August 6, 2006

I had to cut my entry short yesterday because we had to catch the bus and I ended up just playing PSP on the bus. Anyway, to continue on from yesterday...

The driver was still relatively slow so it wasn't like difficult to hang on. He took us on a tour of the town, San Pedro, and it was actually a little scary. I know they warned us that on the main road we traveled to get there that they have a lot of armed robberies, so that's why we couldn't walk. Also, though in San Juan, the children all shouted "Hola!" to us as we drove by, San Pedro seemed much less friendly. We also saw graffiti on a wall that said "Go home Gringos" which I'm sure had been there for a while, but someone obviously had the sentiment. The place we ate in town was decent and we had fun like we always do. Earlier, our boat had stopped in the middle of a lake and we all went for a swim. The water is so clear that you can see your feet. I hadn't ever seen water so clear, I think. I got really tired of shopping. It's so draining having people approach constantly pressuring you to buy stuff. One older Mayan woman tried for 10 full minutes or so to sell us US change in the amount of $.55. She only wanted six Quetzales for it, which is almost a dollar, so it was a good deal but we passed anyway.

Yesterday evening, at Ecohotel on the lake, I swam by myself for a long time. It was very peaceful and everywhere I looked were reminders of what a small speck I am on this planet. It's kind of scary in a way but also comforting too, when you feel you belong to it. I also tried the sauna, but it was my first time so I loaded way too much water and it got real hot real fast. I had to leave. Thankfully, it was just me in there.

Later, a lot of us, most of us I think, hung out on the 3rd floor and talked. John and Jessi brought a frog up an put it on Tony. Everyone, not just Tony, flipped. I probably would have too, but I was further away. That was the second good one of the night for John and Jessi as they had jumped out of the corn field earlier and scared the hell out of Tyler just as she was asking "Did you ever seen that movie, Children of the Corn?" Tony and Spencer said they were pretty startled, too.

One other thing that tripped me out as we walked through the town yesterday evening was there was this Mayan woman in traditional dress sitting outside her home and all of a sudden her cell phone rang and she answered it. It's not that I don't expect to see that in every big city in the world, but in a small pueblo where the taxi is a truck with standing room only and they're building houses with cinder blocks and rebar, it seems out of place and kind of amusing. The people who run the inn are Mayan and I heard them speaking to each other in their native tongue. It sounds really neat. She said between their Mayan dialect and the other common one around the lake, they are very different.

Not sure if I wrote this already but one time when we were playing soccer with the kids, we had to leave the field because a club game was scheduled. We hung out in the stands for a while and had a blast. Jason wanted to know who was the best soccer player in Guatemala, so we asked the boys. Daniel, one of the twins, hit is own chest with his palm several times in the "I am" gesture. Then he laughed. These guys are so awesome. They really had fun messing with John, poking him or pulling on his bandana. Another one of the boys said he knew English and then said "chit". We were all like "whoa!" and then he said "fucky". Each time all the other boys laughed of course.

(End of journal - to be continued by Dave)

August 5, 2006

Tons of cool stuff happened yesterday and I didn't write about it, but here goes. The trippiest thing is 13 of us had a "taxi" ride in a small pick-up truck. There was metal framework in the back and most of us stood back there, holding onto the framework. It was rather unsettling because the streets were sloped and the roads seem only one lane wide but...

August 3, 2006

Right now I'm kinda feeling tired and wanting to go home. I miss my family. However, there are still a few nice vacation days ahead for us from what I understand. My knee swelled a bit yesterday.

Anyway, I put my backpack underneath my mattress to elevate my bed. That helped. We just watched a parade. In Latin America, when a girl turns 15, they have a party for her. Apparently, only one girl per year here wins a parade in her honor though. Wendy says it's based on votes. The parade was really neat. We waved to a lot of the kids and some of the girls asked John to take a photo while they hammed it up. Several of the boys came by and hi-fived us or shook our hands. They like to make fun of the way we talk. They make their voices deep and say "Hey, you" or "goodbye, you" They get a kick out of it. This place has been a little hard on my asthma. I've had to use my inhaler a few times. Usually after that, I feel better though.

I still can't believe how awesome it was to stand next to that lava. I was like a foot from molten freaking lava! It was hot. Duh!

Right now, as is the case more and more lately, I am doing nothing at the site. There are also two new local guys here who I guess are going to take over for us after we leave. I still feel like we have accomplished a lot here, especially with the "grunt" work. Plus, Shannan, the Global Village Coordinator for Guatemala, says that there are other important parts to us being here, like the cultural exchange with family and the locals, and also it's good for getting the word out about the foundation, both here and back in the States. It's important for people to see that the foundation does what it says it does. And they definitely do. They are also extremely frugal with their money, which is great for a charity.

August 2, 2006

Didn't really do jack yesterday. There isn't always enough work at the site to keep everyone busy. Sometimes, the mason has to do some special work and he is very particular about how it's done. I like doing grunt work the best because I feel most useful doing things to prepare the mason for his work. I definitely feel we've moved the project along quite a bit helping out in that capacity. Just a little while ago, I bloodied myself up in a footrace between me and Tyler. I bit it hard doing that thing where you try to run faster than you can. Anyway, it was still fun, but I've literally put my blood into this project now.

I think my roommate is ready to kill me after a full night of snoring. This evening I won't eat and see if that makes a difference. Oh, also yesterday there was a water balloon fight here at the house and pretty much everyone ended up soaked. There was also a lot of trying to teach us salsa dancing by Wendy and Iris. Iris says her future husband isn't allowed to have women at his bachelor party, but she can have men at her bachelorette party! She cracks me up. This morning, I got a shave from a local barber. It was pretty awesome - very smooth.

July 31, 2006

I don't feel too well today. I guess a lot of people in the group are sick. Oh well. I went ahead and started the meds the doc gave me "in case". The site was very bad for smoke today. Usually it's every morning between 9-10, usually for like 20 minutes. Today, it was all morning, so I walked way down the alley and sat. Two of the kids from the soccer games came and sat with me while I wrote some English to Spanish translations for the mason, Manuel. The very small boy with the red cap I had seen before - I thought he was like, maybe 5. He said he's 11. He sure is small! I wonder if it's nutritional or something. The kids at the house we're building seem exactly the right size for their ages.

Iris is already working in law and teaching, and working toward a degree in law. She seems extremely dedicated and hard-working. I guess all the all the neighbors hate the people who burn that stuff every day. Also today, after all the smoke it started pouring rain, so we had to stop working. The other day, the boys had some cartoon characters on their shirts and I was curious what they called them, so I asked. Turns out "Taz" is "Taz" but the other boy referred to Eeyore as "el burro". Those little guys are so cute and so cool. I had my camera and I said "chicos!" and they turned around. When they saw my camera, they immediately stood arm in arm smiling. The sense of community here seems very strong.

Manuel is trying to learn English words to communicate with the workers. He's made good progress with his pronunciation. We watched a bit of School of Rock today while we couldn't work and he seemed to really get a kick out of it.

July 30, 2006

Today was awesome. We went to see a live volcano at Antigua. I had no idea how close we would be able to get to the lava - I stood right next to it! Not for long, of course, but long enough to take a picture. We even walked across the hardened, cooled lava that was over the hot and active lava. The hike was tiresome, but totally worth it. on the way back, I talked to the driver for a long time. My Spanish has really improved since being here. I'm kind of sad because I've gained a lot of weight back since being here.

Yesterday, I walked all around a huge marketplace in Antigua. Our main Habitat guide, Yet, was at the hotel with another group. I can't imagine how much work she does. She is fluent in four languages. The people here are really wonderful. I'm going to miss them a lot. This has really opened up my eyes to the rest of the world.

July 29, 2006

Morning - People honk all the time on the road here. It's super loud and seems kind of useless, but maybe it keeps everyone on edge to keep going forward.

July 28, 2006

It seems like something interesting happens here every few minutes so it's hard to remember to write all of it, but I will try.

The kids at the site do cute stuff every day. Today, Wendy and Dulce Maria were looking at the site and I said "Dulce Maria, are you going to help with the construction?" and she nodded very confidently. I asked "are you very strong?" and again came the confident nod. She is such an adorable doll-baby. Also today, Jessi asked her for a hug and she shouted "HASTA MANANA!" and split! She thought she was so funny by teasing Jessi like that. It's interesting to me because I remember when my kids were small, they used to get a kick out of that kind of joke too. She came back of course and gave Jessi a big hug.

Javier was walking around at one point and I asked him how he was and he asked me my name. I told him and he started asking everyone else's names, too. He said "Who's the guy in the pants?" which didn't tell me very much and then he said "he's looking now". Then he said "I'll show you" and he ran over and pointed at Tony. I said "Tony" and he repeated the name. Then he asked "who's the other guy with the pants?" Not too much help, but he pointed at John, so I said "John" and he repeated John's name too.

Everyone played a bit of lacrosse in the alley with some smaller scale equipment Seaver brought. We even got both Manuel and Jose to join in! They really picked it up fast! Jose is an older guy and he's kinda big and dad-ish (he's got 6 kids, so he should be) so I didn't expect him to join in, but he did right when we asked him. I probably spent an hour talking to Dora today. She is really nice and she's trying to help me improve my Spanish. She told me everyone in the neighborhood doesn't like the neighbor who creates so much smoke each day.

We went to the market today and Victor, our driver, was walking so fast that we lost some people. We got split up into at least 4 groups, I think. It kinda freaked me out, but I think I was the only one because everyone else was looking around a bit and shopping. The traffic situation here still amazes me. I can't believe how it works but it does seem to. I am surprised how cars, bicycles, and pedestrians all share the street. Often it's really "make your own rules". Today there were four lanes trying to merge into one on a small street. Victor is hard to understand because he talks so fast. He and his wife, Lucy, are our usual drivers and they have a cute little baby, Esteban. I always tell Lucy that Esteban's tired because he parties too much, which makes her laugh. I have more to write about from today but I'm too tired now so I just made notes.

July 27, 2006

So much happened today, it's hard to know where to start. First, we went to the bank and changed our money. It was near this huge market place. There must have been a thousand stores there. Everything is so colorful. I bought a new hat for work. I wanted something to cover my neck because it is really burned in spite of the sunscreen.

We brought the good ball to the field today and played with a lot of kids from town again. Tyler kicked the ball over the far wall this time by accident and the kids were saying it was bad because there was a field of corn there. I asked if it was dangerous to go over there and they said no, but then I asked if they had guns and one of the kids said two men did. Then we didn't want to go. Then they finally convinced us it was ok so Tyler decided to go. He had to scale a wall to get it, but he did it. When he got the ball and got back over the wall, all the kids clapped. It was like he got a standing ovation. Very funny. The kids laughed a bit at Tyler's Spanish, maybe they thought his pronunciation was funny. I guess I'm a small step up because I get blank looks followed by slow recognition. Then I called him a silly American and they thought that was hilarious. Then I said "feo" which is ugly and he said "Hey! I know what that means! No! Say bonito!" and they really laughed at that too.

These kids are really awesome and they play their hearts out. They are all so good at soccer, too. We went to the main street of the village again and we saw a large group of people, a few adults, but mostly kids. When Karen asked permission to take their picture, the lady said sure, but then added "diez dollares". It took me a split second to realize she was joking but then we laughed. We walked further and there was this tiny little guy, not more than two certainly, with what I'm guessing was his grandmother looking out a window and he was saying Hola! And blowing lots of kisses. So cute!

I'm getting to know people in the group more and this group is so awesome. The people in it are really genuinely nice and friendly. They are also really thoughtful, intelligent, and giving souls and they have been a big part of what's made this trip so excellent. I feel like we got a ton of work done on the house today. It's really starting to shape up.

Also, earlier when we went to the bank, one of the guards stepped in front of me as I tried to enter the bank. These guys seem kinda scary and they have shotguns, so I was a little freaked out until he pointed to a sign with a cell phone and the circle-and-slash combination that everyone in the world must know. Duh. I was on a cell phone.

My thoughts are, unfortunately, not sequential, but also earlier Javier, the six-year-old was hiding. Jessie noticed him and she started calling for him like she couldn't find him. He popped out and said "BOO!" and she screamed. It reminded me so much of of my boys. Later, when we were all sitting down in the family room, Seaver said I think she (Dulce Maria) is afraid of me and so I asked her and she paused for a second, then said "I'm not afraid of nothing!" (double negatives are correct in Spanish).

Enough for tonight. We just lost power and I have my flashlight.

July 26, 2006

My Spanish has already improved a lot since I have been here, especially because there are many people I want to talk to who only, or mostly, speak Spanish. Everyone is so nice, in our group, at the hotel, and at the house. There are still many times when I cannot understand what people are saying to me. It can be frustrating, but seems like a normal part of learning another language.

The food here is so good, I'm pretty sure I am gaining weight instead of losing it, as was my plan. Also, I've been snoring horribly and it's disturbed my roommate, Tyler, quite a bit. I will try to eat less tomorrow. My headache is gone, which is good, but now I seem to have a cold. This does nothing to improve my snoring, I'm sure. Anyway, I shouldn't complain as I am having a wonderful time here. This is one of the best vacations I've had.

We played soccer with the kids from Chimaltenango today. Most of them, no matter what age, seem to be really good at the sport. Some of us got beat several times by these kids, who could not have been more than 8. We have all been telling a lot of riddles. They are fun to think about, but sometimes they can drive you crazy.

A lady at the site who lives in the house is named Iris and she is really outgoing and friendly. Today, we talked with her about The DaVinci Code. She has read it and liked a lot of it but she didn't like some of it because she is "very Catholic". But, it sounds like she still kept an open mind. She gave Karen and Jessie necklaces today, and they were really pretty.

Also today, John and I went into town and he got a haircut. It was cool to see all of the stores there. Everything looks so much different than in the US. There are a lot of wild dogs running around, which seems strange to me. John said it was the best haircut he'd ever had, and I said I hate haircut places in the US and that's why I cut my own hair now. I've rambled on for 2.5 pages now so I'm going to give it a rest for now.

July 25, 2006

Boy, am I tired! We went to the site today and I did a few different jobs. I filtered rough sand to make fine sand for putting the blocks together with concrete made from it. Also, we made concrete with rough sand and I filled a lot of the holes in the blocks that had rebar with that cement. I am so sore - especially my back.

Everyone here is so nice. My team, the family, and the people in general. I talked a bit with the family today. The little kids are so cute and they had a great time playing with Jessie's camera. We also played soccer with a ton of kids from the village. They are all really good! The ball popped while we were playing but are going to buy them another.

I can't believe I have built something with my own two hands! I am still amazed at being so far from home. I am having a great time and look forward to the next couple weeks.

July 24, 2006

Well, I finally made it into Guatemala City this morning at 6:30. I was supposed to arrive yesterday with the group, but my connecting flight from Baltimore to LAX was delayed 4 hours. As a result, I had to stay in a hotel in LA and catch the same flight 24 hours later. I met a couple there and they were delayed to Guatemala City as well. Consequences for them were much worse because they had plans with some friends to tour historical sites. They were very nice and I ended up eating breakfast and dinner with them yesterday in LA.

When I got here, I was definitely feeling like I'm in another country. The baggage claim area was still a moving beltway, but I could see the guys putting it on the belt outsde. It was nice to see Karen and the Habitat Coordinator waiting for me outsde the airport. I was a little nervous on the ride to the hotel. Traffic is a little crazy here. Sometimes, it was like "make your own lane," but I survived. We stopped for coffee at McDonald's drive-thru and wre on our way again quickly. The streets were very interesting to look at. Everywhere it was so much different than in the USA. A lot of the buildings seemed run down and yet, the people here were doing what people everywhere do; going to work.

My writing feels boring even though my subject is interesting to me. Maybe I'm still out of it, or maybe I'm just a lousy writer. It's funny being in a place where English is not the primary language. Sometimes even in big public places, there are signs with no English translations. Often there still are the tourists, I suppose. The hotel is very nice and very pretty and the staff are all nice too. It's wonderful here because I have to speak Spanish if I want something! I got to feeling bad again for a while because there is still so much Spanish I don't understand and yet, when I need or want something, I have been able to express myself well. I ordered breakfast this morning in Spanish from a men in Spanish. It was delicious. I had scrambled eggs and pancakes, and fried plantains. The lady from Habitat gave me a lot of information on the foundation. The rooms are nice here. there is some sort of pen outside with various birds. Not sure what the deal is with that.

I feel so blah. I hope I can get on a regular schedule soon. When I got to my room to unpack, I found this diary and a couple shirts as well, having nice/funny things to say about being a dad. The presents and what was already written in the journal were sweet and I teared up a bit. I think I'm going to unpack fully

A Brief Introduction

This is Cathy, David's wife.

A few months ago, David decided he wanted to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and help the victims of Hurricane Katrina rebuild. Come to find out, he couldn't help out because of his asthma. A few weeks later, he was given the opportunity to sign up with a group going to Guatemala to help out this summer. He jumped at the chance.

He was gone for two weeks and has just returned. In his suitcase, the children and I hid a journal for him, as well as some shirts to remind him of us. Upon his return, I found the journal to be filled with his thoughts while on his trip. I was so happy :)

I thought it would be nice to get the journal entries typed up and all in one place so that our family and friends could read all about David's trip. He has lots of pictures, too. My hope is that he will continue where this journal leaves off with some more stories and he will post his pictures here as well.

Enjoy!!!!
-Cathy