11.23.2007
Tommy the Turkey's Big Day
Meet Tommy, our honored guest at Thanksgiving this year. Tommy was born and corn-raised in Dump, Belize and had the privilege of being Thanksgiving dinner. In the spirit of do-it-yourselfness that pervades the Peace Corps psyche, we decided to begin the day by getting in touch with our inner hunters, and started dinner from scratch. Tommy joined us early in the A.M., and several men much tougher than myself armed with Guatemalan machettes, rope, and a strong stomach put an end to Tommy's short, though I am sure very meaningful life. The process was a slow one, as the group of 10 highly educated volunteers had to debate the proper way to drain the blood, pluck the feathers, burn the feathers off, gut, clean, prep and roast a turkey.
Two hours after Tommy was relieved of his head, he was in the oven. I have to admit that I was skeptical of the results, predicting a very tough, gamey meat, but as I usually am, I was proven wrong. Tommy joined the green bean casserole, potatoes, salads, stuffing, and cranberries and stole the show. Sure, he was a little small compared to the hormone fattened beasts you meet in the states, but he did his best to fill our waiting stomachs. By 7pm the bones were picked clean and the last bowls were getting washed out. The 4 pies (pumpkin, key lime, and cherry cheesecake) also came and went quickly. Warmed by rum and feelings of accomplishment, we shared what were Thankful for and basked in the glow of friendship and good food.
While being so far from home for the holidays is not always easy, this was honestly one of my best Thanksgivings and I am so Thankful for this experience, my friends here and back home, and for my family that has supported me every step of the way.
11.17.2007
Artist for Peace
This week has been a very cultural one. On Wednesday Tumul K'in School hosted a Maya Ceremony (H'uk) similar to the one I attended in Guatemala. That meant another late night of offerings, Marimba music, and corn products and a 4:30am wake-up call to travel to a local ruin to perform the offerings. Once again, it was a great honor to be able to observe this event.
Friday I traveled to the Garifuna village of Barranco for a special event featuring Belize's most famous son. The Garifuna are an ethnic group in Belize that originate from the island of St. Vincent where a recked slave ship and the local indigenous population combined to form a unique Caribbean-African language and culture. They came to Belize when forced from St. Vincent by the British, and this Monday is the National Holiday of Settlement day that celebrates this journey and arrival in Belize. The language, music, and dance of the Garifuna are unique and amazing, but like many small cultures, in danger of disappearing. One exceptionally talented musician, Andy Palacio, has made it his mission to preserve his culture through Garifuna Language music that is now known the world over. He recently received the UNESCO Artist for Peace Award, and I was there in Barranco, his home village, to see the event.
We arrived in the back of a truck on a perfectly sunny day with a cool breeze rolling off the Carib Sea. The beat of the drums greeted us as we headed towards the park where the event would take place. Shortly, a parade of dancing school children and singing women made their way to the village wharf as a boat full of international press and Andy Palacio himself arrived by water. He was given praise by his family and community, and presented his award for his exceptional efforts at peace and cultural preservation through his music. Andy Palacio would say to me later that this ceremony usually takes place at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, but this one was special because he was in his home village. He would join ranks of Celine Dion, who also holds the honor of international artist for Peace. The short ceremony ended with dancing, drumming and singing.
Everyone moved on to lunch, which was a traditional feast of mashed green plantain (hudut) and coconut soup (serre) with fresh fish. I got my plate, sat at a table, and who should inquire about an empty seat but the man of the hour himself, Andy Palacio. I should emphasize that this is by far the most famous Belizean in the world, and regularly sells out concerts world-wide, so I was pretty honored. I also want to emphasize that his music is amazing and you can probably find his CD "Watina" at your local Borders, and I encourage everyone to go and get it and listen to it. Anyways, back to lunch. I tried to scoot over to make room, but the awkward slope of the group where we were sitting and the tight space proved too much for my clumsy self, and in the process of making room for Andy, I managed to spill some of his serre on him and the table. He was very gracious, came back with a cloth to clean up, and sat and made conversation anyways. He signed my CD and went on to do interviews with the press and we left Barranco amid the beat of more drums, but I had the distinction of not only eating lunch with a world famous musician, but embarrassing myself as only I can do. Way to go grace indeed.
Links and music for Andy Palacio (really, check them out!)
Music Downloads for Andy Palacio
PBS Frontline Interview with Andy
YouTube Behind the Music Video for Watina CD
National Geographic World Music on Andy Palacio with audio from Watina
Friday I traveled to the Garifuna village of Barranco for a special event featuring Belize's most famous son. The Garifuna are an ethnic group in Belize that originate from the island of St. Vincent where a recked slave ship and the local indigenous population combined to form a unique Caribbean-African language and culture. They came to Belize when forced from St. Vincent by the British, and this Monday is the National Holiday of Settlement day that celebrates this journey and arrival in Belize. The language, music, and dance of the Garifuna are unique and amazing, but like many small cultures, in danger of disappearing. One exceptionally talented musician, Andy Palacio, has made it his mission to preserve his culture through Garifuna Language music that is now known the world over. He recently received the UNESCO Artist for Peace Award, and I was there in Barranco, his home village, to see the event.
We arrived in the back of a truck on a perfectly sunny day with a cool breeze rolling off the Carib Sea. The beat of the drums greeted us as we headed towards the park where the event would take place. Shortly, a parade of dancing school children and singing women made their way to the village wharf as a boat full of international press and Andy Palacio himself arrived by water. He was given praise by his family and community, and presented his award for his exceptional efforts at peace and cultural preservation through his music. Andy Palacio would say to me later that this ceremony usually takes place at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, but this one was special because he was in his home village. He would join ranks of Celine Dion, who also holds the honor of international artist for Peace. The short ceremony ended with dancing, drumming and singing.
Everyone moved on to lunch, which was a traditional feast of mashed green plantain (hudut) and coconut soup (serre) with fresh fish. I got my plate, sat at a table, and who should inquire about an empty seat but the man of the hour himself, Andy Palacio. I should emphasize that this is by far the most famous Belizean in the world, and regularly sells out concerts world-wide, so I was pretty honored. I also want to emphasize that his music is amazing and you can probably find his CD "Watina" at your local Borders, and I encourage everyone to go and get it and listen to it. Anyways, back to lunch. I tried to scoot over to make room, but the awkward slope of the group where we were sitting and the tight space proved too much for my clumsy self, and in the process of making room for Andy, I managed to spill some of his serre on him and the table. He was very gracious, came back with a cloth to clean up, and sat and made conversation anyways. He signed my CD and went on to do interviews with the press and we left Barranco amid the beat of more drums, but I had the distinction of not only eating lunch with a world famous musician, but embarrassing myself as only I can do. Way to go grace indeed.
Links and music for Andy Palacio (really, check them out!)
Music Downloads for Andy Palacio
PBS Frontline Interview with Andy
YouTube Behind the Music Video for Watina CD
National Geographic World Music on Andy Palacio with audio from Watina
11.11.2007
Temperature Check
For the first time in at least 8 months the temperature dipped below 70
degrees. Sometime during night as I lay shivering under my sheet and thin
blanket the thermometer recorded 69 degrees with 48% humidity as the new
recorded low. And it's not even December yet! By the time we get to
Christmas it is quite possible that we might see as cold as 63 or even 60
degrees. Time to dig out the extra sheet and long pajama pants, it could be
a brief, slightly chilly winter.
degrees. Sometime during night as I lay shivering under my sheet and thin
blanket the thermometer recorded 69 degrees with 48% humidity as the new
recorded low. And it's not even December yet! By the time we get to
Christmas it is quite possible that we might see as cold as 63 or even 60
degrees. Time to dig out the extra sheet and long pajama pants, it could be
a brief, slightly chilly winter.
11.06.2007
the work I do
So instead of the out of ordinary that I seek to inspire me, I thought that perhaps I should give the ordinary a shot. My work. That's right, I do actually do more than bake, read, and swing in my hammock all day. Maybe not a whole lot more on some days, but lately I have been relatively busy.
A couple of months ago I wrote about some meetings I had up in the capital with the Institute of Archeology and the Forest Department. Basically, these government agencies would like to establish the cave in Blue Creek as a community co-managed protected area. Since then some big things have happened. I have been having lots and lots of meetings with several groups in the village about establishing tourism-based businesses and I have begun some budget/hospitality training with these groups. The village council formed a task force to oversee the co-management agreement and now the Blue Creek Tourism Committee (BCTC) is an official entity. A couple of weeks ago we hosted a meeting in the village that was attended by representatives from 3 different gov't agencies that had made the 4 hour trip from the capital. It was a great meeting (see pics) and we laid out the foundations for making Blue Creek a major tourism destination while acknowledging the importance of protecting the environment. A UN funded agency (Global Environmental Fund) wants to provide us with a planning grant that could result in a building grant of $80,000BZ that would fund a visitors center, trails, and training for guides. I will be assisting the BCTC on the applications for this grant, the planning, and the implementation of the project.
The process of forming this co-management agreement while working on the overall economic development of the village of Blue Creek will also be the basis of the Masters Degree project that I will be finishing at UW next fall. It's all coming together. I am very excited and inspired by the work I am doing right now and feel fortunate that I am able to contribute to a project that will have a major impact on this village that has been my home for over a year now.
Homemade
Cooking was always something I enjoyed back in the USA, even when I had at my disposal every variety of tasty take-out and a multitude of delectable dining options. Now my eating-out options are limited to greasy tacos or BBQ chicken while in town and to the occasional kid with a bucket of tamales in the village. The necessity of food variety has spurred me to get crafty in the kitchen.
My homemade crazy began with simple soups, curries, and sweet breads. Bananas and plantains are cheap, so they provide the basis for the majority of my dessert cooking, benefiting friends and neighbors as a I try to get rid of the sugary treats. Then, in attempt to avoid all the high-carb foods that make up a typical Caribbean diet, I set out to master the art of making whole-wheat bread. I started with whole wheat tortillas, and just last week produced a batch of rolls that weren't rock hard or doughy in the middle. The gas oven without a proper temperature dial is a bit tricky, but a think I have it down now.
My confidence in my bread-making ability led me to the ultimate in homemade staples: yogurt. For a long time I couldn't find plain yogurt in town, which is necessary to start, but last month someone in Punta Gorda as crafty as myself began selling fresh yogurt. I had my starter, now I just had to figure out how to make the stuff. Thank you internet. Using my slow-cooker set to warm as an incubator, I produced my first batch of homemade yogurt. It was a little runny, so I for the 2nd batch I let in sit longer and took extra care to sterilize all the materials. It worked, and this morning I had a bowl of fresh yogurt with cereal, perfectly tart and thick.
I have surprised myself at my ability to adapt and to learn, but I don't expect to be making bread and yogurt once I get back to the USA. Let's face it, the one thing I have plenty of now is time, and I don't think that will be the case after August 2008. But until that time, I will try to improve my bread and yogurt skills, perhaps moving on gardening.
My homemade crazy began with simple soups, curries, and sweet breads. Bananas and plantains are cheap, so they provide the basis for the majority of my dessert cooking, benefiting friends and neighbors as a I try to get rid of the sugary treats. Then, in attempt to avoid all the high-carb foods that make up a typical Caribbean diet, I set out to master the art of making whole-wheat bread. I started with whole wheat tortillas, and just last week produced a batch of rolls that weren't rock hard or doughy in the middle. The gas oven without a proper temperature dial is a bit tricky, but a think I have it down now.
My confidence in my bread-making ability led me to the ultimate in homemade staples: yogurt. For a long time I couldn't find plain yogurt in town, which is necessary to start, but last month someone in Punta Gorda as crafty as myself began selling fresh yogurt. I had my starter, now I just had to figure out how to make the stuff. Thank you internet. Using my slow-cooker set to warm as an incubator, I produced my first batch of homemade yogurt. It was a little runny, so I for the 2nd batch I let in sit longer and took extra care to sterilize all the materials. It worked, and this morning I had a bowl of fresh yogurt with cereal, perfectly tart and thick.
I have surprised myself at my ability to adapt and to learn, but I don't expect to be making bread and yogurt once I get back to the USA. Let's face it, the one thing I have plenty of now is time, and I don't think that will be the case after August 2008. But until that time, I will try to improve my bread and yogurt skills, perhaps moving on gardening.
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