Gracias a todos por seguiendo mi mes en Xela. He gozado mucho el viaje, y pienso que he aprendido un poco del idioma español tambien. Mis estudios todavía no estan terminados, pero estoy listo para continuar en los Estados Unidos. (¡Probablamente ya hay muchos errores en esta párrafo!) Espero que tu encontras algo interesante en mi blog; yo me divertidé en compartiendo mis aventuras. ¡Gracias por tu interés, y gracias a Dios por esta oportunidad!
It´s going to be a while before I feel pretty comfortable expressing myself in Spanish totally. Poco a poco. But thanks for tagging along with me on this journey. Hopefully there was something of interest in it for you.
As I´m about to commence an even grander adventure, I´ve set up another blog that I´m going to try to maintain. I think that for many of us, the seminary is equally as mysterious as Guatemala. Xela was easy to blog about.. lots of great images, many amazing stories that really just wrote themselves. In the seminary, I imagine that I´ll have less time and more responsibility, so I don´t know for how long I´ll be able to keep it going. But I´ll try to blog long enough to answer the immediate questions people might wonder about. And the one thing I promise is that it will be a much less furious and fast-paced blog.. one, maybe two posts a week max.. the only reason this one was so crazy is that I only had a month here!
So anyway, thanks for putting up with my meandering prose and my sub-standard picture-taking! If you are interested in Jeff 2.0, check out http://JeffAtTheMount.blogspot.com/ (well, after a couple of weeks when there´s something interesting there!).
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Last day :(
Before I talk about today, let me correct a gaping hole from yesterday´s post.. I forgot to mention the big one.. Derrick, stop reading now. About 5:45 AM yesterday (I was already awake) I was greeted by a lovely shaking of the house. I thought maybe a large truck was driving by. Nope, earthquake. Apparently they happen fairly regularly around here, because of the volcano. Nobody was particularly worried, but there was enough talk about it at school to make me think it doesn´t happen every week. I was actually pretty pleased, since I missed the earthquake in D.C. four weeks ago today (actually, I was awake and cleaning my apartment for the big move-out.. but I failed to notice it.. to be fair, no one in my building seemed to notice it, although everyone else in D.C. did.. yay for my building!)
Well today indeed is my last day in Xela (if you don´t count the four hours I will be sleeping/packing tomorrow morning). Began the day with class with Loyola, although to be honest it was a bit hard to concentrate. Still we managed to squeeze in another two-and-a-half tenses. Progress til the end, no? (By the way, regarding my diction and grammar.. my English has suffered tremendously.. I´m forgetting words in English, and I don´t yet know them in Spanish.. leads to a terrible combination.. yesterday, for instance, I couldn´t think of the word turmeric to save my life.. but this was readily apparently at the cooking class yesterday when one of the other students said to me, "You have a name?", which, in my defense is a very Spanish way of asking the question in-and-of itself, and unsure of her exact meaning, I responded,"of me?".. everyone laughed, so at least I can still entertain even if I can´t speak properly.) Anyway, Loyola gave me a most wonderful gift, a book cover for my new Spanish Bible, made in a Mayan style. I´ll have to take a picture of it and add it here soon, but it is beautiful and incredibly thoughtful!
After class, I graduated. Every week there is an optional themed graduation party. Usually at night, this one took place at lunch time, and the teachers cooked for us. They grilled all these vegetables in the courtyard of the school, and the carne asada was perhaps the most delicious meat I have eaten, outside of a chorizzo-filled burrito from Qdoba. At the end, we were handed our diplomas, and we were asked to make a short speech showing off our newfound Spanish. Unfortunately for me, I followed the 11-year-old and 10-year-old, so I sounded pretty pathetic in comparison. Still, there´s no point in learning if I don´t make a fool of myself trying to use it at times. (Which reminds me, Edna, Abb, anyone else who speaks Spanish, that´s all we´re going to use from now on.. to try to give me as much practice as possible to force me to continue to improve.) My camera was in my pocket, but I was having too much fun to take pictures. Between this and the book cover, it must be "last day sickness" where you forget to use your camera!
I was sorely tempted, after class, to attend one last excursion. There was a horse ride in the countryside, and it was awfully inviting.. there was a limit of four students, and the other three students going were my new friends Shona, Kirsten, and Agnes.. and since I couldn´t get to Tikal this year (site of famous Mayan pyramids.. the trip started today and completes on Monday), it would have been a nice end to the week. But I really have too much to get done (including coordinating my pick-up in D.C. as well writing this blog entry), so I had to pass.
Instead, I stopped over at the Mennonite bakery that is only open on Tuesdays and Fridays. Yes, those Mennonites. It´s lore around here that their bakery is just slightly under Tikal in terms of things to see while in Guatemala. Bought some cupcakes and pastries for the family tonight for dinner.. I´ll reserve my judgment until then.
Going to get to Mass one last time tonight, and then try to get an early bedtime so that I get a few hours before the bus ride back through the carretera that is half-washed away. My flight isn´t until 2:30 PM, and the trip from Xela shouldn´t take more than 5 hours max, so leaving at 4:15 AM should give me oceans of time.. but just last week, it took one bus 7 hours to travel the road, so I´m leaving nothing to chance. (My Spanish is better now, but I don´t think that it is good enough to negotiate well for a replacement flight!) I don´t expect problems though..
By the way, right now I´m eating a very unusal snack that is worth talking about. Wish I had my camera to take a picture. It´s a 2"x2" square cookie that is rather bland but has bits of strawberry interspersed in it. It is topped by four mini marshmallows (two white, two pink) and coconut. It´s odd, but really good. And of course, my new favorite, coke in a glass bottle. I´ll miss that when I´m back home.
I´ve had a great time this last month. As soon as I get home, I´ll start collecting names for whoever wants to return with me next year!
Well today indeed is my last day in Xela (if you don´t count the four hours I will be sleeping/packing tomorrow morning). Began the day with class with Loyola, although to be honest it was a bit hard to concentrate. Still we managed to squeeze in another two-and-a-half tenses. Progress til the end, no? (By the way, regarding my diction and grammar.. my English has suffered tremendously.. I´m forgetting words in English, and I don´t yet know them in Spanish.. leads to a terrible combination.. yesterday, for instance, I couldn´t think of the word turmeric to save my life.. but this was readily apparently at the cooking class yesterday when one of the other students said to me, "You have a name?", which, in my defense is a very Spanish way of asking the question in-and-of itself, and unsure of her exact meaning, I responded,"of me?".. everyone laughed, so at least I can still entertain even if I can´t speak properly.) Anyway, Loyola gave me a most wonderful gift, a book cover for my new Spanish Bible, made in a Mayan style. I´ll have to take a picture of it and add it here soon, but it is beautiful and incredibly thoughtful!
After class, I graduated. Every week there is an optional themed graduation party. Usually at night, this one took place at lunch time, and the teachers cooked for us. They grilled all these vegetables in the courtyard of the school, and the carne asada was perhaps the most delicious meat I have eaten, outside of a chorizzo-filled burrito from Qdoba. At the end, we were handed our diplomas, and we were asked to make a short speech showing off our newfound Spanish. Unfortunately for me, I followed the 11-year-old and 10-year-old, so I sounded pretty pathetic in comparison. Still, there´s no point in learning if I don´t make a fool of myself trying to use it at times. (Which reminds me, Edna, Abb, anyone else who speaks Spanish, that´s all we´re going to use from now on.. to try to give me as much practice as possible to force me to continue to improve.) My camera was in my pocket, but I was having too much fun to take pictures. Between this and the book cover, it must be "last day sickness" where you forget to use your camera!
I was sorely tempted, after class, to attend one last excursion. There was a horse ride in the countryside, and it was awfully inviting.. there was a limit of four students, and the other three students going were my new friends Shona, Kirsten, and Agnes.. and since I couldn´t get to Tikal this year (site of famous Mayan pyramids.. the trip started today and completes on Monday), it would have been a nice end to the week. But I really have too much to get done (including coordinating my pick-up in D.C. as well writing this blog entry), so I had to pass.
Instead, I stopped over at the Mennonite bakery that is only open on Tuesdays and Fridays. Yes, those Mennonites. It´s lore around here that their bakery is just slightly under Tikal in terms of things to see while in Guatemala. Bought some cupcakes and pastries for the family tonight for dinner.. I´ll reserve my judgment until then.
Going to get to Mass one last time tonight, and then try to get an early bedtime so that I get a few hours before the bus ride back through the carretera that is half-washed away. My flight isn´t until 2:30 PM, and the trip from Xela shouldn´t take more than 5 hours max, so leaving at 4:15 AM should give me oceans of time.. but just last week, it took one bus 7 hours to travel the road, so I´m leaving nothing to chance. (My Spanish is better now, but I don´t think that it is good enough to negotiate well for a replacement flight!) I don´t expect problems though..
By the way, right now I´m eating a very unusal snack that is worth talking about. Wish I had my camera to take a picture. It´s a 2"x2" square cookie that is rather bland but has bits of strawberry interspersed in it. It is topped by four mini marshmallows (two white, two pink) and coconut. It´s odd, but really good. And of course, my new favorite, coke in a glass bottle. I´ll miss that when I´m back home.
I´ve had a great time this last month. As soon as I get home, I´ll start collecting names for whoever wants to return with me next year!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Winding down...
One more day left! Unbelievable! And then I have to leave Xela at 4:00 AM on the early-morning bus. And so much left to talk about. I´m having to jettison story-after-story... oh well. Today, then, I´ll give a few quick hits that may have absolutely nothing to do with each other.
Okay, so first of all, what´s with those Aggies? They get absolutely everywhere!
So this blanket? covers something at a little store near to my house. No idea what they sell.. but I always think of it as the A&M Store.
There is actually a point here, though. It is amazing the amount of clothing and branded apparel from the United States here. Sure name brands are to be expected, but you would not believe the amount of junk that has been plastered with college logos, English phrases, etc. I used to think that the clothing trade was a one way street, from Guatemala to the U.S. via Old Navy... at least, half of my wardrobe is from Guatemala. John´s too. But apparently we trade our excess branded stuff for their ringer tees. My guess is that Guatemala makes a ready-made market for U.S. things that won´t sell. And here, the people will use it pretty regularly. There might be more college gear worn here than in the U.S. So sorry, Amy, Jason, Ashley.. despite the image, these guys *aren´t* whooping it up down here.
Second, can I just say that Coke in a bottle tastes a zillion times better than in a stupid plastic bottle.
I´m thinking of starting a campaign to bring back the glass to the U.S.
Thirdly, since I have already shown the host family, I figured I should complete the picture by showing my roommate for the first two weeks. Introducing, Doug...
Doug was here with his daughter, Bree for one month. He helped me negotiate around Xela when I first got here. Thanks, Doug!
This morning, I took Loyola out to breakfast to thank her for all her patience and hard work. She brought me to this nice little restaurant at the top of a building overlooking Central Park. Good food, good company, what else could you ask for?
How about a good view?
This afternoon, we had another cooking class. This time, Rellenitos, which is a simple dish. First you cook plantains in boiling water, then you mash them. (There seems to be some confusion as to whether bananas and plantains are the same fruit.. I had always believed that they were different.. since a banana is sweet, and a plantain is not.. but apparently it is not so simple.. in Spain, they are exactly the same.. and it seems that about half of the people in Xela do not distinguish other than size.. so the jury´s still out, but these were *definitely* plantains!)
In the meantime, you need to heat puréed black beans on the stove, mixing them with a fair amount of sugar.
Next, you roll the mashed plantains into flat tortillas and scoop some of the bean-sugar mixture.
You roll the tortilla closed, and then fry it in a bit of oil.
Next you cover with thick cream and some more sugar. What´s not to like? Shona from Scotland certainly like them!
¡Ay carumba! I´m late for dinner! (By the way, I´m not actually sure that that *is* a Spanish expression.. at least I haven´t come across it yet.. it may only be the property of Bart Simpson and Señor Don Gato!) Gotta run.. I´ll try to post again tomorrow on my last day (*sniff, sniff*).
Okay, so first of all, what´s with those Aggies? They get absolutely everywhere!
So this blanket? covers something at a little store near to my house. No idea what they sell.. but I always think of it as the A&M Store.
There is actually a point here, though. It is amazing the amount of clothing and branded apparel from the United States here. Sure name brands are to be expected, but you would not believe the amount of junk that has been plastered with college logos, English phrases, etc. I used to think that the clothing trade was a one way street, from Guatemala to the U.S. via Old Navy... at least, half of my wardrobe is from Guatemala. John´s too. But apparently we trade our excess branded stuff for their ringer tees. My guess is that Guatemala makes a ready-made market for U.S. things that won´t sell. And here, the people will use it pretty regularly. There might be more college gear worn here than in the U.S. So sorry, Amy, Jason, Ashley.. despite the image, these guys *aren´t* whooping it up down here.
Second, can I just say that Coke in a bottle tastes a zillion times better than in a stupid plastic bottle.
I´m thinking of starting a campaign to bring back the glass to the U.S.
Thirdly, since I have already shown the host family, I figured I should complete the picture by showing my roommate for the first two weeks. Introducing, Doug...
Doug was here with his daughter, Bree for one month. He helped me negotiate around Xela when I first got here. Thanks, Doug!
This morning, I took Loyola out to breakfast to thank her for all her patience and hard work. She brought me to this nice little restaurant at the top of a building overlooking Central Park. Good food, good company, what else could you ask for?
How about a good view?
This afternoon, we had another cooking class. This time, Rellenitos, which is a simple dish. First you cook plantains in boiling water, then you mash them. (There seems to be some confusion as to whether bananas and plantains are the same fruit.. I had always believed that they were different.. since a banana is sweet, and a plantain is not.. but apparently it is not so simple.. in Spain, they are exactly the same.. and it seems that about half of the people in Xela do not distinguish other than size.. so the jury´s still out, but these were *definitely* plantains!)
In the meantime, you need to heat puréed black beans on the stove, mixing them with a fair amount of sugar.
Next, you roll the mashed plantains into flat tortillas and scoop some of the bean-sugar mixture.
You roll the tortilla closed, and then fry it in a bit of oil.
Next you cover with thick cream and some more sugar. What´s not to like? Shona from Scotland certainly like them!
¡Ay carumba! I´m late for dinner! (By the way, I´m not actually sure that that *is* a Spanish expression.. at least I haven´t come across it yet.. it may only be the property of Bart Simpson and Señor Don Gato!) Gotta run.. I´ll try to post again tomorrow on my last day (*sniff, sniff*).
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
San Andres Xecul
Took another excursion this past Monday, to the nearby town of San Andres Xecul. Less rain than last time we made an out-of-town excursion, so that was good. And surprising.
Did I mention that we are in the rainy season? No, but I mean, the rainy part of the rainy season. So the rainy season lasts from April to October, I think, so it´s almost a joke to call it a "season". But within the rainy season, there is THE rainy season, which is basically all of August and September. And let me tell you, you definitely notice the difference! I didn´t mind so much the once- or twice-a-day rainstorms in July, but as soon as the month of August hit... SPLASH! It now rains at any and all times of the day. Steg, if I haven´t thanked you for the flip-flops before, they are wonderfully appreciated now!
Anyway, back to San Andres Xecul. We started by using taking three separate chicken busses to get out there. We kept forking over money.. but it came to like $1 total, I think, so I really can´t complain.
The first stop in San Andres Xecul (pronounced Sheh-COOL) was to la iglesia catolica, which is pretty impressive. It is evidently often used in marketing for the region due to its distinctive appearance.
Different, no? The inside of the church was also somewhat unique. Never before have I seen neon in the sanctuary.
It´s a shame that I didn´t find out until later that night, but the parish priest at this particular church is the cousin of Patricia, my host family mother! What a strange coincidence! (He wasn´t around, though, so I don´t feel too bad for not knowing ahead of time!)
After the parish, we headed up the hill.. to visit a different San Simon. I was going to fork over the 5Q this time for a picture for the blog, now that I understood a little better. But it was very dark in the room, and besides, this San Simon didn´t look half as good as Zunil´s version. Therefore, I passed yet again. Sorry, everyone!
But since we did go up the hill, I did get some incredible views of the city and the surrounding mountains. Of course, again, the camera failed to be as impressed as I was. I think I need to take lessons in how to speak camera-ese after my Spanish lessons are finished. But here´s maybe the best of the bunch. (Funny how the church stands out!)
Then, we visited a small chapel, up the hill (again) from the church. Look closely, it is different. I said that I like the image of the "ghosts with the Host", until another student pointed out that they were probably angels, which makes a lot more sense.
We also got to witness some Mayan ceremonies. This was very interesting, and I´ll talk more about it in a moment, but for now, just enjoy the photos.
Finally, to return to Xela, there was no chicken bus handy... but for a measly 3Q a head (about $0.38), this pickup truck was willing to drive us halfway back. So we clambered into the back of the truck for a pretty memorable and fun trip. (We then boarded a chicken bus for the rest of journey.)
All-in-all, a nice excursion.
I do want to talk for a moment about Mayan religious practices. But first, it is critical to understand the following things: (1) I am not speaking as the voice of the Catholic Church; (2) I am not speaking as an expert on all things Maya; and (3) in general, I´m pretty uninformed, so these are just my own random thoughts on the subject. They may be totally incoherent, or inaccurate, or both; the fault lies solely with my interpretation.
I find it very hard to classify the Maya religion. Indeed, I am not even sure that it is properly termed a "religion", as much as a philosophy with rites and ceremonies. Bear with me while I try to explain.
First of all, my understanding is that the vast majority of Mayans (I´m not even sure if it is "Mayans" or "Mayas", so that just shows my ignorance here!) who practice the Mayan religion are Christian. They believe in the Trinity and the salvific death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If my experience at Mass is anything to go by, they are very devoted to the church. They are Christians, plain-and-simple.
Well, maybe not "simple". There are Mayan holy books that mirror the Bible in many ways, and these books are still honored and studied. There are Mayan ceremonies, as clearly seen in the above pictures. And there are Mayan priests too. And all of this exists side-by-side, in harmony, with their Christian faith. To those of us in the United States, this seems very unusual; here, it is just a normal and natural part of life.
If I understand it correctly, Mayan life is patterned after the ideas of duality, harmony, and balance (my enumeration, not theirs!). Duality, as in light-and-dark, good-and-evil, life-and-death, etc. Harmony, as in all things being expressions of the totality of God´s single harmonious creation. Balance, as in taking and receiving, utilizing things from nature, but respecting and protecting it. To me, these concepts are more philosophical in nature than religious, but they appear to be the fundamental foundations to the Mayan ethos.
Enter Christianity. As far as I understand it, the conversion of the Maya to Christianity was relatively simple, because everything that the Maya believed in is compatible, indeed harmonious, with a true Christian lifestyle. There were resistors, of couse (see my post on San Simon), but in general, the conversion of the Mayan people to Christianity was much more smooth than that of the Incas, Aztecs, or other indiginous peoples of the Americas because the Maya did not see conflict.
For generations, however, well-meaning European Christians attempted to eradicate Mayan religious practices. After all, aren´t those "idols" on the Mayan altar above? That the Maya had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior was not enough; the pious Spanish wanted to ensure the salvation of the souls of the Maya by getting rid of all traces of pagan worship. Unsurprisingly, these ceremonies and practices went underground, where the Maya would worship with their Spanish conquerors openly, and continue to hand on the ancient traditions in secret. Loyola told me that Pope John Paul II finally lifted the ban on Guatemalan Catholics who wished to continue to participate in Mayan rites, understanding that they are not worshipping other gods or idols, but are a cultural expression of a way of life.
And yet, we still refer to it as the Mayan "religion". The God that is the object of worship in these Mayan ceremonies is the One True God. I am reminded of the tale in Acts of the Apostles, when Paul, visiting Athens, finds the altar dedicated to an unknown god, and uses it to teach the Athenians about God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. As Christians, we believe that revelation of God was perfected in Jesus Christ through Israel to the whole world. But since God can be known in other ways, albeit imperfectly, such as through the harmony of nature, or science, or philosophy, it is almost a no-brainer to think that the Maya, who were so adept at mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy, could have discovered an imperfect vision of God through observation and thought. When the Spaniards came to "complete the picture", they were more than happy to absorb the new information regarding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I'm about to study some ancient Greek philosophy, which purports to similar have similar imperfect understandings of God, so maybe I'll be wiser about these things in a few months. Probably not. But it is a fascinating topic, and I am continually amazed, perplexed, and filled with wonder at the ways of God. Every new piece of information that I learn reminds me of how little I actually know! Trying to weave these tidbits into a coherent thought takes a wiser man than me!
Anyway, if you´re still with me, it´s been fascinating to get a glimpse of the Maya. And no, 2012 is not going to be the end of the world. (Apparently it is really predicted as the climax of an ecological struggle that supposedly began in 1998... have we plugged that hole in the gulf yet? Just asking...) Anyway, I haven´t even begun to scratch the surface of the Maya.. but it is more intriguing than I could possibly have imagined!
Did I mention that we are in the rainy season? No, but I mean, the rainy part of the rainy season. So the rainy season lasts from April to October, I think, so it´s almost a joke to call it a "season". But within the rainy season, there is THE rainy season, which is basically all of August and September. And let me tell you, you definitely notice the difference! I didn´t mind so much the once- or twice-a-day rainstorms in July, but as soon as the month of August hit... SPLASH! It now rains at any and all times of the day. Steg, if I haven´t thanked you for the flip-flops before, they are wonderfully appreciated now!
Anyway, back to San Andres Xecul. We started by using taking three separate chicken busses to get out there. We kept forking over money.. but it came to like $1 total, I think, so I really can´t complain.
The first stop in San Andres Xecul (pronounced Sheh-COOL) was to la iglesia catolica, which is pretty impressive. It is evidently often used in marketing for the region due to its distinctive appearance.
Different, no? The inside of the church was also somewhat unique. Never before have I seen neon in the sanctuary.
It´s a shame that I didn´t find out until later that night, but the parish priest at this particular church is the cousin of Patricia, my host family mother! What a strange coincidence! (He wasn´t around, though, so I don´t feel too bad for not knowing ahead of time!)
After the parish, we headed up the hill.. to visit a different San Simon. I was going to fork over the 5Q this time for a picture for the blog, now that I understood a little better. But it was very dark in the room, and besides, this San Simon didn´t look half as good as Zunil´s version. Therefore, I passed yet again. Sorry, everyone!
But since we did go up the hill, I did get some incredible views of the city and the surrounding mountains. Of course, again, the camera failed to be as impressed as I was. I think I need to take lessons in how to speak camera-ese after my Spanish lessons are finished. But here´s maybe the best of the bunch. (Funny how the church stands out!)
Then, we visited a small chapel, up the hill (again) from the church. Look closely, it is different. I said that I like the image of the "ghosts with the Host", until another student pointed out that they were probably angels, which makes a lot more sense.
We also got to witness some Mayan ceremonies. This was very interesting, and I´ll talk more about it in a moment, but for now, just enjoy the photos.
Finally, to return to Xela, there was no chicken bus handy... but for a measly 3Q a head (about $0.38), this pickup truck was willing to drive us halfway back. So we clambered into the back of the truck for a pretty memorable and fun trip. (We then boarded a chicken bus for the rest of journey.)
All-in-all, a nice excursion.
I do want to talk for a moment about Mayan religious practices. But first, it is critical to understand the following things: (1) I am not speaking as the voice of the Catholic Church; (2) I am not speaking as an expert on all things Maya; and (3) in general, I´m pretty uninformed, so these are just my own random thoughts on the subject. They may be totally incoherent, or inaccurate, or both; the fault lies solely with my interpretation.
I find it very hard to classify the Maya religion. Indeed, I am not even sure that it is properly termed a "religion", as much as a philosophy with rites and ceremonies. Bear with me while I try to explain.
First of all, my understanding is that the vast majority of Mayans (I´m not even sure if it is "Mayans" or "Mayas", so that just shows my ignorance here!) who practice the Mayan religion are Christian. They believe in the Trinity and the salvific death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If my experience at Mass is anything to go by, they are very devoted to the church. They are Christians, plain-and-simple.
Well, maybe not "simple". There are Mayan holy books that mirror the Bible in many ways, and these books are still honored and studied. There are Mayan ceremonies, as clearly seen in the above pictures. And there are Mayan priests too. And all of this exists side-by-side, in harmony, with their Christian faith. To those of us in the United States, this seems very unusual; here, it is just a normal and natural part of life.
If I understand it correctly, Mayan life is patterned after the ideas of duality, harmony, and balance (my enumeration, not theirs!). Duality, as in light-and-dark, good-and-evil, life-and-death, etc. Harmony, as in all things being expressions of the totality of God´s single harmonious creation. Balance, as in taking and receiving, utilizing things from nature, but respecting and protecting it. To me, these concepts are more philosophical in nature than religious, but they appear to be the fundamental foundations to the Mayan ethos.
Enter Christianity. As far as I understand it, the conversion of the Maya to Christianity was relatively simple, because everything that the Maya believed in is compatible, indeed harmonious, with a true Christian lifestyle. There were resistors, of couse (see my post on San Simon), but in general, the conversion of the Mayan people to Christianity was much more smooth than that of the Incas, Aztecs, or other indiginous peoples of the Americas because the Maya did not see conflict.
For generations, however, well-meaning European Christians attempted to eradicate Mayan religious practices. After all, aren´t those "idols" on the Mayan altar above? That the Maya had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior was not enough; the pious Spanish wanted to ensure the salvation of the souls of the Maya by getting rid of all traces of pagan worship. Unsurprisingly, these ceremonies and practices went underground, where the Maya would worship with their Spanish conquerors openly, and continue to hand on the ancient traditions in secret. Loyola told me that Pope John Paul II finally lifted the ban on Guatemalan Catholics who wished to continue to participate in Mayan rites, understanding that they are not worshipping other gods or idols, but are a cultural expression of a way of life.
And yet, we still refer to it as the Mayan "religion". The God that is the object of worship in these Mayan ceremonies is the One True God. I am reminded of the tale in Acts of the Apostles, when Paul, visiting Athens, finds the altar dedicated to an unknown god, and uses it to teach the Athenians about God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. As Christians, we believe that revelation of God was perfected in Jesus Christ through Israel to the whole world. But since God can be known in other ways, albeit imperfectly, such as through the harmony of nature, or science, or philosophy, it is almost a no-brainer to think that the Maya, who were so adept at mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy, could have discovered an imperfect vision of God through observation and thought. When the Spaniards came to "complete the picture", they were more than happy to absorb the new information regarding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I'm about to study some ancient Greek philosophy, which purports to similar have similar imperfect understandings of God, so maybe I'll be wiser about these things in a few months. Probably not. But it is a fascinating topic, and I am continually amazed, perplexed, and filled with wonder at the ways of God. Every new piece of information that I learn reminds me of how little I actually know! Trying to weave these tidbits into a coherent thought takes a wiser man than me!
Anyway, if you´re still with me, it´s been fascinating to get a glimpse of the Maya. And no, 2012 is not going to be the end of the world. (Apparently it is really predicted as the climax of an ecological struggle that supposedly began in 1998... have we plugged that hole in the gulf yet? Just asking...) Anyway, I haven´t even begun to scratch the surface of the Maya.. but it is more intriguing than I could possibly have imagined!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
El viaje con mi familia
Yikes! I cannot believe that one week from today I will be entering Mount St. Mary Seminary, never mind that my Guatemalan adventure (at least Part I...) is almost over! And yet, I feel like I haven´t even gotten to tell half the story yet! ¡Qué lástima!
Well, let me share a bit about the weekend right now. My host family offered to take me to several local notable churches on Sunday, and I gladly accepted! So for about three hours on Sunday, papá Hugo, hermano Carlos, hermana Anna, and I spent some time in various locales in-and-around Xela.
Our first stop was the parish of St. Bartholomeo inside Xela. This church is located in the neighborhood where Hugo grew up. We didn´t get to peak inside the church (it was closed), but I got a pretty good shot from the outside.
Attached to the church is a children´s hospital, where about 70 children with special needs live and are cared for. It is a very impressive, modern facility. I didn´t take any pictures, for privacy reasons, but it was such a warm and loving environment, that it was very impressive. It is run by a group of nuns, who were incredibly warm and hospitable. Additionally, there were many volunteers there, at the time, helping the kids eat their lunch. This is obviously a community-wide effort, and something of which Xela can be very proud.
Although we didn´t go inside the parish, we did visit the chapel that is attached to the hospital. It is quite magnificent as well.
Here is a picture of the family with a gift from Hugo´s family. The icon was part of Hugo´s household for fifty years, before they generously offered it to the hospital for the chapel. (Don´t let their faces fool you.. these guys are *always* laughing!)
Behind the hospital and chapel is perhaps the most beautiful place I have seen in Xela, a peaceful garden with the Stations of the Cross and a replica of the Grotto at Lourdes. It is very new (about a year old), but it is open to the public at various times and is very peaceful.
Around the back of the Grotto is a replica of the tomb of Jesus. Muy impresionante.
Bidding adieu to San Bartolomeo (whoops, wrong language!), we then headed to the nearby town of Salcajá, where we took a peek at La Ermita, which is the oldest church in Central America (which makes me wonder if there are actually any older churches in all of the Americas.. certainly there cannot be any on the continent, right?). Wikipedia dates it at 1524. It is closed right now for renovation, apparently, but it still looked pretty awesome from a fuera.
From the ancient to the modern... our next and final stop was to a local seminary and retreat center. Run by the Benedictines, this seminary was atop a pretty steep hill/mountain. Seems like they always put these types of things up high!
And this shot is superfluous, but I love how the clouds appear both above the mountains, as well as below (the dark part in the middle is part of the mountains).
When we returned to the house, the family invited me to dine on Chinese food with them. Being Sunday, we are supposed to eat out at local restaurants, as to give our host families a break from cooking. But they generously offered to share yet another meal with me. I am very blessed to have been housed with these guys! (Patricia is seated next to Carlos.. the other woman is Patricia´s sister.)
What a great last weekend to share in Guatemala!
Just a few more quick thoughts.. since I'm running out of time.
First of all, I haven´t captured his likeness well, but does these images remind anyone in D.C. of anybody in particular?
His name is Josué, and he is the travel coordinator for CELAS Maya, as well as being a teacher. And from the side, especially when he is smiling or intent on his computer, he is the spitting image of Vic. He even sounds like him a bit. Uncanny. Oh, and he probably thinks that I´m stalking him, because I keep trying to get a photo of him when he looks like Vic!
And with regard to the dreaming thing.. I´m telling you, it´s crazy here. And it´s not just me.. the other day I overheard another girl talking to a friend on Skype at the internet cafe about her dreams, that they were much more vivid and crazy than normal. Not to bore you with tons more details, but here´s just another couple of examples.
Well, let me share a bit about the weekend right now. My host family offered to take me to several local notable churches on Sunday, and I gladly accepted! So for about three hours on Sunday, papá Hugo, hermano Carlos, hermana Anna, and I spent some time in various locales in-and-around Xela.
Our first stop was the parish of St. Bartholomeo inside Xela. This church is located in the neighborhood where Hugo grew up. We didn´t get to peak inside the church (it was closed), but I got a pretty good shot from the outside.
Attached to the church is a children´s hospital, where about 70 children with special needs live and are cared for. It is a very impressive, modern facility. I didn´t take any pictures, for privacy reasons, but it was such a warm and loving environment, that it was very impressive. It is run by a group of nuns, who were incredibly warm and hospitable. Additionally, there were many volunteers there, at the time, helping the kids eat their lunch. This is obviously a community-wide effort, and something of which Xela can be very proud.
Although we didn´t go inside the parish, we did visit the chapel that is attached to the hospital. It is quite magnificent as well.
Here is a picture of the family with a gift from Hugo´s family. The icon was part of Hugo´s household for fifty years, before they generously offered it to the hospital for the chapel. (Don´t let their faces fool you.. these guys are *always* laughing!)
Behind the hospital and chapel is perhaps the most beautiful place I have seen in Xela, a peaceful garden with the Stations of the Cross and a replica of the Grotto at Lourdes. It is very new (about a year old), but it is open to the public at various times and is very peaceful.
Around the back of the Grotto is a replica of the tomb of Jesus. Muy impresionante.
Bidding adieu to San Bartolomeo (whoops, wrong language!), we then headed to the nearby town of Salcajá, where we took a peek at La Ermita, which is the oldest church in Central America (which makes me wonder if there are actually any older churches in all of the Americas.. certainly there cannot be any on the continent, right?). Wikipedia dates it at 1524. It is closed right now for renovation, apparently, but it still looked pretty awesome from a fuera.
From the ancient to the modern... our next and final stop was to a local seminary and retreat center. Run by the Benedictines, this seminary was atop a pretty steep hill/mountain. Seems like they always put these types of things up high!
The seminary may be above the city, but it is not above the mountains!
And this shot is superfluous, but I love how the clouds appear both above the mountains, as well as below (the dark part in the middle is part of the mountains).
When we returned to the house, the family invited me to dine on Chinese food with them. Being Sunday, we are supposed to eat out at local restaurants, as to give our host families a break from cooking. But they generously offered to share yet another meal with me. I am very blessed to have been housed with these guys! (Patricia is seated next to Carlos.. the other woman is Patricia´s sister.)
What a great last weekend to share in Guatemala!
Just a few more quick thoughts.. since I'm running out of time.
First of all, I haven´t captured his likeness well, but does these images remind anyone in D.C. of anybody in particular?
His name is Josué, and he is the travel coordinator for CELAS Maya, as well as being a teacher. And from the side, especially when he is smiling or intent on his computer, he is the spitting image of Vic. He even sounds like him a bit. Uncanny. Oh, and he probably thinks that I´m stalking him, because I keep trying to get a photo of him when he looks like Vic!
And with regard to the dreaming thing.. I´m telling you, it´s crazy here. And it´s not just me.. the other day I overheard another girl talking to a friend on Skype at the internet cafe about her dreams, that they were much more vivid and crazy than normal. Not to bore you with tons more details, but here´s just another couple of examples.
- My family and the Straubs were re-roofing the house of E.J. and Betty (from St. Anthony´s).. it started to rain, and there was a leak.. when Gil got home (by this point, E.J. and Betty must have sold the house to Gil and Regina, because it was now theirs!) and saw the leak, he climbed up to the roof and found that someone has shingled over one of Grandma Ahern´s cups.. we all blamed Tori, although Mom admitted it might have been her.
- Adam and I decided to meet up for lunch.. five other people wanted to come with us, including Jamal, Mike Ferry, and my childhood classmate Matt King.. the restaurant that we wanted to go to had two entrances.. we chose to use the one located in Ethiopia.. we got in our go-carts to drive to Ethiopia.. when we got to the restaurant, they wouldn´t let us in yet.. it was 11:30 and the Price is Right was on, and they didn´t want to seat us, just in case any of us would be called to "come on down and be the next contestant on The Price is Right". (Jon, I can only imagine that Doug´s experience here was playing a part in my dream, but since I woke up before we got seated or called to be a contestant, I´ll never know if I won.)
- And I´m not even going to mention what that vixen Amy was doing...
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Ahh.. at last!
Perfecto. Ahora, no es necesario para regresar a los Estados Unidos.
Lunch tomorrow, Jason? Peter? Adam? Steg? Dave? Anyone?
Lunch tomorrow, Jason? Peter? Adam? Steg? Dave? Anyone?
Saturday, August 7, 2010
My Typical Day
Thought I would make a post describing my typical weekday. I realize that it is somewhat ironic to post it on Saturday, but so be it.
Here are a few shots of the Cathedral, to make this post not totally boring and bland. The pictures are pretty dark, though.. use your imagination to fill in the light that I cannot apparently capture.
First, this is the side chapel, at which Mass is sometimes celebrated during the week.
And the Cathedral proper...
Side altars...
And I love this last shot... dig the contrast...
Yes, that is a wide-screen flat-panel. In case you are wondering what the deal with the TV is.. the huge pillars that sustain the architecture obscure the view of the main altar from many of the pews. The TV actually broadcasts the Mass as it is occurring. I think it is also fed to a local television station at times. The modern appliance paired with the ancient-looking confessional make a great story, I think!
- 5:00 - Wake-up call by the local neighborhood rooster. Actually, this is the least consistent part of my day. Whoever said that roosters were good at keeping time needs to have their head examined. Sometimes the rooster goes off at 2:00 AM! But it is kind of funny, on those days, it only crows like two or three times before someone obviously kicks it to shut it up.
- 6:00 or 6:45 - El baño. This way it slides in nicely with the rest of the family, and my roommate (when I had one). The shower is interesting.. here, the shower head is used to heat up the water, rather than a water heater. Thus, the higher pressure and the more water you push through the head, the colder the water is (since it doesn´t have time to heat it up). Although to be honest, I cannot really figure out how to change the temperature. Fortunately, it is always pretty perfect temperature.
- 7:30 - El desayuno. Breakfast is usually with Elgar (Patricia´s architect nephew who lives at the house too), my roommate Doug (before he went back to the U.S.), and sometimes Patricia. Breakfast is always delicious.
- 7:50 - Leave for school. I timed it, it takes five minutes (not three). Still, pretty quick. If it happens to be laundry day, I leave five minutes before. (For the record, laundry day consists of dropping off a plastic shopping bag worth of dirty clothes at una lavandería, paying the shopkeep 25Q, or $3.. and coming back after school to find the clothes washed, folded, and loaded into a new bag.. awesome.)
- 8:00 - The bell rings to begin class. If it is Monday, you need to find your teacher (and perhaps meet him or her); otherwise, you know where you are studying for the week. My pattern with Loyola is to begin with some conversation for up to an hour, followed by a review of my homework and the material from the day before.
- 10:30-11:00 - Our break. This is critical, most of the time, because your cabeza needs a rest. The school provides coffee, water, and various types of bread, which are usually somewhat sweet and DELICIOUS. Much better than that junk for Sweetwater, Peter. On Mondays, we gather at 10:45 for a review of the upcoming week´s activities; at other times there might be other meetings, such as a presentation by local university students to request that we fill out surveys indicating why we chose to come to Xela, or the previously mentioned salud ("health") study.
- 11:00 - When la campana rings, it is time to begin class again. De pronto.
- 1:00 - 1:15 - Finish up with class, say goodbye to maestra and classmates, make plans for the afternoon and evening, etc.
- 1:30 - Lunch, en casa. Again, always delicious. The big meal of the day.
- 2:30 - This seems to be the time of choice. I either (1) take part in one of the daily activities, such as a tour, or the cooking class; (2) take a trip to some part of the city in order to try to take some pictures, or do a chore; or (3) take a short nap! Very rarely do I begin studying immediately again.
- 3:30 - Assuming I´m not out on tour somewhere, I typically return to the school/internet cafe. For the next two-and-a-half hours, I split time between doing homework and updating the blog. I would say that this is when I send out emails too, but I don´t think that I have sent out an email in over a week, so I can´t claim that anymore!
- 6:00 - La Misa a la Catedral. For me, Mass is a double experience: a chance to recharge my soul, as well as a chance to practice my growing Spanish competency. And the Cathedral´s nearby location to the school is ideal.
- 7:00 - Return to the school, or mi casa for more studying. You don´t get 1000 vocabulary index cards from goofing off all day.
- 8:00 - La cena with mother Patricia, son Carlos (14), daughter Anna (8), and sometimes, father Hugo (and Doug, when in town). Smaller than an American dinner, nevertheless delicious.
- 8:30 - More studying, up in my room. Some might call me intense.. certainly, I am on the "studying more" end of the spectrum of student around here. But I refuse to waste the opportunity of being here.
- 10:00 - Lights out. The rooster might start up again in four hours!
Here are a few shots of the Cathedral, to make this post not totally boring and bland. The pictures are pretty dark, though.. use your imagination to fill in the light that I cannot apparently capture.
First, this is the side chapel, at which Mass is sometimes celebrated during the week.
And the Cathedral proper...
Side altars...
And I love this last shot... dig the contrast...
Yes, that is a wide-screen flat-panel. In case you are wondering what the deal with the TV is.. the huge pillars that sustain the architecture obscure the view of the main altar from many of the pews. The TV actually broadcasts the Mass as it is occurring. I think it is also fed to a local television station at times. The modern appliance paired with the ancient-looking confessional make a great story, I think!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Cuarenta Días
Today is a very important and special day for my teacher, Loyola, and her family. And not an altogether pleasant one. I am honored to be able to participate, but I certainly wish it could be a different occasion.
Today marks forty days since Loyola´s youngest son was shot and killed in the capital, Guatemala City. Xela, four hours or more away from Guatemala (as it is known to the locals), and is very safe, but the capital is not so. In fact, I recently read that a report from the U.N. some years back ranked Guatemala as the most dangerous city in the Americas (due to a host of problems, including the three-and-a-half decade civil war that finally ended in 1996, as well as the immigration problem that affects the U.S., believe it or not). Anyway, there is a lot of random violence in Guatemala, and it is not a safe place for tourists, nor, as it turns out, for locals.
Juan Rodrigo Sac de la Paz was 26 years old when he was killed on June 27th of this year. He was eating dinner in a cafe, and some random thugs came in and shot and killed him. There was apparently no motive; this was simply a random act of violence. Understandably, it has been an extraordinarily difficult time for Loyola and her family, as they try to cope with this devastating tragedy.
Juan Rodrigo was an up-and-coming talent in the national government of Guatemala. He was a software engineer, and he turned down numerous offers of more lucrative jobs to work in the equivalent of the Department of Education, where he was hard at work trying to revamp and modernize school curricula. He told his mother that he felt called to try to improve the lot of Guatemalans, and thus he felt he needed to work in the public sector, for the government. He was quite well respected by everyone he worked with; Loyola told me that the cathedral was full for his funeral, with many government officials making the full trek from Guatemala. It sounds like his death is not only a tragedy for his family, but for Guatemala itself.
Juan Rodrigo is survived by two brothers and a sister, as well as his parents. Alan Omar was born three days before I was, and is an electrical engineer in Guatemala. Claudia is the second oldest child, and is a lawyer with a family of her own (her daughter Dayla is scheduled to make her First Communion next week!). Gerson is 29 and is an architect. With a mother who has a master´s degree in psychology and pedagogy, and a father who is a department head at the university, we are talking about a highly educated family. I can try, but I think that I am very under-qualified to understand how difficult it has been for everyone in the family.
It is customary here to remember the deceased forty days after their passing. Loyola invited me to join her family at the cemetery to pray and remember Juan Rodrigo. The cemetery is actually pretty close to my host family´s home (I know that I haven´t really discussed them yet... coming, I promise!), but the cemetery is supposedly the only place in Xela that is not really too safe to go, especially for foreigners. However, during the day, with locals, there is absolutely no problem. So I got to visit the cemetery and share the experience with the family of Juan Rodrigo.
Here is a picture showing the family mausoleum. Juan Rodrigo is interred in the upper-right spot. Note the fresh flowers that the family laid at the tomb today.
The cemetery is very interesting. It is the custom here that families all have mausoleums. Only the poorer families bury their deceased relatives in the ground. Here are a few more shots of various mausoleums.
Here is a beautifully ornate one. Looks more like a chapel, to me.
It´s a community cemetery, even though it is somewhat attached to the Catholic Church El Calvario. Therefore, there are people buried there from all different places, who practices many different religions. As this next shot shows...
And of course, the cemetery is a place to be respectful. But I can´t help but be awed by the vista. There is always an amazing view in Xela, even when raining (even if I have singularly failed to capture the majesty of the mountains and the volcano with the camera). But this morning there were just some exquisite scenes that just take your breath away. Such as the following view of an aisle of mausoleums and the Santa Maria volcano.
Tonight, Loyola has invited me to attend the special "Forty Days" Mass in remembrance of Juan Rodrigo, and then to her house to share in some food afterward. I have not yet seen this particular parish, so I am looking forward to it. But I know that it is going to be a very difficult time for Loyola and her family as they continue to grieve.
Please keep Juan Rodrigo, Loyola, and the entire family in your prayers. Thank you.
Today marks forty days since Loyola´s youngest son was shot and killed in the capital, Guatemala City. Xela, four hours or more away from Guatemala (as it is known to the locals), and is very safe, but the capital is not so. In fact, I recently read that a report from the U.N. some years back ranked Guatemala as the most dangerous city in the Americas (due to a host of problems, including the three-and-a-half decade civil war that finally ended in 1996, as well as the immigration problem that affects the U.S., believe it or not). Anyway, there is a lot of random violence in Guatemala, and it is not a safe place for tourists, nor, as it turns out, for locals.
Juan Rodrigo Sac de la Paz was 26 years old when he was killed on June 27th of this year. He was eating dinner in a cafe, and some random thugs came in and shot and killed him. There was apparently no motive; this was simply a random act of violence. Understandably, it has been an extraordinarily difficult time for Loyola and her family, as they try to cope with this devastating tragedy.
Juan Rodrigo was an up-and-coming talent in the national government of Guatemala. He was a software engineer, and he turned down numerous offers of more lucrative jobs to work in the equivalent of the Department of Education, where he was hard at work trying to revamp and modernize school curricula. He told his mother that he felt called to try to improve the lot of Guatemalans, and thus he felt he needed to work in the public sector, for the government. He was quite well respected by everyone he worked with; Loyola told me that the cathedral was full for his funeral, with many government officials making the full trek from Guatemala. It sounds like his death is not only a tragedy for his family, but for Guatemala itself.
Juan Rodrigo is survived by two brothers and a sister, as well as his parents. Alan Omar was born three days before I was, and is an electrical engineer in Guatemala. Claudia is the second oldest child, and is a lawyer with a family of her own (her daughter Dayla is scheduled to make her First Communion next week!). Gerson is 29 and is an architect. With a mother who has a master´s degree in psychology and pedagogy, and a father who is a department head at the university, we are talking about a highly educated family. I can try, but I think that I am very under-qualified to understand how difficult it has been for everyone in the family.
It is customary here to remember the deceased forty days after their passing. Loyola invited me to join her family at the cemetery to pray and remember Juan Rodrigo. The cemetery is actually pretty close to my host family´s home (I know that I haven´t really discussed them yet... coming, I promise!), but the cemetery is supposedly the only place in Xela that is not really too safe to go, especially for foreigners. However, during the day, with locals, there is absolutely no problem. So I got to visit the cemetery and share the experience with the family of Juan Rodrigo.
Here is a picture showing the family mausoleum. Juan Rodrigo is interred in the upper-right spot. Note the fresh flowers that the family laid at the tomb today.
The cemetery is very interesting. It is the custom here that families all have mausoleums. Only the poorer families bury their deceased relatives in the ground. Here are a few more shots of various mausoleums.
Here is a beautifully ornate one. Looks more like a chapel, to me.
It´s a community cemetery, even though it is somewhat attached to the Catholic Church El Calvario. Therefore, there are people buried there from all different places, who practices many different religions. As this next shot shows...
And of course, the cemetery is a place to be respectful. But I can´t help but be awed by the vista. There is always an amazing view in Xela, even when raining (even if I have singularly failed to capture the majesty of the mountains and the volcano with the camera). But this morning there were just some exquisite scenes that just take your breath away. Such as the following view of an aisle of mausoleums and the Santa Maria volcano.
Tonight, Loyola has invited me to attend the special "Forty Days" Mass in remembrance of Juan Rodrigo, and then to her house to share in some food afterward. I have not yet seen this particular parish, so I am looking forward to it. But I know that it is going to be a very difficult time for Loyola and her family as they continue to grieve.
Please keep Juan Rodrigo, Loyola, and the entire family in your prayers. Thank you.
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