TECHNOLOGICAL MAN

El Hombre Tecnológico, is the name of this sculpture by Guatemalan/Swiss sculptor Walter Peter Brunner. 

One day reading Luisfi´s blog I saw a picture of this sculpture and immediately  knew I had seen this somewhere. Well sure enough it is in the lobby of a building I visit because I do some business with people who have offices there. I thought, next time I go I will have to stop, admire and share. So here it is. 

The description of the sculpture in Walter Peter´s website reads:

Technological Man 

The Technological Man is personified by a human figure front, high-relief and partly in 

medium relief, holding in one hand the light of reason, of creative imagination, illuminating 

the world, humanity, symbolized by a crystal sphere, expressing the importance and power of 

technological development in the practical application of science. The Technological Man is 

going through a surface in a grid technology; upright with a look at the sky, expressing how 

the man manages to break barriers and paradigms through the unrestricted use of reason, in 

order to achieve great challenges: "Technology is not limits. " The finishing of the human 

figure is pure graphite, giving even more metallic look and technology. 

Resin and powder marble, graphite, fiberglass, steel and iron, Total height: 2.6m, sculpture: 1.50m, back 

surface: 2 m. It is located in the lobby of Technology Campus Building at Cuatro Grados Norte in Guatemala 

City. 

“Technology is an applied science, i.e., it translates the discoveries of theoretical science into 

practical application to man’s life. As such, technology is not the first step in the development 

of a given body of knowledge, but the last; it is not the most difficult step, but it is the 

ultimate step, the implicit purpose, of man’s quest for knowledge.” 

[“Apolo 11,”TO, Sept. 1969,9.] 

"Technology finds no barriers for man´s progress, when reason illuminates humanity."

If you know spanish you might enjoy the description written in Siglo XXI Newspaper by Karen Cancinos.

PS. I remember Walter Peter´s dad, Walter Peter K, with deep appreciation. He was my swimming teacher at the RITZ hotel 30 years ago! Legend has it he was so fit because he ran up the Pacaya volcano everyday for his daily training.

SAYINGS: NI MUCHO QUE QUEME AL SANTO NI TAN POCO QUE NO LO ALUMBRE

Ni mucho que queme al santo ni tan poco que no lo alumbre literal translation is: Not so much that it could burn the Saint and not so little that it won´t illuminate it.

A saying one would use to say everything needs to be in the right amount. Example: Rain is good for the crops but the amount of rain that has fallen in Guatemala lately is too much!


In the picture: The Virgin of La Merced. 

COMPASSION GUATEMALA

Two weeks ago we were driving to a meeting with the people of Compassion. It was raining outside and from our car window we saw this little girl watching the trash flow on a stream of water,  no shoes, no mom to tell her to come in from the rain, cars zooming by on the way to work. It has taken a while to wrap my head around this image, unfortunately not a rare image in Guatemala.

At the language school I work we have an in company program with the Guatemala Compassion Chapter and it then happened that a reader asked me permission to post a compassion fundraiser in the Guatemalan Genes Facebook. I realized it was the same organization we were talking about and it sparked my interest, we are figuring out ways that we can provide scholarships to children through Compassion. I am thrilled about being introduced to this ministry and I am happy to endorse it.

Below are some links to the blogging trip made to Guatemala you can find a lot of information there and perhaps decide to sponsor a child in Guatemala!

http://www.aholyexperience.com
http://www.lindseynobles.com
http://thegypsymama.com
http://babybangs.blogspot.com
http://blog.compassion.com

The "Lunch Truck" less the truck.

Here is the lunch that was dropped off by the truck. A corner in Zone 12 where in a few hours a vendor will soon be surrounded with factory workers buying lunch. The menu perhaps meat on a tortilla, sausage in a tortilla, rice and some cooked veggies.

LENGUA

Lengua is Spanish for  tongue and the name of this sweet bread that takes me back to my childhood.

The Lengua  is a baguette type dough with sugar on top. More crunch than dough since it is flat. It costs Q1.75 and cost Q0.15  when I used to run out to the bread delivery blue van which came every afternoon at 4:00pm to our block.

Puente de las Vacas

Puente de las Vacas is the train bridge (not in use anymore), built in 1907 and the car bridge is Puente Belice. Road to the Atlantic.

RICARDO ARJONA NEW RELEASE

Like my friend Ruben apparently Ricardo Arjona is also infatuated with Cuba.....

The first release of his new album Poquita Ropa is the single Puente (Caribe) a song about Habana, Cuba.

Ricardo Arjona is the most successful (measured by fame and money) Guatemalan singer and composer in history. HE REALLY IS OUTSTANDING!



  

Uncle Sam, The Statue of Liberty and Elvis at the Mall

A campaign for CITI bank.
Sent from my mobile. CIAV, Cambiando Vidas

OUR GUATEMALAN GIVERNY

This is Nicole painting in our Guatemalan 'Giverny Garden', sponsored by my mom´s green thumb!

MONUMENTO A LA MADRE: JOCOTENANGO, SACATEPEQUEZ

 Monumento a la Madre in Jocotenango Sacatepéquez

I had thought about doing a series of Monuments to the Mother for a long time, I have even thought about doing a picture book. I was reluctant to do it because the reason most of them have grabbed my attention is for how unattractive they are (with some exceptions), nonetheless I did it  it because I couldn't hold it anymore and I am sure they are all done with great love!

Others from the series:

Monumento a la Madre Livingston Izabal

MONUMENTO A LA MADRE: LIVINGSTON IZABAL

  Monumento a la Madre in Livingston Izabal. 1965

I had thought about doing a series of Monuments to the Mother for a long time, I have even thought about doing a picture book. I was reluctant to do it because the reason most of them have grabbed my attention is for how unattractive they are (with some exceptions), nonetheless I did it  it because I couldn't hold it anymore and I am sure they are all done with great love!

Others from the series:

Monumento a la Madre Jocotenango, Sacatepequez

New monument: Plaza República

@ 11:20: Zone 4. Don't know much. I'll find out...

Later in the day...... Ok, here is the scoop. This monument was created by Guatemalan sculptor, and olympic athlete, Max Leiva. It is an obelisk raised by three human figures. The sculptures represents  unity and strength, a collective effort that seeks the construction of a better life. The work of art talks about the human being equilibrium.

The sculpture is 19 meters high, weighs 5 tons and  was installed in Plaza República: 7th avenue Zone 4 the 1st of June 2010.

Centro Civico

Sent from my mobile. CIAV, Cambiando Vidas

SAN PEDRO LAS HUERTAS, SACATEPEQUEZ

South of Antigua, tucked  between Ciudad Vieja and San Juan del Obispo is San Pedro Las Huertas. There I took this picture of one of the various water fountains along main street. People come to fill containers with water for personal use.
There might be  no running water set up at their houses  or if there is water might run only on certain hours, thus the need to go get water at the "chorro público", public faucet. ACTUALLY  I STOOD CORRECTED BY ANTIGUADAILYPHOTO who explained that in the case of San Pedro Las Huertas  the public faucets are preferred  by the locals because the water from the public faucets comes from a spring vs the running water at home.

YOUR STUFFED ANIMALS AND DOLLS EXTENDED JOY

Have you ever wondered how far can a donation of your used clothes or toys  might travel?

At this corner in Villanueva a municipio of the department Guatemala (municipio is to county what department is to state). A woman is arranging her Sunday sale: used stuffed animals and dolls that she bought from a "Paca" vendor.

Paca is bale, bale of articles. Donations are tightly packed in bales and sold by the pound.  Bale sizes start at 100 pounds all the way to 1000 pounds.  From what I researched the price per pound to importers starts as $0.20 per pound and can go to $1.00 or more. The price will vary  depending on the type of 'paca': only women`s clothes, only kid's clothes, mixed clothes, only toys, casual, jackets, shoes, grade A, grade B, winter, summer etc.  In country pacas are re sold also by the pound with a margin above the cost of the bale itself and the cost to import it. Importers are not usually the retailers, they sell complete or broken down bales to people who in a garage, market, small shop or the street, reach low cost communities. The retailers will sell articles depending on condition, brand name, location of the shop, etc for Q0.50 to Q50.00 a piece.

View Larger Map

KFC in Guatemala.

This is the second KFC in Guatemala, inaugurated today. There was a line wrapping around the building and a 20 car line at the drive thru, so we decided to drive to the other one but as you can see in the picture the line was equally long!
I can't report the taste of the chicken since I am vegetarian but the sides were great.

SAN MIGUEL PETAPA - GUATEMALA-

View Larger Map

San Miguel Petapa all municipios of the department of Guatemala. Municipio is to county what department is to state.

These municipios are now bedroom communities offering low cost homes. They are highly populated and growing in services and houses.

Driving by the central park of San Miguel Petapa I took the picture above. It caught my eye for what it says. "WELCOME TO SAN MIGUEL PETAPA DR. RAFITA`S ADMINISTRATION".  Rafita is the nick name for  Dr. Rafael González mayor of the city.  (Rafaels are called Rafa or even sweeter "Rafita").

San Miguel Petapa is about 8km from the Volcan de Pacaya and was extremely affected by the recent ash rain and Agatha Hurricane.

Flea market Villanueva

Sent from my mobile. CIAV, Cambiando Vidas

I, Guatemalan Genes, in Amiga Magazine, August 2010


It reads:
Cynthia Rothwell describes herself as a hardcore Chapina, in love with
her country. That is why in her blog, written in English, she has been
writing since 2008 about cultural aspects in a wide spectrum of
topics: gastronomy, the reality of our everyday life or our impact
the US Culture, to even assessments about our future. If you know
English this a must read it will give you a different perspective
about Guatemala. www.guatemalangenes.com
Page 49. Revista Amiga Guatemala. August 2010

SATURDAY AT LATIN AMERICAN HERITAGE CAMP (Part 3)

Breakfast was at the cabin. The girls were voluntarily getting ready to go...

For the kids it was  a day of more fun, during the day depending of the age there was horse back-riding, canoeing, rock climbing and various other activities:

For lunch like the day before we had to pick the kids  up to enjoy the picnic. We had ours  at the lunch area in the main building while watching the US-Ghana, World Cup game.  (Final score Ghana 2 - US 1) :-(

Adults could choose to attend cooking classes, dancing classes and adoption topics workshops. I had a presentation on Quinceañera (once I do the Alfombras Webinar I will do a Quinceañera one, stay tuned). This presentation was not well attended because it coincided with dance rehearsal, which was for my girls the highlight of the day.

In the evening the Fiesta started with a dance routine by every age group followed by a live band which made everyone dance, that was my highlight!

The icing on the cake was meeting Riley on my youngest readers. She is a great dancer!

Credits for most of the pictures LAHC memory pack.