Ready, set...

Today I feel the thrill of expectation mostly buried underneath the mundanity of this windowless office day. Still, it bears noting that tomorrow is my last day at the office of IJM Guatemala, or IJM in general, for that matter. In a few short days I´ll be on the road West to Philmont, CO Springs, Denver, Telluride, then back East to Nashville, Smokies, Conway, Osceola, then back home to KC by July 4th. It´s going to be an exciting two or so months followed by the great journey of refinding a home in KC. I know these next steps in my life´s journey are at least as important as the last, and I´m ready for whatever challenges, triumphs, griefs, and joys may be coming my way.

Meanwhile I feel like I´m out of pictures, witty quips, and condensed stories or bits of wisdom. I´m sure I´ll be back on here to keep you all updated on where I am, who I´m rubbin shoulders with, and what foot-stompin tunes I'm playing. For now, though, I need to focus on packing, then unpacking, then repacking, then driving, then unpacking, etc....... You get the idea.

Further support for a life as a barely solvent (or not at all), nomadic musician

"I know nothing that is greater than the Appassionata [by Beethoven]; I'd like to listen to it every day. It is marvelous superhuman music. I always think with pride—perhaps it is naive of me—what marvelous things human beings can do!

But I can’t listen to music too often. It affects your nerves, makes you want to say stupid nice things, and stroke the heads of people who could create such beauty while living in this vile hell. And now you must not stroke anyone's head: you might get your hand bitten off. You have to strike them on the head, without any mercy, although our ideal is not to use force against anyone.

Hm, hm, our duty is infernally hard."

-Lenin

And that is why we should play music, make beauty, and do some things that make no sense economically or politically, but because they make sense to the soul.

I like mate

This is not posed.

Despedidas Pt. 1

Despedidas means something like "farewells" but we also use it to describe the going away parties and get togethers that occur in the last weeks and days of someone´s (mine) days in town. That´s right. I´m heading home soon. Here´s the beginnings of my despedidas:

Last Friday we three interns looked pretty funny next to each other, so we took this picture. Kim we labeled as chic New Yorker (surprise!), Kelly labeled me as straight out of "Dr. Quinn Medecine Woman" (which I took as a compliment of course), and Kelly is wearing a traditional Q´eqchi´ traje.
There was a mariachi band at Tacontento, one of my favorite restaurants. I pretty much want to be these guys.

A lake named Calderas below the summit of Pacaya. Volcan Pacaya is sort of a tourism must-do here in Guate, and I hadn´t yet done it. We finally got er´done on Saturday.

Walking up towards the lava through the descending fog.

We brought up that stick to roast marshmallows over the lava.

We thought it looked like "Lost" on Pacaya. This picture barely captures that. Also, Kim is a balla.

We´re risky.

Somedays there´s a river of lava on the mountain. Somedays there´s none. This particular day, there was a couple pockets. It was much more impressive than you may think.

This is pretty much how it looked when we were walking down the mountain. There´s two Brits in this picture. See em´?

Every Sunday after morning church I go to lunch with these ladies. I call it my "Over 50 Club." It´s a long story as to how I got included, but it´s been one of the best, most surprising friend groups I´ve ever had.

A bit of wisdom

Here´s this poem by Rilke that´s been up at my desk since January. Don´t know if I´ve posted it already, but it´s worth a repost de todas maneras.

I am, you anxious one.

Don´t you sense me, ready to break
into being at your touch?
My murmurings surround you like shadowy wings.
Can´t you see me standing before you
Cloaked in stillness?
Hasn´t my longing ripened in you from the beginning
as fruit ripens on a branch?

I am the dream you are dreaming
When you want to awaken, I am that wanting:
I grow strong in the beauty you behold.
And with the silence of stars I enfold
your cities made by time.

---
Also, I´ve had this verse (my favorite) up:

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14
---
Finally, while in Antigua this past Saturday, Kim and I ate at La Fonda de la Calle Real. They´ve got great Guatemalan food and dichos, or sayings, painted all over the place. This one must have been put up for me at just the right moment. Definitely a lesson learned over the last several months:

A Good Sunday

So yesterday I went climbing with a friend from the climbing gym and a bunch of his friends (now also mine). We went to Lago Amatitlan, about 20 minutes from the city, and had a great time. The rock was beautiful, the view was big, the sun was very hot.

After climbing, we headed back to the city by way of a gas station for some celebratory beers, where we were accosted by a stereotypical drunk Latin American man who thought it´d be a great idea if we all shared a second round, and would be cool if we bought? We turned him down and headed back to the city, where I hit church just on time for the very end! I would´ve liked to make it for the whole thing, but at least I got to hang out with some of the crew (see below) for dinner. I´m feeling the end coming quickly and want to make the most of things while I can.


The view.
Julio, Leoni, and Garilla hiding in the shade. German and Luna in the foreground.

On Corrosión, 5.10d. Gorgeous rock. Hoping to go back and send it clean soon.

See? Gorgeous.

Leoni.

Making hardcore faces to accompany bold moves.

We got right up under the airtram lines. People kept shouting "Escaladores! Buena suerte!" I waved at them from the top of a 60 foot rapel. It was funny to me that people would pay to be transported by box to the same height and view I had reached by hiking and climbing for free. What a deal!

Julio and Johnny, at least I think that´s his name. He kept telling me to call him "La Gorda," which is the feminine version of "fatty." Wha?

Johnny on a 5.11c of unknown name.

The afterchurch party. Lucia, Ana Lu, Anaco, Jillian, and some obnoxious guy.

My buddy Rodrigo.

Semana Santa

So I´ve been known to leave my camera at home on more than one occasion. When it comes down to being there, and proving that I was physically present, I tend to prefer the former. Forgetfulness, really, though, is the reason that I don´t have any pictures of my time up north in Coban visiting the caves of San Marcos, Semuc Champey, Lanquin Cave, or the sweet people from Wyoming I got to hang out with. But really, it was a good time. I went up there with some friends from church, and we took it really easy. A lot of napping that first day, which fit in well with my sick-recovery plan (still workin on beating this bronchitis). The next day we checked out San Marcos, then the next I went to Semuc by myself. I ended up befriending a girl from the Czech Republic who promised to email me photos from Semuc, which I´ll post here if she ever does.

On the evening bus back from Semuc and Lanquin Cave, I ended up really hitting it off with a couple girls who had met at the University of Wyoming. I ended up getting off the bus with them and having dinner with them and their friends. It´s hard to explain, but I sort of felt like we were all immediately old friends, and that was a great feeling. The next day I bussed back by myself to the city and a few hours later headed to my host family´s pineapple farm. It was hot, rustic, and beautiful. It all ended me up back in Guate for a few days alone, which I mostly spent recording demos, reading, and watching movies. Here´s some pictures and a video.


The chicken coops behind, the chickens (and roosters), hanging out on a rail ahead. Why do people keep roosters over the longterm? I´m serious. All they're good for is crowing all night, fertilizing eggs, and eating.

A few of the folks from next door who watch the house for Victor Sr. and Candy, and then Jo and Victor.

They grow pineapple. We didn´t eat any of it on this particular day though.

Victor Sr., Joanna, Victor. None of their hats fit my big American head.

Amor means love.

Better Than Expected Friday

With a quite varied and exciting Holy Week coming to a skidding crawl due to bronchitis and skin rash, I'm holed up here back home in Boca del Monte for the rest of the week off. Sort of a bummer, but a good opportunity to get a lot of demos recorded/movies watched/books read/friends called.

Today I was recording until about five, then decided I oughta head out to the pharmacy for some meds and to the corner store for a pirated DVD. When I rounded the corner out of my dead-end street, I came upon a giant alfombra, which is basically a huge pattern of flowers, vegetables, and colored sawdust to depict bible scenes or religious iconography. They work on these things all day long, right up until the procession passes by carrying incredibly heavy and ornate floats depicting scenes from the passion, and then the alfombras all destroyed in an instant. The temporaryness of all of our works.

There were people gathered in mobs to see the procession go by. Incense was burning. Vendors were selling street food. The brass band was playing dirges. People were dressed in robes, etc. Smells, sights, sounds, even motion. Most people walked right along with the procession, making the whole ritual a bodily, as well as spiritual, experience. I was blessed to experience such a holistic replaying of the drama of the cross on this Good Friday. I was anticipating a quiet night and another conspicuously unLenten-feeling Lenten night. Admittedly, this Lent doesn't seem to have the communal feeling or focused discipline of Lents past, but it will no doubt be a memorable one.