Stages of Feet Stank

So my feet operate a high level of stank on a regular basis.  Foot homeostasis is at funky.  After a normal summer of chaco wear the feet typically end up at vinegar.  After 5 weeks in the Guatemalan countryside the feet are at wet dog.  They are foul.  I'm worried that TM might not take me home from the airport!

Busy Times in Guate

Dad came for a visit for a long weekend last week.  It was great fun but too short.  We spent Thursday and Friday in Antigua.  We really enjoyed a museum at Casa Santo Domingo.  It is now a hotel, but used to be a Franciscan monastery.

At the Chapel in Santo Domingo

Dad at Casa Santo Domingo

On Saturday morning we went to Monterrico beach.  It is a black sand beach with BIG waves, but not much else...

Monterrico: no monte, fewer ricos

Dad left on Sunday and then I headed to Chocola for some interviews.  Chocola is in the coffee piedmont.  I was there with my friends and their 8 month old baby... very cute.

Kimmie and Sophia

I had 3 good interviews... one opened with "I can't talk long, I'm leaving for the US"  it turned out he was leaving in 30 minutes.  Hopefully he'll make it and we'll be able to talk in the US.

Also, after 5 weeks tromping across the countryside in Chacos I need a pedicure!

How hot is it in the midwest?

So hot it made the newspaper in Guatemala!
"Temperature rises in Kansas"

Into the 3rd Week

Even though I've been in Guatemala for 3 weeks, I've only had my own unlimited internet for 2 days...so thought it was time for an update.
Week 1: San Juan Comalapa
In Comalapa I lived with one of my Kaqchikel teachers, Magda (Ixbatz), and her family.  By US standards it was a little rustic, but very typical of the average Guatemalan family. (And not that different from life deep in the country in the US)

I spent many hours joking with the family around the stove while we made tortillas.  Everyone in Magda's family has such a great laugh and sense of humor.  The biggest hit was my mispronunciation of "Ri Ajaw xya'on." After the meal everyone says, "Matyöx chi nuway"(Thank you for my tortillas).  The response is "Ri Ajaw xya'on" (God has given it).  Day one I said, "Ri Ajaw xa'oj" (God threw up).  Then we also came up with "Ri Ajaw xajon" (God danced).  But it was a source of amusement for at least 6 days.  We also got lots of laughs watching Sabado Gigante together.  Particularly when the audience members had to do a choregraphed dance that was pretty racy.
But my favorite thing, besides getting to know the family, was learning how to weave on a backstrap loom.  Magda and her sister Cristy are excellent weavers.

This loom is smaller and used to weave pa's (belts).

Janila nikikot nuk'u'x koma rije' (My heart is very happy because of them).

Week 2: Tecpan
Tecpan is a bigger city than Comalapa.  There are more people who don't speak Kaqchikel, but it is still a distinctly Mayan town.  All of the 5 students lived together with another one of our teachers Ixim Nik'te'.  Tecpan was colder and the rain seemed to last longer.  This requires advanced rain gear, or a fancy red poncho...

During this week we also went to Iximche, the original capital of the Kaqchikeles.  The ruins there are nice, but it is the surrounding scenery that makes it so wonderful.  There we also had a Mayan ceremony with an ajq'ij (Mayan day keeper) to commemorate a successful language class.  Everyone had jobs to do.  I was in charge of preparing the pom (incense).

The saturday after class was over Jillian and I went to Paquip, where we both will be doing research later on.  It was greatly affected by Agatha (there were at least 5 feet of mud in the streets) and is slowly rebuilding.  We spent a couple of hours just getting to know the town.

Week 3: Antigua
Now I'm in Antigua.  A colonial city that is so beautiful.  The plan is to bum around here for a few days/weeks and get to know some of the people and try to collect some stories and jokes about immigration.   I made friends with a Mayan woman in the parque central today.  She's from a nearby village and speaks really good English. We spoke some Kaqchikel.  She might be someone I can talk with.  But have to approach these things slowly... Ethnography is a LONG process.  
Off to eat lunch at a touristy restaurant, but they have a deal on focaccia sandwiches that look too good after 2 weeks of only beans, eggs, and boiled squash.