Nothing really exciting happened today. Spanish in the am, lunch, then an afternoon at Casa Maria, followed by a meeting with our research team. I’m not as crazy about our meals here as Marie was a much better cook than Thelma… shhh! Dinner was cool though since she made us quesadillas with all sorts of toppings to stuff into them. It was by far our best meal here at the new place but not as good as our old home. I really miss those people!
Casa Maria was pretty interesting and we’re learning more about the people there and what they’re like. Armando, a student from the Med Anthropology group has been coming with us to help translate what some of the people are saying. He’s really an asset though since he’s the only male we’ve ever brought along. There’s some things that men only say to other men, and he’s getting a lot of the inside scoop from the residents there. He’s also helpful in keeping the people who a little to touchy feely away from us girls… if you get the hint.
Tonight I came home and had an interesting conversation with my cousin who broke his neck in January. First, I found out the he speaks English really well, which was a bit of a surprise after our few conversations in Spanish. He sounds like a cool guy and I’m not sure he completely understands that his life can be just as fulfilling even if it is different. I spoke with one professor, Devva, who is in charge of our disability studies group and she recommended that he come to Antigua to meet with a group called Transitiones. They are run by and fully employ people who have a disability here in Guatemala. Their specialty is customizing wheelchairs for people who need them. I think Quique could benefit from some peer support, so I’m hoping he’ll be able to meet these men who are living normal lives, and see the possibilities.
