Lo que no se conoce no se ama One can not love what one does not know — Julia Montoya Source: Interview to Julia Montoya, author of With their hands and their eyes in Revista Domingo, September 7, 2007 {ñ} What I admire the most from the indigenous people of Guatemala is their resilience. They … Read more
Last week, as we watch the delegations parade at the Beijing 2008 Olympics Inauguration, I was thinking how wonderful it was to see so many different and unique national dresses from the many countries around the world. Some of the delegations opted for a no-frills-western-style tie-shirt-suit formal dress code, while others chose to show off … Read more
It looks like both teacher and student were having a great time while learning to weave the Guatemalan textile using the back-strapped loom.
Somethings are changing in the Guatemalan lifestyle. Others, luckily, remain the same, like hot-just-out-of-the-oven bread delivery in the rainy afternoons in La Antigua Guatemala. Here we see an indigenous woman purchasing some pan frances and sweet bread to prepare the afternoon “refa” (short for refacción or snack break), the only refacción some people got in … Read more
It is not unusual to find people selling handicrafts, furniture, orchids, telephones, pens and pencils and anything really; so it comes as no surprise to see an indigenous woman selling paintings with La Antigua Guatemala motifs. These costumbrismo paintings are done by local painters sitting on small stool right on the streets. I am sure … Read more
The indigenous people of Guatemala rarely show their love in public; affection yes, but kissing kind of love, very seldom. Perhaps, this reservation is another aspect of the Guatemalan identity. What do you guys think?
Before what we know today as Guatemala vanishes into the fragile realm of memory, I am glad I can take some mementos to help me remember once I become yet another winter sleeper. I know it is very difficult to love or even understand this tiny banana republic, full of contrasts and contradictions. I know, … Read more
The Guatemalan way of life is rapidly disappearing right in front of our eyes. Today’s entry is such a case, as the image of women taking their maize to mill to make masa (maize dough) is fading away. Recently, I read an article in Prensa Libre which stated that people are abandoning the use of ‘real’ maize to make masa in favor of corn flour because the price difference was now so tiny that it made economic sense to abandon the use of maize.
ACT 1:
So there I was, consumed by own thoughts, after having had a few moments at the Benches at the Museo del Libro Antiguo pondering the big tough questions in life, walking back to the office and I glanced over to my right and saw the wonderful light bathing the La Antigua Guatemala Cathedral (oh, life is beautiful and full of these tiny moments, I said to myself). A few more steps and I immediately saw a photo opportunity as there was a Guatemalan military chicken bus parked right in front of the Cathedral. See exhibit 1 below (first photo from the left).
In my opinion, it was a nice gesture to let handicrafts into the hallways of the Museo del Libro Antiguo (Old Book Museum) through the month of May. The handicrafts add some vibrant colors to the otherwise muted color palette of the museum. I have some more shots from this encounter… would you like to … Read more
Through our mothers’ safety zone we learn to crawl, walk, run, swim and fly! It is only fair that we assign one day out of the year to celebrate their unconditional support and the safety zone they provide for us. In Guatemala, it is on May 10th that Mother’s Day is celebrated as “Día de … Read more
The fresh produce available at the Farmers’ Fair and at the market are so irresistible. As you can see in the picture above, many people took advantage of the produce available at the fair instead of going all the way to el mercado.
Today’s Palm Sunday or Domingo de Ramos as today’s known in the Catholic Realm. Last year, Domingo de Ramos fell on April 1st and the photo of the day was the palm flower arrangements available in the La Antigua Guatemala’s market. Today’s photo is very similar to last year’s, but this time the photo was … Read more
I find the singing of the indigenous people extremely haunting and touching, even though, they are singing evangelical hymns. To me this singing has another layer of pain and denouncing which is above the meaning of the words they sing; something much older and more mystical than the religious hymn brought by the European Christianity.
