Luke Skywalker may have defeated the Emperor of Darkness in his part of the universe, but in our world, evil still exists. Despite its beauty and the warmth of its people, Guatemala has been dominated by the forces of evil since the Spanish conquered the Mayan culture in 1524. The ruling Spanish government stripped this agricultural people of the best of its lands, dominating them physically and economically. Since then, political and economic freedom for more than 60% of the population, the Mayans, is virtually non-existent. During the cold war, guerilla groups in Guatemala sponsored by the Soviets, tried to overthrow a questionably elected government. The American supported military responded with powerful force. Indigenous Mayans were caught in the crossfire. Atrocities and human rights violations on both sides were sickening. Growing up in the 70’s, (ok, ... read more

You may be wondering, with all this soul searching are you having any fun, Cynthia? All right. I’ll blow my own cover. I am having a blast. I am lucky to have a full eight weeks this time to study and explore. Other students that live in mi casa have shorter time. I have become fast friends with many of them. There was the beautiful, young Debbie from Newport beach whose rubio (blonde) hair turned heads everywhere she went. She lit up the dinner table with stories of her adventures. And she spoke really good spanish. Joanne from Florida, was intelligent, organized and creative. Her boyfriend Henry, joined her for a week before she started spanish school. She was a master of the markets and the maps. Her experience as a nurse and doctor of chinese ... read more

My friend, Bob Long, worries that I am too gullible, too soft-hearted, too superstitious, too easily taken. I like to think of myself as having a big heart. Maybe Bob is wrong about me. Coincidences But, running off to Guatemala, sometimes I do question my wisdom. I long to ask the advice of my parents. Too bad they didn’t live long enough to hear me say that! They have both been gone now, many years. Yet, sometimes I know they are communicating with me. Bob would say the things I interpret as communications are just coincidences. Thursday, the school hosted a fiesta. There is usually music in the background during class. This day, there was a radio station playing a variety of American music. A 1950’s song “Three Coins in the Fountain” came on. I got ... read more

I’ll tell you a closely held secret. I frighten easily. Now, I know that may come as a surprise to some of you because I act so confident. And I’m trekking off to Guatemala alone. But those of you who know me well will be saying that’s not a secret, CB. Yes, sometimes the world scares me. And I worry. I worry I’ll get fat. I worry that I need to clean out my garage. I worry I’ll get in a car accident. (I don’t worry about that really, but I know some of you do!) I worry I can’t support myself in the Bay Area now that Luke’s father is no longer helping with expenses. I worry I may not want to and I’ll disappoint my friends. I worry that I will run out of ... read more

I am sitting at a formica desk circa 1960. It is gray and has little pink and white boomerangs all over it. The lamp on my right has a white, ceramic base with a piece obviously glued back in. The mandarin orange walls have been that color since the 1500’s. They are not inspired by Martha Stewart’s trendy decorating schemes. There are nails from now absent pictures sticking out of them. They, too, are painted orange. Guatemala, like the lamp and the walls, is blatantly imperfect. The streets are bumpy. The sidewalks thin and crooked. The plumbing is weak. Toilet paper goes in the waste baskets. Walls have cracks and some are missing plaster. The electric wiring shows. The keyboard at the internet cafe was from Compaq! In Guatemala City, the neon signs compete for ... read more