DON VALERIO AND HOLGAR THE SWEDE

The green roof project stalled because a) the greenhouse where I buy all my plants closed and b) my son came to visit from the States and most everything in my life stalled at that point.

The greenhouse thing is not mere capriciousness, though. I have visited several in Guatemala--garden and plant shops are ubiquitous, to say the least--and I had finally settled on that one because it was lovely, set in the midst of a forested land, it had great plants and cheap prices, and they accepted my USA debit card. The latter is sort of a requirement, as I hate to go around with wads of cash.

So my son returned to the US yesterday and the search for a new greenhouse begins today. I am also quoting prices for new linens, trying to get the whole place painted all over again, etc. It does get busy. And providers here are quite inefficient and slow, so that doesn't help.

The picture above is of Don Valerio, our gardener and in-house tyrant. Most people who meet him believe he is a sweetheart and are further moved by the fact that he has a twisted leg and some scoliosis of the spine. He smiles a lot and has a warm manner.

Until he is crossed; at which point, he'll start stomping his (good) foot, waving his arms aggressively, and yelling and spitting out all sorts of profanity. And I do mean Profanity, with a capital P. If he were on TV, it would be all one long beep.

The man has a green thumb equaled by none (none!) and he has made a barren little garden flourish lushly more than once--I guess all his physical ailments cause him lots of pain, as well, which may account for the catankerous mood--but the fact is that I would trade Don Valerio for nobody.

So the green roof project is on the go again. Under Don V's direction. It will be all potted plants, since preparing the roof for this old building for soil and water would be financially untenable and probably inefficient. In my dreams ...

... the green-roof-to-be will look like the picture immediately above.

Hence, this week I must come up with a new plant shop, quotes for hotel linens, bookkeeping, and going to the (in)famous police archives from the years of the dirty wars, which were recently opened to the public, previous an interview and screening, it seems. It will definitely be interesting.

The latter have police records dating back to 1880 and of many of the more than 20,000 disappeared during the years of the civil wars. The archive, with its reams of incriminating information, is protected by a court order and aided by human rights organizations.

I was inspired with the idea of going there thanks to Dr. L. Garland, a young historian who teaches at NYU and stayed with us last week. Her idea of having a good time was to make the trip to the archives. We went out for beers later on and she was telling us the whole story.

I swear, through this business, you meet the most interesting people.

By the way, some people are starting to get the impression that I go out often with guests to have beers. It's more like, well, we're going out to have beers, the guest was also going out to have a beer and next thing you know, we're all going out to have a beer.

Anyhow. We went with young Dr. Garland and some other friends to El Establo Bar, owned by Holgar the Swede, who has what is probably the best collection of classic rock LPs and CDs this side of the border. He is called Holgar the Swede because he is from Sweden, you know. In case you were wondering.

A photo of this really cool bar is right below. The man and his place are a Guatemalan institution. When I started going to bars ... back in the day ... in Guatemala, it was always to El Establo, and we were usually the youngest people at the place. I tended to prefer going to places like El Establo and O.K. Corral than to dance clubs. Though I did plenty of the latter too.


Because a nerd cannot live only from books, you know.

Not a very wholesome adolescence, all the books you can read (my mother believed in allowing me to read anything, so I was reading books like Lolita, You're Ok I'm Ok, and Story of O when I was like 13!). Top it all with these bars full of all sorts of characters when I was around 14 years of age, and you do get quite a good book and music education, I'll say that.

As for the police archives, I am endlessly curious and love digging through old stuff, so decided that I must make a trip to the place. I'll let you know how that ended up! Before I part, I will post below one of the views from our roof. See why I want a garden up there?

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In the Historic Center of Guatemala

ZAPATISTA DOLLS AND THE JESUS CHAIR.

Photo: La Cuevita de los Urquizú

I don't know if you've seen these before (below), but I hadn't, and I spend a lot of time in Guatemala.

These are Jesus chairs and from what I understand, the idea is that you ... well, you sit on Jesus. I'm neither Catholic nor religious, but the idea still seems a bit disrespectful to me! Like sitting on Daddy's lap?

Reminds me of a guest of ours who insisted he could see the image of Jesus on a bedroom chair. All we saw was a wood stain, heathens that we are. We had to assure him we'd call a priest to check out the chair.

Either way, it's interesting. Even more interesting, however, ...

... were the Zapatista dolls, which look like a tiny-scale Ninja army. I want to take some back for my nephew in the U.S. Well, some children play with GI Joe dolls (or "action figures," if you must), others shall play with Zapatista dolls.

Maximón (below) is not a plaything. It's a character revered by many Guatemalans, Mayan or not. It is a synchretic melange of Mayan god and Catholic saint, and its followers take him very seriously. I always felt a deep sympathy for Maximón (sort of a doppelganger of St. Simon), even though many fear him as a kind of malignant being.

From what I understand, he is neither good nor bad. Maximón is actually like a mediator. If a petitioner asks for something bad, then that is the petitioner's personal responsibility. Maximón only grants and it is up to the petitioner how she/he uses the granted wish. Kind of existentialist, if you ask me.

There was one that was sporting NY Yankees baseball cap. I also saw a typical Mayan woven-wool blanket that displayed a huge "Obama" sign. US hegemonic cultural imperatives in the Mayan arts & crafts market and all that jazz. Still, I kind of like it.

Anyhow, if you are ever in Antigua, do as I do, and go have lunch at La Cuevita de los Urquizú (the little cave of the Urquizú's). For less than US$10 they give you a main dish and 2 side dishes, and it's always delicious and huge.

They have so much to choose from that it's a very angst-ridden decision. For vegetarians, there is a meal with 5 vegetarian side dishes, and it's very tasty.

All sorts of people go to the restaurant: locals, backpackers, middle class people, wealthy people, en fin, quite the democratic admixture. Everybody has to stand in line and sit wherever each may fit, as the place is almost always full.

Some of the stews offered at La Cuevita can be seen below. I wish I knew how to cook some of that stuff and in olla de barro, as well!

The Historic Center Festival (below) is going on right now and it has been fantastic. Street performers, hip hop/spoken word poetry, rock concerts, art exhibits, film, theater, dance, etc. And I mean, a lot of it all. All free. Also lots of free food and bar-hopping involved. Bar fare not free.

If you're in Guatemala these days, the schedule of events is here. Even if you won't be coming, check out the website for its really cool pictures.

One of the highlights of the festival was the musica sacra concert at the Cathedral (below). I am more of a blues/rock kind of person, but the concert was truly magnificent and received a standing ovation. It was performed by one tenor and two sopranos and It . Was . Awesome.

The whole festival has been tons of fun and lots of aesthetic pleasure for all kinds of tastes. So if you're in town, come check it out. It has really opened a space for indie artists and art collectives, so one sees a side of Guatemala usually not available to the mainstream visitor.

www.QualityGuate.com

Hotel - Lofts - Parking
In the Historic Center of Guatemala

PHILOSOPHY AND FOOD IN GUATEMALA

Today I attended the inaugural session of the 3-day conference titled 8th International Congress of Philosophy at Universidad Rafael Landivar (the Jesuit university), the topic being contemporary concepts of corporality (or embodiment).

In Guatemala institutions of higher learning don't do a good job of promoting their conferences, so there was nothing on the university's website--that I could find--and only a small item in the back pages of the newspaper. It is a pity, since it is a very interesting conference, with the participation of scholars from many different fields all addressing the topic from within their disciplines.

The conference began with a beautiful rendition of Vivaldi by the excellent camerata group of Professor Dieter Lehnoff, which garnered a really long (and well-deserved) applause. Lenhoff is a well-known music scholar of German nationality, whose long labor of recovery of Guatemalan Baroque music is really awesome. I collect all the CDs his project turn out. Clearly Lehnoff trains his music students with the same care he curates his CDs.


The inaugural keynote speaker of the event was Dr. Michael Purdy, head of the Communications Studies Department at Governors State University in Illinois. Purdy is a spearheading scholar in the growing field of Listening Studies. Full disclosure here: I had the pleasure of co-authoring a communication textbook chapter with Michael and have read and attended other of his presentations.

He really does a great job of combining his diverse interests in exploring mindfulness and listening. Moreover, he's got a side-job as an artistic photographer, for which he has won awards. You can see that side of him here.

All of this came into play in his presentation, Including the body: reflecting self potraits. In his presentation he did not read from notes, but spoke entirely extemporaneously and with such naturalness and knowledge it truly was engaging to everybody. Luckily, the university offered simultaneous translation technology for all who needed it.

His talk addressed views of the "self" from the Greeks up to our days, and the ways in which these are expressed. He also questions, in interesting ways--and through his own photographic art--the extent to which the self is subjective. Lots of food for thought there.

Dr. Algis Mickunas from Ohio University, considered by some one of the best philosophers in the field today, will present on the last day of the conference. Presenting, besides philosophers, are musicians, dancers, theologians, scholars from the disciplines of Perfomance Studies, Mayan Studies, Literature, Psychology. Scholars presenting come from Guatemalan universities and from USA schools, Universidad de Salamanca, University of Frankfurt and others.

I will return for more. Not only is it free, but they did a good job of feeding us! Talking of food in Guatemala.

Buying food for cooking in Guatemala is quite an experience. First, for some reason, fresh food simply lasts longer in my fridge in the USA than it does here. I do not know if the reason for this is that a) fresh produce in the US already has some sort of preservative added to it or b) the kind of produce selected for consumption in US markets is longer-lasting than the varieties one gets in the market here.

Be it as it may, produce here is bigger in size--the carrots, cabbages, turnips, bell peppers, etc. are huge--and much tastier. The variety of bananas and potatoes is amazing and buying produce and fruit here is a joy. I just wish I were a better and more dedicated cook!

So here are some recommendations: Aguacate (avocado) is a daily staple. To buy avocado, you squeeze it and if it yields without much pressure, it is ready for tomorrow (para mañana). If it is very soft, it is ready for today (para hoy). Rock hard, the avocado is going to last a few days. In said case, wrap it in newspaper and don't put in the fridge.

When it comes to buying corn, there is elote tierno and elote sazón (tender corn and mature corn), depending upon your preference. Most people prefer tender corn because it is softer and juicier, but I prefer to buy it sazón, because it is mushier and has a stronger flavor. You have it boiled or grilled on coals, with lime and coarse salt.

In general, don't buy produce thinking it'll last a week, for most barely lasts a few days in the fridge. That's why markets still thrive here, as cooks have to go to the market almost daily.

Same goes for fresh dairy. I buy goats' milk twice a week. The goatherder comes to the door of our building, he is given the pitcher, and he fills it up. I, in turn, pasteurize it and it is so creamy and frothy at the same time, it is delicious with coffee or used to make simple fresh cheese. By the way, it's hard to find hummus here, so I just make my own as well. I make hummus, cheese and granola, and that's about it. Not a great cook, me.

Dairy products in Guatemala are of excellent quality and variety if one knows where to get them. All sorts of butters, buttermilk, cheese, etc. I prefer the artesanal products. There is a cooperative named Xelac which produces a very good quality Swiss, Rocquefort, Gouda, Edam, etc. at half the price of imported. I also buy mantequilla de costal, salt-free freshly-churned artesanal butter, at the market.

Tortillas are very different from what you get in the USA or Mexico. Even corn tortillas are different, smaller in circumference and much thicker. I love them, though.

So much for food in Guatemala, the good and the bad. The bad is that to this day, I still often open the produce compartment in my fridge thinking I will be grilling some veggies, and they've turned to mush. But I can live with that, because the fresh produce situation here is so good.

www.QualityGuate.com

THE "SECRET" MIGRATION CONFERENCE

Well. Turns out that there was a big international conference on migration, and Guatemala City was its seat. It was kept it under wraps until right before the conference (Why? Inquiring minds would like to know). From what I understand, two days before the conference started the government gave a press announcement, as inconspicuous as they could keep it. Said conference was the 14th Regional Conference on Migration, which took place in July, with government and international security representatives from Canada, United States, Mexico, all of Central America, the Dominican Republic, etc. in attendance. The topic was "Migration and Development."

I googled further and found comments from local and foreign media and activist organizations complaining of lack of access to the conference and for their having been restricted to a brief press conference on the very last day. The purpose of the conference, according to the announcement, was to ensure an "orderly" repatriación (nice way of saying deportation), conducted with "dignity and safety," via land. Which technically means having deportees cross Mexico by bus, I guess.

Be it as it may, an activist group called Red Regional de Organizaciones Civiles para las Migraciones (Regional Network of Civil Organizations for Migrations), which participated in the conference, published online the statement they read at this conference, which may be found here (in Spanish). I must confess I haven't read all of it, but did download it to read later.

So. That was interesting. I also found--

... and this is what happens when you google idly, I guess--a conference to take place in Antigua (photo above) on the dates of August 13 and 14. Turns out it is a big-ish international conference titled International Seminar on Populism and Democracy in the Contemporary World, sponsored by FLACSO and with presenters from universities and think tanks in the USA, Mexico, Argentina and other.

Brief parenthesis here--I try to post only pictures I've taken myself (with some exceptions, such as the picture of migrant workers at the very top)--and the last time I took pictures at Antigua it was New Year's Eve. Hence the lively nightlife scene. Nothing like New Year's in Antigua, you all.

So. Back to the upcoming conference.

I called to see what's up. Turns out registration was limited in number and full. Moreover, it had already closed! I played nice and said I am from a USA university and that my son would be here, all the way from University of Florida, and so on. The registrar took pity and was nice enough to make an exception. So we're registered for the conference. My son, who'll be spending a couple weeks here before classes begin again, likes to play the party animal but is really a very social justice-oriented young guy majoring in political philosophy. He was thrilled when I told him what we'd be doing those days in Antigua.

I've spawned another nerd, what can I say.

Plus, any excuse is good to go to Antigua.

The photo above is one of the views that can be enjoyed from our rooftop. Today I started work on the rooftop garden, which will have several graffiti murals and many leafy plants.

Don Valerio, our marvelously-skilled gardener, insists I have azaleas and geraniums and went into detailed explanations on the kinds of soil admixture I had to get for each type of plant---he'd lost me the moment he said soil, but whatever. I dare not contradict the man, who's been known to throw kick-ass tantrums when we don't do his bidding (scary to think what he'd do at the head of military power!).

So the rooftop will be a green roof/solarium/graffiti garden. I am already thinking of wiring it for wi-fi as well.

Today one of our long-stay guests left, historian Dr. Dunn. More than anything else, he is a Southern storyteller in the best sense of the tradition. You know what I mean; those long, seemingly aimless stories told in a cool North Carolina drawl (dra-ah-awl) and full of really funny puns. He's also one of those rare creatures who actually returns a borrowed book (wish I could claim the same!). That's awesome. He will be missed.

That's one of the great things of this place: all the interesting people we meet and pass.

www.QualityGuate.com

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In the Historic Center of Guatemala

WRITERS!!! Novel writers, academic writers, graff writers ...

Lately I've had lots to do, but still went to the International Bookfair--FILGUA--and attended one of its events, the conversatorio between the famous Francisco Goldman (writer for The New Yorker, Harper's, The New York Times and author of several internationally acclaimed novels based in Guatemala) and Dante Liano (left on photo below), a beloved Guatemalan author who is not as famous as Goldman, but is defintely well-known in the arena of Latin American literature and idolized in Guatemala. Photo of Goldman above, in virulent tones of red (my flash isn't working!).

Goldman said that as a writer, writing without Guatemala would have been as if Faulkner had written without The South. Unimaginable! Liano spoke about being a writer in exile and how Guatemala has been central to his life's work. Interesting mulling on the issue of place/space in the writer's imagination and work followed.

Both writers spoke at length about the endemic and constant fear that living in Guatemala entailed during the years of the military dictatorships, the pent-up anger at violence and injustice, and the writer's call for speaking out on violence and horror when the media at large ignores it. In other words, writer as public intellectual and the writers' voice as prophetic voice, etc. etc. During the talk, Liano looked laid back and Goldman looked stressed and sort of twitchy.

Overall, the conversation was passionate, funny, inspiring and informative. The audience packing the auditorium loved every minute of it.

We went to lunch at La Osteria (photo of La Osteria's monster-size calzones, above) and because Alvis Dunn (writer, academic, bartending virtuoso) was with us, and F. Goldman is an old friend of his, Goldman left the crowd that follows him around for a bit to have a beer with us! Wow, now that was neat. He's very "real" and funny in person. Didn't seem so stressed then.

By the way, A. Dunn co-authored Maya of Morganton (2003), a "must read" in the field of Latin American and migration studies. I'm looking forward to reading it myself. Anyhow ...

Photo above, the beautiful corridors of MUSAC, the Museum of the University of San Carlos in the historic center, housed in what used to be the Law School. That is where the presentation of the booklet authored by W. George Lovell and Christopher Lutz took place, History without Masks. Basically it's a tiny book that functions as the introduction to their abridged translation of Severo Martinez Pelaez's magnum opus, La Patria del Criollo.

It took place at the huge church-like auditorium of MUSAC--in the picture above, the entrance to said auditorium--and it was packed. I have to say that W. George Lovell (photo below) is a bit of a thespian, which is why listening to him speak at an event or having a round of beers with him is so fun and interesting. It was also entertaining to watch him surrounded by Guatemalans because the man is so goddarn tall and Guatemalans, well, are usually height-challenged. Just saying.

The booklet is interesting and has got cool pictures. Translation work of La Patria del Criollo took 20 years--it is a big ass book!--and I am glad it got translated into English, as the book is invaluable and deserves an even wider readership.

It is powerful reading. The first time I read La Patria del Criollo, it was mind-blowing. Especially for those of us who grew up--even partially--in Guatemala, it's as if a mirror is held to our faces. Not pretty. Truth can be a nasty thing to behold, you all.

Clearly most everybody who reads it feels that, for good or bad, it is a provoking book. Its analysis of class, ethnicity and nation-making is astounding and it has so much to contribute to its readers. I have gone to other presentations on La Patria del Criollo and the topic never fails to draw a big crowd. I have my disagreements with the book, but it doesn't take away from its overall worth.

On a lighter note ...

We had a ES Crew from El Salvador stay at the inn this weekend. They had been invited by EKS Crew, the biggest and most happening crew in Guatemala today. The young artists wrote over many spaces on our rooftop, where we are planning the solarium--so now that the weather will turn mellow and breezy, we're thinking of having more murals there, some chairs and tables, and calling it the Graffiti Garden. If you want to see the evolution of the rooftop graff murals just click here.

www.QualityGuate.com
Hotel - Lofts - Parking
In the Historic Center of Guatemala