Very happy holidays and overall good times

The past few weeks have been so crazy but I am finally taking the time to update on the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011, which have been some of the most awesome weeks I've spent in Guatemala. First: Christmas. I was invited to spend Christmas eve with a family that lives around the corner that I've become close to in the past months. They are a really big family and I always feel at home with them because it is always a fun and loud time when I'm with them - just like my real family back home! :) In Guatemala (and most Latin American countries in general), Christmas Eve is a really big deal. I went over to the family's house in the morning of Christmas Eve, and Doña Adalicia had been up since 5 am making tamales, which is the traditional food to eat on Christmas. I learned how to prepare and wrap the tamales in big leaves, and then we all hung out while the tamales cooked for three hours (she made 100 of them...no joke). Luckily, I had come prepared with red, white, and green nail polishes to give Christmas manicures, of which I did thirteen of that day with all the family members, young and old. It was a good time-filler because we pretty much sat around, hanging out and waiting for 12 midnight. At which point, it was just like New Years Eve - fireworks going off, everyone hugging and kissing. The family set off a ton of fireworks from the roof and street, and it seemed that every other family in Chiantla was doing the exact same thing from all the noise. Once the craziness of twelve midnight has passed, everyone runs back inside to open gifts, and then around 1 am we all sat down to eat a dinner of warm tamales and coffee. I lasted until 2 am, at which point I struggled to stay awake. Finally, I went home to bed, feeling so content from the holiday festivities and knowing it would be one of my favorite memories from Guatemala.

The next day, Christmas day, was almost like nothing in Guatemala. A few stores were closed, but otherwise it was a really normal day. Whereas in the states, Christmas is a very important day, in Guatemala, everyone just slowly recovers from the night before. I hung out with some friends in town, and then went home to rest and pack because the NEXT DAY I got to see my Aunt Patti, Uncle Kenny, Michelle, and Jeff! They came to Guatemala for a short trip after vacationing in Belize and I got to take them to Antigua for a night and then the Lake for two more. The day after they arrived to Guatemala, David returned after spending some time in Panama, and we all had a great time - I think the best part was hanging out at the hotel and playing board games, card games, and drinking games. Some of the other guests complained that we were too loud but I think really they were just jealous of all the fun we were having :) Jeffrey also jumped off a huge cliff into the lake, and the rest of us watched in awe/fear :)

The morning of my birthday, the Steinbergs prepared to depart Guate and David and I took off for Huehue. After a short 4.5 hours, we were back home and getting ready for my birthday party. Instead of doing a dinner, I had a birthday "snack" and invited people over for bean tamales and delicious carrot cake. Unlike in the states, where you invite only a bunch of friends your age, I had 30 friends between the ages of 2 and 60 at my party. And it was a great time! We played musical chairs and freeze dance, I gave a little speech, we ate cake and tamales, and it was all over by 7 pm. A perfect, simple, low-key birthday which is just what I wanted.

On New Years Eve Day, David and I headed back to the Lake, where we met Stefanie and Jason who came to visit from the states! They spent almost two weeks in Guatemala and it was incredibly fun and busy. It was probably the lamest (or most "relaxing") New Years Eve I'd ever spent, as I struggled to stay awake after 10:00 pm. When it finally struck midnight, I felt relieved about finally being able to go to sleep! The past week had been so nuts that by New Years Eve, I was exhausted. But I was happy just to spend it in the company of good friends and get up the next morning to start on our Guatemala adventure together. Some of the highlights of Stef and Jason's trip were waking up to see the sunrise over the lake, which was way less romantic than you'd think since we almost got eaten alive by chuchos (dogs). Then getting to take them to Chiantla, meet my friends, go for an epic run through the mountains, attend my English class and literacy class. It was really funny explaining their relationship to my Guatemalan friends, who are normally not used to having friends of the opposite sex and didn't quite understand how Stef and Jason could be "just friends".

Also, visiting Xocomil with them, Guatemala's AMAZING waterpark and hiking Volcano Santa Maria, one of Guatemala's highest and hardest hikes. I had a really difficult time, especially with the sudden changes in altitude, but once we reached the top it was breathtaking. There is a smaller volcano, Santiaguito, right below Santa Maria, and it is in constant eruption. To see one volcano smoking FROM another volcano above was an experience I'll never forget. We were so high in the air that I felt like I was in an airplane. The soreness in my legs for 5 days after the hike was a good reminder that it wasn't all just a dream.

Once David, Jason, and Stef all departed, I returned home and tried to remember what my normal life in Chiantla is like. There are some big changes coming up that I recently learned about; some good and some not-so-good. The good news: my proposal that I submitted to apply for USAID small project assistance funds was approved, meaning that I received $3,500 to build water tanks in one of my rural communities where the women have to walk two hours daily in dry season to haul water from a river. The project will benefit 36 families and the local primary school, so that the community can live with better health and hygiene, as well as invest their time in other productive things besides collecting water. The tanks are basically HUGE buckets that collect rainwater through a catchment system attached to the families' rooves. I am really excited to make this project one of my goals for my last 10 months and something that I know will significantly improve the lives of the people in this community.

Other news: my muni went on a firing rampage, which is really unfortunate, however one of the women in my office who had been making my life h--l was given the boot as well. And the OTHER woman who made my life h--l is being moved to a different office. Another woman I'm friendly with in the muni is being moved to OUR office to take their places!! So I am thrilled about that. Due to budget cuts, the muni is also consolidating the Children and Youth Office with our Womens Office. It is adding a lot to our already-overflowing plate, but it is a new challenge that will allow us to work in different areas.

Sad news is that Peace Corps told us that because of budget cuts through Congress, in addition to the fact that it's hard to find volunteers with special skills like the Municipal Development program requires, they are cutting our program. It is really heartbreaking for me, because as much as I've had challenges with difficult office personnel, unsupportive mayor and city council, etc. I really believe in our program and what it offers rural communities in terms of educating on human rights, citizen participation, and organizing groups at a community level. But, what's done is done, and since there will no longer be a Muni program in two years as we PCVs working in this area finish our service, the best we can do is keep up the work we're doing and go out with a bang...

To end on a happy note, my niece/nephew is due to be born ANY MINUTE! Stay tuned for news, and also for the next blog written by my guest contributors, Stefanie and Jason!

Volcan Santiaguito eruption, seen from above on Volcan Santa Maria

Stef, Jason, David, and I at the Zaculeu ruins in Huehue

On top of Volcan Santa Maria

My 26th birthday party

The night before my birthday, celebrating with the Steinbergs

With the Steinbergs in Antigua

Celebrating Christmas Eve

Learning to make tamales