I'd like to congradulate my fellow blogger Jacob Jerome and everyone else that graduated from CMC this year. Unlike them, I decided not to graduate this past semester. Instead, I've decided to stay in Steamboat for at least another six months. I'm building credits to transfer over to CU Boulder and working hard at getting in-state tuition.
But now I'm here and most people have left for the summer. Since I went home during the entire month of May last year, Mud Season was something I had yet to experience. It seems like a large amount of people in this town are bored and "have nothing to do".
I can see where it's easy to get bored this time of year because you wake up around noon, look outside the window at the gray rainstorms rolling in and and check your agenda. You groan and think to yourself "Oh, look, once again I have nothing to do today".
However, I am determined not to get the mud season blues. This is a beautiful town and it doesn't matter if it's snowing, raining or sunny outside. There are always things to do for little or no money. Here are a few suggestions:
Get a Hobby- Some people enjoy building model cars, others like to crochet. Personally, I'm a book junkie. The start of Mud Season has been a reminder of how many good books I picked up last summer, and to be honest I'm excited to see if I can do more this year. It doesn't matter what you're into, this is the best time to enjoy doing it. Maybe it's time to pick up that guitar you had to have but never learned how to play.
Visit Friends- I had three days off from work and nothing to do. What could possibly be a better time to hop in a car and visit a new town? A couple of my friends moved to Boulder last year and I had yet to make it out and visit them. It was a great trip because I got to check out CU Boulder, the school I plan on attending after CMC, and spend time with great people.
Get in Shape- Just because it's raining doesn't mean you can't go for a run. I have to admit the first time I put my running shoes on in months was about a week ago. I stepped outside with my friend's dog thinking we could jog to the dog park, play fetch and jog back. It was sprinkling but I didn't mind. That was until I made it 20 yards to the dirt trail and a freak hail storm hit. I debated going for the run anyways until the puppy decided the hail was too painful and hid underneath my porch. Still, biking and jogging are great ways to get in shape and explore the beauties of this town that you haven't seen before. And, if you do get caught in a freak storm you can always catch the free bus to safety.
Become a Movie Buff- Since we are all broke and home by around 6pm my roommates and I have frequent movie nights. If it's come out in the past two months we've probably seen it. We frequent red box, blockbuster and netflix about two or three nights a week. It's a good way to bond and pass time.
Travel- With the economy recovering from such a slump there are amazing deals everywhere. This winter my family and I went on a cruise for ridiculously cheap. Flights may vary daily but hotels have such great deals. Checkout sites like travelocity.com or orbitz for good deals.
Volunteer- If you are sitting around with nothing to do all day there is always the option to volunteer. You can participate in river clean ups, walk dogs at the animal shelter or even become a mentor. Chances are you will meet some pretty cool people and feel good about yourself in the process.
Guatemala Presentation
Monday, April 19, 2010
As a final part of the class we have to do a community presentation on our experiences in Guatemala. If you have been reading my posts or just want to learn more be sure to come this Thursday night! There will be coffee by donation and Guatemalan merchandise for sale. All proceeds will be turned into a scholarship for students to attend a school we visited outside of Guatemala City. It will be held at 6pm at the Bud Werner Library.
Visiting an artist in Guatemala
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sorry it has taken me so long to write about this trip. We experienced a lot down there and it's hard to continue on with everyday life knowing such horrible things are going on in the world. It takes a long time to process everything we learned, and each time I take a look back at my journal I see things in a different light.
One of my favorite speakers was a woman who was supposed to talk to us about art. She began talking about local painters and then went into traditional weaving. She showed us some traditional clothes and began to explain the meaning behind the patterns.
The up and down lines she is pointing at in the photo represent the double headed snake which has many significant meanings to the Mayan culture. She explained that the up and down represented high points and low points in one's life. When someone very close to you dies you are at the bottom and you grieve for the loss. After so many days of grieving a person says will ask themselves where they want to be emotionally and being to climb up the latter.
Being an American I assumed being at the top all the time would be the ultimate achievement but I was wrong. We are always moving up and down the latter depending on where we are in our lives. Unlike the US way of thinking being happy all the time is the best thing in the world, the important part to them is maintaining balance. When you are at the top you are reminded that things can always get worse, which makes you grateful for what you do have. When you are at the bottom there is the assurance that things will certainly get better.
This woman seemed to be very enlightened. At one point she said "The wisdom of the universe is very large". This saying has definitely stuck with me because it's so true. Often times we find ourselves wondering how we got to a certain point or into a certain situation but if we remind ourselves that there are larger things out there our problems seem much smaller.
She respected that we celebrated different ideas and came from a completely different way of life. It's so interesting to learn about different ways of thinking and how people see the world. Meeting with this woman has only reinforced how bad I want to study philosophy.
Here is some of the artwork they had displayed.
One of my favorite speakers was a woman who was supposed to talk to us about art. She began talking about local painters and then went into traditional weaving. She showed us some traditional clothes and began to explain the meaning behind the patterns.
The up and down lines she is pointing at in the photo represent the double headed snake which has many significant meanings to the Mayan culture. She explained that the up and down represented high points and low points in one's life. When someone very close to you dies you are at the bottom and you grieve for the loss. After so many days of grieving a person says will ask themselves where they want to be emotionally and being to climb up the latter.
Being an American I assumed being at the top all the time would be the ultimate achievement but I was wrong. We are always moving up and down the latter depending on where we are in our lives. Unlike the US way of thinking being happy all the time is the best thing in the world, the important part to them is maintaining balance. When you are at the top you are reminded that things can always get worse, which makes you grateful for what you do have. When you are at the bottom there is the assurance that things will certainly get better.
This woman seemed to be very enlightened. At one point she said "The wisdom of the universe is very large". This saying has definitely stuck with me because it's so true. Often times we find ourselves wondering how we got to a certain point or into a certain situation but if we remind ourselves that there are larger things out there our problems seem much smaller.
She respected that we celebrated different ideas and came from a completely different way of life. It's so interesting to learn about different ways of thinking and how people see the world. Meeting with this woman has only reinforced how bad I want to study philosophy.
Here is some of the artwork they had displayed.
Pictures from Guatemala
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Sorry I didn't make a fancy slide show for this trip. I figured I'd post a few of my favorite/ the most meaningful pictures with descriptions of each. That way you can click on them to enlarge and ask questions if you have any!
The children there were beautiful
We are all Humans
Graffiti for a political group
Sunset over the lake
Boat on the water
A Fisherman
Mayan-Catholic Saints
This used to be a Mayan temple. When the Spanish came they knocked down the temple and built their own, but left the steps.
A memorial for an American priest who was killed by the Guatemalan government
An organization that seeks to find missing people from the war and fights for social justice (This group is largely responsible for the investigations of mass graves)
A Mass Grave
Graffiti on a building formerly owned by the United Fruit Company
A Wall of Missing People
Visiting the Mayan Ruins in Tikal
Star Wars Buffs would understand
A band playing in the park in Antigua
One Hundred USD was worth over 700 Quetzals
The children there were beautiful
We are all Humans
Graffiti for a political group
Sunset over the lake
Boat on the water
A Fisherman
Mayan-Catholic Saints
This used to be a Mayan temple. When the Spanish came they knocked down the temple and built their own, but left the steps.
A memorial for an American priest who was killed by the Guatemalan government
An organization that seeks to find missing people from the war and fights for social justice (This group is largely responsible for the investigations of mass graves)
A Mass Grave
Graffiti on a building formerly owned by the United Fruit Company
A Wall of Missing People
Visiting the Mayan Ruins in Tikal
Star Wars Buffs would understand
A band playing in the park in Antigua
River O
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
When I was growing up my parents put my sisters and I on swim team. We did it all; private club teams, high school teams and anything recreational that had to do with water. For this reason being in water always seemed as natural as being on land. When I took my first ever white water rafting trip two years ago with paddling club I realized my love for water extends beyond that of a 100 
meter chlorine filled swimming pool.
There is nothing like the adrenaline rush of falling into ice cold rapids and figuring out a way to be rescued. Remembering all the fun times I had playing around on rafts and duckies last summer helped me in my decision to sign up for this trip. Each time I rode a ducky down the rapids or guided a raft I felt an adrenaline rush. My heart would start pounding a little faster and my mind would clear up. All thoughts would dissipate as my mind and body focused on one thing: getting through the rapids and having a great time.
We learned so many things on this trip I never would have thought of. I didn’t realize how much wild life depends on the riparian habitat and how small and delicate it is. For those of you who don't know the riparian habitat is the area at the bank of a river. A majority
of wildlife uses it on a daily basis.
We also had an interesting mini lesson about how the state controls the water flow. Basically whoever has the oldest deed has the highest priority when it comes to water. That part upset me because damming water and controlling its usage just doesn’t seem natural. Although we were right there with nature I felt like knowing these rivers are controlled by mankind took away from that a little bit.
My greatest challenge was learning to oar. Oaring is a lot harder than it looks. It takes a lot of strength and coordination. Although I’m still not that great at it I’m happy I had the opportunity to practice.
Overall it was a great trip. I think the group bonded really well and the instructors were great at balancing fun and learning. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.
meter chlorine filled swimming pool.There is nothing like the adrenaline rush of falling into ice cold rapids and figuring out a way to be rescued. Remembering all the fun times I had playing around on rafts and duckies last summer helped me in my decision to sign up for this trip. Each time I rode a ducky down the rapids or guided a raft I felt an adrenaline rush. My heart would start pounding a little faster and my mind would clear up. All thoughts would dissipate as my mind and body focused on one thing: getting through the rapids and having a great time.
We learned so many things on this trip I never would have thought of. I didn’t realize how much wild life depends on the riparian habitat and how small and delicate it is. For those of you who don't know the riparian habitat is the area at the bank of a river. A majority
of wildlife uses it on a daily basis.We also had an interesting mini lesson about how the state controls the water flow. Basically whoever has the oldest deed has the highest priority when it comes to water. That part upset me because damming water and controlling its usage just doesn’t seem natural. Although we were right there with nature I felt like knowing these rivers are controlled by mankind took away from that a little bit.
My greatest challenge was learning to oar. Oaring is a lot harder than it looks. It takes a lot of strength and coordination. Although I’m still not that great at it I’m happy I had the opportunity to practice.
Overall it was a great trip. I think the group bonded really well and the instructors were great at balancing fun and learning. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.
Chichicastenango: Market Day
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The third day of the trip was definitely one of my favorite because we got to go shopping! Chichicastenango is famous for its marketplace on Sundays and Thursdays. We arrived on Wednesday evening and had no idea what we were in for. We had a couple hours of free time that night to check out the town and as we walked around we saw people setting stuff up. I thought I had a basic understanding of what the place would look like the following day but I was very wrong.
When we woke up the next morning the town was completely transformed. We walked out of our hotel and every inch of the street was filled. People were selling anything you could imagine. From purses and headbands to flip flops and alarm clocks.
After breakfast Corey and I decided to check out the church. The steps were lined with people selling flowers. As we walked into the church there was an overwhelming aroma from the incense. Unfortunately I couldn't handle it for too long and soon left to wait outside. Once Corey was finished we met up with Julie and hit the marketplace ready to explore.
I was hesitant about haggling at first but once something caught my eye I began to make offers. Trying to negotiate a price with someone that speaks an entirely different language can be very challenging. It was fun seeing how low they would go. They'd insist you drove them down to their lowest price but as soon as you walked away from the deal they would say "Okay, okay, okay" and lower the price a little more. Everything was so unbelievable cheap because our dollar is worth so much more.
The marketplace is set up with material goods on the outside and food on the inside. We went to see what grocery shopping was really like in Guatemala and at first it didn't seem so bad. There were fruit stands, people making tortillas and a few deep fryers.
But as we made it closer to the heart of the market we started to see some pretty gross things. Once I saw this bucket of fish I decided to turn around. (Dead fish terrify me.) Apparently it was a good decision because when we met up for lunch people in the group were sharing stories of seeing piles of chicken heads. (Ewe!)
At one point a woman stopped Julie and convinced her to let her do her hair. Here's the video.
When we woke up the next morning the town was completely transformed. We walked out of our hotel and every inch of the street was filled. People were selling anything you could imagine. From purses and headbands to flip flops and alarm clocks.
After breakfast Corey and I decided to check out the church. The steps were lined with people selling flowers. As we walked into the church there was an overwhelming aroma from the incense. Unfortunately I couldn't handle it for too long and soon left to wait outside. Once Corey was finished we met up with Julie and hit the marketplace ready to explore.
I was hesitant about haggling at first but once something caught my eye I began to make offers. Trying to negotiate a price with someone that speaks an entirely different language can be very challenging. It was fun seeing how low they would go. They'd insist you drove them down to their lowest price but as soon as you walked away from the deal they would say "Okay, okay, okay" and lower the price a little more. Everything was so unbelievable cheap because our dollar is worth so much more.
The marketplace is set up with material goods on the outside and food on the inside. We went to see what grocery shopping was really like in Guatemala and at first it didn't seem so bad. There were fruit stands, people making tortillas and a few deep fryers.
But as we made it closer to the heart of the market we started to see some pretty gross things. Once I saw this bucket of fish I decided to turn around. (Dead fish terrify me.) Apparently it was a good decision because when we met up for lunch people in the group were sharing stories of seeing piles of chicken heads. (Ewe!)
At one point a woman stopped Julie and convinced her to let her do her hair. Here's the video.
Overall it was a great experience. I got plenty of gifts and souvenirs and had a great time in the process!
2012: Myth or Reality?
Monday, March 29, 2010
I have to admit when I first realized we were meeting up with Mayan descendants I was excited. I mean with all this hype about 2012 who wouldn't want the opportunity to ask the descendants themselves about the fate of our civilization?
As luck would have it many of the people we met with spoke about the Mayan calendar because it's such a major part of their lives. A couple even brought up the possibility of our world as we know it coming to an end.
For starters it's important to understand that the calendar is very intricate. Based solely on astronomy it seems amazing that people without our technology could create such an accurate calendar. For anyone who is not familiar with how the system works I found this short video to help explain. It is believed that 2012 is the end of a 394 year period called B'ak'tun. Traditionally the Mayans believed this time represented great change, but nobody ever stated what would happened when the calendar ran out.
Two of the men we met with were quite convinced that drastic change will occur. They both had similar things to say about how destructive humans are. They talked about how we waste resources and keep taking from mother nature like we are entitled to everything.
The first man said he didn't think the world would come to an end, but he believed there would be a lot of suffering and change. He believed the people that would be most affected would be those at the bottom. For example the rivers may run dry and the have-nots would be without water becuase people with all the money and power would take it from them. According to him this is already happening but 2012 will be the breaking point where the most people will suffer.
The second man who discussed the issue was our tour guide in Tikal. Time after time again he would talk about how powerful mother nature is and how she always takes back what is hers. He mentioned the movie Hollywood produced and insisted it wasn't that far off. Having never seen 2012 I asked him to elaborate. He said that the world as we know it will cease to exist. mother nature will take back what is hers and our civilization will fall, leaving room for a new civilization to rise.
I don't know if I believe in 2012 or not but it was definitely cool hearing Mayans talk about it.
As luck would have it many of the people we met with spoke about the Mayan calendar because it's such a major part of their lives. A couple even brought up the possibility of our world as we know it coming to an end.
For starters it's important to understand that the calendar is very intricate. Based solely on astronomy it seems amazing that people without our technology could create such an accurate calendar. For anyone who is not familiar with how the system works I found this short video to help explain. It is believed that 2012 is the end of a 394 year period called B'ak'tun. Traditionally the Mayans believed this time represented great change, but nobody ever stated what would happened when the calendar ran out.
Two of the men we met with were quite convinced that drastic change will occur. They both had similar things to say about how destructive humans are. They talked about how we waste resources and keep taking from mother nature like we are entitled to everything.
The first man said he didn't think the world would come to an end, but he believed there would be a lot of suffering and change. He believed the people that would be most affected would be those at the bottom. For example the rivers may run dry and the have-nots would be without water becuase people with all the money and power would take it from them. According to him this is already happening but 2012 will be the breaking point where the most people will suffer.
The second man who discussed the issue was our tour guide in Tikal. Time after time again he would talk about how powerful mother nature is and how she always takes back what is hers. He mentioned the movie Hollywood produced and insisted it wasn't that far off. Having never seen 2012 I asked him to elaborate. He said that the world as we know it will cease to exist. mother nature will take back what is hers and our civilization will fall, leaving room for a new civilization to rise.
I don't know if I believe in 2012 or not but it was definitely cool hearing Mayans talk about it.
The Strongest Women I've Ever Met
Thursday, March 25, 2010
After learning about the woman's co-op we were able to ask questions. When I asked the current leader of the project, Maria to tell us about her life I got more than I expected. Something must have gotten lost in translation because as she began to tell her story she was looking at me directly, smiling. It was one of those genuine smiles that you can't fake. As her story was translated from Q'eqchi' to Spanish and then Spanish to English I returned her smile, unaware of what I was about to hear. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.
She started out with her childhood. Her mother passed away when she was only 7 years old and she lived with her father, two brothers and sister. At that time she didn't know any trades but her sister soon taugh her to weave. As they got older her bother and sister both married and left the house. She lived with just her younger brother until she married at 17.
Maria only spent 8 years with her husband before he was murdered during the war. When he was killed she fled to Guatemala City with her two children and a baby in her womb. When the baby was born it only lived to be a year and a half before it died. This was all said so nonchalantly I couldn't really process it at first. How could a woman sit there and tell us of this tragic life with a smile on her face? If those same things happened here in the US the woman would never really be expected to move on from what happened. Loosing a husband to violence and then a young child soon-after is seemingly one of the most terrifying things that could happen. Yet she seemed to be okay.
Later, we learned that this has much to do with the Mayan lifestyle and their traditional beliefs which I will be sharing with you. We came to realize that these people don't move on because they want to but because they have to. It's a part of who they are. Not to mention they can't spend all of their time dwelling on the terrible things that have happened to them because there are too many horrifying stories in this country to count.
My only hope is that if events that tragic ever strike my life I can find half the courage and half the strength that these amazing women have found.
She started out with her childhood. Her mother passed away when she was only 7 years old and she lived with her father, two brothers and sister. At that time she didn't know any trades but her sister soon taugh her to weave. As they got older her bother and sister both married and left the house. She lived with just her younger brother until she married at 17.
Maria only spent 8 years with her husband before he was murdered during the war. When he was killed she fled to Guatemala City with her two children and a baby in her womb. When the baby was born it only lived to be a year and a half before it died. This was all said so nonchalantly I couldn't really process it at first. How could a woman sit there and tell us of this tragic life with a smile on her face? If those same things happened here in the US the woman would never really be expected to move on from what happened. Loosing a husband to violence and then a young child soon-after is seemingly one of the most terrifying things that could happen. Yet she seemed to be okay.
Later, we learned that this has much to do with the Mayan lifestyle and their traditional beliefs which I will be sharing with you. We came to realize that these people don't move on because they want to but because they have to. It's a part of who they are. Not to mention they can't spend all of their time dwelling on the terrible things that have happened to them because there are too many horrifying stories in this country to count.
My only hope is that if events that tragic ever strike my life I can find half the courage and half the strength that these amazing women have found.
100 Pounds of Thread
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Please bear with me as I try to convey our experiences down in Guatemala. Meeting with people who have been subject to the most horrible atrocities this world has ever seen is not an easy experience to describe. However they were moving and I will do my best to shine some light on what we went through.
Our first day of the trip consisted of travel and a brief orientation to Guatemala. We spent the first night locked inside our hotel in Guatemala City. We later learned why were asked to stay inside... it's not the safest city in the world.
The next morning started out early as we hit the roads for Chichicastenango. After dropping our luggage off at our hotel we took a van ride to the town of Chontola and met up with a minister from a local sector of the Methodist church.
Ho took us to a woman's cooperative that started during the 1980s. During this time there was a lot of violence in the area and many women lost their husbands. Children became orphaned and had no place to go. The women tried to take children in but soon realized they didn't have the money or resources to provide the most basic of necessities including food. They went the the church and begged for food but the minister was not allowed to give it out. Giving the women food for today was not solving the problems of tomorrow so he asked them if they would be willing to work. They responded by saying yes and he was able to get them 100lbs of thread. Their plan was the weave it into material, then create finished projects and sell them. From there they could buy more and live off of the small earnings they made.
The project which is now known as Ruth and Naomi has helped find homes for children, build several clinics and schools and created programs to work with women.
Unfortunately this community continues to struggle as they try to solve problems. It seems like each time they solve a problem another one is created. For example they were finally able to provide food to the children and as the children grew up they began to work and support the community. However the adults realized these children were very good at their trade but couldn't read or write. They didn't want to go to school because it was time spent away from working and they wouldn't make as much money. To solve this the group said the children could work during the day but they had to attend classes at night.
From there they ran into problems with gangs. Young men would go to Guatemala City in hopes of finding a good paying job, but when they arrived they realized a different reality. There were no jobs for them and they wound up getting into drugs and drinking. Soon the young men who grew up without fathers became members of gangs and made money through drug trafficking. The women didn't know what to do.
With the aid of a woman from California, the co-op sold enough product to buy land in Chichicastenago. They built a small home for the men to stay in and were able to obtain four used sewing machines for the men to become tailors. Here is a brief clip of them doing embroidery by machine.
Our first day of the trip consisted of travel and a brief orientation to Guatemala. We spent the first night locked inside our hotel in Guatemala City. We later learned why were asked to stay inside... it's not the safest city in the world.
The next morning started out early as we hit the roads for Chichicastenango. After dropping our luggage off at our hotel we took a van ride to the town of Chontola and met up with a minister from a local sector of the Methodist church.
Ho took us to a woman's cooperative that started during the 1980s. During this time there was a lot of violence in the area and many women lost their husbands. Children became orphaned and had no place to go. The women tried to take children in but soon realized they didn't have the money or resources to provide the most basic of necessities including food. They went the the church and begged for food but the minister was not allowed to give it out. Giving the women food for today was not solving the problems of tomorrow so he asked them if they would be willing to work. They responded by saying yes and he was able to get them 100lbs of thread. Their plan was the weave it into material, then create finished projects and sell them. From there they could buy more and live off of the small earnings they made.
The project which is now known as Ruth and Naomi has helped find homes for children, build several clinics and schools and created programs to work with women.
Unfortunately this community continues to struggle as they try to solve problems. It seems like each time they solve a problem another one is created. For example they were finally able to provide food to the children and as the children grew up they began to work and support the community. However the adults realized these children were very good at their trade but couldn't read or write. They didn't want to go to school because it was time spent away from working and they wouldn't make as much money. To solve this the group said the children could work during the day but they had to attend classes at night.
From there they ran into problems with gangs. Young men would go to Guatemala City in hopes of finding a good paying job, but when they arrived they realized a different reality. There were no jobs for them and they wound up getting into drugs and drinking. Soon the young men who grew up without fathers became members of gangs and made money through drug trafficking. The women didn't know what to do.
With the aid of a woman from California, the co-op sold enough product to buy land in Chichicastenago. They built a small home for the men to stay in and were able to obtain four used sewing machines for the men to become tailors. Here is a brief clip of them doing embroidery by machine.
Intro to Guatemala: Banana Republic
Thursday, March 18, 2010
In order to understand exactly what we were studying it Guatemala it's important to understand a little bit about the country's history.
Originally Guatemala was ruled by the indigenous Mayans. Around 1523 the Spanish took over and ruled for almost 300 years. During that time they took the land from the natives and divided it into large plantations. Natives had no where else to go and were forced to work as slaves or for very little pay.
The country finally gained full independence in 1839, and from there it was controlled by warlords and large land owners. During this time foreign companies (mainly from the US) saw opportunity. They wanted large quantities of land to set up banana plantations. Bananas are a very vulnerable crop because every single banana we eat has the same DNA. This means if a disease manages to kill one banana tree it can wipe out an entire plantation. Out of fear, major fruit companies obtained copious amounts of land and used only a portion of it. That way if disease or natural disaster destroyed their crops they could easily replant. At one point the United Fruit Company (now known as Chiquita) owned almost 25% of the land in Guatemala.
At this point there were still natives with no place to live so they were once again forced to work for almost no pay. Everything seemed hopeful when Juan Jose Arevalo became president in 1944. The country was finally beginning to democratize and he wanted to redistribute the land to the poor. The United Fruit Company didn't want to loose their land when the Guatemalan government demanded it back so they decided to use the Cold War to their advantage. They convinced the United States Government that Guatemala was a Communist country because of their attempts to aid the poor and redistribute land. The US planned a military coup and overthrew the government that was in place. This led to civil war for over 40 years. During this time hundreds of thousands of people died because of death squads organized by the government. Over 40,000 people went missing and thousands took refuge in Mexico and the US.
It's important to remember that all of this happened because a few greedy men wanted to keep land that they weren't even using, land that was never really theirs to begin with. This is where the term "Banana Republic" comes in. It has an actual meaning beyond that of the clothing line. El Salvador, Hondourous and other surrounding countries also earned this name when civil war was brought on for the same reasons.
In 1996 the Peace Accords were signed and the fighting stopped. Since then Guatemala has struggled to Democratize.
It is here that our journey began. With a brief understanding of their background we began to explore this poverty stricken land. We talked to people who lost family members in the genocide as well as people who had no idea that war a even happened in their country. We talked to politicians from both the left and right winged parties as well as social workers who have no political affiliation. Through this journey we began to understand the exactly what happened down there and hopefully through these next few posts you will gain a better understanding as well.
Originally Guatemala was ruled by the indigenous Mayans. Around 1523 the Spanish took over and ruled for almost 300 years. During that time they took the land from the natives and divided it into large plantations. Natives had no where else to go and were forced to work as slaves or for very little pay.
The country finally gained full independence in 1839, and from there it was controlled by warlords and large land owners. During this time foreign companies (mainly from the US) saw opportunity. They wanted large quantities of land to set up banana plantations. Bananas are a very vulnerable crop because every single banana we eat has the same DNA. This means if a disease manages to kill one banana tree it can wipe out an entire plantation. Out of fear, major fruit companies obtained copious amounts of land and used only a portion of it. That way if disease or natural disaster destroyed their crops they could easily replant. At one point the United Fruit Company (now known as Chiquita) owned almost 25% of the land in Guatemala.
At this point there were still natives with no place to live so they were once again forced to work for almost no pay. Everything seemed hopeful when Juan Jose Arevalo became president in 1944. The country was finally beginning to democratize and he wanted to redistribute the land to the poor. The United Fruit Company didn't want to loose their land when the Guatemalan government demanded it back so they decided to use the Cold War to their advantage. They convinced the United States Government that Guatemala was a Communist country because of their attempts to aid the poor and redistribute land. The US planned a military coup and overthrew the government that was in place. This led to civil war for over 40 years. During this time hundreds of thousands of people died because of death squads organized by the government. Over 40,000 people went missing and thousands took refuge in Mexico and the US.
It's important to remember that all of this happened because a few greedy men wanted to keep land that they weren't even using, land that was never really theirs to begin with. This is where the term "Banana Republic" comes in. It has an actual meaning beyond that of the clothing line. El Salvador, Hondourous and other surrounding countries also earned this name when civil war was brought on for the same reasons.
In 1996 the Peace Accords were signed and the fighting stopped. Since then Guatemala has struggled to Democratize.
It is here that our journey began. With a brief understanding of their background we began to explore this poverty stricken land. We talked to people who lost family members in the genocide as well as people who had no idea that war a even happened in their country. We talked to politicians from both the left and right winged parties as well as social workers who have no political affiliation. Through this journey we began to understand the exactly what happened down there and hopefully through these next few posts you will gain a better understanding as well.
Hola from Guatemala!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Just wanted to give a quick update to let everyone know that myself and 10 other CMCers are here and safe in Guatemala! We are a little over half way through our journey and have learned more than we would have ever imagined. It's been a wonderful experience so far and I'll be updating frequently with pictures and stories once I'm back in the states next week!
Hello World!
Monday, March 1, 2010
I realize my last couple of posts have been a little less than optimistic, but this one will be a change of pace... promise.
First, I am sad to announce that Jake beat me in "The Coat Vote". It was really close though! And we received more votes than anticipated so thank you to everyone who took part. If you have any suggestions for recipes I am open to making something new and delicious for dinner.
Second, Spring Break is just days away here at the Alpine Campus and I couldn't be more thrilled. In less than four days I will be joining some of my fellow students and professors on a trip to Guatemala! I've traveled all over the United States but this will be my first time visiting another country (other than Canada). Hopefully my friend will let me borrow his mini lap top and I'll be able to keep you all updated throughout the trip.
And finally I am proud to announce the arrival of the site thecoloradounderground.com . While at Dew Tour I started talking to another member of the media. It turned out his name was Andrew and he was working on a project called The Colorado Underground. It's an online magazine based out of Denver and they have invited me to write articles about Steamboat. Here's my first one about local skier Kerry Lofy ... check it out! http://www.thecoloradounderground.com/articles/you_cant_get_hurt_in_the_air
First, I am sad to announce that Jake beat me in "The Coat Vote". It was really close though! And we received more votes than anticipated so thank you to everyone who took part. If you have any suggestions for recipes I am open to making something new and delicious for dinner.
Second, Spring Break is just days away here at the Alpine Campus and I couldn't be more thrilled. In less than four days I will be joining some of my fellow students and professors on a trip to Guatemala! I've traveled all over the United States but this will be my first time visiting another country (other than Canada). Hopefully my friend will let me borrow his mini lap top and I'll be able to keep you all updated throughout the trip.
And finally I am proud to announce the arrival of the site thecoloradounderground.com . While at Dew Tour I started talking to another member of the media. It turned out his name was Andrew and he was working on a project called The Colorado Underground. It's an online magazine based out of Denver and they have invited me to write articles about Steamboat. Here's my first one about local skier Kerry Lofy ... check it out! http://www.thecoloradounderground.com/articles/you_cant_get_hurt_in_the_air
Spring Break 2010: Be Safe
Thursday, February 25, 2010
So we all know that consuming alcohol under the age of 21 is illegal in the United States. With that being said we can't be ignorant to that fact that it happens every single day. I am here to say that no matter what your age is if you choose to consume alcohol please be safe.Sure, The Hangover was a hilarious movie about a bachelor party gone wild when one of the guys spiked the "wolfgang's" drinks with roofies. It's fun to laugh about but it's also important to recognize date rape drugs are a real danger. It doesn't matter if you are in small town Steamboat or a big city, it can happen anywhere.
I'm asking you to enjoy yourself this spring break, but BE SAFE. Whether you are in Cancun enjoying the sun and a margarita or visiting friends at college and attending a large party you could be at risk. It's one of those "it'll never happen to me" things... until it does. As much as I like to disregard the serious things in life, these drugs are incredibly dangerous because they are often tasteless, colorless and fast acting and I'd hate for someone to get hurt.
Although there is no absolute way to ensure this won't happen to you there are ways to prevent it.
- Don't go out alone. Always have a buddy with you and watch after each other. If you notice your friend is more intoxicated than they should be after a couple of drinks or is acting really strange get them somewhere safe immediately.
- Watch the bartender pour your drink and have them hand it directly to you.
- Never leave your drink unattended. Keep it within eye sight at all times. If you glance in another direction for even an instant you are making yourself susceptible to possible dangers.
- If your drink tastes funny dump it and get a new one, it may have been tampered with.
- At parties do not drink from punch bowls and never accept already opened beverages.
- Find a trusted friend and ask them to take you some place safe immediately. If this happens to your friend stay with them as these drugs can induce blackouts and vomiting.
- Go to the hospital and request a toxicology report. These drugs can clear from your system within 6-8 hours and there is no chance of any trace after 48hrs.
- Do not shower as you will likely wash away evidence.
- Go immediately to a hospital and request a preliminary rape exam along with testing for date rape drugs.
- Get in contact with a local advocates group (Steamboat's emergency crisis number is 970-824-9709)
- If you choose to press charges be sure to have a support system of close, trusted friends to be there for you throughout the process.
Three of the most common drugs are:
GHB
Street names: EZ Lay, Liquid Ecstasy, Clear X, X-rater, Liquid Dream, Scoop Her, Get-Her-to-Bed.
What it looks like: Odorless, colorless, liquid, White powder or Tablet
Is it legal in the US? No. It's banned in the US, Canada and many parts of Europe. Most of the time it's made in illegal drug labs
What are the side effects? GHB affects the central nervous system and can cause euphoria, amnesia, intoxication, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, visual hallucinations, hypotension, severe respiratory depression, and in extreme cases coma.
Rohypnol
Street Names: Rophies, Roofies, Roach, Rope
What it looks like: Tasteless, odorless small white tablet
Is it legal in the US? No
What are the side effects? excitability or aggressive behavior, decreased blood pressure, memory impairment, drowsiness, semi-consciousness, dizziness, confusion, stomach disturbances, and urinary retention
Ketamine
Street Names: Special K, K, Vitamin K, Kid Rock, Ket Kat, Make-Her-Mine
What it looks like: It comes in powder, liquid, or pill form
Is it legal in the US? Yes. Ketamine is often used as a sedative by Veterinarians
What are the side effects? delirium, numbness, vivid hallucinations, cardiac excitement, mild respiratory depression, confusion, irrationality, violent or aggressive behavior, vertigo, slurred speech, delayed reaction time, euphoria, altered body image, amnesia, and coma.
All information has been provided by Steamboat Advocates and http://teenadvice.about.com/library/weekly/aa062502a.htm
The Great Technology Dilemma (Texting, Sexting and a Lost Generation)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Recently I decided to upgrade my phone from the palm centro to the palm pixi. Let me just say wow. The phone is half the size with twice the capabilities. At first it was a bit overwhelming. Verizon now forces you to buy the broadband data package when you buy a smart phone. This is not something I need by any means but the phone is incredibly sleek and I don’t have internet at my house so I figured why not? When I first started playing around with it I kept asking myself how long it would be before my lap top became obsolete. I can do literally anything on this phone that I can do with my lap top. My friend once referred to it as a "Computer-phone" and he was exactly right. It takes pictures, downloads music, uploads documents… the possibilities are endless.
Left: Palm Centro
Right: Palm Pixi
This advancement of technology has made me think a lot lately. Much like my parents can recall watching black and white TV, I will be telling my kids stories about a time before cell phones. I can already see myself saying “ I remember when I was growing up we didn’t even have texting, nevertheless the ability to search the web in the palm of our hands.” But I feel like with all this advancement there have been major consequences. I feel like I am part of a generation that thrives on instant gratification. We want things now because we are used to getting them that way. I recently took my computer in to get worked on and when they didn’t call me to tell me it was done the next day I was furious. Perhaps this has something to do with how impatient people are when they have to wait a couple minutes for me to make them coffee. Or why the women at the Verizon store were rushing to take care of customers as fast as possible so those of us in line didn’t get too upset. How long will it be before the English language drops the word patience altogether?
Beyond how needy I feel we are becoming as a society I can’t also help but feel we are becoming impersonal. Everyone hates calling tech support and other business help lines because you never get to talk to a person. This has become a complete social norm. In fact, I find it surprising when I call an 800 number and an actual human being answers the phone. Nowadays when you go to the supermarket you can forget about becoming familiar with the friendly neighborhood cashier because half the time you are using a robot instead. But my biggest pet peeve of all is texting. Sure, it was convenient for my mom to shoot me a text when she needed me to pick milk up on the way home from school. It has its purposes, but it also has its major flaws. Now when someone has a favor to ask there is no longer any need for them in interrupt my oh so busy life with an actual conversation. And I mean maybe this is just my life but it feels like whenever someone is upset with me they’d rather converse over texting then sort things out in person. Why? Because it's easier to say hurtful things through a text when you are not talking face to face? Because you can be dead honest and not have to physically watch the consequences of your words? Texting has bothered me for a long time and it's only getting worse.
There is a new controversial phenomenon deemed “sexting”. For those of you who haven't heard this term before, Wikipedia defines sexting as "the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, primarily between cell phones". The frightening part is it's most common among teenagers. Often times a young girl will send explicit photos to her boyfriend. It may seem innocent at the time, but if they get into a fight it is so easy for the boy to forward the pictures to anyone he wants. Imagine walking through the halls of high school after everyone has seen an inappropriate photograph of you. As if those teenage years weren't hard enough. In extreme cases girls have committed suicide because they could no longer handle the constant torture from kids at school. Another problem is both the girl and her boyfriend can now be charged with distributing child pornography. There are cases where young men have become registered sex offenders for their actions. It's a terrible downfall of making technology available to everyone.
With all this ranting and raving I figured I better do more than sit around and complain. So, I have decided to give up texting altogether. Yesterday I went into Verizon and had it blocked from my phone. This was a timely process as the woman didn’t understand why I would do such a thing. In this day and age who chooses to get rid of texting, especially when I have unlimited texting through my family plan? Call me crazy but I've decided to try at least one month without it.
It's been less than twenty-four hours and so far I feel completely liberated. Rather than feeling the need to constantly check my phone, I feel the exact opposite. If it's not within an arms reach at all times I am OK. I am no longer a slave to my phone as I feel so many people in my generation have become and it feels wonderful.
The Coat Vote
Monday, February 15, 2010
The craziness began when Bonfire decided to produce a very girly looking jacket in their men's line. My friend and fellow blogger Jake decided to buy the jacket and wear it with pride. Normally I commend Jake's fashion sense but this light blue jacket with swirls on it (pictured below) was meant to be worn by a woman. After months of constant backlash for wearing a female looking jacket Jake finally gave in and sold it to me.
The trend seemed to continue as we often shared similar tastes in outerwear. So, we've decided to have a friendly competition of blogger vs. blogger. The other day Jake, our gimp buddy Eli and I took a trip to the local thrift store where the two of us tried on the same jackets. We are putting the fate of ultimate bragging rights and a home cooked dinner in your hands by asking you to vote. The winner will be declared on February 25th so you have until then to choose who looks best!
The trend seemed to continue as we often shared similar tastes in outerwear. So, we've decided to have a friendly competition of blogger vs. blogger. The other day Jake, our gimp buddy Eli and I took a trip to the local thrift store where the two of us tried on the same jackets. We are putting the fate of ultimate bragging rights and a home cooked dinner in your hands by asking you to vote. The winner will be declared on February 25th so you have until then to choose who looks best!
Colorado Mountain College Helps Haiti
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Once a mon
th Student Activities sponsors a coffee night at the Steaming Bean. Usually students are invited to hang out and drink free coffee but this month we decided to add a little twist. We opened the event up to the entire community offering coffee, tea and baked goods by donation. We also sold fair trade co
ffee beans and tee shirts for $15 each. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Haiti relief organizations.
Overall the event was a complete success. A lot of students showed up and emptied out their pockets which is pretty noble considering how many times a week I hear my college friends say "I have no money". We even had a few community members come and hang out. A special thanks goes out to Tamara for planning the event, Caitlin for working so late and Rob and Dave for the live music!
th Student Activities sponsors a coffee night at the Steaming Bean. Usually students are invited to hang out and drink free coffee but this month we decided to add a little twist. We opened the event up to the entire community offering coffee, tea and baked goods by donation. We also sold fair trade co
ffee beans and tee shirts for $15 each. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Haiti relief organizations.
Overall the event was a complete success. A lot of students showed up and emptied out their pockets which is pretty noble considering how many times a week I hear my college friends say "I have no money". We even had a few community members come and hang out. A special thanks goes out to Tamara for planning the event, Caitlin for working so late and Rob and Dave for the live music!
Day Four: Super Pipe
Monday, January 4, 2010
On Saturday I met people from all over the country who came to Breckenridge specifically to watch the Dew Tour. By the time Men's Superpipe Finals started the place was packed. Around noon Ben and I made our way up to the media area. I must admit I felt silly with my digital camera while everyone around us had fancy Nikons with interchangeable lenses. It didn't matter though. Zoom power was not a necessity because these guys were literally flying over our heads.
We weren't allowed to take video of the competition because NBC holds the sole rights. Luckily my camera has the ability to take a bunch of pictures consecutively so here's what I ended up shooting.
Here's some video of the Men's and Women's SB HP Winners.
In order to prove that I'm not completely biased towards snowboarding I stuck around for Men's Skiing. It was a lot colder without the sun but the lights gave the competition a much more intense atmosphere. At this point I wish I had a better camera because all of the pictures I took came out blurry but I still pieced a few of them together for you.
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