So it has been some time since the last time I wrote but in my defense I have been VERY busy. I have been working to plan this little event we like to call, "Día de Carrera" or Career Day. If my Peace Corps experience leaves me with nothing else, at least I could be a professional wedding planner or something. Planning this Career Day is unlike anything I have done before and I am very lucky to have a number of very wonderful people helping me out.

The date is set for October 16, 2010 and the event will be held here in Estancia de la Virgen. I have 41 students from my 3rd-year Básico classes that will attending from all four of the schools I work at. We have invited representatives from every career in which the kids have expressed interest and a few others. So far we have only 9 professionals confirmed and only 2 and a half weeks to C-Day... Yikes! I am trying to stay optimistic, and calm, and organized, and focused, and productive, and CALM.

If all goes as planned (ha) then 41 kids who are just on the brink of graduation will have the chance to meet with (20ish) professionals from Guatemala. I have spent the last 2 months working with the kids, talking about making decisions about their futures, doing mock-interviews, and writing résumes.

A few weeks ago we talked about the pros and cons Life Plan Nº 1: Going to work in the US versus Life Plan Nº 2: Continue studying in Guatemala and pursue a career. Of course I was trying to make them see that continuing with their studies was a better choice but I learned that actually the cost of hiring someone to take you America is much greater than the cost of public education. To hire someone to take you to the US would cost about 40,000Q or $5,000. That amount of money could pay for a kid to complete diversificado (highschool) and a public University program with money to spare! But one factor to consider is the opportunity cost of a kid who is studying rather than working in the field and earning money for the family...

The mock-interviews were fantastic. We talked about what a good interview would look like and what a bad one would entail. I also gave them a list of typical interview questions and discussed some good answers and then some not so good answers... I had them pair off and present two interviews to the class; one good and one bad, using the common questions I had given them. They did really well with the activity and especially had fun with the bad interviews. One of my favorite "bad" answers was to the question, "Give an example of when you worked well in a team." to this the non-professional interviewee slouched in his chair, and while playing with his cell phone he answered, "Well one time I wanted to steal this really nice car and so I asked my friends to keep a look out for me and we worked really well as a team because we had to, because it's really hard to steal a car alone." It was hilarious... and the same pair went on to present one of the best professional interviews of all the groups. The interviewee entered with a zip-up lunch box, pretending it was his briefcase and was so polite and professional that I truly believed that he deserved the job.

So anyway... Career Day. Not only will these kids have a great opportunity to make professional contacts but it will also bring two side of the socio-economic spectrum together. Just as in the US there tends to be a resentment on both sides... Some people in the city think people in the campo are uneducated or ignorant. Likewise, people in the campo see the city folk as stuck up, thinking that they are better than everyone and giving little thought or care to the campesinos. This is why this day is so important. We have professionals coming from humble beginnings as well as some coming from a more comfortable upbringing. This sends a good message to the kids by showing them that their are professional who grew up just as they did and they're are also professionals are wealthy, and who still care for them. Those who attend the event will attend not out of pity nor arrogance, but out of a real respect and desire to support there fellow Guatemalans. Those who trek the bumpy mountain road out to Estancia will meet not just campesinos, but a group of bright, enthusiastic, and extremely respectful young people who would be a great asset to Guatemala's growing sea of professionals.

I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from those who have confirmed their attendance and while I am a little stressed with the planning of everything, I have a good feeling that it will be a good day for all involved. For now, I must get back to typing up the 41 résumes in Spanish as the kids don't have computers. It has been a bit challenging trying to classify their "work experience" as many of them began working in the fields at the age of 4 or 5... and as for "Job references," the only "boss" most of them have ever had is their parents... Anyway, it will all look good on paper in that sexy 12point font and professional format. It doesn't really matter what it says, as long as it looks good, right?

In all seriousness, these kids have a lot to be proud of and a work ethic like nothing you have ever seen. If these kids can break into Academia and the professional world, I'd say "watch out American kids!" -because these young people have not been touched by the laziness and apathy affecting so many youth in America and other developed countries. They have a desire to learn and to work hard... all they need is a little boost.

Some Videos

Today I awoke to a bit of a commotion outside my door. I heard Yolanda and her sisters bustling about, clattering dishes, and rearranging furniture. It turned out they were preparing to host a breakfast and were moving tables and chairs outside to the patio and busily cooking tamales, tortillas, and cafe. I was pleasantly greeted by the tantalizing smells as I got out of bed and collected my toiletries before heading off to the bathroom. I opened my bedroom door, bleary-eyed and crusty faced, to a long table of Guatemalan men enjoying their breakfast... It turned out that the breakfast was to be for the 8-10 men in charge of the Catholic Church here in Estancia de la Virgen. I felt self-conscious about my appearance and offered them a quick, "Buenos Días" before shuffling off to the bathroom... Before I could hurry away, I noticed that fluttering just over their heads, was none other than a rainbow of my assorted underwear. I probably had washed nearly every pair I own just yesterday and now they were hanging on the patio looking like an adornment to this very Catholic breakfast. Oops.
In my defense, I had NO idea these men were coming for breakfast, AND my family did nothing to warn me... They could have at least suggested I remove the underwear flag from the patio! By the time I noticed the panties on display, there was nothing I could do. Taking them down would mean disrupting their manly church business and also would draw more attention to them. -So I hung my head and went to the bathroom. I imagined their eyes following me in disgrace, thinking: "Graciela the Godless Gringa. Hanging her panties for the world to see.."

Other than that slight embarrassment, it has been a great week. I have been working a lot trying to get the Tercero kids prepared for Career Day. Also I have been giving dance classes at all of my schools and they have been going really well. When I first got to site, I thought about giving dance classes and I dreamed of stumbling upon a small studio space where kids could from all around and I would teach them jazz, ballet, hip hop, etc... WAKE UP. That didn't happen. So instead I lug around 3 small portable speakers and my iPod to each school and turn a small dusty classroom into a dance studio. It works just fine and the kids seem to really be enjoying it. One school asked that I teach the kids a dance that they can perform on Independence Day, September 15. We have had only 2 weeks to prepare and not many rehearsals but I think all in all it had turned out really well. I split the school into two groups by age and taught them each a different dance. I am really amazed at the progress they have made since the beginning. I had to start at the very basics of rhythm, and counting the beats, how commonly songs have four/ four time but some have three and this is called a waltz. I spent the first few classes constantly counting for each step, " One two three four five and six and seven eight." Until finally I can tell that most of them are counting in their heads and able to keep time. It's remarkable how quickly they have picked it up having very little experience with this type of dance and I am so glad that are able to enjoy an activity that I have loved for so long.

Here are some videos and photos! I have the opportunity right now to use a really fast internet connection and so I will upload all I can right now...

Las Señoritas from Chi Don Juan riding up the road in the Independence Day parade.

The girls from the primary school in the paradr to Chi Don Juan.


My básico students from Chi Don Juan.


The Parade

Our Dance Group "2" the older kids from the school just after a great performance.



Group 1 Dancers from Chi Don Juan.

Unfortunately I didn't get a video from the actualy performance because I had to work the music but these are of the rehearsal in the morning which were very good! The last is from a funny skit the boys from Estancia did which was a mock "Miss Universe Pageant." They dressed as women with masks and some very provacative false breasts... Too big to put on here. See the video on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ei9slIdNmI

Enjoy!

The Ritual of Communication

There is so much to love about Guatemala. I am fascinated by the rich culture here and find myself basking in the glow of even some not so graceful cultural experiences. PC does it's best to provide us with cultural training but the reality is that sometimes you have to live it to learn it...
As in every country there is a great deal of ritual in a greeting. In the US it's a handshake upon first introduction, in Spain, a kiss on each cheek, in Morocco, a kiss on one cheek and two on the other. Here in Guatemala greetings still seem to allude me because they differ so much depending on what part of the country you find yourself. In the city, they often do a kiss on one cheek. In the pueblos, maybe a kiss on the cheek, maybe a handshake. In the campo, maybe a cheek kiss, maybe a handshake, or maybe just a pat on the shoulder. One can never tell. Upon my arrival here in Estancia de la Virgen I still had not perfected my greeting detection. I was introduced to some indigenous women in the community and stupidly went in for the cheek kiss which apparently wasn't welcomed because the woman discreetly pushed me away to arms length, and gave me a meager pat on the shoulder. I was quite embarrassed as this woman probably thought me to be some sort of wanton American with promiscuous greetings... While I learned a great deal from that first day, I still have not perfected my introductions and find myself feeling a bit anxious at the prospect of meeting new people due to previous awkward encounters. Maybe in 2 years I will have it down, but by that time I will be returning to the US and Guatemalan greetings will be null.

Verbal communication is a fantastic procedure here in Guatemala. While Americans tend to be very direct and to the point, Guatemalans tend to maintain ritual and respect in every verbal interaction. A greeting which in the US would take about 10 seconds:
"Hi. How are you?"
"Fine. And you?"
"Great. Good seeing you."
"Yeah. Take care."
...And done.

This same introduction can take anywhere from 5-30 minutes here in Guatemala. Observe:
"Good day."
"Good day. How are you?"
"I am good. I am here. How are you?"
"I am good. I am here also. So, here you are."
"Yes. Here I am. Thank God above that I am here."
"Yes thank God above that you are here, and I am here."
"So how have you been?"
"Thank God, I have been very well."
"Oh I'm so glad. I am so happy that you are well."
"What are you doing now?"
"Right now I am here, just passing by."
"Oh how wonderful. I'm so glad you are passing by."
"Sí pués (Yes well...)"
"Sí pués Yes well...)"
"Well, I must get going now."
"Ok. We'll see each other soon."
"Yes. Take care of yourself"
"Yes and I hope all goes well with you."
"Adios."
"Adios."

.............and FINALLY done.

I have a great deal of respect for this ritual of communication. It's just that I am not accustomed to it, and sometimes when I stop for a quick hello with someone, I feel like I am being rude and rushing the conversation along.

Another interesting things about communication here is that what someone says and what they mean can be completely different... I suppose this happens in the US as well but here in Guatemala it is a new language and a new experience for me. Sometimes the answer someone gives you seems very vague and I am left wanting more of a direct answer.
I might say, "So, will you be coming to the meeting tomorrow?"
and someone will reply, "If God wants, I will be there."
And I am left thinking hmmm.... Well yes, I do hope God wants you to come but also perhaps you could try to make it happen. I don't know, maybe you could pull some strings, make sure you have no other plans at that time, and just walk out the door, and head to the meeting. And I mean if God strikes you down with a bolt of lightening then I guess you were right, and clearly He didn't want you to come, so I guess I'll see you next week... If God wants.

It took me a while to learn this one:
"So do you think you will come to meeting tomorrow?"
And the person says, "I will do everything that I possibly can to come to the meeting tomorrow."
What this statement actually means is: "I won't be able to make."

Living with a family here has helped me better understand communication here through observation and blunders...
When leaving the house, they almost always say, "Right now, I return."
And I think: I'm sorry but I don't actually believe you because right now you are leaving, and so how can you possibly return right now... unless you decide actually not to leave.

"Right now, I return," actually means that person will not be back for anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours.
Once, before I had grasped the significance of this phrase, I was home washing clothes when Yolanda left and said, "Right now, I return," and just after she left, 2 women came to the house looking for her. I told them, "Oh she left, but you might as well wait for here because she's coming right back."
Those poor women sat and waited for 2 hours before Yolanda finally came back and I felt like an idiot for telling them to wait...

A common phrase that strikes annoyance into the hearts of Guatemalans and Gringos a like is, "Fijese que..."
This phrase, while loathed by many is widely used by everyone. You only hate this phrase when someone says it to you but you will not hesitate to turn around and use it on someone else. "Fijese que..." is ALWAYS followed by an excuse. Fijese que... school is canceled due to an emergency fútbol tournament. Fijese que... I won't make it tonight due to gal bladder surgery. Fijese que... my homework was eaten by my neighbor's goat, etc. The point is that no one wants to hear, "Fijese que..." but when you can't come through on something and you need to tell someone your excuse, "Fijese que.." is your lone companion.

One day, which will forever be known as "Fijese Que" Day, I was served up 3 servings of "fijese que.." from 3 different people. This phrase has taught me to always be flexible. I honestly don't really mind it when plans change... It make life more spontaneous.

One thing that I have yet to get used to is the, "Hora Chapina." ("Chapina" meaning all things Guatemalan). This phrase refers to the irrelevance of time and punctuality here in Guatemala. I won't admit to being the most punctual person, but growing up in a society run by alarms, bells, watches, and clocks, I find it difficult to adapt to the loose concept of time here. Usually if someone tells you, "I'll be there at 9am," It means they will actually be there at 10-10:30am. During counterpart day at the Peace Corps office, PC addressed this with our counterparts and told them that we will expect them to be prompt. So now I have a counterpart that is very inconsistent... One day he shows up an hour late, the next he's right on time. This makes it difficult because at least if he were always 1 hour late, I could account for that and take my time... The one day I did this, he was coming to pick me up to present me to one of my schools and since he had always been late before I took my time getting ready. On this day, he decided to try to appease the American and showed up right on time. He even apologized for showing up 2 minutes after 10am, which was the agreed upon time. I was caught completely off guard, still drinking my coffee and lazily reading a book thinking I had all the time in the world.

Cutting the cake... this cake was the product of a 1-hour long, indirect conversation with some kids. They started off by asking me for a frosting recipe and after an hour, had me agreeing to help them bake 6 cakes.

Who knows what will become of me by the time I return to the US... I think if I adopt too much of this culture to be my own, I will by hastily rejected by my fellow Americans. The hustle and bustle of life in the US just doesn't put up with tardiness, and ornately indirect conversations. I guess I will do my best to enjoy the definitive differences in life and tradition, keeping in mind cultural relativity...