Dona Lily - Santa Tomas

For my time in Guatemala I have been staying with a small family in Santa Tomas. Inlex organised the home stay and I have to say I couldnt have wished for more. Dona Lily and her daughter Astrid are two of the most genuinely pleasant and happy people I have ever met. My spanish is still only so so but we still always manage to have a bit of craic all the same. The house is scrubbed about 20 times a day and Dona Lily really couldnt do anything more for me.

The house is modest but beyond first impressions I can guarantee you will not find a spec of dust anywhere. There was once running water because there is shower etc plumbed in. However due to water shortages the mains is generally only turned on for about an hour 4 or 5 times a week. So what Dona Lily does is fill up a large barrel of water when the mains is turned on and then use this to wash clean etc. The story with the shower is simple. Boil a pot in the kitchen, mix it with cold water in a large basin. Pour warm water over body with a smaller basin. Sounds like a lot more work then it actually is.
There main income is from a little peice of land beside the house (1/2 acre maybe) which is used for subsistence farming really. Astrid also has work occasionally in Guatemale and then when Inlex organise a room for somebody like myself they recieve a fee of about 150 euro a month for lodging and two meals a day. Believe me it is worth every penny because in a month I dont think I have eatin the same dinner twice, I have always enjoyed it, which is a lot for fussy lad here and she even gives me fruit every day for my lunch. Spoilt I am sure.
I am really happy that I stayed with Dona Lily for these reasons but also one a little more important. I know she really needs the money. One more than one occasion she has somewhat nervously lied, telling me that she had a big lunch that day or didnt feel like meat tonight when she noticed me comparing our plates. I try to get the clothes washed a bit more than needs be but were talkin 2.50 or 3 euro a go never gonna make her rich. Have to say though I think Dona Lily and Astrid have just about enough, nothing extra besides.

Main Street Santa Tomas.....

Dona Lily's House......

My Bedroom

I need to get a rant off my chest too im afraid... Another volunteer I know is staying with a family a little bit more well off. They own a small shop, have TV and internet, dress a bit more trendy etc.... Would anybody be suprised if I told them that most nights she got beans and eggs for dinner and that 5 euros was the charge for getting clothes washed? The normal price is 2euro by the way. I know I am proabably being a little pedantic, but you have to admit it is universal that the people with less tend to give you more. Now if im honest the absolute majority of people in Guatemala I have met are genuinely friendly. Not necessarily because they are interested in your money, but interested in why you are here. So dont let this little rant influence you in your opinions of Guatemalan people in any way.

I went to church with Dona Lily last night. I am not a reformed Christian so dont start ok, I was interested though for curiosities sake and it meant a lot to her because other host families has brought volunteers a few weeks and she was very proud of the church. I am not going to give my opinion here just going to mention the things I noticed that were different from say a Church back home.
- Mass was held in a large galvinised shed
- Just outside the entrance there was a stall selling taco's and donuts
- Mass started with about an hour of singing and dancing, complete with one male solo singet, two backing singers, drummer, keyboard, guitar, zaxaphone, and 6 dancers wearing glittery gowns with tamborines.
- During this first hour or the following hour and a half people came and went as they pleased to the toilet for food etc.
- The format of "mass" proper was like this. The preacher handed out snipets from the bible on small cards to people in the congregation. Somebody read there card out aloud over a mike then the preacher made a few comments. The topic was then up for discussion to all to debate etc. This went on for a bout an hour.
 - Last have hour was more singing but this time with the preacher as the main act.