Evan de Leon

This past fall I spent a week in Florida as a graduation present from my Aunt Michele and Uncle Larry. In between lazy naps on the beach and Coronas with limes, we fit in tidbits of educational material. Somewhere around drinking from the fountain of youth and losing Miss Jessica’s sunglasses, we learned about the history of Florida, in which Ponce de Leon discovered La Florida in 1,513. I’ve always thought Ponce de Leon had a classy ring to it, besides he was the first governor of Puerto Rico. We all know how I secretly wish I was Rican, it would give me an excuse for my sassy tendencies (right?).

Flash-forward to my Guatemalan vida. I just finished eating dinner with my host family, one which I actually cooked myself. Sure it was only eggs with tomatoes and onions, frijoles, and tortillas, but I was able to take and comprehend directions in Spanish fired off quicker than my sprint to the bathroom after a rumble in the tummy. My Spanish is progressing, poco a poco, and will be evaluated again tomorrow. This was supposed to take place today, but there has been a strike with the camionetas, or “chicken bus” drivers and workers, due to the high number of violence and lack of government support in stopping it. If I am not at the upper intermediate level I will have to take three more weeks of intensive classes before officially heading out to my site. This would be a bummer, but if it is the case I’m sure it will help me out down the line in being more productive in site.

As the days dwindle down with my host-family, actually few enough to count on one hand, I am fully aware of how much I will miss them. I’m now accustomed to talking sports and human rights issues with Don Jaime, walking hand in hand with Dona and the kids to Church on Sunday (and of course shushing them or stopping them from doing their classic tap the man in front of them and then look away act), having the kids call me for meals, and even Grandpa’s horse next to the shower, flies and all. I even get a besito from Andrea before bed each night. This sense of community and integration are aspects I aspire to incorporate into my two remaining years at my new site. Nearly fifteen months ago, how time flies, I faced a difficult decision, taking the education route or small business development. I chose to take advantage of my degree and go the sustainable business route, weary of the possibility of struggles in putting time into the areas of relationships, community and children ….beyond the marketing plan and gross income.

Focus back to the Atlantic and the Santa Maria led by the one and only Evan de Leon. The TeaCo-op community was quick to coin me as such, besides the President who calls me “Mr. Leon.” Throughout my four day visit the current volunteer was able to show me the spark-notes version of how things run; the marketing and promotion contacts in Coban, the president and vice… etc. at the Co-op, my counterpart and the other tour guides, the drying and packaging facility, even my office I will be working in. I am fortunate enough to be replacing a volunteer and am inheriting their current apartment where I will live for at least the next three months. The room for tour growth/ guide training, improvement in the joint tourism promotion for Alta Verapaz and potential in the German ruins on the land that date back to the 1800’s are just a few of those I noticed in my short time.

One thing which was encouragingly prevalent was the sense of community and ability to balance business and income strategy with that of relationship building and cultural exchange. In just the four days we ate meals with a handful of families throughout the co-op, typically a soup with a meat and occasionally rice. Some unique interchanges included taking part in a family Mayan blessing of a newly purchased cow, watching a group of eight brothers play the marimba in sync for us following a delicious meal in their home, and visiting the local school. The past volunteer worked a significant amount with the local school, something I hope to continue on after he leaves. Almost every member in the community and workplace knew their name and greeted them as we walked by, or even from down in the field or through their window. This is a testament to their effort in reaching out to the community. Despite the endless goodbyes, the current volunteer never seemed to get chocked up about leaving, just a part of their personality.

On my last day of site visit we were biking through the trail when we stopped to say goodbye to a family that they had become close with throughout their service. The father of the family had been an unofficial counterpart to the volunteer, always lending a helping hand and providing sound advice and input. He had become ill over the past year with what is highly believed to be cancer. In a failed attempt with good intentions, the volunteer had paid about a month’s salary to a proclaimed health professional who had set-up work in town. After fronting the money himself, following an assessment with ‘scheduled’ transport to the capital, the man fled with money in hand. The father has not been able to take down solid food in months and lay emaciated and struggling on his plywood bed when we arrived. Trying to communicate (in Q'eqchí,), but receiving no response the volunteer burst into tears, running to the arms of the group who have become his family. Sitting there on a wooden bench next to the struggling man, a tear subtly trickled down my check and onto the dirt floor. My first cry in Guatemala. Not from homesickness, or the scrape I endured from my bike incident, or from the scary dreams and restless sleep the malaria meds have given me, but from the helplessness engulfed in genuine love.

Cooperativa de Tea

            Yesterday all 45 trainees received our sites.  The Healthy School (ES) and Sustainable Community Tourism (TCS) broke off accordingly and met with our APCD, or program director.  Following a speech concerning the next steps, safety, and our training process we were each blindfolded, eagerly awaiting our location for the next 24 months.  After each of our names were called out we were slowly guided to our final destinations on a life size map of Guate.  Thick folder of info in hand  we waited until everyone else had done the same. Possible brief inappropriate touches to recognize a neighbor, 'who coughs that way' thoughts, and attentiveness to every possible blind detail crossed our minds .  Finally, we removed our blindfolds and were able to see our locations, sites and distance from friends we have gotten to know over the past two and a half months.
       My site is in Alta Verapaz.  Located around Coban, I will spend my next two years working at the  Tea Co-op. My site holds 22,000 inhabitants (nearly 95% indigenous Q'eqchí) and a temprano-humid climate with an average temperature around 67-68.  I will be spending next week at my site, working with my counterpart in order to establish an idea of what my life will entail through 2012.  Current expressed needs in site include improving touristic services and the management capacities, establishing a promotion and marketing strategy and increasing environmental awareness and education within the school and local government.  Listed secondary needs include English lessons, VIH- SIDA (HIV- AIDS) awareness and lessons or training in advanced technology, internet/ establishing a website. 
             I will have much more updated information after my visit next week where I will hopefully establish my housing and other basic needs.  Talking to some current volunteers I have been told Alta Verapaz is a 'frat' department, number heavy in male volunteers.  From my group Jordan (Rochester), Winfrey, Fife, Chad and Alex have all been placed in this region.  Although this is the case, Alex and Chad are way up near Mexico, all of our sites vary drastically.  Either way I am excited to begin my two years of service and face the struggles and opportunities that await me.  I wear my AV letters proud (bro?). 

CASCADA

To all my Jersey readers out there, I am not referring to the fist-pumping frat-fiesta music blaring in the basement next to the beer pong table and plethora of blow-outs and uggs (joking... I think), but to waterfalls. During field based training us eighteen eco-tourism trainees spent a week in Baja and Alta Verapaz. Our first day we visited a current volunteer in Chilasco where we embarked on a few hour long hike down to the highest waterfall in all of Central America. The trek was gorgeous/ equally muddy, despite the extremely foggy day affecting the view at the waterfall itself.

The majority of the rest of the week was spent in Samac visiting a current volunteer nearing his COS (Close of Service). Samac, located in a cloud forest, is a small village holding German history and ruins, a Kek'chi population and apparently a landmine for bird watching. We all stayed in two cabins and spent the week using latrines and taking frigidly cold showers, a possible taste of what volunteering will entail. Throughout the week we participated in various activities from sun-up until dark. A few activities worth noting:

 

• We were trained/ worked alongside the community in designing and engraving sixteen signs for the village
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  I learned to make tortillas with the local family who cooked for us for the week(I dropped one on the ground... the equivalent of dropping a baby, but we'll try to keep that on the dl)
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  Patty and I gave a 45 minute charla on Buyer Expectations with a translator to the local womens groups, B'eleb' B'atz and Ixb'alamke. The weaving the community uses is a form called Pikb'il, an ancient style of weaving which takes about two weeks for one blouse.
• We learned trail development and management at the Cafe Cooperative in Chicojl, where one of us will be spending our next two years. I also had the best coffee I've had in my life!

• I made friends with a bunch of kids in the village of Samac, including Domingo (translated Sunday). There were plenty of jokes and by the time I left my new name was Lunes- Monday

• We were able to talk with a handful of current volunteers and hear about all the great work that is currently underway. All of our sites are definitely very diverse and I am anxiously awaiting placement on March 12.
• After a week of a greater fix of beans than one could ever dream of... nightmare wise (Of course I prefer pinto beans to black beans) we all went out for a DELICIOUS meal at a Cuban restaurant in Coban.

This week we have constructed four swings for the park out of old tires, two horses and two baskets, and are finishing up the promotional items and Business Plan for the local muni. The four of us spent today cutting down fourteen large trees with eight other Alotenangians to construct the juegos in the park. I know what you're thinking, eco-tourism cutting trees, but five are being planted for each that was cut. This was definitely a great way to build confidence with our counterparts and also become the source of a craving for icy-hot.

Lying here now, I am extremely exhausted and pleasantly full. Why you may ask? Yesterday I went to the market in Antigua and bought platanos verdes, which I used to make tostones for my family this evening. I know, past volunteers in my house have prepared pizza and lasagna. How dare I make a Latin dish to contribute, BUT I must say my tostones are kick ass even in Central America. I must give a shout out to Mrs. Pena for making me the well-rounded gringo-tino chef that I am today. (Also a quick nod to Alyssa who met Mrs. P this week). Until next time...

Oh, and if I offended any of my Jersians with my opening statement, just know I've stood up for all of you many-a-times letting people know that the state isn't actually like The Jersey Shore. There's definitely a bad rep across the country, but there also is not one volunteer out of the nearly 50 from NJ. I'm just saying they wear too much hair gel here too, it wouldn't be too bad :-)

I also received my first Guate haircut:

And bad hair do or not, I would like Miss J to know I have been wearing the oso negro cap throughout my adventure.  Here is a picture of a bunch of us out for the Superbowl.

I Can Transform Ya

Sorry it has been forever since my last lengthy write-up, but here goes. My first charla went fairly well; a half-hour session in Spanish given to the local artisans and tour guides. I presented 'The Four Steps to a Happy Client', using a bridge and the steps to reach the destination over the water. Yes corny, but equally effective and clear in it's message. Each paso had an underlying message of communication, which was indeed the last step in the process. They were provided with phrases they could use correlated with each step, then focusing on the pronunciation and relevance of each.

Teaching English, despite many of my poor habits in the language, is something I thoroughly enjoyed and miss doing as I did at SHU (Woot Kealan). For my family or friends who are unaware, Kealan is a friend of mine who taught ESL with me/ is now teaching English in Cambodia with the Peace Corps. She has yet to get a shout out, but has been very helpful with this whole process (so since 2008?) and deserves one so here it is! Focusing back on ESL, it is extremley interesting to be on the opposite end of the spectrum as the learner. I have seen major advancement in my language abilities in just this month's time. Our group was just re-tested by a  local native on Monday and I am now at the Intermediate Level. Our class will now be split in half to further expedite the learning process.  Patty and I will be together.

This past Saturday all 45 volunteers went to the Mayan ruins of Iximche. We took part in an ancient Mayan ceremony, which included the burning various colored candles. Each candle represented a different aspect of life, i.e. red- love/ white- grandparents etc. The ceremony was fairly long, but interesting nonetheless. Another volunteer and I had to leave a bit early due to our bowel movements. Poop has actually become an extremely common topic of conversation here in Guatemala. Reactions to malaria medication, new or unusual foods and unclean water are just a few ways which can easily cause a rumbling in your tummy. Always a good idea to have toilet paper With you. A current volunteer accurately stated, "You know you're in the Peace Corps when you talk more about your bowel movements than your sex life." Here are a few pictures from the ceremony:

This coming Sunday the entire Sustainable Community Tourism group will embark on our week long FBT (Field Based Training) journey. In the midst of camping, lessons, and informational sessions we will also be giving another charla. Patty and I will presenting on Buyer/Customer Expectations. Our audience will be a group of women who do not speak Spanish, but one of the twenty-one indigenous languages here in Guatemala. We will be using a translator to communicate with the group, talk about a challenge! Either way we are eager to run it!

All these italics are references to Chris Brown songs, along with the title of this entry Transform Ya. I've often heard one of the hardest parts of being a Peace Corps Volunteer is returning to the States following service. "You will be a different person when you return after your two years." Just in my short month I can already see many perspectives, expectations and outlooks starting to transform. It has been said that it can be difficult to re-acclimate into a culture that may seem to turn a blind-eye to things happening in the world we live in, even on a level as basic as environmental consciousness or wasteful practices. A wise friend advised me that a good practice is to now, before changing much more, write down my current state (hopes, dreams, flaws, beliefs, corny interests etc). Sure I'll change, and so will you throughout a duration of two years, but being able to take a look back and see where you came from and who you were can help you stay grounded. On this night, before starting 8 hour Spanish classes with a new teacher, I am free and decided to take a little time and do this self-reflecting exercise (while eating hazella- nutella mas o menos). I used my new journal (Thanks Marissa) and came up with a fairly long list.

Starting with the fact that I still endorse Chris Brown could be flaw number one. He did break a simple 'All you need to know you learn in Kindergarten' rule of not hitting. Either way transform ya was appropriate! Other areas included everything from specifics on my hopes for grad school following service, current favorite foods, romantic feelings, and things I love in my life.. such as family. I tried to be honest as possible, evaluating current pros and cons of a bunchof aspects. Introspection is definitely a healthy way to gain a deeper realization of who you are and where you stand, something I have a strong feeling will continue throughout my two years here. As I'm hopeful that looking back "I used plastic Poland Spring Bottles when going the gym" will make me cringe, whether or not all the changes are positive I'm glad I took an amigo's advice to do this for myself.

Either way I can't blame anyone for having a hard time returning to the States, especially if you have siblings as cute as this:

And to my real sibling Garett, congrats on your license! It looks like it is time to Say Goodbye, Kiss Kiss (I enjoy this game too much).

UPDATED ADDRESS FOR SENDING ANYTHING:

Evan Dembkowski, PCT

Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado Postal 66
Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez, 03001
Guatemala, Centro America

Oxi-Juyo

A few quick pictures (Thanks Winfrey) from our park!  Enjoy

Letting Out a Little Humo

Volcano Fuego, one of the four currently active in Guatemala, is clearly viewable directly to the left of my bedroom door. Each day or so it releases humo (smoke), releasing clouds of gray varying in size and height. Being involved in an eco-focused project, I have begun to learn various aspects about the environment, poco a poco. Living in a town with two other Masters International grad students, who have spent years studying geology, helps in the learning process as well. Simply put, Bri and Patty explained that these gradual releases of smoke and lava release energy from Fuego, making it extremely less likely a large eruption will occur. Likewise, with time one of the many things I have learned is releasing feelings and thoughts of your own, in a constructive manner, can be an extremely healthy practice and negate "eruptions" of emotion (Yes, so corny!).

My close friends know where I stand on religion and its place in the world. Despite this fact, this is something I try to not impose upon others. Diversity, freedom of beliefs, and choice are all things I strongly advocate in all aspects of life. Taking away this aspect is FAR from my purpose or intention in being here as a volunteer. After all, removing religion here is like taking away football, beer, and greasy wings from Americans (It's not going to happen). It is an intriguing and historical part of the culture and an area I am willing to put an effort into witnessing. Despite the barriers denominations can cause here, misa is a great time for the community to get together and for me to gain confianza with those in it.

Embracing differences in beliefs, interests, and choices can become difficult when you may see it negatively impacting a person or a group. Religious views, especially here, can often be fatalistic. People feel they have little to no impact on their lives and see things as god's plan. Individuals with little to no money often invest the little they do have into the church, money which could directly fund the purchase of nutritional foods, clean clothes and pure water. This is in a country with the 4th highest rate of malnutrition in the world. Nearly half of Guatemalan ninos under five are malnourished; 70% in predominately indigenous areas. A tough pill to swallow.

As taking away football is more than likely unattainable or desired, the best option is to show that eating celery and fresh juice is the healthier option to those Monday Night Football snacks. Education and implementation of simple healthy practices; washing hands, boiling water, treating basic illness, nutrition, exercise, recycling, can make a world of difference. Additionally, demonstrating that playing football (doing), rather than being just an observer (hoping) yields a healthier and better self. The hope of the people is admirable, but they may very well be overlooking the tangible help which lies within people themselves. Regardless of god, no god, denomination, fear of condemnation, or plea to not knowing, we as people have so much potential solely in ourselves within our energy, strength, and ability to live healthy and fulfilling lives through one another... possibly the initial message of religion lost in translation.

As the little volcano that I am puffs his thoughts, above you see the gorgeous view of Fuego with some humo of it's own. Directly next to Fuego is a piece of land owned by the muni, also known as our park. Throughout our two remaining months, when the four of us are not in language/technical/medical trainings we will be working to construct a playground out of recycled materials.  As of now we have a proposed gazebo, swings(shaped like animals), teeter-totter, and tire pyramid/swing. We have been working with the director of the OMMA (Oficina Municipal Medio Ambiente), or the environmental branch. Our project also includes working with the local artesanas to design a layout for their potential marketplace in the park. Research into security, advertising, water and sanitation are also tasks we face. We have already constructed a FODA analysis (the Spanish SWOT Analysis), Plan of Action and a MATRIZ to layout the business venture and its potential/drawbacks/necessities/etc.

My Spanish is coming along. Puchica! This is the equivalent to WOW in English. I have been able to communicate more and more, especially with my host family and siblings. This past week we took a trip to a current volunteer's sight at volcano Pacaya, which brings in nearly 2.5 million Q a year for the community. The site was gorgeous and he expressed the importance of focusing on improving our language skills to ensure a successful two years. As I head to bed before an early rise and trip to Santa Lucia, I'll share a few things which might make you laugh, because I know they made me laugh:

- Patty laughed so hard when we were in the center of town that she had a pee accident

-Winfrey didn't initially realize he had left his things at my house, which led to a delayed reaction in getting of the bus at my stop. The back exit (you know the fire exit in the back of the bus we used to have drills out of) wouldn't open at first and by the time he jumped out the bus was moving. This resulted in a fault on the landing, or more accurately Winfrey rolling down the street.

-I stepped in horse caca (the kids enjoyed this)

- Today on the camioneta or "chicken bus" Damion (around 6'7), I and an older Guatemalan man were sitting in one seat (that order with Damien by the window).  This alone is a site to  see. A few minutes before arriving in Guatemala City the man puked infront/on the woman in front of him. Interesting situation to say the least

-My siblings Andrea and Christian pretend to be pigs and run around the kitchen on all fours. I say " Yo quiero jamon" and chase them around as they scream and laugh. This happens a lot

Overall I am super busy, but will try to more diligently update this blog. I plan on posting picture/video/informational entries on the experience that is the camioneta, mi familia and the kids, the park/project progress and a possible tour of town. Let me know what you'd like to see to get a glimpse into my day to day life.

P.S. I hear the coffee of the week at Starbuck's is Guatemalan Coffee, which is made right here at the local fincas! Go out and buy an overpiced venti to support local farmers, jajaja

Mellizas (Tweens!)

I entitled this short blog entry mallizas (twins) because today Winfrey and I were able to hold his host sister's twins. In the states, Jessica and I often say tweens, filling in words/songs/rhymes/etc. with the word tweens. We also happened to find my Australian tween at the airport in Florida. As a quick update, today and tomorrow there is a festival/fair in town in celebration of the Virgin Mary. For the celebration the town has set up rides, food stands, games and has a parade. Firecrackers are set off every .34 seconds as well, likewise with any other holiday or event in the culture. The men in town also dress up like traditional grandmothers and dance in the streets (Abuelitas Chismosas). I met with the director of tourism for the muni the past few days, including a formal introduction in Spanish. Through him we have been networked to the local artisans. Throughout the fair today we spent time getting to know these artisans of different crafts and specialties, trying to build confianza within the community. This links to my training project of three months, which I will explain in more detail in a post sometime in the next week or so. I'm excited about the project and what we can accomplish. Here are a few updated pictures and videos. This blog represents my thoughts and opinions alone and do not represent the US government or the Cuerpo de Paz.