Oranges and Goodbyes

We started working in the orchards with Leonidis. At maybe five feet, it is fun to work next to him. We figured out today that 6 mandrin oranges sell for 1 quetzal. 7.5 quetzals is a dollar, figure that out and you get about 5 cents each. I see why I am considered a volunteer now.

I had a tough week. I felt a little homesick and didn´t sleep well. Then to make matters worse the slaves left yesturday for home. I felt like I lost two of my 4 good friends. Many of them will be attending semenary school in Quetalzenango in Nov. Huge bummer though, becuase they were one of the best ways not only to learn Spanish, but to goof around. They will be missed, but they will also be replaced with new kids, sometime.

But everything gets better. We had a little fiesta last night with Guac (yes I found where the avos are!), chips, cheap booze and copius amounts of lemons from the orchard. And we found the mystery folder that Liam and Michael (the 1st volunteers here) left for us. It gave us a lot of ideas and seems like we will have a purpose with too many things to do instead of nothing as I initially thought. Tomorrow we are going for a hike with Leonidis and in the afternoon doing something with the IT guy´s friend (I am not sure what, when you don´t understand the language usually the best answer is ¨Sí¨ and a lot of times that means you don´t know what the hell you are getting into).

And the economic bailout plan included the renewable energy tax credit!! I was thinking about staying here with how shitty everything sounds like it is in the US, but finally something went right so I will be home in June.

Anyway, stay in touch. If you want a letter- send me a email with your address to taeggermont@gmail.com.

Starting Work

Things are looking up. I got over the travel flu in a day and my knee is maybe a day or two away from being able to play soccer again. We had a feast day last night. Which meant that we not only got a break from the typical food, which is getting as repetitive as me asking ¨Como se dice?¨-but we also took a shot of tequia with the abbot, after which he shook his head and went whoo! (Br. Paul I think our feast days may be better) He seems like a fun guy. The other day when we were playing volleyball with the slave children one kid missed the ball and said, ¨Shit!¨ He covered his mouth with both hands. Every one stopped and looked at the abbot (who was honestly dressed like a gangster). The abbot said, ¨Well at least your pronouciation was good.¨

We started work this morning and we started going to prayer at 6. Oye. Leonidis is our ¨jefe,¨he is about as tall as my chest. This morning we filled up 200 bags with dirt to plant orange trees in, then we went got a tour of the orchard complete with taste tests of mandrins and tangerines. I could get used to this job. Really I feel like the real work is trying to learn Spanish, but he speaks slowly and keeps up a converstation, so it will help. He also has a sweet tooth so I might bribe him to help me a little extra. We also tryed what I am pretty sure was a fresh cardomon pod. He said it was like a sweet, but it was a little strong. We also have orange trees, limes, lemons, in about 15 years avocados, and pomeloś that are honestly bigger than my head. I put up a picture cause we might use one for a soccer ball.

About a week in. . .

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.

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.

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.

Arrival: Guatemala City

We made it safely to Guatemala City with our luggage.  The first song that came on the radio in our taxi was "it's like rain on your wedding day," and most of the movies are in english with spanish subtitles.  No wonder everyone else's english is better than my spanish.  The hostel is locked by a gate and the banks all have two guards.  Phil and I went to the zoo and read the signs - between the two of us we could make out most of the words and meaning.  The funny thing is most of our houseplants grow here outside year round.  Spider plants, dragon palms, umbrella plants, and also flowering trees. The temp is nice here, apparently Esquipulas is hot and dry.  We take the bus tomorrow, I think the fee for a 4.5 hour ride is as much as we paid for our pizza tonight (the only thing we could get delivered when we where hungry after dark).  Holy shit do they pack people in cars and buses here.  We saw at least 10 people in a sub compact car today, we'll have to try that back in the states.