Sunday, September 19, 2010

Lessons Learned - Part 1

Having already passed the 2 Year mark in my Peace Corps service - 2 years, 1 month and 6 days to be exact - i figured it would be appropriate to gather some rather memorable experiences and observations and somehow translate them into lessons learned or qualities acquired- however abstract the connection may seem. I plan to do this in several entries.

I'll start with an early experience. At the end of my first week in site, i was desperate to get out - not because i was sick of my site or because i missed my friends from training terribly but because i felt like i deserved it after a solid week (not to mention three months of training) out of my comfort zone. So, i made plans to visit a friend in his site about an hour and a half away for a night. At around 5:00 i realized i had missed the last bus and was sitting on the corner on the way out of town, desperately waiting for a pickup truck or some other charitable soul to pass by offering me a ride to Tecpan, where i could catch a bus to my friend's site. Finally, around 5:30, not a micro-bus, truck or a car, but a tuk-tuk passed by and jokingly asked where i was going. Now - for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of visiting Guatemala, or the rest of the developing world for that matter, a tuk-tuk is a tiny taxi built around a motorcylce engine that fits two people in addition to the driver and maxes out at about 25 miles an hour. It's like a golf cart, only much smaller and more cramped. Well, luckily this particular tuk-tuk was headed to Tecpan, a very rare occurrence, seeing as it was over 15Km away and at least a 50 minute ride. I quickly got in and rode that Tuk-tuk all the way to Tecpan, up and down amusement park- worthy hills and even for 3km on the Interamerican highway, unconcerned with the two mischievous young men sharing the driver's seat but simply thankful for my luck. The ride took almost an hour, but it was entirely worth it because i arrived safely to my friend's site and returned the next day refreshed and ready to get back to work. Lesson learned: Get to know the town bus schedules.

Here's another observation that i took note of. One day, about a year and a half back, i made a to-do list ( one of my favorite pastimes). Item number two (not number one, i might point out) on that list read: "Take a Shower." Let that sit for a moment..

For some reason, I had lost the instinctive impulse to bathe and had fallen out of the habit. I'll be painfully honest, bathing twice weekly was the norm for a while. Bathing is no easy feat here, often requiring a lot of leg work and/or a giant sacrifice of privacy (if you take the tamaskal, or communal steam bath, route - to which i have yet to succumb) but I've somehow made it work on a more regular basis now as opposed to that dark time of bathing (ok i'll admit it) once weekly. With about a month to go in Guatemala, I'm almost drooling at the thought of a sparkling, white tilled bathroom. Lesson learned: Never let personal hygiene go by the wayside.

And to finish this entry, here's an ongoing experience, one of the most meaningful I've had. At the beginning of my service, I lived with a wonderful family for about two months and I moved back in with the same family about 5 months ago. The mom, Ines, is a remarkable and independent woman and the dad, Tomas, is an honest, caring man, both with a great sense of humor. They have 6 children, two of which are married (Fredy and Sheny), three of which are routinely abroad (Victor, Jose and Lydia) and one who still lives at home while going to school (Lorena). I will be living in their home until I leave Guatemala at the end of October.

Aside from cherishing their company and sharing important moments with them, living with a Guatemalan family in my site has lent itself to limitless odd, schema-challenging moments that have often left me genuinely bewildered. For example: I've found days-old leftovers in the kitchen cabinet drawers even though they own a beautiful new refrigerator. I've stepped in chicken droppings in my bedroom and I've inspected mysterious paw prints on my pillow - to whom they belong i have yet to find out. I've witnessed similar occurrences in other homes as well.

In most houses the front door is revolving, and the multitudes of people coming in and out every day all claim to be related and decide to stay over often. For a while i was unsure of who actually lived in my house and of where they slept - which was unnerving as you can imagine because I never knew if I’d crawl into bed and find company.

With all the surprises and new ways of doing things, at times I feel like I’ve taken up residence at Mrs. Piggle Wiggle’s house, the storied elderly single lady whose house was adorned with furniture decoratively nailed to the ceilings. Perhaps you remember those books? As a child, I remember enjoying the books' fantastical nature that was somehow still contained by reality. That's basically what I've experienced on a day to day basis here, living with my Guatemalan host family.

Another example: Since the concept of individual possessions is completely foreign - they share almost everything - the idea of a private room is hardly even considered. In one home I've visited frequently, while three girls share one room, there are two full rooms that serve only to house dilapidated old furniture and appliances which might as well be nailed to the ceiling - or, more appropriately, hung from the tin roof.

As confused as I have felt at times, I've never lost sight of the importance of loved ones in one's life and i have genuinely cherished the time spent with my host family. I have always greatly appreciated their hospitality and support. Lessons learned: 1)The value of family transcends cultural borders and 2) Hide your candy.

To be continued..

3 comments:

Catherine Todd said...

Wonderful story! I live with a Guatemalan family and have experienced some of the same. Looking forward to more of your experiences! Wish you had a "follow" button here as I'd be the first one to sign up. Thanks for posting.

Catherine Todd said...

Forgot to check "email follow-up comments..."

beveres said...

Glad you're going to be bathing more frequently upon your return to EEUU, Raquelita!