The joureny from Panajachel Guatemala to Charlotte, NC turned into yet another adventure.
Our shuttle time was 6:00AM. Kathryn and I decided to take the early shuttle rather than the 10:00 shuttle. Although we would arrive at the airport 5 hours ahead of schedule, it is always better to have room when traveling in another country. A friend of mine from CA actually was in Guatemala City and was going to meet us at the airport at 10:00.
Kathryn and I began the trek home at 5:20AM in Magda's house. We woke up this early to insure we would catch our shuttle to the GUA airport by way of Antigua. In Pana and Antigua, the shuttle companies drive around the town slowly gathering all the people who have reservations for the shuttle. Since at the time you buy your ticket, the company is not sure where else it has to go, they tell you to be waiting 20 minutes prior to the shuttle time. Don't be worried either, if you are not picked up until 20 minutes after the appointed time.
Kathryn, Magda, and I waited outside for the shuttle beginning at 5:40AM. 6:00AM, 6:15AM, 6:30 AM came and went. After figuring out that their fax and phone numbers were switched on their contact info, we called the travel agency's number and no one answered. At this point we are starting to wonder if the shuttle is coming. I stayed with the luggage at the appoint meeting spot while Kathyrn walked up the road to another potential meeting spot. At 7:00AM, an hour after the appointed shuttle time, we decided to go to travel agency and wait. We still had plenty of time to get to the airport. Always leave early!
When they arrived at 7:30AM they called the shuttle driver who stated that he was at the appointed spot at 6:35. This of course was a lie because at that point Kathyrn and I were at both potential stops. Anyways, they arranged for us to meet another shuttle from a different company in Solola about 20 minutes away.
When we arrived at the other shuttle, all the travelers were standing outside on the road. As we got closer, we noted a jack under one of the tires. It appeared they were simply rotating two of the tires. No one is sure why this needed to be done. Once again...always leave early.
Soon enough we were on our way to Antigua where we would catch the final shuttle to the airport. When we arrived, they had a car for just Kathryn and I. The skilled driver was making up for lost time. The travel agency did not know that we still had plenty of time before our flight. Anyways, the driver knew that traffic was worse than normal in GUA because the teachers were in strike. He therefore took us around the back way and through all these different subrubs of GUA. This way was very round about and took twice as long as the international highway, but it did not have traffic jams. Always leave early!
Once we arrived to the airport at 12:15PM, I had missed meeting my friend. We checked in only to find out that our plane was delayed 45 minutes. We said that was alright because we still had 1.5 hours to make it through customs and catch the next flight...tight, but doable.
We then go through security. In GUA everyone gets frisked. My bookbag then get pulled out for further inspection. I get in line behind a lady who is debating with security why she cannot bring animal parts out of Guatemala. I mean hearts, intestines, and not sure whatelse. She debates with them for about 15 minutes and they are actually holding the plane for her. My bookbag was search in order to find EKG reader (looks like tweezers) that was at the bottom of my pen and pencil case from gradschool. You never know what one can do with an EKG reader. Always leave early.
After waiting for about 2.5 to 3 hours in the airport we head back to the gate. When we arrive we find out that the plane has been delayed to 5:30PM. We decided to go ahead and arrange to stay in Miami for the night and catch the first flight to CLT the next morning (9:15). The plane was delayed for mechanical/ electrical reasons.
The plane does arrive. The boarding process begins. Here, thanks to the recent bombing attempt, everyone gets fisked again and your bags search again. You are not allowed to take water bottle, coffee, etc onto the plane even if you bought it inside security. We all board the plane and pull away from the gate. After about 5 minutes, the captian states over the loud speaker that the same electical/mechanical problem was present and that they were out of time to fly for the day.(Pilots can only fly for 16 hours a day). We were going to have to get off the plane. GUA airport is small enough that each carrier has 1 or 2 gates. Therefore, there was not another pilot that could fly.
We were notified that another plane would be coming from Miami that night and would arrive at 9:30PM. We were given the option to wait for that flight and spend the night in Miami or spend the night in GUA and take the first flight out the next morning. At that point it was already 6:30PM. Kathryn and I opted to stay in GUA for the night. We would fly out the next morning to Dallas/Fort Worth and the fly to CLT arriving around 6:00PM.
We were shuttled to a hotel in the nice part of the city, had dinner, hot shower, and went to bed. We were awaken at 5:00 AM by a rather long temblor...earthquake. Neither Kathryn nor I could return to sleep.
When we checked in at the airport, we heard that the plane to Miami the night before did not leave until 11:00PM. That means that we would have arrived around 1:30AM gone through customs and then waited in the airport for our 9:15 AM flight. Kathryn and I defintely chose the right option!
The rest of the journey was thankfully uneventful and we arrived to CLT 15 minutes ahead of schedule.
Always leave early:)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Tecum Umam...National Hero
Despite a debate over his historical reality,Tecún Umán is considered a national hero of Guatemala for his bravery and dignity when he fought to protect his land and his people against the Spanish Conquistadors. The day was celebrated with another parade. This parade was of the children in traditional dress. Although many of the children wear what we thought was traditional dress most days, they do not like this celebration. Apparently, many of the clothes that are worn everyday are not the full traditional dress. I think it is similar to church dress versus regular dress.
Tecum Umam was the last ruler and king of the K'iche' Maya People. They lived in the highlands of present day Guatemala. According Kaqchikel history, Tecum was slain by Don Pedro de Alvarado, the Spanish Conquitador, on February 20, 1524. He was declared a national hero March 22, 1960 and is celebrated on the anniversay of his death February 20th.
The Spanish conquistadors were on a mission to conquer the lands south of Mexico. The K'iche' were the most powerful at the time. Alvarado allied himself with the Kaqchikel who were bitter enemies with K'iche'. After the K'iche' refused to submit to the Spainards peacefully, they prepared for battle. The K'iche' appointed Tecun Uman as their commander.
Legend says that Tecun Uman had his nahual(animal spirit guide...everyone has a different one) with him during the battle. Tecun's animal spirit guide was a quetzal bird. Tecun and Alvarado had a face off. Alvarado was wearing armor and mounted on a warhorse. Since horsed were not native to the area, Tecun had never seen a horse. One version says that Tecun thought the horse and Alvarado were one being. Therefore, by killing the horse, he had killed Alvarado. Another verson says Tecun attacked the horse to knock Alvarado down. Either way, after realizing his mistake, he turned for a second attack but was killed when Alvarado's spear pierced his heart.
The nagual, the quetzal, landed on Tecun's chest. Its chest feathers were stained red from the blood. From then on, all the male quetzal had red chests and their songs had not been heard. Also, if one is put in captivity, it will die. Therefore the quetzal is a symbol of liberty.
The true existence of a historical Tecún Umán is an ongoing debate. A letter written by Alvarado states that one of the four chiefs who was the captain and general of the city was killed. He, however, did not mention the name of the K'iche' general or who killed him.
*(The rest of this is quoting a wickipedia article.) *
Several other indigenous documents describe the arrival of Alvarado in what would become Guatemala, including the Título K'oyoi which describes the battle in terms similar to the modern legend. This document also contains the earliest known reference to the K'iche' leader as "Tecum Umam".[7]
The Popol Vuh[8] confirms the observations of Bartolomé de las Casas and the Título de Totonicapan, which record that four lords ruled the K'iche' at the time of the Spanish conquest. The first-born son of the Keeper of the Mat (the most powerful of the lords) was expected to prove himself by leading the K'iche' army and was given the title "nima rajpop achij," the same title given to Tecún Umán in the Título K'oyoi. This is all tied together by the genealogy of the K'iche' lords that is given near the end of the Popul Vuh and a section of the Título de Totonicapan, which both refer to the son of the Keeper of the Mat as "Tecum" at the time of Alvarado's arrival.[7]
A second explanation for the absence of greater detail in Alvarado's letter is that Tecún Umán actually did battle with one of Alvarado's subordinates, by the name of Argueta. This suggestion is based on the claim of Argueta's descendants that the lance they keep as an heirloom of their predecessor is stained with the blood of the K'iche' hero.[4]
Name
It is believed that "Tecún Umán" was more than likely not the ruler's name at all but may have functioned as a sort of title. The earliest recorded appearance of the name is in the Título K'oyoi in which he is referred to as "nima rajpop achij adelantado Tecum umam rey k'iche' don k'iq'ab'." Translated, this phrase means: "great captain-general Tecum, grandson of the K'iche' king Don K'iqab'." Therefore the word "uman" or "umam" simply means "grandson of" and is not part of Tecún's name at all. It has been suggested that "umam" may have been a reference to his genealogy, or the name may have originally been derived from another title given to the hero, "q'uq'umam," meaning "ancient one of quetzal feathers", or it might have come from the indigenous name for a prominent local volcano: "Teyocuman."[4]
Tecum Umam was the last ruler and king of the K'iche' Maya People. They lived in the highlands of present day Guatemala. According Kaqchikel history, Tecum was slain by Don Pedro de Alvarado, the Spanish Conquitador, on February 20, 1524. He was declared a national hero March 22, 1960 and is celebrated on the anniversay of his death February 20th.
The Spanish conquistadors were on a mission to conquer the lands south of Mexico. The K'iche' were the most powerful at the time. Alvarado allied himself with the Kaqchikel who were bitter enemies with K'iche'. After the K'iche' refused to submit to the Spainards peacefully, they prepared for battle. The K'iche' appointed Tecun Uman as their commander.
Legend says that Tecun Uman had his nahual(animal spirit guide...everyone has a different one) with him during the battle. Tecun's animal spirit guide was a quetzal bird. Tecun and Alvarado had a face off. Alvarado was wearing armor and mounted on a warhorse. Since horsed were not native to the area, Tecun had never seen a horse. One version says that Tecun thought the horse and Alvarado were one being. Therefore, by killing the horse, he had killed Alvarado. Another verson says Tecun attacked the horse to knock Alvarado down. Either way, after realizing his mistake, he turned for a second attack but was killed when Alvarado's spear pierced his heart.
The nagual, the quetzal, landed on Tecun's chest. Its chest feathers were stained red from the blood. From then on, all the male quetzal had red chests and their songs had not been heard. Also, if one is put in captivity, it will die. Therefore the quetzal is a symbol of liberty.
The true existence of a historical Tecún Umán is an ongoing debate. A letter written by Alvarado states that one of the four chiefs who was the captain and general of the city was killed. He, however, did not mention the name of the K'iche' general or who killed him.
*(The rest of this is quoting a wickipedia article.) *
Several other indigenous documents describe the arrival of Alvarado in what would become Guatemala, including the Título K'oyoi which describes the battle in terms similar to the modern legend. This document also contains the earliest known reference to the K'iche' leader as "Tecum Umam".[7]
The Popol Vuh[8] confirms the observations of Bartolomé de las Casas and the Título de Totonicapan, which record that four lords ruled the K'iche' at the time of the Spanish conquest. The first-born son of the Keeper of the Mat (the most powerful of the lords) was expected to prove himself by leading the K'iche' army and was given the title "nima rajpop achij," the same title given to Tecún Umán in the Título K'oyoi. This is all tied together by the genealogy of the K'iche' lords that is given near the end of the Popul Vuh and a section of the Título de Totonicapan, which both refer to the son of the Keeper of the Mat as "Tecum" at the time of Alvarado's arrival.[7]
A second explanation for the absence of greater detail in Alvarado's letter is that Tecún Umán actually did battle with one of Alvarado's subordinates, by the name of Argueta. This suggestion is based on the claim of Argueta's descendants that the lance they keep as an heirloom of their predecessor is stained with the blood of the K'iche' hero.[4]
Name
It is believed that "Tecún Umán" was more than likely not the ruler's name at all but may have functioned as a sort of title. The earliest recorded appearance of the name is in the Título K'oyoi in which he is referred to as "nima rajpop achij adelantado Tecum umam rey k'iche' don k'iq'ab'." Translated, this phrase means: "great captain-general Tecum, grandson of the K'iche' king Don K'iqab'." Therefore the word "uman" or "umam" simply means "grandson of" and is not part of Tecún's name at all. It has been suggested that "umam" may have been a reference to his genealogy, or the name may have originally been derived from another title given to the hero, "q'uq'umam," meaning "ancient one of quetzal feathers", or it might have come from the indigenous name for a prominent local volcano: "Teyocuman."[4]
Beware of the Eggs and Flour today
Carnival here holds its own when compared to Brazil. Here the children kindergarten to middle school dress up in costumes. The costumes are similar to halloween costumes here. Some are homemade; some are handed down or shared with friends; others are bought. The are all festive and adorable. There is a parade that goes through all the main streets in Pana. First, the older kids go through town following a car playing music. The smaller kiddos follow. After the parade prizes are given out for various catergories.
The tradition that I think is unique to Guatemala is the eggs, glitter, and flour. Another tick of the trade many mothers know how to do is make glitter filled eggs. I am still not quite sure how they are able to do this. They crack the egg on the top only cracking the top. The eggs goo then is drained out. After washing the eggshell out, the egg is filled with glitter and confetti and sealed up with tissue paper. The outside of the egg is then decorated with paint, tissue paper, and/ or glitter. The younger kids then crack the eggs on each other's heads throughout the day when others are least expecting it. I will say that the decorated eggs, glitter and confetti are quite pretty.
The older kids (late elementary school to highschool) do not waste time on making and decorating eggs. They simply buy eggs and flour. Although it can happen anytime that day, it mostly happens after school. Eggs are thrown, crushed, pelted at others. After the egg breaks on their head, flour is poured or thrown.
As we were walking home from school that evening, we had to dodge and negotiate through several eggs and flour battles. The largest one was a herd of about 20 young men, most already wearing the eggs and flour appearance themselves, running through the streets. They all had eggs in their hands or pockets. They were throwing eggs are innocent bystandards. Kathryn and I quickly decided to walk behind the line of cars parked intermittently along the street. At least this way if they did decide to pelt us, we could run for shelter or duck behind the cars. We were able to get home without wearing egg or flour.
The next day, evidence of the glitter eggs, raw eggs, and flour remained on the streets. They certainly must not have the same caution and awareness of salmoela that we do in the states:)
The tradition that I think is unique to Guatemala is the eggs, glitter, and flour. Another tick of the trade many mothers know how to do is make glitter filled eggs. I am still not quite sure how they are able to do this. They crack the egg on the top only cracking the top. The eggs goo then is drained out. After washing the eggshell out, the egg is filled with glitter and confetti and sealed up with tissue paper. The outside of the egg is then decorated with paint, tissue paper, and/ or glitter. The younger kids then crack the eggs on each other's heads throughout the day when others are least expecting it. I will say that the decorated eggs, glitter and confetti are quite pretty.
The older kids (late elementary school to highschool) do not waste time on making and decorating eggs. They simply buy eggs and flour. Although it can happen anytime that day, it mostly happens after school. Eggs are thrown, crushed, pelted at others. After the egg breaks on their head, flour is poured or thrown.
As we were walking home from school that evening, we had to dodge and negotiate through several eggs and flour battles. The largest one was a herd of about 20 young men, most already wearing the eggs and flour appearance themselves, running through the streets. They all had eggs in their hands or pockets. They were throwing eggs are innocent bystandards. Kathryn and I quickly decided to walk behind the line of cars parked intermittently along the street. At least this way if they did decide to pelt us, we could run for shelter or duck behind the cars. We were able to get home without wearing egg or flour.
The next day, evidence of the glitter eggs, raw eggs, and flour remained on the streets. They certainly must not have the same caution and awareness of salmoela that we do in the states:)
Happy Birthday!
Often the celebration begins very early (when it is still dark outside) by shooting off bombas. Bombas are essentially fireworks. I guess they figure that everyone can join in the fun that way:) Judging from the frequency of the bombas it must be someone's birthday in Pana every other day. Well, I would rather sleep in and wish them a happy birthday when I saw them. I will say that the longer I was there, the less I was able to acknowledge the birthday so early in the morning. (I was able to sleep through most of the bombas).
Another interesting thing is the way they sing the happy birthday song. It is a mix between English and Spanish. They do not sing Feliz cumpleanos. They sing Happy Day Birth a ti. We were never able to understand the rest of the song exactly. The general gist is something about wanting a piece of cake. They then clap and count for the number of years the person is turning.
While every birthday is acknowledged (often with bombas), most do not have fiestas. For years that the family deems significant, they will have a fiesta. During our time their, we saw three fiestas. They were all very special as we knew how much of a sacrifice it was for the parents to give their children a wonderful celebration with others. The first one was a quincinera. We only saw the preparations throughout the day for this one. The 15th birthday is similar the 16th birthday in the States. It is the age signifying the girl is now a young woman. The party is the equivalent to a wedding without the groom. We lived in a house that was surrounded by homes built with cement cender blocks, pieces of tin, tin roof, dirt floor, most had one light that was infrequently used. The living room often did not have a roof. For the quincinera, the family made streamers and hung them from the center of their house/livingroom. They had a magnificent, huge cake on teirs. They even had fake green paper grass spread neatly on the dirt. They went all out for this very special occassion.
Karla, the daughter of the host family, turn 16 while we were there. When given the opportunity to have a quincinera last year, she chose not to. This year she regretted it. She had a few friends from school over for games, movie, and food this year. Once again, the family all pitched in to make the house as festive as possible with streamers and balloons. The games were similar to silly games we play in the states. The food was tamales and chocolate cake. It was once again simple yet very special.
One of the other neighbors was turning 5 years old. They had strung balloons to the edges of the tin roofs surrounding their "living room." They had a pinata of a mexican cartoon character strung up in the center. The guests sat on the perimeter of the living room watching the clown (payaso). They had much fun hitting and breaking the pinata. Unfortuately, this party came to an abrupt end secondary to unexpected thunderstorm. Nonetheless, a very festive time for all.
Each party was simple, festive, and laden with love.
Another interesting thing is the way they sing the happy birthday song. It is a mix between English and Spanish. They do not sing Feliz cumpleanos. They sing Happy Day Birth a ti. We were never able to understand the rest of the song exactly. The general gist is something about wanting a piece of cake. They then clap and count for the number of years the person is turning.
While every birthday is acknowledged (often with bombas), most do not have fiestas. For years that the family deems significant, they will have a fiesta. During our time their, we saw three fiestas. They were all very special as we knew how much of a sacrifice it was for the parents to give their children a wonderful celebration with others. The first one was a quincinera. We only saw the preparations throughout the day for this one. The 15th birthday is similar the 16th birthday in the States. It is the age signifying the girl is now a young woman. The party is the equivalent to a wedding without the groom. We lived in a house that was surrounded by homes built with cement cender blocks, pieces of tin, tin roof, dirt floor, most had one light that was infrequently used. The living room often did not have a roof. For the quincinera, the family made streamers and hung them from the center of their house/livingroom. They had a magnificent, huge cake on teirs. They even had fake green paper grass spread neatly on the dirt. They went all out for this very special occassion.
Karla, the daughter of the host family, turn 16 while we were there. When given the opportunity to have a quincinera last year, she chose not to. This year she regretted it. She had a few friends from school over for games, movie, and food this year. Once again, the family all pitched in to make the house as festive as possible with streamers and balloons. The games were similar to silly games we play in the states. The food was tamales and chocolate cake. It was once again simple yet very special.
One of the other neighbors was turning 5 years old. They had strung balloons to the edges of the tin roofs surrounding their "living room." They had a pinata of a mexican cartoon character strung up in the center. The guests sat on the perimeter of the living room watching the clown (payaso). They had much fun hitting and breaking the pinata. Unfortuately, this party came to an abrupt end secondary to unexpected thunderstorm. Nonetheless, a very festive time for all.
Each party was simple, festive, and laden with love.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Change...Thinking outside the box
What is the right thing to do? When I was in school, I was told that one important thing about history is learning what happened in the past the good and the bad. I think in some ways it works similarly when viewing a less progressed country or people group from a more advanced view. First the system in the US, then thoughts about the issues.
It is not as simple as telling the young woman to go to school and get advanced degrees. We know from looking at the US what happens with that. The same chores and everyday activities need to be done. If the women are working 9-5ish, someone else needs to do the work. This is where hired labor comes into play. Those who have not had the opportunity to go to school need to pay for food, have shelter, etc. They are willing to work hard for cheap. Immigrants in the United States are now doing many of these jobs and even raise the children is some cases.
Instead of entering a society and implementling what we Americans think they need and will solve their problem, we need to learn to listen and truly live with the people. Many of us in the United States have the blessings of technology, education, money, ample resources. Often when we graduate from school with a degree, we think, ¨what do I do now?¨ After working in the field for a short time, one realizes that while the skill and knowledge is important it is not sufficient to meet the needs. So much depends on the mindset of the people.
For example, as I mentioned before I had several children that the doctors said would never walk. Two in particular come to mind. One(L. A.) was the fourth child in a family of all young boys. The father died suddenly just after the child was born. From the beginning of his life, L.A. mother fought hard to get whatever her son needed. She was not ashamed of having a son with disabilities. The mother treated L. A. just like her other boys. He got disciplined and reward with the same system. She let him play outside and rough house with the others the best he could. She took him everywhere the others went. At least every other week, the mother would report that L. A. could crawl faster, stand for longer, walk farther or on a different surface. I used my trade and knowledge to help him and his family. I honestly think what helped the most was listening to his mother and listening to what he was telling me nonverbally and attending to that.
The other child (JS) that comes to mind was an only son of a well to do Asian family. The family was ashamed of their son´s abilities and did not take him out of the house until he was two. He did not even go for many walks around the neighborhood in the stroller. His every need was catered. He did not even have to hold his cup or bottle when drinking. Every time he did not want to do something or was uncomfortable, he would cry and scream. Until he came to see me at 2yo, he did not know that he could move to get a toy that was out of reach. He screamed the entire 50 minute session for about 1 month. After that, he knew that crying with me would not get him out of work. Occassionally his parent would watch the session without him knowing. They were always amazed at what their son was capable of doing. At home, though, he was not showing progress. They were still waiting on him hand and foot and catering to his every cry. He is a long ways for walking. The power of mindset is amazing.
Even though both boys had a similiar disability and similar problems on the outside, they each had unique needs. I had to approach each of them differently. If I had just treated their impairments without listening to their specific needs, neither would have achieved the milestones they did.
I think it is similar with societies progressing without losing their culture. If we as outsiders project what we think the needs and problems are and offer and initiate solutions, the solutions will not stay. As soon as the proget is over, the society will revert to way it was. Change has to begin from the inside out. Change is slow. An outsider needs to ask questions and then wait and listen for the answers from the people. Often the first request or need shared is not the real one.
Once a problem or need is identified, someone should guide the people to come up with their own solution. This way as with teaching, the next time the problem arises, they will know how to address it. Also, if the people are on board with the project, the change, the solution, it will last.
This is where the skills and knowledge we have and have access to in the US comes into play. When we listen to the people, we can use our resources to guide the people and work with the people towards progress and a solution. We have to work and think outside of our box of skills and knowledge from the university. Although someone is trained as a doctor, they will need to know about sociology, anthropology, economics, ecology, psychology in addition to medicine.
Now you have some of the ramblings and incomplete thoughts running around in my head about change. Let me know what your thoughts are.
It is not as simple as telling the young woman to go to school and get advanced degrees. We know from looking at the US what happens with that. The same chores and everyday activities need to be done. If the women are working 9-5ish, someone else needs to do the work. This is where hired labor comes into play. Those who have not had the opportunity to go to school need to pay for food, have shelter, etc. They are willing to work hard for cheap. Immigrants in the United States are now doing many of these jobs and even raise the children is some cases.
Instead of entering a society and implementling what we Americans think they need and will solve their problem, we need to learn to listen and truly live with the people. Many of us in the United States have the blessings of technology, education, money, ample resources. Often when we graduate from school with a degree, we think, ¨what do I do now?¨ After working in the field for a short time, one realizes that while the skill and knowledge is important it is not sufficient to meet the needs. So much depends on the mindset of the people.
For example, as I mentioned before I had several children that the doctors said would never walk. Two in particular come to mind. One(L. A.) was the fourth child in a family of all young boys. The father died suddenly just after the child was born. From the beginning of his life, L.A. mother fought hard to get whatever her son needed. She was not ashamed of having a son with disabilities. The mother treated L. A. just like her other boys. He got disciplined and reward with the same system. She let him play outside and rough house with the others the best he could. She took him everywhere the others went. At least every other week, the mother would report that L. A. could crawl faster, stand for longer, walk farther or on a different surface. I used my trade and knowledge to help him and his family. I honestly think what helped the most was listening to his mother and listening to what he was telling me nonverbally and attending to that.
The other child (JS) that comes to mind was an only son of a well to do Asian family. The family was ashamed of their son´s abilities and did not take him out of the house until he was two. He did not even go for many walks around the neighborhood in the stroller. His every need was catered. He did not even have to hold his cup or bottle when drinking. Every time he did not want to do something or was uncomfortable, he would cry and scream. Until he came to see me at 2yo, he did not know that he could move to get a toy that was out of reach. He screamed the entire 50 minute session for about 1 month. After that, he knew that crying with me would not get him out of work. Occassionally his parent would watch the session without him knowing. They were always amazed at what their son was capable of doing. At home, though, he was not showing progress. They were still waiting on him hand and foot and catering to his every cry. He is a long ways for walking. The power of mindset is amazing.
Even though both boys had a similiar disability and similar problems on the outside, they each had unique needs. I had to approach each of them differently. If I had just treated their impairments without listening to their specific needs, neither would have achieved the milestones they did.
I think it is similar with societies progressing without losing their culture. If we as outsiders project what we think the needs and problems are and offer and initiate solutions, the solutions will not stay. As soon as the proget is over, the society will revert to way it was. Change has to begin from the inside out. Change is slow. An outsider needs to ask questions and then wait and listen for the answers from the people. Often the first request or need shared is not the real one.
Once a problem or need is identified, someone should guide the people to come up with their own solution. This way as with teaching, the next time the problem arises, they will know how to address it. Also, if the people are on board with the project, the change, the solution, it will last.
This is where the skills and knowledge we have and have access to in the US comes into play. When we listen to the people, we can use our resources to guide the people and work with the people towards progress and a solution. We have to work and think outside of our box of skills and knowledge from the university. Although someone is trained as a doctor, they will need to know about sociology, anthropology, economics, ecology, psychology in addition to medicine.
Now you have some of the ramblings and incomplete thoughts running around in my head about change. Let me know what your thoughts are.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
change is never easy
Change...
Is difficult
Is necessary
Is exciting
Is an adventure
Is slow
I have been thinking about change recently. I think that it is similar to microevolution. There are little changes everyday. These changes add up over time. Often, however, we do not notice the change until we stop for a moment and reflect on the past month, year, years. It is then that we are able to see the difference in what was and what is now. Although change is always occuring, sometimes there seems to be a huge change, a climax. For example, think about the changes in technology in just the last 10 years. Computers practically fit into our pockets now. We can hold our entire library of music in the palm of our hand. We can talk to someone on the other side of the world for free.
Not only does change happen in technology, change also happens socially. Change in values, change in expectations, change in male and female roles, change in education, change in religion, etc. Living in Pana for 5 weeks, getting to know Zoila, and traveling to a few different parts of Guatemala has revealed that this generation is a climax of change. This change seems to be hinging on the young women 14 to 30 years old.
Let me preface this with the fact that I may have a hidden feminist bias that is rearing its head. This bias is likely a product of growing up in a middle class family in the States that values education and having choices. I grew up with the belief that women should have the option to choose to attain higher education, to be a teacher, doctor, lawyer, other prostegious jobs, to climb the capitalistic ladder, to be anything they want to be. This includes the noble 24/7 job of being a stay at home mom.
The other preface to this is my bias of being raised in the States and judging what I see here through that cultural lenses. What parts of a culture need to change because they are robbing people of human rights? What aspects of the culture are vital in making their culture unique and function the way it has for thousands of years? Once an aspect of culture that is denying human rights or causing poor health has been identified, the question of how to go about changing it arises. Any change in society or culture will effect the rest of history. I do not know the answers to these questions or even where to begin.
Many Maya people are still poor by State standards. Many young girls whose families live in other less tourist towns on the lake work for families in Pana and San Pedro. In fact, there is a 13 yo girl who works at the house next to the school. Her family lives in San Pedro. She lives at the house cares for the students and the family there. It was a big deal that her family came to the house for her birthday. She supposedly has the opportunity to go to school at night. Often the school will be closed for painting, the teacher will not show up, etc. Like most young girls, she has a deep desire to learn. The student who was living there and attending school here at Jabel Tinamet wrote a list of simple sayings in English. The next day when they were talking, the young girl tried to use some of the English sayings. She was using them correctly and asked her for more.
Is difficult
Is necessary
Is exciting
Is an adventure
Is slow
I have been thinking about change recently. I think that it is similar to microevolution. There are little changes everyday. These changes add up over time. Often, however, we do not notice the change until we stop for a moment and reflect on the past month, year, years. It is then that we are able to see the difference in what was and what is now. Although change is always occuring, sometimes there seems to be a huge change, a climax. For example, think about the changes in technology in just the last 10 years. Computers practically fit into our pockets now. We can hold our entire library of music in the palm of our hand. We can talk to someone on the other side of the world for free.
Not only does change happen in technology, change also happens socially. Change in values, change in expectations, change in male and female roles, change in education, change in religion, etc. Living in Pana for 5 weeks, getting to know Zoila, and traveling to a few different parts of Guatemala has revealed that this generation is a climax of change. This change seems to be hinging on the young women 14 to 30 years old.
Let me preface this with the fact that I may have a hidden feminist bias that is rearing its head. This bias is likely a product of growing up in a middle class family in the States that values education and having choices. I grew up with the belief that women should have the option to choose to attain higher education, to be a teacher, doctor, lawyer, other prostegious jobs, to climb the capitalistic ladder, to be anything they want to be. This includes the noble 24/7 job of being a stay at home mom.
The other preface to this is my bias of being raised in the States and judging what I see here through that cultural lenses. What parts of a culture need to change because they are robbing people of human rights? What aspects of the culture are vital in making their culture unique and function the way it has for thousands of years? Once an aspect of culture that is denying human rights or causing poor health has been identified, the question of how to go about changing it arises. Any change in society or culture will effect the rest of history. I do not know the answers to these questions or even where to begin.
Evidence that this generation is the beginning of the climax is all around. The Maya had 23 different dialects. 21 of the 23 are currently spoken in the Highlands. As I mentioned in a previous blog the dialects are not written. The children in this generation are able to understand it spoken but can only speak a little bit. They say it is hard to learn the dialect. Spanish is what is spoken at school and among the children. When a culture loses their language, they lose alot of the roots of their culture.
The evidence of change is also seen in the dress of the people, especially the women. The older women still wear the traditional handmade guipil and cortes. The mid 20 to 30 yo women wear the traditional clothing, but the clothing is often made on machines. The girls in elementary school and high school often wear the traditional cortes with a united stated style top. Others in the middle class are seen wearing styles seen in the states. Although most men wear clothes like in the States, men can be seen wearing traditional clothing.
I do know that since being here I have a special place in my heart for the young Maya women here in the Highlands.
The role of Maya women who mainly live in the Highlands is similar to the role of women in the States in the 1950s. They are amas de casa who take care of the house. This truly is a full time job here. My house mom here use to teach Spanish at our school. Now, she hosts students and in a sense teaches them in her house. Anyways, everyday when we ask her what her plans are for the day, she responds with laundry and cooking. Ocassionally, she will mention that she has to prepare for a church gathering or party. Laundry here is not as simple as throwing everything in the washing machine and dryer. It takes quite awhile since every piece of clothing needs to be scrubbed and rinsed by hand. It is then hung on the line to dry. Therefore, some laundry is done everyday. Cooking here too takes longer and is often more involved. There are not canned beans...all the beans are soaked and cooked from scratched. The tortillas are made by hand everyday. Even those who live in less than ideal conditions have the same duties. I will share two stories below.Many Maya people are still poor by State standards. Many young girls whose families live in other less tourist towns on the lake work for families in Pana and San Pedro. In fact, there is a 13 yo girl who works at the house next to the school. Her family lives in San Pedro. She lives at the house cares for the students and the family there. It was a big deal that her family came to the house for her birthday. She supposedly has the opportunity to go to school at night. Often the school will be closed for painting, the teacher will not show up, etc. Like most young girls, she has a deep desire to learn. The student who was living there and attending school here at Jabel Tinamet wrote a list of simple sayings in English. The next day when they were talking, the young girl tried to use some of the English sayings. She was using them correctly and asked her for more.
A 28 yo young woman works seven days a week October to February. The rest of the year she teaches M through F 8 to 5. She then attends law school Friday evening 6 to 8 and Saturday 8 to 5. Most of us in the US hear this and think, ¨wow, she works hard.¨ I will fill you in on the background that has created compassion in my heart for her. Zoila is in the middle of the eight children. Her older sisters know how to weave, cook, take care of the house, are married and have children. She does not know how to weave or cook because when she was growing up, her mother would criticize her every mistake. Zoila decided that it was not worth it to learn.
Although her parents did not attend school and worked in a finca (coffee field) for many years, the education of their children was important to them. She is one of the few in her family that received good grades in school and completed high school. She began teaching Spanish at a Spanish school at 20 yo. She is currently attending university. When she graduates, she will be the first woman in her family and town to graduate from a university. She receives mixed signals from her parents and society. Go to school, but have a family. Although these are not mutually exclusive, it is very hard to perform both well simultaneously. Although most of these expectations are similar in the States, they are far more exaggerated here. She has chosen the road less traveled and is reminded of this fact daily.
She currently is living at home. Here is it not acceptable for women to live by themselves. They live with their parents until they get married. They usually get married in the early twenties. She is the primary breadwinner for her family. She cannot remember receiving any gifts for Christmas or her birthdays. She has received one or two gifts from her boyfriend. She never complains, just keeps on going day after day.
When she was 25 yo, she decided to switch from social work to study law. This is significant for multiple reasons. In the culture here, a young woman is considered an old maid if she is not married by 25. Even more so if she does not have any children. Furthermore, Maya young woman do not commonly attend university. I don´t understand all this, but I think that because she is indigineous, she will only be able to practice in certain types of law. She will never be able to be an independent lawyer. After seeing and experiencing injustice to her friends and people, she wants to bring justice to them.
Before she gets to be a lawyer, she has to finish 6 years at university which is very expensive. Like in the US, she will have to pass three separate tests. Each test is expensive. If you do not pass one of the three tests the first time, you have to wait two years prior to retaking the test.
She is a very hard worker who is swimming upstream who has a heart to help her people receive justice. Although she never complains, it is evident that she often worries that she will not be able to accomplish her dreams secondary to financial reasons. She often feels out of place in her own family and culture. Change is difficult, necessary, an adventure, and slow.
This is to be continued with more of my thoughts on the matter of change in culture.
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