Life is good here. I've already learned alot and can have basic conversations! The verb structures and rules in Spanish are crazy and hard to learn but i'm going slowly. My teacher Maria is amazing, it's fun to watch her be excited for my progress. She's taught english for 25 years at the school. Me gusta mi maestro en espanol.
I've been meeting interesting people and spending time with some of them out of class, staying up too late, etc. Angitua is gorgeous, lots to explore. The town is today overrun with a cruise ship full of people, crazy to see them walking around town with their badges taking pictures of all the mayans, it actually makes me ill to watch. They have no idea of where they are and the stories of this place. I feel such priviledge to know as much as i do and to be connected in a very different way.
Still trying to borrow or find a downloading cord for the camera, we'll see.
A week to go....
doris
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Total Devotion to Learning Spanish
Tomorrow I start Spanish classes! I have been wanting to do this for the past 4 years and it's happening!! I'm a little stressed but so willing to just learn as much as i can in the time i am here. Spanish is hard but my ear has been tuned to it now for a week in being with the family that i'm catching on. I know so many words and can recognize easily what people are taking about but it's the conversation itself that's tough. I'll keep you posted on how the one on one instruction goes. I'll be at it from 8 am till 1 pm.
Rinna and Ivan drove me here to Antigua today, we toured around some of the ruins from the many earthquakes that have happened here, saw some of the Churches and had lunch at an amazing typical Guatemalan Restaurant, food so so so good. I showed them my hotel, it's the San Vincente where we always stay with the groups and Carmen the owner remembered me well which was nice. We also went to the school to check it out and met the principal who refused to speak English to me. Yikes.
It was really sad to have them leave me. After being with them for the past week in close quarters, i've come to really admire and feel connected to them, it's amazing how that can happen with strangers isn't it....they are truly fine people, warm, caring, open hearted, full of life. I am blessed to know them.
So i'm alone tonight in Antigua, it's good but there's also a little empty part in this, wish some of you were here experiencing this with me.
I'll keep you posted on how it goes with the classes...hope you are all well.
Rinna and Ivan drove me here to Antigua today, we toured around some of the ruins from the many earthquakes that have happened here, saw some of the Churches and had lunch at an amazing typical Guatemalan Restaurant, food so so so good. I showed them my hotel, it's the San Vincente where we always stay with the groups and Carmen the owner remembered me well which was nice. We also went to the school to check it out and met the principal who refused to speak English to me. Yikes.
It was really sad to have them leave me. After being with them for the past week in close quarters, i've come to really admire and feel connected to them, it's amazing how that can happen with strangers isn't it....they are truly fine people, warm, caring, open hearted, full of life. I am blessed to know them.
So i'm alone tonight in Antigua, it's good but there's also a little empty part in this, wish some of you were here experiencing this with me.
I'll keep you posted on how it goes with the classes...hope you are all well.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Pacific Coast of Guatemala
Its early morning, everyone else is awake, and im up so ill give you an update.
Spent last evening here at the house hooking everyone up to MSN messenger so they can talk to each other without spending a fortune on phone cards, they were all happy to get the lesson.
Yesterday went to the Pacific coast where ive never been and it was pretty amazing, totally laid back. We went to Monterrico, very small coastal town, black sand beaches but water fairly rough so we couldnt go in all the way because of the undertow but Rinna and I played in the waves. Black sand everywhere! We found a hotel on the beach were we hung out for the afternoon, lots of backpackers and tourists, had amazing fish and shrimp tacos and mojitos, laid in a hammock relaxing. so so great. Its much hotter on the coast, tropical humidity, palm trees, banana plants, plantations of sugar cane, reminds me of cuba alot. The beach we went to is also the place where 3 different species of turtles come to lay their eggs each winter, its supposed to be spectacular!
Today we will hang in Guatemala City, maybe go to Zone 1 and see the cathedral and palace, go for lunch somewhere and perhaps the museum of anthropology. Only been there once and it was about 10 years ago.
I didnt bring the cable for my camera assuming i wouldnt have much computer access, i was wrong. Guatemala has changed so much, computers and technology are everywhere, its very common to see a mayan in full traditional dress talking on a cell phone. Ah the world and its ways...
More to come, antigua tomorrow....
love from guatemala city.
Spent last evening here at the house hooking everyone up to MSN messenger so they can talk to each other without spending a fortune on phone cards, they were all happy to get the lesson.
Yesterday went to the Pacific coast where ive never been and it was pretty amazing, totally laid back. We went to Monterrico, very small coastal town, black sand beaches but water fairly rough so we couldnt go in all the way because of the undertow but Rinna and I played in the waves. Black sand everywhere! We found a hotel on the beach were we hung out for the afternoon, lots of backpackers and tourists, had amazing fish and shrimp tacos and mojitos, laid in a hammock relaxing. so so great. Its much hotter on the coast, tropical humidity, palm trees, banana plants, plantations of sugar cane, reminds me of cuba alot. The beach we went to is also the place where 3 different species of turtles come to lay their eggs each winter, its supposed to be spectacular!
Today we will hang in Guatemala City, maybe go to Zone 1 and see the cathedral and palace, go for lunch somewhere and perhaps the museum of anthropology. Only been there once and it was about 10 years ago.
I didnt bring the cable for my camera assuming i wouldnt have much computer access, i was wrong. Guatemala has changed so much, computers and technology are everywhere, its very common to see a mayan in full traditional dress talking on a cell phone. Ah the world and its ways...
More to come, antigua tomorrow....
love from guatemala city.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Day Three in Guatemala...
tu casa es mi casa...over and over the last three days i have heard these words. Im staying with a family of our friend Rinna who is a Guatemalan now Canadian who is here visiting her family. When she heard i was planning to be in Guatemala at the same time she insisted i come and visit. She said, the house is simple but my home is your home, you are so welcome. I arrived late on Jan 13 and was picked up by Ivan, rinnas nephew, Milka, like the german chocolate, her sister, and Rinna and driving in a beat up old car, literally falling apart through a guatemala city night to a small house in zona 12, greeted by family and shown my small room. The smell of the exhaust nearly knocked me out! Culture shock for sure.
Five adults and two children are living in this house now, its about 1000 sq. feet but could be smaller. Rinnas family are lower middle class guatemalans and their welcome was wonderful. Even if i manage to come here as often as i do, i forget it seems in between times when im back in canada how different this country is, how loud this city is, how dirty, how poor the indigineous are and how overwhelming all this beauty and trouble can be. Its good to be reminded.
My bed is by our standards hard to deal with, but i fell into a deep sleep the first night and have slept so well all three nights. Food consists of tortillas, beans, fried eggs for breakfast, usually chicken, rice and salad for the main meal, and more beans for dinner.
Vendors come by the house all the time throughout the day and on the first morning a fruit truck pulled up and we went out and bought a ton of fruit, when they saw me emerge from the house a couple of eyebrows at least went up. I guess gringos arent a common site in this neighbourhood. I went shopping with them to stores that looked similar to home. They dont have a car so take a taxi wherever they need to go, its much safer than the buses, which are a nightmare inside and on the road. We spent a quiet day that first day, making plans for the trip to chinique, organizing a car, walking around the neighbourhood and welcoming about 10 people who dropped by throughout the day.
After many options, one of which included hiring the neighbour to drive up to the Quiche in this beat up old pickup, we opted for the safest and most comfortable option, we rented a car and Ivan came as our driver. We left the next morning early, picking up the car, making friends with the manager of the car rental place, all of this is research for future tours.... He was very happy to meet us, im sure dreaming of future business. We got on the road, Rinna, Ivan, myself, and Milka and Rinnas mom....everyone comes along on an adventure like this. Picture a brand new Mazda 3 driving through the guatemalan countryside. The road was fairly good, except for a few massive potholes that we had to avoid and about 10 speedbumps through one town that our mazda just couldnt handle so at every bump a few of us jumped out so the car could make it over! The mayans sitting along the side of the road im sure just shook their heads in disbelief.
We stopped in Chichicastenango for a quick market adventure, Thursday and Sunday are market days, so amazing and then continued on to the Quiche Province and the village of Chinique to visit Betty the principal of the school, stay overnight and partake of the yearly fiesta that was going on that day. We finally made it to Chinique to be greeted by lunch of chicken, rice and beans and another warm welcome, your house is my house. Betty was so grateful for the donations, school starts there on monday and she loved all the books and will use the donation, partially to buy more books and some to fund some of the students tuition for the year who would otherwise not be able to attend school. Many families have to choose which child of theirs will be the one to go to school, since many can barely afford to send one. She wept of course at the size of the donation and was delighted to have us.
The fiesta was HUGE. Everyone was in the town, Betty lives right beside the main square so there were dances, loud marimba music everywhere, fireworks going off all night long, and a special pilgimage into the church for people to pay homage at the statue of the black jesus of esquipulpas, many candles, beautiful. Its so hard to put all this into words that you can fathom, ill try and post some picture when im in antigua. Betty has a big house with alot of rooms so we all had a place to stay that was more than adequate. The people are always so worried that what they have isnt good enough for us. It is so simple but so more than adequate, their welcome far outweighs any material possesion they could give me, the welcome is a deep gift. I slept so well!
The next morning, more dances, more beans and eggs and tortillas and more gratitude. I dragged Ivan and Rinna for a walk around town and then we got into the car to drive back to GC after a tearful goodbye to Betty. We faced the speedbumps again, stopping for lunch at a very good buffet for travellers, 39 Quetzales, which is about $5. We stopped in Antigua on the way home, wandering through the cobblestone streets, sitting in the main square drinking coffee, listening to a marimba band play, savouring the day and time spent away. We got back into the luxury vehicle which is slightly surreal for me, and made out way back with much laughter accompaning us. I decided to keep the car for the weekend and Ivan and I are going to the beach tomorrow, im sure half the family will join us. Ive never been to the beach in guatemala so that will be a new adventure. Sunday no plans yet but ill keep you posted.
The Spanish is going well, im listening well which is tiring and im having little lessons along the way, im probibly learning more than i realize.
Life is truly a deep adventure of possibility, promise, story and people if you are open to it. I feel so blessed by the welcome above all welcomes, tu casa es mi casa.
to be continued....
Five adults and two children are living in this house now, its about 1000 sq. feet but could be smaller. Rinnas family are lower middle class guatemalans and their welcome was wonderful. Even if i manage to come here as often as i do, i forget it seems in between times when im back in canada how different this country is, how loud this city is, how dirty, how poor the indigineous are and how overwhelming all this beauty and trouble can be. Its good to be reminded.
My bed is by our standards hard to deal with, but i fell into a deep sleep the first night and have slept so well all three nights. Food consists of tortillas, beans, fried eggs for breakfast, usually chicken, rice and salad for the main meal, and more beans for dinner.
Vendors come by the house all the time throughout the day and on the first morning a fruit truck pulled up and we went out and bought a ton of fruit, when they saw me emerge from the house a couple of eyebrows at least went up. I guess gringos arent a common site in this neighbourhood. I went shopping with them to stores that looked similar to home. They dont have a car so take a taxi wherever they need to go, its much safer than the buses, which are a nightmare inside and on the road. We spent a quiet day that first day, making plans for the trip to chinique, organizing a car, walking around the neighbourhood and welcoming about 10 people who dropped by throughout the day.
After many options, one of which included hiring the neighbour to drive up to the Quiche in this beat up old pickup, we opted for the safest and most comfortable option, we rented a car and Ivan came as our driver. We left the next morning early, picking up the car, making friends with the manager of the car rental place, all of this is research for future tours.... He was very happy to meet us, im sure dreaming of future business. We got on the road, Rinna, Ivan, myself, and Milka and Rinnas mom....everyone comes along on an adventure like this. Picture a brand new Mazda 3 driving through the guatemalan countryside. The road was fairly good, except for a few massive potholes that we had to avoid and about 10 speedbumps through one town that our mazda just couldnt handle so at every bump a few of us jumped out so the car could make it over! The mayans sitting along the side of the road im sure just shook their heads in disbelief.
We stopped in Chichicastenango for a quick market adventure, Thursday and Sunday are market days, so amazing and then continued on to the Quiche Province and the village of Chinique to visit Betty the principal of the school, stay overnight and partake of the yearly fiesta that was going on that day. We finally made it to Chinique to be greeted by lunch of chicken, rice and beans and another warm welcome, your house is my house. Betty was so grateful for the donations, school starts there on monday and she loved all the books and will use the donation, partially to buy more books and some to fund some of the students tuition for the year who would otherwise not be able to attend school. Many families have to choose which child of theirs will be the one to go to school, since many can barely afford to send one. She wept of course at the size of the donation and was delighted to have us.
The fiesta was HUGE. Everyone was in the town, Betty lives right beside the main square so there were dances, loud marimba music everywhere, fireworks going off all night long, and a special pilgimage into the church for people to pay homage at the statue of the black jesus of esquipulpas, many candles, beautiful. Its so hard to put all this into words that you can fathom, ill try and post some picture when im in antigua. Betty has a big house with alot of rooms so we all had a place to stay that was more than adequate. The people are always so worried that what they have isnt good enough for us. It is so simple but so more than adequate, their welcome far outweighs any material possesion they could give me, the welcome is a deep gift. I slept so well!
The next morning, more dances, more beans and eggs and tortillas and more gratitude. I dragged Ivan and Rinna for a walk around town and then we got into the car to drive back to GC after a tearful goodbye to Betty. We faced the speedbumps again, stopping for lunch at a very good buffet for travellers, 39 Quetzales, which is about $5. We stopped in Antigua on the way home, wandering through the cobblestone streets, sitting in the main square drinking coffee, listening to a marimba band play, savouring the day and time spent away. We got back into the luxury vehicle which is slightly surreal for me, and made out way back with much laughter accompaning us. I decided to keep the car for the weekend and Ivan and I are going to the beach tomorrow, im sure half the family will join us. Ive never been to the beach in guatemala so that will be a new adventure. Sunday no plans yet but ill keep you posted.
The Spanish is going well, im listening well which is tiring and im having little lessons along the way, im probibly learning more than i realize.
Life is truly a deep adventure of possibility, promise, story and people if you are open to it. I feel so blessed by the welcome above all welcomes, tu casa es mi casa.
to be continued....
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Guatemala Bound for Sabbatical Part 2
After a few lovely weeks celebrating the season and how a week of hermiting at the house in Naramata i'm heading off to Guatemala on Jan 13 for two weeks. Right before Christmas I was pondering and praying about what i should do next and asking that the right thing come across my path. On Christmas Day I went to visit dad at his home and one of the nurses is guatemalan and we've talked over time about the place and how it would be neat to be there at the same time once. Turns out she was going on Jan 6 for three weeks and invited me to come down, stay with her family, and do some touring with her. Bingo! What a great opportunity, to see a place like guatemala through the eyes of people who live and have lived through the history will be so very great. So i pondered and prayed some more and knew it was what i had to do. I leave on Jan 13, Rena and family will pick me up from the airport and i'll stay with them for a week in Gautemala City. She will be able to arrange a nephew of her's to drive us to Chinique so that the books and money from the Library Project I've been working on can be delivered and I can visit the students and see the place again. Then on the 20th I'll head to Antigua, about an hour outside of Gautemala City to go to language school for a little over a week. I have other contacts i want to connect with, Safe Passage Offices in Antigua, Rosa and the Clinic in Guatemala City (all doing research for future tours).
I'm accutely aware of how blessed I am. In a world where so many cannot travel and will never ever take a ride in a plane, I simply decide, asking no one's permission, and travel wherever it is i wish. My priviledge as a Canadian is huge in a world of so many limitations for so many. I am aware of it. To whom much is given, much is expected. I'm hoping the library project will make some kind of difference. I'll post pictures if i can but i'm not taking my computer, i will write however, from one of the many new internet cafes in guatemala. Stay tuned.
Send prayers my way as I travel. Sending you all love for a blessed and aware new year.
The School in Chinique, Quiche, Guatemala
I'm accutely aware of how blessed I am. In a world where so many cannot travel and will never ever take a ride in a plane, I simply decide, asking no one's permission, and travel wherever it is i wish. My priviledge as a Canadian is huge in a world of so many limitations for so many. I am aware of it. To whom much is given, much is expected. I'm hoping the library project will make some kind of difference. I'll post pictures if i can but i'm not taking my computer, i will write however, from one of the many new internet cafes in guatemala. Stay tuned.Send prayers my way as I travel. Sending you all love for a blessed and aware new year.
market pic of Chichicastenango, Guatemala
The School in Chinique, Quiche, Guatemala
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
a month of learning
What an incredible month, so much learning in so many different realms. I'm right now in Trinidad Beach, northern California and hope to make it home by tomorrow night, weather permitting, it's cold here too!A poem to close a great month:
Resonance
The movement of hand on body, in gesture of kindness and calm.
Elaborate, seeking, knowing, glorious.
Seeing beyond skin to the life beneath.
Pulling up sweetness, tightness cast off.
Body askew, formed in wonder.
Suddenly the circles of knowing turn together, beauty comes into line, the body sighs and lets go.
Mom joined me in San Fran, this is a picture of us at the tree of hope at city hall in San Fran that my friend Jeff is responsible for making happen. http://www.rainbowfund.org/ and a pic of chip looking back to the city and the golden gate bridge and checking out alcatraz.
see you all soon!
Monday, December 8, 2008
The last week at Esalen
Well, just finished my first evaluation massage on one of the massage crew here at Esalen and i got totally good feedback: "i was transported to a sense of timelessness" "great pressure, deep presense, i totally relaxed and felt the whole body was addressed"....this is good news, i can massage! I still have 2 more to do, one of which is on our teacher, yikes. I've been working on doing one other practice massage sometime during the day. My knee is doing great, my shoulder is aching and sore, i've been going to a chiropractor to get some help for it, he's from sasktoon, came here 8 years ago for a month and never went home! He says it's basically exhaustion of the muscles around the anterior deltoid (yes i even know exactly where that is now) :) He suggests a month of rest, exercise, strengthening, and doing heat and cold compresses on the shoulder to heal it completely. I'm up for it, anyone got any leads on a beach front home that needs to be housesat for the month of January or February? :)
It is going so well here, i'm learning tons, learning how to work with peoples bodies, learning how to find the healer within myself. The place is stunning and it's hard to imagine not being here after sinking so deeply into being here. I'd like to come back and do the work study programme.
This place runs so well, given that 60 % of the "staff" are work study students who come for a month and work 32 hours a week, have programme in the evening focussed on a topic: thai massage, writing, yoga etc, and build their own community. sounds cool. check out the website if you interested.
This place is magic. I've learned thai chi while i've been here with the master:Al Chung Liang Huang. Every morning for the past 2 weeks he's offered a morning class which we've been able to take. He is amazing! 72 years old and so full of chi! He makes it so accessible, beautiful and necessary for life. Let's just say he's a world famous tai chi master, written many books and teaches with grace and deep reverance. You never know who will be at esalen. http://www.livingtao.org/
It's a windy day, it's gotten a bit cooler, but so beautiful!
much love from big sur, Doris
early morning tai chi practice.....
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