Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Holidays 2010 in Belize

My long holiday weekend began with a trip to Guatemala: Flores is an island about 2 hours from where I live. Tour books describe it as a Venetian experience; It was the home of the Itzas, descendents of the Maya, and resisted Spanish colonial rule until the end of the 17th century, becoming the last indigenous area to succumb. This a picture of two other Peace Corps Volunteers Amber and Linda crossing pristine Lake Peten Izta.

Christmas Day was spent with the Garcia family--much too much wonderful food; lots of wonderful conversation and the added celebration of daughter Christie Maria's 13th birthday. Each guest brought a cake so there were seven! birthday cakes including my well-received chocolate on chocolate cake with candles. The mom Ethel has become a wonderful friend. That's her drapped across the couch; husband Margar and me surrounded and hidden a bit by the children. Also visiting was a Salvadorian artist who was very interested in my involvement with Nicaragua over the years.

The next day was Boxing Day--a British Commonwealth holiday supposed the day to box up the gifts you don't want to give to the poor. Spent at a Puerto Rican party of Andre and Nan Lopez who have been wonderful friends. They built their own house in Bullet Tree Falls as expats. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the 1960s (talks about how good we have it with Internet, cell phones, etc.); he is a photographer originally from Puerto Rico and got interested in the Spanish Civil War and met Harry and Moe Fishman in New York after doing a book on Gypsies in Spain. Great afternoon with discussions about history, slavery, a Brit who said Belizeans love them and Belizeans lecturing him on colonialism--I thought of our family who would have been right in the thick of discussion. (Sorry no pictures)

Monday--it was back to Guatemala. Ethel and the two Garcia children took me and Linda (PCV) to Melchor which is on the border with Belice (Spanish for Belize). The market is visions of Nicaragua (that does not exist in Belize); the Garcias and I are heavily into jewelry making and we found a stall with the best beads, wires, etc. We then visited Ethel's sister and family--the children are amazingly creative.

On the way back we stopped at the Butterfly Farm about 15 minutes from home. As beautiful as the butterflies were it was watching the Garcia children enjoying them, the nature walk that included finding unexcavated ruins, and just their general joy and inquisitiveness.

Finally, home, and greeted in my front yard by a local family. Without these neighbors how would I get up each morning at exactly 4 AM without any modern conveniences like an alarm clock?

Monday, December 13, 2010

Mary Open Doors Holiday Party in my home










I hosted a very festive holiday party for the women served by Mary Open Doors. It was unusual: we made things including jewelry and carefully followed my prized book of "99 ways to make over T shirts." The most touching moment was one woman who said for these few hours she didn't have to think about anything else. The children (all 21 of them) were hosted by the CEO's teenage daughters. A good time was had by all at both parties.
I cooked--not my usual practice--and these healthy foods were a big hit: pumpkin bread and several non-fried, non-strarchy recipes I picked up from various Peace Corps folks: deviled eggs, papaya ices, homemake salsa and even homemade chips, black bean patties, and fruit. What was not eaten was taken home.

In the future, the women said they would really like to learn crafts: knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, etc. They showed incredible talent (I actually need a Learning Annex class to make earrings--they just figured it out! This isn't really my role here but surely I would do it for fun. Special thanks to dear dear Karen Wasserman who sent me an incredible CARE package of supplies--Karen, you should see all the tools and beads in action in these photos.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Belizean Wedding


I spent the day in San Antonio Village where I had received community-based training back in April and May. I was invited to attend the wedding of my host family. What is different from a "typical" US wedding? In this village virtually no one attended the pentacostal church ceremony--but over 500 people attended the reception. The bride and groom and immediate family eat inside; the guests eat outside and only approach the house to deliver their gifts. It was an honor to be "inside"! My family is the Tzib family; the groom's family is the Tzib family--this is a Yucatec village of 2500 people with only 5 or 6 last names. One picture is me and the bridge as she was getting ready; the other is the bride and groom--note the lasso which they wore--uniting them--until dinner was served.

Friday, December 3, 2010

World AIDS Day in Cayo




So many issues: World AIDS Day is a big deal here and free condoms and HIV testing are everywhere EXCEPT the Church is against condom distribution and HIV testing but the children from the various religious schools were brought to the fair. Their message is abstinence but the kids sure have a very different view.

There is a wonderful organization called Belize Family Life Association with offices across from the Catholic Church--providing contraceptive and reproductive services gratis. So contradictions abound! These are the kids surrounding our booth; and the picture is the local police officer who had this great T shirt (Men Working in a typical construction sign and subtitle: Share Responsibility at Home). One of his women co-workers said: "it is just a T shirt" but I'm not so sure--he is about to have his first child and is taking leave to be there for a while.