Window Convenience Store
Everybody wants to have the recipe for the Guatemalan Identity. Adopting parents, ONGs, researchers, scientists, writers, poets and even Guatemalan bloggers want to have access to that recipe… The Holy Grail to understands and to make sense of this highly complex and messed up country. Some bloggers dig inside and around the last names for answers; others explore humor and anecdotes for clues. Yet others delve into the memory bank to bring forth the pieces that make up the Guatemalan Identity Puzzle. Such is the case of Chachi and her Babosadas mías y demás hierbas blog who recently published an entry under the name of Un suspiro {ñ} or A sigh. In Un suspiro, Chachi, webs together the random polaroids drawn from her childhood memories to build a case for la panadería, la tienda and la tienda de ventana (bakery, convenience store and window convenience store). With this entry, Chachi uncovers or identifies yet another piece the Guatemalan Identity Puzzle. Think of it, even La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo is part of this futile exercise. 
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March 15th, 2008
Which ice cream??? Hmmmm, I shall pick all of the above. Thank you.
Wow, I remember these type of stores. As a kid, one could go and buy with one’s “lenes” snacks (for me, it was the Duvalin thingies, half chocolate, half strawberry filling I believe) and also buy things for “el mandado.” Just like one could get an ice cream, one could also buy Vick’s Vapor Rub or Vicksvaporub in Spanish. 
March 15th, 2008
Rudy, you’re right Guatemala is highly complex and maybe that’s what I love about it. I would be in the category of “adopting parents”–having adopted two beautiful children from Guatemala. They challenge me daily (as I suppose do you through your site) to better understand this amazing country. As always, thanks for all you do. Ciao!
March 15th, 2008
So, tiendas are the quintessential feature of any Guatemalan town or city. Thus LAG IS indeed Guatemala as long as it keeps these highly regarded institutions. I would expect a photo of those helados because “ice cream” they are not, at least not in the North American way. They are much better… I will have dreams of cream and blackberry helado… mmmmm.
Carmen, I recall that the brand of those treats was “Nucita”… which by the way is the nickname of a character that comes up at the end of “Ruido de Fondo” by Javier Payeras… I laugh my @$$ off when I read such an appropriate nickname. Nicknaming is almost a sport in Guatemala, another aspect of OUR identity, particularly politically incorrect nicknames or apodos
I hope to get extra LACA points for this comment
March 16th, 2008
[...] here. But sometimes it’s impossible not published photos like today’s. Talk about the idiosyncrasy of Guatemalans, have you ever seen any more convincing set of Roman Soldiers in your [...]
March 17th, 2008
Thank you so much for the mention. I feel very flattered because I am great fan of this page.
I have English friends them, especially I write to them my stories in English, but I give them personally. They always encourage me to do my blog bilingual. Perhaps now.
Thanks again.
March 30th, 2008
[...] then I look at our pictures of him in Guatemala, the flowers and colors and unique and wonderful sensations of that place. The scent of corn tortillas warming for a late afternoon lunch. The bouncing of [...]