Saturday, May 20, 2006

Naive girl thinks she can escape indigestion

It was going to well for a week. I was eating food cooked by Andres's (a volunteer) mother and I was just fine. A week passed by, I thought, yay- I escaped stomach rebellion.
No, yesterday proved me wrong and today I am exhausted.

I was supposed to climb the volcano Pacaya today with two Swedes I met, but it was wiser to rest. Tomorrow perhaps?

Antigua has a touristic glow, it is something of a painting that people are buying. Gringolandia, the locals call (gringo= stranger). Maya women in their beautiful attires ask you to buy their knit works. Gracias senora, mas tarde.

I spent the last two days here in the Casa Joven with ex-bandilleros and people working to give kids alternatives to the streets. They can learn to bake bread and cookies, to use Word, learn karate...

I'm starting to see the genger issues quite clearly. Girls have so much less agency. I assisted a ceremony inaugurating a leadership program for students. All the new leaders celebrated were boys. But when interviewed they said they want the same for girls... Hay que involucrar la mujer tambien. What bothers me is that's it's institutionalized, the fact that girls are not encouraged to speak up as much.

Three girls and a boy were learning to bake bread. So quiet, they are taught not to speak. My questions were answered with giggles and short, quiet answers.

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