Blog Archives

Realizations

7/31/2012

Yesterday was a rough day. A friend had to put their cat down. She was a cat I'd known for over a year, and was always a sweet little thing. It was hard seeing her in so much pain, and it brought back all the memories of my myriad of furry friends I've had to see pass: 1 dog, 1 cat, 2 guinea pigs, 3 rats, 3 horses, 6 bunnies, and countless fish. One day I'll have to let Stry go. It was a crushing realization. Earlier that day he had snuggled right up to me and we took a nap, blissful as could be. It made my heart very heavy. And reliving the final moments I had with each of my pets - I could fully recall memories I hadn't thought about in years, as clearly as if it had been that day: stroking their fur, holding them in my hands as they took their last breath, cradling their heavy head, saying my last goodbye and giving my last kisses. It is always a shock to the system - seeing life flow out of a creature. Some more violently than others, some dearer to your heart.

It is truly amazing how resilient the human heart is. I am so tender and yet so strong - to be able to go through the painful passing of a beloved friend who's been your constant companion for however many years, always there for you; to greet you at the door, snuggle on the couch, chase their tail, cover you in sloppy kisses, perch on your shoulder with their little feet, whuffle your hair and face with minty breath; are there for you to cling to or ride your cares away on, and to not become bitter or hard with so much sadness, but be able to do it all over again - love again and again and again, even though you know, one day, it will end, and your heart will be broken. With animals, at least, I understand the meaning of the quote "better to have loved than never loved at all."

Looking back, I think I've had more relationships with animals than with people. I understand them - it is so refreshing and relaxing to be able to not have to second guess actions and motives, their underlying reasoning why they do things, or what they really want from you. I think, in a way, I am very simple and I like being around other things that are simple and don't question me, but accept me and I can accept them. We're on the same page, so then we can get to know each others intricacies, and admire how deeply complex God made us. Well, at least I can on them - I'm really not sure how cognizant animals are. Sometimes Stry seems to be a knowledgeable creature with something shining out from inside him, and then there are the times he cries at me at 3am for no good reason.

They are a mystery. A simple, exquisite mystery.

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Organizing My Life

7/27/2012

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What an auspicious title! I wish it was in respect to every aspect of my life. However, one thing at a time (or in my case, usually 3 or 4). However, today I'm referring to coming up with a much better way to get a handle on my PFC. I had all the pictures in folders in an album on my computer with the title, but they were all mixed up and I was relying on my memory to figure out which week I did them, if I'd already blogged about them, etc. - not the smartest idea, seeing as how I can barely remember what I did yesterday. So, I went through the album titling each folder with "wk (number) (recipe name)" and if I'd already blogged about them, adding a "-" in front of the wk number. I should also come up with some way to denote recipes worth making again and/or ones to go in my own recipe book. Because, as we all know, dear readers, not everything in this PFC has been a success :P

I also realized how freaking far behind I am on blogging my results to you all!! I'm already on week 11 but haven't even blogged past week four! Oi. Julia, what am I going to do with you? So, I also thought, I should do some sort of weekly roundup - write about whatever I made that week, no ifs, ands, or buts. (I totally always thought my mom was saying, "No if, sands, or butts." when I was little. hehe.) No more of this random picking and choosing, of which I seem to be in the habit. I had thought about only relaying the recipes which were surefire successes, but that wasn't the whole point of this. I started out to try a whole lot of different recipes and write about them - good and bad, successes and embarrassments. And who knows - you might figure out a way to fix a recipe that was a flop in my book, and everyone has different tastes, anyway.

It'll be good to get back into the habit of writing. Ever since I moved to NYC I've had absolutely zero inspiration to write what I used to love writing (which I believe I mentioned is one of the reasons I started this blog - at least I'm writing something). A friend told me some things she'd like to read about, and rest assured they will be notated :) So, if there's anything your little heart desires to see written about here on this little blog, let me know - it'll probably show up!

So, since I just spent a lot of time discussing how organized I'm going to be with this whole PFC, there's no time like the present, is there?

A friend came over and we made a feast of Braised Zucchini, Roast Chicken, and knocked back a few Seductive Swans. Let us start with the Seductive Swan - because I'm a cook who drinks while she cooks. (These are all from week 4)

Seductive Swan (Picture recipe)
1.5 oz Vodka
5 Blackberries
3 oz lemonade
Ice

Muddle 4 blackberries in the bottom of the glass. Put 2 ice cubes in. Add vodka (I eyeball liquor measurements), top off with lemonade. Garnish with remaining blackberry.

This is refreshing and very pretty - definitely one of my staple drinks here at home.

Braised Zucchini (orig. Recipe)
2 Zucchini, cut into strips
Cherry Tomatoes, cut lengthwise
3 Cloves garlic, chopped
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
A few fresh Basil leaves, torn

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet, then add zucchini - cook quickly until browned. Remove zucchini to a bowl.
2. Add a bit more oil, then saute the chopped garlic 30 seconds, then add cherry tomatoes (I used probably half of the square container they come in - base it on how much zucchini you have).
3. When tomatoes soften, add zucchini back into pan. Season with salt and pepper, toss. Add basil, toss again. Serve warm.

Unfortunately, because I was doing several things at once, trying to get the chicken ready and whatnot, to my chagrin the zucchini came out rather over done. This recipe has potential - just make sure you don't over cook it!

Roasted Chicken in the Crockpot (orig. Recipe)
3 1/2 - 4 1/2 lb roasting chicken
1 med/large onion, chopped
4-5 Carrots, scrubbed and chopped
4 Celery stalks, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, smashed
1 Lemon, quartered
(And butter, apparently - see, this is what happens when I don't write this stuff down right away - I don't remember what the heck I do!)

Rub
4 tsp salt
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Cayenne Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Combine rub ingredients in a bowl.
2. Make sure there aren't any innards in the chicken. Rinse chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Rub smashed garlic all over chicken, then pop inside the cavity. Slather melted butter over this bad boy (I named him Alfred), then rub that rub all over his tub. (Ok, what? Seriously, Julia? Sorry - moving on). Make sure you get under his skin. Stuff him with the lemon quarters. (I just realized how dirty preparing a chicken can sound. But maybe that's just me...)
4. Place chopped veggies in a crock pot. Put Alfred (or whatever you've named your chicken) on top. Feel free to splash some white wine over - though the recipe doesn't call for any liquid. Cook on low 4-8hrs. Alfred was only 3 lbs, so he was does in like, 4hrs. Cooking time depends on the size of your bird and your crock pot temperature.
5. Remove Alfred (or similarly named fowl), place in some sort of heat-proof dish/pan, and pop in the broiler for 4-5 minutes to crisp up the skin. Serve with delicious (and not over cooked) sides!

Apologies for the terrible picture - somehow I got through this evening without taking a great picture of Alfred nicely cut up and served with a side of braised zucchini with a seductive swan blurry but recognizable in the background. Oh well.

My friend and I agreed we didn't like the rub - it was too spicy. Now, don't get me wrong, I love me some spice. But it just tasted really weird on roast chicken. It's a good base recipe - with the veggies and cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot (the lemon keeps the chicken moist - and this chicken certainly was juicy!), but if I ever try this recipe again, I'll definitely do different spices - lemon pepper/tuscan sunset spices, something along those lines.

So, unfortunately, this dinner was a bit disappointing all around for me - but the drink was delicious! And my friends always seem to be happy to let me experiment my food on them :)

Until next time, dear readers.

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Antiqua

7/25/2012

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Long overdue, I know, but life has a way of getting away from you. More on that at a later date. In the meanwhile, enjoy the last Guatemalan update - our stay in Antigua.

I forgot to mention, but when we were in Monterrico I got severely sunburned. I don't really know how it happened - as I was wearing 50spf and was barely out in the sun for any length of time - I was usually lounging in the shade in the hammocks or by the bar. But, it happened. And it hurt! I don't remember the last time I was burned so badly. It was all on my shoulders and back, so sitting back against a chair or sleeping on my back was out of the question. I was concerned I wouldn't be able to enjoy the massages we had scheduled for Sunday in Antiqua, but I healed up well enough for that - thanks in part to Henry giving us aloe stalks. It was cool actually learning how to use the plant. Fresh from the source = divine on your burns. Johanna got scorched worse than I did, and even Arlette got a bit of a burn.

Anyway, we had Ross with us, all crammed into Don Roberto's little car. I figured we'd be in the car driving for the few hours to Antigua, so I wore jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt. Oh, dear readers, how silly that was of me. Because we ended up taking a "ferry" for a 20 min ride to the road we apparently needed to be on.

We were nervous to say the least, having the car on that tiny little boat - but we made it safely to the other side. I, however, was scorching in my confining clothes in full blast of the unrelenting sun. I was happy to get back into the car and drive with the windows open, a lovely breeze whipping my face.

The drive was several hours, and beautiful.

We got to Antigua, and I immediately fell in love with the city. The hotel we stayed at, El Convento, was even more beautiful than Vista Real in Guatemala City! The streets are all cobblestones and reminded me of towns we visited in Italy and France. It was laid out like a grid like NYC, and even had a Central Park. It was super easy for me to get around - I acted as a guide, since Johanna and Arlette had absolutely no idea how to navigate.

There were so many lovely, quaint little restaurants and cafes we wanted to try - but we were only there for three days, definitely not enough time to sample everyplace! There was so much we wanted to do: shopping, eating, massages, chocolate museum, hike the volcano, buy boots - it's amazing we got in as much as we did! I honestly had the best time in Antigua - maybe because it was so like my beloved NYC, though calmer and more exotic and beautiful - that I would go back in a heartbeat. I can't wait to visit again, but I also feel there are so very many places I want to visit around the world, I can't re-visit the same place right away.

We got to Antigua on Saturday afternoon and Ross took us by Chicken Bus to Pastores for 2.25Q (what, like, 30 cents??)- the street for boots. Oh, dear readers, if I had still been in my western riding days I would've died and gone to heaven! It's a street of strictly boot makers - the most beautiful, hand-made boots you have ever seen, at crazy affordable prices. The workmanship on each pair of boots is exquisite. In the states, a decent pair of leather cowboy boots can cost you hundreds of dollars. In Pastores, you can get custom, hand made, genuine leather boots for $40 - and they haggle with you, so obviously you can get them for, really, whatever price you're willing to pay! The first shop we went into I fell in love with the most beautiful, mid-shin high yellow boots with tooled pictures of cows, horses, whips, horse shoes, and cowboy hats all over them. I was devastated when they were a size 37, and I'm a size 39!! I could've gotten the man to make them in my size, but then I would've had to have them shipped to me and it would've been more expensive, and I wasn't sure it was worth the hassle. Next time I go there, though, I'll go there the first day, have them make them in my size, and pick them up before I go. I didn't end up leaving empty handed, though. The last store we browsed I found a stunning pair of soft grey lady boots with red leather up the front with black laces - totally my style. I bought those bad boys for $37 :)

On our way to the Chicken Buses we stopped for lunch at Michos - a lovely little cafe. Guatemala has the best lemonade I have ever tasted - seriously, I wish I knew how they made it! So delightfully crisp and refreshing. I got soup, and everyone enjoyed their food. It was a place I wanted to eat at again, but our short stay didn't allow re-visiting restaurants. Then we went boot shopping, and shopped at one of the open air markets on our way back to the hotel to do a little pre-gaming before we went out to a nightclub.

Ross had been staying in Antigua for several weeks before heading out to Monterrico, so he knew some great places to go. We went to the coolest nightclub ever - overlooking ruins and surrounded by a backdrop of mountains and volcanoes. We got there early enough in the night that we could walk right in and up to the second story where the bar is and the patio under the stars. They had great music and a fantastic vibe. Ross even got me to dance once I had a drink or two in me - I must've looked a right idiot, but Johanna and Arlette said I represented NY well. I had a fantastic time and would looooove to go back - because I totally remember where it is - wahat! When we left to get pizza we had to go out a side entrance because there was a huge pack of people trying to shove their way in - made me feel awesome and important. :) Also, a little tid-bit I picked up, in Guatemala they sell bottles of liquor at the bars, so if someone offers you a drink, just be smart about it - as they could've mixed it with whatever they brought with them. Another thing, unlike NYC, Antigua pretty much closes down every night. We didn't even leave the nightclub that late, but there was only one or two places still open serving food, but thankfully one of them was right around the corner, so we went there for some delicious and greasy pizza - always a great late night snack.

Sunday we met up with a guy who works for IJM and went to a church where the service is in English and Spanish - it was a terrific experience and I'm so glad Arlette made us go :) After church, we spent the majority of the day shopping and haggling at The Artisans' Market. It was fantastic. I was pretty exhausted after a few hours, and actually didn't spend as much money as I thought. I so wish I could've gotten some more things - but luggage issues prevented me from getting one of their lovely quilts or beautifully embroidered pillow cases.

On our way to lunch, we cut across the park and there were a box of puppies for sale. A. Box. Of. PUPPIES!!! I about died from their cuteness factor. I, of course, picked one up and snuggled him. If I had lived in Antigua and didn't have to fly back to the States, I totally would've bought him, spur of the moment. Johanna has a great picture of me and the puppy - I may do a post with some of the beautiful pictures she took.

We had lunch at a great juice bar called Pitaya - amazing wraps and delicious smoothies. Then we hung out in Central Park, Johanna and Arlette got their new boots shined, then I think we went back and hung out at the hotel for a few hours before dinner. There was also a place we had passed on the way back from the market that was an animal shop - they had live animals and all sorts of pet and farming supplies. It was really sad to see the condition of the animals - but they were still super cute. And the kittens were in an actual pile! Reminded me of my brother Paul's version of kitty day-care - and at the end of the day, you'd pick your kitty out of the giant kitty nap pile.

Monday, unfortunately, was pretty dreary and rainy. We had breakfast at a cafe that had once been some sort of manor for a duke, I believe. They had the whole story written out in the menu - how the Duke had caught his wife having an affair with one of the servants, and sealed the servant up in the wall (might've sealed up his wife, as well - or had her shipped off to a convent??). And during renovations to the place a hundred years later, a skeleton (or 2) was found in the wall! The place was believed to be cursed, and none of the tenants over the past hundred years could bear to live there for any length of time. The place has been blessed by numerous religious practices, and is now a thriving cafe. It was pretty awesome. And they serve great pancakes :)

We then walked to the massage place - Johanna and Arlette were freaking out thinking we were in a really bad/scary part of town and felt super unsafe for some reason, though I totally knew where we were going, and we got there without any mishap. Thankfully my sunburn wasn't as bad and I was able to enjoy my massage. However, all the lotion and rubbing did start my peeling phase of the burn - and oh my Odin, I peeled for a week after I returned home! It was ridiculous. And kinda weird. And not gunna lie, a little bit cool. Just sayin'.

The massage woman was super nice and drove us back to the center of town, since it was raining. Arlette went back to the hotel, and Johanna and I went to the Choco Museum for a tour and a chocolate making session. It was fun, though we both wish we'd done it earlier in the day, so we wouldn't've been rushed. And, go figure, we accidentally left our bags of chocolate in the hotel fridge - oops! But it was a fun experience.

So, that's about it. We left the hotel Tuesday morning at 4am, and by 6pm that night I was back in NYC. But Oh My Odin, security through Miami was a bitch! It was seriously retarded. They put me through every extra thing possible - because apparently white American girls are super threatening and raise red flags. It was stupid. Thankfully I had 2 hrs until my flight to NYC, because I got to my gate as they were boarding! Ugh, it was so obnoxious. But, other than that, and that awful guy on the subway wailing for an hour on my way to JFK at the whole start of it, and the bit of sickness while there, my trip was beautifully wonderful. A much needed escape. New friends were made, new experiences were had, a new love was kindled. I hope to return to Antigua one day. Until then, what memories I cherish.

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PFC Update

7/11/2012

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Oh, my dear readers. What a state in which I have found myself. When I first started my Pinterest Food Challenge, I had a mere 129 pins. Today, 2 months and however many odd days later, I have 399 pins. Even if I made 1 every day for the rest of the year, I'd still be going into next year. I suppose I knew this was a rather endless project, and it will always give me something to do.

Anyway, because I was gone and then doing an intensive, I didn't cook for 2 weeks - though I had made enough recipes before then to cover my two week absence. And it has been a lengthy while since I last posted about food, glorious food! So, without further ado, here are a few recipes you might enjoy. Forgive the lack of pictures in some - I am absolutely terrible at remembering I'm supposed to track every step, and sometimes I'm in a hurry, or am doing twelve things at once in the kitchen to make everything ready at the same time.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins - week 5 (orig. recipe here)
1 1/2 C flour (I used whole wheat)
2/3 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C butter melted
1/4 C milk
chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. *The bananas look like that because I freeze them as they start going bad, so then I can take them out and they're perfectly good to bake. Take them out to thaw about an hour before, or run them under hot water.

2. In a different bowl, mash the bananas, then add in egg, vanilla, butter, and milk.

3. Add banana mixture to dry mixture and mix until just blended - don't over mix.

4. Add in chocolate chips.

5. Fill up muffin tins about 3/4 and cook for 25ish minutes - until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I sprayed the muffin tins with cooking spray, though it's not necessary - they didn't stick that much coming out.

My Thoughts: These are the best muffins I have ever had! They are super easy to make and pretty healthy and just sooooo good!! I think Caro was still gone in Alaska when I made these, so I got them all to myself. I ate them for several days - great on the go breakfast or snack. They were pretty compact and filled me up. This recipe is definitely going into my cookbook.

Apple Pie Bites - Wk 3 (orig. recipe here)
1/2 C sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 pkg Pillsbury crescent rolls
3 Tbls Butter, melted
1 Green apple

I modified the recipe since I was the only one home - I couldn't find pie dough, so I bought the crescent rolls (for some reason not pictured here), and I quartered the apple instead of cutting it into 8ths. So I just meshed the crescent rolls together to make 4 rectangles (below).

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Brush the unrolled pastry with some of the melted butter and sprinkle (liberally) with the cinnamon sugar.

2. Cut the apple into quarters and roll up in the dough. I left the skins on because I was lazy and in a hurry, but next time I'd definitely peel it first. After it's rolled up, brush top of the pastry with butter and cover in cinnamon sugar.

3. Bake 15 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Serve warm.

My Thoughts: These were pretty tasty. I ate all four of them as I was watching Pride and Prejudice. I still have left over cinnamon sugar to use, as well.

Chicken Teriyaki - wk 4 (orig. picture recipe here)
3 Chicken breasts, cubed
Can of pineapple, drained
Carrots
1 Med. onion, chopped
1/4 C. Teriyaki sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 8hrs or high for 4hrs. Serve with rice.

My Thoughts: I followed the picture recipe as best I could, but I was not impressed with the end result. Maybe I needed to use a better teriyaki sauce? Who knows. But I will definitely not be making this again.

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Monterrico

7/9/2012

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After a singularly awful day of wasted time at auditions not getting seen, I figured I would try and cheer myself up by remember how awesome my trip to Guatemala was. So, on to part dos, dear readers - Monterrico.

The adventure began at the very beginning. Johanna, Arlette, and I crammed into Don Roberto's stupidly tiny little car with all our luggage and set off on the 2hr trip to the coast - which actually took about 3 1/2-4hrs because first there was construction traffic, and second, the closer we got, the more little villages we went through. Guatemala doesn't seem to like road signs. I barely saw any in my whole 9 days there, and the way they control speed, esp. in the villages, is speed bumps. Oh. Joy.

But it was pretty - we saw volcanoes, and how most people in Guatemala live - little huts with cement or wood walls with metal sheet or bamboo tops. Hammocks also abound, along with the obligatory tortilla-making whatsits. Keep in mind the pictures below were mostly all taken in a moving car - forgive the blurriness and weird framing :P

But what happened next, dear readers, oh ho, was by far the best. What should we encounter? A herd of cows! On the road! And they were so freaking adorable!! I mean, just look at the pics and watch the video - they were so cute! Not sure if they beat out the little, brown German cows, but still. Take a look.

Granted, Guatemalan steak isn't the best I've ever had. It's rather chewy and tough - and they don't cook it very well.

We finally arrived at Johnny's Place - which is much more of a hostel/summer camp cabin type of affair, rather than a hotel. My traveling companions and I were a bit skeptical of the conditions - though, in truth, it wasn't nearly as bad as the student housing I had to live in for two months. We were spending most of our time on the beach anyway - not in the rooms.

And what a lovely beach it is! It's black sand because of the volcanoes, and Johnny's place is right up on it - no walking through town to get there, which was nice. There was a bar/restaurant (drastically overpriced, but still super cheap, comparatively), and lounging areas with hammocks and floor pillows, upon which we napped copiously.

On the first day we met and became friends with this awesome man named Henry, who totally reminds me of the Javier Bardem character in Eat Pray Love. He owns a hostel down the road called El Gecko, and he works at Johnny's Place. He was the one who told us how overpriced the food is at Johnny's Place. Buuuut, we were on vacation, and it was still cheap for us, and it was completely delicious, so we didn't mind. That much.

The girls introduced me to a lovely little creation - ceviche. I always thought it was some sort of drink. Obviously, I was wrong. They had three different kinds, so we decided to try the Guatemalan Ceviche first. And I'll just throw in some other food pics, for the fun of it. And, dear readers, I am craving all that food right now.

The first night we were sitting in the bar when it started to rain. Well, it's the beginning of the rainy season so we assumed it would stop in 15-20mins, like it had the past few days. Haha. Yeah. That didn't happen. It got crazy, and we were huddled in the back of the bar, trying not to get wet, as the wind howled, and rain pounded. Henry brought us a bottle of tequila so we were all taking shots as we talked. It was a very strange tequila - it burned on the way down, so it was obviously alcoholic, but none of us felt a single thing the next day - and let's be honest, I took 6 or 7 shots. I should have felt something. Just sayin'. But it was nice to be able to drink and not get sick! Turns out we had just sat through our very first tropical storm as it passed through. Woo!

WARNING: FEMALE TALK AHEAD. MALES, TAKE WARNING. FEEL FREE TO SKIP TO THE SECOND PARAGRAPH.

The second day I ended up getting my period. Surprise! It was a week early, so, that sucked. But, thankfully Johanna had tampons and I really can't complain - getting to endure my monthly on a black sand beach, with a beautiful ocean in front of me, a gentle breeze tossing around, reading one of my favorite books as I lounge in a hammock. Only sad part was I couldn't drink or eat anything. Ah well.

The surf is so rough and there are rip tides, so you can't exactly swim in this ocean. But you can play in the waves, and it provides a terrific workout while being terribly fun! It was great fun to watch. I only ventured in a few times, and took only 1 beating. But Johanna was a veritable dare-devil and was going far out, and man, did she get beat up! But she does cross-fit, so she could handle it.

The second night we also got to watch a hurricane go past - thankfully it didn't hit us, we didn't even get any rain, we just saw it out on the ocean. It must not've been as close as it looked - because it looked to be practically on top of us. But it was pretty cool to watch it go by. I felt bad for the boats I could see out there battling it out.

There were a lot of dogs around Johnny's Place, and every evening a game of volleyball would get going. It was fun to watch - though I wasn't up for participating. I had been excited because I'd heard there was horse back riding on the beach available. And I figured in Guatemala it would actually be some real riding allowed. Alas, dear readers. This humble writer's dream to ride a horse along a beautiful beach has yet to be realized. I saw them going past on the morning we were leaving - sad looking horses tied together being led at a slow walk up and down. Not my idea of riding. Smh.

I believe it was Friday afternoon, the 3rd day, that Arlette and I went on a little cruise of the lagoon. Beware - if ever you visit Monterrico, men will try and sell you these tours for inflated prices - never pay more than 60Q for one. And it is only worthwhile if you go at 5am, because that's when you'll see the animals. It was still very pretty, and a lovely little jaunt (once I got over being terrified of tipping over in the super tiny "boat" we were in). The only gross thing that happened was having termites fall on me. Yeah. That was pretty disgusting. And they hurt when they bite. And they are stupidly hard to get off of you/your clothing - they don't just fly off when you flick them with your nails. And I was paranoid they were in my hair. But, that was an adventure, now, wasn't it, dear readers?

The most animals we saw were actually walking TO the boat tour place. This guy was hangin' out just outside the Johnny's Place gate, and then we saw pigs, and dogs, and a lot of chickens. Oh, why did I not get a video of a chicken crossing the road?!

I also got to punt the boat. Sorry for the funky video - but there it is.

Oh gosh, I don't think I even yet mentioned our new friend, Ross. The second day we were there, Johanna and Arlette were in the water, and I was standing on the beach watching them. I saw a good looking guy walk past. Me being me (eherm, completely socially inept), of course I didn't say anything to him. But, about 15 minutes later as he came back, Johanna promptly struck up a conversation with him, and I'm so very glad she did.

He was spending time in Nicaragua and Guatemala - traveling on his own, looking for a place to build his own surfing hostel. He was actually staying at Henry's El Gecko, having met the chef who works there on a Chicken Bus and decided to tag along. He is definitely one of the most adventurous people I have ever met - and very inspiring. He took us around the little village and we made breakfast at El Gecko on our third day.

Henry is quite the artist, and everything in El Gecko that's decorated, he painted. Ross even bought one of Henry's paintings before we left.

Ross needed to go to Antigua to catch his flight to Nicaragua Sunday, so we brought him along with us Saturday morning. If we thought the drive into Monterrico was a tight squeeze, add a well built man and his luggage (thankfully very little - just a large duffle bag - men sure know how to pack!) into the mix, and it was quite the little packed car. But a lovely time, and our adventures were just beginning!!

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Guatemala City

7/2/2012

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I have been extremely lax about writing about my Guatemalan adventures - and for that, I apologize. I got back Tuesday night, then jumped right into a musical theatre intensive lasting until Sunday night, then picked up almost a week of morning shifts at work while taking dance classes every afternoon and night. But excuses are excuses and there's no good excuse for them. I was there for 9 days in 3 different areas, so I'll probably be doing three posts. So, I finally give you do, dear and ever patient readers, the first post about my trip to Guatemala.

I went on this trip to check out International Justice Mission -a human rights organization my parents support. This was a donor trip to show exactly, first hand, what IJM does to combat injustice. Specifically in Guatemala City they fight again child sexual assault (CSA).

I stayed up all night Saturday so I could leave at 4am for my 7am flight out of JFK. Of course I got the subway car with the completely obnoxious fat gay boy who thought he could sing and decided to regale everyone in the 'car for the next hour with his wailing. I thought some very murderous and bloody thoughts. Anyway, the flights went smoothly and I swiftly arrived in Guatemala City around 1.30pm.

Note - don't ever exchange currency at the airport if you can help it - you'll get an absolutely terrible exchange rate. However, that's what I had to do. Oh well. I met the group, and as I'd been up for about 30hrs, I opted to go to the hotel instead of site-see Antigua, as my friends and I were ending our trip there anyway. So Don Roberto drove me back to the hotel IJM booked for us - Vista Real. And holy mobats, what a hotel it is!!! Definitely the most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed at. Just check out some of the pictures for an idea of how lushly beautiful it was.

I explored the hotel then took a nap before we went to dinner at this delicious steakhouse overlooking the city. I wish I'd brought my camera - it was an amazing view. Only bummer was missing the Tony's.

During dessert we went around the table and told a bit about ourselves and what brought us to IJM. I definitely felt like the low man on the totem pole. I was keeping company with important lawyers, judges, pastors, big league CEOs, and David Carr - the drummer for Third Day. But throughout the whole trip everyone was so friendly and open and I made some lovely new friends.

Monday we went to the courthouse and had a meeting with two very important judges. Not all judges are keen on working with IJM to improve the judicial system, but these two are and were very welcoming to us and appreciated that Americans came all this way to meet them and show support.

After visiting the courthouse we went to the Guatemala City Dump. IJM partners with an organization called Potter's House which provides support and aid to the people who work in the dump. Workers sift through all the garbage and try to re-sell. A woman, Theresa, who works in the dump, came and talked to us about what it's like to work there and told us a little about how her life is. Over 10,000 people work in this dump, and most live right around it in ramshackle villages. It was appalling. It is an extremely dangerous way of life - landslides, large trucks and pieces off equipment often cause serious injuries, toxic materials and diseases run rampant, and then there is the obvious threat of physical harm from other workers and the large vultures who also scavenge there. The video shows large black birds (ravens or somesuch) in the sky, but on the ground our translator pointed out massive vultures - bigger than dogs, and definitely not scared of humans.

On a good day (Monday), Theresa might be able to make 65Q (Quetzales is their currency, and the exchange is 7.8Q=$1. I just rounded up to 8Q=$1 for easy multiplication purposes). But then she would need to pay someone 15-20Q to use their truck to transport her haul from the middle of the dump the hour it is back to her home. Monday is the good day at the dump because of all the weekend garbage. As the week progresses, Theresa might make only 25-30Q on a given day.

After the Dump, we went to Potter's House facilities and had lunch. I was surprised that Guatemala has Pizza Hut AND Little Caesar's! We also met a family Potter's House and IJM had helped. We were then shown where the kids were having lunch, then taken to one of the little villages people who work at the Dump live in.

Along with providing medical relief, food and activities for the children, Potter's House also helps build better housing for the workers ("Treasures") of the Dump. They have already built several of these better houses in the neighborhood we were shown. They are far and away better than where Theresa's family had been living, and compared to the "houses" right next to it, but still...It was very eye opening to see such abject poverty and suffering be a way of life for these people. They have never known anything else. The kids run around in thread bare clothing, with no shoes, in dangerous conditions, and aspire to be a Dump truck driver - because that's all they know.

Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to post pictures of the children because of IJM privacy policies, but here are some pictures of the Dump and Potter's House.

Monday night we had a traditional Guatemalan dinner at the hotel which was incredibly delicious. However, I woke up at 3am feeling pretty darn sick. It was definitely whatever yummy sauce they had over the meat that didn't sit well with my stomach. So that was a bummer. I took the medicine the travel doc gave me and didn't get sick after that, but all of Tuesday I didn't feel well. One of the women on the trip gave me two Pepto Bismal pills (I didn't know they came in pill form!!), and they worked right away - I felt better immediately and was able to eat again. Yaa! I will definitely buy those pills and take two every day on a trip - to ward off getting sick in the first place.

Tuesday we went to the Ministerio Publico - the government building everyone goes to to lodge any sort of complaint. Anyone coming to report a case of Sexual Assault goes to a special part of the building for only those cases. I was shocked to learn that the people who work in the SA department work 32hr shifts! The reasoning behind this is that it's much better for the victims to have the same person walking them through all the various steps of the process, and it's more time efficient - and time is of the essence in these cases.

IJM doesn't try to take over existing government procedures or implement their own in place of the existing one - they are there to help the government improve their own procedures that are actually written down as law, but not properly enforced. A good example is at the Ministerio. For the CSA (child sexual assault) victims, the Ministerio has a set of 3 special rooms that are used to help the child give their testimony in a setting that's not an open courtroom. There's a play room and then a room where the child goes with the child psychiatrist who asks them questions and gets the story in the child's own words/language while they are filmed - the film is shown from the next room which also has a 2 way mirror. The whole point is for the judge, lawyers, and abuser to come and see this so the child doesn't have to go to court to testify and face their attacker face-to-face again. Remember, some of these kids are as young as 3 years old! Used properly, this could be a wonderful resource to use to help reduce further trauma to the child. However, at the moment there are many problems: lack of communication creates double bookings for the rooms, the equipment is not the best (cameras can't even zoom) and often don't work, and lack of court cooperation - some judges refuse to go to the Ministerio for the testimony, instead demanding the child to come to the large open courtroom, face their attacker again, and give their testimony that way. IJM is trying to help implement the necessary changes needed to make this resource as efficient as it should be.

After the Ministerio, we went to the Child's Advocacy Center - a place IJM partners with that opened last October. It is a wonderful little place that helps victims of CSA through the entire process - filing, trial, hopefully the conviction, and then after care of trying to help put their lives back together and heal. It's a young organization under young leadership, but I feel great things will happen here - please keep it, and the people who run it (lawyers, therapists, etc) in your prayers.

After the Child's Advocacy Center, we went to Pollo Campero (Guate City sure loves their Pollo Camperos!) to have lunch with some IJM clients and then take them to the Child's Museum. I had brought some face paints along, and I wish I'd've gotten a chance to use them - but there wasn't time. Alas.

It was so sad - seeing children with their own children. A girl in our group was 14 and had a 2yr old daughter. But then to see their faces light up and to see them dash around the exhibits and play with the toys - it was a startling and stark contrast to the position into which they were thrust.

After the Museum, we went back to the hotel for a little down time before dinner at the IJM director for Guate City's house. I went down to the pool for a little alone, reflection time, and to talk with God. It was very peaceful.

Dinner Tuesday was catered by Garden of the Rabbits, AKA Freddie's Tacos. And they were far and away the best tacos I have EVER had!!! I'm drooling just thinking about them. They were actually pork tacos, and just, ooooh so good! Guatemalan's know how to do tortillas. And black beans. I never was a fan of beans, let alone black beans, but I can't wait to eat them in Guatemala again. Tuesday morning we went to the IJM offices for a traditional Guatemalan breakfast. Unfortunately, because I wasn't feeling well yet, I didn't eat much. But I did try some of this amazing drink that smelled and tasted like Christmas morning. It was some kind of rice and milk drink with cinnamon and I wish I had the recipe.

We shared the dinner with the Guatemalan IJM staff as well - it was great getting to talk with them more. They are all such lovely people. And the entire organization is one of the most professional I have ever seen. These people are dedicated, caring workers who truly are changing the world for the better.

There was a line painted on a wall at The Potter's House (another organization IJM partners): "You are a Thought of God." No matter who we are, or where in life we are, or the job we work, we are a thought of God - we are ALL created in His image. Our self-worth should come from That, and knowing His love for us because of That. Nothing else.