And I still haven´t talked about food. We have black beans for every meal. I met Santiago, whose job it is to burn stuff all day long. I couldn´t understand most of what he said, but I think the grass next to the burn pile (that look like seedless corn) is for the cows that produce our milk, yogurt, and I think cheese (like a hard dry feta).
They make the juice for lunch and dinner, a really light sweet pinapple-y juice. Tortillas are more of a utensil than a food. They make their own ameal (honey). When I asked, ¨who makes the honey?¨ I got a 5 minute answer about how bees make honey. I just said, ¨oh¨ so Matia Roberto probably thinks that we don´t have bees in MN. I need to keep an eye out for avacados, I know they are here somewhere since the abbot gets one delivered to him every dinner. They don´t quite have the sweets we do, so Phil and I walked to the grocery store to pick up some cookies. I am still hoarding my supply of monster cookies mom sent with me- youŕe a lifesaver mom.
If you want to send me a letter- or monster cookies- my address is
Tello Eggermont
Abadia de Jesucristo Crucificado
20007 Esquipulas (Chiquimula)
Guatemala, C.A.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
We have slaves
That is right. Little boys pick up our dishes when we are done eating. They pour our juice, which is nice. They also play soccer with us. I can only assume that they are monks in training. But we are l-i-v-i-n it up here. They do our laundry. And is the first time I have had my own bathroom. Eat that Wiechman.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Esquipulas: the first days
We took a charter bus from the 1950ś to Esquipulas. There was a guard with a huge shotgun at the station. I dont know if I feel safer that there is a guard, or less safe cause they need one? The trip took 4.5 hours. It was so new and beautiful that I couldn't sleep. People came and went and one guy stood by the door- often open and kept shouting to get more people to take the bus. When we arrived somebody lead us to the abbey, unbeknownst to us was connected to the basilica and is the highest and most visible thing there. Which brings me to language.
The security guard seems nice, he wants to learn english more. The housekeeping guy-Mario also would be a good guy to work on my spanish with- not because I can understand him better but because he smiles alot and that helps. The first two days I think everyone thought I was a little stupid because I just stared at people when they talked to me and then looked at Phil-who has a tough time, but can understand people way better. I can understand better now after 2 days and a 2 hour meeting in spanish with the Global Health people (from the US), but my vocab is lacking. We are going to be a communication link for the doctors (and yes maybe even some PTś Amber , and will get to go with them in Nov. and April to the small towns to do healthcare work. Nice to feel like we finally have a purpose. My brain hurts from all the attempting to listen and comprehend what people say. But as the wise John Smith said. Spanish is more than a spoken language- act it-bring it, and smile-that is perhaps the most important part.
Highlights- being invited to play soccer, feeling like I will do something that is improtant, when the women at the street market said something about los ojos de los gringo enfronte? As katie told me- they love blue eyes. When the kids around town stare and laugh when they see Phil and I, most likely for the same reason we were affectionately nicknamed the ¨midgets.¨ Also rolling a necessary 4 doubles in a row to make an astounding comeback in backgammon.
The security guard seems nice, he wants to learn english more. The housekeeping guy-Mario also would be a good guy to work on my spanish with- not because I can understand him better but because he smiles alot and that helps. The first two days I think everyone thought I was a little stupid because I just stared at people when they talked to me and then looked at Phil-who has a tough time, but can understand people way better. I can understand better now after 2 days and a 2 hour meeting in spanish with the Global Health people (from the US), but my vocab is lacking. We are going to be a communication link for the doctors (and yes maybe even some PTś Amber , and will get to go with them in Nov. and April to the small towns to do healthcare work. Nice to feel like we finally have a purpose. My brain hurts from all the attempting to listen and comprehend what people say. But as the wise John Smith said. Spanish is more than a spoken language- act it-bring it, and smile-that is perhaps the most important part.
Highlights- being invited to play soccer, feeling like I will do something that is improtant, when the women at the street market said something about los ojos de los gringo enfronte? As katie told me- they love blue eyes. When the kids around town stare and laugh when they see Phil and I, most likely for the same reason we were affectionately nicknamed the ¨midgets.¨ Also rolling a necessary 4 doubles in a row to make an astounding comeback in backgammon.
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