More Reflections and Interviews with Gen and Manuel

Erica with Armenia, the head of Tecnico Maya

From the Journal of: Erica

8/10/11

Yesterday, we visited to Tecnico Maya which is a primary school that was created by an amazing radical indigenous couple.  They teach environmental sustainability, math, Spanish, and Mayan culture.  We are building a new school for the students that currently attend Tecnico Maya.  The school was surrounded by tall metal gates.  As soon as we stepped in front, little 1st and 2nd graders pulled the gate open, screamed “Hola!” and started hugging us incessantly.  They were so beautiful, so innocent, so pure in their love for us.  It brought me to tears to see how excited they were to see us.  After chopping it up with the kids and playing games about colors and numbers, I spent most of the morning talking with the founder and head maestra at the school, Armenia.  She taught me how to count in Kaqchikel, the indigenous language spoken here.  She also taught me Mayan math.  I struggled to understand her, but I think I got it!  My Spanish has improved at a ridiculous rate.  It really makes me see that if I immerse myself in a culture, I can learn the language.  We talked about defende tu cultura! (defending your culture) and how she sees the school as a way to preserve the Mayan culture, despite all the efforts of the government to destroy it.  She is such a powerful force.  She was so grateful for our visit because she said it’s important for the children to be exposed to people of different races.  I told her that I am a maestra in the US and her eyes lit up.  We connected like no other.  I also got to spend time speaking to the young students.  I told them that we were working very hard to build a school for each of them, and that they should study hard so that they can have a good life.  I also told them to always behave well and be nice to their companeros.  They are trying to teach the children about voting, so they had an election for Queen of the School.  Each candidate made a speech, complete with promises of what they would do if they won.  The candidates promised movies, games and music, snacks, and smiles.  After the speeches, the children voted for Queen of the School by circling a picture that represented each candidate.  That is also how adults vote in Comalapa.  After the vote, they announced the 2nd and 1st place winners.  After each announcement, one of the the teachers set off extremely loud fireworks about 5 feet from us, right in the school yard.  The kids screamed and covered their ears, but loved it!!  Then we continued to hang for a while and the Get Fresh Crew played ball with the kids.  I continued my deep conversations with the head maestra.  when it was time to leave, it was very difficult.  Marcus and one little boy, carlos, really bonded and hugged about 70 times before we left.  The Get Fresh Crew was glowing and wanted to go back.  They realized how much their work means and they realized exactly who they were working, sweating, and bleeding for.  They are forever changed.

After the school, we went to the worksite, ate lunch, and got busy.  There was amazing energy in the air.  People got to it!  The last hour of work stretched into a full 90 minutes.  Angel, Yvesha and I bonded while putting nails into a tire wall in preparation for putting cob on it tomorrow.  I wish I could fully explain all the work that got done in the last hour.  It was inhuman and beautiful.  Some Get Fresh Crew members were knocking down a cob wall.  Dirt was flying into the mouths, noses, ears, hair, and eyes, but they did not stop.  My favorite moment of this entire trip was after Yvesha got covered in dirt while knocking down the cob wall.  She was exasperated, but picked up her hammer and said “This is for Manuel.” and swung that hammer like Paul frickin Bunyan.  I was so proud.

I have had so many wonderful conversations with the people here.  so many genuine voices to be heard.  Last night, I spoke with Feliciano, the owner of the hotel.  He told us how important our work is and how our presence exposes Comalapa to other viewpoints and ways  of life.  I am so grateful for all the conversations I’ve engaged in while in Comalapa.  We are so lucky.  I am so so so so very grateful for this life I live. 

Dinner awaits, but I am full from a day of pure unadulterated love.

Gen with Santiago at Tecnico Maya.

From the Journal of: Yvesh’a

8/9/11

Picamas <3

We woke up this morning at 6:00AM!!  Oh my gosh.  However, despite the rocky morning the breakfast was good and was a typical Guatemalan breakfast.  It consisted of refried beans, scrambled eggs, and the infamous tortillas.

Instead of going straight to the land like everyone else, I volunteered to go with Gen to the market.  Gen is the Director of Operations at Long Way Home.  We’ve spent a lot of time with her and she cooks our meals almost every morning and night.  Even though the market was frantic and crowded, we still found time to have an engaging conversation.  I found out that she was very athletic during her high school years.  She played track, cross country, and something else (lol).  She stays sane in Guatemala because of Matt and because she is consistently reminded of the great task at hand of building a school.  I learned that she is very familiar with the vendors because she is constantly at the market every day to have enough supplies to cook meals.  Another thing that I learned in observing the market is that vendors are extremely trustworthy and don’t try to rip you off.  I say this because they trusted Gen enough to have her come back to them so she could get change.  All in all I learned that Gen is a really cool chick; she’s easy to talk to, easy-going, and very similar to some of my friends at school.

To sum it up, after we finished the market we went back to the land and helped some of the others in our crew with the work.  To me, the work day was great because we got A LOT accomplished and Matt even congratulated us on a day of work.  He stated that he was thankful to have us here and without us he wouldn’t have gotten everything he wanted accomplished.  Lastly, I was Manuel to come to Boston.  I love that kid so mucho and I want him to have that experience.  That is my mission.  And it will be accomplished.

Oh yeah, we also went to town and went to the bakery.

YUMMY

The Get Fresh Crew with Manuel.

From the Journal of: Faetitia

8/10/11

Interview with Manuel

Manuel is a 13-year-old Comapalan.  Manuel’s parents’ own the hotel we are staying in, so he has been living with us for the duration of our trip.  We have spent a lot of time getting to know Manuel and his family.  He is our amigo for life.

Fun facts:

Favorite Soccer Player: Lionel Messi

Favorite Basketball Team: Boston Celtics

Favorite Futbol (Soccer) Team: Barcelona

Q & A

Q: What do you think about the school project with Long Way Home?

A:  I think it’s very good because you guys are helping the environment and too much trash is not good in the environment.  And Long Way Home helps many causes.

Q: Why do you want to go to the Estados Unidos so bad?

A: I want to know the culture and study English there and I like to learn about other countries.

Q: What do like most about Guatemala?

A: I like the food, our nationality, and the culture.  I also like Lake Atitlan because it’s very clean and can be seen from 7 places in the world.

Q: What do you think about the Upward Bound program?

A: I think Upward Bound is very good for helping Long Way Home with the school and I’m happy you guys came all the way here to help.

Q: What do you want to do in the future?  Why?

A: First I want to be a teacher that teaches architecture at a university because they make good money and I would be able to take care of my family.

August 10, 2011

Today I had to say I was overwhelmed by the scenery.  We walked through the Guatemalan woods and hills, slipping and falling through the dirty wet mud that smelled like cow manure and other animal droppings.  That still didn’t overcome the beautiful cornfields and flowers, trails, and scenery that I saw today.  We went to see the little children at Tecnico Maya.  They are who we are building the school for.  They were SOOO CUTE, I MEAN ADORABLE!  I will never forget them.  I just finished interviewing Manuel, the son of the hotel owner and I had to say it went pretty well.  I understood everything he said.  As usual, I’m tired due to a long day so till next time blog readers. =)

A rainy day

 Fast as I could, I took my shovel and slammed the bladed tip deep into the earthly soil. Bits of dirt flung up sky-high as the shovel rocketed back up.  I repeated the process little by little until the task became tedious.  Up and down went the shovel.  Like any other work day, the sun was shooting off its scorching flames.  However, Angel, Ellie and I worked hard like we never worked before. Today we were packing tires, which is literally the definition of fun. I mean, how can a person not have fun collecting, carrying, and smashing dirt into tires?

                Meanwhile, high above the school site, big balls of cotton slowly moved their way over the horizon.  A few crows soared through the clouds, but most of them were in the corn fields.  The day was getting shorter, but for some odd reason time seemed to be frozen in place as I threw down my shovel. I walked a couple of feet from the mound of dirt, only to end up on the edge of a tire.  Before me was a world of natural evolution where animals and plants are free to grow beautifully.  Grass fields the size of mountains encased the background.  I honestly felt like I was staring at a cover issue of national geographic. However, like all good things the perfect world before me crashed.  

                A mass of black rushed behind the grass fields and darted its way up to the clouds. Suddenly, the once peaceful clouds grew dark. I could already tell that something was coming, something ominous. I was not exactly sure what Nature was up to nor did Angel and Ellie. They kept on working. Angel was hoeing away dirt at a speed so fast, the velocity made him look like he was slashing with a katana. While Angel hoed, Ellie watched him in amazement. Of course I was not paying attention. Instead, I focused my mind on the formation of the clouds.

                I widen my eyes at the scene until they became bug eyed.  In seconds, my glasses became covered in fog. A breeze of heavy wind followed behind the fog. I have no idea where the abrupt weather change from, but it sure did look cool. The clouds sluggishly clumped together into a massive pit of darkness. Now I knew what was happening. I added up the dark clouds, wind, and fog and got the answer: Rain.

                My entire form was in shock. I never saw nature take her course like this before. I wanted to move a limb, but I could not. Then came Angel´s roaring voice.  He yelped my name at the top of his lungs, trying to warn me of the incoming downpour. Obviously me being me, I did not bother to listen. Ellie was yelling at me too. When ever it comes to times like this, I always try to make the best of it.  So as rain drops machine gunned down from the ooze of black, I hopped down from the tire and picked up a sledge hammer.  Angel quickly ran to Ellie, grabbing her, and fought his way through the hail sized water droplets. His sombrero shielded the rain from his head. Ellie on the other hand had nothing except her pink t-shirt.  They eventually made it safe to some cover. However, I was in the same spot looking at nature´s wrath.

                The rain was not enough. Nature added thunder upon the rain.  A loud boom tore through the clouds, crackling in every spot.  I slowly lifted up the sledge hammer until it was above my head. It might not be smart for your average person to stand out during a thunderstorm, but Bimpy? Bimpy is much more than average. With the hammer pointed up I positioned the rest of form towards the sky as well. I was waiting for the grand finale. A bolt of lightening suddenly muscled through the atmosphere. Thunder followed. I decided to put my own sound into the mix, screaming “THOOOOOR!“. 

                Comalapa rain sure is fun, especially at a time like this. After a long day of work, rain is soothing. I felt refreshed and new.  All of the dirt that lay attached to my clothing was completely washed away. I love nature, and I bet nature loves me. But, today I also visited some kids.

                Oh, boy do not get me started on the most adorable children I have ever met. Maybe I will save that story for another time.

The Universal Language: Visiting Tecnico Maya

Marcus with the children of Tecnico Maya.

From the Journal of: Kara

8/10/11

Today has officially been my favorite day here in Guatemala.  So many memorable things happened that it overwhelmed me with happiness.  I love working at the work site but I can’t say I missed having a full work day.

We started off our adventures by climbing hills, hiking through the Guatemalan forests that led us to Long Way Home’s first project, Parque Chimiya.  Hiking in general relaxes me, but this specific hike today brought emotions I never thought possible.  The view that was around us during the hike was something I never thought mi ojos would ever actually be able to see.

Also, I met my baby son today.  His name is Carlos and my heart melted when I saw him at the school.  Overall though, each one of those children truly blessed me and made my smile permanent for those few hours.  It certainly is true what they say about love being a universal language because although we couldn’t understand each other verbally, we did emotionally.

This is who we are building for.

From the Journal of: Kadine

8/10/11

Waking up in the morning just gets easier and easier.  Although this morning was freezing, I still had the energy to get out of bed early in the morning for breakfast.  Breakfast and lunch were good today.  The whole day was a journey.  Going through woods and cornfields was a challenge because you have to be very cautious about your surroundings.  After traveling, we did a couple hours of work which was really dirty.  Dirt went in my ears, nose, mouth, hair, everywhere possible.  It was fun but hard work.  We also went to go visit the Guatemalan kids.  They were so nice and eager to see us.  One kid that I really liked was Carlos.  He gave me a hug as soon as he saw me.  He was so friendly and seeing those kids made my day.

Ellie with Carlos, a future student of the school we are building.

From the Journal of: Yvesha

August 10, 2011

Yvesh'a working incredibly hard today.

 The Best Day Ever!

Although I had no sleep tonight because last night was the coldest night since I have been here, I had the greatest day ever. 

1.  I woke up this morning with a positive attitude.
2. We walked ALL AROUND:
1. The school site
2. The hike to the park which was so much fun.  I would have never thought that a hike would be as much fun.
3. Then the park I had fun on the seesaw with Erica and had a great time with my peers.
4. Then hiked back down to the site where had a water break
5. The school! OMG those kids made my day.  They were adorable, cute, friendly, and FUN!  It reminded me of my purpose and who I was doing all this for.  Looking at their school made me sad to know that they learned in those conditions without many resources.   I was inspired to do better at the work site, at school, and in life.
6. Working at the school site was the best time ever because I pushed myself harder than I ever had.  I was in every task I could.  I challenged myself to stick to hammering the nails in the tires and wheeling the wheelbarrows. I loved today’s work and was strengthened by it because I wanted to do better for those children, myself, and everything the organization stood for.
   

   Yvesh'a, Angel, and Erica prepping the tire wall for cob.

I loved the part where Matt was playing his awesome playlist that he doesn’t know the names of the songs and when he said we were too valuable to be at the park tomorrow.  That made me feel special. 

 Well I’m sooo tired and I’m out!

Inside the 1st grade classroom.

From the Journal of: Widly

8/10/11

ABSOLUTELY SUPER DUPER AMAZING DAY!!!

Where do I even begin?  I completely enjoyed myself today.  I did things I never thought I could do.  I saw the cutest faces in the world and felt a sense of completion, hard work, and enthusiasm.  Not one boring moment occurred but of course me being forgetful, I forgot my water bottle but managed not to die out of dehydration and exhaustion.

So today started off with a muddy hike in the woods and corn fields to get Long Way Home’s park called Parque Chimiya.  It was absolutely beautiful.  Me being clumsy, I have tripped many times but have not fallen.  After the park, we went to visit the children in the school.   They were absolutely adorable.  When we came through the door, they bombarded us, giving us hugs and saying “Hola!” and smiling with missing teeth.  These are the cutest kids I have ever seen.  I played ball with them, took pictures, and played Frisbee.  Seeing their faces smiling so hard warmed my heart.  I felt very appreciated and loved by them even though they hardly know me.  Leaving was the hardest.  They didn’t want us to leave.  They kept hugging us and this one girl cried because we were leaving.  After leaving, we went to the worksite to work.  Luckily, we had just two hours of hard work to put in that went by really fast.  One task I did was tearing down a wall made out of cob and plaster.  It made me feel strong and invincible.  At the same time I was happy to do whatever I was told because after seeing those children I finally understood the big picture.  This whole project of building Tecnico Maya is for them to get a better education that they currently lack.  Many people have come from all over the world to participate in this life-changing opportunity.  I am glad the Get Fresh Crew’s fingerprints are part of the construction and the soon-to-be success.  I am so proud of myself, my friends, and my leaders who have worked so hard to get to this place to make an impact.  When we finally see the completion of the school, it will be an absolute blessing for us, the children, and the millions of hands who partake in its success.

The Get Fresh Crew on our hike: grupo con fuerza.

Day 3 of Work and More Shopping

Our daily group circle before heading to work.

From the Journal of: Marcus

8/9/11

Marcus standing on the land he spent hours tamping down.

More silence than empty space, I tumbled and rolled amongst my bed.  Outside was pretty quiet, but I could hardly tell anyway. After being here for five days, all of the noises that happen to be echoing everywhere seemed to be non-existent. I was now able to block out the annoying roosters that crow at the break of dawn. My ears were immune to the sound of the dynamic night life, but my mind was not. I could not get rid of the thoughts that ran through my head. Nonetheless, I slept through the long night.

 The second morning arrived, I automatically sprung up out of bed, only to hop down off from the top bunk. I got up before everybody else did, including the human alarm clock, Angel.  With nobody else up, I headed out to the balcony and fixed my optics upon Nature´s beauty.  The sight was beautiful. Lush green overflowed the massive landscape with hungry vultures flying amongst the open blue sky. They were probably searching for a fresh meal in the local dump. I watched them fly around a few times before getting ready for the rest of my day.

                A few hours later…

                At the work site, Angel, Ellie and I all worked hard on a dirt slope. Although, the sun was blazing furiously I kept on beating the crap out of the dirt with hoes, shovels, tampers, and my own fist. I could honestly do this for days. It even rained today and when it rains in Comalapa, it pours. I still went to work, despite the heavy water droplets plummeting down to the earth like meteors. For a job like this, there is no need to care about anything except for the job itself. I will still work in rain, snow, heck even during the end of the world. Nothing can stop me from completing my task, and oh boy, I completed my task today alright.  

Kadine cleaning bottles that make up a skylight on the roof of Tecnico Maya.

From the Journal of: Kadine

8/9/11

Today was just a normal day.  I had fun cleaning the bottles on top of the roof but not so much putting hairs in the sand.  The day was good until it started to rain and it got so muddy.  Walking back to the hotel was a challenge because I was slipping all over the place.  After we got back from work, we went out to the store to get food.  One store that we went to was the bakery.  Everything looked so good but sadly, I didn’t have enough money to buy any goods.  After a long day, we chilled in our rooms enjoying each other’s company. 

Our wonderful homemade food, courtesy of Cesar.

From the Journal of: Faetitia

August 9, 2011

Tonight I don’t feel too encouraged to write because I can’t find my journal and I’m writing on a piece of loose leaf paper so my homey feeling that inspired me to write is absent at the moment.  But on the other hand today was a perosoza day.  We all worked hard but we took breaks whenever we could.  Last night we didn’t get much sleep because we were up fooling around so it caught up with me.  We had the best dinner today (second only to Sunday’s dinner): pasta salad with veggies.  I didn’t expect it to be so yummy but it was.  The favorite part of my trip here is talking to Manuel.  He is so inspiring and reminds us all why we’re here: to share our culture, learn the Comalapan culture, and meet unforgettable people.  We were thinking about raising money to bring him to Boston for about a week or so but that idea got shut down which was disappointing. 

After work, we went into town and I bought more gifts for people.  I didn’t realize how much things I bought until most of my money was gone but it’s worth it because they have a story behind them.  At desayuno I tasted some Guatemalan hot sauce called picamas and it was AMAZING!  We all bought some to take home at the little tienda next to our hotel.  That was my day today, nothing too eventful b ut still an experience.  I went to a pastry shop and wasted about 150Q on sweets that I didn’t quite like but that’s cool.  Not that many people can say they tried Guatemalan pastries =)  Goodnight, till next time.

Widly with the cutest tire she's ever seen.

From the Journal of: Widly

8/9/11

3^rd Day on the Worksite

Today was yet another hard labor day, not as tiring as Monday’s work though.  I spent half of the day sifting sand and shoveling in order to make plaster for the welcome wall.  I finally got to plaster again and I loved it.  It is one of my favorite jobs on the site.  I got to fill a little tire with sand today.  It was the cutest tire (I’m weird.. I know).  And finally I did a job which I absolutely hated which was shoveling compost into a storage bin that the dry composting toilet empties into.  I had to shovel compost in order to prevent the bathroom from smelling.  This job is the yuckiest job to do on the site.  You are literally working with smelly trash, flies flying everywhere and the smell was quite unbearable.  Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!  I hope that I never have to do that again.  And of course, it rained again and we had to stop working outdoors for a bit and started back again.  My day ended very well standing on the roof of our hotel looking at the most beautiful sunset.  The sunset was a mixture of granite, yellow, blue, smoky green and purple as incense filled the air and the sound of dogs barking, Spanish music playing, tuk tuk (Guatemalan taxis) beeping and children laughing and playing.  Ohh man this is the life.  I am going to miss this place.

The dry compost toilets that Widly shoveled compost into.

From the Journal of: Kara

8/9/11

Guess who finally got to take a hot steaming shower today?  Me!!  After coming home from a hard day of work nothing could satisfy me more than that shower.

Workwise, today was not that great.  It rained for half the day at Tecnico Maya, making the work we had to do not as fun.  We couldn’t participate in any jobs involving earth due to it turning into mud and that bummed me out since I was pumped for work.  Everybody has bad days so I suppose today was mine.  However, we took a trip into town with our family friend Manuel and that got my positive energy flowing again.  La panaderia y la tienda de regalos helped me to see more and more how much I belong in this Guatemalan community.  I enjoy walking the streets here, greeting everyone with a “Buena.”  The manners displayed here is one thing America wishes they could also master.  Tomorrow we get to see the park and the school and school children so I will be getting a good night’s rest since I don’t know what to expect out of tomorrow.  Can’t wait though!

Day 2 of Work and Our First Comalapan Rainstorm

From the Journal of: Faetitia

August 8th

It rained for the first time since we’ve been here today. It was cool because it only rains here for an hour then it’s sunny again. Overall today was a good day. It started off rough; there was a lot of tension in the group last night and we had a venting session at breakfast that was intense. At the worksite I packed tires and that had to be the most frustrating, laborious and tedious task I’ve ever been asked to do. First of all the sledge hammer seemed to be twice my weight and I had to swing it with all my force just to see all the dirt that I spent 20 minutes on packing fall out and repeat that all over again. But I can say my biceps and abs got toned from that. My favorite part was digging up dirt. It was relaxing and simple. I can honestly say tonight I’m going to have a good night sleep so I’m going to bed now. Till next time world.

From the Journal of: Kara

August 8th

We started off the day pretty rocky, after an amazing pancake breakfast we had a rough community meeting that got emotions flowing in us. However, this helped direct our focus back to why we truly are here and that is to make a better future for the children here in Comalapa.

When we reached the work site I began a small project with Matt; one of the founders of Long Way Home. Together we worked on building a table out of wood which allowed me to finally put my carpenter skills to work. It was a hard process that pushed my limits since I was the only Get Fresh Crew member working on it, but I strived through like any other Get Fresh Crew member would and felt so overjoyed when my task was finished for the day.

My high point of the day was definitely the Comalapan rain storm. I never experienced rain quite like that, being up in the mountains allowed us to visually see the storm form, you know… those things you only see in the movies…yeah, I actually can say I understand the beauty behind it now.

Our time here is decreasing quickly, and it’s a bittersweet feeling. Bitter because I do not want to leave this beautiful country after getting so comfortable in all its culture. Sweet because I do not know how much longer I can take this bad hygiene situation our group is suffering with LOL. However, I think back to the locals and remember that we are doing this for a week while they have been doing it all their lives so complaining would just be the easy way out.

Overall my day went smooth. I love going to the work site and I cannot wait to see what these last few days has in store for us. Stay tuned!!

From the Journal of: Jennifer

August 8th

OMG!!! We went to work today! We finished filling the wall with trash and let me remind you that the more trash we put in the bottles and walls the less there will be in the city and in th water. We finally got to plaster the wall and also planted some seeds (hint, hint flowers and a better future.) I also worked on a tire today and let me tell you…I went hard!!! The thing was filled so well that it was superior to the other tires (LOL, sorry Erica) All in all today was a good day.

Tomorrow is another one and I can’t wait.

From the Journal of Marcus:

August 8th

Guess what everybody, yesterday I went shopping!
The sweet fragrance of fresh fruit filled the heavy air, instantly adding another smell to my nostrils that I will have to get used to. Thousands of thoughts raced through my mind; however I could barely focus on which one to share with the rest of my Get Fresh Crew.  I thought long and hard, but still nothing came out of my mouth.
Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday are market days. Comalapa has a massive, authentic market located in the center of a bustling hive. Guatemalans of all ages sell their items here.
 
At the market…
As I slowly strolled down a street overflowing with the hues of the rainbow, I nearly tumbled over myself. All around me were several, woven garments and their bright colors gleamed right in my face. I had to rub my eyes a couple of times because I was not used to seeing this many colors in one area. 
Once I reset my senses, I scurried my small form over to one of the vendors and took a look at what the owner had to sell. I originally meant for the glance to be a quick one. Though, once I looked I could not stop. My optics shifted from left to right as I took in the sight. The sight was beautiful. Bread…
 My gaze was locked on piles of bread. The scent was fresher than a batch of grandma´s cookies.  With one wiggle of a nostril I sucked in the smell and suddenly an abrupt smile crept onto my face.  It slowly danced across my cheeks until it reached the rim of my lips. I was about to pounce upon the pile of bread because it was so incredible. And so I did, with lots of quetzals.

Struggle and Hope

Get Fresh Crew at the mural depicting the history of Comalapa. A tuk tuk rides by us on the street.

From the Journal of: Erica

August 8, 2011

Sensory overload defines my every day here.  Dogs limping and barking, beautiful Spanish phrases floating through the air, breath-taking scenery next to tin roofs of concrete one-room homes, unrecognizable heaps of trash, the feel of dirt in our hands and on our faces and necks, the earthy smell of tortillas, joyful smiles, struggling to handle group dynamics, hot tears, blisters rising, thunder, lightning, rain, hot Guatemalan lunch with warm jamaica (hisbiscus) tea, basketballs bouncing, feet shuffling over tile floors, plaster spraying in my hair and eyes , sledgehammers pounding into tires, shovels scraping the earth, cool breezes, and just the feeling that everything here is raw and just under the surface, ready to pour out.

Yesterday, we viewed a mural of Comalapa’s history and heard the story behind each panel from Genevieve, Long Way Home’s Director of Operations.  The mural was bright and graphic.  The history of Comalapa is deep.  The part of the history that affected me the most starts in the 60′s.  US fruit corporations held lots of land that used to belong to the indigenous people.  The indigenous people began to fight for their land rights and socioeconomic equality.  The CIA and the US fruit corporations funded a coup and installed a military dictator.  This dictator mobilized an army and instated mandatory conscription.  If you were a male in Guatemala and did not join the army, you were considered a guerrilla and were subject to murder or imprisonment.  Indigenous men fled the villages and hid in the mountains to avoid conscription.  Women and children remained behind.  This war raged for 36 years and over 200,000 people were killed.  The military controlled the government.  Corruption was and still is rampant.  In Comalapa, 300 women and children were burned alive in the major church in town.  Today, there is corruption in the government and lack of social services for the indigenous people.  Unemployment is 75% in Comalapa.  There is no water system, trash collection, healthcare, or education past the 6th grade.  The struggle and the pain is palpable.  Somehow, from this great struggle, joy abounds.  There is a huge focus on family and community.  There is patience and love everywhere we turn.  The final section of the mural contains the hopes and dreams of the Comalapan people.  The panels of hope symbolize education, access to fresh water and healthcare, and the increase of tourism to the area.  The message of this mural is clear: out of great struggle, comes hope.

A panel of hope.

From the market to the dump to the mural to the school worksite, I draw a clear connection.  We are here for a purpose that is so far beyond filling tires with dirt and bottles with trash.  Our service is part of the hopes and dreams of this community and this community feeds our dreams.  By being here to build this school, we have grown immensely,  both individually and as a group.  We have learned so much.  As we serve, we are helping to build the school and simultaneously we are gaining so much from this rich community.  When we leave here, we will be forever changed.  We will never be able to look at injustice and idly stand by.  We will feel the unmistakable urge to fight for those whose voices are silenced.  I am so deeply impassioned by this work and by this place.  The blisters, the tears, the backaches, the swollen knuckles, the bruises, the plaster in my hair and eyes, the dirt on my face and neck and legs – these things ground me.  They connect me to the struggle and the hope.  We are one.  Our struggle is one.

We work, inspired by the history, people, and landscape.

Market Day and Dump Tours

En la plaza.

The Get Fresh Crew views the illegal dump. An intense moment.

From the Journal of: Kara

Market Day: 8/7/11

Today the Get Fresh Crew experienced firsthand an average day at a market in Guatemala.  It was a new challenge we had to overcome since none of us quite knew what we were getting ourselves into.  Walking through the market I saw so much of the Guatemalan culture firsthand: hand-woven fabrics, hard labor put into their crops, families sitting in the blazing sun waiting for people to buy their hand-made crafts.  It was just so eye-opening for me.

Also, the dumps hit home for me.  After I saw a dead cat floating through the illegal dump site it really cleared up my view about how bad the trash system is.  It made me remember part of why we are here doing what we are doing.

Now back to the market… It was overwhelmingly amazing.  I was tempted with the sweet smells from the vendors but knew my stomach wouldn’t be able to handle it.  I did buy a – basket though, walking around with it made me feel like I am blending into their culture and that excites me.

The Get Fresh Crew takes on the mercado in Comalapa.

From the Journal of: Widly

8/7/11

Today was really exciting.  We spent the day at the market in Comalapa, Guatemala.  First we had to exchange our American money to Guatemalan money (Quetzals).  To our surprise we received a lot of money in the exchange.  For $20, we received 180 quetzals.  We splurged like there was no tomorrow.  We ended up buying a lot more than we thought.  The marketplace was beautiful.  It was like a flea market but better.  We bought hand-made materials that would normally be $60-80 in America but here we bought them for 40 Quetzal, which turns out to be a little more than $4 in American dollars.  It was really tiring, but it turned out to be educational and fun.

Today we went to visit the illegal and legal dumps in the town.  To our surprise, the Guatemalan people throw their trash in the ravines.  What was horrifying was smelling and seeing the filth.  What was even more disturbing was seeing a dead cat in the dump.  What seemed disgusting was finding out that the same ravine they use to throw out trash is the water source for drinking water, washing clothes, and cooking.  This illegal dump was nothing compared to the legal dump in the middle of the town.  When we got there, the place was disgustingly, horrifically, disturbingly stomach-turning.  What once seemed to look like a beautiful wild jungle with strong, tall, green trees, a waterfall, and a stream is now a trash-filled smelly land.  The Guatemalans have nowhere to put their trash and do not have a strong social services from the government to help take care of the water system or trash system.  This is causing hygiene problems, air pollution, and sickness.  In the US, rarely do we ever think “What am I gonna do with my trash today?  Where should I dump it?”  All this is already done for us.  Others lack that opportunity and we take it for granted.

Vendor at the mercado.

From the Journal of: Faetitia

Aug 7, 2011

It’s been a longgggg day.  But I can’t lie; it was also pleasant.  I went to the market and bought $40 worth of stuff.  It was quality handmade items.  My most intimidating experience was when I went to the bank to change my American dollars into Quetzals and this security guard greeted me at the door with a 3-foot gun on his side and bullets on his waist saying take a seat in Spanish.  I will never forget that.

BUT AT THE MARKET TODAY..

I bought about 15 souvenirs and got to see the illegal dumps in Comalapa and they were absolutely filthy.  I saw a dead cat lying in the river.  It was a legitimate mountain of trash on both sides.  The smell was unbearable and flies were everywhere.  There was another dump we saw: the legal dump.  It’s ironic because the legal dump is still detrimental to people’s health.  It looked like it was meant to be a beautiful rainforest but instead turned into an infestation of garbage due to lack of care from the government.

On the other hand, me, Kara, Kadine, Widly, and Yvesha made an amazing dinner today.

Our menu:

Pollo

Arroz con frijoles verdes

Arroz blanco con tomatos y cebollas

Vegetales

Mangoes, papayas y pinas

Muy delicioso

Overall I had a good day  but I’m really tired so til next time. =)