding a much appreciated break in the middle. As I said before, however, this is flexible.

On Thursday, we were able to go to El Parque Central (Central Park) to watch a parade that was in celebration of the day of Guatemalan independence! Many schools and organizations from the city were "dressed to the nines" (That is a thing, right?) and marching, dancing, and playing instruments in celebration. More on this at the bottom. Another activity was to watch a movie in Spanish: Voces Inocentes, a portrayal of the civil war in El Salvador from the perspective of an eleven year old boy, trying to evade recruitment. (I recommend it.) Below is a short video I shot of a band marching in the parade.

In summation of the above paragraphs, my short time learning here in Antigua has been tiring, exciting, productive, and fun. I am looking forward to the opportunity to keep it up for many more weeks.

In heavy contrast to how my first bit of time here proceeded, my first whole weekend here has been nothing but relaxing. On Friday night, we had some friends over to play cards, a great time! On Saturday, the boys and I sat around the house and relaxed. That afternoon, we walked around the city a bit and got some coffee. In the PM, some friends gathered at a small restaurant called "La Canoa" (The Canoe in English) to watch a UFC fight, play pool, and eat french fries. This was a taste of home. There are certain advantages to being in a tourist city. (This is contrasted by the feeling that I should be taking advantage, more, of the culture.) Sunday, we attended church, ate out with the entire Spring Arbor group, and spent some time at Paul and Bev's house. I have spent the rest of the night studying and writing to you! This weekend has been a time for me to relax a bit and rest. (I have used these nice words to make myself seem a bit less lazy. :-))

So my time is proceeding grandly! I look forward to starting my second week of lessons tomorrow and starting my internship in the near future! Topics to look for on future posts: church experiences, "the rainy season," and a more visual look at my school! Below are some more pictures of the parade!

Antigua Firefighters

We saw many young ladies that were wearing high heels. All the streets are cobblestone!

This is the Quetzal bird, the national bird of Guatemala.

Hey, everyone! So glad you have decided to take a look at my blog and learn a bit about my time here in Guatemala! Let's get right to it!

I departed on September 7th and, with no troubles getting through security and customs, arrived in Guatemala on the same day! The view flying into Guatemala City was much like you may see in a movie, with many mountains and dozens of small villages built on the tops of mountains. It was an amazing sight!

Waiting at the airport to greet us was our "Papa en Guatemala," Elder, who will be our host for the next three months. He is a great man who has done an excellent job of making us all feel welcome in his home. From the airport, we took a bus from Guatemala City to Antigua, where we will be studying and living. After a brief greeting from the staff at the school, we went to our host homes for the first time!

Our home is very beautiful, with a small courtyard in the middle and rooms surrounding it, common in Guatemala. We are fortunate to have wireless internet in our home, allowing us to communicate a bit more easily than our classmates in other host homes. Our "mama," Marina, is an excellent cook, and we have eaten very well since our arrival. There are two other students that live in our home, and it is cool to be able to meet new people. The four of us are split between two rooms, one in one room and three in the other. Our room is small, but very comfortable. Below is a short video we put together of our living situation.

Something amazing about Guatemala is the climate. They call this the land of eternal Spring! This is not an exaggeration. Perfect weather is the expectation every day. We are in the middle of the rainy season, which consists of, perhaps, thirty minutes of rain every day. Hardly what I would call a "rainy" day. Otherwise, we enjoy sunshine all day with little to no humidity, allowing very cool temperatures in the shade. Basically, the weather is perfect.

Communication is a challenge, as we have not started Spanish lessons and I am in need of some practice. I find that I am comprehending everything well, but it takes me longer than I'd like to formulate sentences. What makes matters a little more interesting, none of my three housemates speak any Spanish! So I find that when our hosts say something to us (they don't speak any English), I listen, take a second to process, respond, and then go about my business, missing the blank stares coming from my compadres. I then quickly remember my duties as a translator. It is very encouraging, however, that each of my friends are very enthusiastic about learning!
A tip to friends thinking about going abroad: Study the language of the country you will be visiting before you get there. I am here to learn Spanish, but there are things I wish I would have brushed up on!

So far, we have enjoyed Antigua as tourists and have not started classes. They begin tomorrow, and everyone will take at least three weeks of Spanish. Language majors, however, will be taking Spanish the whole time. I am excited for classes to start, as well as a bit nervous. The style of the classes will be one-on-one tutoring. More on this next week.

Perhaps the only part of the trip that I have not enjoyed (not including missing friends at home) is when I was very sick on Friday. Early in the morning, I woke up with stomach pains and everything that goes with them. Throughout that day, I was unable to enjoy the beautiful ruins that we visited and could not help sleeping through a very interesting guest speaker we had. Headaches, neck-aches, and an upset stomach made it hard to enjoy the day at all. We believe that the sickness was caused by a general need to get used to the food and new bacteria. Three of the four of us got sick, while none of our female counterparts, to my knowledge, experienced any symptoms. A point of information: illness related to traveling and a new culture and food has been known to hold back until weeks into a visit, as happened to a friend of mine. I feel one hundred percent now and am enjoying much Guatemalan food!

Lastly, I will talk about a few of the sights we have seen. As this type of reporting is not my strong point, I will only touch on them briefly, adding pictures, which will be much more valuable than my words (Keep in mind that photography is not my strong suit, either. Thanks to my Motorola Droid X for the very decent photos.).

Most of the historical structures in the city are in ruins due to earthquakes and other various forces. Today we watched a video and Antigua was described as being one of the most beautiful places that the writer had seen, while being the most calamity-ridden and in shambles. I find this to be very accurate. As earthquakes and volcano eruptions have been relatively common in Antigua's history, much of the city has been left damaged. Many of the ruins have been turned into museums and art galleries. This allows for history to be preserved, while making the ruins useful for bringing tourism to the city. The city has been revived, as of late, by a few individuals taking action in bringing tourism in. This allows for more restaurants and hotels to exist and historical areas to be appreciated and preserved. Rightly, much of the money brought into the city by tourism is put back into restoring structures, art, and other points of historical interest, while supporting industry.

Before you look at the pictures and lose interest all together, I would like to say thanks again for taking a look at my blog. Don't forget to email me with any questions and tell your friends who may be interested about this blog!

This is a famous arch in the city.

You will never guess where this is...

That's right! Good ole McD's!

A church.

Our group at the ruins of a monastery.

Each morning, I walk out my door and am surrounded be three volcanoes!

The Captain's General Quarters

A church.

Some beautiful arches in more ruins.

A great resource for students thinking of going abroad:

http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program