Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Respect these people - protect this land
I'm switching gears a bit today in terms of my topic...
In April, Edwin visited a community located in the same general region as Santa María Tzejá. He traveled down this river...
...to visit a rural Q'eqchi' indigenous community. The occasion? The 2nd anniversary celebration of a referendum in which the population voted on natural resource use in their territory.
The main issue on the ballot? The government's plan to build a large hydro-electric dam. This dam, called Xalalá, would displace thousands of people, mostly indigenous farmers, and would wreak havoc on the ecosystem.
Site of proposed dam:
But wait...shouldn't people be happy that a dam is going to be built? Don't they need or want electricity? Yes, they do! In fact, 75% of Q'eqchi' Mayas lack electric service in their homes. The problem is that the Xalalá dam would not provide electricity for the people in the area. No. Xalalá is slated to generate electricity for export, not local or national consumption.
And based on the experience of other dams in Guatemala, it is unlikely that the people whose lands are flooded would be properly compensated for their losses or responsibly relocated.
In 2007, folks came out in droves to vote for or against the dam.
In the final tally, 89.7% of the population rejected the project.
But guess what? The government is going ahead with its plans anyway.
Two years after the vote, the local communities decided to commemorate their democratic exercise with a lively party of all-night marimba music...
...and dancing.
Edwin took some pictures of neat bugs:
The next morning, folks walked out...
to the site of the proposed dam...
...and held a Maya ceremony to honor the river.
Music enlivened the scene at the riverbank.
Check out this video of the anniversary celebration here (in Spanish).
NISGUA, the organization where I work, provides human rights accompaniment and advocacy support for the people who would be affected by the dam. To learn more about the Xalalá dam, check out this section of our website. And here's an article about the dam from the San Francisco Chronicle, written by a then-volunteer with NISGUA.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
How are we made?
Chely has been asking lots of questions about birth and babies, for instance "how are we made?"
Our cat Cresh recently gave birth -- she was clearly in discomfort for a few minutes and meowed loudly. Chely was witnessing this, and she turned to me and said, "Is that what you are going to do when the baby is born?" I told her "yes" and she touched me on the nose, looked me straight in the eyes and asked again, "YOU?" So I told her, yes, it hurts to give birth, but it makes us so so happy when we get to hold the baby in our arms and we don't care about the pain anymore. (I did not mention that I will be in pain for much longer and make much more noise than Cresh did!)
The other day she showed me a picture of two holding hands and said to me, "Think why they are holding hands." (The way she phrased that made me chuckle because i often encourage her to think things through by saying "think why...") I said, "Because they are friends." She said, "Think why more." I tried out some guesses, but then she gave me her answer by explaining, "They're sad because their mommies are having their babies and they hurt."
She keeps saying that she wants to be there when her baby sister is born. She assures us that she will not be scared. One time Edwin was looking a little nervous when I was talking about some discomfort in my ribs, and Chely informed him that he could not be at the birth because he was too scared! Anyway, I think we won't take her along to the labor, except maybe for the early stage, because I think it would be too overwhelming for her. In the meantime, she plays a lot that she is pregnant or giving birth - sometimes she puts a doll or kitten inside her shirt and then pretends to give birth to her!
She talks a lot to her little sister. She has told her that she will share her books and her toys with her, and whenever a piece of clothing no longer fits her, she sets it aside for her baby sister. She says that she will teach her to talk and play. When we ask her what language she will use to speak to her baby sister, she goes back and forth between saying English, K'iche', or Spanish. Maybe the two of them will come up with their own unique mix of the three!
We have talked about the fact that the new baby is a girl, we call her "she," etc. But one day Chely looked at me as if she had just realized something and said, "Mommy, you know what? Maybe my baby sister will have a vulva or a penis!" I guess that gender thing is still confusing! And honestly, as parents we haven't been overly focused on defining gender terms to her.
Another little sister tidbit: the last time Chely came to an ultrasound with me, the baby's foot was way up by her head, and Chely remarked, "The baby is doing yoga!" The doctor got a kick out of that!
The baby update is that she is engaged now, which means she is in positon in the pelvis to be born...it's hitting me that it is really going to happen fairly soon!!! I am looking forward so much to meeting her!
Our cat Cresh recently gave birth -- she was clearly in discomfort for a few minutes and meowed loudly. Chely was witnessing this, and she turned to me and said, "Is that what you are going to do when the baby is born?" I told her "yes" and she touched me on the nose, looked me straight in the eyes and asked again, "YOU?" So I told her, yes, it hurts to give birth, but it makes us so so happy when we get to hold the baby in our arms and we don't care about the pain anymore. (I did not mention that I will be in pain for much longer and make much more noise than Cresh did!)
The other day she showed me a picture of two holding hands and said to me, "Think why they are holding hands." (The way she phrased that made me chuckle because i often encourage her to think things through by saying "think why...") I said, "Because they are friends." She said, "Think why more." I tried out some guesses, but then she gave me her answer by explaining, "They're sad because their mommies are having their babies and they hurt."
She keeps saying that she wants to be there when her baby sister is born. She assures us that she will not be scared. One time Edwin was looking a little nervous when I was talking about some discomfort in my ribs, and Chely informed him that he could not be at the birth because he was too scared! Anyway, I think we won't take her along to the labor, except maybe for the early stage, because I think it would be too overwhelming for her. In the meantime, she plays a lot that she is pregnant or giving birth - sometimes she puts a doll or kitten inside her shirt and then pretends to give birth to her!
She talks a lot to her little sister. She has told her that she will share her books and her toys with her, and whenever a piece of clothing no longer fits her, she sets it aside for her baby sister. She says that she will teach her to talk and play. When we ask her what language she will use to speak to her baby sister, she goes back and forth between saying English, K'iche', or Spanish. Maybe the two of them will come up with their own unique mix of the three!
We have talked about the fact that the new baby is a girl, we call her "she," etc. But one day Chely looked at me as if she had just realized something and said, "Mommy, you know what? Maybe my baby sister will have a vulva or a penis!" I guess that gender thing is still confusing! And honestly, as parents we haven't been overly focused on defining gender terms to her.
Another little sister tidbit: the last time Chely came to an ultrasound with me, the baby's foot was way up by her head, and Chely remarked, "The baby is doing yoga!" The doctor got a kick out of that!
The baby update is that she is engaged now, which means she is in positon in the pelvis to be born...it's hitting me that it is really going to happen fairly soon!!! I am looking forward so much to meeting her!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Ode to Moms
Happy Mothers' Day!
"Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body."
- Elizabeth Stone
A big shout-out to all my fellow moms! Being a mother can be the hardest job in the world…
“When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they're finished, I climb out.” - Erma Bombeck
...but also the most rewarding. I feel so lucky to be able to be a mom.
I want to give a big huge THANK YOU to my own mom! Ma, thanks for taking care of me when I was a high-needs baby, for holding and rocking and nursing me when I was fussy and shrieking for months on end – I now appreciate better just how much work that must have been. Thanks for raising me with creativity and insight and humor. Thanks for supporting me and my decisions in life even though I live in a country that would not be your first choice of residence for your child. Thank you for being smart and fun and imaginative and understanding and, as I put in my fourth-grade paper, “classy.” You are all that and more...I LOVE YOU.
And thanks for being an entertaining and loving grandmother. Chely says, “I love you, Bamba!”
Also on this day I want to remember Edwin’s mom, killed in the1982 massacre of Santa María Tzejá when Edwin was 6 years old. I wish I could have met you, Noy. In fact, today my mother is involved with the inauguration of a memorial church garden that will include, thanks to my mom's request, the names of Edwin's family members who were killed.
I also want to pay my respects to my mother-in-law, Edwin’s step-mother, who has gone through incredible hardship. During the bitter war that devastated Guatemala, she had to give birth while hiding from troops in the thick of the forest. She was by herself and had to cut the umbilical cord with a machete. But her horrendous experiences did not destroy her; if you meet her today, you’ll be struck by what a friendly, kind, open person she is. We love you, Xa’an!
"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back." - William D. Tammeus
Monday, May 4, 2009
First day of school
Chely started school today! She's been excited to start for a while. In fact, one day a few weeks ago she started crying and said to me, "I want to go to school, and you're not letting me." I should have taped that comment to play back to her when she's in middle school!
This morning she was a little nervous:
But as soon as we got to the school, she immediately sought out the other children and then headed over with them to the slide. She barely turned around to say good-bye to us. It seems the day went very well; she is talking up a storm about her teachers and classmates. Believe it or not, she's even looking forward to getting some homework!
This morning she was a little nervous:
But as soon as we got to the school, she immediately sought out the other children and then headed over with them to the slide. She barely turned around to say good-bye to us. It seems the day went very well; she is talking up a storm about her teachers and classmates. Believe it or not, she's even looking forward to getting some homework!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Thank You, Rain
The rains have begun! Each time it rains, Chely darts outside to run and play, of course. Today, as a light sprinkle fell, she walked around the terrace and thanked the rain. This is what she said:
"Thank you, rain, for giving us plants and leafs and corn and beans and houses and flowers and branches. Thank you for all the things that we need."
Here's a video of her giving thanks:
"Thank you, rain, for giving us plants and leafs and corn and beans and houses and flowers and branches. Thank you for all the things that we need."
Here's a video of her giving thanks:
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