Día de Gracias y un Hospitalidad Increíble.

Púchica, it’s the last Tuesday in November already! I hope everyone survived Black Friday.J It blows my mind that I have only got two blog posts left before the end of the program. I thought the last week would be a little slower-paced since we are back in full-time classes, but I couldn’t have been more wrong…my host family and I had our very own Guatemalan Thanksgiving, I hiked up a volcano and visited some hot springs with my group, and got surprised with a second birthday party here in Guatemala from my family.

Saying goodbye to my church choir friends on Sunday since they only sing the last two Sundays of each month. I have never played the guitar for them, but for some reason they insisted I hold it for this picture... :)

I had my first Spanish exam in almost three months yesterday --- I haven’t missed those a lot! I think it went well though, and it is nice to get back into the groove with classes. Rocky is my maestro this week; he is an older, extremely knowledgeable guy with some great stories. Some good news: I am making a lot of headway on my thesis! I am researching the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), its significance, and how it can be improved by taking pieces from other health care systems around the world. I have my 20-minute presentation on Thursday (in Spanish), so I think I will need to be a bit of a hermit for the next couple of days…

I was not quite sure what Thanksgiving would end up being like here, especially being my first Thanksgiving away from home. I was surprised and incredibly excited when the night before, my host family’s niece arrived from the States…with a turkey in tow (apparently you can take just about anything into Guatemala, but not out). She decided to make a huge, American-style Thanksgiving feast and invite all of the family over for dinner. It was incredible! Better than the food was the company; all twenty of us went around the table and said what we were thankful for, and I got the opportunity to meet a lot of the extended family for the first time.

Thanksgiving dinner with my Guatemalan family! 

On Saturday morning, we dragged ourselves out of bed at 1 AM to start hiking up one of Guatemala’s tallest volcanoes, Santa Maria. The four-hour hike was tough, but we made it to the top just in time to watch the sunrise over Guatemala’s unique landscape. Absolutely worth it! We spent the next day relaxing at Fuentes Georginas, some natural hot springs outside of Xela.

Made it to the top! Enjoying the sunrise from Volcan Santa Maria.

Last night my family surprised me with a traditional Guatemalan birthday party since I was in El Salvador over my actual birthday: all of the extended family, cohetes (firecrackers), paches (a typical Guatemalan dish, one of my favorites), an English-Spanish mix of “Happy Birthday,” and a cake! It is tradition here to take a bite out of the cake after blowing out the candles, knowing that someone beside you is going to shove your face down into it. All I have to say about that tradition is…yumm!

My 'mordita' of birthday cake. Yumm!

Between Thanksgiving and my second birthday party, this week got me thinking a lot about the idea of hospitality. Here I am, thousands of miles from home living with people I had never met until five months ago, and now I feel like a part of their family. We have laughed together, shared in the loss of loved ones, had our misunderstandings, been frustrated with each other, watched movies and cooked meals together, and, most importantly, shared who we are with each other. Here in Guatemala, I have learned that hospitality is the difference between feeling like a pensionista (boarder) and a member of the family. And, there really is no greater gift I could have received during my time here. My Guatemalan host-family’s hospitality has given me a new lens for looking at the world and the people I meet: the immigrant that has just arrived in a new country, the hitchhiker or couch-surfer making his way across the world, and the sick that I will be working with as a physician. I am now convinced that simple hospitality can be the difference between an incredibly meaningful experience and one that is easily forgotten.

The Christmas trees are up and the marching bands are playing Christmas music here in Xela, which has definitely decreased how much I get done in a day but made the time studying much more enjoyable. Espero que tengas una buena semana, y te quiero! Hasta próxima vez.

El arbol de la Navidad in Parque Central. 

Paz,

Nico

Ventitres Años.

¡Feliz martes, todos! We made it back to Guatemala after finishing up our El Salvador trip with some incredible experiences (I now have a new-found appreciation for beans -- more on this later) and have started up our last month of full-time classes. I am also officially a year older, so I may have magically gotten more insightful…or forgetful. Vamos a ver. J

A diplomat from El Salvador's FMLN political party, who happened to share my birthday!

We started up classes again yesterday, and it has been a great change of pace! My maestro this week is Marvin, an energetic guy in his late 20’s who loves teaching. Spanish as a whole is going great, which is a good feeling as I begin working on my final 12-page Spanish thesis. My ability to comprehend everything and respond quickly is still far from perfect, but I have begun to really enjoy speaking in Spanish. Sometimes when I am speaking English with people, I run into the problem of knowing what I want to say in Spanish but can’t seem to find the words in my native language. Not a bad problem to have – I think that means I am making some progress!

It seems like something is always going on in Parque -- and because there is no Thanksgiving here to keep us from starting the celebraciones de la Navidad early, there was a huge Christmas parade on Sunday!

The rest of last week in El Salvador was just as influential as the first. We got to spend more time talking with political leaders as well as visit the University of Central America, the Jesuit university where six Jesuits were martyred during the civil war in 1989. It felt great being back on a college campus, which I am going to take as a good sign for being ready to start up with med school in a few months. We even ate at the cafeteria – not bad! 

I realized once again how great of a group we have down here and how close we have become last Wednesday on my birthday. I was a little nervous about how things would be since we were away from our home, but we had a great time together! Strawberry cheesecake, drinks, and a party. Perfect way to join the ranks of 23-year-olds.

PASTEL DE CUMPLE!

During our last day in El Salvador, we traveled to another rural community, but this time with a slightly different purpose: to help paint a mural with an anti-mining message and immerse ourselves in the everyday life of the community members. I started off the day hiking to a field to help some of the farmers pick frijoles, or beans. Before this experience, I had assumed that beans were usually picked by some type of machine…wow, was I wrong. We spent a few hours unraveling the weed-like plants from corn stalks and piling them in large groups. It was back-breaking work in the hot sun, but I was honored to have the opportunity to take part in the community’s life in this way, even if only for a few hours.

Picking frijoles! 

After picking beans, I spent the afternoon helping finish the mural. It turned out great! Who knew that a bunch of pre-meds would have some artistic abilities…we even made it on the local news for our work!

Our group getting interviewed by Canal 9...I'm thankful that it was a local channel broadcasting live, because I butchered the Spanish that day...

I was talking with a few of my friends here about something I have been noticing in my life the last few years --- as soon as I start getting really comfortable somewhere, it seems like it is time to leave. The Dominican Republic last summer. College graduation. And, now, Guatemala and Central America. I am extremely grateful and humbled to be as comfortable as I am here now. Catching a microbus is second-nature. I know just how far to turn the knob on the shower to get hot water. I have discovered the best fruit vendors in the jam-packed markets. I now get asked, “Where were you last week?” if I don’t show up to sing in the church choir. And I can finally understand everything Suzanna says (she lives in my house, and may be the fastest talker in Xela). My time here has not always been easy, but I have already learned and experienced more than I could have asked for or expected. With just one late-night volcano hike, a salsa performance, a horseback ride through the mountains, a group retreat and a 12-page thesis in Spanish separating me from the end of the program, I am being sure to live each day to the fullest and make the every moment count.

Here’s to enjoying the small things this week and taking advantage of the opportunities we find ourselves presented with. Te extraño, te quiero, y nos vemos pronto!

Paz,

Nico

Aventuras en El Salvador.

¡Hola from El Salvador! It has been a crazy week here – we have been going non-stop and been everywhere from the US embassy to rural communities working to recover after the country’s civil war. Although we are here until Friday, I think I can already safely say that the time in El Salvador has been some of the most interesting, enjoyable and formative of my time in Central America.

We started out the week getting to know the organization that we are working with here, CIS (Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad). They have a great model of working with Salvadorians and extranjeros (foreigners), and work both within rural communities to help them re-build and bring in outsiders to learn about El Salvador’s history and present.

We were able to visit the home, church, and burial site of Monsenor Oscar Romero, who played a key role in working to liberate the oppressed poor in El Salvador. Romero was assassinated in March of 1980. 

Early last week we got dressed up for our big trip to the US Embassy to talk with a USAID representative. Put simply, it was awesome! She was very open to questions and had an obvious passion for working to help El Salvador progress. Our group has gotten very good about seeing both sides of issues (for example, the good things our country is doing here to try to bring stability to help both us and them, but after we financed their civil war during the '80s), and the conversations end up covering a lot of tough topics. Between that visit and our trips to the Ministry to talk with Salvadorian political representatives, I have realized just how much I want to get involved in the healthcare policy side of things once I am a physician. I guess it is a good thing I am going to end up in D.C. for medical school!

At the front podium in El Salvador's House of Congress. Candidato 2028!

We spent a long weekend in two rural communities that were completely destroyed by El Salvador’s civil war from 1980-1992. The first, Cinquera, is coming back incredibly strong with a clinic, development center, and even a museum and hostel for tourists. The second, Palo Grande, was hit especially hard. Of the 500 families that used to live along the mountainous road in this area, only 90 have returned. However, here we also encountered one of the strongest, most organized groups I have ever seen: a group of women, who make everything from corn-husk flowers to candles, are helping to economically and socially re-build the community. These people not only showed us how to make their homemade flowers and candles, but also shared heart-wrenching personal testimonies from the war and welcomed us into their homes for the night.

Angelique and I with our host mom for the weekend, Delmi. (We made the flowers in the vase on the left!)

I learned a lot of things in the Palo Grande community, but one of the greatest insights I had was the huge impact having support can make on a person’s – or community’s – life. We have seen a lot of war and violence-torn communities, but Palo Grande had something special. Not only is their women’s group organized and influential, but they have a passion that I have not seen for a while. Something there was different, and I figured out what it was when I learned more about their community and how CIS was involved. These women had the support - time, energy, and capital – of a group that empowered them to work harder and more effectively in order to make their dreams a reality. Those women have the skills and motivation needed to succeed, but it would not be possible without a helping hand from an organization like CIS. Because of CIS, the group was able to construct a small building to use as a meeting and work space. Because of CIS, the women are able to attend monthly charlas (conferences) to learn about new things they can be doing. Because of CIS, they are able to maximize on their skills and utilize their potential. A lot of times, it is easy to think of success as something self-made, especially since that is such a large part of the ‘American dream.’ However, I am realizing more every day that it is the helping hands – a friend, parents, or someone who just sees something in you that you may not see in yourself – that make the difference.

The women of Palo Grande and a traditional dance.

With just over a month left before heading home, I am looking for every opportunity to soak in everything I can. It is hard to believe how quickly time has gone, but the experience continues to leave me in awe most days (according to some people in my group, literally in awe – I guess I make 'ahh' sounds when I am impressed by things). Here’s to another November week! Te extraño y te quiero. Nos vemos pronto.

We spent the last day at the beach -- I learned to surf and stood up a few times! Not a bad way to spend my last day as a 22-year-old :)

Paz,

Nico

¡Vamos a subir!

Well, here we are --- first week of November! It has been a big week of celebration here in Guatemala with Día de los Muertos on November 1^st, which may be one of the most beautiful, tradition-filled holidays I have ever experienced. Things are hectic here today as I try to get my blog post up, do laundry and pack for our two-week immersion trip to El Salvador. We are leaving tomorrow morning at 5:30 AM!

If I had to pick one word to describe the last week, it would be 'hiking'. After finishing our volunteer projects last Wednesday, we had a few days off. A few of us decided to tackle one of the biggest challenges we wanted to try while in Guatemala: climbing to the highest point in Central America: Tajumulco. It ended up being one of the most difficult and incredible things I have ever done. More on this a little later…

A Sunday morning hike up to the lava fields near Xela. Gorgeous!

Since Día de los Muertos is a national holiday in Guatemala, we took the day to venture to a small community called Sumpango to eat the traditional food of the day, fiambre, and check out one of the biggest barrilete (kite) festivals around. It was amazing! Many of the kites were the size of small houses, and the sky was filled with tons of kids and adults alike flying their colorful barriletes. As for the fiambre --- well, I won’t need to try that dish again, at least for a few years. I got my fill of intestines, hearts, liver, and everything else for quite a while. The perfect vegetarian dish! J

All of the fiambre on Día de los Muertos, ready for the fiestas!

One of the giant barriletes at the kite festival in Sumpango.

To switch things up a little bit, I tried my hand at veggie lasagna with my host family today. I was again amazed by how well the kitchen can bring people together; we had a great time! It is fun to continue to learn things from my host family and give them some new ideas in return. They are used to spending several hours preparing lunch, and they loved how quick and easy my mom’s recipe was. It was also the first time they had used the oven in almost a year. Definitely a good lunch!

To elaborate a bit on the Tajumulco hike…

We made it! Wet, cold, and so, so happy.

To get to the mountain, our guide navigated us through several buses and micros winding upward toward the Guatemalan coast. We began our five-hour hike to the base camp in early afternoon, and the views were gorgeous! Around 5 PM, with just a few minutes left on the hike, it started to downpour. And it didn’t stop for several hours. So, there we were, huddled in a cave while our bags got soaked in tents that leaked (which we didn’t realize until it was too late), fighting off the cooling night air. We got creative with eating our spaghetti since the forks were lost somewhere inside the small lake inside our tent and then worked on getting the tent dry enough to try to get some sleep. It had stopped raining by this point, gracias a Dios, and we settled in for a long night in some wet sleeping bags. Waking up at 4:30 AM the next morning, we hiked the final 800 feet to the summit and were pleasantly surprised to have the mountain – and one of the most beautiful, rewarding sunrises I have ever seen – all to ourselves.

Sunrise on top of Tajumulco.

That night on Tajumulco taught me a lot about myself and pushed me to limits of discomfort that I hadn’t touched before. I have learned a lot about myself in Guatemala, and one of the biggest things that has hit home is the importance of looking at difficult situations and discomfort to learn something about oneself and take advantage of the opportunity to push the limits. I kept that in mind during our adventure up Tajumulco, and it really changed how I perceived the experience and the challenge. Instead of, “I’m cold…and soaking wet…and just want to sleep in a tent that doesn’t leak,” my thoughts became, “Wow, how many people get to say they hiked this mountain in a bigger storm than our guide has ever seen?!”. I am grateful to have developed this type of perspective for the challenging times, especially before beginning medical school next fall.

It looks like we will be pretty busy in El Salvador, so next week might be blog-less (although I am going to try my best to post an update). But, I am looking forward to sharing the experiences with you when I can. In the meantime, disfruta la semana y continua viviendo y aprendiendo. Cada día es una buena oportunidad. ¡Te extraño, y hasta próxima vez!

Paz,

Nico