Saturday, October 6, 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
Total Randomness...
Just some random things that have happened in Guatemala and in my life since I last wrote.
--The Latin American Idol was this past weekend and a Guatemalan won. As any proud people should be, the Guatemalans are going crazy for their new celebrity. Everything seems to be plastered with Carlos Peña´s face, name or songs.
--I´m making plans for a weeklong trip to Mexico with an American family who lives in Xela as well. They need to renew their visa´s and so I´m taking the opportunity to do the same (not to mention to visit a few ancient ruins, etc...) I think we´re leaving sometime next week.
--Last week I visited a family of weavers who live up in the mountains. The six children and two parents make wool rugs and blankets, completing the process from start to finish. They begin by sheering the sheep. Then they wash the wool in the river. They dye the wool with natural things such as rocks, grass, insects and bark. Then they spin and weave the wool into intricate tapestries. After being explained the whole process I was allowed to try my hand at spinning and weaving. Its such a beautiful process that I wish I had an extra month or two in this country to take weaving classes....
A final thought:
Today I saw performing clown children again. Two brothers: one barely old enough to be out of diapers, the other a head taller, but already leading the life of a working man. They stood just in front of our microbus for several minutes during a lingering traffic jam. At first all I could see were their juggling balls, dancing in and out of view through the tainted window, their mismatched suspenders and vibrantly striped trousers still hidden from sight. As the impatient cars cleared out and our van finally passed through the intersection, I saw their faces clearly. Their fake, painted smiles taunted me. I wonder if they have forgotten how to smile themselves. I thought of my life, living in the same city as them, walking the same weary streets, breathing in the same infected air and yet looking at it all through such different eyes.
--The Latin American Idol was this past weekend and a Guatemalan won. As any proud people should be, the Guatemalans are going crazy for their new celebrity. Everything seems to be plastered with Carlos Peña´s face, name or songs.
--I´m making plans for a weeklong trip to Mexico with an American family who lives in Xela as well. They need to renew their visa´s and so I´m taking the opportunity to do the same (not to mention to visit a few ancient ruins, etc...) I think we´re leaving sometime next week.
--Last week I visited a family of weavers who live up in the mountains. The six children and two parents make wool rugs and blankets, completing the process from start to finish. They begin by sheering the sheep. Then they wash the wool in the river. They dye the wool with natural things such as rocks, grass, insects and bark. Then they spin and weave the wool into intricate tapestries. After being explained the whole process I was allowed to try my hand at spinning and weaving. Its such a beautiful process that I wish I had an extra month or two in this country to take weaving classes....
A final thought:
Today I saw performing clown children again. Two brothers: one barely old enough to be out of diapers, the other a head taller, but already leading the life of a working man. They stood just in front of our microbus for several minutes during a lingering traffic jam. At first all I could see were their juggling balls, dancing in and out of view through the tainted window, their mismatched suspenders and vibrantly striped trousers still hidden from sight. As the impatient cars cleared out and our van finally passed through the intersection, I saw their faces clearly. Their fake, painted smiles taunted me. I wonder if they have forgotten how to smile themselves. I thought of my life, living in the same city as them, walking the same weary streets, breathing in the same infected air and yet looking at it all through such different eyes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
