OVOLA 4

1.       What do you make of decree 2,795? Explain what rational Ubico must have had to implement such a decree?

It is all for power. If the landowners have more power and the government and army support the landowners, then the president can then own the workers financial situation and livelihoods.

2.       Who was Jose Artigas and what did he do.

Jose Artigas was the leader of the first Agrarian Reform in Uruguay.

3.       Galeano ends ch. 2 discussing the backwardness of how many things have operated in Latin America. Give two examples of this backwardness and explain their importance for Latin American society.

One example was the fact that Latin America must import so much food that they could have grown there, which is not sustainable. Another example was when the government in Brazil gave land away then took it back when they discovered coffee was a cash crop.  

Open Veins of Latin America (Cuatro)

1.) What do you make of decree 2,795? Explain what rationale Ubico must have had to implement such a decree.

Decree 2975 was another way for Ubico to gain more control. As Galeano describes Ubico, "Ubico thought he was Napoleon." It was injustice. It allowed landowners to punish workers any way they wanted. Even killing them! It is wrong because first of all, the poor are forced to work on a land because there is no where else to go. They're given nothing. Since many of the poor were forced to work on land like fincas, the decreee made fincas more frightening to live on because it was legal for landowners to kill any innocent worker on the land.  
2.) Who was Jose Artigas and what did he do?

Jose Artigas was the leader of the Agrarian Reform in Uraguay who helped form the first Agrarian Reform in 1952. In Uraguay, the first Agrarian Reform was also known as the Eastern Province. It destributed land to the poor and provided them what was needed to make a living out of.  

3.) Galeano ends chapter 2 discussing the backwardness of how many things have operated in Latin America. Give two examples of this backwardness and explain their importance for the Latin American society.

Galeano mentions how land was freely distributed to anyone in Brazil who occupies the land and produced it. But when coffee became the "King Crop", the government took back the land to cultivate coffee. He also mentions that Latin America spends over $500 million on importing food where they could easily produce themselves. It just shows that their government isn't wise with what they do.

Open Veins of Latin America Chapter Three

1.) "Che Guevara said that underdevelopment was a dwarf with an enormous head and bloated stomach: its spindly legs and stubby arms do not fit with the rest of the body." (page 78). Galeano speaks about underdevelopment of Brazil due to the rubber trade in pages 87-91, the underdevelopment of Venezuela due to the caco trade in pages 91-94, the underdevelopment of El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Columbia due to the coffee trade in pages 97-99. Pick one of those sections and write an analogy like Che did that will describe how that industry affected the population. For example the coffee trade in Guatemala was like... Support your analogy with three examples from the text.

Brazil was way too dependent on Coffee. Nearly half of their income came from it. Meaning, if the prices rose, the country will do better off during that time. But if the prices were to drop, they would lose mass amounts of money and have no alternative way of getting it back. The coffee plantations affected the people in Brazil very similarly to what went on in Guatemala. They were paid next to nothing ($.07 to $.15 per day) which led to a high amount of avitaminosis victims. The coffee plant also exhausts the land of its nutrients, making it hard to replant anything on the land it's been on.

2. This chapter really focuses on how a country's dependence on a single crop deforms the economy. How does producing only one crop really distort trade relationships?

Being a single crop economy makes the country have to rely on others for nearly everything. They may be making a lot of money with the crop they're supplying for everyone, but all of that can easily disappear in a matter of days if another large competitor comes in. Being a single crop country, your relationships with other countries are a lot weaker then that of a competitor that supplies them with much more then just a crop like coffee.

3. On page 104 there is an extremely provocative quote for a brutal official of the Columbian war described in the preceding pages. When confronted after the war Galeano quotes him saying that he did not feel individually guilty for the atrocities he committed since the horror of the violence was merely the horror of the system. Respond.

You can't place the blame on a situation like this. Galeano was placed into the environment and he was bound to break under the pressure and follow what everyone else there was doing. But you can't really pardon him because of this. He did it and that will follow him for the rest of his life no matter whose "fault" it was.

Open Veins of Latin America Cuatro

1. What do you make of decree 2,795? Explain the rationale Ubico must have had to implement such a decree. Decree 2,795 declared it leagal for land owners to beable to commit crimes against workers without any legal repercussions. Essentially this meant that a landowner could kill an innocent worker for something as simple as gathering fire wood or just out of spite, with no imminent consequence. I think this is wrong; a prime example of injustice and inequality.The rational behind the whole thing was that the landowners should have the right to do what they want on their own land and it was simply meant to keep out tresspasers and maintain order. If you look at it that way it alsmost sounds like an okay thing but if you look at the deeper meaning, it was nothing but permission to kill. It just gave them away to justify the way the cruel ways they would treat their workers and left the workers with nothing to condem the landowners because thie actions were technically legal.This decree It was just a greater part of Ubicos scheme to control everything and oppress. It makes me wonder what his other 2,794 decrees were.
2.Who was Jose Artigas and what did he do? Jose Artigas was the leader of the Agraian Revolution in Uruguay. He helped to bring about the first Agraian Reform in Latin America. It's main goal was to settle the rural poor on the land and give them the means neccesary to sustain themselves. It was set up so that the land wouldn't end up in the hands of only a few, as it was previously. I found it really interesting that he supposedly always carried a US constitution and wanted to make a government based off the same ideals that our government was founded on. In the end, the same forces of injustice and inequality he was trying so hard to defeat, crushed his efforts and the country went back to the way it was before. This seems to be a common theme in the history in Latin America. Even in Guatemala it doesn't seem like much has changed after the war and all the people who fought to try and change things. Jose Artigas seems like a very good man.

3.Galeano ends chapter 2 discussing the backwardness of how many things have operated in Latin America. Give two examples of this backwardness and explain their importance for Latin American society. On page 126 Galeano writes about how in Latin America it is only 1.5 percent of al the agricultural landlords that own half of the cultivatible land. He also states that only 5 percent of the total land area is under cultivation. The numbers might be different now because this book was written in the 70's but I still think it is ridiculous. I think this is a reality around the whole of Latin America and it is the greatest cause of all it's problems. Because so few people own the land everybody else ends up at thier mercy. The few become rich off the many. When we were in Guatemala it seemed like there was only the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor, there is almost no middle ground. This is a sad truth that describes not only Guatemala but the entirty of Latin America.

OVOLA (three)

1.)    "Che Guevara said that underdevelopment was a dwarf with an enormous head and bloated stomach: its spindly legs and stubby arms do not fit with the rest of the body." (page 78). Galeano speaks about underdevelopment of Brazil due to the rubber trade in pages 87-91, the underdevelopment of Venezuela due to the caco trade in pages 91-94, the underdevelopment of El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Columbia due to the coffee trade in pages 97-99. Pick one of those sections and write an analogy like Che did that will describe how that industry affected the population. For example the coffee trade in Guatemala was like... Support your analogy with three examples from the text.

The coffee trade in Brazil was like an ocean of sharks because it caused the local peoples there so many problems but did nothing to the men with ships. 1. Brazil got about half of its export income from coffee. This means that the economy was very dependent on this crop. 2. Coffee brought inflation to Brazil. 3. Many areas with rich, fertile land were used to grow coffee. The production of coffee did not help the people of Brazil or Latin America, it helped the already rich in Europe.    

2.)    This chapter really focuses on how a country's dependence on a single crop deforms the economy. How does producing only one crop really distort trade relationships?

When all of the land in one area is used to grow only one crop, then this makes that country dependent on the imports from other countries. So a country might produce and export a certain amount of product, but then they have to turn right back around and buy basic necessities to live. Also with one crop you have the gamble that the year’s production might not be good or that the rest of the world could flood the market with the same good thereby lowering the price of that good.  

3.)    On page 104 there is an extremely provocative quote for a brutal official of the Columbian war described in the preceding pages. When confronted after the war Galeano quotes him saying that he did not feel individually guilty for the atrocities he committed since the horror of the violence was merely the horror of the system. Respond.

I believe that people do a lot of terrible things for all different reasons. For this specific example I feel as if war gets the best of people. When you are constantly around fighting and killing is would be easy to get caught up in the excuse that you did this because of the war. I have never believed that violence was ever the answer, but you can get pretty warped from the experiences you have to do and witness.  Anger controls action and I am not in any means justifying his actions, however, I can say that I can understand and although it is not the best way to release hostility this type of reaction is common and unfortunately normal.

Open Veins of Latin America (tres)

1.) "Che Guevara said that underdevelopment was a dwarf with an enormous head and bloated stomach: its spindly legs and stubby arms do not fit with the rest of the body." (page 78). Galeano speaks about underdevelopment of Brazil due to the rubber trade in pages 87-91, the underdevelopment of Venezuela due to the caco trade in pages 91-94, the underdevelopment of El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Columbia due to the coffee trade in pages 97-99. Pick one of those sections and write an analogy like Che did that will describe how that industry affected the population. For example the coffee trade in Guatemala was like... Support your analogy with three examples from the text.

In 1910 Brazil had almost all of the world's rubber reserves. The price of rubber reached its peak and Brazil became wealthy with all the money they made, but he rubber workers were paid very little for all the difficult work they did. In 1913, Brizilian rubber took a hit. The price of rubber fell a forth of what it was worth three years previously. Six years later Brazil was supplying an eighth of the worlds rubber and after fifty year they were importing half of their rubber from abroad. The reason why Brazil took a hit on the rubber industry is because of a man named Henry Whickham. In 1873 he smuggled a leaf of a rubber tree and started selling and distributing them to buyers which then started their own industry of rubber, leaving Brazil more dependent on other countries.


2.) This chapter really focuses on how a country's dependence on a single crop deforms the economy. How does producing only one crop really distort trade relationships?

The country of Brazil is a great example of a country's dependence on a single crop. Rubber is what made Brazil their money and was the only thing the country relied on with their economy. When Brazil started to take the blow in 1913, the country started to decline because  there were other countries that were also ditributing rubber. Brazil really suffered because of that single crop. They came from being the top producers to the bottom where they ended up relying on other countries to export rubber to Brazil.


3.) On page 104 there is an extremely provocative quote for a brutal official of the Columbian war described in the preceding pages. When confronted after the war Galeano quotes him saying that he did not feel individually guilty for the atrocities he committed since the horror of the violence was merely the horror of the system. Respond.

It was just an excuse for what the Colombian official did. To me that is wrong. It's like someone deciding  to do drugs because it's okay and everyone else is doing it. Does that mean it's okay? ....I think not. Just because it's an excuse doesn't mean it is right. We all know what is right from wrong but we just choose to do things because of how ignorant we are as human beings. We all have choices in what we do and we know what is moral sense. By making excuses means you know it was wrong but the only way to convince others of your actions is to make excuses. To me it is like he knows it was wrong and is guilty deep inside but tries to make it sound okay because it was because of the war.  

Open Veins of Latin America Tres

1.)Che Guevara said that underdevelopment was a dwarf with an enormous head and a bloated stomach; it's spindly legs and stubby arms do not fit with the rest of the body' (Pg. 78). Galeano speaks about underdevelopment of Brazil due to the rubber trade in pages 87-89, the underdevelopment of Brazil due to the rubber trade n pages 87-91, the underdevelopment of Venezuela due to the Cacao trade in pages 91-94, the underdevelopment of El Salavador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Columbia due to the Coffee trade in pages 97-99. Pick one of those sections an write an analogy like Che did that will describe how the Industry affected the population. For example the coffee trade in Guatemala was like.... Support your analogy with three examples from the text.

The Cacao trade was like a selfish, frivolous tyrant who only takes from his people. In the beginning of this chapter the plantation owners and how they barely pay their workers any money at all, rather they keep them in debt. They devote all of their land to growing cacao and don't give any of it to the people. All of the cacao gets shipped over seas to get made into chocolate. The people don't even get to reap the fruit of their labors.

2. This chapter really focuses on how a country's dependence on a single cash crop deforms the economy. How does producing only one cash crop really distort trade relationships?
The reason that dependence on a single cash crop deforms the economy and distorts trade relations is because EVERYTHING becomes dependent on that crop. Any change in price or production throws everything out of whack. If something happens to that one crop, the country has nothing else to fall back on. For example, if for some reason the prices fall, then everything is done for. It wouldn't be as bad if they had two or three main crops, that way if the price fell for one of them, the other two could hopefully make up the difference, it wouldn't be as big a blow. The same thing is true in the situation that another country starts producing the same crop and starts to take away buyers.
I thought the story about the British man who smuggled rubber seeds out of Brazil to Europe is extremely interesting.Until this time, Brazil dominated the rubber market and rubber dominated Brazil.Once Europe got their hands on the seeds and offered Brazil competition in the trade market, Brazilian prosperity thus "vanished in a puff of smoke". What was once Brazil's greatest source of prosperity(at least some people in Brazil) became it's ruin. It was only because rubber was its sole cash crop that the crisis hit so hard, if there had been something else to fall back on it might not have been so bad.

3.) On page 104 there is an extremely provocative quote from a brutal official of the Columbian war described in the preceding page. When confronted after the war, Galeano quotes him saying that he did not feel individually guilty for the atrocities he committed since the horror of the violence was merely the horror of the system. Respond.
I feel like there is a truth to the assertion that people do things, sometimes even terrible things, simply because of the power of the influences they are under. You see this in families all the time, if the parents are alcoholics then is it more likely, though not inevitable, that the children will also fall into this habit , you can say its just part of the cycle and I agree that it is very hard to break a cycle. I suppose it is the same in war. People will do terrible things because that's just what war is, and then justify that it isn't really their fault because it is just part of war. But does this make those acts ok? Does this make the person responsible less guilty for what they did? I feel like answering these kind of prompts can get really complicated because I always find so many layers and find it impossible to peel away to the bottom of them. I think it is one thing to say that war is the product of terrible things but it is another thing to say that you are not guilty if you committed crimes during war. Just last night I was reading about the Nuremburg trials and I was very interested by the fact that the twenty Nazi leaders on trial all pleaded Not Guilty. This is maddening. When I read the statement that this prompt refers to I immediately thought of the Nuremberg trials. I don't see how anyone can kill out of cold blood then plead themselves not guilty. You committed the crime, so therefore that makes you guilty.I don't think it is enough to say that killing is just a part of war because it wouldn't be a part of war if people just stopped doing it. But maybe that is too much to ask.

Open Veins of Latin America (Beginning of Chapter 2)

1.) Explain how sugar imposed incredible burdens on people as well as nature.

In order to grow sugar crops, it requires burning down the land to clear out everything so the sugar can be planted in the ground. In Latin America, their soil is known for its richness. Sugar crops absorb all of its rich nutrients and creates soil erosion, causing growers to cultivate more land in order to produce more sugar. As for the people, all the land is being destroyed because of soil erosion so it is difficult to grow any food for them and all the food Latin America recieved were imported from other countries which were quiet pricy for most people to afford.

2.) What happened on the Caribbean islands? Why do you think Galeano began the section entitled, "The Devastation of the Caribbean," with a Karl Marx quotation? What significance does it have?

The land on the Caribbean Islands were being used to grow sugar crops which ruined all of the soil. Food was imported that was traded for the sugar. Since sugar consumes a lot of land to continue to grow, the land was ruined. Karl Marx's quotation explains that coffee and sugar cane crops weren't grown there for a reason.

3.) Does the begginning of this chapter give you any sort of new perspective in captitalism? If it makes you feel disenchanted with the whole nation, what would you propose to implement in its place?

Capitalism doesn't account for everybody, whereas the ideals of democracy does. In my opinion it is one of the worst methods of economy. Very few end up being rich who practically run the government. All the people are left in poverty. Capitalism is "all about me". I would implement capitalism with democracy because a government should be ran by the people who make up a government.

Beginning of Ch. 2

1.       Explain how sugar imposed burdens on people as well as nature.

Sugar was a cash crop that drove many men into the business of growing it. In order to grow sugar the landowners had to burn down a plot of land which often had previously had food or trees growing on it. Then year after year as the plant continues to grow and be harvested it depletes the soil of its richness making the land unable to grow anything. With the land not being used for crops or other plants, this presents the opportunity for rains to come and create soil erosion.  In effect more land must be cultivated to continue growing sugar which then is yet another area not producing food for the people. Many of the natives working on the plantation and living in the area would go hungry or starve because there is no food growing in their area and they cannot afford the food that is imported.

2.       What happened to the Caribbean islands? Why do you think Galeano began this section entitled “The Devastation of the Caribbean,” with a Karl Marx quotation? What significance does it have?   

Everything that I just explained in question 1 happened to the Caribbean islands. They began importing almost all of their food and materials and exported almost all of the raw materials like sugar, wool, ect. I loved the quote by Karl Marx, “You believe perhaps gentlemen that the production of coffee and sugar is the natural destiny of the West Indies. Two centuries ago, nature,   which does not trouble herself about commerce, had planted neither sugarcane nor coffee trees there.” This quote is revealing that the pain of others and of the land is not God’s fault, but the fault of man.

3.       Does the beginning of this chapter give you any sort of new perspective on capitalism? If it makes you feel disenchanted with the whole notion, what would you propose to implement in its place?

Capitalism when based on the idea of hurting and exploiting others makes me very upset. All of the landowners know that they would not be able to do what do our make their money without their workers but yet they treat them like dirt, actually worse than dirt. If I could implement any form of government it would be a mixture of democracy and socialism. I don’t think that the Indians and Africans should be treated as they were and still are and should have their own land to grow food so that they are not so dependent on imports.

Open Veins of Latin America (Beginning of Chapter 2)

1. Explain how sugar imposed incredible burdens on people as well as nature.

The sugar industry is a major reason for Latin America's suffering over the past couple hundred years. The sugar crop requires tons of cultivation which means it requires tons of workers. To get the best profit out of this, slavery was adopted and became a huge reason for the success of the sugar business.

Another problem with sugar is it exhausts the soil. It's a weed that spreads and sucks all of the life out of the soil rendering it useless after the sugar has been harvested enough times. Also, to harvest sugar you need to burn it all down. These fires ended up spreading and killing many of the indigenous animals and plants.

2. What happened to the Caribbean islands? Why do you think Galeano began the section entitled, "The Devastation of the Caribbean," with Karl Marx quotation? What significance does it have?

The Caribbean Islands is an example of what went on in Latin America but to the extreme. Like the title of the section says, the land was devastated. What once was cotton, tobacco, oranges, cattle, and forests quickly got overrun by cane fields, there were mass amounts of slaves (over 80,000) and the soil was quickly becoming exhausted.

3. Does the beginning of this chapter give you any sort of new perspective on capitalism? If it makes you fell disenchanted with the whole notion, what would you propose to implement in its place?

Capitalism seems to always make a few people filthy rich, and many people very poor. It's based on a few powerful people exploiting the work of many in order to make themselves even richer. They will use some sort of method to keep the workers working for them until they literally worked to death.

I don't know much about politics and government but it seems like democracy works very well here in the United States so if I had the choice, i'd implement democracy to take the place of capitalism.

Open Veins of Latin America Chapter One

1. The challenge and the triumph in reading Galeano are in his expansive vocabulary and his writing style where historical references are constantly woven into his own commentary. Pick three words, names, or ideas you had to look up while reading this section and write a couple sentences why you think knowing those definitions significantly enhanced your comprehension of the text.

There are so many different names and places in this book that i'd live to look up but I just don't have the time. A few things I had to look up are:

- Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile: Their marriage laid the foundation of a unified Spain.

- Papal bull: A particular type of letters patent of charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church.

- Quetzalcoatl: Quetzalcoatl was one of the several important gods in the Aztec pantheon.

Looking up the terms we don't know (which is a lot with this book) increases our understanding of what we're reading. It might take a lot longer to read but with the knowledge we gain, it's worth it.

2. The description Galeano provides for the first contact between the indigenous peoples of Latin America has some stark similarities with the description of Captain Cook’s first contact with the Hawaiians. What are some of the similarities in both accounts?

There were way too many similarities. The indigenous people were so amazed by the simplest things. The people completely trusted the outsiders when given stuff such as beads or string. They treated their new "friends" nicely and welcomed them to their community, they looked up to them as if they were gods. The Europeans looked at these people as if they were savages. They forced them into their religion, made the people show them where their riches are, and then shipped them off into slavery.

3. America was the vast kingdom of the Devil, its redemption impossible or doubtful; but the fanatical mission against the natives’ heresy was mixed with the fever that the New World treasures stirred in the conquering hosts (13). A lot of this section discusses the relationship between the land conquest paralleled with the ideological conquest (religion). What role did religion have in the invasion of Latin America?

Religion was used to make the "invaders" feel better about themselves. They would send the indigenous off into slavery and justify it by saying they're serving "His Majesty" and everything is fine as long as it's for the church.

4. Galeano quotes the saying “Father a merchant, son a gentleman, grandson a beggar” as an analogy to describe what Spain did with the immense amount of wealth it extracted from Latin America. How does this saying represent the ways that Latin America’s resources were the delirium and demise of Spain?

I think this quote literally means the thing it's saying. Your father worked hard to get the money and riches that he had. His son wasn't quite born into the money so he was able to appreciate it and work with it to better himself. The grandson was born into being wealthy and mentally was a beggar, he would do anything to get the money that he was so used to. The Father represents old Spain, the Son represents Spain's first interaction with the New World, and the Grandson represents many years of taking advantage of the indigenous in the New World.

Open Veins of Latin America Ch.1

1. The challenge and triumph in reading Galeano are in his expansive vocabulary and his writing style where historical references are constantly woven into his own commentary. Pick three words, names, or ideas you had to look up while reading this section and write a couple sentences why you think knowing those definitions significantly enhance your comprehension of the text.

Miss Gasparka was not lying when she told me this book was dense. It is taking me a while to get through but it is worth it. Here are three words that I had to look up during my reading of this chapter:
1. Potosi- Potosi is a city in Bolivia. It is here that Spain acquired the majority of its silver supply during the time of the New World Spanish Empire.
2.Charles v- The king of Spain from 1516-1555
3. Ostentatious- pretentious or showy
If I did not take the time to look up terms I am unfamiliar with while reading this book I would not get nearly as much out of it as is possible. Galeano gives a ton of history without a lot of background information. I mean, he does not give a detailed description of every person, thing, and place he mentions, it is expected that either you know it already or you seek to find out.. By knowing these definitions I am better able to understand how they connect to the events he is talking about instead of simply accepting what he writes without the desire to gain a true understanding of his words and the message he wants to get across.

2.) The description Galeano provides for the first contact between the indigenous peoples of Latin America has some stark similarities with the description of Captain Cook's first contact with the Hawaiians. What are some of the similarities in both accounts?

One of the biggest similarities in both cases is that the white man tried to do away with the indigenous peoples cultures and forced upon them their own beliefs. They paid them no respect and considered them to be ignorant savages. In both cases a great many of the indigineous people were killed by diseases brought over by the white man. If I remember correctly, in both Hawaii and Latin America the white man were thought by the people to be Gods that had come to visit them. The people welcomed the outsiders with awe and open arms, in return they were treated with hostility and brutality.

3.) America was the vast kingdom of the Devil, its redemption impossible or doubtful; but the fanatical mission against the natives' heresy was mixed with the fever that the New World treasures stirred in the conquering hosts (13). A lot of this section discusses the relationship between the land conquest paralleled with the ideological conquest (religion). What role did religion have in the invasion of Latin America?

The conquistadors used religion as a way to control the indiginous people. If they did not convert, the conquistadors would kill them or take them as slaves. I find it very interesting that one of the conquistadors said they had arrived in America "to Serve God his Majesty and also to get riches." To me, those are two completely contradictory statements. I think that they merely used religion as an excuse to do the things they did to the indiginous people because if they truly had arrived in America in the name of God, understanding what that really means, they would not have treated the Indians the way they did. The conquistadors used religion as a justification for their actions against the Indians instead of using it for the good it is meant for.


4.) Galeano quotes the saying "Father a merchant, son a gentleman, grandson a beggar" as an analogy to describe that Spain did with the immense amount of wealth it extracted from Latin America. How does this saying represent the ways that Latin America's resources were the delirium and demise of Spain?

This quote is describing how in the beginning Spain was made rich off of Latin America but over time it eventually became the ruin of Spain and they did not benefit as much from it as other countries.

Chapter 1

1.      The challenge and triumph in reading Galeano are in his expansive vocabulary and his writing style where historical references are constantly woven into his own commentary. Pick three words, names, or ideas you had to look up while reading this section and write a couple sentences why you think knowing those definitions significantly enhance your comprehension of the text.

I had to look up exodus (mass departure), syncretism (the combination of different systems of philosophical or religious belief or practice), and bastion (somebody regarded as providing strong defense or support). After reading the definition and then rereading where they were in the text I got a better understanding of what Galeano is trying to portray in his writing.

2.     The description Galeano provides for the first contact between the indigenous peoples of Latin America has some stark similarities with the description of Captain Cook's first contact with the Hawaiians. What are some of the similarities in both accounts?

In both accounts there were many deaths and the Hawaiians were seen as savages. Missionaries also came and converted the natives to Christianity. The locations were both prime for resources and the people were exploited and used to grow crops. The land was taken away and was used for the good of the other country.

3.      America was the vast kingdom of the Devil, its redemption impossible or doubtful; but the fanatical mission against the natives' heresy was mixed with the fever that the New World treasures stirred in the conquering hosts (13). A lot of this section discusses the relationship between the land conquests paralleled with the ideological conquest (religion). What role did religion have in the invasion of Latin America?

In Spain Catholicism was a main part of their country. So when the conquistadors came to exploit the people, the missionaries were not far behind to convert the “savages” and make them believe in their God.   

           Galeano quotes the saying "Father a merchant, son a gentleman, grandson a beggar" as an analogy to describle that Spain did with the immense amount of wealth it extracted from Latin America. How does this saying represent the ways that Latin America's resources were the delirium and demise of Spain?

This analogy is saying that with the wealth from South America it made the original person rich which then made way for a merchant, a person who sales things, to a man who is still wealthy and a gentleman, to a beggar after all of the money is gone. Like the towns that they get the wealth, the men who get the wealth also dry up.   

Las Venas Abietas de America Latina (Chapter 1)

1.) The challenge and triumph in reading Galeano are in his expansive vocabulary and his writing style where historical references are constantly woven into his own commentary. Pick three words, names, or ideas you had to look up while reading this section and write a couple sentences why you think knowing those definitions significantly enhance your comprehension of the text.

A few words that I didn't understand what Galeano meant. The words; clandestine, Green Strongroom, and latifundia were a few that I had to look up to understand what he was trying to say. The way Galeano uses his words and tells his story is very dense. I really like reading his book because of the way he knows his history. I believe it is important to know every word he uses because everything he says is very interesting at it's part of his story he's telling his readers. It's like having a conversation with someone. If you only choose to listen to fragments of the conversation, you'll end up not comprehending all of what is being said to you.
                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                               
2.) The description Galeano provides for the first contact between the indigenous peoples of Latin America has some stark similarities with the description of Captain Cook's first contact with the Hawaiians. What are some of the similarities in both accounts?

Both Latin America and Hawaii had rich land that could support them. There lands were filled with rich soil, the climate was good for almost anything to grow on, and they were near water. Once the Europeans discovered these lands, they began to colonize on them and took away land, from the native people. As time went by, the indigineous people grew more and more dependent on the Europeans.


3.) America was the vast kingdom of the Devil, its redemption impossible or doubtful; but the fanatical mission against the natives' heresy was mixed with the fever that the New World treasures stirred in the conquering hosts (13). A lot of this section discusses the relationship between the land conquest paralleled with the ideological conquest (religion). What role did religion have in the invasion of Latin America?

After Columbus discovered new land in the Americas, everyone heard tales of its beauty and wealth of the land. Men conquest to find riches but religion then started to take a role in the invasion to take over Latin America. Around the time period that Galeano talks about, churches would send out people to try to convert them into their religion. Back then religion played a lot in how a country was led. So to answer this question, countries would try to convert the Latin Americans which in a way is controlling them because once youre converted, the church can control what you do.


4.) Galeano quotes the saying "Father a merchant, son a gentleman, grandson a beggar" as an analogy to describle that Spain did with the immense amount of wealth it extracted from Latin America. How does this saying represent the ways that Latin America's resources were the delirium and demise of Spain?

Latin America was a place of many riches. After Spain invaded parts of Latin America, they made the indigineous people depend on the Spaniards. The Spaniards took everything that the native people had. Over time Spain took more and more form the Latin Americans that caused the people to become poor.In Galeano's quote it gives the example that down generations, more of the people became poor.

Open Veins of Latin America (Intro)

1.       Do a little research on Hugo Chavez. Find out who he is and what he has done. After doing this, respond to the following: Why do you think he gave President Obama this book?

Hugo Chavez is the president of Venezuela. He has worked hard in his country to gain equal rights for indigenous people. He gave this book to Obama to help not only the president but the U.S. understand the injustice and the situation in Latin America.

2.       What examples from Guatemala can you provide that would serve as evidence for Galeano’s words?

There are two examples in Guatemala that demonstrate their exploitation of resources to serve others. The first is when the United Fruit Company used the people and the land of Guatemala to grow and ship bananas to the United States. They still do it under the name of Chiquita banana.  The Guatemalans are also used for their coffee. So many workers get paid so little for their hard work so that the coffee is cheap in the U.S.  

3.       Galeano writes on page 7, “Poverty is not written in the stars; underdevelopment is not one of God’s mysterious designs.” How does Catholic Social Teaching attempt to resolve this issue?

This quote is meant to say that poverty is not created by God it is created by humankind. The Catholic Social Teaching is an idea that you don’t exploit the people you walk with them and assist them with what the need. There is no need for the people to be in poverty and with help the teaching can change a mindset.

4.       Galeano finished on page 8, “History is a prophet who looks back: because of what was, and against what was, it announces what will be.” What do these words mean? Why are they important?  

I believe this quote is another way of saying that the past will repeat itself if not studied. It is important because knowing the past is the only way to prevent it from happening again.

Las Venas Abietas de America Latina (Intro)

1.) Do a little research on Hugo Chavez. Find out who he is and what he has done. After doing this, respond to the following question: Why do you think he gave President Obama this book?

Hugo Chavez is the President of Venezuela who has made a big impact on his country. He established services that aimed to improve economic, cultural, and social conditions. Chavez also fought for the equal right of the indigenous people and as well as for women. It was interesting that he had previously tried to give George W. Bush a copy of Open Veins of Latin America. Bush wouldn't take it which was a great disappointment to Chavez. I think Hugo Chavez's reason for giving Obama a copy of Eduardo Galeano's book was to give the U.S. a better understanding of the long and struggling history of Latin America. Afterall, this book became one of the bestsellers within hours Obama was given the book.

2.) Galeano writes in his introduction, "[Latin America] continues to exist at the service of others' needs, as a source and reserve of oil and iron, of copper and meat, of fruit and coffee, the raw materials and foods destined for rich countries which profit more from consuming them than Latin America does from producing them." What examples from Guatemala can you provide that would serve as evidence for Galeano's words?

Coffee and banana's are big products that Guatemala exports to the United States and other countries. For years Guatemala has been known for their famous coffee and banana's. Sadly, as Galeano talks about, Guatemala makes less profit than their buyers from other countries who sell them for more than what they bought it for.

3.) Galeano writes on page 7, "Poverty is not written in the stars; underdevelopment is not one of God's mysterious designs." How does Catholic Social Teaching attempt to resolve this issue?

The Catholic Social Teaching has four pillars that are taught to the people. They are: Dignity of the Human Person, Common Good, Solidarity, and Subsidarity. These teachings teach that every man and women are equal no matter their cultural differences are. It is important to to contribute to the good of the whole society and be in solidarity. One more inportant one is the expressed-felt-need that means to go to the people and do what they ask of you. These teachings attempt to resolve this issue by with the people to improve and anything that is needed and work their way out of underdevelopment.

4.) Galeano finishes in page 8, " History is a prophet who looks back: because of what was, and against what was, it announces what will be." What do these words mean? Why are they important?

I remember my teacher, Mr. Huitt, saying something along the lines of  history being important to learn because if you don't, history will tend to repeat itself. History is something we learn and understand the mistakes mankind has made and learn from it and improve what has been done. I don't know this is making any sense of what this question is pertaining to but it does in my head... When Galeano speaks of history being a prophet, I think he's saying that what has been done in the past are things we should take to help us make better decisions and not repeat the mistakes our ancestors or others have done.

Open Veins of Latin America (Intro)

1. Do a little research on Hugo chavez. Find out who he is and what he has done. After doing this, respond to the following question: Why do you think he gave President Obama this book?

After doing some research I found out that Hugo Chavez is the President of Venezuela and has been since 1999. He was born in 1954 and grew up in poverty. He attended a military academy at the age of 17 and found it to be his passion. He graduated at the top of his class and started his career as a military man. In the early 1980's he helped founded the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200 and exerted his energy towards bringing down the corrupt government of Venezuela at that time. He worked to include groups of indigenous peoples and later in his career he would create laws protecting the rights of these people. In 1992 he unsuccessfully led a coup de et against the government. Despite his failure, in the years to come he continued to gain the support of many people and was able to win the presidential election of 1999. He has fought long and hard to obtain equal rights and abolish social injustices.

I think the reason he would give Open Veins of Latin America to President Obama is for the main purpose of wanting us as Americans to gain a greater awareness and understanding of the of Latin America, and also Americas interesting involvement in that history. One of the of the greatest things I have realized from this whole experience is how little I know of what is going on in the world around me; how little I have actually taken the initiative to learn about. There are so many things/people that I have heard about in passing but never thought twice about how he/she/it is related to the world. It so easy to hear something and say, "wow, thats so sad(or interesting, or amazing, or terrible)" and leave it at that. By giving President Obama Open Veins of Latin America he is inviting us as Americans the opportunity to get past that; to actually know the history of Latin America and its current state and hopefully take action.

2. Galeano writes in his introduction, "Latin America continues to exist at the service of others needs, as a source of reserve oil and iron, of copper and meat, of fruit and coffee, the raw materials and foods destined for rich countries which profit more from consuming them than Latin America does from producing them." What examples from Guatemala can you provide that would serve as evidence for Galeanos words?

Coffee is a perfect example of what Galeano is talking about. The people that actually cultivate and harvest the coffee make a significant amount less then those who buy and then sell. I am also reminded of the Finca system. The workers that work the land of a finca are paid almost nothing, treated terribly, and are practically slaves. The profit from the work they do is taken by the land owner and they are left with practically nothing.

3.Galeano writes on page 7. "Poverty is not written in the stars; underdevelopment is not one of God's mysterious designs." How does Catholic Social Teaching attempt to resolve this issue?

I love this quote and I believe it wholeheartedly. It is not Gods doing that there is poverty and underdevelopment in this world. This is all the doing of centuries of selfishness and greed; of men willing to take for themselves and leave others with nothing. I also believe that because things aren't meant to be this way that it is possible for us to change it. What it will take is a change of heart of mankind. I think Catholic Social Teaching teaches very good values and ideas that would make up the heart of a world without poverty. The four pillars of Catholic Social Teaching are: Solidarity, Dignity of the Human Person, Subsidarity, and the Common Good. All of these promote selflessness and equality. The pillar that at this moment sticks out to me the most is the Common Good. This is thinking about what will be good for all people not just one person or group of people. It says that all people are worthy o good and entitled to it.

4.Galeano finished on page 8, "History is a prophet who looks back: because of what was, and against what was, it announces what will be." What does this mean? Why are they important?

History tends to run in a cycle; it repeats itself. I think what this quote means that we can tell what the outcome of something will be if we look back in history because something similar has probably occurred before. I think this is very important because if we can realize this then we can help make our outcomes better. One of my favorite quotes goes like this, "If you always do what you've always done, you're always gonna get what you've always got" History doesn't have to repeat itself, but we have to change what we are doing.

Open Veins of Latin America (Intro)

1. Do a little research on Hugo Chavez. Find out who he is and what he has done. After doing this, respond to the following question: Why do you think he gave President Obama this book?

I think Hugo Chavez realized President Obama was open to learn about their history. If President Obama gained an understanding of what happened in Latin America, he could step in and right many of the things that are wrong.

2. Galeano writes in his introduction, "[Latin America] continues to exist at the service of others' needs, as a source and reserve of oil and iron, of copper and meat, of fruit and coffee, the raw materials and foods destined for rich countries which profit more from consuming them than Latin American does from producing them." What examples from Guatemala can you provide that would serve as evidence for Galeano's words?

The coffee industry is huge in Guatemala. This has led to the finca system which was a big influence when it came to the civil war. The common worker gets paid enough to barely survive.

The workers get paid next to nothing, the finca owners get paid a little better, then the distributors of their product gets paid a lot more. Here the people working in fields are getting paid next to nothing while the people who sign a few papers get paid millions. It doesn't make sense.

3. Galeano writes on page 7. "Poverty is not written in the stars; underdevelopment is not one of God's mysterious designs." How does Catholic Social Teaching attempt to resolve this issue?

In Catholic Social Teaching they talk of something called, "Dignity of the Human Person." It pretty much means everyone is equal. In the quote above it is saying people aren't destined to live in poverty. If given the right opportunity they will be able to succeed just like anybody else.

4. Galeano finished on page 8, "History is a prophet who looks back: because of what was, and against what was, it announces what will be." What do these words mean? Why are they important?

History is something to look back on and figure out what went right and what went wrong. We can build off of previous events in our history to decide on how we will take our next step.

i am the last to post tonight and thus the last to post while in guatemala. i have most enjoyed being an observer of this dialogue and certainly have incredible pride for the work the students have done. for the parents, friends, and family who have "traveled" with us, it was always fuel to our tank to hear your voices each day as we went about our service, but mostly our learning here.

we have enjoyed each others company, we have enjoyed meeting many new people with exceptional stories, we have had a most memorable and incredible trip, again not enough can be said.

i know some of the kids have already mentioned father richard, he has become a favorite character here, but he came to breakfast yesterday with a quote i immediately embraced, i apologize for not knowing exactly but i believe he said it was by a woman named mary oliver who asked,

"what are you going to do with the rest of your wild and precious life." so glad guatemala with these people has been part of mine.

see you in hawaii and if not there somewhere else.

mahalo and aloha

A Life Understood

Good evening, all!

There are moments in your life when you begin to understand truth.  You start to realize what is important. These impressions inspire you to prioritize, they inspire you to act.  This trip has had many of those of moments.  I currently feel ground.  I currently feel inspired.

Words will not be able to capture this experience.  Photos will attempt just like words, but I am afraid they will also fall short.  I feel blessed beyond belief.  I feel ready to return to Kona and share many stories with those I care deeply about.

Thank you to all who have read, shared, and been a part of this experience.  Our students have been role models for other volunteers.  Father Richard said today, "Your group got it right.  Many groups come without focus and end up disrespecting the culture.  I have been greatly impressed with each of you."  I have never been so proud in my entire life.  The students represented themselves so well, and it has been an absolute pleasure to work and learn from each of them.  I cannot wait for them to come back and share their experiences with all of you in greater detail.

I am going to keep it short so that we can head back to the hotel, pack, and have our last reflection.  I chose my five favorite photos from the past few days.  Enjoy.

See many of you in Kona!

My favorite picture of the Parish.

Lifting cement buckets!

The group with Moi

The group with Father Richard

Echo and Melissa

Much love to all,

Nick

Guatemala 3/18/11

A few days ago we met a guy named Father Richard. He comes to Guatemala at least three times a year and helps out in a few different communities. For this trip he staid at the same Perish we did so we were able to see him and discuss very interesting topics. He is familiar with Guatemala so he was able to answer any question we asked him.

Today Father Richard invited us to a community where he was going to bless a building. The drive there was awesome, we were able to get a great view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. When we got to the community, Oho De Agua, the people immediately welcomed us in. We sat down in the building that was freshly made by another group staying at the Perish and waited as Father Richard got ready. He began the ceremony with introducing us and thanking everyone for the invitation.

The Blessing Ceremony was really interesting. It was like a miniature mass. There was a small band which played a few Spanish songs, Father Richard said a couple good jokes, and the people thanked the workers by giving them some traditional clothing that they made them. I'm glad I went but it was pretty awkward because im not religious at all.

After the ceremony, we went outside to leave. The people begged us to stay (which I thought was pretty cool) and eat lunch with them. While waiting for the food to be ready, Mr. Courtney and I played hacky sack. At first it was just us, but soon all of the kids from the community came to play. There were way too many people for hackysack so we got a soccer ball and played soccer with everyone. It was us against a million little kids. The lunch was also a traditional dish which Father Richard said was an honor to have.

We left after we had lunch to go back to the Perish. Once we got there, Father Richard invited us to another blessing later on in the day. At first we weren't sure if we should go but discussed it and all decided on going. It was a lot like the first blessing but Father Richard also blessed the communities water tank which was amazing. The people were so thankful about having clean water it made me realize how much we take our purified water for granted.

Overall this trip has been amazing. I am really glad my parents let me go. The thing I have realized the most is how much we take everything for granted. Father Richard told us a story about a friend he has here in Guatemala. The guy prays and thanks God for nearly everything he has. Right when he wakes up, "Thank you lord for another day", before he eats "Thank you lord for this meal", etc. Before this trip I didn't even think of how lucky we really are. I don't remember ever thanking anyone. I always thought things like water are normal, but really it's a luxury in most places. There are a lot of other things I have learned through this experience but I don't have enough time to write out every single thing. It sucks this trip is over, but I guess everything we learned will stick with us forever.

Dear Family and Friends,

Today was another amazing day. One of the Priests of the Parish took a liking to our group over the past few days and he invited us to come with him this morning to bless a building that another group staying at the parish had built. It was a really amazing experience. Father Rich is a very interesting man. The town he took us to was about twenty minutes away and the drive was absolutely beautiful. I was sitting in the back of the truck so I had a perfect view of the lake and the mountains. It was more then beautiful, it was breathtaking. The blessing itself was an interesting experience. My favorite part was the music. They always have a band at mass. The individual sounds seem like they should not go together but somehow it works in an harmonious inharmonious way. Catholicism is a big part of the Guatemalan culture. Even though I am not Catholic it is really inspiring to see people have so much faith and trust in God. They thank Him for everything, nothing is taken for granted.

After the blessing, Father Rich gathered us up to leave but someone stopped him and insisted that we stayed because we had not been served yet. We went back to our seats and they brought out some sweet bread and these huge bottles of pepsi. I usually don't drink soda but I did today. after we had finished our refreshments we got up to leave again and as we were piling into the truck someone came out and insisted that we please don't leave because we had not eaten lunch! Wow. While we waited for lunch me and Ms. Gasparka striked up a conversation with some women. (On a side not,I have some funny stories about my spanish skills when I get home) We also got to play with the little kids, they are so cute. Melissa, Quitney, and I had a group of about twenty little girls around us and we were trying to teach them games. I am glad that we stayed longer. After we got back to the Parish we decided to walk up to the farm to say goodbye to Moi. He seemed truly touched that we came back to see him. He is a very inspiring man. He was telling us that he wished he was able to tell us his full story and about Guatemala and how he hopes that we will come back one day.

Father Rich invited us to go with him again to another blessing he was asked to do in another community. This time he called us up to sing a song about peace infront of the entire congregation. I think they were entertained. I would have been. I really love these people.

Today was the perfect ending to a perfect week. I guess all good things must come to an end, or do they. I have learned and experienced so much these past few days I hope I can find a way to use it, so it doesn't have to truly come to an end. I have realized something. I did not come here to help Guatemala I came here for Guatemala to help me.

I love everyone and see you in two days.

Buenos Noches

Final Night in Guatemala (SIETE)

Today was the perfect ending to a great trip. We all got invited to go with Father Rich to the blessing of a new building in Oho De Agua. The ceremony started off with a short mass and then it went on to thanking the men that built it. There was lots of music and a lot of people. They all seemed pretty happy about the new building and gave the builders hand woven jackets as a token of their appreciation. At the very end we got a huge bottle of Pepsi and a piece of sweet bread. We tried to leave by the community leader insisted that we stay and eat lunch with them so we stayed and had a wonderful meal. During the meal I got to meet the mayor of that community.  I, along with the rest of the girls also got to play with the little girls of the community and we had a blast. The girls are so adorable. Attending this blessing was very interesting and a great way to spend our last full day here.

However the excitement did not stop there. Father Rich then invited us to another blessing in San Juan Xiquinaba. This blessing was for Guadeloupe and to bless the water source. We started out at the church and had another mass where I got to be involved in a Communion. I was also lucky enough to have an older indigenous woman sit next to me. She was the sweetest old women I have ever met. We had to get up and sing a song about peace with Father Rich and we were laughed at but it was fun. We then moved on to a different location and blessed a school building, then another place for the water. We walked with the people and they also laughed at us. Today was my favorite day. I loved how they bless their water source because it is so vital to us, but in the U.S. we take so much advantage of it and take it for granted.

This trip was definitely the best trip I have ever been on. Of course there were bad parts and being with the same five people for ten days was hard, but we did it and even though I had a blast I am ready to come home. I will definitely come back and I want to be a long term volunteer, but I would like to come back by myself and experience Guatemala in a different way. I have met so many new people, but I don't feel like I got enough time with them and hear their complete story. So in short I have to come back. It is no longer an option. Guatemala and more specifically San Lucas will always have a special place in my heart.          

A day with Father Richard

       During our time in Guatemala, we made a fantastic relationship with a father at the church. His name is Father Richard. He invited us to come with him to San Antonio & Ohos de Agua to bless a couple buildings some of the volunteers at San Lucas built. It was really neat meeting all those people and getting to know them. In San Antonio, Cody, Mr. Courtney and I played soccer with the boys. I gave up shortly and made friends with the little girls. They were all adorable and fun to play with. I tried to teach them how to play hackey-sack and hot-potato. Hot-potato didn't go so well and they seemed to like throwing the hackey-sack at each other. We tried to leave San Antonio at noon but then the community leaders insisted on us staying for lunch. The people of San Antonio were very friendly and outgoing. When it was time to leave it was really hard to say bye because of how much I enjoyed spending time with the people.

    We got back to the parish in time to do our dish duty. A last minute decision was made to say goodbye to Moi at the farm. Echo got her last wishes of riding in a tuc-tuc which was pretty neat. Father Rich then invited us to come with him to Ohos de Agua to join him in mass; along with blessing a school and a water tank. The people of Ohos de Agua were much more cultural. Many of the elders in the community walked barefoot. In mass Father Richard introduced us to the whole community and made us sing a world peace song; it was really funny watching Ms. Gasparka sing. Sadly we had to head back to San Lucas but this day completed the whole trip. Getting to meet more people and seeing them smile made this trip even worth more than what it was. Everything that I've experienced and the people I have met on this trip has been a really great experience. I've learned so much more coming here and listening to the people tell their stories. I will  always remember the people I met and cherish every moment in Guatemala. I really look forward to the next time I come here to do a long-term mission.
      

Dear Family and Friends,

If you ask me what word I would use to describe today the first thing that comes to my head is concrete. We spent the day with an organization called Engineers without Borders. It was a day filled with more laughter and a lot of hard work. We spent the day shoveling dirt and carrying buckets of concrete up a mountain. We had a pretty good system going but it wasn't until some of the local workers joined our assembly line that things really got moving. We were struggling to simply hold these concrete filled buckets while they were literally throwing them to each other, AND catching them. Someone asked them if they could fill up the buckets a little less and the next thing we know, here comes a FIVE Gallon bucket making its way up the hill. This was supposedly very funny. I think I would have been laughing at us too. Tomorrow we have a pretty full day planned. I don't really want to think about it being our last day. There are actually people here who I am going to miss. I miss everyone at home too and I love you all. Thankyou to everyone who has responded to my posts, it means alot. Buenos Noches.

Echo

Guatemala Day (Sies)

Today was sooooo HARD, but super rewarding. We worked with Mr. Courtney's friend Gustavo and his group Engineers without Borders. We worked on two different projects. The first involved us moving rocks and dirt to a certain location for it to level out the ground and to serve as a "natural filtering system." We had to dig so much but after learning what the project was ultimately for it was worth it. The second project was forming a line to move concrete to hold the pipes up. The ultimate project is a hydro-powered generator to generate energy for the people of La Providencia. I have never worked so hard, but it was amazing. I will sleep good tonight. 

Guatemala 3/17/11

Today we worked at a place called La Providencia. It is an area near San Lucas which has around 40 homes in all. We met up with Mr. Courtney's friend Gustavo who is one of the managers of the hydroelectric project which plans on generating electricity for the homes in the community.

The work sucked. We had to carry buckets filled with concrete up a steep hill and into structures meant to hold the water pipe. At first it was only a few people carrying the buckets. But later on the community got together and helped out which ended up being fun working with people who couldn't speak the same language as me.

Today in La Providencia

Today we woke up early and headed to La Providencia, about twenty minutes from San Lucas. Mr. Courtney's friend Gustavo invited us to come work on the project that he's been working on for a while. In La Providencia, we got to work with a college group from Wisconsin who were building a hydropower generator for the community. We were given the job to stack rocks and move dirt to make a path. After lunch we all got together and moved concrete up a hill, which I would have to say it got a bit exhausting. It was a great feeling to finish by 5:15. I think that today was the first day where we actually got the feeling how hard Guatemalans work, but it was overall really fun.

Dear Family and Friends,

Today was another very very good day. Mr. Courtney introduced me to something wonderful, it is called the Bakery. Three words.... Best. Sweetbread. Ever. I don't think sweet bread could get any better. That is just one more reason to add to my list of reasons I want to come back. I hope everybody is doing well back home. I love you all. There is a family visiting the parish with a little girl and she reminds me of Winter and Nivee. Mom, please give them loves for me. The little kids here seriously melt my heart. We were able to work on the farm again today which so far has been my favorite job. The man in charge, his name is Moi, is one of my new favorite people. He has one of the most contagious laughs. I love it. It is inspiring.

I am sorry I can not write much, I have so much to say. I hope everybody is ready for me to talk for a really long time when I get home:)

Love,

Echo

P.S Mom will you please get on my email and check on my housing stuff for BYU? I tried calling home but no one answered and I tried leaving dad a message but I think the phone died. My password is the same as yours but with a 1. You might need to call BYU. I love you so much. Will you please let me know about this?

what is uniquely guatemalan? guatemalans show a profound gratitude for the day

To anyone who is reading this:

words cannot express and anything i have to say has already come through the thoughtful, insightful, and brilliant commentary of the students probably better than i could have depicted in my own words. That being said, I will offer my brief peace by saying that i keep waiting for the incredible joy of this trip to fade, i keep waiting for the kids to start complaining about the work, or start scrapping among themselves, or start looking forward to what happens when they get back...and yet more than half way into this i can say with the utmost sincerity that pretty much EVERY (every? yes every) moment we have passed here has been one that i have enjoyed.

for the kealakehe community: you have raised incredible individuals, what an honor to teach and learn with them.

my heart smiles. maybe thats not possible. but maybe it is - n courtney

Guatemala Day (CINCO)

Today was amazing!!! We got to work with two other men to help build a septic tank. (or should I say dig). We used a pulley system to pull up rocks from this very deep hole. The first part I did not have gloves so I will probably have blisters, but that is a sign of hard work. We got up a lot of rocks and I personally felt accomplished. The second part of the day we worked in the garden pulling weeds with Mois. He is a great guy with an amazing laugh. All and all today was very successful and rewarding. We are meeting and talking with more people which is our ultimate goal. Pulling the rocks up was great, but the fact that we talked to more people and made more connections with the locals made the day the most rewarding. This only makes me want to learn Spanish even more!!!!

For the rest of the afternoon, we worked on the farm with Moi. Of all the people I've met here in San Lucas, Moi is one of the most interesting person which this world needs more of. We is truly a great person that has a very cheerful personality. Moi really likes to laugh; which they are very contagious and uplifting. I'm looking foward to working more on the farm with him. After several hours at the farm, we headed back to the hotel to regroup and have a little free time. We walked out in the back of the hotel and saw Mr. Courtney and Ms. Gasparka shooting hoops on the basketball court so we challenged them for a round. It was really fun having a bonding moment that didn't include working on a project like the farm and temporary homes. We ended the day by eating dinner and watching the beautiful sunset that set in front of the parish. Today was another productive day which I can't wait to come back and share all of my experiences.