The heat killed my Rabbit

So you know how I said before that it was hot, well I lied, NOW its hot. So hot in fact that Tuesday morning Bigote was found "sleeping" a little too peacefully. I believe it was from the heat, but it's hard to tell, it could have been a spider or scorpian that bit him also. I felt like I was going to die yesterday from the heat, but luckily I didn't. Aparently we have a week or two where its just going to be hotter than hell before it just bursts into rain for the next 6 monthes.

RIP Bigote.

Peace, Love,
Robin

Biblioteca

Here is a picture of the completed mural. I am hoping that this project jumpstarts more attention to the Library. I hope to work with the SPA projects through PC, Vision Mundial, Noelia (a Spanish volunteer that was living in Jocotan), and the Muni to repair and better the library. They need books (in spanish or chorti), computers hopefully with the internet, a place to actually read, and programs to promote all of this. Much less repair the adobe walls with the paint thats pealing off, and clean the few books they do have which are rotting away because noone uses them and it's 100 degress and so dry that its similar to a dust bowl. They don't even have a catalog system (you know, from way back where you number every book and it has a card and you can go find it) because there simply not enough books to make it worth it. It really makes me appreciate the Colonial Beach Public Library, great job guys, your amazing, seriously!

Its partly a cultural issue as well because noone reads for pleasure here. When they do go to the library they ask for books on geography or history. It´s really only to complete research or study. You will never hear the question, "So, what are you reading right now?" Anytime anyone has come by my house and I'm reading they always comment as if its academic like, "You study a lot." I probably need to study my spanish, but no, I'm reading a fiction beach book in english. Part of it is that books here are very expensive, which is why it is so important to have a good public library to give access to a public that is only ever truely going to develop with education, information, and modivation. (you can add on your own personal "ation" words as well)

Peace, Love,
Robin

Semana Santa

Thank you to my family for calling me for Easter, whether or not the phone worked. Also I think there is much to be explain because it seems everyone asked me, "Do they celebrate Easter?"
Well, do they ever celebrate Easter! It´s called Semana Santa (Holy Week), and it actually begins more than a month before hand. Each Friday leading up to Easter weekend there is a procession in the street that carries a huge Jesus float through town symbolizing his journey before the crusifiction. Palm Sunday (or Domingo de Ramos) begins the large processions with carpets called Alfombras (long designs they make in the street with fruit, wood shavings, flowers, and even bags of water; check out the pics on my webshots). Most everyone in Guatemala has off work from Wednesday till the following Monday. Thursday, Friday, and Sunday there are all processions carrying the Jesus and reinacting the different events. It´s almost as if you put on a real time play of the Easter story and everyone paraded in purple uniforms and walked over huge religious murals on the ground and had a huge fair and blasted loud greiving church music through town and you went to the beach (because everyone goes to the beach, I went to the local pool :P)

Pretty amazing.

More information about Antigua and the Processions


Also, I got a bunny. His name is Bigote (which means mustache in spanish). He enjoys fruit, carrots, cabage, my company, and watching the Office. Here is a picture of him in the paper-mache easter basket Kate and I made and decorated, :D

Peace, Love,
Robin

Spiders and Sebastian

So I came home today to find a giant Spider in my house and thought I should share that experience with all of you.




Also my host family sister had her baby two weeks ago and they sent me pictures by email so here he is. Jose Sebastian Lopez Axpuac, both mommy and baby are in good condition!

April Begins

First of all I apologize for not posting recently, but here is what has been going on:
March ended swiftly as we finished the mural and work intensified. I am starting to work with a Barrio (community) in town that is having major structural problems with their homes due to a fault line that runs through the middle of it, a river that swells and floods during the summer, and a drainage pipe that the town put in and has burst. It has become somewhat political, which I am trying my best to stay out of, yet want to find a project to help these people. The first step is a census to collect the data about their homes and families and health. Then we'll see what can be done. I will upload pictures of both the homes and the mural just as soon as I find my USB :(
Then I headed off to Antigua, home of the training center for a conference called "Reconnect" and more Spanish classes. I am currently still here at the center and will leave back for Jocotan on Sunday. Antigua is bursting with people and things to do as they gear up for the biggest holiday of the year, Semana Santa (Easter). Here in Guatemala it is a 4 day holiday and starts next Thursday, but there are still processions and events starting now. Reconnect was fairly helpful as it was great to come back and share my experiences with my fellow volunteers and the staff here at Peace Corps. The are very supportive and encouraging considering the large amounts of complaints and frustrations that can occur. And, as always, the spanish classes are very helpful and practically fry my brain when I think about the fact I've been living here for 8 monthes now and never knew the words for 'bucket' or 'grass' for example, haha. Much less haven't been able to talk in the subjunctive...
This upcoming week with Semana Santa will be mostly vacation. Kate and Rachel (two other volunteers from the Chimaltenango area) are coming to visit and see the culture of the East. oh! and I ordered the most amazingly, awesome boots from Pastores this week which I hope to pick up in a few weeks. Pastores is this cute small town outside Antigua that is famously known for boot making. Every store up and down the main strip is a boot store where they make them all by hand and with local or italian leather. We got to go to a boot-makers home that knows Peace Corps and get an awesome deal. They are completely custom made, I picked the heel from one boot, the style of another, the color of another, and even drew, myself right there on the spot, the design I wanted sewn on the sides! I'm stoked about it and can't wait to take pictures of those as soon as I get them.

Hope everyone is doing well back home. Thanks for checking up on me and reading the blog.

Peace, Love,
Robin