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It doesn’t matter what day of the week you stop by the public washbasins, lavaderos, you will always find the ladies doing the laundry. In the past I have talked to several of the women doing the laundry and I asked what were some of the reasons for utilizing the public washbasins even though most of them have running water at home. These are some of the answers:

• Los lavaderos públicos, public washbasins are more comfortable because they are larger and the water is closer.
• At the lavaderos públicos, public washbasins I get to see and talk to my friends and neighbors.
• Los lavaderos públicos, public washbasins have plentiful of free water.
• At the lavaderos públicos, public washbasins I get to see things and people, sort of free entertainment.
• Los lavaderos públicos, public washbasins provide less distractions than being at home doing the laundry.
• At the lavaderos públicos, public washbasins the temperatures are cooler and thus more comfortable.
• Los lavaderos públicos, public washbasins are my only choice since I do not have running water at home.

It’s amazing how this farmworker can carry so many discarded maize canes on his back, just like an ant, carrying more weight than his own. Farming has to be among the most tough jobs anywhere, don’t you agree?

In Guatemala we recycle just about everything, including the maize canes which will probably end up as an organic wall. If you don’t believe me, come back tomorrow and I will show you a wall made with these maize canes.

By the way, I am assuming these sticks are called corn/maize canes; do you know what are they called in English?

Bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles are the most popular vehicles in Guatemala since they are the most economical in terms of use and to acquire them. They are also the most ecological vehicles, so that’s something positive.

What is the most popular vehicles where you live?

As I captured this picture I was immediately transported to the Brazilian film “Domésticas” (Maids) by Fernando Meirelles, one of my favorite directors. Through the film Maids brings forth the normally invisible daily lives of group of domésticas. I recommend that you watch this film and all the other films by Fernando Meirelles. Here’s a teaser summary to get you interested in the film.

“Domésticas” is a funny, yet loving look at the daily lives of a group of Brazilian housemaids: their dreams, sorrows and joys. Based on a stage play, the movie has lots of monologues towards the watcher but, trust me, they’re never boring. The ensemble acting is very good.

This “little” film directed by Fernando Meirelles (“City of God”, “The Constant Gardener”) and Nando Olival, is witty and light-hearted enough to make you feel good for 1 ½ hour. It doesn’t try to show the housemaids as clowns, but as normal, decent human beings in their hard, overlooked profession. (source: IMDB)

About two weeks ago I shared with you a photograph of the façade of the church of San Miguel Escobar in which I included two people and a street dog as size reference. Today I shared another vista of the same church as it was being painted by church volunteers while other receive the Sunday mass service. In the picture above, we get a better idea of the actual size of the church by including people at all the different levels.

I really like the sensation of size and feel of movement created by having people all over the façade of the church. What do you think of it?

Everywhere in Guatemala you can find breakfast stalls similar to one shown above where the working class and anybody’s hungry can stop by to get an orange juice or licuado (smoothies) and a pan con pollo (chicken sandwich), or pan with you name it, chiles rellenos, guacamol, frijoles (beans), et cetera. The bread used to prepare the sandwiches is normally pirujo, an elongated French roll, but you can also find pan galleta and pan francés (French roll). Tostadas are usually available at these kind of desayunos on the go.

One interesting trivia is that many workers order their orange juice with raw eggs.

Tortillas or Bread, why choose, take both!

Some of you might recall that fresh tortillas are available three times a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Well, fresh bread is baked twice a day for breakfast and dinner. Tortillas or bread baked in the morning is considered old by noon. Of course, because these tortillas and bread are prepared so often and without preservatives, they go bad in a couple of days without refrigeration.

Do you know when was your bread or tortillas made?

I share with you what my friend and colleague Willy expressed about the International Women’s Day:

Willy: ¿Hoy es día de la mujer? ¿Otra vez? ¡Todos los días son días de la mujer! Los hombres nos rendimos ante ustedes a diario, libramos guerras, perdemos amigos, hacemos locuras por ustedes las mujeres… Todos los días son días de la mujer.

Willy: Today’s women’s day? Again? Every day is a women’s day! We men surrender before you daily, go to war, lose friends, do crazy things for you women… Each and every day is women’s day.

On another part of the Facebook universe, Manolo shared this interesting fact taken from the article Revealed: The best and worst places to be a woman published by The Independent:

18. Best place to leave your husband: Guam

The Micronesian island of Guam has the highest divorce rate in the world, and Guatemala has the lowest. The number of divorces in England and Wales in 2010 increased by 4.9 per cent since 2009.

I recommend reading the entire article for some interesting facts about women.

Often I have spoken about the wonderful feel-good vibe that one can sense and be part of while hanging out at the Plaza Mayor, better known simply as Parque Central, Antigua Guatemala’s Main Plaza, but I have not been able to seize the sensation in a picture until today.

If you have been to Parque Central and sat on one of the benches or just hanged there, please, share with us what vibes, feelings or sensetions have you perceived.

I read somewhere, can’t remember where now, that luck is just where preparation meets an opportunity. Well, if that’s the case, I was lucky to capture this little girl as she was walking to get an ice cream cone. I was with the camera ready on my hand and thought the heladero, ice cream vendor, would be an outstanding stamp of the daily life around Antigua Guatemala, so I began to make the composition and to my surprise this little girl showed up and made the photo even better; ten times better.

I feel lucky to have been prepared when the opportunity appeared, don’t you agree?

In recent years there have been a Venetian style carnival celebration as part of a fund-raiser. I am not sure they had the fund-raiser this year, but the Venetian style costumes and masks were seen through out Antigua Guatemala. These fancy dresses and masks, of course, are far, far away from the traditional Guatemalan carnival celebrations; brought by foreigners living in Antigua Guatemala and worn mostly by foreigners as well.

For some reason, I believe, Guatemalans have not caught up with these fancy dresses yet. Why do you think that is?

As every Friday at 4 p.m. the municipal band delighted us with a recital of live music. Also, every time I watch or listen to the municipal band I am reminded of the film The Band’s Visit, a co-production between Israel and Egypt. I recommend that you watch the film if you get a chance.

If you meet to dine with other photographers you’re destined to talk about photography and get the gear out at one point or another. In this case, Nelo and I met with John Sevigny and Morena Pérez-Joachin to organize and up-coming photo workshop as part the activities of the Club Fotográfico de Antigua (CFA). I took this snapshot while they play with an old Olympus 35RC and an iPhone 4 without they realizing it. I guess they only had eyes for each other.

By the way, the workshop on photographic composition will be on March 3, in case you’re in town and want to meet other photographers and walk around town taking photos.

Life is short but there is always time for courtesy. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Buenos días, buenos días, que le vaya bien, they said to each other.

Courtesy was one of things that affected me the most when I moved from a huge metropolis into a little town. I was not prepared for the kind of courtesy and politeness that people I pass by offer me every day. Buenos días, buenas trades, qué Dios lo bendiga, are among the most often heard. Reading Ralph Waldo Emerson quote and having lived with courtesy for over 10 years I have to agree him. Of course, when everybody you encounter on the street is polite and you have to be polite in response, then sometimes you end up being late for some appointments. So, if you ever move to La Antigua Guatemala, remember to pad your appointments with 15 minutes for courtesy.