HOME MADE FLOATIES

There is a saying I love: "No necesito tecomates para nadar" I don't need gourds to swim, meaning you are self sufficient or confident to do your own thing. The expression comes from using gourds as floaties to swim.

In this pic a boy en Santiago Atitlan swimming with modern gourds: two empty double liter bottles of soda tied with a string.

Chow Mein Tostadas

I have heard about them but never eaten one. Yesterday I ate two. They have become a staple to be found with street food vendors. They are cheap, filling and easy eat... no forks required. This one was prepared by Blanquita was gracious to feed us at the posada she received her house!

17 years old in Guatemala.

Yesterday I went to purchase my Christmas tree at a farm and met this boy in the picture.

The story: He is from Alta Verapaz works in Chimaltenango (about 9 hour travel going through the city). He has been working in the farm for 1 year (and seemed contet with it) They do about three 3-month engaments. He lives at the farm with 50-100 men, they plant, trim and cut trees.

He finished 7th grade and says he wants to study but with this type of work he can't and probably never will.
I talked to him about a high school program on the radio and he seemed interested, since in his dialect he yelled at his friend the frequency of the station. Will he be driven enough to find out? Will he be encouraged by his peers? At work will they let him go register?

It takes a personal commitment of everyone in Guatemala to raise the level of education of our Nation. We all know someone who is not schooled and some of us, if we have people working for us, do even more. Ourselves and our companies need to commit to setting the conditions to raise the education level of those who work with us.

Echando el Lustre

At corner in Zone 1..... Morning ritual. Some start the day with a Starbucks others with a shoe shine.

Breakfast at Central Market

Guatemala city is a very often skipped destination for most tourists, yet there are many places to enjoy and experience the local feel.

In the picture having breakfast with friends at the multilevel Mercado Central in Zone one Guatemala city. Women call in customers as they pass by people, lottery ticket vendors walking through the aisles and an athmosphere of commerce!

Great way to start the day then walk through produce vendors sorrounded by color, then move up one floor to the handcrafts level.

San Isidro

At the Colonial Museum of Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua this image of San Isidro is found.
That of course reminds me of the nursery rhyme:
"San Isidro labrador
Quita el Agua y pon el sol."

A rhyme said by kids like: rain, rain, go away.....

Dr. Pepper

At Paiz... Hmm. Not the way to fight hunger but a fun surprise to find them at my local Guatemala supermarket.

Farmers Market

Now I don't have to miss out on safe and clean farmers markets like the one in Boulder and Lawrence we used to go. Commercial Centers are welcoming on Saturdays vendors with fresh produce!
This farmers market at Cayala Zone 16.

Blackberries from Sumpango

Grown in Sumpango, Chimaltenango, hand picked,

  head carried (with baby on back) and shipped to the US. 

These berries will be in a supermarket near you by noon tomorrow.

 All with the technical help of the government of Taiwan.

Independence Parade Sumpamgo

Band of young and older kids playing Dancing Queen!!!

Guatemala vs Antigua and Barbuda

This is the game in Guatemala last friday, today the same game in Antigua and Barbuda hopefully with less water. Going for Brasil 2014...
This picture: Mateo Flores Stadium Guatemala City.

Always appalling

This is a scene always appaling. As I have said before there is something in our culture that makes us not value life strong enough... Are we not aware of our dignity?

El patio de mi casa...

This patio in a restaurant in Antigua with this gorgeous "pila" reminded me of this children's rhyme:

El patio de mi casa no es particular, se lava y se plancha como los demas...

The yard in my house is not a particular one, there is washing and ironing like in any other one....

Hondurean Casabe

A sincretic Casabe brought by my feminist friend Pili. I say sincretic because of the way we are eating it with cheese an asparragus. I also say sincretic because it is the word of the day from the feminist course we arein. That is how we modern and post modern women are.

Anyway Casabe is a flat bread made of yuca ( a root). A garifuna dish prepared with butter and garlic powder.

It is yummy, thanks Pili!

MORENITAS

I always thought it was Morenitas not Morenitos. I guess is the feminist in me.
Once you unwrap them they look like a peanut thus a peanut taste might be expected.

Anyway have not seen these candy for a while. They brought me back to my childhood. The are milk candy, kind if dulce the leche but hard.

They are good and as far as I know or want to know they are Guatemalan made by the factory "Gallito". Morenita means "Tan".

Then I stood corrected and it turned out it is a Costa Rican factory. And I was also reminded about the morenitAs ice-cream. Will blog about them another day.

Medalla de plata. Silver Medal

All Guatemala and Guatemalans are celebrating the first Olympic Silver Medal of Guatemala by our National Hero Erick Barrondo. On the light the scrolling announcement of the "medalla de PLATA"

Erick Barrondo of Guatemala got the silver, the first medal of any color at any games for that country. He said he hoped it would inspire people in his violence-ridden home country.

"It is a country that has suffered much, but that also has dreams," he said. "If somebody tomorrow changes a gun or a knife for a pair of shoes and begins to train for a sport, I would be the happiest person on earth."

Barrondo, who bought a TV for the family so they could watch him compete in the Olympics, called the medal "the greatest blessing that life has given me."

Book:Terrorizing Women - Femicide in Guatemala

Click on the image to be taken to the post I wrote about this book and especifically the contribution of Guatemalan lawyer, academic and pro women activist  Hilda Morales Trujillo.

Hotel Puente Viejo Jalapa

Very nice hotel in Jalapa. Has a nice conference room were we shared a workshop with teachers and principals from the area. Clean, spacious areas, nice restaurant and friendly people!

Jumay Volcano

Volcan Jumay is in Jalapa. Jalapa is called The Oriental Climatological city by its locals. The weather today in fact was perfect about 75 degrees with some breeze.

Ana Sofia Gomez

Fabuolous image in El PERIODICO. Ana Sofia Gomez Guatemalan gymast qualified today for the next round.