Tuesday, March 1, 2011
2/26 - Classroom Inauguration - Chimaltenango
Opening ceremony --> Speeches by each partner organization.
Ribbon cutting / unveiling of the project plaque.
Decor within 1 of the 2 new classrooms, completed December 2010.
Existing classrooms exterior. Corrugated sheet metal walls + doors.
Existing classrooms interior. Walls do not end 'tight to deck', encouraging acoustic transfer. Yet thermally the openings offer a slight respite from the adamant sun.
The entrance as viewed upon our departure.
The children having a blast racing the truck as we left...
Flat Stanley Kong!
2/25 - San Mateo
To conclude my first week in the office with Constru Casa, I was out of it all afternoon :) Friday consisted of a morning of intense preparation of all the diplomas of the Dunn School (College Prep school in CA) volunteers, then my second ride in the truck bed to the project site in San Mateo, a neighboring village to Antigua.
In San Mateo the masons are erecting 4 houses in quasi-adjacent sites, a fleet of new homes for some very needing families. The stories shared during the volunteer 'Despedida' made for a very moving occasion, with more than one person in tears. Thankfully, these are tears of joy at the promise of a new future with a new house.
2/21 - The Circle of Trust
As Rollo likes to say, on Monday he made a silver 'circle of trust', in extension of the tutorial with our friend + neighbor, Oscar.
Given the simplicity of the ring, and the melting we had done from the previous ring, the process only took around 2.5 hours from start to finish.
We began cutting a length of square section bar, flattening with a 'noodle-maker' type press, cutting, soldering, hammering, filing, and then polishing with just about every grit of paper + cloth known to man.
We had a great time and exchanged a few cultural jokes during the making.
Now Rollo is set with a handsome silver ring, and, both of us, with knowledge of craftsmanship and silver-smithing (not to mention the story of a friendly Guatemalan).
2/20 - La Tumbergia
A view of my favorite local flower --> 'La Tumbergia'. An exquisitely beautiful hanging plant, similar in some ways to the dazzling orange 'El Collar de Reina' as seen in earlier posts. This is a fantastic plant for an arbor, if you have one!
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