Wooohoo! I’m back in civilization! It’s incredibly hot down here in the “pueblo,” and the noise and chintzy furniture screams 1980s, but I’ve been two weeks without internet, three days without water, and three hours out in the scorching sun-- hiking from Pinalito to a nearby village (and whew… my stomach hasn’t been feeling too great lately… what a hike!) I’m thrilled to have a shower, get some icecream, and type on my computer.
There is an old woman outside the door of this café. She has been selling empanadas from a plastic bowl all day, and has stopped on the curb to rest. I imagine she’ll be headed home soon; she has a live chicken tucked under her arm—ready to feather and boil for dinner. On the street in front of her, cars are speeding by. A guy in a Mercedes SUV whistles and winks at my blond hair, and nearly smashes the old woman’s toes.
This sight is typical of life in a Guatemala city, and much different from what I see every day. The disparity between the rich and the poor is so material, whereas in Pinalito, everyone goes without. One Pinalito family may make 28 tortillas every day, while another can afford to make 35. The store owners may have a skinny horse or a full bar of liquor, but no one will have, for example, tuna or lasagna for dinner, much less brand name jeans, fancy haircuts or cars. How interesting it is to see materialism again, now that I am in the city. It’s tempting to shake my fist at this man in the Mercedes; I want to bring him to Pinalito and show him what he could have done with that money, why won’t these people help their neighbors? But really, I cannot judge him… this is the same materialism that I live with in the States, and I love my Patagonia clothes as much as the Mercedes man loves his car. What a shame.
Two weeks ago (or, gosh, has it been three?) I wrote about my struggle with giving food, baby formula, and money to the begging women in Pinalito. I have read and observed again and again the disadvantages of giving hand-outs—the people become dependent, think that they are literally unable to survive without help, and therefore stop working, stop trying to pull through life.
While in the city earlier in the month, I came up with an idea. I noticed the number workers in the hotels, on construction sights, and in restaurants. You all wouldn’t believe how many people it takes to sand a wooden railing by hand…. they don’t use a machine here… talk about slow process! And the women standing around in the kitchen of a Chinese Restaurant?! I might as well be telling the dumb blond with a lightbulb joke! The point is, a source of pride in Guatemala is labor, and although it seems that the number of jobs is absolutely inefficient, at least there is ownership to be taken of that railing, pride in the soy sauce bottle at China café, and money to be made,
So I held a women’s meeting in Pinalito last Monday morning. 12 women came, and Melanie made pancakes and coffee, while I read about the woman of Proverbs 31—resourceful, compassionate, and trustworthy. I tried to explain that we could have a community of workers in order to solve some of the village needs. I offered several jobs at an hourly wage: painting a wall, cleaning an apartment, washing laundry. All twelve jumped at the work offer, and before I knew it, I was overwhelmed with the reality of my brainstorming.
A dose of hindsight clarifies my idea: how can one person offer a labor economy that will support 12 women? What if more women come next time? What if no one comes, thinking that my idea is going to fall through? Will they depend on me too much, or will they reject me altogether? I want to create a community of people that can depend on one another, but how do I first get the focus off of me?
These are the complications of development… nothing is straightforward. I would love to read your comments on this.
Other notes… I tried a bread recipe straight from the yeast packet last week, and it was delicious! (I know Mom, you would be impressed! I didn’t burn it!) In fact, my neighbor, Juana, wants to know about this mysterious ingredient called flour, so we will make fry-bread (or doughnuts) on her wood stove next week.
English classes have been a lot of fun. My favorite group is the class of young boys. I finaly figured out that they do much better OUTSIDE, so we have been learning TREE, GRASS, SKY, DIRT, ROCK, LET’S RUN and STOP! The girls are still so timid… I am just trying to be patient. They much prefer my new routine of reading at a village house twice a week… everyone loves Clifford and Peter Rabbit!
This quote keeps me going when things get frustrating:
“Rats and Rodents live by competition, under the laws of supply and demand. It is the privilege of Human Beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy.”
Wendell Berry
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