Fun Day Trip: La Puerta del Diablo and Panchimalco

To break up the days of official meetings, talking with people about our future research, and of course manioc harvesting, we took a day trip to La Puerta del Diablo and the nearby town of...   As we chugged along in our little car climbing the mountain to get to La Puerta del Diablo, we all commented on a two things in particular-

1. The road of El Salvador are amazing! I wish that Seattle would come talk to the city planner of El Salvador because the roads here are amazing. There are many cars on the road and lots of traffic but with a series of round-abouts and a commitment to keeping the roads maintained it is honestly so much better to drive around here than in Seattle!  Now you will see so many things you'd never see in the States when it comes to driving- for example if there is room on the road, then it is considered a lane, if you can hold on while it is moving then you are welcome to ride on top of a semi-truck, in the bed of a pick-up holding  a bar (taxis here but we refer to these as 'death traps' given if they roll you are likely to not survive) , and a family of five or six riding on a motorcycle or scooter. You are less likely to see car-seats for children (I never have here in the Joya de Ceren area)...and during rush hour the buses can be packed so full that the back of the bus has people riding standing on the bumper and holding onto the roof.  I'll try to get some vehicle pictures for you so that you'll believe me! Oh and when driving here but sure to keep your eyes open for people running across the freeways. It is a common practice and somewhat startling to those more familiar to U.S. driving.

Not even a main highway- but none-the-less a beautifully paved road!

2. The beautiful views and amazing countryside are not what people generally think of when we tell them about El Salvador. As you read in my earlier post, I was warned often while in Guatemala to look out for Salvadorans and be very careful.  In my experience, El Salvador is just as safe as Guatemala and other regions of Central America. It is common when I tell people in the U.S. that my fieldwork is in El Salvador to be met with worried looks and questions about my safety.Sometimes the view of El Salvador and Salvadorans is far from accurate. Much of this is colored by the 20+ year long civil war or the horror stories of nuns or Archbishop Romero having been killed here.   But in reality, El Salvador is a  beautiful place and I have always been touched by the friendliness and helpfulness of the people I've met here.  This doesn't mean it is without danger (there is no place without danger and big cities always carry their own type of dangers).  There are bus robberies, gang activities, high rates of poverty and joblessness, and a system of justice is one where you are guilty until proven innocent! So, while not without dangers it is interesting to see the perception of danger by outsiders.

Us Climbing La Puerta del Diablo

Okay, so more about our trip. We arrived at the top of the mountain and pulled into the area at the base of La Puerta del Diablo. Many people were visiting and climbing the various parts of the rock formation. Stairs have been put in and visitors take many photos of the amazing panoramic views of El Salvador. (For you archaeologists out there: As we passed an area where people had thrown trash in a cave Payson was sure to point out that we were watching the formation process of a midden!)  We climbed up to a cave area overlooking the valley and snapped few photos of course!

La Puerta del Diablo

After our trip to La Puerta del Diablo we descended the mountain to the town of Panchimalco. This is a colonial style town. Check out the pictures of the town and church. There were multiple church services in place and prayer groups were meeting in the Catholic Church when we stopped by for a brief visit. We left just in time to escape a major down pour- it is the rainy season here after all!

Turned out to be a fun visit! 

Panchimalco as seen from La Puerta del Diablo

A Street in Panchimalco

The Catholic Church in Panchimalco

Down-pour in Panchimalco (Hello Rainy Season)

Manioc Harvest Day 2: Not what we expected

Our second day of manioc harvesting was not exactly what we expected. We had planted our second test plot on the land of a friend of ours, Oswaldo.  A few days before our harvest there, we visited to confirm the date of our harvest and to catch up. This proves to be a useful way of distinguishing a social visit from when we are actually working.  Without this initial visit we'd likely get nothing done on harvest day due to the social obligations to visit.

Having fun catching up! From left to right: Me, Oswaldo, and Zan

As always happens here in Joya de Ceren, we were greeted with the hospitality that El Salvador is known for. Once given plastic chairs and sat on the porch, we were then offered food and finally handed elote (young corn) to eat. (side-note: I have never visited a house in Joya de Ceren or the surrounding area and not had someone rush to bring out plastic chairs for all of us.) Also, if you have not traveled through Central America, one note of caution... make sure to always have room for food. Families, especially in the 'campo' (poorer farming areas) have a very strong sense of hospitality and you are always offered food when visiting. It would also be very rude to refuse the food, so best to leave a bit of room for whatever food you might be given!  This is part of the network or reciprocity here- where a guest in someone's house is always treated well and provided for. Upon completing our harvest Day 1 with the Garcia family we were given a wonderful hibiscus drink (and just had to suck it up and hope the water in it didn't get us sick... it didn't! But as a good anthropologist and visitor you risk the sickness over insulting your hosts every time!)

Oswaldo with the manioc plants

Okay, so on to the harvest. When we returned to Oswaldo's on harvest day we were immediately surprised to see that the planting beds we established last year were not present and that all of the manioc looked small.  It turned out that something was lost in communication and Oswaldo didn't realize that the beds needed to be continually maintained throughout the year. We didn't explain this since he'd already been somewhat upset that his manioc field didn't grow very large. So, not at all what we expected, however very interesting. What this helps us see is that manioc bed built a year ago will completely disappear without maintenance. This wasn't at all what we intended to test, but one of the great things about fieldwork is that things so rarely go as planned. Thus, we had unintentionally tested what happens when beds are constructed but not maintained. The result is that the ground is very compacted and there are not the slightest signs of beds present. A very cool finding, we hadn't intended to test!

The manioc was extremely small and many plants even lacked any tubers at all. This was in very strong contrast to the manioc we harvested in field 1. We think it is likely that the very densely packed soil (compacted) resulted in very poor manioc growth. Manioc needs loose soils and not too much water for proper growth.

Stay tuned... we'll be harvesting Manioc Field 3 on Saturday and will let you know how it works out.

An image of a manioc plant without tubers and two stakes that did not grow

Oswaldo and Payson with our harvested manioc

 Not what we expected, but a great test case none the less!

Fernando Llort Museum

We visited the Fernando Llort Museum the other day and I thought I'd share a few photos with you from this trip.  The museum moved locations within the last few years. Payson and I had visited it three or four years ago and thought we'd stop by the new location and check it out. We were surprised that in this new location there were now few displayed pieces and instead an extensive gift shop!

In any event, Fernando Llort is an important cultural figure here in El Salvador.  Fernando Llort was born and raised in El Salvador and his cultural heritage is widely visible in his art. He pursued his education in Europe, but upon returning to El Salvador he established training for Salvadorans in artistic techniques and education. This has provided many Salvadorans with a vehicle for economic survival and advancement through this craft. Many of his designs have become cultural icons for the country and can be seen widely in tourist gifts produced by these artisans.

An Example of the gifts and artwork inspired by Fernando Llort

Fernando Llort Design

Fernando Llort Design

Fernando Llort

Manioc Harvest Day 1: An Organic Farmer is Born

Our first day of manioc harvest was very successful. Our first (of three) test plot was located at the house where we stay when doing fieldwork at Ceren. The family who lives there was very eager for us to see our manioc plants and expressed their surprise at how big the plants had grown in a year, especially since no chemicals were used in the growing. As often happens with our strange anthropological research, we drew a bit of a crowd of onlookers- all seemingly wondering about our strange practices (though somewhat accustomed to that by now) and as excited to see the results of our experiment.

Payson and I conducting a manioc harvest

None of us researchers had ever harvested manioc, though we'd both read about it and seen it done, but it is safe to say we are the slowest manioc harvesters on record!  Before we began the harvest we first mapped the location and spacing of each height and then we took a series of measurements including the height of any beds (surcos), the distance between rows, and the spacing of each plant along a row. After a series of individual plant photographs and measurements of soil hardness around each plant, we were ready to begin!

We had such a terrific time laughing as we struggled to uproot our manioc plant!  Once pulled from the ground, we took a photo of the roots still attached to the manioc plant, measured the height of the plant above and below the ground, as well as the diameter of the stalk.  Then, we removed our tubers and did a series of measurements on these (size and weight of each tuber).

While our real results will await calculations, upon first look we all agree those growing in the planting bed appeared larger and to have more and larger tubers than those not in a planting bed. Don Julio was so thrilled by the growth of our manioc that he said he will now replant a larger area with manioc plants and market these as Chemical-free, Organic manioc! He is waiting to hear about how our research study turns out before deciding if it is worth the effort to  build the beds. What a fun project this has been.

An organic manioc farmer is born...

Don Julio with our Manioc Plants 

Science in Action

Background to my trip Part 2 (Continued): What we're doing here

As you read in my previous post we have found intensive manioc cultivation at the Ceren archaeological site. These manioc plants were planted in large earthen beds, which is not how manioc is currently planted by farmers in the region today.  We think the large, formal beds would have provided good drainage and probably looser soils, which manioc favors. The tuber casts we have found from the archaeological beds are seemingly larger than much of the modern-day manioc tubers grown in the region.  Hence an experiment was born...

As part of our National Science Foundation grant from last year, we set up experimental test plots of manioc. Manioc is planted by cutting the stalk into 20 cm stakes and planting these in the ground.  So in three different locations, with the help of three different farmers, we planted test areas. In each test location we planted half of the manioc plants in large beds somewhat similar to those found in the archaeological record and the other half just buried in the ground-surface.



Manioc Test Plot 1 (with proud famer Julio)

 These were planted last summer and we are here this summer to harvest the manioc plants and record their size and growth. We are collecting data to determine if these use of larger beds to grow manioc is more productive. This will help us assess why the large earthen beds might have been used by the Maya.  If this does prove a more productive way to grow crops, then our local farmers might adopt the old method of growing.

Vamos a ver!

Background to my trip: Part 2 (the summary of previous work)

 Here is a VERY brief summary of our work at Joya de Ceren to provide a little context for what we are doing here this year.  You can also go back to the beginning of this blog (from 2011) and read through my posts from the field while we were excavating at Ceren last year to get an idea of what we found and an idea of the research process. This is will just help you make sense of what we are doing this year!


Our research in El Salvador this year is based on some of our archaeological studies at Joya de Ceren in the past few years.  A little context to our research... the site I work at is called Joya de Ceren and is a Maya community that was buried by volcanic ash around A.D. 630 (Sheets 2002).  The eruption of the Loma Caldera vent (then it was just a fissure that opened in the ground surface) opened and as magma came to the surface it contact a river and resulted in layers of fine ash coating all of the surfaces present at that time.  So, the archaeological site is now buried beneath multiple meters of volcanic ash and the result is extraordinary preservation of the archaeological record. We have preserved earthen buildings, artifacts, and agricultural plants. Last field season we also encountered an earthen sacbe (road).

Earthen Ceren Sacbe (road) discovered in 2011 fieldseason

Plants and agricultural are extremely difficult to study in the archaeological record and are often limited to a few carbonized plant remains if you are very lucky and microbotanical evidence (pollen, phitoliths, etc.). At Ceren, the nature of the volcanic ash packed around plants in such a way as to preserve their impressions in the surrounding ash.  While the plants themselves have largely decomposed, their forms in the ash create a mold. Thus, as we excavate down to the Ceren horizon we encounter hollow spaces in the ash above the site (where ash layers surrounded plants during the eruption).  We fill those hollow spaces with plaster, allow it to set, and then excavate these. The result is the ability to see the plants that were being grown at this site approximately 1400 years ago.  





In 2007 we first discovered large manioc beds planted at Ceren. Manioc is a root crop that can be eaten, used to make flour, beer, or even a glue-like substance. It was suspected that the ancient Maya might have used root crops, such as manioc (Bronson 1966), however little evidence for root crops survived to the present day. Root crops do not have the same amount of pollen or microbotanical evidence that survives the archaeological record.

Me excavating the first discovered manioc beds at Ceren (2007)

Manioc Plant showing tubers that grow beneath the surface

(from: https://rauman.wikispaces.com/cassava)

When we first found this beds, we had never seen anything like them in the archaeological record. In later projects (2009 and 2011) we realized that the Ceren village was intensively farming manioc, much more so than we ever suspected.  We have yet to identify exactly how much manioc they were growing but interestingly all that we have found thus far was harvested around the same time. That is literally tons of manioc tubers that would have to be used or processed within a few days to avoid rot.
There is no way without the eruption of the Loma Caldera vent that we would ever have known that they were growing manioc or in such large quantities.  We know that maize, beans, and squash were very important in Mesoamerica and particularly the Maya area, but this research and other research on the topic of agricultural in this region, has demonstrated that those three crops were just a part of a much broader agricultural system. 

Warm Welcome But Sad News

Well we arrived in Joya de Ceren and began to catch up with our dear friends. Having spent so much time there over the years and become so close to many people in Joya, it feels a little like coming home. Our friends were glad to see us and we them.  Unfortunately, our arrival was saddened significantly as we began to catch up and learned that in addition to the one worker we already knew had died, two others had passed away.  A total of three of our workers have died since last year. This hit us all very hard as we became very close to all of these men.

One death of my dear friend Chabello we had heard about earlier in the year. His son and I are Facebook friends and this past fall he reported to me that his father had suffered a heart attack. I am still grieving his loss and it is hard to come back to Joya de Ceren knowing he won't be here to welcome us back. We are planning to go spend time with his widow and son this week, which will be tough be good.

My birthday last year with my friend Chabello

The other two workers' deaths were a total shock to us. One had killed himself by drinking poison and the other was murdered in the course of a robbery.  These are all tough to take and each of these three men are missed as project members and friends.  This worker had been only 22 years old. Last year I had driven him home after our end-of-the-year party. I had known he took a bus to come work with us each day but had no idea that he lived two hours away by bus and spent almost half of his daily salary getting back and forth from work and home (we compensated him for this once we knew!). He was 21 years old and supporting his mom, sister, and grandmother but living in a gang-ridden area. It was an experience I will never forget and so humbling to see what so many individuals live through and do for their families. Tragic and sad.

I thought it worth sharing this news with all of you. It is easy to feel like my fieldwork area will be the same each time I return, but I'm stuck every time by the dynamic changes that occur in all our lives so quickly. A year has passed and I've returned to see the babies now toddlers, the children growing quickly, and that not all of the friends I left behind a year ago are here to welcome me back.  This is life and reminds me to be ever so grateful for my days and cherish the time we have here.

The anthropologist cannot be kept separate from those they study or study along side-of and this is ever so apparent at the loss of my friends.

Guatemala to El Salvador

Hello again.

I'm now writing from El Salvador. I finished up my language school and felt an immense amount of gratitude for the opportunity to study Spanish and particularly for the wonderful people I met while in Antigua.  Some of my fellow students really inspired me to continue following my own dreams. A wonderful British couple who are retired and sailing around the world reminded me of the many, many amazing places left to see in the world. They along with a new found Seattle friend that I manage to meet in Antigua not in Seattle helped encourage me on this path of dissertation writing. It is a long and tough road to the PhD and there are so many people who help to keep me going. I was surprised to find in a language school in Antigua some added support to keep going on my dissertation. I am ever so grateful for these friendships and inspiration.

It is amazing how much you learn and experience when you leave the comfort of your own culture and your home.  Antigua was a wonderful experience and I hope to return. I was able to go out with friends the night before I left for El Salvador and celebrate such a great experience.  Then at 4am I was picked up by a mini bus and taken to my main bus terminal in Guatemala city. When my mini bus driver learned I was headed to El Salvador he told me to be careful of Salvadorans. I told him that there are people in El Salvador that I consider my family- he was quiet after that. I am still surprised by the racism and stereotypes that exist around the world.

Anyhow, I road from Guatemala City to San Salvador on a nice bus. I left so early in the morning to make sure that I crossed the border at a decent hour and wasn't on the roads after dark. Just a little extra safety, especially as a woman traveling solo.  The only moment of slight incident was at the border when a group of men wanted us to change our money. The waited outside the passport office to surround people as they walked out. As a solo traveler I made sure to wait until someone else on my bus was ready to walk out and then quickly followed that person out so as not to be all alone in a circle of money exchangers. There was no incident but I try to be smart about my travels.

In any event, I arrived in San Salvador and met up with my advisor and one of his masters graduate students. We  have been getting our research underway so stay tuned and I'll fill you in on what we are up to and how the research goes.

Looking back at Guatemala from El Salvador 

Chris

A Blending of Religious Beliefs and Culture

A quick blog to share with you my experience visiting Santiago Atitlan's Catholic Church.
When walking through the church it is striking the evidence both for traditional Catholicism but also traditional Maya believes and religion.  The altar is by far the clearest and most direct evidence of this merging of faiths.  Throughout the new world the contact between European religions and those of Native Americans (First Nations Peoples) has resulted in complex merging of different cosmologies and world views.















Maya groups were subject to vicious attaches and abuses from the European clergy throughout the colonial period. Sacred Maya texts were burned and their authors' or practitioners' as heretics. A systemic ethnocide was undertaken throughout the Americas and the result was a great amount of suffering and cultural loss for indigenous groups. The result has been that while many indigenous groups practice the religion of the conquers (in this Catholicism), in this case the traditional ideas of Maya religions are still found interwoven throughout the Catholic church and the religious practices of its followers.

The central altar at Santiago Atitlan's Catholic Church was a deliberate attempt to recognize the integration of these religious and cultural traditions. In 1976 the altar was begun to be renovated by Diego Chavez Petzey and Nicolas Chaves Sojuel unde rthe direciton of Father Francisco Rother. The altar incorporates both traditional Catholic and Maya symbolism that was meant to show the unity of these traditions in the lives of the people of the church.  According to some at the church, the priest that succeeded Father Rother had tried to remove the Maya influence from the church but the community would not allow it.  Please enjoy the photos of this amazing blend of religious and cultural symbolism.
https://www.wingsofpeaceinternational.org/pdf/Altarpiece_Santiago_Atitlan.pdf

A trip to Lake Atitlan

Hi again,

I finally have a minute to catch you up on my trip to Lake Atitlan. The lake is actually a volcanic crater that is 10 miles across in some sections and known to be the deepest lake in Central America. Imagine what the explosion would have been like to create such a crater. Ash from this eruption has been found in places such a Florida and Ecuador!  True to life in Central America, three newer volcanoes have formed around the lake.

View of Lake Atitlan

The lake water level has change through the years. It used to be much smaller of a lake, but over the years geological events have changed the its drainage, so that it is currently much deeper than in previous years. There are a number of towns surrounding the lake, some more traditional, older towns, others now immersed firmly in the land of foreigners and tourists. There are deep and rich histories both geologically and culturally to this area, but alas only so much I can write here.  One other historical note, unfortunately in October 2005 the lake region was heavily impacted by Hurricane Stan. The major damage to the area was done by flooding and deadly landslides.

View of Lake Atitlan from San Marcos la Laguna

So on a Saturday morning at 5:30am I was picked up by a mini bus for my adventure. In true Central American style, I was originally told 6am by the man who arranged my trip and fortunately stopped back by his office the day before my trip to just make sure the trip was still a go. He said that I would actually need to be ready by 5:30am- so it was a good thing I stopped by his office! When the drive showed up I showed him my ticket and he told me the ticket was only for a tour. Fortunately having dealt with these types of incidents before, I was able to point out that my ticket clearly had transportation also included. Having a little extra Spanish helped a great deal in that regard.  So off we went on a 2.5 hour trek from Antigua to Lake Atitlan.

Image From: http://gocentralamerica.about.com/od/topattractions/ig/Atitlan-Gallery/Lake-Atitlan-Map.htm

Upon arriving Panajachel we met up with our tour guide and hoped in our boat off across the lake to visit the towns of San Marcos la Laguna, Santa Clara la Laguana, San Pedro la Laguna, and finally to Santiago Atitlan. It was wonderful to see the diversity of these towns. For example San Marcos has become a New Age town where there are many yoga studios, meditation areas, and hotels for those wanting to take yoga and meditation retreats. These areas are mostly run by and used by foreigners, though some Guatemalans live and work there as well.  The towns of Santa Clara and San Pedro and Santiago were more traditional Guatemalan towns, though clearly influenced by the large tourism industry coming through Lake Atitlan. For example, in the town of Santa Clara there are huge artisan coops for textiles, paintings, and ceramic crafts.

San Marcos Meditation Pyramids

Another very interesting cultural item was going to see Maximon ("mashy-mon") (name and person in the Maya culture) and San Simon (the Christian figure) in Santiago Atitlan.  The color of the candle you get and burn for Maximon will help you with particular problem. So depending on your religious affiliation you either think of or refer to him as a saint or a ancestor that is a portal to the supernatural. Each year a new family is chosen to care for Maximon. He (his wooden stature) is attended to each day and he is given rum and continuously smokes each day. This is a wonderful example of religious syncretism, where two religious ideologies and practices have merged. The small home was filled with smoke from the chain-smoking statue and he (the statue) was also fed regular rum. This is also an example of the way in which religion and tourism can also mix. I asked various people about how they felt about bringing tourists to see a religious figure and was told that this was a way to support financially the practice of taking care of 'grandfather' as the figure is called in a local Mayan language. 

Sorry there is not time for more details on all of this! There was so many wonderful experiences in my time at Lake Atitlan.

A very interesting trip...

Chris

Thinking through time...language and tenses

Hi again,

There is much to update you on, including my trip to Lake Atitlan this past weekend, but that will have to wait for an Internet signal strong enough to post photos!  For now, I am reflecting on tenses and time as they relate to language.  As posted previously, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is often on my mind as I work my way through language school here in Antigua, Guatemala. This concept is all about if and how much language influences or determines the way in which humans think. While most anthropologists have moved far away from the linguistic determinism side of the spectrum (ling. determ. is the idea that our language absolutely determines our thoughts), there is still little doubt that our construction of language does influence the way we see the world around us.

This is very apparent to me as I've worked my way through so many tenses (times) in the Spanish language in the last couple of weeks. Most striking are the types of time or tenses that exist in Spanish that do not exist in English. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the existence of two different words for the concept "to be" in Spanish (and their uses in different instances, including those that are more or less permanent) is a different way of marking the permanence of a state of being. For example, in the case of health or feelings the way of saying this in Spanish shows the impermanence of this condition, while in English it does not.

Similarly, there are various tenses (times) that do not exist in the English language. Spanish is filled with tenses that are used to indicate if something is securely going to happen or is only an idea. Using the same verb and conjugating it in a different tense changes the meaning completely. In one instance you might indicate you will be doing something tomorrow and in another your tense choice will suggest that you hope to do it someday but it is in doubt. 

These constructions influence you to think about the nature of what you are saying in its relationship to time- not just past, present, or future, but if this is a continuous act or a specific moment in time, if this is something that is just an idea or actual did or will occur. 

Initially it just seems like a lot to remember when learning a new language, but the more I employ it the more I realize how much the structure of the language influences the way I am thinking about the world.  I 'm not asked by the English language to address how likely something is to happen when I select which tense tense to use when conjugating verbs. I might use words such as probably, likely, or will in either language, but the additional step of purposefully selecting which tense to use in Spanish has really pushed me to think differently about the issues of timing and likelihood of occurrence in a different way than I would in English. 

As I think through time and tenses, I am thinking anew about the relationship between thought and language. I am also struck that it is only in studying another language that I can see how my native language constructs time in its own way.



More soon!
Chris

Museo Casa de Tejido

Hi all. (this was written yesterday July 10 but not able to be posted until tonight)

I had another great day of conjugating verbs and struggling through various tenses. After the morning's adventure of having abuela (grandma of the house) beside herself with worry about why I am yet to have children, I returned to school for more work!  Luckily it was only an hour and a half more after lunch of sitting at my desk working... then we were off. My teacher and I walked over to the Museo Casa de Tejido.

 

This museum is dedicated to the craft of weaving in Guatemala. There are a variety of Maya groups throughout Guatemala (approximately 22 Mayan linguistic dialects) and each community expresses their identity through a variety of designs and colors in their weaving.  We were given a private tour of the museum and I was allowed to both practice my Spanish and learn a bit about these beautiful textiles.  This woman is using a traditional back-strap loom. We spent a lot of time discussing weaving and she told me that she began learning to weave when she was 5 years old. She learned from her mother and her grandmother. We talked about how each village has their own distinctive colors and designs and that it is easy to identify (once you know all of the colors and designs that is- in other words easy for HER to identify) where a person is from by the designs and colors in their clothing. I was given a private tour of the museum and at the end was asked to put on the traditional dress from her village San Antonio Agua Caliente (see photos below for a good laugh!).  

Below you will find pictures of traditional Guatemalan huipils.  The clothing also says a lot about the climate where the group lives. A few are made of wool and lots of extra fabric for those who live at higher altitudes in the mountains, where the weather is much colder.  The garments are beautiful and a traditional huipil take approximately 4-6 months to make (if worked on for at least 5 hours a day)! Some designs are used for special ceremonies only. others are worn daily. Also, in some communities the size of the belt of the presence of a head dress signify if a woman is married or single.The traditional dress is very expensive, much more so than a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, so many of the women in these areas cannot afford to wear their own traditional dress as easily. Although, everyone was sure to explain to me that these textiles are well worth the money for many people given how much more durable they are and how much longer they last than cheap t-shirts.

Anyhow, enjoy the photos- I've got to run back to class! 

Chris 

When specifically asked to please wear the traditional dress of one of the weaver's home villages, San Antonio Agua Caliente, I had to oblige. Feel free to giggle at the tall gringa lady! :) 

A time to study...

Hi again all.

Well an update is in order. I'm not actually staying at a retirement home, though it seriously appeared that way when I first arrived this weekend.  All of the very old people in wheel chairs, etc. were either family members or had been staying here over the weekend while their children or gradchildren had other obligations.  Rather than a true 'retirement' home, which goes against a culture with such a strong ethos of family, this is a place where many friends or families bring a relative to stay when there are other obligation/ trips they are taking.

Anyhow, it turns out to be a great place to stay with multiple people coming and going regularly and lots of opportunities to speak Spanish. Not exactly the "traditional family" experience expected but great all the same.

School is going well. This week I have a new teacher. One practice of the school where I am studying is to change teachers each week. This way students are exposed to a variety of teaching styles and accents. Anyhow, this week my teacher is very intense and demanding. It seems impossible to learn as quickly as she would like, but she's pushing me as much as she can. She's a great teacher, but a tough one- she even wants to work with me over the weekend to make sure I progress as far as possible.

One interesting cultural aspect today... this morning the grandmother who lives in the house here asked me if I'm married and have children. I answered simply that I am married and no, I don't have children yet. She then asked how old I was and upon learning that I'm 32 (gasp) with no children, she became insistent that I must have children immediately. She asked how long I've been married and when I answered we are coming up on 4 years, she thought it even stranger I have yet to have children. I explained that upon finishing my doctorate I will begin trying to have children. Truth be told, it is even more intimidating than usual to come out to an older person here because of combined cultural and generation gap.

Anyhow, I didn't have the heart to explain the whole situation to her but laughed at how intense the pressures are for a person, particularly a woman, to get married and have children in this culture. I have seen similar types of this response throughout Central America.  I'll never forget when on one project, the doctorate student I was assisting was 28 years old at the time and unmarried, so the woman taking care of the house where we stayed insisted she needed to find a husband and then proceeded to bring by eligible bachelors whenever possible!

That's all for now. I must get back to class!

Chris

Just roll with it! (updated)

Hi all,

Well as mentioned this morning today was the day for my switch from my hotel into living with a family. My ride showed up on time (which was impressive) and drove me over to the house since I didn't want to lug my suitcases down the beautiful cobble stone streets of Antigua!

In any event, imagine my surprise when I realized that I'm not actually staying at the traditional family home that I thought I'd be staying at. It is not totally clear (no one has said it and I don't feel comfortable asking yet) but on first glance it appeared that I'm staying in a retirement/ old folks home. :-D So it turns out that one of the elderly people is the woman who own's the house's father and she apparently has students and older people with no family live with her. Since it is Sunday there is a large gathering of family that has been coming and going all day. It is not yet clear who lives here and who does not but appears to be a mix of family, older people in need of assistance, and the occasional student/traveler. We'll see how this goes!

Life is rich and one thing about traveling / doing fieldwork is that you learn very quickly to roll with whatever comes your way. No matter what I imagine, nothing ever turns out exactly as I thought it might.  As a friend of mine was quick to point out when I updated my facebook status about my new location, I should be able to learn some great stories and as I reminded her, it is actually probably perfect for me if there are a bunch of older people here since I often have to speak Spanish with old farmers, some of whom also lack teeth!

Just thought you might appreciate the humor and richness of this adventure. Not even close to what I thought I was in for, but I'm sure it will work out for the best.

Chris

Vaction ends and the work begins.. Insight from the term To Be.

Hi again,

Well I've officially been in Antigua for one week. My Spanish has improved in this last week, but having my wife here visiting from Wednesday until this morning made it feel a bit more like vacation than work. After a teary goodbye this morning when I sent her off to the airport, it feels like the work part of fieldwork is just now beginning.  I'm home sick already- for someone who has spent so many months far from home for most of my adult life this might seem strange but I love and miss my family fiercely when I'm away.

Anyhow, in a half hour I'll be moving out of my hotel and into the home of a local family here in Antigua. I'll only admit this to you of course but I am a bit apprehensive.  Living in a stranger's home can be intimidating but I also know it will greatly aid my efforts to improve my Spanish and offers a great way to expand my understanding of others' culture.  I will keep you posted on how it goes.

Unfortunately, I'm coming down with a cold-  but somehow it is much more comforting to say "I'm sick" in Spanish than in English.  In Spanish there are two different words for "To Be" (ser and estar).  The one used to say that I'm sick implies that it is not a permanent condition. It also applies to feelings as well. So when I say in English that I'm sick or I'm sad (both a bit true at the moment), there's not indication specifically that this is just a temporary state (though it is).  In Spanish, this is more clearly defined by the form of 'to be' that I use to be only a temporary state as sickness and sadness both are!  Just another example of how the rules of the language have subtle influences on the way one might think about a situation or condition.  I'll take comfort in knowing that when I say that I'm currently sad and a bit sick these too will pass.

Chris

Quick Update

Hi all.

I have only a few minutes before class this morning but wanted to give you the brief update.  I had a wonderful birthday (thank you for the well wishes). My wife came to town and we had a terrific dinner, my family had sent me with birthday cards that made it feel a bit more like my birthday, and a fellow classmate and his son even brought me a cupcake to class for my birthday. All in all it was a good day. Though I will say after a few glasses of wine and other drinks, I found myself switching regularly from one language to the next. :)

Yesterday, I learned about midwives in my intructor´s town. He explained that there is one woman in particular who is a very gifted midwife and healer. As we talked about this process he reminded me of a saying used for giving birth ¨Dar a la luz¨... literally translates to ¨to give to the light¨. I am always struck by the beauty of this expression.  He also told me that the Guatemalan goverment has made a law saying that midwives are not allowed to deliver a woman´s first baby at home, but must be in a hospital (except in case of emergency).  He described that this law was meant to help protect women since there can be more complications during the first birth. I didn´t have time to ask much about how people responded to this law and being told where they must have their first child.

In any event, I´m off to class. We´ll see what today will hold.

Chris

From Storytelling, to Bilingual Thinking, to Coming Out in Spanish

Hello again,

Well here I am at the end of day 2 of Spanish school and I am completely exhausted. I had another great but long day. To give you an idea of the kinds of stories I am being told, here's how I began my day.  The first thing we did today was my instructor told me amazing stories about his village, San Antonio Agua Caliente and how it is connected to another village over 200km away via any underground natural tunnel. He told many stories about this tunnel including one about how years ago a local Maya group asked the government of the town to come to the tunnel for a ceremony. Apparently, the government granted permission but had a couple of their own people accompany the group into the tunnel. With large torches, the group entered the tunnel approximately 45km before reaching a larger clearing/opening (still in the tunnel but a large circular part of it) where the Maya group conducted a ceremony that lasted 3-4 hours.

The ceremony was apparently to give thanks to a specific deity for the good fortune that this group had recently experiences. Here Caesar pointed out that if the group did not offer thanks it was likely very poor luck would befall them.  In any event, during the ceremony they gave many offerings of food and drink (rum included) to the supernatural deity associated with that particular place. (later they drank and ate in the tunnel a large amount of food and alcohol as part of the ceremony). A very long, well told, story short, before leaving, the group left offering of precious stones (gold, silver, jade, etc.). But the local people who accompanied the group decided to return and rob those items the next day. When the would-be-robbers came to the cavern they did not find the stones anywhere but instead the clearing in the tunnel was filled with snakes. He spoke about how those offerings were not for individuals but for the supernatural and how it was so important for the group to give thanks and an offering to the supernatural to keep things in balance! It was quite a tale!

From here we moved onto discussions ranging from futbol (soccer) to the impact of the arrival of the Spanish in the New World, to current political elections, to archaeological ethics!  It is very interesting to have to express my ideas on very complex subjects using my more limited vocabulary. It forces me to think through what I'm actually try to say in a very different way and I find that I think more deeply about my ideas on a subject because of having to work hard to express complex ideas in my non-native language. It is fun, though exhausting, for my brain to think in Spanish and in English. I find myself thinking in Spanish when I'm needing to express myself or listening to someone else speaking in Spanish (in other words using it immediately) but the rest of the time my thoughts are mostly in English though sometimes in Spanish. I wonder the rate at which this change occurs. Even writing this last sentence in my mind I said "I wonder the rate at which este cambio occurs".  This is happening readily, where I will think a mostly Spanish phrase with an English word thrown in there or vis versa. It is completely unintentional and continues to happen over and over again as I write this to you. In this past sentence I just had to translate my thought out of Spanish and into English.

In any event, I apologize if my writing becomes less clear as I become more and more fatigued but want to discuss one subject that has come up time and again both in my previous experiences in Central America and on this trip. This subject has to do with my personal positionality. In short all of us have our own positionality and as anthropologists it influences how we perceive and are perceived by others. We all belong to a variety of groups, have variable experiences, and have our individuals worldview.  To spare the lecture on positionality, think of the all the ways that a particular researcher might be treated differently or might see their subject matter differently simply because of certain aspects of themselves (e.g. their gender). As one gender you  might have greater access to certain types of subject matter and not others. Okay, so when it comes to my positionality, as you by now have read I have a wife. When I say in English that I have a wife while it might catch some people off-guard if they assumed I was straight (or didn't think I look like a lesbian), it is still very clear that I mean that I (a woman) am married to another woman.  This is not at all the case in Spanish both because it is my second language and because of the construction of the language.

In Spanish, a common word for wife is esposA and a common word for husband is esposO  (I capitalized the letters so you see this is a difference of one letter- the feminine vs. masculine forms of the word).   Okay so each time I talk about my wife (side note- who by the way is at the airport right now and coming to visit me tomorrow for my birthday) (mi esposa) everyone assumes that I making a very basic Spanish mistake and not recognizing the difference between feminine and masculine forms.  What is very interesting about this is that these are people with whom in many cases I have already spoken with for some time and have successfully demonstrated my knowledge of the difference between masculine and feminine words.  Without fail, every person stops to correct this and giggles as they gingerly explain (as if to a child) how I'm not married to a woman but rather to a man.  Now, this is not at all their fault but rather illustrates their world view and the strong heteronormativity (think assumptions of straightness) of the culture. It takes some convincing, usually me saying something like "actually yes, I'm married to a woman and her name is Lauren" before they will accept this is not just an error in the feminine/masculine forms of the word.

I've tested this often by saying "My esposa..." and not following it immediately with statements about her being a woman and her name. Every single time people are convinced I am making an error and when they finally realize I'm not often say something to the effect of "No, really?" Of course I'm very used to coming out regularly in both English and Spanish but it is more difficult to come out in Spanish because of the construction of the language. Thus I find Spanish takes a little more effort than simply being about to use the term "wife" and have it understood.  That said, I have never had any truly negative experiences. While it might bother some due to religious or personal beliefs, the majority of people are seemingly curious but still kind once they realize I have a wife.

Okay my brain power is rapidly decreasing. Enjoy your 4th of July- it is after all my favorite day of the year (my birthday) !

The First Day of School

Okay, we made it through day 1 of language school (not counting my homework that I still need to complete!).

The language school I'm attending is called Fundacion Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquin .  One of the reasons I selected this school was that they are the oldest Spanish school in Antigua and have a deep commitment to the preservation of Mayan languages and culture.  In addition to Spanish, they also offer total immersion programs for various Mayan languages and have been very active in projects aimed at preserving the cultural and linguistic heritage of this region.

After a brief group introduction, we were sent to work with our individual teachers. My instructor, Ceasar, is terrific. While other students were taking entrance tests, we spent the first part of the morning discussing indigenous rights, archaeology, and US, as well as Guatemalan, politics (all in Spanish of course)! Don't worry I still had to conjugate verbs, build my vocabulary, and work on different tenses all day too! Anyhow, Ceasar grew up speaking one of the Mayan languages as his native language, then Spanish, and ultimately some English. In his nearby village people still speak this Mayan language in their homes and the government has now allowed the teaching of it in schools as well. Ceasar is concerned., however, that the young people today are not interested in their cultural or linguistic heritage. He gave a few examples of this, including that many students prefer to take other languages, such as Italian, in school rather than one of the Mayan languages. He also said that he is a member of his community's traditional dance troop, but when they attempt to recruit younger members the majority of kids are not interested in traditional dancing but are interested in more 'modern' things such as break-dancing.

When we had a very small earthquake (you could barely feel it) we then discussed some of the disasters in the region that include volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides, and hurricanes. He described a very serious landslide/flood that happened in 2010. He said that the village next to his was in the direct path of a major land slide and flood. People evacuated the village but many homes were destroyed. Caesar explained that what wasn't destroyed was later looted.  His village organized aid and each family contributed something to bring to the community in need. For example, one family was responsible to bring rice, another water, another beans, etc.  This is extremely important. This is the system of RECIPROCITY in action. This is the oldest and frankly the most reliable form of insurance. They helped this village in their time of need and the people will remember that and tell their children about it. If Caesar's village ever has a problem, this other community is very likely to come help in whatever way they can.

Anyhow, I am currently thinking in half Spanish and half English, so I'll end it here for now. My first day of Spanish school was exhausting but successful. 7 hours of one-on-one instruction is intense but very effective.

Off to do MY homework and to grade that of my students.

Will write again soon,
Chris

A question from my student

Hi all.

One of my students asked a terrific question about my experience here. He asked

"Do you think it makes your "shock" experience worse, and potentially undermines the immersion benefits, to write blogs and also try to teach a class in English while focusing on the Spanish?"

This is what I wrote in response:

"Great question! It is somewhat challenging to go back-and-forth between languages and is usually not recommended for a total immersion experience. Luckily, I have lots of experience going back and forth between English and Spanish as I usually am using both in the field. During our archaeological excavations I speak Spanish primarily throughout the day and evening with our workers and locals, but speak with other gringos in English. While this can be very challenging at different stages, for me I've become somewhat accustom to the switch, though find sometimes I can only think of a particular word in Spanish and totally forget the English word for it!  That is a strange experience given English is my native language!

And I think that blogging is great for culture and language shock, but sometimes total immersion can make culture and language shock more intense but shorter in duration. When constantly re-connecting with home I think we are somewhat more connected to both worlds resulting in a less severe experience of culture and language shock, but a longer duration of it."

Welcome to Antigua (A Few Photos Included)

Hi all.

I successfully ventured through the streets of Antigua this afternoon. I found my language school, re-oriented myself using the three main volcanoes surrounding us (this is a very helpful tool in Central America- as if you know which direction a specific volcano is it can help you find your way), and had a wonderful meal.  I also manage to buy a cell phone. (I promise there are more pictures below... not just of my new cell phone).

TRAVELER TIP: Do not even think about having and using your cell phones abroad (except in a true emergency!), even with special international plans these rates are typically WAY higher than what you pay with local phone cards. (Even if you are ridiculously wealthy, please save your money and give it to a good cause instead!)   For example, when I contacted my US service provider just to get an idea, they said I could pay a small fee each month for a "world plan" and then I would still pay $2 per minute to talk to the US (this was their CHEAP rate)! You have some options. One great one is to Skype. Particularly if you are technologically savy and have access to Internet (most places do these days). But I like to have a phone on me that does not rely on Internet and that allows others to call me and I them as long as I'm in cell phone range.

So instead of using my I-phone and spending more money that I am paid, I went into a little shop and for $25 (US dollars) I was able to buy a new phone with a credit of 1 hour to talk with the States. (do the math on that one even if you are not a 'math-person' and you quickly see how much I'll save!)  Now when I go to El Salvador I will just pick up a new SIM card and be ready to go.

My I-phone (that will not be turned on during this trip except in case of emergency) next to my newly purchased, simple and did I mention WAY cheaper Guatemalan phone!

For someone like me who misses home being able to call and text makes such a difference in the field. I have often wondered how Anthropology has changed since the era of Malinowski in the field. Can you imagine only have the very occasional letter from a loved one. That seems a very different ethnographic experience than mine where I can check Facebook, have a cell phone, and even teach an online course from the field!

Okay, so here's one of the hardest parts of being in the field... I miss my family!

Theo the pug (AKA: Brother)

But one of the best parts of doing what I do is that you get to see places like this: (Antigua, Guatemala)

The Arch

This one refuses to post in the correct direction so just lean to the side :)

La Merced

A view of one of the many beautiful Antigua streets

I will post more in the days to come but wanted you to begin to see my new surroundings!

Tomorrow I will begin my intensive Spanish school, which will be 7 hours per day of one-on-one instruction. My apologies if my brain is a big mushy the next time I post!  You are likely to see how when switching between two languages (one you are a native-speaker in and the other you are still learning) you often mix up words, temporarily forget concepts in one or both languages entirely,  or have days when you feel like you are doing great in your second language followed by a series of days feeling like you don't even know how to say "Hola" or its equivalent. This can be referred to as Language Shock (similar to culture shock but think 'disoriented' in your language)! When I am using mostly Spanish combined with some English there are days in the learning process when I swear that I forget how to speak either language!  We'll see what happens. On day one I am already catching myself thinking of a few phrases in Spanish instead of English and beginning to type the Spanish word instead of the English one when I'm writing to you.

Glad to have you in Antigua with me...even if only through the Internet!
Chris