O is for OCOTE

O is for Ocote. Ocote is the word for pine in Nahuatl. Ocote is a type of pine high on rosins and very flammable. It is sold in little bunches and used to start a fire. The wood lights up easily with just a match and creates a big flame that can start a fire.

CH is for Chocobanano

CH! Yes CH is a letter in the spanish dictionary with its own section of entries.

Chocobanano is a chocolate covered banana on a stick, totally worth breaking my diet...

In the picture @ my masters program eating the chocobananos Guillermo so kindly brought us!

Posts part of the series A, B, C, CH, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.

GOT THE STORY

Father, 80 years old, wife, two sons and 4 grandkids were waiting for older son whom they hadn´t seen for 7 years. He was coming from Washington through Miami. They were immediately driving back to Todos Santos an 8 hour drive, so they will arrive tomorrow at 5 am.

Wainting for loved ones

Men, woman and children of Todos Santos, Huhuetenango @ gt city airport.
Sent from my mobile. CIAV, Cambiando Vidas

PATOJO in fact PATOJO CHISPUDO

Patojo is quite the colloquial word, the closest I can think of is "guy/dude". Patojo is a young male. Patoja a young female. If you ask someone how old are you, and you are still young, people might say "Oh, you are still patojo". A parent my refer to their kids as "his patojos". A woman going out with a young fellow has "her patojo". If you go somewhere to buy something and need help carrying something you might ask "Can you send me a patojo to help me".

At this place, in the picture, they are looking for a patojo, a young fellow, no academic background needed, to run errands, do cleaning, pick up stuff, make deliveries and do anything and everything required by the "patrono" (boss).

The added requirement for the hired patojo is that he is a patojo chispudo, chispudo meaning sharp. Other guatemalan colloquial words for chispudo: buzo, pilas!!!

TOWN FUNERAL

In small towns you can still see funeral processions marching down the road. Below people are following the funeral car and a truck with the flower. In other cases the casket is carried by the men.

I SAW THE SIGN

On the way to Xela past the turn to Atitlán we got pulled over at a police check point. As the police was checking our papers I took a picture of this sign. Apparently people that get pulled over or that are waiting for the bus feel they need to relieve themselves here....

The sign reads Prohivido (which really is spelled prohibido) orinar no sea.... [picture of a pig]. "Peeing Prohibited don´t be a pig"

ARTESIAN ROOF SHINGLES

Two weeks ago I went to El Tejar, Chimaltenango. El Tejar is known for the bricks, tiles and shingles (teja) made by hand from clay and baked in primitive ovens. When one drives past El Tejar seems like every other house is a teja producer, the obvious guess why the town is called El Tejar.

Here is a video of a man making tejas. It takes him 1 minute and 9 second to make one, if he can keep the rhythm steady he will make about 400 tejas a day. After being made they sit under the sun, then they are transfered and piled up to dry more to finally be put in a wood fire oven. The will be sold at Q1.50 to Q2.00 each. My guess is the artesian will make tops 50 cents of a quetzales per shingles (8 US cents).

This is yet another story "spork" story. The sporks are those spoon and forks in one. You can scoop and you can stab! The same with these stories you are amazed by the labor but stabbed by the poverty and conditions of the people involved.

Another artesian making floor tiles:

The oven