MY FIRST MAY DAY PARADE (AND IT ACTUALLY RAINED ON IT!)

A ruddy-faced Maximon smoking his pipe

Weather: Sweltering to the nth degree. Truly the lobby of hell.

I haven't written lately, not due to lack of material. Quite the contrary, busy as a coked-up hamster on a wheel. And with the same feeling of being on the fast--fast!--track to nowhere. But that's okay because it never stops being interesting.

So, turned in the dissertation--yes! finally!--and instead of taking a break or finding a "for real" job, I immediately started a new research project. This one shall be a book. I hope. Well, maybe my dissertation will be one too, but that is the pipe dream of all doctoral candidates, I'm afraid. Not a very original one either. Plus, my diss. topic is depressing.

My dissertation uses lots of economics, graphs and charts, statistical analysis and so on ... as some dissertations are wont to do. I had to study plenty of economics as an undergrad and as a graduate student. I admit I enjoy it, though I hate to crunch numbers. But the new research project will be more history based, no charts, no economic theory.

May Day Parade in Guatemala City

So I know a little bit of economics--which is why I am always deeply amused by people in the US, but mostly here in Guatemala, who talk about economics as if it were a rigurous science subject to the same unalterable rules as Mother Nature. That is sooo 1980s (I think it's safe to say that academia here is somewhat behind the times). Plus, I believe that in the US we've come to the realization that big crooks have a big influence on the economy, and it has nothing to do with any sort of natural cycle.

While I seldom bother to do so, I often want to tell them, people, please. Think!

Economics is not natural law. It is influenced and shaped by people and complex/conflicting human interests. And when the economy is left "untended," bad things tend to happen. Like big corporations abusing it, looting the system, muscling out the little business guys and so on. Moreover, people don't behave like clockwork either. But, whatever. It's not like I really care that they believe this, that or anything else.

Just seems to me that believing that economics behaves with the immutability of, I don't know, the solar system, is akin to believing all the flaky celestial stuff that people here who are sooooo into that "angels" thing believe.

May Day Parade

Ah, don't get me started on the angels! People here worship angels in a seriously cult-ish fashion. I am not talking about regular Jewish or Christian angels. These are very New Age, yet amped to an exponential power of about 10 by the overwhelming, ultra-passionate (yet not very sophisticated) Catholic environment. Everywhere--newspapers, the Internet--books, myriad courses and workshops on how to "talk" to the angels are announced ... (you need a workshop for that?).

Ah well. To each his or her own! I believe I'll win the lottery some day. If one has to believe in something, I find that a more realistic proposition. And more fun to daydream about.

May Day Parade in Guatemala City

Anyhow, one of the things that happened here was the May Day Parade. I had never been to a May Day parade before. Never felt an overwhelming desire to, either. I have to say, it was incredibly long. I mean, like 14 blocks long, non-stop. And very lively and well-organized. They were protesting all sorts of things and demanding all sorts of things, and celebrating too, some of which made sense and others I really don't know what they are all about.

Ceviche

Unfortunately, since I cannot vote here, I am not as educated about the local politics as I should be, even though I had to study plenty modern Latin American history in college and have lived here off and on.

I do understand that some foreign corporation has been undeniably polluting the waters of a Mayan community and the latter have been striving to make them stop for a long time. They were protesting that. But y'all know how that goes. Just look at those dreadful poisoned lakes and rivers we have in the USA, some having achieved Superfund status. Not that anybody will ever superfund anything here! That kind of money would just slide directly into the personal bank accounts of many politicians, of the right and left persuasion just the same.

May Day Parade Banner protesting the Mexico-US border wall

I bumped into the May Day parade when on my way to meet some friends for ceviche, actually. And it did rain that day! Fluffy hair day for those of us who got the hair.

I met my friends at a cevicheria we call "Narnia" because it has no name. It is on 6 Avenida, inside a beautiful-beautiful old house behind a dreary, dank shop which sells cheap backpacks. It's, yes, like a secret garden. I must tell you about it some day, I have taken great pictures of it. The biggest ceviche comes in a deep bowl. It goes for US$10 and it. is. delicious. Cold beers are less than US$2.

So, met with a friend who is a newspaper editor and another a D.A. Always fascinating conversation with these guys. We have the darkest-darkest sense of humor ever. Lunch lasted 4 hours!

Maximon Shrine

These weeks, have had nieces and nephews come visit from the US and Argentina, and my 3 kids with their significant others, none of whom speak Spanish in any real sense.

Okay, my kids do speak Spanish---they have spent vacations here, and grew up in Texas and Florida!--but the respective spouse, fiancee and girlfriend are, to put it kindly, unfluent. One daughter, the lawyer, is married to a police detective from Indiana (the law and order ones); the other, the entrepreneur, to a French Canadian firefighter (the adventurous ones); and my son, who's a philosophy undergrad, came with a new Pol. Sci. girlfriend. Don't know about them yet!

Platter of taco meats, pico de gallo and fixins'

Whenever they come here, they all want to go to Los Cebollines, a popular Mexican chain restaurant. One of them is within walking distance from our building.

Now, this is not "Mexican" like one gets in Texas, which is really Tex-Mex and delish in its own way. I shall never be one to diss good Tex-Mex! What you get here in Guatemala, however, is "the real deal" in Mexican food, and that is why they love it. It really is much better, made with fresher ingredients, spicier, hotter. The beef and chicken taco platter serves 2 or 3, and it is a great value for your money. I have talked with foreign academics who come often, they all like to go to Los Cebollines.

That taco platter there? It is like US$12. It is really big. I mean, that's seriously cheap! Comes will lots of fixins' and tortillas. I recommend it.

The Queso Fundido (Fondue)

My preferred dish at Los Cebollines and other local restaurants is the queso fundido or melted cheese--really like a fondue, but with corn tortillas. I get a large one for around US$7.00 give or take a dollar. Very filling. Though because I have a really good cook, we don't eat out as much as in the US, but when we go out, we tend to be the churrasco (big steaks) and queso fundido type.

Sorry, vegetarian friends! I might see the light some day, and turn vegetarian! But like Augustine said, Not yet, Lord, not yet!

Other things that can be had very inexpensively here is silver jewelry. I have my favorite silversmiths in the Mercado Central, one is a German lady who designs awesome stuff. Has plenty of European clientele. Everything is easily a third or a fourth of what you'd pay in the USA, depending on the craftsmanship, of course.

My daughter's bracelet

There are some very skillful artisans at the Mercado Central nearby, when one can get jade and silver for pennies on the dollar. My daughters never fail to get some jewelry when they come. This time some really lovely bracelets were purchased.

By the way, while shopping at a market in Antigua this Sunday, chanced upon the altar built to a Maximon. I have talked of these before, an amalgam of Christian and Mayan idols, its called Saint Simon in Spanish. He is neither good nor bad, he just is.

The idea is that you request something from him--you go there bearing gifts, of course--and it is up to you if what you request is good or evil. Maximon just grants. But if you do evil, it shall come back to haunt you. So he's karmic. I guess?

Piece from Jaime Permuth's series

Anyhow, the pictures on this blog are of that particular Maximon. He's always smoking a pipe or a cigar. Not a great role model for our increasingly tobacco-free environment.

Strange stuff about Maximon and angels reminds me of the ongoing Guatemalan Art Biennale. Of course, I've been going. I am not a huge fan of conceptual art, though I like cleverly-done, humorous takes on pop culture. However, my preferred venue for that is comics and graphic novels.

Nevertheless, several friends and acquaintances have had their work accepted, including my friend Jaime Permuth from New York, whom of course had the best photography in the show. Because he is my friend. And because he is an award-winning photographer who teaches at NYU. So the quality of his work over the local stuff was plain to see.

-Sculptures made with car bumpers

When it comes to photography and design, there are few locals who are up to par with the sophistication of foreign photographers and designers who come to visit or live here, though there are some.

Re the Biennale, I like some well-done interesting pieces, like the super smooth sculptures made from car bumpers. I can imagine that they'd look cool in, perhaps, some theme bar.

I cannot imagine, however, who buys/likes stuff like Barbies hacked into pieces and stuffed into buckets. I mean, really! Yeah, yeah, we "get it" ... the consumerist ethos, the violence done to women by forcing upon us impossible ideals, actual violence/crimes against women, yada yada yada ... but using Barbies is so done! I am a feminist. But this is just trite. Enough already. Lets find fresher ways of saying things.

Hacked up barbies in a bucket

So, as in most Biennales, you get a mixture of God-awful, what-were-the-judges-thinking? kind of crap, and some very clever and well done art. There was a lot of stuff to see. And parties.

Talking of well done, there was a documentary film festival here which was actually pretty good. There were filmmakers from all over the world, with documentaries from Rwanda, Argentina, Mexico, and others. The topic was Justice and Memory. For Guatemala, well-organized and a good selection of documentaries.

German producer Uri Stelzner came to show his controversial but strong documentary La Isla: Archives of a Tragedy. You can read a summary of the documentary here.

It was shown 3 times at the huge Teatro Nacional, and all three times it was filled to the point where there wasn't a seat available. We got four tickets--it was invitation-only--so we brought along some friends. I was impressed not only by the quality of the film, but also by the strong, emotive reaction of the public. People crying, though it isn't made as a tear-jerker. People angry. Angry/sarcastic laughter at some points. And everybody was clearly eager to know more about what happened during those years.

There were all sorts of types in the audience: blue collar people, university students, wealthy people, foreign-dignitary types, activist types, and so on. It was amazing, in the very real sense of the word.

Uli Stelzner answering questions at La Isla presentation

Stelzner had a q-and-a with the audience afterward, which really enriched the event. I am going to buy the film, but am glad I got to hear Stelzner speak of the process of making the film and how and why he did it.

In the documentary Stelzner allows people to talk: those victimized by the civil war, archive employees, a CIA operative, and others. Some tell of the ways in which the discovery of the Historic Archives--a surreal story all by itself!--has helped them come to terms with the past. It is of special interest to me, because I am in the process of filing my paperwork to get my historic research started there.

Teatro Nacional (National Theater) for La Isla screening

The fascinating archives are not open to the public, but they are to journalist and academics who get their projects approved. Mine has been approved, pretty much, so I am very excited about it. I went there today, actually, for the third time and everybody is tremendously professional and helpful. It is clear that all are extremely enthused with their curating and recovery work, as well.

If you read Spanish, you can read about the actual archives--I urge you to--by clicking here.

Anyhow, La Isla can be bought here at Sophos and ManifesArte for Q.100, and Blockbuster in the US has it, I understand. The ending is not happy, yet it is powerful and inspiring. Watch it!

Scene from La Isla: Archives of a Tragedy

Anyhow, so that is that. Plenty of other stuff happening.

Several non-profit groups have formed bike-riding teams to "take back the streets" and organize mass bike rides throughout the city, especially downtown Guatemala. Bigger and bigger, some with paid security, some just a big group of people happily riding their bikes and ringing their chimes.

All ages, and not surprisingly, lots of foreigners in the group. Europeans and some Asians seem to really have developed the bike thing in their countries! Be it as it may, it has really taken off and I hope it isn't just a fad. I am waiting to get a bike, but if it isn't a fad, I will get me one!

Flyer announcing a weekend night-time bike ride
(isn't it cool?)

The Inn has some really good weeks, some not-so-good weeks, but right now we have gotten some corporate accounts, including Wal-mart, so that's turned out pretty neat.

My kids and nieces/nephews have brought me a great quantity of books and magazines from the US, shampoos and conditioners, the sort of groceries which cannot be found here: brown sugar Splenda, black-eyed peas (hey, I'm from the South!), pinto beans, Godiva chocolate. Computer batteries, 'cause they're too expensive here. So ... I . am. set.

Lots of magazines, yay! (And Godiva chocolate to boot)

Surprisingly, lots of things like Hunts Barbeque sauces in different flavors, wild rice, Hershey's chocolates, and all sorts of American goodies are quite easy to find here. Just so you know! BTW, don't you just adore the new A1 Peppercorn sauce? Isn't it do die for?

I must tell you about this magic place cevicheria, y'all, and our latest trip to Antigua, but that shall have to wait for next time. It will be soon. I promise! And I hope you all are healthy and happy.

www.QualityGuate.com

Hotel - Lofts - Parking
In the Historic Center of Guatemala City