First Weekend

:: Today is Day 8 in Guatemala ::

Until this weekend I had done almost nothing other than go to work at MTM, maybe go to one of the little grocery stores around the corner from my house, and "get settled" into my room. This of course included coming to terms with the fact that I cannot plan my life by looking online anymore. I can't get a decent map, directions, instructions for taking the bus, find out which stores sell bed sheets, etc. anywhere on line. I also can't access many US based entertainment websites - such as Hulu, Pandora, or any network website (such as abc.com where I tried in vain to catch up on Grey's Anatomy, or univision.com for Eva Luna which Hannover's parents got me hooked on).

The shower has also been a problem. I tend to take very hot showers – even when its 100 degrees outside. I’m not saying there is NO hot water in my house – simply that its not enough. Today was the first time I actually felt that the water was warm and that’s only because my housemates were using the water downstairs so the water pressure was low. So today for about 30 seconds I had a warm shower. However, I have learned to cope with this. I have figured out that if I work out immediately before taking a shower my body temperature is warm enough that a cool shower is actually enjoyable bareable. This of course means that every morning I fight with myself about whether I want to get up an extra 45 minutes early to workout or suffer through a cold shower. So far its about 50/50.

:: Friday ::

So Friday night I did nothing. I had thought about going to a movie but I couldn’t figure out how to find movie listings. Apparently my housemate Ceci hates pretty much everything mainstream and when I asked her she just ranted about how terrible the movies they show here are. I mean, I have to agree, they get movies from the US (either dubbed or subtitled) and lets face it – most of them are crap. But that doesn't mean I won't watch them.

:: Saturday ::

Palacio Nacional - Saturday

Saturday morning I woke up around 8:30am, worked out, showered, had cereal and yogurt for breakfast, and walked out the door. My only plan was to find a place where I could buy a purse. I just figured I’d walk down 6a Avenida (Sexta – 6^th Avenue) until I got to the Mercado Central. So I walked the 10 blocks. I was paranoid the whole way, kept looking over my shoulder, walked very fast, and had tucked my money and camera into several places in my clothes that I considered “hiding spots” – just in case. Truthfully, there were several people walking around at 11am and I didn’t pass a single person that looked like they might rob or kidnap me.

When I arrived at the central plaza I didn’t really know where I was going. So I just wandered around, followed the trail of street vendors and pedestrians until I found the Mercado Central – which happens to be underground. I also found some shopping centers with stores that reminded me of “Fashion Q” or “Fashion Avenue” that used to be, and probably in some cases still are, in the Pasadena/ Alhambra / Highland Park areas. In addition to the purse, I ended up buying a blouse, a pair of earings, and a belt.

Since I had already missed the 11am tour of the Palacio Nacional and I didn’t want to wait for the 2pm tour, I headed home. I walked the 10 blocks back to the house. My little trip had taken 3 hours. The last time I walked for 3 hrs straight was probably in September 2008 when Hannover and I were still exploring Boston on foot because we hadn’t bought a car yet.

Plaza Central - Saturday

At 5:30pm I went out to dinner with the women from MTM. We went down to 6a Avenida, exactly where I had been in the morning, but continued walking down 6a to an area that resembles The Promenade, only without designer stores. I found it very entertaining that we ate at Café Casa which is probably as close to a French Café as you are going to find in Guatemala. The food was o.k., I might go back if I get a Starbucks craving and need my coffee fix. Although now that I’m having some GI issues I’m thinking it might have been that ICED coffee I had last night. I must remember to never get ice.

They dropped me off at home because my roomates were having a housewarming party. They, like me, are new to this apartment. However they’ve been living in Guatemala City for a while and have their circle of friends. They said I could invite people, but who was I supposed to invite? The women from work? I needed to see what kind of crowd we were talking about first, and I’m soooo glad I did. I was wearing a nice blouse, jeans, and black flats. Turns out I was overdressed for my own houseparty. So I went and changed into a T-Shirt. If I had loose, faded, torn jeans that might have been more appropriate too. Just so you are getting the right visual – it was a group of 20-something year old European and Guatemalan human rights volunteers and activists. Very early on I was feeling “too school for cool”. I disappeared for a while to make a skype call and came back thinking people would be drunker, there would be more people, and I might have an easier time breaking into a conversation with someone – because clearly I was the only person who didn’t know anyone. Didn’t work. After standing around and having a few uncomfortable conversations I decided to go to bed. Besides, I was having stomach cramps. However, I must tell you – the music and the singing yelling didn’t stop until probably about 4:30am.

:: Sunday ::

Me and my Piña con Chile inside the Mercado Central.

This morning I forced myself out of bed, got ready and headed out the door around 10:15am. This time the plan was to buy a comforter or blanket, and sheets. The fitted sheet for my bed was broken and I have struggled with it every night because I wake up sleeping straight on the scratchy mattress underneath.

Instead of turning left from my front door as usual, I thought "Why not go right? Maybe that lady will be selling atole at the park." But I didn’t make it that far. The Transmetro bus was parked around the corner. Turns out that every Sunday they give free historical tours of Guatemala City! The buses look like they are new, and Transmetro is operated by the Municipal Police so it seems much safer than the other local buses. However, the full tour will have to wait until next time – for now I just wanted a ride rather than walk the 10 blocks to the Mercado Central again.

Plaza Central, Fountain & Palacio Nacional - Sunday

Clearly Sunday is the day to go to the central plaza. The same area I had been in on Saturday, was now filled with vendors and performers. I bought myself a bag of pineapple with chili for breakfast and headed towards the Mercado Central where I had seen blankets and comforters the night before. Within 15 minutes I had bought a blanket. (I need to find one that was pretty enough for me – but simple enough so that when I bring it home Hannover doesn’t insist that its tacky and toss it into a storage box in the garage.) Now for the sheets. I thought surely there must be store on 6a Avenida that sells sheets, right? I walked, and walked, and walked. There was a pattern: shoe store, clothing store, restaurant, shoe store, clothing store, restaurant… occasionally broken up by a mini mall or movie theater. After walking for 10 blocks, I turned around and came back up the other side of the street.

It was 78 degrees outside and I was pretty close to exhausted when I passed a very inviting tequila bar and Mexican restaurant called “Los Cebollines”. Clearly, having a margarita in the early afternoon without having lunch is terrible idea. “Table for one please.” They didn’t even have any tables for two. So I sat at a booth for four by myself. I made sure to request a booth with a view of the two flat screen TVs so that I could at least pretend that I care about the Guatemalan soccer league. I must say, ordering a special made margarita in a Guatemalan bar is fun. First of all, I like my margaritas on the rocks, but considering the issues with tap water – I said no ice. Second, I didn’t want Jose Cuervo Silver, I wanted Herradura Blanco (the selection turned out to be limited). The waiter was a bit confused. I explained that I didn’t want an extra shot of Herradura on the side, but rather, that I wanted my margarita made with Herradura instead of Jose Cuervo. Got it. About a minute later he came back and told me that he would have to charge me for a shot of Herradura and a lemonade in order for them to make me a margarita the way I wanted it. Okay, that’s fine. Ultimately, the margarita tasted exactly like he descibed – a shot of Herradura in a lemonade. Maybe next time I’ll just have a beer with my tacos.

The food was good and the waiter was nice so I paid my bill, tipped him, and continued my search for fitted bed sheets. I did finally find them. I paid more than I might have liked, but the truth is they would have cost me double at Target.

My New Sheets & Blanket!      Next: PILLOWS.

So that’s all folks – this was a shopping and walking filled weekend.

Next week is the MTM road trip and court hearings. And of course, like anyone who has ever done a family road trip anywhere in Latin America knows by now – there will be shopping.

Mariposas - Butterflies

Day 4 in Guatemala City.

This week I started work at MTM. Everyone there is really nice. It is a team of four women, they’ve got one guy who does administrative work, and if they ever need anything else - they seem to have built partnerships with several psychologists, doctors, lawyers, and other human rights activists. On Monday I was given the grand tour of the office, which isn’t big. Its basically a home that has been converted into office space. It was abandoned, so the owner agreed to let them lease it for a reduced price if they fixed it up. But like most of the homes around here, it is only partially indoors. Its a good thing Guatemala City has really mild weather - except of course for the three months a year where it rains nonstop.

Table set for traditional Mayan invocation prayer.

My experience at nonprofits in the US should have prepared me for the chaos of working for a small NGO. They are always running around with a million things on their To Do lists. The good thing is that whole MTM team is just that - a team. They each have their area of responsibility, but in reality they are all working together on all of their projects.

The last two days have been really educational for me. In the office I was doing a lot of reading on the Guatemalan judicial system and responses to violence against women, or more accurately their lack of response. But I also had the opportunity to attend two events that really helped put the human side into the story of the Armed Conflict, i.e. the Guatemalan Civil War.

(1) On Tuesday afternoon we attended an event commemorating the Burning of the Spanish Embassy in Guatemala on January 31, 1980 and promoting women‘s rights. The panelists discussed the cultural and institutional obstacles faced by women, particularly indigenous (Mayan) women, as they attempt to exercise their political rights and pass legislation in favor of women and their indigenous communities. It became strikingly clear just how patriarchal and machista Guatemalan society is.

Women at the workshop.

(2) Today I attended a workshop that was hosted by MTM and three other women’s rights organizations. The women taking part in the workshop were mostly Mayan women, a group of probably about 35, all of whom were working towards a certificate issued by the University for 200 hours of training in women’s human rights. Today’s topic was Violence Against Women (surprise surprise). Remember, I was once a domestic violence advocate, so much of this was very familiar. Among their many scheduled activities we watched a documentary titled “Mariposas” or “Butterflies”. It was about the Mirabal sisters who were assassinated by Dictator Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. There was a movie about them a few years back called “In the Time of the Butterflies” starring Salma Hayek. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I recommend finding the movie or another documentary about it - there are a few. But, as much as I enjoyed the video, the thing that had the greatest impact on me, lo mas impresionante, was the stories of the women who had lived through the Armed Conflict and had lost loved ones. Even the younger women who were too young to remember still carry their community’s pain and relate the current problems in Guatemala, including the violence against women, to the history of war and violence in their country.

So, needless to say, every day I learn something new. And it is only going to continue, especially because I came away with THREE BOOKS! One of them includes the stories of the women who suffered sexual and physical violence during the Armed Conflict.

Next week I will be traveling with the MTM team to some court hearings that are out in other departments (think: states). I believe that on Thursday we have to be in Quiche, and Friday in San Marcos. After two days of rest I will be joining the Zacualpa PDHRP team as they tour some of the NGO’s in northern Guatemala and southern Mexico. At least, that’s what I think we are doing. So, up until this point I have not yet done anything “touristy” (perhaps this weekend?). I will definitely be getting a much different view of Guatemala than I would have if I had come here on vacation.

But so far so good. Especially the prices of the food!!! Each of my meals has cost between $0.75 - $2.75, that gives me absolutely no incentive to cook for myself while I’m here. One of these days I will remember to whip out a camera at the dinner table / food stands and dedicate a posting to the joys of Guatemalan food.

Esta foto está dedicada a Tomás para que él vea que la gente puede tener una imagen de Jesús que coincide con su propio tono de piel  ;)

Arriving in Guatemala

This week has been quite exciting for me. Today I arrived in Guatemala! Safely, on time, and with all my luggage!

My Human Rights Semester in Practice is finally beginning! Yes, that means I am volunteering at human rights orgs in Guatemala for school credit. I'm willing to bet that being abroad is probably the best way to spend your last semester in law school!

So, I took a flight from LAX with a layover in Fort Lauderdale. The flight attendant on the loud speaker was quite entertaining (imagine Ricky Ricardo giving you safety instructions). Then when I got to Fort Lauderdale I realized that everyone who made any announcement had a heavy Latino accent. But, as amusing as that was... as I was trying to take a nap at the gate for my connecting flight, I really thought that maybe a direct flight was worth the extra $150 or so (one way). Next time.

So, after getting to Guatemala and going through immigration and customs in what seemed like 2 minutes, I step out of baggage claim and there's a woman holding a sign with my name on it. Adorable. It was one of the women from MTM, but not my supervisor who I was expecting. During our quick drive through Guatemala City I kept thinking, this looks like Guadalajara. Like the drive around el Periferico trying to get to Tio Luis's house. The brief glimpse I caught of "El Centro" - including El Palacio Nacional, El Catedral, and el Mercado Central - also reminded me of Guadalajara. I suppose that's not surprising considering the Spanish colonial influence - but I think it was also my subconscious trying to make the city look familiar so that it seems less scary that I'm in a foreign country by myself.

Anyway, we finally made it to the apartment where I am going to be staying for the most of the semester. (As I was unpacking I realized that in my 3 years of law school, I have now had FOUR different apartments.) I've got a bedroom upstairs with a private bathroom.

My bed, window facing the street, and desk.

Desk again, door to hallway, private bathroom.

Overall the apartment is pretty small, but because we've got two floors and space on the rooftop it seems like a good size for three of us. I'm living with two other women - Ceci and Romina. Romina apparently is out of town for a few days for work. They both work for NGO's and once in a while have to travel out to the rural areas of Guatemala. I don't really understand what they do yet. But, Ceci is nice. I'm hoping things will go well for the three of us here.

Our rooftop view of more rooftops.

So far my day has not been so exciting - unpacked, updated facebook, went to the store for some essentials, wrote a blog entry, ate cereal and yogurt for dinner, and posted blog entry. Yey! Nonetheless, the adventure begins - Tomorrow: First day at Mujeres Transformando El Mundo.


Mas Fotos de la Casa:

The Living Room / Entrance

 Our little kitchen 

The Kitchen Sink 

The Stairs to the 2nd Level where my room is.

Our terrace and stairs leading to the rooftop.

This is the view from my bedroom window: Servicio De Musicas Militares; Banda Sinfonica Marcial

Exciting News!

So, over the past year or so I have been preparing myself to submit an Equal Justice Works Fellowship application. This included meeting with the attorneys at KIND last year over winter break, completely reworking my schedule to include the Juvenile Justice seminar, writing two research papers regarding immigrant youth and/or special immigrant juvenile status, working to have one of those papers published, interning at KIND over the summer, putting together a proposal so we could get KIND's headquarter's on board, then writing the real proposal for the EJW Fellowship application with probably a total of 8 revisions in one month, and waiting for several months to hear anything from them.

Well, in the middle of final exams, they called. I was a semi-finalist, which means that I would have the opportunity to interview with potential sponsors. I was lucky enough to have two possible sponsors - Microsoft and a national law firm. For a while it seemed like my interviews would be during exam period - it was a bit of a nightmare. But both ended up being pushed back until this week. On Monday I interviewed with Microsoft at their Corporate offices in Redmond, just outside of Seattle, WA. Tuesday morning I was back home, and interviewing with the law firm in Santa Monica, CA. Although I was prepared, and confident in my interviews, I couldn't help but feel just a little bit of doubt.

Thursday I received notification from Microsoft that they were awarding me a 2011 EJW Fellowship!!! I'm still in shock!

This means that from September 2011 to August 2013 I will be working as an in-house attorney for KIND in Los Angeles. My project focuses on one-parent special immigrant juvenile status, and trying to establish procedural clarity for one-parent cases in order to develop a training manual that can be used by other attorneys in the future. (Special Immigrant Juvenile Status is for kids for whom reunification with one or both parents is not viable due to abuse, neglect, or similar basis under state law, and for whom it is not in their best interest to be returned to their country of origin.) I will be partnering with UC Irvine Law School's pro bono programs so that UCI law students can work on the family law and immigration cases of youth in immigration deportation proceedings. This means that I'll training and supervising law students who will help with my cases, and that we will be focusing on serving kids in Orange County.

The fact that I even have a job lined up for after law school - is already a big deal. The fact that I have a job doing exactly what I wanted to be doing - is incredible! I feel like all the pieces fell into the right places this year.

I've got high hopes for this EJW Fellowship, and for this semester's Human Rights Semester in Practice in Guatemala.

Mi Camino Transversal

I think the last time I kept up anything resembling a blog or journal entries, I was 19 years old. But since I have been preparing for a semester in Guatemala (my first time abroad for an extended period of time) I thought it might be appropriate to give this another try. 

This blog is for you - my family and friends. Although I know that you will all be busy in your own lives, I hope that at least once or twice you'll wonder where I am and what I'm doing and browse through the pictures and blog entries that I promise to post.

Let me begin by explaining why I chose this blog title - because I'm sure you are not surprised to hear that I gave it a lot of thought.  (Be forewarned - this blog will likely contain too much information)

"Mi Camino Transversal" embodies a lot of ideas - On the one hand "un camino transversal" is a path that diverges from the principal direction, or it can also mean a "crossroad". In math, a transversal line is basically one that cuts across two or more lines. During my final semester of law school I will be working for human rights organizations in Guatemala - this is not typical of the law school experience. The title also implies that I am literally on a journey, and specifically that this blog is about MY journey. At first I thought I might use something along the lines of "atravesando el mundo" but the truth is that this particular journey is limited to a very particular part of the world so keeping it more simply about my personal journey seemed appropriate. And if you know about my journey, or my life, thus far you know that I can never take the easy road. I always have to take things one step further or be in a position of leadership; not because I feel that I need to be the one in control, but because sometimes this is the most effective way to make the changes I want to see happen in the world around me. Finally, I probably haven't been clear in my description of "mi camino transversal", but nonetheless I'll leave you with the words of one of my favorite poems:

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference. 

-------------------------------------

Date of Departure: January 22, 2011

Days in Guatemala: -12

Date of Return: TBD

Graduation Date: May 27, 2011

California Bar Exam: July 26-28, 2011