Life is requiring once a month updates. Sad but true. I’m currently in Guatemala City on a project. It’s 10pm and I’ve been out in the Guatemalan countryside all day talking to small farmers and generally having my mind totally blown. I am a bit at a loss for words; not just about Guatemala but everything, the concept of rural development and living in the developing world in general.
I had a moment the other day; a friend in Colombia gave me a jar of really nice honey from his families farm. I can’t tell you how exciting this was. Genuine honey is hard to come by, and pretty expensive when you do find it. And if you know me you know that artisan food is kindof one of my things. I live for that stuff. I was saving it for tea and whatnot when I came back from a trip to the Amazon. I was thinking about it in the airport, during connecting flights. The HONEY. I’m overdoing it probably, but you get the picture. The honey was important. And when you’re living abroad, little things like this take on significance.
Anyway. That weekend I put it in the fridge so that the little ants, which are everywhere in any Central or South American country south of Mexico, wouldn’t be able weasel their way into it. The first morning I was back, I take it out of the fridge, set it on the counter. A series of events involving some plates almost falling knocks the honey off the shelf.
Honey and glass, everywhere. I just kindof stood there dumbly. All I could do was wonder, what just happened and how was the prized honey possibly on the kitchen floor speckled with sharp glass? Not angry or sad, just totally taking it in.
To bring this conversation back to the point - it occurred to me sometime later (yes, I’m still thinking about the lost honey, I know) that this is basically how i feel about the last year working in rural development and living in South America. No conclusions or concrete thoughts, but just knowing that something big, something important has happened in my life and the way I want to relate to my work and my surroundings. Something that requires action but first, some real thought.
But at the moment, I’m just looking at an unorganized mess of experiences, ideas, conclusions, and questions.
Hi Katie!
Sorry about your honey! Thanks for the updates on what’s been happening with you (your report was very interesting too). Sounds like you have some serious stories and not a lot of time to share them.
I left my job at the women’s center and I’m back in school. I’m interested in learning more about your program and what you’re doing. I started grad school and may be interested in doing something afterward.
Hope all is well, besides the honey. Speak to you soon.
Marc
May 20th, 2010