That's My Time...: My trip to Guatemala

September 17, 2010

I'm really liking class, and today was no exception! Sometimes I wonder which I enjoy more: learning Spanish or just having the opportunity to converse with someone (who is starting to feel like a friend). Probably both. Today we discussed the United States' contribution to training child soldiers in El Salvador. And we talked about protest music and how music is such a powerful and important tool to disseminate information to the masses. I sincerely wish my Spanish was better just so I could speak about issues of justice. Right now, I'm limited to saying that I think all people are equal and Capitalism is not just. I suppose that's more than I knew when I came here, but still, it's frustrating. Of course, we briefly departed from our conversation about protest music to discuss the merits of Daddy Yankee's songs. It remains my contention that "Gasolina" is some of his best work.

In the afternoon, I went to visit a jade factory with two other students (a woman from Switzerland and another American). Manuel and Claudia, who work at the school, served as our guides. The trip required us to go on the public buses (or chicken buses, as they're called here), which was quite the experience! Before we boarded, Manuel explained that the buses (which appear to be old school buses that were painted like circus cars) seat three people in each seat. Wow! I don't even think we sat three to a seat in kindergarten. I suppose most people are rather small here, but still, it was quite crowded and my long (33" inseam) legs felt really cramped and out of place.

When we boarded, I immediately felt the deep sounds of bass. I was surprised to find an external sound system strapped to the front of the interior of the bus (It was kind of like a stereo with giant speakers duct-taped to the area right above the driver's head). I felt more like I was at a dance club than on a bus, but I kind of enjoyed it, especially because they played a mixture of salsa, reggaeton and techno. On chicken buses, there are no maps nor ways to indicate that you'd like to exit. In fact, at one point, we picked up another passenger, and I don't even think the driver stopped all the way for her before he nearly floored it again. The buses also have an attendant that practically hangs out of the bus and yells where the bus is headed. When someone with luggage boards, the attendant ties the luggage to the top of the bus, while the bus is still moving. How they don't fall off is beyond me, but they appear to have some serious balance.

The tour of the jade factory wasn't really much of a tour. In fact, it was a five minute presentation about how they mine the jade and then a ten minute presentation of the gift shop. I felt bad as I didn't buy anything, which I think was kind of the point. But, I really don't have the cash to be dropping on fancy jewelry. I did see a really nice chess set made of jade, but I didn't even dare ask how much it was.

In the evening, Miranda introduced me to her friend, Linda (a recent grad from North Carolina State who is here for four months before she attends medical school), and we all headed over to the Rainbow Cafe. The Rainbow Cafe is a combination of a bar and coffee shop, and it features live music and used books. It was really tranquil, and it reminded me a lot of a place in Ann Arbor. In other words, it's the place I've been looking for down here. We stayed for a couple of beers and listened to a guitar player named Sergio perform everything from Kings of Leon to slowed-down salsa songs. We shared a lot of laughs and time discussing whether facebook has made dating harder or easier. The jury's still out for me as to whether I think facebook has made dating easier or more difficult, but it's definitely made stalking a piece of cake! I really enjoyed Linda's company, although without access to a phone, I have no idea how to contact her. I suppose this trip is also a lesson in contacting people the old-fashioned way and not being so reliant on texting.