One person's trash is another man's treasure...

It's hard to believe I have only been here for three weeks- it seems like I've been here forever! Not that that's a bad thing- but hard to grasp another 5 months! It's exciting- I've already seen and learned so much! With that said, I figured today would be a good day to see a little bit more of the city. I've seen a good amount around my office and apartment, but wanted to get a better understanding of a little bit more.

I started off my day by dropping off some laundry. I brought a book to read while it washed because I thought I'd be doing it myself. But, since I had to leave it there for it to be done, I

ventured a little and found a little "park" and by park I mean a cement patio with a few trees. I read for a little bit, but naturally found myself craving some gelato over my book. Afterwards I stopped home for lunch and decided I'd walk to the Oakland Mall. I've heard a lot about it from co-workers (it's one of the largest shopping centers in the country) and I needed to exchange some USD.

After a quick glance at google maps, I figured out my way there. However, during that quick glance I planned out an "easy" way to cut through some roads to bring me straight to the laundry place. Well... that failed. I found myself in areas that I probably shouldn't have been in.. at all. So after about an hour or so of being lost, I somehow ended up at the hotel I stayed at when I first got here. Thank God for a photographic memory...it came in handy as I attempted to figure out how to get from there back to my apartment. Please keep in mind.. at this point I have my passport (needed to exchange money), about 1,500 Quetzales (USD 200- which will probably last me the next few months!), and a sun setting. This combination, in addition to the tinted window issue recently discussed and being lost.. I was DEFINITELY fearing for my life- yet I was laughing at myself the entire time. Ohhh positivity.

So the rest of of my week went well. The second day of training wasn't nearing as defeating, and I even got a certificate at the end. Naturally when they called my name I laughed, as I only understood about 1/2 of the training... but irrelevant I guess?

Yesterday, I went with a co-work to visit the programs that work with the garbage dumps inside and right outside the city. For those of you that do not know, Guatemala City is home of largest and most toxic and dangerous landfills in all of Central America. We first went to Sumpango, where there is a dump and a small business that TechnoServe is helping. Local women salvage through the dumps and collect plastic and cardboard which they clean and organize for buyers to purchase.

The woman also produce organic-fertilizer by collecting food and combining it with cow dung and other natural ingredients. They then use California Red Warms to break down everything, eventually creating the fertilizer. The program does great work and provides an extra income for the women. Conveniently, these women only have to work twice a week which is perfect, as they have to spend the rest of the week collecting water and wood and taking care of other household/family needs. I have been learning for some time about how micro-finance and micro-enterprises aim to empower women, as they are more likely to support the entire family. It great to finally be able to witness this fist hand! After this site, we travel inward toward the city and saw another fertilizer site, but this one was much more organize and experienced.

Afterwards, we returned to the city and visited the dump in Zone 3. This garbage dump is literally in the middle of the city and is home to thousands of families. While driving through surrounding areas, my coworker encouraged me to keep my window closed and not take pictures or take out my phone. The only time she had even been able to exit her car in this area safely was when she has 3 social workers with her with protection. We attempted to enter the actual dump site, but we weren't allowed in. The government has control over the entrance, and only allows the dumpers inside, in addition to the 1,500 people that are issue permits to enter. The entire community surrounding the dumps survive off the garbage. Garbage is money. As we drove by, every single house had bags of trash stacked to the ceiling and even on the roof. It was truly mind blowing, and definitely heart-wrenching. My coworker discussed the dumps with me and she told me that many think there are things going on inside the dumps that the government is trying to hide.

But, before we visited the site, we had stopped at Junkabal, the organization that TechnoServe works with for the organic fertilizer and our other business, Eco-Creativas. TechnoServe and Junkabal have been working together to provide Eco-Creatives funding and tools to establish their business, which entails local women collecting plastic bags from the dumps, cleaning them, making them into "yarn" and creating bags, purses, hot plates, etc. Over the next few months, I will be working with this organization in an effort to make Eco-Creativas financially self-sustainable. (www.eco-creativas.com)

This week was an incredible learning experience and I look forward to everything else in store! I am going to an avocado farm on Tuesday, and possibly somewhere else later in the week!

Pochuta!

I told myself yesterday that I would do a post tonight about my trip to the field Monday and Tuesday. I'm going to be honest... it's going to be a struggle. Not from lack of content...but rather lack of brain power. Today.. we had a training in the office... "Entrenamiento del Entrenador." It was 9 hours of nonstop Spanish (minus the 30 minutes for lunch). I understood 98% of the content in the morning- I was on cloud nine! Then the second half of the day came... and my brain STOPPED translating Spanish completely. I wouldn't be surprised if my co-workers caught me drooling. It was a rough situation. But I digress... now onto the trip...

I spent my Monday and Tuesday in the field with my co-worker Willy. We traveled about two hours outside the city to Pochuta. I definitely enjoyed this trip a lot more than my first one only because I was able to get a more comprehensive understanding of the area, its people, and the project. The only downside (and I'm surprised I felt this way) was that Willy knows English. When I'm with people that do not speak English, my Spanish comes out a lot more naturally. In this case, Willy preferred English because its easier for him to Speak English than to dumb down his Spanish. The English definitely drew even more attention to the fact that I was a "gringo" as I heard several jokes made about me throughout the two days. Although, I was lucky enough to have Willy tell me when they were laughing at me...AS IF I COULDN'T TELL lol

Many families live on this particular farm...they even have a small school and church there as well- it's a small community! Anyone who grows coffee in this area utilizes the plant, and earns a portion of the profit. The people also grown papaya, pineapple, bananas, green beans, coconuts, and probably even more! However, TechnoServe works solely with the green beans...for now. The farm has recently built a warehouse to clean, sort, and package the green beans. TechnoServe assisted with some of the logistics, but mainly has supplied materials for the warehouse uses. As of now, TechnoServe's main objective is improving the quality of the green beans to increase the value of the products in order to export higher amounts.

Anyways, so Pochuta was a great area, though unfortunately it was quite obvious that the people were struggling far more than the people I visited in Quiche. At the end of a long, bumpy, cobblestone road was farm with a coffee plant slightly run down. The main objective of the farm used to be coffee. Though the plant can no longer be used to its fullest potential, it still is able to do basic coffee processing while utilizing the local rivers (about six) as a means of electricity. The coffee is taken from the tree and put into a machine that dehusks the coffee. The husks flow down toward the end of the plant, outside, where someone lays it out to dry (for potential future use like fertilizer or biofuel briquettes). The actually coffee then flows through the rest of the process, being cleaned and separated. Upon reaching the end, the coffee is laid out on tarps to dry. After drying and raking the coffee for about four days, it is then brought inside, bagged, and ready to be sold. The farm processes both organic and non-organic coffee.

(I took pictures of all the products and the coffee process, but there are so many that I'm just going to put them on Facebook!)

The first day was mainly spent touring the farm and seeing the various products. Afterwards, we met with the group leaders and crunched some numbers and went over new material. From there (around 6pm) the men were done collecting their beans. The men are split into about 12 groups that are responsible for farming their portions. At the end of the day, every group weighs their amount and then organizes it to be picked up and sent out. The farmers income is based upon the amount weighed each day. The second day we simply set up the warehouse for practice runs until they are able to get electricity.

This trip definitely gave me a better understanding of how these types of TechnoServe programs work. That was the one plus of having Willy speak English- I was able to ask him more in depth questions about TechnoServe and the logistics behind all the projects.

Tomorrow I have a second day of the "Entrenamiento del Entrenador." It's only until 12:30 so the day is looking hopeful aka hopefully I won't end the day with a huge desire to cry from lack of Spanish in front of 8 people... Classic Rob.

On another note, I heard back from a local orphanage- "La Luz de Maria" and they said they'd love to have me volunteer on the weekends! I'll be working out logistics the rest of this week and hopefully get to go this weekend!

Rim of Fire

Not much to really update about since my trip to the field. Thursday and Friday was spent in the office. They are still getting me settled and figuring out exactly what I'll be doing so I wasn't too too busy. They did however give me a rough breakdown of my next few weeks which was pretty exciting...I am going into the field Monday-Tuesday again, TechnoServe training in the office Wednesday-Thursday, in the field Friday, again on Monday, again that Wednesday-Thursday, then I join a man from Boulder in the field doing research on biofuels for most of February! It's definitely going to be an exciting few weeks!

I think the most crucial update I need to share is my seating arrangements in the office. The first day I came into the office, I worked in the kitchen as they did not have a desk yet. By the end of the day, I had a desk that was conveniently placed in the dead center of the office. My initial thought was- this is great! I'll be right in the middle of everything and it'll help my Spanish! Well I was right about one thing- I definitely am right in the middle of everything. I am strategically placed essentially in the middle of a circle- with 6 Spanish speaking employees surrounding me. Still don't know what they're saying a decent amount of the time, but here a few samples of what I have gathered:

Coworker: spanishspanishPELIROJOspanishspanish
Office: HAHAHAHAHA

Coworker: spanishspanishROBERTOspanishspanish
Office: HAHAHAHAHA

Coworker: spanishspanishELNOHABLAESPANOLspanishspanish
Office: HAHAHAHAHA

For those of you whose Spanish is worse than mine...that's "Redhead" "Robert" and "He doesn't speak Spanish." Now these are SLIGHT exaggerations, but definitely on the right page. It's an office that is always cracking jokes about one another and having a good time, including me at times... soo I just smile and laugh and hope they think I know what's going on. These people will be like family come June? lol

Other than that, nothing else really going on! Relaxing this weekend since I have a lot in store the next few weeks. I was laying in bed this morning- around 12:45 and my bed began to shake... a lot. I looked at the large mirror on my wall and it was about to fall down. My tv was shaking.. Everything was shaking. I begin to think I'm going absolutely crazy.. or that there's an earthquake. To be completely honest..for the 45 seconds this was going on I literally laid there thinking about the jokes made about getting shot, stabbed, mugged, having a volcano erupt, etc. etc. and began to laugh as I convinced myself the walls would soon cave in and I'd be dunzo. Never would have seen that one coming! Ohhhh the ways I entertain myself these days.

In case this has left you curious- no big deal... there was a 6.2 earthquake near the Guat-Mexico border which sent tremors through Guatemala, even reaching El Salvador. Upon looking into it, I learned that Mexico lies on the Pacific Rim of Fire, which causes tremors quite regularly. Basically the Rim of Fire is the

area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. It all actually makes a lot more sense now- Staurdo loved showing me the volcanos earlier in the week and actually showed me the view of the volcano (Pacaya) that can be seen from the neighboring office. Right afterwards, he tried explaining to me how all of the volcanos are all aligned with each other. Naturally this was all in Spanish so I only gathered that much but now I'm sure he was telling me about the Rim of Fire! Earlier in the week I had even been talking to Carla about the 2010 Pacaya eruption. It could have been far worse, but it did kill three people and injure 59 others. It also destroyed 100 homes and left about two inches of ash in Guatemala City.

Conclusion: I'm alright with a few tremors, but I'll pass on any volcanic eruptions.

Field Trip anyone?

My first day in the office was on Monday. The day did not entail too much- I was given a few business plans for our projects, in addition to some budget sheets and whatnot. Most of the information was on two business that I apparently will be working closely with- a natural juice business started by three women that need help becoming sustainable, and a recycling business that searches the garbage dumps throughout the city for useful material to recycle and sell.

After reading a few hundred pages, I was then given some proposals (all in Spanish, yay) that TechnoServe prepares for outside organizations in order to receive the necessary funding and support. At the end of the day I was told that I would be joining my co-worker, Stuardo, in the field Tuesday morning until Wednesday evening. Although I did not expect to be able to work in the field so soon, I was stoked!

Stuardo picked me up around 8, and to my surprise, he also brought his wife and 16 year old daughter. It was definitely a relief because Stuardo doesn’t speak any English! It was a good balance of languages and great learning environment because his wife spoke a little English and his daughter spoke just a little bit more. So, between the four of us we were able to have pretty fluid conversations in Spanish, with the help of a view translations.

We headed to Cunén, a small village about 6 hours from the city. I won’t lie to you, I got in the car thinking I was going for a 2 to 4 hour ride! The first two hours were great…the remaining four hours were a little rough! It was essentially four hours up and down mountains, speed bumps every 30 seconds, winding roads beyond belief, and small villages with two way roads that felt as though they could barely fit one way! Bascially… it took my carsickness to a whole new level. I’m sure I’ll be overcoming that by the end of this trip!

We finally arrived around 2:30 and Staurdo and I had to go straight to a meeting with the group of farmers working with TechnoServe and AIDA. Unfortunately this project was not one they

had me read up on before I visited, so I had to gather the information from the meeting and talking with Stuardo privately. Basically, it is a business for farmers (about 95) growing French Beans and Snow Peas. I believe (which I will clarify this week in the office) that TechnoServe is working with them to ensure they are using government funding on pesticides, sanitation, and exportation. The majority of them will be exported to the United States and EU.

In the future, I will be able to share more specifics on the program and area, but like I said I wasn’t able to read up on this one and was sort of just thrown in it. Plus, it was a lot harder because it was not just in Spanish; it was in their local language as well- some Mayan dialect. So attempting to follow it all was a little difficult. Not going to lie…had no idea there were so many languages in Guatemala. Whooops. Stuardo said there are 14 main languages, and upon looking it up I found out there are 55 known languages- 53 that are actually spoken.

On a more positive note, my Spanish is improving dramatically! This trip definitely helped. Dinner consisted of the four of us talking for about 3 hours. Comparing both languages and sharing new words. I attempted to explain Social Entrepreneurship…they got it at the end but it took a while. I just figured an employee of TechnoServe would understand easier… but I was wrong.

After dinner, I headed to my room. It was nice to have no Internet or anything. I was able to just write down some thoughts and mull everything over. In the morning, we met with the group leaders and walked through the bean fields- so many beans! After seeing it all, we headed back to the city. Though this first trip to the field wasn’t the most informative…it was great to get a general feel for the projects, but even greater to be completely immersed in Spanish with people willing to help me improve- almost made me wish I was staying with a host family. On the way home Stuardo wanted me to experience traditional Guatemalan food and Antigua.

The meal was delicious and Antigua, “the second capital of Guatemala,” was absolutely beautiful. NOT TO MENTION THE VOLCANO ON ITS BORDER. I saw so many volcanoes the past two days. They’re absolutely mesmerizing.

Anyways, overall it was a great two days. Stuardo and his family were so genuine and truly wanted to show me their country. It’s crazy to think this is only my third day at TechnoServe. So much more in store the next few months!

Hungry anyone?

Today was pretty low key- I think I've explored the area as much as I can until I learn a little bit more from my co-workers and apartment staff. However, I did attempt to stroll a little more today and came across a "Pollo Campero," a Guatemalan fast food restaurant that has franchised throughout the world. A Guatemalan friend of mine that I met in high school reached out and suggested that I try it so I figure why not today! It's actually a pretty good business from what I read briefly... it sponsors the largest Central American program for children with cancer and also works with the community to improve education and health!

But anyways, main part of the story... I walk into Pollo Campero ready to whip out some spanish. I start talking to the woman and start ordering my meal. I won't lie..I wasn't 100% sure what she was saying... but i THOUGHT I had a general idea. When she said the cost of my order I was a little surprised. Don't worry..it all made sense when the order came out. Now I thought I order a 6 piece chicken tender like meal. But instead, I actually got 2 6 pieces, 2 fries, 2 sodas, and 2 sides. So naturally, the American goes and sits down in a restaurant full of locals with food for 2, maybe even three. Now to add on top of this chuckle I was getting from my pure screw up... I go and sit down at this table. I notice the staff is staring at me. I begin to look around and realize everyone is eating their fast food on legit plates with appropriate silverware. APPARENTLY, Pollo Campero is 50% sit down restaurant with a waitress that takes your order and 50% fast food, or at least this one is. So as I continue to eat..a woman comes over to me with a plate.. puts it in front of me.. then takes my fries and chicken out of my hands and dumps it on the plate, says nothing and walks away. Ladies and gentlemen... welcome to my life lol

I continued exploring today. Turns out there's a whole lot of nothing (as you can see in the photo)! I walked about 45 minutes down 20 Calle, but didn't find too much other than small businesses and stores. I eventually found myself at a huge plaza which of course was signified by the internationally known Golden Arch- the drive-thru is called Auto-Mac...not gonna lie, I got a chuckle out of that.

I decided to put my excellent people watching skills to work while eating some gelato before I headed back. Turns out people watching isn't nearly as gratifying if you don't know what they're saying, so I was basically just THAT guy staring at people. Correction* that redheaded guy.. aka the only one in the mall and probably the only one in a 500 mile radius...aka I was getting stared at just as much.

Anyways. I have discovered my first issue with Guatemala City. Every where you go, people are mowing down on frozen bananas, ice pops, gelato, etc. Now generally I'd find nothing wrong with this, but c'mon people... if you want to cool off- let's try wearing some shorts. Naive Robert should have known shorts aren't the most socially accepted attire.

Also, I've come to the conclusion that tinted windows are absolutely terrifying. I've noticed cars have the tendency to just slow down and stop anywhere they want here. So if you're the only gringo in the area walking down the road (already fearing for your life) and a car pulls over with pure black tinted windows, there is a decent sized urge to haul ass. I don't care what you say...there could be a 80 year old woman behind the wheel of a minivan with tinted windows and I'd still bolt out of there.

Can you tell I'm ready to start working? lol

Ok, I lied. NOW it's game time.

So the first few days here I have really just been "easing into it" as I've been telling myself, mainly because I was still in transition. I knew I wasn't going to stay in the first place the entire time and I knew I needed to be closer to work, so I basically used the first few days to just mull over exactly what my life is going to entail the next six months.

Guatemala City is split into 15 zones. I was told specifically to only live in Zone 10, as it is the safest one and where I will be working. The first place I stayed was also in Zone 10, but it was in a more expat-friendly area. I was surrounded by large hotels like Holiday Inn, Radisson, Mercure, and other local chains. In the center of these hotels was a shopping complex which consisted of both local and American chain restaurants and all the essential stores travelers would need. It was convenient and a nice way to ease into the country. It was the ideal setting to "feel the city out" a little bit, get comfortable with my independence and surroundings, and of course... test my spanish out.

However, like I said, I knew I couldn't nor wanted to stay in that area. Though Zone 10, my office was still a little distance away and it was very expensive. Like I mentioned yesterday, Carla helped my find a place one block from the office- Hotel Gardenias, which is actually an "apart-hotel," not hotel. I moved in today and it is great. I like this area a lot. It is more local and less expat friendly, or international, or whatever word you want to describe the first place! It may be not as safe, but I think it's going to make my experience far better. Plus, my apartment has a security guard 24/7 who stands in front of our massive steel door locked every time we go in or out ;)

I feel like I am FINALLY here and ready to go- just waiting for work on Monday! I walked around a bit today, went grocery shopping, talked with the staff, practiced some spanish, and chatted with some family and friends. I don't think I have ever been so excited to see what the future brings. It's all going to be incredible-Guatemala, TechnoServe, Hotel Gardenias- everything. The only slight issue I am facing may or may not be a drainage issue involving me, my toilet, and my shower...yes, my shower as well- but let's not dive deeper into that subject!

I think I just might make it out alive…

I’m feeling great! I woke up this morning with a call from Carla, my boss’ assistant. She was essentially the first to give me a warm Guatemalan welcome. I could tell over the phone that she was going to make my stay here a lot more comforting. Carla called an apart-hotel that is literally one block from my building. She said they had openings, so I got up, showered, and headed to the office.

The building is enormous. I mean compared to Boston it’s nothing special, but from what I’ve seen here so far- it’s pretty impressive. Anyways so the taxi dropped me off in front of a 20+ story building. I went up to floor six and met the office staff.

We discussed briefly what I would be doing and what projects I’ll be working on. We’re going over more details when I start on Monday, but I am definitely going to be a lot more hands on than I thought! I think a lot more than they originally thought as well!

Anyways, so after meeting everyone, Carla brought me to the apart-hotel. It was perfect. Safe, good price, good services/amenities, and close to the office! Its smaller and more personable than where I am now, which I think will definitely help with my Spanish. Carla has two children roughly my age, so she definitely went into Mom Mode when picking the room- it was adorable and again, very comforting.

So now it’s game time! I move into that place tomorrow. I got my local phone this afternoon and ate some local food. My Spanish started coming out a lot easier when I was in the cabs and walking around, talking to people that don’t speak any English. I have faith my Spanish will come, but I won’t lie- comprehending locals is a whole other story lol

Bienvenidos a Guatemala!

First of all, let’s begin with the fact that I am not the biggest fan of writing blogs but I figured 1. I’ll need something to do on my downtime and 2. It’ll give some relief to friends and family at home missing me ever so much. This shall act as my disclaimer as this blog will be an emotional rollercoaster as I attempt to figure out Guatemala City by myself for the next 6 months.

For those of you who do not know, I am currently in Guatemala City, Guatemala about to begin a 6-month internship at TechnoServe. I’ll share more about TechnoServe when I start on Monday. But, I will share my first 24 hours.

Let’s be real, I accepted this position in October and did not think about what it actually would entail until Sunday night- please note I left Monday morning at 4am. So. I got in my cab and headed to Logan. My first flight was to Houston- it was the WORST. But since the 2012 adventurous Rob is finding the positive in every situation… at least I got to experience a little bit of plane sickness for the first time? Anyways, moving on. Upon arriving in Houston I needed to haul my rear-end to another terminal to catch my connecting flight which was already boarding. But have no fear- the flight was delayed as soon as I boarded.

I arrived in Guatemala City strung out and quite tired. As mentioned, I had not put much thought into what this trip would entail, but let me tell you… my mind definitely started going full speed once I stepped off the plane and remembered that I had no one to meet and technically no where to go. Luckily baggage claim and customs were a breeze and so was finding a cab considering I had at least 7 men trying to haggle a price to bring me to my hotel. I did experience my first reference to me being a gringo though. As I approached a cab across the street, a man hailing cabs goes “What do you need, what’re you looking for? No one is going to understand your language here, but I will. I’ll help…for a small fee. I simply replied, “Hablo espanol” and got in the cab and left. Now, as nonchalant as that may sound…in reality I got into the cab and thought “thank god all I needed to say was I speak Spanish!”

I severely overestimated the amount of English speakers I would encounter at the airport and hotel. I made a reservation at a hotel and went up to my room. I’ll be honest… I may have then sat in silence staring at a wall saying out loud.. “Where am I?” and “What the hell did I get myself into?” After composing myself and speaking with my dear mother, I went downstairs for the complimentary dinner (or so I think though the hotel bill may say otherwise). This dinner consisted of me getting laughed at by the waiters as I attempted to speak Spanish as needed. For those of you who do not know, I have studied Spanish since middle school, took AP in high school, and placed into 501 at Northeastern but my Spanish is still far from fluent. Anyways, after my dinner experience I decided to call it quits and head to bed. The sound of two gunshots put me right to sleep.

Today I woke up ready to go! I slept in and caught up on sleep. I spent the first 2 hours of my day frantically searching for my passport that I “put in a safe place” last night, but naturally I completely forgot where that safe place was (a skill I’ve learned from my mother- thanks mom!). Anyways, I finally got to venture out and get a feel for the area. Now I’m no fool -I won’t sit here and say everyone was wrong about the safety- but let’s be real…I’m in a good part of the city surrounded by expat hotels and shopping centers… I can walk a few blocks. After spending a few hours out, I decided it was time to head home and plan out what I need to do the rest of the week…oh and learn Spanish. I now have an appointment to look for apartments tomorrow!

So that’s been my first 24 hours. I swear from here on out it won’t be as tedious to read if you choose to read again. Basically, these next few days I will be attempting to refresh my Spanish, find a place to live, and get accustomed to the area. As scary or lonely as it may be at times, it’ll all be part of the journey. Over the next six months I am going to learn so much about myself, this country, its people, and so much more. Everything I learn and experience within the next six months will be taken with me the rest of my life. It’s an incredible feeling. Though I am sure this will be an emotional rollercoaster, I have never been more excited to live. After all, the only plan I have the next six months is to live life like I never have before.