Mama Tina's Adventures

Guatemala 1974

2009-08-14T18:16:00.001-05:00

We meet for FHE with the senior missionaries and other "older" people who work for the church here. Last Monday, we hosted FHE. I don't remember how we got on the subject--I think our new area authority, Elder Martino, served his mission in Guatemala. Another newcomer, Neil Anderson, who is working with one of the universities here, mentioned that he served here 1975-76 also. Of course, that was the lead-in for asking whether they knew/remembered Dr/Sister Doty. Both did and remembered them well. Brother Anderson then told us that he has vivid memories of the Dotys teaching etiquette classes to the missionaries. In particular, he remembered that the missionaries were taught that they should always slice butter straight across and not at an angle (Sound familiar anyone?). He said that to this day, it bugs him when butter is sliced "incorrectly" (and that his wife if often guilty of so slicing.) He forwarded this picture to me that he remembered seeing on the wall at the area office of mom and dad/gma and gpa/grams and gramps.

2009-08-14T18:14:00.001-05:00

It's sad to consider that our dogs live in better conditions than the majority of people in Guatemala.

Dar a luz

2009-07-30T19:36:00.003-05:00

I came home this morning to find our wonderful maid, Magdalena, making our bed. I like to watch People & Arts in the morning, and the TV was on "Sala de Maternidad"--Maternity ward. Magdalena, who is in her 50s and has never married or had kids, excitedly told me that she had never seen a baby being born. She was glued to the TV where the woman on the show was giving birth to gemelos--twins. As she walked out of the room, fanning herself, she said, "estoy sudando"--I'm sweating, but she was also smiling from ear to ear. It couldn't have been better if she was really there in the birth room.

"Dar a luz" means to give birth--literally "give a light." What a lovely way to express nature's greatest miracle.

Only in Guatemala...

2009-06-13T21:58:00.002-05:00

...do they have samples of mixed alcoholic drinks in the market, made on the spot by cute, young muchachas.

VIP theater in Guatemala

2009-06-12T22:20:00.002-05:00

We tried out a new theatre this afternoon that is located in the newest mall in town, Oakland, close to the Embassy. The "regular" theatre in this complex is brand new, with stadium seating and a great sound system. The "VIP" theatre is a little more expensive--Q65, about $8 (the regular theater is only $4). It boasts paired leather recliners, a small individual table that you can move in front of you, and a small table between sections with a downlight. There is a menu from which you can choose drinks (mixed drinks, coffee drinks, smoothies, sodas), popcorn (regular, caramel, light), candy, sandwiches, crepes, and even sushi. (As much as we like sushi, we've yet to try any here in Guatemala. It just doesn't seem like a sushi kind of place on a number of levels.) There are "waiters" that take your order and bring your goodies to you. No fumbling with a large drink and popcorn as you make your way to your seat.

It was the most comfortable movie I've ever been to--feet up, reclined, munching on my mixed carmel/light popcorn, sipping my soda. But for one who has seen only the opening credits of too many movies to count as I recline at home on my bed with my feet up, it might be just a little too comfortable for me. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

I think it will be hard to go back to regular stadium seats.

Money matters

2009-04-13T22:47:00.006-05:00

It's nearly impossible to return anything in Guatemala. I'm used to the Costco "no receipt, no question" policy, but here, if you're not sure you want/need it, don't buy it!

My first experience with this was buying a LARGE jelly roll pan at PriceSmart (our Costco) thinking I could use one pan instead of two when I make rolls, cookies, etc. The problem? It wouldn't fit in my oven. Sounds like a reasonable reason for a return to me--

However...when I attempted to take it back, the clerks acted like I was nuts to want to return a pan that was too big for my oven. It took forever to get the credit (even with the receipt.) Of course it would be too easy to check the price on the receipt and just give me back an equivalent number of quetzales.

I wanted to exchange an unopened (of course) 2 liter bottle of regular 7-up for diet at the local market. The reply: "We don't do that."

?Por que no?

On the other hand, today I took 4 pairs of pants to be hemmed. I've found a place where the seamstress does an excellent job in just a few days. It's not hard to hem pants; I've had plenty of experience doing it, and I should probably be a bit more self-sufficient. I just find that if I wait for me to do it, it never gets done.

The cost?

Q112--that's $15 for 4 pairs of pants perfectly measured and hemmed. $3.75 each. No wonder I don't do it.

I'm getting spoiled.

Central Mercado

2009-04-05T22:55:00.006-05:00

The Central Mercado is in Zona 1~kind of a dangerous area of town, so I never go alone. The first time I went with my Egyptian friend, Yosra, it took us 2 hours to get there, even though we had directions. Now, I takes about 15 minutes and I'm going the right way on all the one-way streets!

The Mercado has 3 levels~the first is all shops that sell textiles, crafts, gawdy statues, trinkets~any kind of Guatemala souvenir you could want. You can bargain to your heart's content. We have our eyes on a gorgeous chest, carved with Guatemalan scenes. The price is Q4000, roughly $500, but the shopkeeper said she would give us "un buen precio." When we get closer to leaving Guate, we'll get serious about bargaining.

The second level is food and flowers. You can't believe the enormous stacks of fruits and veggies of all kinds (many that I don't recognize.) We've tried a few mystery fruits that were interesting~

This is the cashew fruit. You can see the pod on the end where the cashew nut grows. No wonder they are so expensive~one nut on that big fruit. I haven't tasted the fruit yet.

Not only do they sell fruits and vegetables, there are shops with prepared food (that we would never eat~like eating on the street, which is a BIG no-no) and a meat market. I must say that the smell at the meat market is pretty disgusting. No refrigeration or ice, just slabs of meat hanging and large containers of mariscos, pescado, and pollo. Interesting, however.

The 3rd level (all the levels go down) has everything you could ever want to have a party or decorate. Baskets, pottery, candles, ribbon, tacky styrofoam figures, dried flowers. We've gotten some fun pots there. I also bought 12 ceramic soup bowls, Q5 each. It is said that these bowls keep soup hot and enhance the flavor of whatever is in them. They are glazed and I got thinking about what they use 1)to make the bowls and 2) to glaze the bowls. I'm certain it's not FDA approved. But soup really does stay hot and is very tasty in these little bowls. And, no GI upsets yet.

A fun, fun place.

January 2011

2009-03-27T20:27:00.005-05:00

We got our new post assignment-

JERUSALEM

We will finish our time in Guatemala next January, take 6 weeks of home leave, then head to Washington DC for 10 months of Hebrew language training.

I am trying hard to keep focusing on Spanish, although I want to start checking out the Hebrew alphabet.

I am particularly excited because I want to buy some of these:

This is a Yad, or Torah pointer. It is used to help you keep your place (see the pointing finger on the end?) as you read the Torah from right to left. Yads can be very plain, embellished, ancient...I think they are cool. I will be in the perfect location to start a collection.

We are excited, although we won't be going for 2 years.

!MAZEL TOV!

Destination pending

2009-03-20T20:30:00.002-05:00

Our final bid list was sent yesterday. Don't know how long we'll have wait to get the email notifying us where we'll go (M says maybe as early as next week). I'm pretty excited and a bit nervous. Our top 10--

1. Dusseldorf

2. Frankfurt

3. Paris

4. Paris

5. Istanbul

6. Jersualem

7. Jerusalem

8. TelAviv

9. Budapest

10. Sofia

I hope they don't have to dip below 10. It wasn't easy coming up with 20 workable posts, considering timing and the fact that all the posts in Mexico had to be disqualified (M born there=dual citizenship=no political immunity) and we have 3 perritos.

Wish us luck!

Our Little Pixie--Ava

2009-03-07T18:21:00.002-06:00

(Picture taken before Ava's first haircut from Aunt Staci)
M and I found this message on our voicemail yesterday...(we could hear Sally whispering in the background)

S: "Hi Nana"

A: (pause) "Hiiii Nana"

S: "Hi Grandpa"

A: "Hi Gwampa"

S: "This is Ava"

A: "I frowed up"

S: "This is Ava"

A: "I frowed up"

S: "This is Ava"

A: "I frowed up"

S: (one more try) "This is Ava"

A: "This is AFA"

S: "I love you"

A: "Wuv you" (smack, smack)

Deelicious!!!!

2009-02-26T21:07:00.002-06:00

The American Embassy is about 2 miles from our apartment on 3rd avenida in Zona 14.

Yesterday, I left the Embassy at 4:30 for home. 35 minutes later, the traffic had moved about 100 yards. Horns were honking (short toots are just to get someone's attention; a long, continuous honk is rude), traffic was increasing, cars were filling all the intersections. Gridlock. I was in the left lane and was finally able to turn left on 14 Calle, past the Camino Real hotel, heading for 6th Avenida. We don't like to go that way because it is usually a traffic nightmare, especially with the traffic cops in their neon green vests and [neon green] gloves directing.

There was a lot of traffic on 6th Ave, but I made it home in another 20 minutes. 55 MINUTES. 2 MILES.

I found out today that a friend (who passed me just before I turned on 14C) reached the half-way point at the Obelisco in 2 hours. Who knows how much longer the last mile took.

The paper reported that the commute for some people down Avenida Reforma to said Obelisco--3 miles at the most--took 6, that's SIX hours. The cause: a couple buses broke down (the ones that were taking kids to school in the US in the 70s), a shoot-out, and numerous rude drivers who jammed the intersections so traffic came to a complete standstill.

I love Guatemala.

In case you didn't know...

2009-02-22T15:55:00.001-06:00

...today is the start of the 5125th year of the Mayan calendar.

Where in the world?

2009-02-06T19:25:00.003-06:00

Just got word that the bid list will be out on Monday. There are lots of guidelines, mostly having to do with timing-when we can leave this post, training, when needed at the next post, etc. I'm excited and a bit nervous to see what the choices are. This first round will have hundreds of listings which have to be scrutinized with aforementioned timing, pets, won't go theres, dreams...

We had dinner with some friends last night; they are praying that Zimbabwe (I can't even spell it) is on the list. M and I are praying for Rome or Madrid or Zurich...We are fairly certain this is one prayer that won't be answered

On a sad note, one of M's A100 classmates was killed in his home in Ethiopia. Notice I said killed, not died. They are investigating now, but the reports say there was "severe trauma that could not have been self-inflicted." We are heartsick.

You know you're in Guatemala...

2009-01-28T22:16:00.004-06:00

...when the car for a 5-person family is a motorcycle. Dad drives, wearing the helmet, young child in front of him, mom behind him, holding the baby, with the oldest child sandwiched between mom and dad.

Boss lady

2009-01-23T22:50:00.002-06:00

Marlan has a new boss--Hillary Clinton. Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Anniversary

2009-01-23T22:12:00.004-06:00

Today is the anniversary of our arrival in Guatemala. It's hard to believe we've been here for a year already. Last year, we were settling in at Casa Serena, living out of suitcases, with no idea where we would live or which way was north and south.

Some things we've learned:
1. La Casserole in Antigua is the best restaurant in Guatemala.
2. Good Samaritan laws (where you help someone who is injured without fear of reprisal) do not exist in Guatemala. Witnesses to bodily crimes can become the next victims. Best to just walk on by and pretend you don't notice. This is really hard for a nurse.
3. When the map says paved/unpaved road, be prepared for only 100 feet of payment and lots of potholes, dust, and gravel.
4. You CAN carry an Evenrude boat motor on your back (with forehead strap) 1 mile down to the river and back.
5. When you encounter a traffic jam, you can bet there are police "directing" the traffic.
6. Contrary to what Curious George says, bananas grow up, not down.
7. Guatemalans generally don't like ice in their drinks; you need to ask for ice for your otherwise lukewarm limonada or soda.
8. There is an "As Seen on TV" store here in La Capital.
9. The yellow bus you used to take to school is probably enjoying it's second life here in Guate, painted red and spewing out all sorts of noxious fumes.
10. The zone system in this city is a nightmare. Each zone has the same calles and avenidas, and you never know when you go from one zone to other. Signs are nonexistent so getting lost is guaranteed.
11. This country is beautiful and interesting, but also very dangerous. You have to be on your guard all the time.
12. We run a very comfortable B&B and we welcome visitors!

2009-01-12T21:05:00.002-06:00

We came home from the holidays to find curious little moths flying around in the pantry. I assumed they flew in the open laundry room window along with all the dust. Not so. These Guatemalan moths like frijoles negros, masa flour, avena (oatmeal), and trigo (wheat.) A friend at church INSISTED that I take home a bag of wheat that I could grind in my Vitamix to make bread. I didn't create any golden loaves, but I did create moth heaven in a bag. The upside is that I'm done with my pantry spring cleaning. And no more moths.

The man in the red suit...

2008-12-07T22:27:00.004-06:00

Christmas has been in the air here in Guatemala for weeks. The local beer company, Gallo, put up decorations on the streets (including their name as sponsor)and a ginormous tree at the intersection of Avenida de las Americas and Avenida Reforma and the stores are full of all things Christmas. We have been singing carols at church since the beginning of November. So you would think it not surprising to see local vendors selling the man in the red suit. But wait...

A typo???? SATANS for sale? (Just scramble the letters and SANTA becomes SATAN.) No, our jolly guy in the red suit is indeed Satan-and the #7 on his suit is for Dec. 7.

Every year, in the midst of the Christmas season, Guatemalans give the devil his due. According to tradition, all year long, the devil hides in the corners and dark places of a house, worming his way into old papers, garbage, and dust. This brings bad luck (and bugs, allergies, etc..)

So,every Dec. 7, Guatemalans clean every nook and cranny in their houses, gathering up junk, old newspapers...even dust, and build a giant, highly combustible pile in front of their houses.

The man in the red suit, a "Prince of Darkness" pinata, is added to the pile and at exactly 6 pm, the entire unholy heap is set ablaze. (Thank heavens all the houses are constructed from cement. I don't think our bomberos (firemen) could handle an inferno...)

The bonfires, along with the firecrackers and fireworks that freaked out the doggies, is how we here in Guatemala celebrate "La Quema del Diablo"--the Burning of the Devil. Satan is swept from the homes and sent straight back to He**.

Now we can concentrate on the other guy in the red suit...

La cucharacha

2008-11-01T21:46:00.002-05:00

I know they have cockroaches in Guatemala, but I haven't seen one since we got here. On my way to class yesterday I saw my first--he was about 2 inches long. Normally, I will step on and squash one if I see it, but not this guy. Reminded me of the roaches in Houston that crawled all over the wall outside once the sun went down. (Speaking of crawling...my skin is right now just thinking about it.) Those guys were aggressive and would fly right at you if you squirted them with Raid. SICK. Yesterday I just walked on by...

Rain, rain, go away, come again another...month? year?

2008-09-27T22:08:00.003-05:00

I love rainy days--usually, but I am getting really sick of this rainy season. It's been raining since April and I don't think it has completely dried out since. I am tired of mud, aborted walks, umbrella in the car during a downpour, having the car washed and clean for hours before it's dirty again.

On the other hand, we enjoyed the storm yesterday afternoon, complete with lightening and claps of thunder that started all the car alarms down the road honking. Our car was safe and dry under the building, and we were tucked inside with a great view from our bedroom window.

And this morning we awoke to the sun peeking through the clouds--until the downpour began. Aborted walk, dirty car, mud, umbrella in the car...

Turn about...

2008-09-26T22:22:00.002-05:00

I've written about our Friday breakfasts with the Chapinas that work with Marlan. On Wednesday at work, Marlan told me the "girls" wanted to make breakfast for us. They have been so grateful, almost to the point of embarrassment, so I felt a twinge of nervousness at the prospect.

Well...this morning at 8:00, M and I arrived at the embassy. There weren't too many of the girls around, but then, it's Friday. About 8:30, we headed...downstairs????

Seems our amigas went ALL OUT for our little breakfast. We entered the auditorium, and they were all bustling around--a huge Feliz Cumpleanos sign on the wall, tables with real tablecloths, centerpieces, bright little dots and squiggles (M called them sperm) all over the tables and the most delicious breakfast you can imagine! They served the yummiest tamales, Guatemalan style, wrapped in banana leaves, black beans (the beans here are the best you've ever tasted, although the presentation kind of looks like a pile...oh forget it. They are wonderful!) Pan dulce (sweet bread), rolls. It was unbelievable. All the girls wished me happy birthday and sang to me--I was really very touched. To top things off, they presented me with a beautiful box with a Quetzal bird on it (actually a tea box--I filled it with herbals) to always remind me of Guatemala.

My task now is to learn all their names. I used to be so good at remembering names, but as I've gotten older, it's gotten harder. FYI--I do still remember our phone number in Studio City when I was young: PO6-1341.

One of the things that bugs the heck out of me at the embassy is the "us-them" attitude. For instance, in the health unit, we are not authorized to treat any FSN (foreign service national--the Guatemalans that work at the embassy.) We can give them ibuprofen or Pepto, and a flu shot, but nothing else. They are employed by the US Govt but are considered "them". So stupid, and whereas I am usually one that tows the line, I'm cutting the cord on this one. I will be quiet about it, but in my mind, they are "us" too.

2008-09-20T21:18:00.004-05:00

I just returned home from a wonderful trip to the US. I got to see all the grandkids and spent 2 weeks getting to know little Caleb and playing with the princesses. We had a nightly slumber party in their room, I watched Hercules at least 10 times, and am now well acquainted with Barbie DVDs.

I honor of my little princesses, I took the "Which Disney Princess Are You?" test.

You Are Aurora! (A.K.A. Sleeping Beauty.)

Thoughtful and loving. Authority figures probably have been sheltering you all of your life. Thankfully you're a very tranquil person who is content with what life has given you, but secretly you want to know how the outside world works.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

!Buen Provecho!

2008-08-06T22:22:00.007-05:00

Marlan started a weekly tradition in his section at the Embassy--breakfast on Friday for the FSNs, foreign service nationals, who are the Guatemaltecos that help with visas. At first it was store bought goodies--bagels or cakes, then he got a bit more creative. While I was away in the US, he made a pitcher full of batter, brought butter,syrup, plates, napkins, and forks, and lugged my nice Kitchenaid waffle maker to the Embassy (after he dumped out my Christmas container to carry it all in.) After a number of weeks of sweeter things, when he asked the gals what they would like, they told him they would like something "salada"--less sweet. I told him I would come up with something, thus starting my quest for interesting breakfast dishes.

I am not a big breakfast person. I like pancakes, waffles, and French toast, but I really don't like eggs. This cuts out probably 80% of the items on a breakfast menu. But I took this as a challenge, and I must admit, I've been having fun looking for interesting breakfast recipes.

The first dish I made was my ham and cheese souffle (normally I use sausage, but the only sausage I found here was very scary looking--no Jimmy Dean.) It was a big hit! I've become very adept at making scrambled eggs with all the add-ins that we serve with the delicous corn tortillas they make here. I made a mushroom frittata, and last week, I made vegetable quiche. They were really pretty--until I bumped the pan they were on and dumped one on the floor of the car :( I don't think I'll do quiche again. I am going to try eggs benedict this week; I found a make ahead recipe that sounds interesting and pretty easy.

I am really enjoying this project and the FSNs have been so appreciative--to the point of embarrassing me. So, if any of you have good breakfast recipes, I would love to try them. Please send them to me!

Here are a couple recipes I've tried:

Baked French Toast Casserole

Paula Deen

1 loaf French bread (13-16 ounces)

8 large eggs

2 c. half-and-half

1 c. milk

2 T. sugar

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

dash salt

Praline topping

Maple syrup

Slice bread into 20 slices, 1-in each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9x13 baking dish, in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. Combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla,cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread praline topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping

1/2 # (2 sticks) butter

1 c. packed brown sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

2 T. light corn syrup

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and blend well. (I made 2 pans of the French toast and used 1/2 of the praline topping on each. It was more than sweet enough. It really doesn't need any syrup either.) DELICIOUS!!

Hadn't made this muffin recipe for a long time, but it is so easy for a quick, healthy snack.

Bran Muffins

7 c. raisin bran

5 c. flour

1 c. sugar

5 T. baking soda

2 t. salt

4 c. milk

2 T. vinegar

1 c. oil

1/2 c. molasses

4 eggs

Combine cereal, flour, sugar, soda, and salt. Add liquid ingredients and mix well. Store covered in refrigerator for 6 weeks. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

We made it!

2008-08-05T15:58:00.009-05:00

I snapped a few shots on our descent into Guatemala City.

Drivers from the Embassy picked us up and handled all the paperwork for immigration and customs. We relaxed while they located the dogs and our luggage.

Our three friends were great travellers. Not a trace of p, p, or p (poop, pee, puke) in their kennels. They did seem to be very happy to be on terra firma again.

Tagged Revisited...

2008-08-05T15:46:00.002-05:00

Since my "quirky" entry, I have been thinking more about oddities in my nature. I've come up with a couple other quirks:

I will not serve watermelon with seeds in it. Not only do I have to remove all the seeds, but I have to cut up the watermelon into chunks. No slices or seeds at my table.
I hate the subscription and sample cards that are stuck throughout magazines that make it impossible to flip casually through the issue. I won't even look through a magazine without first tearing out all these cards. If you haven't noticed, there are at least 5-10/magazine. I wonder if anyone actually fills out these cards...

Tagged

2008-07-23T21:12:00.002-05:00

Staci tagged me, so I have to confess to 6 quirks. Here goes:

I like to rub my feet together when I'm in bed.
I hate the sound of fans--bathroom, kitchen, you name it. They drive me CRAZY. I'm not one for white noise either.
I have all the shirts in my closet hanging in color order. I like M's clothes in similar order--dress shirts together, casual shirts together, suits in one spot, pants in another. NO mixing. Unfortunately, M doesn't share the same desire. Mishmash doesn't bother him.
I like to eat white bread/roll dough, cookie dough, cake batter and dry cake mix--and I haven't gotten salmonella from raw eggs yet.
Like Staci, I l liked being pregnant. I felt really good all 9 months, not a day of morning sickness, I had easy labors--all natural without epidurals/spinals, except Greg who was breech which required Csection--the longest, being 4 hours. Corny as it sounds, I felt so alive when I was pg; very sexy and pretty.
I like colons--they are interesting. Actually I like all aspects of GI nursing and poop, barf, and blood don't bother me. Phlegm--that's another story.

I don't know too many "older" bloggers, so I tag Buddy, Sally, and Christian.

Off to Guatemala--maybe...

2008-07-20T23:40:00.007-05:00

This is what overnight accommodations at LAX with 3 dogs, 3 kennels, 4 large suitcases and carryons, after a cancelled flight, looks like. We looked like a homeless couple pushing around all our belongings. But this is only part of the story.

I had a 4 pm flight from Washington DC to LA, with the doggies, where we were going to meet Marlan for an 11 pm flight to Guatemala City. When I got to the airport (with 3 dogs on leashes in tow), I found out my flight was cancelled. Yikes. I was rescheduled. I was informed that my dog kennels didn't meet FDA standards because there were no air holes in the back (?) But, United just happened to have the right kind of kennels that they would sell me--cash only. And each doggie needed his own space so Shadow and Missy couldn't travel together. (Another FDA rule.) All in all, things went pretty smoothly in spite of the problems. I finally arrived in LA about 10 pm and met Marlan (who had been in LA working with Homeland Security ), made our way to the gate...another cancelled flight!

After getting rerouted, we spent about a hour trying to track down our pups. At midnight, no one in the cargo dept was answering the phone and we had NO idea where our friends were. Luckily we were in terminal 7 (United) at LAX, so the area to be covered was much less than if we had been in terminal 1 or, heaven forbid, the international terminal. We finally found them, resting quietly in their crates--until they saw us. Then we hunkered down for the night on some extremelly uncomfortable plastic/metal chairs, with arms that didn't move for lying down. We popped a Foyle's War DVD in my computer and watched a movie, with our dogs, our luggage and kennels surrounding us. It was really fun to try to find a place for the doggies to piddle near our makeshift hotel. What a night! I was glad when 5 am rolled around and we could finally check in. And I must say Missy, Copper and Shadow were good little pups.

At least we got $150 each in travel coupons with United for our trouble. Oh, and United doesn't fly to Guatemala anymore.

Sugar anyone?

2008-07-19T17:41:00.005-05:00

Can you guess which cannister holds the sugar? Hint: see the remnants of US sugar in the bottom. That's powdered sugar on the left and Bisquick on the right. You are thinking, "why is that sugar brown?" I don't really know. The sugar here in Guate is much coarser than C&H and the govt fortifies it with Vit A. It seems to work just the same, but is looks a bit dirty...

For the most part, we can get the food items we're used to, with a few exceptions I've found so far:

diced green chilis in the can--I diced some jalapenos and it worked just fine.
buttermilk--how do I make German choc cake and Staci's pancakes without this? I have asked about it in the market, but it's hard to describe...and after I try in my limited Spanish to describe it, they still don't have it. I'm down to 1 packet of dried buttermilk and I KNOW they don't sell that.
rice chex--haven't found a suitable substitute to make puppy chow. Suggestions?

Here comes the sun!

2008-07-19T17:14:00.010-05:00

We have officially been in the rainy season for the last 2+ months--and have we seen rain! Normally (I'm told) the sun will shine in the morning and around 2 pm, the clouds will roll in, it will dump rain, and will clear up. Not this year. It has been raining and raining-at all times of the day and usually when all three of our umbrellas are in the car. So we have been pleasantly surprised this week to wake up and see this from our window.

The upside of all the rain we've been having is that everything is green and lush. The downside is that the doggies don't always get their walk, having been caught a few too many times when the sky opens up and we're far from home.

Volcan Aqua in the background shrouded with clouds.

Flag day

2008-07-14T19:10:00.005-05:00

After all the research, discussion, waiting and nerves, Flag day arrived in mid August. The next 2 years of our lives rested on the announcement made this afternoon and I was not just a little nervous. Marlan is the nomad in our family; I am the tree that wants to send down a giant tap root and stay put. We have lived in many places and I have enjoyed them all. It just takes a little nudging to get me over the change hump--and this was going to be a really BIG change!

Each post was represented by it's country flag, all arranged together in front of the group. As each flag was raised and the country was shouted out by the group, the officer assigned to that post was announced. There were cheers, clapping hands, a few gasps, but no discernable sobs or wailing. I suspect there weren't too many surprises. I do know that one of the women in Marlan's class really wanted to go to Guate and was assigned to Africa. Yikes.
Glad it wasn't us!

Marlan with his Guatemalan flag and a BIG smile!

Bid list

2008-07-14T18:38:00.003-05:00

About 2 weeks after Marlan started his training, he received the bid list for his class, listing all the available places to which we could be posted. I spent a fair amount of time researching where in the world some of the places are, and another fair amount of time trying to figure out why in the world someone would want to go there. Each officer has to bid on every post--high, medium, or low interest. Lots of things have to be taken into consideration, including family needs, pets (a big one for us), and of course, and probably most important, places you do/do not want to go. This is the front page of our bid list...

The bid list has lots of info, complete with all those govt acronyms I so love: Bur (area of the world), post, TED (when job becomes vacant and new officer arrives at post), language with required speaking and reading levels, diff (hardship %), danger %, and post size. As you can see, Guate is circled--our dream post.

Can it be 6 months?

2008-07-11T19:30:00.000-05:00

We've been on our Guatemalan adventure for 6 months on the 23rd! It's about time I started to chronicle the journey that led us to this beautiful country. Turn the clock back one year...

July 8, 2007, Marlan began training at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, VA. He is in the 135th A-100 class--don't know what the A-100 stands for, but I've learned that the US Govt LOVES acronyms--this must be one, and whatever it is, it's the 135th. I stayed behind in Santa Clara, UT because the airlines have a "heat embargo" and pets can't travel as baggage/cargo from May 15-Sept 15.