Donde yo termine antes?

Where did I leave off last... Tuesday..

I totally almost forgot about Tuesday night! I'm writing this after I've already gotten halfway through the post.. So Vladimir is this guy from the University of Richmond, who went on the week long trip this year last March, the same one I went on the year before. He's here making a functioning and stylish webpage for HSP that most of all promotes the eco tourism trips. Apparently that's where HSP/AMA makes most of its money to fund everything else. Which is good, because I know what the economy must be doing to AlterNatives. He is originally from Slovakia, speaks perfect English (he says he learned 50 words a day of English every day for the month before he had to take the SATs to get into UofR. He still scored higher than I did.) Anyway, he actively seeks out social situations, and takes everyone up on any invitation, no matter what. His spanish teacher, who is an older woman than Rosario, invited him to this restaurant called the Cafe del Che, like Che Guavara, and invited us too as his friends. So he went there, where he was told there would be live music, and Lupe and I tagged along a little later. When we walked in there was a guy giving a speech, and stopped so we could sit down. The room is teeeeeeny tiny. Big enough for something like 8 tables, and it's full of 15 or 20 people. What we figure out, uncomfortably, is that this is the 2 year anniversary of the existence of this cafe, which was somewhat of a radical idea when it opened. No smoking, no drinking, and there's a loft above where the kitchen where music is played. So this guy continued to talk, while Lupe and I are starving. We went there hoping for some food and entertainment, not speeches. and there's no food left. The room is also, apparently, full of family and close friends.. and us. 3 people talk, and then something unintelligible is said, and everyone starts shifting their seats around. I look directly above my head, and to my horror there is a pinata there. This room is small enough that with a long stick you could hit one wall while standing against the other, and now they were going to blindfold some guy and let him do that. It's suicide. So the first guy that talked, the owner I guess, whacked at it for a while. Somebody with a broom continually saved the guy in the corner with the guide rope by holding the handle between the homicidal man's stick and his skull. Then the kid of the owner whacked at it for a while.. Then this girl comes over, and pulls me off the wall and blindfolds me. I could not be more unhappy with this situation.. The pinata is on a rope so that it moves back and forth, and they spin me around, and I could be on mars. I hate this. I swing around, everyone laughs, I never hit it, but it actually hits me! The thing actually knocked me in the back of the head! Plus, everyone is screaming spanish directions at me, which I recognize but am not in the mental state to comprehend. Where is adelante? I don't remember! I hit something, and someone screams "duro! duro!" Harder! so I hit it harder, and realize I'm hitting the broomstick and probably about to kill the guy in the corner, which actually may not have actually been such a bad idea, he was the one controlling the pinata after all. And finally I couldn't take it anymore and handed off the blindfold. The next person to do it, and open it finally, was the other owner of the restaurant.. So It was the two owners, their kid, and me. Why me?? I wasn't the only white girl in the room! I was probably the most uncomfortable looking. Ugh, I hate pinata! I hate it! I've always hated it! It's like being drunk- your sight is obscured, you have no idea what your body is doing, you know you're acting like an idiot, and everyone laughs at you and talks about it later even though you have no memory of what exactly it was you did. I'm not a fan of that feeling, in either capacity. We got the hell out of there as soon as it was acceptable, with a handful of candy of course. Lupe and I were still starting so we went to this italian restaurant and got a pizza and a glass of wine. Oh who knew Guatemalan pizza could be so good! So Lupe and I had a long talk about fashion and what Meg told me we should be making to sell in the states. Also, she told me the possible future of my jewelry, and I made sure she knew how I felt about the new designs and endeavors. Apparently, very few earrings, and possibly no more than what went with her last week, will actually make it to the states. She wants to sell them to the tourist groups that come through with Ben later this summer. It's good in one way, because the money is spent in Guatemala, which is good way to help their economy, and the trouble and cost of transport as well as american taxes is circumvented. However, it means they will be much cheaper. The tourists are willing to spend more than the natives, so not a ton less, but still. I was really hoping, for my own selfish concerns, that I could have a "line" in America, so my friends could see, and my family could buy, all that kind of self centered stuff. Oh well. It's the individualist artist in me. And who knows, it might happen despite. I mean, they've got to do something with the leftovers from the tourist groups. Maybe I can bring them in when I come back. So, mom, that's not much of an answer to "how can I buy a pair?" but it's all I've got for now. My students and acquaintances here want to buy some too, but I don't know how it works. They're not at my liberty to sell or decide for that matter. Your best bet is to go to AlterNatives in Richmond, sometime in the next month, and hope that 1 out of the 16 that managed to make it there is suitable and available!

So that's it for Tuesday.

Lupe, right before she left, decided that the AMA house was going to start hosting a craft market every Wednesday. We would sell all of the backstock scarves that haven't sold well at AlterNatives, the bags from Sylvia's project here, as well as different projects from Hilda's women's circles. Espunpuja and Xeavaj especially have a lot of weavings that they'd like to sell. Also, We're including a free backstrap weaving lesson and a cup of atol de maiz, a popular warm drink in the highlands that's sweet and made from corn. It's kind of weird stuff, they give it to us in Xeavaj every week, the texture of it is a little intolerable on a nauseated stomach. Also, the women whom I teach can sell jewelry there, too, if they want to make any with their own materials on their own time. I got Lupe to explain all of this before we started working, and explain to them too that since tools are impossible to find in Guatemala, the ones that belong to ama are always available here, as well as a clean space to work, as well as me for guidance or help. I hope they take advantage of it. The way I feel is that I'm here all the time, and the reason I'm here is to teach, and the reason I teach is to foster a desire in my students to gain quality of life with the skills I give. So.. this is the perfect opportunity for them. An open market, a way to explore their own creativity without the confines of "my" designs, another opportunity to make money. I hope they take advantage of it. I told them, in my flawed spanish, that I have a phone, and if they want to come by just call-but to make sure to say "hola! Soy Alicia! Recuerdo? Yo asisto tu proyecto de aretes?" (hi! It's Alicia! Remember? I attend your earring project?) Because I bet speaking spanish on the phone is 10x harder.

Blech.. I made guacamole today that was delicious, but I put powdered garlic in it and that taste will not go away, even after 3 hours. I just drank hot chocolate and burped garlic. gross.

sorry.

Anyway, after that I got the girls going with silver-finally after all these weeks of waiting. They were nervous! I guess I am a tough teacher. At one point early on, Etna put her tools down and wiped her hands on the table cloth, she was sweating for being scared of messing up. In Cantel, where Juana learns so slowly, I taught one design and had them make the same one the whole class, so that we had 10 of that particular style. Here, I showed the girls what they could make, and they chose. Most of them made one of each design, and got to the point where they knew how long each one takes, and by the end of class, chose ones that would line up their finishing with their companion, in time for class to be over. Of course they're all perfect! I can't believe how happy I am with the quality. They're serious about it. It also gave me a good sampling of all the styles in all the colors, which Lupe took back with her to the states. I got a call from her yesterday, she said everyone at the store loves the designs, and now I need to figure out exactly how much each individual bead costs for her to decide on a price. That is not a fun job. Plus Lupe has the invoice, so I had to look up every bead on the website that I bought them from. No idea what she'll make the prices. It's tough. She could make them cheap so that they're sure to sell, or she can make them luxury. They'd sell slightly slower, but I think it would be worth it. If she sells them for more, maybe we can pay the girls more per hour. Plus, they are full silver, which is super expensive right now and everyone knows it, and they have real gemstone beads.. Garnets, amber, iolite, moonstone.. Plus people will want to buy the story of the women. People who shop at AlterNatives are half there because the store has a different kind of fashion selection, and half because they have a conscience when it comes to consuming. I think the earrings will be really successful. Plus they have crazy good quality! if I do say so myself.

After class, we all (Lupe, Claudia, Luie, Yanessi, Marvin, Vlad, Hugh and I) went to Hilda's house for lunch. She just built a new house and wanted to show Lupe and treat us to some real Guatemalan food. Her house is gorgeous, a little western style, with huge windows all over. AMA gave her a loan to finish it. It's completely surrounded on all sides by corn fields, which Luie and her three boys spent a good hour running maniacally through. The food was amazing. Rice topped with this delicious long-cooked chile sauce filled with carrots and potatoes and beef. Oh my god. And Hilda's boys are awesome. They all played hide and seek in the house before they made it out to the corn fields. There is a polite custom here where after you eat, and I've really only seen this from Hilda's kids, you go around to all your hosts, bow slightly and say gracias. Then they don't move until you say "buen provencho" which is kind of similar to bon apetit. The first time they did that to me, I had no idea what was going on.. I just kind of patted him on the head awkwardly. Hilda had to tell me what to do. Hilda also has cats, so I got some good feline loving in on Wednesday. Oh god I miss my cats!

That night, after almost a week of begging from Luie, we had a little campfire on the patio. He and Hugh set out bricks for the ashes, and Claudia bought wood, and I bought s'more materials. We got it going in time for Lupe and Marvin to get a roasted marshmallow in, and then they had to head out to the city for Lupe's flight the next day. After she left, Claudia practically collapsed, and meekly asked if we had any tequila! I gave her out last, poor woman, she has to work so hard, and Lupe is so crazy it wears you down to deal with it constantly. Especially, I'm sure, when it's your sister. Vlad went to work on the site, Yanessi went to study, and it was just me, Hugh, Claudia, Luie, and Claudia's mom (who came in to see Lupe) for a couple hours. Watching the ashes turn from red to black, roasting as many marshmallows as we could stuff in our mouths, and occasionally avoiding the smoke signals Luie was working so hard to make by waving a portion of cardboard at the coals. It was really, well, nice. Relaxing. Internalizing.

Thursday I took my laundry out among other odds and ends. Worked on new designs, all that. Hilda came to me with weaving questions. When the tourist groups come at the end of June, AMA always tries to have things to sell to them for the benefit of the women's projects, like my earrings, and last year there were knitted scarves. Apparently Hilda is low on stock for that, and there is donated yarn in one of the store rooms here that she wanted me to look at to see if it could be woven, and with what design. Saying that there is a lot of yarn wouldn't be doing it justice. There are 5 body-sized duffle bags full. And it's all that textured, neon crap that never sells at craft stores, which I assume is why we have it. I set up a makeshift frame loom to test them, found out some good tips, and tried to assemble color schemes and texture mixtures that wouldn't be so noisy. We have bags and bags and bags of this stuff, so I hope it turns out well.

Friday was much like Thursday. I tried to do some more designing. What I now have are simplified images of the symbols from the Mayan Calendar, which I like very much and want to use, but I have no idea how. Fabric! Augh! With wire I don't have to worry about edges unravelling! And embroidery takes SO LONG. And Lupe's ribbon idea, the one that's directly ripped off of that other jewelry she wants me to copy, just is physically impossible. For that purpose at least. I'm trying. At least I'm happy with my primary sketches, I can go from there.

Then there was another school dinner. Apparently they have a diploma for me (they give one to every student when their classes are over, and they make them say a speech. yikes.) So I made tortillas in the house, which I was embarrassed of but proud of myself for being able to make, and brought them in at 7:00. The school is completely full right now, just bursting at the seams. There's a large group from Duke Divinity School, that are kind of hard to talk to, and a couple other stragglers and us. We've been there the longest now. The room where we ate was completely full, so Carlos and Luis ate standing up, Carlos actually ate while dancing. If there's music, he just can't stop! I gave my stupid little speech (which I practiced over frying tortillas) which I'm sure completely mangled the poor, innocent, unsuspecting language, and embarrassed my teachers. But whatever, I do what I gotta do. Vlad made a traditional Slavic dish, that was exactly-EXACTLY-what I ever imagined Eastern European cuisine to be. These weird noodles made by sifting dough through a pan with holes in it directly into boiling water, ham and onions, and then pounds of this unpasteurized cheese that's popular here-and apparently-in Slovakia. It is really sharp and tastes distinctly fermented. It was kind of like swallowing a brick. But interesting. Then there was some impromptu salsa lessons in the adjoining room.. really just people who were done eating and wanted to join the perpetually gyrating Carlos. Also, two people were having birthdays, so we sang "Feliz cumpleanos a ti!" (happy birthday to you, of course) and ate delicious, delicious cake. Here's my new favorite cake recipe- Chocolate two layer cake, with cream cheese icing on top, and strawberry jelly instead of icing in the middle. YUM. Have I mentioned that rum and coke was also provided? This is a great school. I have some great pictures of Olga, the director, and others that I will post soon.

Afterwards, the need for dancing was not yet satisfied, so we went to La Rumba. This time I went home to change into appropriate shoes and lose the bag. There was a large group of people there that I knew, so I was so much more comfortable this time around. Hugh and I really tried to salsa dance, but unfortunately, the two of us are completely incompatible in latin beats. A large part of this dancing is moving slightly outside the beat. Adjusting the tempo of your feet to account for the movements you're doing. And after 6 years of marching band, as well as the beat heavy dancing that I have so enjoyed in the states for so long, I am completely and utterly incapable of doing it. It's like trying to breath underwater. So I gave up on that, and we were sitting around trying to talk over the music unsuccessfully when I noticed Carlos, for the first time all night, was not dancing, so I asked him to. We did 3 or 4 songs, and it is a TON of fun to dance like this. It's not all about shakin your butt like American Hip Hop dancing is, it takes so much skill and finesse. I think one of my problems is that it's not the job of the girl to lead. I have to react to what he is doing- not easy for me! Carlos is such a skilled dancer though that it was natural with him. He has obvious signals. Lots of spinning and knotted arms and back and forth. We did a little Meringue and a little salsa, I like meringue better, the foot pattern is easier. It is so incredibly tiring! I needed a pause, and sat down trying to catch my breath when another guy approached me to dance, apparently he's the resident house dancer in La Rumba who was offering a dance and lesson. So I definitely took him up on that, though I was too exhausted to gain much or be very good. He was not nearly as good. Him in his black pinstripe suit and the over done toe kicks here and there. He also was an outside of the beat dancer, so I was toast. More breath catching at the table, and a guy with a microphone announced group salsa lessons, so everyone at every table, who were just watching, crowded the floor in rough rows, and we all listened and followed the hand signals of the guy I had just danced with. Probably 50 people. That was a lot of fun. At 10:45 it came to the point where we needed to leave in order to walk safely home, so we said goodbye to Carlos and Luis and Jairo-the younger teachers at the school who are all friends, and incidentally the only ones left from our group besides us. We like to close down the dance floor, but not tonight. On the way back, one block from our house, there was another party at an organization called Entremundo. This place publishes a free, bilingual newsletter with really well written socially conscious articles that I always enjoy. They also do some other NPO work, and this girl Melissa, who occasionally also volunteers at AMA, volunteers there full time. Claudia also recently said, after we complained about not meeting anyone and not having any friends, that the Entremundo parties were a good place to start. She was right. We paid 15Q to get in, immediately met this guy from Ireland that was a ton of fun. He was on a latin american tour with his girlfriend... but they broke up in Nicaragua! So he's chilling here, little change of plans, I guess! Also two other girls that we've continued to run into in Xela or Fuentes Georginas or other places. And we did a good hour of dancing our comfortable western style. At midnight it officially hit the point where we had to leave. Even if we were just a block from home.

and we peaced out.

This morning we didn't do anything. Watched the burned Family Guy dvds that Carlos loaned us. After that I put together the numbers of beads etc that Lupe needs and emailed that to her. We went to this strange hotel lobby looking restaurant off parque central, where I got some very normal pancakes, and the ingredients for the awesome guacamole I made today. Tomorrow Claudia is going to teach us how to make mojitos, so we got enough fresh avocados and limes and fresh nachos for our little party tomorrow, too. Also, apparently the Roanoke Times, or it's affiliate section based in Botetourt, has gotten notice (via mis padres) of my little endeavor here in Guatemala. So you Roanokers, keep your eyes open for my article! Muy emocionante! (exciting)

A bit of a nap, some reading of my Gunter Grass book (so good and so weird), and this. Writing blogs is becoming a part time job. I need to just do a little every day. Trying to get out 4 1/2 days at once takes something like 3-4 hours. Everything is just so exciting here! I can't leave ANYTHING out! Plus this is my journal now. I don't want to forget anything. So really this this is more for my benefit than yours. I also almost never edit or proofread. So if any of my old english teachers start reading this-sorry! Run on and fragment sentences are my FAVORITES! They're just so much more fun, I like the freedom of them.

Vlad, the social butterfly, has invited us out tonight with the others from school, but after last night, I just can't do it. I need a night to just eat guacamole and hot chocolate and read and write and sleep!