After a day of hiking through the mountains the group made its way back to our hotel in Nebaj. With a quick lunch and the burst of energy that followed though Andrew, Justin, Rose, and myself were back out trekking the beautiful countryside of Guatemala in search of a 75ft tall waterfall. Well, we found it and man it was a neat little sight. Around it was a small oasis of jungle it seemed or at least jungle like underbrush.
Taking this is a once in a life time chance Andrew and I decided to climb it. Though I was not wearing shoes and my flip flops clearly wouldn't due, I still looked and Andrew with a smile on and said, "lets do it!" Taking off my flip flops I went at that waterfall hobbit style. It was a quick and fun little climb till we realized we couldn't get to far up before we ran out of material to climb on. So, we settled for half way, made our way back down and before we went back to the road Andrew stopped and looked at me with one of his "you wanna?" looks. I looked to where he nodded his head and was excited to see a tall hill we could climb as a short cut to catching up with Justin and Rose who had already started on their way back. With a smile he knew my answer and we went at it. It was fun to conquer that hill and certainly a fun walk all together.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Over the river and through the woods to God only knows where we go!
Another day and another adventure begins here in Guatemala. Dr. Saenze took the group on a long hike through the mountains surrounding the little town of Nebaj on a mission to find a village which fell victim to mass genocide carried out by the government in past decades. Everyone but Dr. Ocampo was in attendance making the total number of Gringos traversing the mountainsides Quince (15). The greenery of the mountains was as always, breath taking. Along the way we encountered steep hills patched in farmland, grazing cattle, and the native citizens tilling away under the hot sun above. The science nerds among us enjoyed staring at the soil profiles made clearly visible by the shear force that once formed these mountains.Dr. Tanner and Dr. Smith would be so proud of me haha.
Somewhere along the way our group split up. I decided to stick behind with the slower half of the group since I felt it was most responsible and most respectful to do so. We all made our way to the same little village tucked away in a remote valley though so all's well that ends well. Shirley, Sam, and I made our time with the group fun by challenging ourselves to races up the steep and curvy mountain path. Shirley and I also decided it might be funny and completely accurate to our dorkiness if we skip up a portion of the mountain. It gave me great satisfaction and some good laughs when we embraced our inner dork.
The little village was not only remote but also as one would expect very rural. it was home to a great many farm animals of which I once owned most of them or still own them. They had pigs, goats, sheep, horses, chickens, dogs, cats, and some cows. There was one horse who I decided to befriend who was in pretty beat up shape. She had pretty bad sores down most of her legs, she was a bit thin, and was very very skiddish. After patiently and gently working her over she let me pet her and talk to her. I relaxed her some and tried to see if there was anything I could do to help her but of course there was nothing I could offer her but some gentle words and love.
We then made our way on to Rio Azul (Blue River). It was a beautiful and clean flowing stream that captured and boggled my mind at just how beautiful the color was. We camped out for a picnic under a tree of my choosing. The thing was just begging for someone to eat under it and so I i felt oblidged to do it that honor. It was a nice picnic of cookies and pineapple soda for me before we moved on over the river and through the woods until we came across another town and took a shuttle back to Nebaj.
Somewhere along the way our group split up. I decided to stick behind with the slower half of the group since I felt it was most responsible and most respectful to do so. We all made our way to the same little village tucked away in a remote valley though so all's well that ends well. Shirley, Sam, and I made our time with the group fun by challenging ourselves to races up the steep and curvy mountain path. Shirley and I also decided it might be funny and completely accurate to our dorkiness if we skip up a portion of the mountain. It gave me great satisfaction and some good laughs when we embraced our inner dork.
The little village was not only remote but also as one would expect very rural. it was home to a great many farm animals of which I once owned most of them or still own them. They had pigs, goats, sheep, horses, chickens, dogs, cats, and some cows. There was one horse who I decided to befriend who was in pretty beat up shape. She had pretty bad sores down most of her legs, she was a bit thin, and was very very skiddish. After patiently and gently working her over she let me pet her and talk to her. I relaxed her some and tried to see if there was anything I could do to help her but of course there was nothing I could offer her but some gentle words and love.
We then made our way on to Rio Azul (Blue River). It was a beautiful and clean flowing stream that captured and boggled my mind at just how beautiful the color was. We camped out for a picnic under a tree of my choosing. The thing was just begging for someone to eat under it and so I i felt oblidged to do it that honor. It was a nice picnic of cookies and pineapple soda for me before we moved on over the river and through the woods until we came across another town and took a shuttle back to Nebaj.
Our Lady Santa Maria
A while back our group left for a day long hike up one of the tallest volcanoes in all of Central America. Santa Maria was her name and she presented a great challenge to the group as a whole but we pulled through together. Santa Maria stands at above 3,700 ft reaching high into the blanket of clouds that lies above the city of Xela.
A view of Santa Maria from the Orphanage we worked at
We started out on our trek early in the morning around 4 with three tour guides that I reserved under the request of the professors. Each one of the guides proved to be extremely friendly, beneficial, and knowledgeable. As our group set out my friend Amanda decided to back down and return to the hotel after her allergies and asthma really kicked in. The youngest guide named Edgar volunteered to take Amanda back to the base of the volcano and ensure her safe return to the hotel. Edgar was a cute guy I must say. He was twenty years old and had two kids already with his wife!
Our group carried on with our remaining two guides. Edwin who was the eldest and most experienced of the guides charged ahead with Andrew, Steve, Nancy, Joe, Adrienne, Justin, Lady Grey and Black, and I. Lady Grey and Black was a stray dog who, according to Edwin, journeyed everyday up Santa Maria with the various groups who came through. She inspired confidence in us all with her not so healthy stature but irrefutable confidence and determination. It served her well as she managed to share lunch with everyone at the top of the volcano.
Our lead the pack as we scaled the steep and very torn up path up the side of Santa Maria and ended up being about twenty minuets ahead of the remaining two parts of our group. It was a real blessing to be climbing alongside Edwin who told us the story of how Gringo came to be. From the perspective of Latin Nations the term gringo came into being as a result of the Mexican American war. The term really came into prevalence though when U.S. forces became synonymous with their army green uniforms. Using this relation of an entire people to a color the phrase “Green Go” became a popular chant against American military imperialism. As with all cultures, slang then developed to shorten the phrase and allow our true laziness to shine through. The phrase “Green Go” soon became Gringo thus ushering in a new era of racial profiling.
My group half way up the volcano!
The second guide, Hacir, walked with Samantha, Julie, and Lizzie. As we learned later, Hacir not only climbs volcanoes everyday but also finds in his spare time amongst the clouds the drive to open his own coffee shop. Coincidentally enough his shop opened the following day and we were the first to receive a map and invitation to attend. Hacir seemed extremely nice and loved to practice his English with Sam and Julie.
Edgar, after scaling all the way back down a portion of the volcano, managed to work his way back up and lead Shirley and Jessie up the long and perilous side of Santa Maria. She, being Santa Maria, is quite the well toned and curved lady haha. She also proved to be littered with lies such as the rock that said “20 mins from here” when really it meant around an hour!
Like in that wonderful Miley Cyrus song we all know and love: The Climb, it was not about reaching the top or seeing what was on the other side, this journey was about the climb. We as a group grew together, suffered together, bit the dirt together, and succeeded together in reaching high above the clouds. Upon reaching the summit of Santa Maria I couldn’t help but embrace what I think was the presence of God. The air was moist and crisp, the scenery more beautiful than I could ever express in words, and the joy and pride I saw in the faces of my closest amigos brought me to a state of peace I have not felt for sometime. I could have spent the whole day in that moment and have been ok with it. I understand now why mountain tops are considered sacred and heavenly spaces in the many spiritualities of this world we call Earth.
The views from the top!
The trip back down the Volcano was quick and restful compared to the climb up but also caused many to trip and fall at least a few times. I managed to keep my good footing the whole time down but instead was swatted by underbrush that very unkindly refused to move out of the way of my face. Shirley had a nervous breakdown on the way back down the volcano. She just wanted to be done with the journey since she has both a great fear of animals and a great fear of nature. I am so proud of her for making the trip though and conquering her fear. Overall the journey is a defining moment for us all on our adventure through Guatemala. Never have I seen the group so united, so strong, and so thankful for a nice warm and comfortable bed haha. It is far from the last of such adventures though I am sure. Everyday is a new day full of potential and lessons to help us grow.
A view of Santa Maria from the Orphanage we worked at
We started out on our trek early in the morning around 4 with three tour guides that I reserved under the request of the professors. Each one of the guides proved to be extremely friendly, beneficial, and knowledgeable. As our group set out my friend Amanda decided to back down and return to the hotel after her allergies and asthma really kicked in. The youngest guide named Edgar volunteered to take Amanda back to the base of the volcano and ensure her safe return to the hotel. Edgar was a cute guy I must say. He was twenty years old and had two kids already with his wife!
Our group carried on with our remaining two guides. Edwin who was the eldest and most experienced of the guides charged ahead with Andrew, Steve, Nancy, Joe, Adrienne, Justin, Lady Grey and Black, and I. Lady Grey and Black was a stray dog who, according to Edwin, journeyed everyday up Santa Maria with the various groups who came through. She inspired confidence in us all with her not so healthy stature but irrefutable confidence and determination. It served her well as she managed to share lunch with everyone at the top of the volcano.
Our lead the pack as we scaled the steep and very torn up path up the side of Santa Maria and ended up being about twenty minuets ahead of the remaining two parts of our group. It was a real blessing to be climbing alongside Edwin who told us the story of how Gringo came to be. From the perspective of Latin Nations the term gringo came into being as a result of the Mexican American war. The term really came into prevalence though when U.S. forces became synonymous with their army green uniforms. Using this relation of an entire people to a color the phrase “Green Go” became a popular chant against American military imperialism. As with all cultures, slang then developed to shorten the phrase and allow our true laziness to shine through. The phrase “Green Go” soon became Gringo thus ushering in a new era of racial profiling.
My group half way up the volcano!
The second guide, Hacir, walked with Samantha, Julie, and Lizzie. As we learned later, Hacir not only climbs volcanoes everyday but also finds in his spare time amongst the clouds the drive to open his own coffee shop. Coincidentally enough his shop opened the following day and we were the first to receive a map and invitation to attend. Hacir seemed extremely nice and loved to practice his English with Sam and Julie.
Edgar, after scaling all the way back down a portion of the volcano, managed to work his way back up and lead Shirley and Jessie up the long and perilous side of Santa Maria. She, being Santa Maria, is quite the well toned and curved lady haha. She also proved to be littered with lies such as the rock that said “20 mins from here” when really it meant around an hour!
Like in that wonderful Miley Cyrus song we all know and love: The Climb, it was not about reaching the top or seeing what was on the other side, this journey was about the climb. We as a group grew together, suffered together, bit the dirt together, and succeeded together in reaching high above the clouds. Upon reaching the summit of Santa Maria I couldn’t help but embrace what I think was the presence of God. The air was moist and crisp, the scenery more beautiful than I could ever express in words, and the joy and pride I saw in the faces of my closest amigos brought me to a state of peace I have not felt for sometime. I could have spent the whole day in that moment and have been ok with it. I understand now why mountain tops are considered sacred and heavenly spaces in the many spiritualities of this world we call Earth.
The views from the top!
The trip back down the Volcano was quick and restful compared to the climb up but also caused many to trip and fall at least a few times. I managed to keep my good footing the whole time down but instead was swatted by underbrush that very unkindly refused to move out of the way of my face. Shirley had a nervous breakdown on the way back down the volcano. She just wanted to be done with the journey since she has both a great fear of animals and a great fear of nature. I am so proud of her for making the trip though and conquering her fear. Overall the journey is a defining moment for us all on our adventure through Guatemala. Never have I seen the group so united, so strong, and so thankful for a nice warm and comfortable bed haha. It is far from the last of such adventures though I am sure. Everyday is a new day full of potential and lessons to help us grow.
Humanism
Humanism
There seems to be some confusion over what I mean when I say I am a humanist. To be humanist, in my definition, is to be an active advocate for justice based on the principles of humanism. But what do I mean by humanism? Humanism is idea that all persons have the right to have their needs, interests, and value equally recognized and satisfied based upon the universally shared conditions of human existence but also the individual’s personal conditions, needs, and circumstances of existence. These personal conditions, needs, and circumstances are derived from an individual’s economic, political, social, cultural, racial, sexual, gendered, geographical, physical, and mental existences. Humanism then advocates for the rights, value, interests, and needs of all persons taking into account the universally shared conditions and circumstances of being human while also accounting for each person’s needs, circumstances, and conditions determined by their existence politically, socially, culturally, sexually, and so on.
In this way humanism seeks to recognize and protect the rights, interests, and needs off all persons equally taking into account the total conditions and circumstances of their existence. This is unlike feminism which focuses its advocacy simply on recognizing the rights, interests, needs, and equality of women in society rather than reaching beyond the gendered circumstances and conditions of a person to incorporate a total understanding of a person’s circumstances and conditions of existence. Not all women are the same nor does every woman have the same needs or interests. This is because not all women share the same conditions and circumstances of existence. Where does feminism leave men? The poor? The handicap? Answer: on their own. Feminism also fails to incorporate and recognize the difference in existences and conditions of women of other cultures or racial backgrounds. Are the needs and interests of a Guatemalan woman and an American woman exactly the same? No of course not. The interests and needs of an African American woman in Detroit and a Caucasian woman in up-state New York are not the same either because in both scenarios the circumstances and conditions of their existences are drastically different. Yes, there are similarities based upon these individual’s shared existences as human beings and as women but feminism fails to recognize and incorporate their needs and interests that arise from their racial, cultural, economical, physical, mental, political, and social existences. This is not to say that Feminism and those who advocate for the equality, needs, rights, and interests of women are wrong headed or even a negative thing. I am fully supportive of most every action declared feminist take in order to achieve their goals. I am simply stating that feminism alone fails to recognize and advocate for the interests, rights, equality, and needs of all persons and even all women. There needs to be a completely inclusive understanding of the conditions and circumstances of each person’s existence which defines the many and varying needs and interests of a person.
One of the biggest criticisms I received during class against humanism was that humanism was too broad and had no focus therefore would be incapable of making any efficient or worthwhile changes. The fault of this argument is that humanism is exactly the opposite; humanism focuses on the total person so that any actions taken to right injustices can be done in the most efficient and beneficial ways. This is not to say that every action to right injustice is made to improve the economic as well as social standing of an individual but rather that any actions taken to improve one area of his/her existence is done in understanding of the other aspects of the individual’s total existence. An example of this would be a program I know of in the United States which provides homeless and jobless young persons with a job, a place to live, a stipend for food and such, while incorporating all of that within an undergraduate education program. This program, for which I cannot remember the name of, is the perfect example of a humanist program because it takes homeless and jobless young people provides them with a place to live, an education to better their lives, a stipend earned on which to live on, as well as jobs through the school. Some of the jobs better the community in which the school exists thus giving the young persons a sense of community and pride. Others work around the school itself further improving the immediate conditions that the young persons live in and learn in. This program provides a well rounded opportunity for the improvement of each student’s life taking into account the entirety of each individual’s specific and shared conditions, needs, interests, circumstances, and existences. A humanistic program like this does not serve to satisfy the total needs of a person but does improve their standard of living keeping in mind the total needs, conditions, and circumstances that formulate their existence in the world.
There seems to be some confusion over what I mean when I say I am a humanist. To be humanist, in my definition, is to be an active advocate for justice based on the principles of humanism. But what do I mean by humanism? Humanism is idea that all persons have the right to have their needs, interests, and value equally recognized and satisfied based upon the universally shared conditions of human existence but also the individual’s personal conditions, needs, and circumstances of existence. These personal conditions, needs, and circumstances are derived from an individual’s economic, political, social, cultural, racial, sexual, gendered, geographical, physical, and mental existences. Humanism then advocates for the rights, value, interests, and needs of all persons taking into account the universally shared conditions and circumstances of being human while also accounting for each person’s needs, circumstances, and conditions determined by their existence politically, socially, culturally, sexually, and so on.
In this way humanism seeks to recognize and protect the rights, interests, and needs off all persons equally taking into account the total conditions and circumstances of their existence. This is unlike feminism which focuses its advocacy simply on recognizing the rights, interests, needs, and equality of women in society rather than reaching beyond the gendered circumstances and conditions of a person to incorporate a total understanding of a person’s circumstances and conditions of existence. Not all women are the same nor does every woman have the same needs or interests. This is because not all women share the same conditions and circumstances of existence. Where does feminism leave men? The poor? The handicap? Answer: on their own. Feminism also fails to incorporate and recognize the difference in existences and conditions of women of other cultures or racial backgrounds. Are the needs and interests of a Guatemalan woman and an American woman exactly the same? No of course not. The interests and needs of an African American woman in Detroit and a Caucasian woman in up-state New York are not the same either because in both scenarios the circumstances and conditions of their existences are drastically different. Yes, there are similarities based upon these individual’s shared existences as human beings and as women but feminism fails to recognize and incorporate their needs and interests that arise from their racial, cultural, economical, physical, mental, political, and social existences. This is not to say that Feminism and those who advocate for the equality, needs, rights, and interests of women are wrong headed or even a negative thing. I am fully supportive of most every action declared feminist take in order to achieve their goals. I am simply stating that feminism alone fails to recognize and advocate for the interests, rights, equality, and needs of all persons and even all women. There needs to be a completely inclusive understanding of the conditions and circumstances of each person’s existence which defines the many and varying needs and interests of a person.
One of the biggest criticisms I received during class against humanism was that humanism was too broad and had no focus therefore would be incapable of making any efficient or worthwhile changes. The fault of this argument is that humanism is exactly the opposite; humanism focuses on the total person so that any actions taken to right injustices can be done in the most efficient and beneficial ways. This is not to say that every action to right injustice is made to improve the economic as well as social standing of an individual but rather that any actions taken to improve one area of his/her existence is done in understanding of the other aspects of the individual’s total existence. An example of this would be a program I know of in the United States which provides homeless and jobless young persons with a job, a place to live, a stipend for food and such, while incorporating all of that within an undergraduate education program. This program, for which I cannot remember the name of, is the perfect example of a humanist program because it takes homeless and jobless young people provides them with a place to live, an education to better their lives, a stipend earned on which to live on, as well as jobs through the school. Some of the jobs better the community in which the school exists thus giving the young persons a sense of community and pride. Others work around the school itself further improving the immediate conditions that the young persons live in and learn in. This program provides a well rounded opportunity for the improvement of each student’s life taking into account the entirety of each individual’s specific and shared conditions, needs, interests, circumstances, and existences. A humanistic program like this does not serve to satisfy the total needs of a person but does improve their standard of living keeping in mind the total needs, conditions, and circumstances that formulate their existence in the world.
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