Semana Santa

Guatemalans take Holy Week pretty seriously. It started off on Monday when a group of teenagers came into the DAPMA office because they were interested in the environment and want to help in some shape or form. I´d really like to work with them so I hope we can make something happen. While they were here, we got word that they needed help controlling fires in the communal forest. I got to go with the teenagers, Orlando-- my counterpart and the director of the office, and some of the park rangers to help make divides so that the fire wouldn´t spread. It was pretty exciting and I think Smokey the Bear would be proud.

Tuesday was pretty relaxed. My host family has ten kids who range in age from 19 to about 40. Five of them live at our house, but lots more were in town for Semana Santa with their families. The kids all really liked learning English and juggling, so I spent a lot of time doing that all week.

On Wednesday I went with a Catholic youth group to deliver traditional Guatemalan sweet bread to families in need. People here eat a LOT of bread to celebrate Semana Santa. My friend who works with me in the Muni invited me and it was a really good way to meet people. Afterwards we had lunch and watched ¨St. Ralph¨, a Canadian movie dubbed into Spanish.

The week´s real events began on Thursday. People had been telling me since I got here about how exciting things were in our town square. Honestly, I still don´t really understand exactly why these events happened or the Biblical stories behind them, but nonetheless they were interesting to watch. On Thursday was the ¨Running of Judas¨. Two different groups of about 100 guys each (one from the center of town where I live and another from where there used to be a textile factory until it closed last year) dressed up as Jews and competed to see who could catch someone portraying Judas. Pretty much the entire town came out to watch. Interesting, no?

On Friday there was a fight between the Centurians and the Jews. I kept asking people why they were fighting but no one could really give me a good explanation. This made even less sense to me because the Centurians were on horses and the Jews on foot. Essentially, everyone just kind of ran around in the town square while we all watched. Unfortunately my digital camera wasn´t working so I couldn´t take pictures but I have some on a film camera that I borrowed from my host mom.

After the fight, there was a procession all around town. My family, who is Evangelical, told me that I needed to wear something dark colored. I said, okay, that was fine, but then they got really excited and decided I should borrow a traditional blouse and corte to wear to the procession. I got a lot of double-takes from people in the community when they realized the gringa was wearing traje tipica (traditional dress). Different groups take turns carrying floats and made ornate carpets out of colored sawdust for the procession to walk on all around town and eventually wind up in the cemetary. I was going to post pictures, but it looks like my camera battery is dead. I´ll put them up soon, I promise. I walked with the procession from about 5:30-8:00 when I went home for dinner, but the rest of the group continued until 11:00pm. Dedication!

On Saturday I met up with Mark and Kyle, two of my Peace Corps friends from Magdalena, in Xela. It was really good to see them again and great to get to have a McFlurry with Cadbury eggs to celebrate American Easter. When I got back to Cantel, they were burning a doll figure of Judas.... which made me remember that I really am in Guatemala after a day of speaking English and eating McDonald´s.

Sunday I got up early to go to Easter Mass in the cemetary. It was pretty neat and I´d post pictures if I could. I ran into some people from the youth group who asked me to come inflate balloons with them to release on the plaza. I think we blew up close to 400 balloons. Then there was another procession with more decorated carpets, bands, and floats. I got really sunburnt, but it was a good day. After the procession I went to a friend´s house for lunch, and at night went to a dance in the Municipal building to celebrate the end of Semana Santa. I had a really good time trying to learn to dance to Duranguero music-- which is no easy task! Mostly I just laughed at myself and at repeated comments about how I was very possibly the tallest person there.

Today it's back to work where I´m hoping to start making progress on getting things started. Peace Corps told us over and over that the first three months, and the first month in particular, are more about getting to know the community than about getting any real work done-- which is both exciting and frustrating all at the same time.

I promise, I really will post pictures soon. Hope everyone had a very happy Easter!!!!!

Some Swearing-In Pictures

Our entire Healthy Schools and Sustainable Community Tourism group at the ambassador´s house for our swearing-in ceremony.

Me, Crystal, and Sarah waiting for the ceremony to start.

Celebrating finally becoming real PCVs in Antigua.