The maids have all the power

Maids (muchachas, empleadas) have the power to make or break your day.

Maids make your breakfast.

Maids wash your clothes.

Maids have the opportunity to rummage through all your belongings.

Maids prepare your lunch.

Maids fold your towels.

Maids take care of your kids.

Maids make your supper.

Maids can switch to decaf without telling you!!

Want to assassinate someone? Talk to his maid.

Want to rob someone? Talk to the maid.

Want to learn Spanish? Talk to the maid.

Be nice to your maid.

Recently discovered in the Pais grocery store in Zona 15

Heard of chirmol? Now you've got chirmolito in a bottle. What's this, the new Guatemalan ketchup?

Violence in Guatemala

Living in the relatively safe section of Guatemala City that I we do, it's easy to forget the violence that plagues the country. I've lived in towns before that had 300-500 homicides per annum, but I saw a figure city this past March that Guatemala had over 6,000 violent deaths in the first quarter of 2010 alone.

The "good" news is that the majority of violent deaths seem to be hits targeting specific people (rival drug dealers, gang members, wrong end of a business deal, politically motivated, you name it). Also targeted are people with flashy cars or expensive cell phones. Point? There seems to be a point to most of the killing - it's less random than one might think.

So what do I do?

- My car is not fancy and I don't wash it much
- I hide my iPhone, don't use it when I don't have to, or even leave it in the car
- Limit night excursions
- Stay out of known dangerous areas

Additionally, if you speak Spanish fluently, you can try to appear less like a gringo by using Guatemalan Spanish when possible. If you learned Spanish in another country, you've probably noticed that Guatemala has a few unique linguistic traits that other countries don't - if you learned it here, it might not be so obvious. Your accent has to be pretty good to begin with, or you'll be labeled as a gringo anyway.

On the other hand, I know of a former Israeli soldier who has a security company here - in a presentation I was at, he made the statement that kidnappings are less likely to happen to foreigners because of the reluctance to get other governments involved. I haven't had enough experience with kidnappings to say for sure, but that seems at best to be a guess - something to think about, anyway. This wouldn't apply to robbery, though.

The point of this somewhat rambling post is that you learn to live with the violence. It's difficult to deal with when someone you personally know is gunned down (this happened recently) but you deal with it. Or you leave.

Odds and Ends

So we’ve been slow on updating for a bit, but we’re still around. Some significant things that have been happening in our lives here in Guate:

Renting a house – had to negotiate the contract for that, interesting time @ a Guatemalan lawyer’s office. We’re moving in June, close to our current apartment.

I (Ben) passed my master’s exam! That’s been most of the reason for the delay in posting.

Talia is almost completely bilingual – my unofficial observation is that she can probably express in Spanish 90% of what she can say in English, with no discernable accent. Not bad for a 2 ½ yr old.

We’ve been developing our site more – All-About-Guatemala.com

We’ve also added a Facebook Fan page for All-About-Guatemala.com – in the right column of the blog. Check it out.

More coming…

Pollo Campero around the world

For a list of all the states and countries where Pollo Campero is located, check out http://www.all-about-guatemala.com/pollo-campero-locations.html

Check back for pictures of Pollo Campero locations soon.

In for a sec - Check out our Pollo Campero Page

Check out our Pollo Campero page at http://www.all-about-guatemala.com/pollo-campero.html

More coming!

Dobladas, envueltos and a Guatemalan Challah

I have learned how to make three new things!

Dobladas: http://www.all-about-guatemala.com/dobladas.html these are folded tortilla dough with meat and cheese inside that are then fried.

And, a Guatemalan version of Challah, or a braided bread: http://www.all-about-guatemala.com/challah-bread-recipe.html

Also, "envueltos," or, wrapped green beans... you just have to see to understand:
http://www.all-about-guatemala.com/envueltos.html

Guatemalan Cooking

I had a lot of fun learning how to make Guatemalan dishes over Christmas break. The first thing we made was the masa recipe that I posted about yesterday. With that masa, we made corn tortillas and pupusas (a very typical dish here made from the corn masa dough and a filling of meat, cheese or beans. It ends up almost like a corn meal based fried pie.)

If you are interested in seeing the process for making pupusas, go here: http://www.all-about-guatemala.com/pupusa-recipe.html

To see how we made corn tortillas by hand, go here: http://www.all-about-guatemala.com/how-to-make-corn-tortillas.html

These were a really awesome learning experience and one of my favorite parts of being in Guatemala.

Masa Making

If you are interested in learning the process used to make "masa" from scratch (the dough used to make tamales, corn tortillas etc) I just posted step by step instructions with pictures here:

http://www.all-about-guatemala.com/how-to-make-masa.html

It was really fun to do and really tasty to eat. One of my favorite parts of being in Guatemala is learning my way around the Guatemalan kitchen.

Give a stool sample and win a free trip to Guatemala (or Mexico) - what a deal!

I'm not sure if this is legit or not, but this vaccine company is willing to pay for your flight and accommodation in Guatemala or Mexico:

By James Tozer - dailymail

http://myowns.com/Science/volunteers-wanted-for-free-trip-to-mexico/

It must be the only travel agent that actually hopes its holidaymakers will eat something dodgy. 

A drugs firm is offering free trips to Mexico for nearly 1,000 volunteers - on condition that they try out a new remedy for upset stomachs, and come in for tests if they do fall ill.

The manufacturer is hoping to cash in on a potential multi-million pound market by developing a vaccine for that common holiday affliction, traveller's diarrhoea.

Guinea pigs will have to take part in a trial of the medication, and in return the company will pay for flights to Mexico or Guatemala and a week's accommodation.  

.

The only conditions are that they don't stray more than three hours from one of the centres where they will be required for blood tests, and to provide stool samples if they fall ill.

Drugs firm Intercell hopes the trial will confirm initial findings that the vaccine significantly reduces the chances of contaminated food or drink leading to a nasty bout of Montezuma's revenge.

The eye-catching offer has already been inundated by volunteers, particularly hard-up students looking for a cheap holiday.

Intercell: Diarrhoea vaccine is administered through an arm patch
But the euphoria is likely to be tempered by the knowledge that they will have to take an experimental drug - a worrying prospect for many after a trial at Northwick Park Hospital in North West London went catastrophically wrong in 2006, almost claiming the lives of six volunteers.

In this case, however, the vaccine has already been tested on humans, indeed of 170 American volunteers who also travelled to Mexico and Guatemala, tests found the incidence of diarrhoea was cut by three quarters.

Travellers' diarrhoea is one of the most common and debilitating illnesses experienced by holidaymakers, particularly in the developing world.

Attacks last four to five days, involve 18 trips to the toilet and cause dehydration, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.

A successful vaccine could be worth £500million a year - making Intercell's apparently insanely generous offer entirely understandable.

It is seeking 900 volunteers via the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London and clinics around the country.

They will receive the vaccine through a patch worn on the arm for six hours three weeks prior to travelling, followed by a booster dose one week before they set off.

In return, flights and three-star accommodation will be provided, but volunteers will have to attend blood tests and will be given a kit to collect stool samples if they do fall ill.

Nigel Thomas, clinical director of Intercell, said: 'We are looking for people who have already planned to go to Mexico or Guatemala and think this would add another interesting aspect.

'We cover their expenses – flights and accommodation – nothing beyond that.

'It is almost like going on a package holiday. They will be met by a concierge who will take them to their hotel and arrange for them to give their first blood sample within 48 hours.'

Takers, anyone?  I'd do it but I'm already here :D

More information about driving from Guatemala to Texas

Someone emailed me through the blog about buying a car in Guatemala and driving it back to the States.  Never one to waste effort, I thought I'd post my response here in case it could be useful.  Of course, if someone needs more specifics, I'll be glad to help.

I haven't driven from Guatemala to Texas (yet) but I can tell you the route I took down from Texas.  Check out this post if you haven't already:

http://sagaunscripted.blogspot.com/2009/07/driving-from-texas-to-guatemala-almost.html

That post outlines in detail my route.

Based on the paperwork I've had to do to import my car to Guatemala, I would plan on spending a couple of weeks down here, maybe 3 to get the paperwork done.  Could be shorter than that, but it's hard to tell sometimes.  Let me know when/if you do that and I can get you the name of a tramitador who will do all the paperwork for you.

Check the car out well...I can give you the name of a mechanic if you decide to go for it...American who has lived down here for ages.  Great guy.  He won't charge you a whole lot to look at it...maybe nothing, if he thinks you'll give him future business. Of course, I can't guarantee that :)

You do not have to have insurance in Guatemala, but you can get it if it makes you feel better.

Driving through Mexico, I would contact Transmigrantes Mireya near McAllen, TX.  They have partners on the southern Mexican border and can help you with the process of driving through Mexico legally.  Of course, you can enter as a tourist, but you can't carry much in your car.  The number for Transmigrantes Mireya is

1479 S Rangerville Rd
Harlingen, TX 78552
956-440-9350

That should be enough to get you started.  I can get you hooked up with some maps, etc, if/when you decide to make the trip.  Just let me know and I'll be glad to help.

Why I love to teach fifth grade...

Something I really appreciate about teaching fifth graders is all of the love they have to give. That sounds really corny, but I always have kids making me cards saying "I love you, Mrs. Adina" or bringing me flowers or making me origami dinosaurs, giving me hugs, telling me jokes or something equally endearing. For me, it is the perfect age.
-The kids are old enough to do some pretty serious, intense conversations and writing about important things in life, even if they are still portraying their parent's opinions for the most part.
-They are old enough to be responsible for themselves, with the obligatory exception or two.
-Their creative side is developing and expressed in many different ways.
-Linguistically they are getting a handle on two languages and are starting to master them both.
-And, usually, fifth grade is one of the first where changing classes occurs and teachers teach one or two, instead of all, subjects. I love having to focus on just language! It is a lot easier to get creative and in-depth with something when your attention is not divided.

On the other side of this equation, teaching in Elementary school has a completely different realm of social norms than middle school or especially high school. The teachers are more involved with each other. You are a lot more likely to get a birthday part, baby shower or marriage gift. In the morning people are more likely to greet you and, overall, interaction is much more a part of work. This has its drawbacks sometimes, but for me, it is mostly a positive thing. I have to constantly force myself to be a part of society for my own good, and I enjoy it when I do, but I need an environment that pushes me that extra bit to interact with people.

In Guatemala, I have noticed all of these things in a more positive way for the most part. Some things are a little different, every school has it's up and down sides, but overall it is a good thing. This is something I have prayed a lot about, since new things are terrifying anyhow and going back to work was hard enough without it being in a new country! :) I think it is interesting the amount of American/Canadian teachers I work with who do not speak Spanish. I am glad that I do because it allows me to interact better with both Spanish-speaking and English-speaking teachers and to more fully appreciate my environment.

If you've ever considered international teaching, I would definitely recommend it.

p.s. Sometimes you also get to participate in the art session and sculpt your own triceratops!

Should expats in Guatemala encourage others to move here?

A discussion I had a couple of months ago with Mark prompted me to observe more closely the dynamic between locals and expats here in Guatemala.  We were discussing how it's incredibly difficult to find information about moving to Guatemala on the internet.  Sure, there's loads of information about tourism and travelling, even about hostels, but virtually nothing about cost of living (besides "it's cheap"), housing other than overpriced luxury homes, and how to get set up in the country.  With the plethora of "gringo" expats in the country, one would think that this information would be easy to come by.

But alas, it's not.

We originally started this blog to keep our friends and family informed about our adventures, but soon it was evident that we could use this to try to develop some materials that could be beneficial for those coming.

But again, that begs the question...why has this not already been done?  And since it hasn't, except for recent efforts in the past year, as far as I can tell, should it be?  Do gringos want to keep this bit of paradise (more or less) to themselves?

"...me lo pasas después..."

I guess the concept of credit at stores is not dead in Guatemala.  As many who travel throughout Latin America know, and no doubt in other parts of the world, shops don't carry a lot of extra cash.  I was bike-riding the other day, and halfway through I stopped at a corner store in a plaza we frequent.  I've been in the store maybe five times, and not really ever made conversation there.  All I had on me was a 100 quetzal bill (about 12 USD) and was buying a bottle of water that cost Q3.50 (about 40cents US).  The cashier asked me if I had anything smaller, and I didn't, and she just said "me lo pasas después"..."you can give it to me later".  I looked at her in disbelief, thanked her, and walked out with my water without her taking my name or anything.  I fully intend on paying her the next time I go to the store.  Anybody else encountered this?

"Yo soy Tecun Uman!" aka Winning a Schoolwide "Fashion" Show

Who ever thought I'd be a Mayan warrior?  Well, I can now add that to my resumé.  Guatemalan Pride Week was a couple of weeks back, commemorating Guatemalan Independence Day (check out ExpatMom's parade pics Set 1 / Set 2 from Antigua), and I was coerced asked nicely by my students to dress up for the "fashion" contest in which I had to dress up as someone/thing typical of Guatemala.  The result, no doubt because of my rugged good looks, was Tecun Umán (map), a legendary Mayan warrior, and coincidentally, the name of the town in which I was surrounded by campesinos with sticks.  Here's the result:  

Fearsome, no?  Anyway, there were several close competitors, but due to some roaring and foot stomping on my part (and perhaps that I stuck my tongue out at the judges surreptitiously) I managed to get first place in the contest.


What did I win?  Mostly satisfaction, but also a good deal of laughs, and hopefully goodwill.  It's great acting like a crazy man every once in a while.

International calls - potentially useful information here

So the search started when my Dell laptop's hard drive crashed a couple of weeks ago. Since it's only a couple of months old, it's a semi-nice laptop with the requisite webcam/microphone built in that I've been using my Skype calls on from home/café/McDonald's parking lot. The difficulty is that to call Dell technical support, I have to call the USA. No one in their right mind is going to call another country on a prepaid cell phone and pay an astronomical rate and risk getting cut off, since Dell tech support calls can take forever. I didn't have a headphone/mike for my desktop computer, and Adina's little laptop with the 5'' keyboard...well, I don't care to use that one, although in a pinch, it could work. So...how to call the US with the computer I usually use on the fritz?

Skype has a mobile option, for smartphones, so I downloaded it to my HTC cell phone purchased in the US. Try to dial...but guess what? The configuration for most smartphones, unless Skype is already installed, doesn't allow Skype access to the mike and earpiece on the phone! How in the world am I supposed to use the phone if I can't use the mike and earpiece???

The search was on again. I searched far and wide, ended up buying a bluetooth earpiece that does work for cell calls, but not for Skype on the phone (didn't know that when I bought it). Went to Office Depot and bought the headset/mike set, which works for the computer, solving the problem mostly, but now I was curious how I could get the crazy Skype mobile version to work. As SOON as I got home from Office Depot, I saw a web forum referencing Fring. Checked it out, downloaded it, and I can use Skype through it just like a normal phone call! It probably doesn't work for all phones, and the call quality is a little bit less than desired, and a small delay (yeah, that's a lot of "ifs"), but now I can be sitting anywhere there's wifi and use my cell phone to call anywhere in the world! What a relief. And no, I'm not getting any money from Fring to post this. It's got a bunch of other uses, too, but this is main one I'm interested in. Check it out.

Our father/daughter breakfast - no moms allowed!

Today, since Talia had woken very early, way too early for a Saturday, and Adina had risen to the challenge of handling that, it was suggested to be me that I take a turn after a bit. Being the catch-a-hint guy that I am (or perhaps afraid of a sleepy wife), I crawled leaped out of bed to do my duty. Talia was excited to be alive, so I decided to take her outside to see if my morning breath would peel the paint off the playground equipment. We're awaiting the results of that, but no immediate damage occured.

After getting her morning exercise out of the way, Talia began to inform me ("bite, BITE!") that she was hungry.

Of course, she didn't have to tell me twice, baby. We hopped in the truck and headed down to Lourdes (Lourd-es, two syllables in the Spanish version of the word), which is the small area of Guatemala City where we live. I had no idea where I was going except that I wanted breakfast. After driving around for a few minutes and pestering a guy frying chicharrones in front of a restaurant that appeared to be open ("are you sure you're not serving breakfast??"), we found a place that was, indeed, serving breakfast. It had no name and was on a back street, but had wooden chairs instead of the standard plastic ones, and looked fairly clean, so after letting Talia play with a dry corn husk on the street for a minute, we crossed and went in. Have you ever tried to parallel park on a street 12 feet wide with a 3 foot drop on one side...the side you're supposed to park on? Fun!

After wishing the two other customers Buen provecho, we found an out of the way spot. The menu was stapled on the wall, so I decided on the Plato Típico (see photo, which has part of the egg and beans cut out for Talia).

As you can see from the pictures, she was thoroughly enjoying her beans and eggs, and decided to investigate the tortillas later in the meal. The plate I'm eating has ham on the left, longaniza (a type of sausage) at the bottom, and churrasco (thin beef steak) on the right. It was supposed to come with fried bananas, but for some reason (my size, maybe?) they thought I'd appreciate the ham instead. I did appreciate it, indeed, but since my daughter is bananas for bananas, I ordered fried bananas for dessert. That's cream on top with sugar sprinkled on it. We both dug into it, with the person most adept at using a fork eating most of the bananas. Included are a few shots of Talia with her father-inspired hairdo and bean-y face. Breakfast was enjoyed by all.

After we found Talia's shoes again, which she loves to kick off, given 3 unsupervised seconds, I proceeded to pay the bill (30 quetzales, or a little less than 4 dollars; a great deal for a pretty good feast!). I hope I can find it again. We came home to a well-rested wife and mother who wondered where in the world we'd gone. And so ends the tale of the father and daughter breakfast.

Meet the Fifth Grade Team:

I've spent a week preparing for the coming school year with my team and am looking forward to working with them. Here they are:

Mr. VL: 40ish From Chicago, has a son. He is the math teacher for the whole fifth grade. He has the room next to me, poor guy, and has been very gracious when I have a million questions about the procedures in my new environment. His eyes are always smiling and he and Ms. S have an ongoing friendly rivalry about what she assumes his weekend activities include, (though he insists he is trying to watch his health instead.)

Ms. S: >40 matronly Guatemalan lady with a sense of humor. She has several grown kids, one of whom I've met when he came to help her prepare her Spanish classroom. Her dominant language is Spanish, so sometimes she struggles to come up with a quick retort to Mr. VL's quips. She has been very friendly and helpful with my class list information, for which I am grateful.

Mr. H: >25 guy from Canada. He is an adventurer who loves to travel whenever possible. He is always laughing and picking on someone, (usually Ms. S, but anyone is fair game.) He is a super social person who can be found many times walking down the hall playing his guitar and making people smile. With a tactile approach to teaching and learning, I was very appreciative of his help walking me through the routines of a normal fifth grade day.

If you didn't notice, all of them are generally happy folks who enjoy injecting the mundane with humor. I am really honored to be working with them and am looking forward to this year.

School and Toddler Development

Today we had individual interviews with our principals. I am really looking forward to this year and working with my principal, a generous Guatemalteca (who makes me feel pretty tall) and who has a wonderful sense of humor. It is a completely different environment from my first teaching experience. I anticipate teaching a subject that I am excited about and that can easily be incorporated into every area, and in that way, is relevant to life. My teaching team sounds like a group of unique individuals. I will introduce you as soon as I meet them in person.

Talia seems to be adjusting to preschool little by little. Once she gets there, she really likes the structure and being around other kids. She is reinforcing the Spanish she already knew and we can’t wait to hear her add new vocabulary. She continues to speak in increasingly complex sentences in English. We are planning a trip to a Guatemala City zoo tomorrow with a few other teacher/kid combos… I’m pretty sure she is going to enjoy that! (Especially the little train that takes you through the different areas. Lately she has been lining her blocks up in a row and saying “Choo choooooo!” I’m really not sure where she learned that.) Always a fan of books she is getting more and more interested in them and is starting to repeat all of the phrases after we read them to her.

If you’re part of the family and are scared she’ll forget you, don’t worry. She’s been calling off the role almost daily and then describing something about the person she said. Some examples include “play in the water, Pop’s and Lulu’s house!”or sometimes that one is at “Meme’s house” with Karka and Zachy thrown in the water for good measure. “Jacob sing a song guitar.” “Nonna Rose and Maggie” “T-Maw and Pawpaw’s house! Play the banjo!” “Unky Ooyd drums” “See Gammy” etc.

Our 4th Marriage Anniversary Celebration at Portal de Angel

Today was nice in several ways. We celebrated our 4th year of marriage at Portal de Angel, enjoyed some excellent steak and enjoyed a nice view of the twinkling Guatemala City lights at night from a high vantage point.

If you've never tried Portal de Angel steak house, I would certainly recommend it. The steak and chicken are both very tender and well seasoned and the side options are excellent as well. Here I was first introduced to chimichurri, a salsa like dish served on the side made with olive oil, cilantro, garlic, salt and several different other things. Me encanta. I also finally was able to enjoy some chocolate in the form of a chocolate cake with cajeta.

One of the best aspects is the view. It is situated on the side of a mountain overlooking the Guatemala City basin-like land form with the mountains in the background. Tonight it looked like the clouds were hovering closer to the ground than normal and the lights flickering through it were beautiful. From this view you can see how the roads are arranged from more of a bird's eye angle. It is pretty interesting to try to find the center of the city and follow the lights inching up the mountainsides.

It has been a very peaceful day in the middle of a busy settling-in month. Thank you, Benji.