Slaughtering Pigs with my Host Family for Christmas **Warning graphic pictures**

I had a very different experience this past Christmas. I was invited to watch and help slaughter two pigs with my host family for Christmas. They apparently do this every year and sell the meat. Last year I went back to the U.S. to be with my family for the holidays so this was the first time that I was able to participate. I honestly did more watching than participating. 

I am a huge animal lover so I thought that this was going to be a really terrible experience for me, but I was actually able to get through it without too much difficulty. That being said, I have no desire to ever see that again. Which is partially why I probably will not be watching my own video of this event for a long time. It is posted below, but I will warn you I think that it is hard to watch. 

Sign advertising that they will be selling Pig meat on December 24

Tying down the first pig

Cleaning the dead pig with boiling water

They stuck a corn cob in it to close up the knife hole and shaved off all of
the hair with knives

It was an all-ages event. The sun must have been in this little girl's eyes when I took the picture, because she was very happily carrying the fat and pig parts from the pig to the chopping table. The kids even fought over who got to carry the bigger pieces.

This little girl below was touching everything. She would go over and touch the pig that was hanging up then wander around. At one point I saw her eating cotton candy. I can only hope that she washed her hands first. I pulled large knives out of her hands a couple of times but everyone seemed to be fine with her playing with the pig skin/fat below with a large knife.

Pig heart

Almost as soon as the meat was off of the pig people started showing up
and they sold the meat

Fuentes Georginas: The Natural Hot Springs Outside of Xela

If you are visiting Xela I recommend visiting the Fuentes Georginas. These are natural hot water springs that people swim in. There are three different main pools that, depending on the time of year and amount of rain, range from scalding hot to hot to warm. I usually hang out in the second pool (which is really more like a hot tub) with occasional trips to the hotter pool. It's located in a pretty area and it's generally foggy which gives the area a mystical feel.

These hot springs are located about an hour outside of Xela. You can take a public Chicken bus to Zunil where you barter with a pickup truck driver on how much he will charge to take you the rest of the way in the back of his truck. OR you could take the private shuttle through Adrenalina tour for about the same price and none of the haggling. 

Back Strap Weaving Demonstration at AMA

There are around 60 NGOs that work in and around the Xela area. One such NGO is AMA, The Highland Women's Association or the Asociación de Mujeres del Altiplano. Here is a description of the organization taken from their website:

"The Highland Women Association (AMA) is an organization of Maya women working in rural communities within the Western Highlands of Guatemala. It was founded in 1994 and we are now a 200 member strong Association with a reach of thousands of people. Their goal is to break cycles of dependency by increasing the agency of women to make them the agents of transformation in their communities. We recognize cultural and economic dependency as a major indicator in perpetuating cycles of poverty. We seek to empower women and their communities to take advantage of opportunities and solve problems." http://amaguate.org/

I have a couple of friends who volunteered for AMA and really enjoyed the work that they did and the people they worked for and with. Ama also hosts groups doing travel-service trips that offer a good mix of getting to see the Guatemalan highlights and volunteering in the rural communities.

The traditional textiles make here in Guatemala are done on back strap looms. This practice is still widely in use to this day, especially in the rural areas. When my parents came to visit me here in Guatemala I set up a brief back strap weaving class through AMA where we learned about the process and then got to try our hand at weaving. The woman who taught the mini class made it look quick and simple, but it is far from it! I have a newfound appreciation for the beautifully intricate and colorful textiles that are made here in Guatemala.

InstaGUATE

Every social media site serves a slightly different purpose. One of my personal favorites is Instagram. The saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" is cliché, but I really believe it. I love taking photos and this country is just super photogenic. Thinking about coming to visit Guatemala? You should! Just check out the article: 10 Reasons Why You Should Travel To Guatemala. I would make a very similar list.

Anyway, follow me if you would like! My username is: m3ganrose9

Barbies in traje típico

This is why they call the public transportation here Chicken busses

View from our hotel room at Casa Del Mundo on Lake Atitlan

My neighbors

Courtyard in Antigua

One of my host dogs, Mona, and her puppies

Interesting steering technique at Lake Atitlan

Waiting for the bus

A man walking sheep in my town

One of the many cats that lives in my house

My host Dad, right, doing a baptism

Morning view in Xela

Door in San Marcos, Lake Atitlan

Cultural Differences: What Some Guatemalans Don't Understand

I think Peace Corps actually gives perspective host families a training on this.

Guatemalans have a very communal culture. Generally, at least out in the rural communities where we live and work, three generations live under the same roof. In two of the host families that I have lived with, all of the women are in charge of caring for the younger members of the family. They do this so much so that the kids call their mom, their aunts, and grandmother "mami." I think that most American families would cringe and the thought of living with their relatives, but it seems to work here. 

Guatemalans also tend to spend a lot more of their time in communal areas rather than alone in their respective rooms. I think this might also partially be due to the lack of many material things that I have found in a lot of Guatemalan houses. There is generally one TV and with such large families, sharing rooms is common. I spend a good number of hours alone in my room, listening to music, doing things on my computer such as working on this blog, reading, watching movies, etc. It's not because I'm angry or sad, it's just nice to be by myself sometimes and not worry about what grammatical mistake I just made in Spanish. In addition, my host family doesn't have a living room so either I am in the kitchen with them, or I am in one of their rooms sitting on one of their beds. Another difference that I have noticed is a lack of reading for fun. Whenever I read in common areas in my host family's house they ask me what I am studying. I can count on one hand the number of Guatemalans who I have seen reading for fun. These are just two of the cultural differences that I have noticed in my almost two years living in Guatemala.