The Bad

The house from up on the mountain. photo courtesy of Jacques

For those of you checking in on this blog for the first time here is a quick recap of the incident that pretty much turned my trip (and the lives of seven other people) upside down.

About three in the afternoon of Wednesday February 15th.  Jacques (Brigitte's dad) found an envelope with a note and a cell phone that had been pushed under the gate on the driveway.

Everyone was there except Brigitte who was working in Guatemala City that day. The note was addressed to Brigitte, and said: (I'm summarizing) "We know who you are, we know what kind of car you drive, we know your husband (ex husband actually) lives out of the country and we know where your son Joris goes to school. You will pay us 30,000 Quetzales (about $3,900) or you son will die"

Brigitte did not return home. Jacques, Joris and I packed essential things and took a taxi to Guatemala City where we hooked up with Brigitte and a colleague who put us up in his house. (A beautiful house he owned with his sister in a gated and guarded community not far from the city.)

Brigitte made a report to the police, and with the help of a friend of a friend (who has contacts high up) cut through enough bureaucratic bullshit to get the attention of Guatemala's Attorney General. None the less, it was agreed that Brigitte, Joris and Jacques should leave the county immediately, which they did three.   (Brigitte told me on the phone how strange it was to be "exiled" in her own county.)  Can you imagine going to work in the morning and not being able to return to your home that evening?



Friday I went to Antigua and got a room for a few days.  Sunday I returned with Jacques and helped him gather up a few more things, said goodbye to him there and stayed on with Clara and Family for the rest of my time in Guatemala. I did not feel in any danger. The  times that I was available for a hug, or had a lap for one of the kids to sit on made the rest of my time in Guatemala totally worthwhile.

I can not close this portion without interjecting my personal view.

My friend Brigitte is a caring, resourceful and proactive person. I feel very lucky to have met her. (I owe that to a group called Servas that we both belong to. It is an international service group dedicate to world peace. You can check that out here: Servas.org ) 

Brigitte is a fair skinned woman from Holland, who has lived in Guatemala most of her adult life, she was married to a Honduran man, but she has been raising their son alone for many years. Add to this, she has adopted and is supporting an indigenous family and building a house and working and traveling throughout Central America promoting fair trade and labor practices.... and the list can go on.  I think Brigitte could be considered one in a million in regards to being a female living in a Latin American culture. 

With all this in mind, it is my feeling (I'm not alone) that the lowlife who has caused all this suffering is one of the workers she had helping her build her house. There are times when they stole from her, times when they flat assed took her money and did no work. They charged for materials that never made it to her house, and
Brigitte pretty much carried on, accepting this as "the way things are done in Guatemala" 

I feel the culprit is one (or more) of those "machismo" men who got their pretty little Latin egos bruised by my friend who could stand face to face with any of them and say what was on her mind.

photo courtesy of Jacques

OK, I have said my piece. Every moment in our lives is a turning point.  I witnessed a major turning point in the lives of two families I care for.  I have witnessed how strong these people are and I have no doubt that down the road life has many more treasures to offer them.

Right Joris?

I agree with Ken!!

The Ugly

Specifically this has nothing to do with Brigitte, Clara and families, but it does give the context of what is happening around them. 

Below a ink to a video:

PBS News piece on violence in Guatemala

I do have a little story regarding violence here in Guatemala. How I got this story is actually pretty humorous. After dinner one evening, we are struggling to have a little conversation about what I'm going to do when I get home.  Remember, at this time, there's me, who speaks little Spanish and Clara, and Axel and family who speak very little English.   I (feeling pretty proud) explained that I was going to fly to San Diego to see my 92 year old mom who has lived by herself since my dad died several years ago.

Axel explained to me that his mom has also lived alone since his dad died 28 years ago. He also explained that it was not a "bad" thing, because his mother was physically abused by his dad, and after he died (alcohol related) she chose to live alone and wanted to have nothing to do with men.

By the way I was humbled a bit when I learned that Axel's mom is 105 years old, and that she has 11 children -------  Yikes!!

Ignorance is Bliss??? Bliss is pure attention.

The recuring theme for me on this trip has been "Ignorance is Bliss." I am not sure why, and I am fairly certian this is not a "trueism."

Alex Goofing Off

It first came to me at a concert I was attending with Brigitte and family. The opening group was a fantastic accoustic trio (guitar, violin and drummer extraordinaire) I was pretty much captivated by this group as were most of the other 800 or so people there. Directly in front of me there was an ugly conflict unfolding. It was a bit of a distraction, but frankly the music was so captivating I was not disturbed. Well it got to the point where Brigitte's friend had to summons the police, and about then I got to thinking that due to the language barrier, ignorance was bliss for me






Widening the scope of that thought I have many times on this trip been brought back to the fact that Suffering exists and there is no shortage of it. The hard part for me (being the "happiness junkie" I am, is knowing when is the right time for me to let the suffering in?

I am just thinking out loud, I have no answer.




Is it when I have something to offer to alleviate some suffering? Is it only when I feel strong enough to accept the reality of how much suffering there is? Or is it totally out of my hands, going back to the "ignorance is Bliss" theory.


Yoga Antigua Studio




Like I said, I have no answers at this, time, it has been a totally humbling experience to me, living here this past month. The contrast is almost overwhelming. Such a beautiful native population, living for the most part in extreme poverty, yet you see that they are for the most part living their lives in joy. Then there is the corrupt side, which I think is really not much different than the corruption in my country. It is just that the corruption here and in other third world countries is just much more visible, in your face so to speak. The type of corruption we experience in the US is behind so many closed doors we are fooled (I believe) into a cocoon of faux safety.



That's enough rambling for now, let´s see if I can find some nice pictures to make this more palatable, in case there are other "happiness junkies" reading this.

The view from the Yoga Studio

Tranquilo esta Bien

All is calm here, I am happy to be staying busy with some projects and especially happy that I can be here for emotional support for a bit longer.

I have been  dwelling a lot on the (to me) paradox that life seems to be.  I sit on the veranda at Brgitte's house, everything is as is was a week ago, the sounds of birds in the distance, kids playing, clouds rolling by. Total tranquility. Without a sound, only a one page note, the tranquility was destroyed and replaced with despair.  I know that peace is alway availble, and it can only be found by being present in the moment.

O.K. I am finding peace and even great joy here, staying in the moment and being with whatever it is that is coming up around me.

The paradox for me is that I also know that there is a deep well of sadness, despair and poverty, not just here in Guatemala but many places in the world. How can someone live on $15 to $30 dollars a month.  I can not fathom it, but billions on Earth do. (Many of those people living happier lives than most folks in the US.  How can I possibley make a difference in this chasm of poverty?

The answer to that takes me back to the beginning, be present in this moment!  Non the less, the paradox persists.

Some Contrasting Images from Guatemala

Been to Antigua in the past
five years or so?
Recognize this guy?
(Answer is at the end.)

Brigittette (Little Brigitte.)

Street beggar.

Alex

Street performer
(I did this at the Folklife Festival.)
(No, I was a wizard!)

Alex, Jacques and me

Young native girl in her
"Sunday Best" Chasing bubbles.

Shoeshine Boy

Another poor street beggar.

Yoris playing with the iPod

Guy with shotgun.
(If there is money or someone important there,

 you will find at least one of these.)

Don't mind him, the church in the background is magnificent

This the guy pictured in the beginning
I first saw him 5 or 6 years ago. I think he owns this piece of the sidewalk. He begs from there (on his knees) for at least 8 hrs. A day. I've seen him joking with locals, I don't think he's down and out.

And from Lennon,
      The last word:k
    What's for dinner?

 

 

 

 

 

The bad apple story

It is Sunday Feb 20th. Last Thursday afternoon Jacques  found a note with a cell phone that had been slipped under the gate. It was an extortion note threating the death of Brigitte´s son Joris if (about) $4000 US was not paid when demanded. I plan on writing more in depth on this, but for now a short synopsis.

It is hurting me to recall the grief that ensued over the next 48 hours. Brigitte was in Guatemala City at the time, and we joined her that evening where a friend put us up in a safe house. A statement was made to the police and (whatever is the Guatemalan version of the FBI) A friend of Brigittes came to her aid with another friend  who has contacts high up in the government. (Again in US terms) The Attorney General of Guatemala is involved with this case thank to that friend. Never the less, the NGO Brigitte works for, the Dutch embassy and most others agreed that Brigitte and family should leave the county now. As I write this Brigitte and Joris are on a plane to Holland.  Jacques will be leaving Thursday. Leaving behind a house just recently completed, a Guatemalan family they were sharing life with, three horses, three cats, a dog, a car-------and much more.

I am back in Antigua, I am not a target in this affair. I have found a nice yoga studio and signed up for ten classes, and I plan on spending most of my time back in Santa Lucia with Clara and family. I want to do what I can to help Clara, Axel, Brigittette and Alex  through this transition.

I still believe in the inherent goodness of mankind, and I am still touched by the beauty and kindness of the Guatemalan people.  "Bad Apple"  is a poor analogy for this situation. It is horrendous how just a little evil can destroy the dreams and visions of two wonderful families.  Add to that the fact that Brigitte has spent her adult life devoted to bettering life for 3rd world people, and all I can say is THIS  SUCKS! 
Is there a "bright side", a "silver lining"? Right now there is too much grief here to be looking for it.
We are all safe and sound, and that is good.

Santa Lucia Milpa Altos

Santa Lucia Milpas Altos, Guatemala.  2000 meters (6500 ft above Sea Level.  Now I understand why I was so out of breath climing what  thought was a little hill, I just came from a month or two
 living at sea level to over a mile high.
Here's a link to a google earth picture of my neck of the woods for 4 weeks.  Santa Lucia Milpas Altas, Guatemala I 

I am located in what appears to be a shadow above the "A" where the houses end and the mountains begin.

Here is a portion of my Journal with a few pictures. Next trip to Antigua I will elaborate:

The Journey here – Long but uneventful, fortune was with me, thank God for the two other gringos that arrived on the same flight. I figured I would be on a plane full of tourists and that there would be dozens of shuttles to Antigua. On the plane I saw only Hispanic people, and everyone I talked to had a ride (to somewhere else),  I realized that there may not be a shuttle to Antigua. The thought of riding the public bus for two or three hours after no sleep was not appealing to me at all.  Any of you who have ridden the “chicken busses” here in Guatemala will understand. Luckily there were two young Americans I did not see on the plane that had secured a shuttle which I tagged along on for only ten dollars. It cost me about 8 bucks more than the chicken bus, I got there three times as fast in luxury – TOTALLY WORTH IT!

Introducing the Family

The house from up on the mountain

Close up from the same place

It took a few days to acclimate but since then Jacques and I have been working every day as Brigitte’s live in “Mr. fix it guys”  Since that is what we both love doing, esta vida perfecto!!.

Two years ago Brigitte and family were in a rented house, she has just moved into this beautiful house she designed and built on her own.  (That is another story I would like to elaborate on)

For those of you who did not follow my journal last time I was here (or don’t remember) (we are prone to more and more “senior” moments these days.):

  Brigitte is a wonderful young lady from Holland who hosted me last time I was in Guatemala. She has lived here most of her adult life, and does very meaningful work in the areas of sustainable farming and cultural preservation.  She is the director for Solidaridad in Central America, look here (  http://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/   ) if you would like to learn more. Living here is Joris, Brigitte’s son, Clara and her two children (Brigitteteke, and Alex.)(Brigitteteke is a name derived from a combination of Spanish and the Dutch dialect of Mestreechs) Sometimes Clara’s husband Axel is here, he works on an avacodo farm on the other side of the mountain.. Clara and Axel are an indigenous Mayan family that live in a very symbiotic way with Brigitte) Add to that Jacque, Brigitte’s father who visits for a few months every winter and myself and the house is almost full.

Yikes, I almost forgot the most important residents Vadel, Pluma and Trueno caballos extraordinaire. (The horses don’t actually live in the house). I think it would be safe to say the Brigitte lives for her horses. 

 

The whole family was called away unexpectedly for a funeral today, and I am honoured that she has trusted me to care for her loved ones.  But I digress, for I have not finished introducing you to my Guatemala family. Three cats also live here, (forgotten their names) and Lennon the mellowest Basset Hound I have ever met.

Casa de Brigitte y master Lennon

 MORE SOON I HOPE...............
(I am have a bit too much fun to be wanting to hang out with a computer.


Peace
Ken

Alex and Lennon

Jacques, Brigitteteke, Alex y Yo having too much fun for the camera to focus on