I have my second exam on Friday which will conclude the first part (and four credits) of the program. On Friday we also leave for an 8 day tour of Guatemala. I'm really excited to see more of the country and hang out with the group outside of class.
I only have a few pics to share from last week, but here they are...Last Wednesday I visited a women's cooperative called 'TRAMA'. The group was organized during the war when women who lost their husbands and sons to the violence needed to find a way to support themselves. Today the cooperative includes over 400 women, each working to support their families. The women make all of their materials by hand using a backstrap loom, a technique developed by the Mayans over 1500 years ago. We were given a quick demonstration of their work, and it's unbelievable how much work goes into each tiny piece....it's the first time since I've been here that I didn't even want to barter, their work was worth the increased price.
This photo (below) shows the city's sanitation service. One complaint that we all have about Xela is the sheer amount of garbage in the streets. There are literally NO public trash cans, so everything is thrown in the streets....which also means that the entire city smells like garbage (others argue a litter box, either way, you get the point). It is SO frustrating to have NO opportunity to recycle here. I've seen garbage dumped into the river, men peeing in the streets, and dogs fighting over all the waste...it's disgusting. About once a week I pass one of these men picking up garbage with a wheelbarrow...it's a little big old-school, but at least it's SOMETHING. I have never appreciated our public services and 'adopt a highway' volunteers more!
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