Chi Chi Market
Chi Chi market is short for Chichicastenango. It is the most famous market in Guatemala holding it's market days on Thursdays and Sundays. The city itself is a small mountain region with a largely indigenous community.
In the market, vendors sell handicrafts, food, flowers, pottery, wooden boxes, condiments, medicinal plants, candles, incense, lime stone, grindstones, jewelry including granite and amber, different types of masks used for traditional dances, comedores (small eateries to have food).
With my visit falling on a Sunday, the first place I had to visit was the Church of San Thomas
Next to the market is the 400 year old church. It is built atop a Pre-Columbian temple platform and the steps originally leading to a temple of the pre-Hispanic Maya civilization remain venerated. K'iche' Maya priests still use the church for rituals burning incense and candles. In special cases, they burn a chicken for the gods. Each of the 18 stairs that lead up to the church stands for one month of the Maya calendar year.
Another key element of Chi Chi is the Cofradia of Pascual Abai, which is an ancient carved stone venerated nearby and the Maya priests perform several rituals there. Writing on the stone records the doings of a King named Tohil(Wikipedia).
I arrived around 830 to the Chichi Market and I was hurrying along asking each local where I could find the church. This one older gentlemen on my path looked he had been living in the village his whole life. Of course he knew informing me that I could possibly make the 9am. I quickly ran through the market and up the stairs to see women selling flowers and a beautiful ritual is occurring in front of the church door. The men were dressed traditionally and the women had towels on their head. They stayed outside while I walked in ready to see a bunch of people and the Pastor about to come through. Instead I saw a baptism to my left.
It was not my preference, but I decided to sit in and watch their traditions.
The babies were dressed beautifully with big, white fluffy dresses-adorable.
When you arrive at the Chichi market, there are a couple things that stand out in the aura of the market. 1.) the colors 2.) the energy 3.) the desire to sell
In general people are not very pushy when selling in Guatemala. They are friendly and helpful and if you don't buy they don't have a fit about it rather they have grace and dignity and say "Thank you."
This is not really the case for Chichi as it is a touristic place to sell and make money. Rather than learning about the culture and how they make their product, they just want to talk money and prices. When I asked a man about the significance behind his art piece, he kept saying, "How much you pay?" "How much you pay?" I have no interest in buying artwork that someone can't share their ideas or thoughts about for one minute. This is clearly not the case for all vendors, but most had their agenda to sell. Mouths to feed and money to earn. It's understandable especially when with tourists.
What is outstanding about the market is the colors and how beautifully they blend together in their different bright shades of pink, purple, blue, orange, and yellow. The tribal patterns are very common whether on blankets, table cloths, purses, belts, bags, sheets- they make literally everything. The quality of the product can vary from vendor to vendor, but overall they have incredible hand work and beautiful patterns.
In the market, I met a lovely, lovely young lady and her kind family. It was her Grandma and Grandpa, who initially caught my eye. They were innocently sitting and eating their lunch. No one else would think this is such a sight, but I just love people and especially older generations, especially older couples. The elderly of new cultures with their kind smile, wrinkles, and unawareness to what is going on-it's adorable. Her Grandma was enjoying her lunch and asked me a couple questions. One included: "Why am I traveling alone and not with my husband?" That's a good question. I just told her that I have a distant love and I hope he can travel with me one day-truth. She looked at me quite puzzled probably not understanding why I was traveling alone.
Their granddaughter Marissa was not so different from me as she studied abroad in Brazil for her MBA and she enjoys traveling as well. She went to the US two times and plans to go again soon. She helps with her family business selling different colors of yarn for sewing, but her passion is Aesthetics.
She was helping out with their family business, but she was working in aesthetics with foreigners. She received her MBA in Brazil. She is currently learning how to speak French and she already speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and English. She has a 7 year old boy who stands behind her in a shy manner. His name is Omar. She is also interested in philosophy and multi-cultural studies where she works on a project for the indigenous community. She stimulated my mind and made me question my own theories and beliefs. She gets the Stamp of Inspiration approval from Pris. She truly is a independent woman who cares for her family while taking care of her child, educating herself, traveling, and involved with the rights of her people. It is empowering to meet a young Guatemalan woman with such passion, motivation, and charisma.
Along with this woman, I met another man who sells handcrafted belts and I bought one for a friend. I also bought a $1 handmade eyeglass case and was tempted to purchase a $25 hand crafted backpack. My eyes were open for the perfect designed backpack, but this backpack had a weird flower design at the top, which did not interest me much. The man wearing overalls and a cowboy hat was so sweet and eager to sell it. He kept showing it's best features like Vanna White selling a car. It made me sad to say, "No gracias." But it was just not the bag for me. The perfect bag will definitely speak to me.
As for food, well I had two glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice at different times.I drank one cup and it was so good I had to spin around the market again to get another. I was feeling a little under the weather so I also took my chances on some homemade chicken soup. I sat with a police officer and shared my soup asking him about the local crime. He said there are problems with youth and robberies, but it was not such a bad city. I wanted to take a picture with him to remember the moment, but he got a phone call and he had to leave quickly.
Being dropped off at 8:30, we only had until 1:15 and of course I cut the time a bit close because I was wondering around and talking. I had to be at the bus at 1:40, but I forgot where they parked it. In a panic, I was asking where the tourist bus is and how to get there. People lead me to a main area, but this was not where they parked. Fortunately, there was a man who knew the direction and pointed about 2 streets down where I was suppose to go. I was literally 5 minutes away from it and I was in a panic-ridiculous, but I did not want to say goodbye to all my stuff as they left to Guatemala city without me!
Always an adventure, especially at the markets!
Eating, shopping, talking, listening, learning, locals!
In the market, vendors sell handicrafts, food, flowers, pottery, wooden boxes, condiments, medicinal plants, candles, incense, lime stone, grindstones, jewelry including granite and amber, different types of masks used for traditional dances, comedores (small eateries to have food).
With my visit falling on a Sunday, the first place I had to visit was the Church of San Thomas
Next to the market is the 400 year old church. It is built atop a Pre-Columbian temple platform and the steps originally leading to a temple of the pre-Hispanic Maya civilization remain venerated. K'iche' Maya priests still use the church for rituals burning incense and candles. In special cases, they burn a chicken for the gods. Each of the 18 stairs that lead up to the church stands for one month of the Maya calendar year.
Another key element of Chi Chi is the Cofradia of Pascual Abai, which is an ancient carved stone venerated nearby and the Maya priests perform several rituals there. Writing on the stone records the doings of a King named Tohil(Wikipedia).
I arrived around 830 to the Chichi Market and I was hurrying along asking each local where I could find the church. This one older gentlemen on my path looked he had been living in the village his whole life. Of course he knew informing me that I could possibly make the 9am. I quickly ran through the market and up the stairs to see women selling flowers and a beautiful ritual is occurring in front of the church door. The men were dressed traditionally and the women had towels on their head. They stayed outside while I walked in ready to see a bunch of people and the Pastor about to come through. Instead I saw a baptism to my left.
It was not my preference, but I decided to sit in and watch their traditions.
The babies were dressed beautifully with big, white fluffy dresses-adorable.
It was beautiful to witness these babies coming into the World of Christ. The family members looked beyond proud standing and watching. While I was not dressed for the occasion, I tried to stay in the back.
As usual, tourists were sitting on a tour listening to the history of the church and taking photos-no attention to their surroundings. It´s fine, but I can only hope these people explore their surroundings better other than photos and shopping.
When you arrive at the Chichi market, there are a couple things that stand out in the aura of the market. 1.) the colors 2.) the energy 3.) the desire to sell
In general people are not very pushy when selling in Guatemala. They are friendly and helpful and if you don't buy they don't have a fit about it rather they have grace and dignity and say "Thank you."
This is not really the case for Chichi as it is a touristic place to sell and make money. Rather than learning about the culture and how they make their product, they just want to talk money and prices. When I asked a man about the significance behind his art piece, he kept saying, "How much you pay?" "How much you pay?" I have no interest in buying artwork that someone can't share their ideas or thoughts about for one minute. This is clearly not the case for all vendors, but most had their agenda to sell. Mouths to feed and money to earn. It's understandable especially when with tourists.
What is outstanding about the market is the colors and how beautifully they blend together in their different bright shades of pink, purple, blue, orange, and yellow. The tribal patterns are very common whether on blankets, table cloths, purses, belts, bags, sheets- they make literally everything. The quality of the product can vary from vendor to vendor, but overall they have incredible hand work and beautiful patterns.
In the market, I met a lovely, lovely young lady and her kind family. It was her Grandma and Grandpa, who initially caught my eye. They were innocently sitting and eating their lunch. No one else would think this is such a sight, but I just love people and especially older generations, especially older couples. The elderly of new cultures with their kind smile, wrinkles, and unawareness to what is going on-it's adorable. Her Grandma was enjoying her lunch and asked me a couple questions. One included: "Why am I traveling alone and not with my husband?" That's a good question. I just told her that I have a distant love and I hope he can travel with me one day-truth. She looked at me quite puzzled probably not understanding why I was traveling alone.
Their granddaughter Marissa was not so different from me as she studied abroad in Brazil for her MBA and she enjoys traveling as well. She went to the US two times and plans to go again soon. She helps with her family business selling different colors of yarn for sewing, but her passion is Aesthetics.
She was helping out with their family business, but she was working in aesthetics with foreigners. She received her MBA in Brazil. She is currently learning how to speak French and she already speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and English. She has a 7 year old boy who stands behind her in a shy manner. His name is Omar. She is also interested in philosophy and multi-cultural studies where she works on a project for the indigenous community. She stimulated my mind and made me question my own theories and beliefs. She gets the Stamp of Inspiration approval from Pris. She truly is a independent woman who cares for her family while taking care of her child, educating herself, traveling, and involved with the rights of her people. It is empowering to meet a young Guatemalan woman with such passion, motivation, and charisma.
Along with this woman, I met another man who sells handcrafted belts and I bought one for a friend. I also bought a $1 handmade eyeglass case and was tempted to purchase a $25 hand crafted backpack. My eyes were open for the perfect designed backpack, but this backpack had a weird flower design at the top, which did not interest me much. The man wearing overalls and a cowboy hat was so sweet and eager to sell it. He kept showing it's best features like Vanna White selling a car. It made me sad to say, "No gracias." But it was just not the bag for me. The perfect bag will definitely speak to me.
As for food, well I had two glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice at different times.I drank one cup and it was so good I had to spin around the market again to get another. I was feeling a little under the weather so I also took my chances on some homemade chicken soup. I sat with a police officer and shared my soup asking him about the local crime. He said there are problems with youth and robberies, but it was not such a bad city. I wanted to take a picture with him to remember the moment, but he got a phone call and he had to leave quickly.
Being dropped off at 8:30, we only had until 1:15 and of course I cut the time a bit close because I was wondering around and talking. I had to be at the bus at 1:40, but I forgot where they parked it. In a panic, I was asking where the tourist bus is and how to get there. People lead me to a main area, but this was not where they parked. Fortunately, there was a man who knew the direction and pointed about 2 streets down where I was suppose to go. I was literally 5 minutes away from it and I was in a panic-ridiculous, but I did not want to say goodbye to all my stuff as they left to Guatemala city without me!
Always an adventure, especially at the markets!
Eating, shopping, talking, listening, learning, locals!
San Pedro-Lake Atitlan
San Pedro is on the opposite side of the island and I decided to take a day excursion over there to visit my see what all the hype was about. While there are many small cities on the island, Santiago is actually suppose to be the most beautiful, but I only had time for one. After 30 minutes we arrived and hopped over the boat and things immediately felt different. Where were the smiles and friendly people? Men were giving weird stares, which have not been occurring much thus far. There was a higher number of homeless people on the streets drinking and smoking. It was not my cup of tea at all and I came over looking for a nice hike. I asked directions to a local and they guided me in the wrong direction. I went to the market and that was not appealing either.
It was time for me to just do what I do best. Go to a nice spot on the water, eat some good food, and write. I did just that and met some nice tourists in the process. My Greek salad was huge and taste amazing. It was raining, but the sun came out on different occasions. It was clear to me the more I spent time there that I was meant to be in Panjachel. I originally had an opportunity in San Pedro, but I went with my instinct and canceled it deciding on Pana-what a great decision on my part.
Some people just love San Pedro and those are the hippy kinds who I don't have much in common with other than being a traveler. It's just different strokes for different folks I guess, which is completely fine. The hotel informed me the last boat was at 4 so I ran down there to catch the last boat. I met a nice tourist from Mexico who was traveling through Central America alone at 18-brave girl. She lead me to the dock and I ran over saying, "Pana, Pana." I looked like a hysterical mess as I hopped on the boat and securely sat down next to the 5 female tourists. A very unclean tourist wearing dirty socks, shoes, and a shirt with a hole in it. She commented on Pana when a girl asked about it saying, "Don't bother it's a waste of time." I took such offense to this comment about my beautiful Pana and I so badly wanted to say, "You're a waste of time." But I kept my mouth closed, which is a good idea for many situations I encounter with annoying tourists saying stupid things. Panajachel is so much better than San Pedro, but whatever floats her boat. I just hope her boat has soap on it ha!
Something about this city created some PTSD with my bad Moroccan experiences where I started experiencing flash backs of the negativity. People were hollering and looked like they were getting into trouble. It just looked suspicious and made me feel uncomfortable. I knew that I just had to get out of there and away from this atmosphere. Unfortunately, I'm just not in the place to experience all kinds of problems with people in the community-I don't have the strength or patience for it after Morocco.
Writing Destination
It Found Me
Little Amigo said: "If you want to party, stay on Calle Santander."
I said, "Which way is Calle Santander?"
Little Amigo said: "This whole street is Calle Santander so just walk up."
I said, " I will be walking the opposite way to the Lake where the quiet people sleep."
I said, " I will be walking the opposite way to the Lake where the quiet people sleep."
Little Amigo: "The lake is more quiet, buen idea."
My new line of questioning is asking where all the parties are and completely avoiding that area. Off I went to the Lake from place to place to see if they pass the "Pris Investigation and Line of 100 questions."
The guy from the restaurants was helping direct me to a couple places I had showed him on my phone.
It was hard to find places that included breakfast so I let that go and decided to utilize my cliff bars.
Due to the amount of water I drink, the place had to have filtered water with the brand name Agua de Salavidas. It also had to have a Lake view because I wanted something with a view to write and do yoga. I also wanted nice staff who I could spend some time getting to know.
After exploring many that were nice, clean with a great rooftop- something was missing. My last stop just happened to find me with an angel on my shoulder. I walked into a lovely little garden and was greeted by a little black hot dog looking dog. I was kindly greeted by Juan Francisco who showed me the first room- in my price range and Lake view, but something was missing. He could tell that I was not fully satisfied. I asked about the other rooms with Lake view.
With some hesitation, he showed me the bigger room in the middle, which had 3 beds and was for 3 people. My arrival day was probably one of the most beautiful days. The sky was clear with a few clouds and and the lake was fully visible with a panaramic view. The beds were all hot pink with the cutest rug and the shiny wood floors. The room furniture was all Guatemalan wooden antique with a cute fireplace. The bathroom was very
Clean with a fresh scent and fresh towels. I was ready to negotiate for this room bc I knew this was exactly what I wanted for 2 weeks. With some hesitation, he showed me the bigger room in the middle, which had 3 beds and was for 3 people. My arrival day was probably one of the most beautiful days. The sky was clear with a few clouds and and the lake was fully visible with a panaramic view. The beds were all hot pink with the cutest rug and the shiny wood floors. The room furniture was all Guatemalan wooden antique with a cute fireplace. The bathroom was very
I had saw the price of $40USD per night, but he told me we could just keep it at a single room rate of $17USD per night. If the room was needed then I would move to the back for the night. And that was it- SOLD. This was my new home for 2 weeks with my Lake and sunset views.
DIVINE
My Funny Valentine
My Funny Valentine is a kind old man who is 55 years old. He always wears the traditional pants and tribal color shirt with opened toe black sandals. He had the kindest smile that would make my heart melt. He was sincere and just a wonderful person. In our conversations, I could tell he was just a simply happy kind who was content with his life. He worked during the day and enjoyed watching TV in the night or fishing.
When it came to my stay, he was always checking on me when I entered to make sure I was doing okay. He would kindly make me coffee in the morning and I would kindly accept even though I don't drink coffee. I just did it for him and it seemed to add an extra kick start to my day.
One day I asked him a specific question about my bedroom cleaning. I know that he was the main one who cleans all the rooms. The bedspread in the room is hot pink complemented by pink sheets. Every day I got my pretty pink sheets, but one day things change. I came home and turned over my bed cover to find blue sheets. He switched to blue sheets and being ridiculous and curious- I had to ask him about this change. He speaks all Spanish-and not one word of English that makes him even cuter. I told him in a very nice and cute way, " I don't like blue sheets, I like pink I'm a girl. "
He responded with the cutest look and he said, "Oh I see, I see" The next day I was curious to see if I had pink sheets. I peeked underneath the comforter and I had a whole new sheet set. I had light green, silk pillow cases and white sheets with pink flowers with small, green stems.
I've pretty much seen all the rooms and I have never seen this sheet set. I didn't ask where my funny valentine got it, but it was clear he put some effort in just for me.
One time I also told him I was out of soap in the bathroom to wash my hands. It was just one night, but I couldn't go without out. My little friend knocks on my door and he has 3 head and shoulders shampoo packets. He shrugs his shoulders and says, "good, it's good"
He also cut some roses from the garden for me to put in my room. He cut firewood and would put in my room with my request. He would ask the time I came home so he could put light the fire to ensure my room was warm at arrival.
As people, we just had a mutual respect and caring for each other. Often when I would buy snacks, I would buy something extra for him. He would often look surprised that I was giving him something. We shared a whole loaf of fresh, homemade banana bread( one of the best banana breads I have ever had). Everyone at the hotel called him my "little amigo." When I needed something they always knew who to call.
My Little Amigo could say absolutely nothing, but his smile shines through just like the sun and so did mine.
When I left, he said he was going to be very sad and I told him I'm going to miss him very much. He probably rarely have guests who give him such attention, but God granted him with my kind spirit and I was blessed with his friendship.
Believe Again
Sometimes bad people scare you and they make you wonder why you love people so much. Living in Morocco, my love for people was constantly questioned. There were lovely people and there were horribly dishonest people. There were people who hurt me emotionally, psychologically, and physically. Towards the end, it felt like everyday was a challenge, but I just kept trying to make it work. I kept trying to hold on tight to the faith I had in people and the true ability to connect with them. While I had wonderful people in my community that I connected with and served as "friends." This was just not enough as I continued to encounter cultural barriers that lead people to be dishonest rather than direct. For instance, you would ask one question and get 5 different answers.
At the end of the day, the joke just always seemed to be on me.
It was not the fault of the people rather it within the culture and I began to recognize this, but I still could not believe it. People would send your head through such a roller coaster ride making you lose track of what to believe. It made you question what you heard, what you said, what you did, and how you behaved. It was an experience that made me truly question my faith in people. This was a faith that had never been questioned. Perhaps it had been tested through life experiences, but it had never been questioned to this extreme. How could people treat me this way when I am so good to them? How could they turn on me, lie to me, steal from me? Why were they engaging in such sin and claiming to have such strong morals and religious values?
It was truly sad to see people living in such sin with such lies on a daily basis. They never even got to know their true self as they continued to chase their false idea of truth. It was unfortunate, but absolutely fascinating to witness such an extreme. It really was such an extreme with there being beautiful people who followed the word of Islam and those who thought they were following the word and were just lost. They couldn't find their way and lost their identity. Even with all this poor treatment, I was still intrigued and wanted to learn more about this culture and why they acted in this way.
My lovely, amazing students often commented on those just being lost and acting as a Muslim when their mind was somewhere different. They explained to me the word of the Quran and how things are suppose to be. My amazing students were what kept me sane in times where I felt so disappointed and frustrated. My students gave me a dose of faith and kept me going for the time I was there. They allowed me to believe in the how truly good real people of God can be.
After those last travels in Morocco, I returned to US and I stayed there except for trips to Scotland and Ireland where the people were fantastic, but that was kind of assumed as I heard about the great hospitality. With Central America, I didn't know what I would be put on my plate.
Would there be kind people and spirits coming my way or would I encounter something negative?
Would God restore my faith after my traumatic experience?
Would people have open arms and open hearts?
Would their Christian religion be present in their daily actions and behavior?
God delivered and he delivered with such beauty and wonder. Guatemala has allowed me to Believe Again in the people that I love. The conversations are of honesty, purity, and curiosity. The people are special on the inside and they follow through on their Word. They want to genuinely help you and not misguide you in anyway. It's truly been something wonderful and a new beginning with a new country. It's learning and helping those who need it and deserve it rather than engaging with negativity and people who are wasting your time. It is beautiful to see those engaged in love and honesty. I am proud for these moments I share with Guatemalans, especially the Mayan Community.
At the end of the day, the joke just always seemed to be on me.
It was not the fault of the people rather it within the culture and I began to recognize this, but I still could not believe it. People would send your head through such a roller coaster ride making you lose track of what to believe. It made you question what you heard, what you said, what you did, and how you behaved. It was an experience that made me truly question my faith in people. This was a faith that had never been questioned. Perhaps it had been tested through life experiences, but it had never been questioned to this extreme. How could people treat me this way when I am so good to them? How could they turn on me, lie to me, steal from me? Why were they engaging in such sin and claiming to have such strong morals and religious values?
It was truly sad to see people living in such sin with such lies on a daily basis. They never even got to know their true self as they continued to chase their false idea of truth. It was unfortunate, but absolutely fascinating to witness such an extreme. It really was such an extreme with there being beautiful people who followed the word of Islam and those who thought they were following the word and were just lost. They couldn't find their way and lost their identity. Even with all this poor treatment, I was still intrigued and wanted to learn more about this culture and why they acted in this way.
My lovely, amazing students often commented on those just being lost and acting as a Muslim when their mind was somewhere different. They explained to me the word of the Quran and how things are suppose to be. My amazing students were what kept me sane in times where I felt so disappointed and frustrated. My students gave me a dose of faith and kept me going for the time I was there. They allowed me to believe in the how truly good real people of God can be.
After those last travels in Morocco, I returned to US and I stayed there except for trips to Scotland and Ireland where the people were fantastic, but that was kind of assumed as I heard about the great hospitality. With Central America, I didn't know what I would be put on my plate.
Would there be kind people and spirits coming my way or would I encounter something negative?
Would God restore my faith after my traumatic experience?
Would people have open arms and open hearts?
Would their Christian religion be present in their daily actions and behavior?
Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes
God delivered and he delivered with such beauty and wonder. Guatemala has allowed me to Believe Again in the people that I love. The conversations are of honesty, purity, and curiosity. The people are special on the inside and they follow through on their Word. They want to genuinely help you and not misguide you in anyway. It's truly been something wonderful and a new beginning with a new country. It's learning and helping those who need it and deserve it rather than engaging with negativity and people who are wasting your time. It is beautiful to see those engaged in love and honesty. I am proud for these moments I share with Guatemalans, especially the Mayan Community.
Thank you for helping me Believe Again.....
More Writing Less Talking
In Panajachel, I never stopped talking, which lead me to come home at 8 or 9 at night, take a shower, and go to sleep. While I must admit I do not have the best time management, it's a deeper connection with people that keeps me occupied.
When I was 12, I was on our 1 day trip to visit New York City. While my brother, my Mom, and myself went to visit our family every year in New Jersey, we took our usual one day tour of the city. My brother was too young for all the hustle and bustle so he stayed behind. It was just myself, my mom, my Grandma, and Grandpa. We were just walking around the city and my Grandpa treated me to a pretzel-my New York favorite. The food was just not enough to occupy me in a city with so many people and lights so bright. I just kept staring at all the beauty and all the people. I was captivated by a city so big and people so diverse.
While I said I was going to walk to a store and come back, I ended up disappearing for an hour. I'm not sure how I managed to get approval, but I did. When I let go, I remember it being such a epiphany of the beauty of people and places. I just sat under the lights staring at each and every person passing by. What were they thinking? Where are they going? Do they have significant others and families as well? The lights were shining right down and it was clear that I had a purpose with all these people. Suddenly, I felt a tug on my arm from my mom.
"Where have you been Priscilla? We were looking all over for you."
"I was just looking at all the people Mom."
The city is full of it and I was always craving more time than we spent and one day I moved to New York and I received that time.....
From those young years until the NOW, I have been blessed with God's spirit and a strong connection with people. It is natural to talk with them and learn about their passions/interests, help them with their goals, assist them with independent skills or learning, being supportive and encouraging, being a listener, and a helping hand.
It sounds ridiculous, but believers understand the power of God's presence and spirit in his children. We have a responsibility to help people and provide love, support, and guidance. This means that I am always, always engaging with the community on a human level-not a volunteer, for work, for money, but as Priscilla. There are days when I am out all day, especially in Guatemala, talking from person to person. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I have to leave, but I try my best to give people time and not turn my back on them. I know that they enjoy my attention and acknowledgment and his spirit. It's just something that comes with the territory.
With this said, when I keep talking, talking, and talking it amounts in less writing. It is not possible to document or keep up with amount of conversations I have and share all the stories without a video camera. There are some wonderful encounters and touching stories, but I just don't have the time to document it all.
Usually it is easy for tourists to write these beautiful, extensive blogs because they sit at the touristy cafes drinking their $5.00 coffee and working on writing and picture posting rather than cultural exchange. When one is constantly making that exchange, it's hard to keep up with that other component of writing, organizing, posting pics, and sharing things. It takes a lot of time, which I don't seem to have this trip because I have dedicated my time to people.
Hopefully I adopt some better time management and get myself caught up because I want to share my experiences with everyone to help educate, inspire, and share ideas with others!
When I was 12, I was on our 1 day trip to visit New York City. While my brother, my Mom, and myself went to visit our family every year in New Jersey, we took our usual one day tour of the city. My brother was too young for all the hustle and bustle so he stayed behind. It was just myself, my mom, my Grandma, and Grandpa. We were just walking around the city and my Grandpa treated me to a pretzel-my New York favorite. The food was just not enough to occupy me in a city with so many people and lights so bright. I just kept staring at all the beauty and all the people. I was captivated by a city so big and people so diverse.
While I said I was going to walk to a store and come back, I ended up disappearing for an hour. I'm not sure how I managed to get approval, but I did. When I let go, I remember it being such a epiphany of the beauty of people and places. I just sat under the lights staring at each and every person passing by. What were they thinking? Where are they going? Do they have significant others and families as well? The lights were shining right down and it was clear that I had a purpose with all these people. Suddenly, I felt a tug on my arm from my mom.
"Where have you been Priscilla? We were looking all over for you."
"I was just looking at all the people Mom."
The city is full of it and I was always craving more time than we spent and one day I moved to New York and I received that time.....
From those young years until the NOW, I have been blessed with God's spirit and a strong connection with people. It is natural to talk with them and learn about their passions/interests, help them with their goals, assist them with independent skills or learning, being supportive and encouraging, being a listener, and a helping hand.
It sounds ridiculous, but believers understand the power of God's presence and spirit in his children. We have a responsibility to help people and provide love, support, and guidance. This means that I am always, always engaging with the community on a human level-not a volunteer, for work, for money, but as Priscilla. There are days when I am out all day, especially in Guatemala, talking from person to person. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I have to leave, but I try my best to give people time and not turn my back on them. I know that they enjoy my attention and acknowledgment and his spirit. It's just something that comes with the territory.
With this said, when I keep talking, talking, and talking it amounts in less writing. It is not possible to document or keep up with amount of conversations I have and share all the stories without a video camera. There are some wonderful encounters and touching stories, but I just don't have the time to document it all.
Usually it is easy for tourists to write these beautiful, extensive blogs because they sit at the touristy cafes drinking their $5.00 coffee and working on writing and picture posting rather than cultural exchange. When one is constantly making that exchange, it's hard to keep up with that other component of writing, organizing, posting pics, and sharing things. It takes a lot of time, which I don't seem to have this trip because I have dedicated my time to people.
Hopefully I adopt some better time management and get myself caught up because I want to share my experiences with everyone to help educate, inspire, and share ideas with others!
We don´t eat with Them.
While wearing different hats at Mayan Families, I became involved with different parts of the organization: the preschool, the client visits, school visits, the educational teacher component, the women sewing class, and the elderly. The preschool only ran from 8 until 12, which left me time to work on my reports and these other items.
One day, there was a big lunch for the sponsors who came in from the US. The organization is solely run from US donations and when they come in the local female cooks make them a nice local lunch and introduce them to the kids. It's a nice cultural exchange, but appears to be a bit awkward and forced at first. As they were preparing for lunch, I began to see lovely, kind faces walking in from the front gate. They were the elderly group, which comes in a few days a week for lunch. Unfortunately, organizations in Pana do not have much to give to the elderly population. Sponsors are interested in the young children and do not take interest in older adults. The government also feels the same way in Guatemala giving little to the elderly and more aid to young children and families.
With this said, the organization offers them a meal of beans, cheese, rice, and tortillas. They do not offer them the love and attention they desire or accommodate their other urgent health care needs. There is a clinic and local hospital in the village, but it is difficult transporting them there as they have special needs. One is partially blind and the others have walkers.
Also, they only receive a small stipend per month, which is the equivalent to about $10 per month. Within the Mayan families, they are close knit having the kids take care of their parents and live in the same home. For those who don't have this type of family, they are left with loneliness and many difficulties.
Also, they only receive a small stipend per month, which is the equivalent to about $10 per month. Within the Mayan families, they are close knit having the kids take care of their parents and live in the same home. For those who don't have this type of family, they are left with loneliness and many difficulties.
When sitting at the table, I spoke with Ana who was working with her Uncle and 4 others in her home. She was the aid who took care of all their food, shelter, and health needs. She was quite a woman and shared with me the culture along with her difficulties with getting food and medical supplies for the elderly. One has diabetes and she has to constantly make trips to the pharmacy and watch his diet. Another one is partially blind, and the others are in walkers. She is an angel and I love sitting and talking with her. We sit and eat rice and beans and they are sharing with me what they like to eat and some of their favorite activities. There are flies surrounding our table while the other tourist table is clean and immaculate..
Usually I would be bothered by the flies, but I just put it aside and focus on the people God placed in front of me. Their smiles are so big that it makes me feel so content and forget about the flies and what I am even eating.
Usually I would be bothered by the flies, but I just put it aside and focus on the people God placed in front of me. Their smiles are so big that it makes me feel so content and forget about the flies and what I am even eating.
Ana is thankful to have someone come and sit with them and someone to share her challenges and concerns with. It was clear the elderly were not getting much attention from much staff at Mayan Families. While I shouldn't say that being there such short time, I could tell from how much they craved attention. I sat with each of them placing my hand on their back and kindly smiling. We played a little game I used to do when I was 19 with in the assistant living home-brought back such memories. They must have all said, "Thank you." a few times each as they were so grateful so have someone give them some quality attention and acknowledge their being-that's my job and I am happy doing it.
While I was walking them out, I noticed some looks from the Volunteer Coordinator at the other table. They seemed to be some concerned looks with the connections I created and my sitting at the other table. It was a lunch with just the management team and the sponsors therefore it was not for volunteers, but I was sitting at the opposite table. The forbidden table as I was suppose to just do the ordinary tourist thing and flock with my same group. This contributes to my analysis of a slight separation between staff and the locals. The staff have their outings, lunch, and conversations together and the locals do their own separate thing for lunch. There is never a local staff sitting at their little lunch party of 8 people where they each bring an item. They usually like to talk about their frustrations with locals, which is why local staff are not invited. While it's a nice organization, there is a clear US and THEM separation, which is present within the atmosphere. The locals are respected by staff, but there is a different conversation and dynamic that occurs..
With this said, I had a feeling with the looks that I was doing something wrong in their eyes. Sometimes good deeds must come undone. Here comes the 23 year old Yale graduate who is the Volunteer Coordinator at Mayan Families. She is the one I originally spoke with about volunteering-very nice, smart, and organized, but still has a lot of learn.
With this said, I had a feeling with the looks that I was doing something wrong in their eyes. Sometimes good deeds must come undone. Here comes the 23 year old Yale graduate who is the Volunteer Coordinator at Mayan Families. She is the one I originally spoke with about volunteering-very nice, smart, and organized, but still has a lot of learn.
"Priscilla, you're not suppose to sit and eat food with them." "You need to get approval from the lady who supervises. Wow would this be a contradiction in countries that love to share food with one another example: India and Morocco.
"I'm sorry they just were so happy having me sit with them and I genuinely wanted to talk with them."
"It's okay, we just usually don't have volunteers work with them."
"Oh, okay. I understand."
"It's not a problem. I know you were just trying to help.
It appears that India and Morocco have it right. There is such beauty in the sharing of food as this simple exchange can bring such joy to the soul. PRIS
Pollo Frito-Que Rico!
While I am a partial vegetarian who eats mainly fish, eggs, beans, there are times when I do make exceptions for chicken. It has to only be chicken breast and it has to be a good quality or I will not eat it. There are times where I eat it and my stomach is a little confused and upset or I just feel guilty. It also depends on the quality of the meat and that will determine whether I actually finish it or give it away.
In Central America, my chicken exceptions have turned out wonderful. I made the decision to eat chicken to make my diet easier and to stay healthy and fit-getting my protein each day is essential. It was a good decision as the chicken here is fantastic with lots of flavor. And I cannot believe I am saying this, but the best chicken is "Pollo Frito"- Fried Chicken.
In the states, I will not go near a Fried chicken, but maybe I should start? I'm not even sure how one tastes in the states, but in Guatemala it taste amazing. The chicken is tender and flavorful and I can just pull the fried part right off and feed it to the dogs. With some salsa picante, it boosts the flavor up a notch and it makes it taste amazing. For 15 quetzal, which is about 2.00 for a plate with rice, beans, plantains, and pollo frito. The price and quality together make it an incredible value and make my stomach very happy. It's just such a common meal for locals to eat and almost every restaurant has it at lunch time. You can often find it on the street sold as with fries, but I would never eat it off the street as it has to be at a restaurant. Although, it could taste just as good, but it's not fresh sitting in the heat on the street all day. While they have a KFC in Guatemala City, I would not even step foot in there with the quality they are producing locally. Fried chicken and Pollo Campero is really the Mc Donalds of Guatemala.
Thank you Guatemala for the new Fried Chicken experience!
In Central America, my chicken exceptions have turned out wonderful. I made the decision to eat chicken to make my diet easier and to stay healthy and fit-getting my protein each day is essential. It was a good decision as the chicken here is fantastic with lots of flavor. And I cannot believe I am saying this, but the best chicken is "Pollo Frito"- Fried Chicken.
In the states, I will not go near a Fried chicken, but maybe I should start? I'm not even sure how one tastes in the states, but in Guatemala it taste amazing. The chicken is tender and flavorful and I can just pull the fried part right off and feed it to the dogs. With some salsa picante, it boosts the flavor up a notch and it makes it taste amazing. For 15 quetzal, which is about 2.00 for a plate with rice, beans, plantains, and pollo frito. The price and quality together make it an incredible value and make my stomach very happy. It's just such a common meal for locals to eat and almost every restaurant has it at lunch time. You can often find it on the street sold as with fries, but I would never eat it off the street as it has to be at a restaurant. Although, it could taste just as good, but it's not fresh sitting in the heat on the street all day. While they have a KFC in Guatemala City, I would not even step foot in there with the quality they are producing locally. Fried chicken and Pollo Campero is really the Mc Donalds of Guatemala.
Thank you Guatemala for the new Fried Chicken experience!
The Hardest Part
The Hardest part is not the work, but the hardest part is saying good bye. It's a short time you build connections, you make people feel good, you listen to them, you challenge them, you empower them, and then you leave. It's why organizations encourage you to volunteer for longer periods of time. Sometimes you can be "hurting" rather than "helping" a community when you come for such short time with no goals and just a strong desire to "help people." This is not enough to make an organization grow rather it's just temporary work to satisfy your own self rather than benefit the actual organization.
As a clinical therapist for years, social worker, life coach- I am aware of the positives and negatives with working short term in an organization. With hard work and dedication to making a difference, there can also be amazing seeds planted for the community or even for new volunteers.
As a human being, I made the choice to make the most impact possible per organization. With a short time of 2 weeks per organization in each country, I made a community and or clinical assessment on what needed to be done and I did it. Instead of just "volunteering", I made a commitment to leave something permanent at each organization whether full behavioral reports, rewards systems, power point trainings, and full efforts with staff and clients working to my potential . It was me leaving something useful for them rather than just playing with some kids and walking out the door like many volunteers.
With these short term connections, it becomes difficult to leave. When you are working with preschoolers and young children, it becomes even more difficult to leave. With the preschoolers, they don't always understand why I am leaving and they look at me funny. You get the questions, "Where are you going?" "Why are you leaving?" One student even said, "Can I come with you?" I joke that I will just take everyone with me and we will all take a big bus together and travel through Guatemala. I will feed them fruit and lots of ice cream. We will all be content with each others company not in need of another intellectual to give us their directives. It's just a dream I mentioned and the teachers absolutely love this idea. There is no harm in a perfect dream.
In reality, I have to leave to go to the next project, which was organized ahead of time. It's not an option to stay longer when I made a commitment to another NGO. Organizations like Mayan Families with clients and a community who touch my heart-saying goodbye is the hardest part. While the teacher did make an announcement, many children don't actually comprehend what is happening and leaving my favorite clients is difficult.
In my case, the teacher made an announcement and many kids ran up to say Goodbye. My favorite client and my little learner, Angel, looked surprised to hear me leaving and he didn't look content. It made me sad to see his little brown eyes look like a puppy dog. Me encanta el! This little munchkin was walking to the door waving his little hand. It continued to waive out the door as he was walking with his father. We just kept waiving at each other until distance was lost- difficult, but life keeps moving and more clients keep coming.
The teachers were so sweet and thankful saying I was the best of everyone in Mayan Families. It is so sweet that they recognize my work and my commitment to people-that's a wonderful connection. It was truly a blessed experience and I would definitely consider visiting again and potentially working with the indigenous community.
With beautiful communities comes people who carry your heart into a distance, which brings you closer to a better tomorrow . -PRIS-
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