Coro Chuwila Chichicastenango

Some great worship songs from Chichicastenango, in both K'iche' and Spanish.

Family Gardens in Aldea Rio Negro, Chicamán

Guatemalan School Children, August 2013

Dia Mundial de Medio Ambiente

Students from the primary school decided to show their appreciation for the World Environment Day. Enjoy!

P.S. Look at the yellow heart in the last photo. I LOVE TIERRA.

San José El Soch, Quiché

Two images taken in San José El Soch. This town marks the beginning of what is known as the Zona Reina (our local cloud forest). 

This is my commute to work during the rainy season: 

This trip usually only takes one hour during the dry season but can take up to two and half when it rains. One interesting fact on Guatemalan culture is that when a car gets stuck the men pull with a rope and the women push to get the car free.  

Here are some photos from the recent community workshop that I helped organize en my town. A total of 19 people received diplomas for attending all three days of the workshop. The workshop consisted of capacitating community members on how to make their own projects instead of having to depend on outside help most of the time. I consider it to have been a success and plan on having another workshop next week with social workers in our department´s capital.

School Gardens

A few images of the school gardens that I´ve been working on.

A New Life in Guatemala

Even though I've lived in Latin America for roughly 17 years, I'm still amazed about how some things are so similar and yet so different.

• When I lived in Bolivia I used to eat potatoes every single day. I've now learned to say, "Please pass the ixim (K´iche´ for corn)."
• My bi-weekly baths now consist of a bucket with a plastic scoop or a mud oven that acts as a sauna. I'm rather tall for Guatemala so I can now say that I bathe lying down.
• The first question that I was asked when I first moved to rural Guatemala was how much money I make. There were rumors passing through town that the backpack that I carry filled with teaching material is actually filled with dollar bills.
• I know how to read and write...meaning that I'm qualified to do just about anything that I want. A family has invited me to work with their kid who has a speech impediment. Worst-case scenario: he still stutters but has learned about the world of C. S. Lewis.

Dancing Merengue!

I've learned how dance to merengue! This is a video of my host sister and me dancing. :)

Learning to use my hard head

A few days ago my Guatemalan host mom asked me to help her move a quintal (100 lbs.) of raw corn. She offered to help me move it with the car but I wanted to try out a more traditionally Guatemalan way of moving heavy objects. Papa Jorge (my family's grandpa) lent me his micapal for a few minutes to carry the corn to the mill. I don't think he hooked the micapal on very well because my neck was killing me at the end of my trip. While I was walking through the streets of my small town everyone came out to laugh at the gringo carrying 100 pounds with his neck. Papa Jorge told me that when he was younger he used to take 250 pounds using a micapal. I should probably get used to lighter weights first...

Another Move

It almost feels unreal that my voyage to Central America started two days ago and that I'm waiting to board my plane in Washington. I think part of the reason behind this unexpected rush of activities is that I have been so busy these last 8 months leading to my departure. More than ever I appreciate the ability to sit in a quiet spot and reflect. I hear that Peace Corps volunteers have a lot of time on their hands. It's going to be good.

Ready to move

Why does it sometimes feel that time moves according to how important a life event is? Waiting to hear if I had made it into college, a certain internship or even jobs makes time inch along. Waiting for my term to start with the Peace Corps is no exception. Even though it's taken me less than the normal waiting time, spending 9 months in transition has still played games on my mind. What could I have accomplished with that time? Never before have I held myself back so much in fear of having to move after a minimal commitment or placing roots.

I have less that a month before I fly to Washington D.C. to commence my 24 month term. That's only four weekends away.

Home Brewing

I've been playing around with some home brewing lately and finally decided to have a friend "professionally" test my latest creation. Daniel has his very own blog where he tastes and rates different commercial beers. We work together and it's always a treat to talk to him about the different beers that the world has to offer.

Visit me in Kalamazoo for a taste of the porter (while it still lasts)!

I thought the same thing...

My thoughts exactly while watching the half time show during the superbowl (I didn't make the image).

Yo Voy Caminando...

I feel like I'm finally making some headway through the Peace Corps rat race. It's been a huge help having my querida cousin walk me through the different processes and being the lone positive voice in the "wilderness." It seems like a lot of people either don't want me to leave or think that it's going to take forever. My cousin knows how vulnerable this whole process makes a person feel. It's hard knowing that you want to go, that there is a village waiting for you, that the U.S. government wants you to go and yet there are so many potential mistakes that could set a person back by months.

I sent my medical information in about two weeks ago and have already had my dental assessed and deemed acceptable. All that is needed now is for a nurse to look at my physical and psychological state of mind to decide if I'm worth investing thousands of dollars in.

It appears that my estimated departure date will be in the early summer. Stay tuned for more information as it surfaces.

Waiting, again.

All of my medical information has been sent to the Peace Corps. Now all I have to do is wait and hope that nothing gets lost or missplaced along the way.

Forks in the Road

- Alice in Wonderland

The Quest Continues

I feel like it's high time to update my global audience on my whereabouts, life interests and general updates, especially since I'm paying good money to keep joshgreenman.com alive.

Grad School: I applied to the Masters of International Development Administration graduate program at Western Michigan University and have been accepted into the spring semester. The program has a deal with the Peace Corps where I could complete core requirements at the university and have my service with the PC fulfill the remaining credits. A nice aspect of this program is that the degree is completed faster (as long as the Peace Corps was part of you initial plan) and cheaper. A downside for me in starting school during the spring is the difficulty in obtaining teaching assistantships.

Peace Corps: Actually during the same day that I applied to graduate school, I met a PC representative from Chicago who was visiting the farm that I was working at. When she found out that I was interested in joining the Peace Corps she took the opportunity to tell me about the possibilities to study following an assignment. Even though I hadn't submitted my application yet, she took the chance and interviewed me for the position. A few weeks later I found out that I had been nominated to serve in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Final thoughts: I've decided to focus my efforts into the Peace Corps and re-apply for graduate school on my return. If the Peace Corps doesn't accept me quickly enough for me to return for the fall semester in 2013 then I would begin studying in the fall of 2011.

Don't worry, it all makes sense in my head. ;)