Down the Pipe

That's intermittently how I've felt the trip has gone thus far.

Part of it has to do with the usual feelings of alienation that accompany going into a brand new locale (especially minus the company of others from your home country). I think the other part of it has to do with putting myself in a situation where I wield little to no control over my life given my lack of familiarity with the surroundings, the culture, and, to a certain extent, the language. We'll give it some time. Or maybe you'll get to see my smiling face sooner than you would have expected.

In other news regarding pipes (more specifically my own), the food here is fucking delicious. As I write this, my mouth is stained red with a frozen strawberry confection which was dipped in chocolate. Moreover, I never thought a dish consisting of ham, onions, and capers elegantly stacked on saltine crackers could be so good (not even joking). Other highlights:

1/Pollo Campero:
A fast food restaurant exclusively found in Guatemala and roughly comparable to America's own Unlucky Fried Kitten (KFC). Roughly. The food there is exquisite. Apparantly the Colonel had some cousin in Guate who, after failing in an attempted military coup, chose instead to go into the pollo frito business using his own blend of 33 herbs and spices. I'm thinking something to the effect of a candy striped Castro.

2/Reina:
The woman who works as the family's house help. She is the dopest person I've met thus far. I think she's so excited at the prospect of someone having a conversation with her that doesn't consist mainly of commands that she's super nice to me. She lives in the house 6 days a week and we've talked about a bunch of stuff, from her life history to where I'm allowed to walk by myself. She also cooks everything served in the house. And it's all amazing. Liquefied black beans come with every meal here, and I am glad of it.

3/ The EATCHIP :
Acronym for the European Air Traffic Control Harmonization and Integration Programme. This came into effect under the International Air Transport Association (IATA). I came across it at work, where I was busy compiling a set of documents detailing international aviation accords, especially those pertaining to the EU or Latin America. Work is really weird, thus far, I've mostly been doing semi-tedious jobs pertaining to either, A/International Business Regs or B/ Adoptions going to the US. I've seen a lot of behind the scenes stuff, more about that later? Mostly, I just thought that EATCHIP was a very funny acronym.

4/ El McDia de Feliz:
This is a real thing. Apparently, once a year, McDonalds in Guatemala donates some portion of its profits from Big Macs to cancer research. Again, no joke. And people go nuts for it. Like, sales of Big Macs absolutely skyrocket. Absurd. Kind of like the number of advertisements in English (my favorite thus far is the Play Zone resting above something called American Doughnuts!) I suppose everyone who was in Africa this summer could also attest to the hegemony of not only American commerce, but also American "culture". I suppose the two go hand in hand.

That's the end of the food bullets (mmm...food bullets). The short time I've spent here has done a lot to affirm my belief that free trade, at least in its present state, sucks butt. This has been true in everything I've encountered, from the fascination with SUV's to the way that international adoptions function.

Last thing, and only because it's still fresh, I know that this entry is pushing all (2.5) of your limits. I had a conversation with the female head of the household (who I'm living with and who gave me a job) about the upcoming presidential elections.

The finalists are Alvaro Colom, head of the National Unity of Hope Party and Otto Perez Molina, leader of the Patriotic Party (one of those sounds wayyy more appealing to my young, liberal ears). Anyway, Colom is a Lefty, promising social reforms and that he wants to "use intelligence to fight violence" (sounds better in Spanish) because he believes that the constant robberies that take place in the city stem from inequality in wealth. Perez Molina is a former army general who's running on security platform, proposing that people vote with a "firm hand" and that he will, in turn, rule with a firm hand. Again, this one seems like a no brainer, as presumably coercive heads of state are no fun at parties.

But....my friend said that she was planning on voting for the Patriotic Party. Wha??? Her first reason for doing so was pretty much expected. He supports liberal economic policy, which benefits wealthy people like this family I'm living with while Colom is more a socialist-type guy (also occasionally party killers, but at least they'll share their beer). Her second reason turned my whole safe, sound, bleeding-middle-class-heart-world upside-down. She said that she is aware of the civil liberties she has but would gladly give them up for security. When I asked if she was aware that he could become a military dictator, she said yes, and that it was difficult to choose between that and what she perceived to be an economic dictator. There's lots of famous quotes about this giving up rights for security, but they escape me at the moment. I guess I deserve neither.

What has really gotten to me is that in the US, we're giving up our civil liberties for what is largely a ghost-threat. An apparition of danger that lingers from an event 6 years in the past. Here, I feel like she might have a better reason for feeling that way. People get held up at gun point with unnerving regularity here. I dunno. My mental jury is still out (it's been like an hour and a half).

Ok That's All.

I hope your appetites are all whetted.

-dj kevlar

ps. In an attempt to create more awareness of the sport I play, love, and miss desperately, here's my list of teams that I'm rooting for at the Ultimate Player's Association Club Championships, scheduled for October 27th-30th. (www.club2007.upa.org).

Master's (old guy division).....Surly (Minneapolis, MN)
My favorite coach Chris York plays for this team, composed mostly of former Sub Zero guys. Think like a bunch of the old school justice league coming out of retirement to do battle with their old school nemeses (Boston, Bay Area, etc)

Mixed (men and women).....Flycoons (Missoula, MT)
Gotta love a team from Montana. Plus Tim Murray plays for them. I don't actually know him, but he writes a good blog about ultimate, which keeps the boredom away.

Women's.....Lady Godiva (Boston, MA)
I mostly just like their name. The teams with people I know got eliminated this year.

Open (men)....Sub Zero (Minneapolis, MN)
My...other favorite coach Charlie Reznikoff plays for this team. So does my friend Jeff. They are very good. Basically what I want to be when I grow up.

I don't care if any of you read that last part. It's my hot blog, I'll do what I want. Aaaaand I just threw up in my mouth.