Day Five: Meeting more Deaf Mayans
Posted on: November 9, 20088 comments so far (is that a lot?)
I woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the mountains of Totonicapan. We left the house once again for the day’s assignments, and met a Deaf Mayan, Jom, in Xetul, San Cristobal. He welcomed me as if I was an old friend of his. We took to communicating quickly through gesturing, but Marco aided us with the local sign language and ASL. Jom is well known in the area for making the best clothing. He even sells his work to different states in Guatemala and Mexico! He has three machines (tejido e hilado) to help him with the work, and he showed me how to make a sheet of corte (which goes to become a Mayan dress). I couldn’t believe my own eyes as to how he used each thread to make beautiful designs, such as birds, eyes, suns, and other imagery.
He works so hard every day, doing about 12 to 14 hours of work a day, and then brings his material on Fridays and Saturdays to different suppliers and customers. Jom had me put on one of his colorful cortes. It was for women only, but he just wanted me to experience what it’s like wearing a corte. Meeting his wife was an exciting moment because I had my mind opened to other cultures. She had walked to the small market by her home and surprised my crew and me with some bottled waters and crackers that they couldn’t even afford. It was a moment of great hospitality! I purchased some sheets from them, to help recognize their hard work. After leaving their home, I wondered why Jom wasn’t wearing any real Mayan clothes. He said that other people could kill him, even other male Mayans, due to their jealousy about other successful Mayans doing their craft. It left me concerned about their valuable culture, and how it would hold up in the future.
Once again, we drove through Quetzaltenango, seeing many new buildings mixed in with old markets. I saw many Mayans selling their wares along with common vendors, and it was a fascinating sight. We saw a new mall, and decided to stop by for some food, at Taco Bell. It was just for fun because Taco Bell’s menu is definitely not native to Guatemala. It was a fun lunch! The mall had everything that American-style malls have, and it was a good thing to see. I hope that the new generation of Guatemalans and their government will help preserve the Mayan race and their culture because considering the world as it is now, we can’t afford to lose more chapters in the history of our planet.
We then returned to Cantel to meet up with Sam’s family. Sandra asked me to join her in cooking some special Guatemalan cuisine. I couldn’t say no to that offer! We made some Jocon and Caldo de res. Flor, Sandra’s daughter, made the dessert – tres leches cake. All of us had a good laugh and great conversation during the meal. It was interesting to learn about Flor’s job as interpreter. Deaf Guatemalans always pay their interpreters for job interviews, hospital visits, work meetings, and other events. I asked her about the cost because interpreters tend to be a little pricey, and because many Guatemalans would be unlikely to afford their services. Flor said that the client usually negotiates the rates with the interpreter before the point of satisfaction is reached. The rates usually fall in the range of $3USD to $8USD per hour. She was amazed by the fact that we Americans don’t really pay for those services except for private occasions. Flor was also impressed by the relay services back home in America. We then had a discussion about Sorenson Epansol and its tri-language capabilities. She hoped that the Guatemalan government will help improve the standard of living for Deaf people in the country. It was a great end to the evening with them, having had good food and good discussions!
I definitely will miss them tomorrow when I leave in the morning at around 6 AM, for the next assignment. I greatly appreciated their hospitality and their taking excellent care of me, David, and Alvaro. I also extended my thanks to Marco who was more than willing to join us for the past three days here. Buenos Noches!
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November 9th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Hello Joel –
Came upon your write-up through Google daily search for Guatemala. Thank you! Thank you for your appreciation of Mayan culture. It seems that you have fallen in love with Guatemala — an easy thing to do! Best wishes!
Eliza
A Thread of Hope (.org) Guatemalan Fair Trade
November 9th, 2008 at 10:32 am
hola joel, mi familia esta contenta de ver nuevamente las paginas que publicas y tambien que hayas conocido mas ampliamente nuestra cultura espero que te haya gustado mucho tu estancia aqui con nosotros y te lleves buen recuerdo tambien te felicito por tu gran trabajo de poner en alto el nombre de nuestra comunidad sorda que hay aqui en guatemala que sabemos que se hace la diferencia porque nuestra cultura tiene muchas cosas por experimentar y tambien que hayas compartido con otros sordos para llevarte grandes experiencias y gracias por todo, gracias por tu amabilidad y cortesía dios te bendiga.
joel hello, my family is happy to see you publish the pages again and you’ve also known widely as our culture that I hope you have really enjoyed your stay here with us and we will take good memories also congratulate you for your great job of putting on high the name of our community who are deaf here in Guatemalan’s we know that makes a difference because our culture has many things to experiment and you’ve also shared with other deaf people to bring great experience and you do a little reference when it is interpreted 8 to 10 dollar per hour so you can change it, thanks for everything, thanks for your kindness and courtesy god bless you.
November 9th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Joel ya conoci en Tejido e Hilado la famosa de la cultura en la Maya indigena en Guatemala y tambien comida rica en Caldo de Res es mi favorito la Comida y tambien mostrando en nuevo centro comercial en Xela, Joel quien dejo sus amigos guiando Jose Sam y Especialmente Marco De Leon y va destino a su viajando en la Antigua Guatemala…y seguimos adelante guiando Gracias por apoyo en mi pais natal, Dios te Bendiga
November 9th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
hola Joel,mi nombre es Hector yo soy el novio de Luisa la hermana de Flor pues es lo que quiero escribirte esta lineas para decirte lo que hiciste un buen trabajo con las persona sordo(a) y discapacidad etc. de esta forma quiero darte la gracias por esta con nosotros y en el mundo entero donde sea en lugar que esten porque lo unico es conocer cultura de cualquier paises…
tambien quiero decirles las familias de Luisa Fernanda Sam, voy a decir un poema para la familia de Sam okey.oh Dios mio porque esta recetas estan hermosa que nunca me entrega a mi,oh no !!! te olvidaste las sillas donde se sientas Luisa y Hector, donde estan las sillas de nuestros oh Dios mio,senores nos hagan eso porque nosotros necesitan recetas para alimentar nos estan esperando pero faltan Dos sillas y donde estan las sillas de nuestros para podermos sentarnos…Despues de eso lo que sucedio la receta ya que Luisa y Hector se fue del pais entonce Luisa y Hector viven en los Estados Unidos,MO porque la familias los dejo sin comer por eso…
November 10th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
hi it’s great!!! i’m happy see your picture but, i miss my family them my name is luisa i’m deaf and also my family Sam, how see beatifuill picture for food culture. my memory ate Caldo de res long time. my sister Flor make three milk coke is very rich!!!!! she is learn from my mom Sandra also i know make from caldo res is love it., you are good travel for Guatemalan i want say Thank you to lot for come my home. please you will exprience culture and food from Guatemalan, our enjoy visit different city, food, culutre, meet poeple deaf of Guatemalan.my boyfriend is hector wrote that above. Hector is from Dominican Republic, he and me said nice meet you and don’t forget forever!!!! :0) :0P hoping you will learn and understand to Guatemalan sign lenguage (LSG) I love my family SAM!!!!!:0)
November 11th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Joel, WOW you experienced using the clothes Indigena, culture food Guatemalan Also tried best communication with them. Wonderful show us the pictures. You had a GREAT A JOB.
Joel, WOW usted tenía experieced ropa de Indigena, comunicación también intentada del guatemalteco del alimento de la cultura mejor con ella. Maravilloso demuéstrenos los fotos. Tenía un GRANDE UN TRABAJO.
November 13th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Hello Joel, me alegro a ti que te hagas gustando en el viaje, comida y ropa tipica y hiciste un buen trabajo para mostrar que los sordos pueden hacer asi, claro que todo el mundo si se puede hacer sin problema de audicion porque Dios nos dio que no oiran pero si podemos hacer somos inteligente igual que tu, Dios te dio sabiduria por eso hiciste un gran trabajo, eres buen trabajador, inteligente, humilde y cariñoso.
quiero agradecerte mucho por estar con nosotros ( guatemaltecos sordos ) estamos orgullosos por ti por que eres famoso de todo el mundo wow!!! Espero que todo salga bien, cuidate Dios te bendiga!!
Hello Joel, I am glad you that you do yourself liking to it in the trip, food and typical clothes and you did a good work to show that the deaf ones can do this way, clearly that the whole world if it is possible to do without problem of hearing because God gave to us that not oiran but if we can do we are intelligent like your, God gave to you wisdom because of it you did a great work, you are good hard-working, intelligently, humbly and affectionatly.
I want to be grateful for you very much for are with us (deaf Guatemalans) we are proud for you for whom you are famous of the whole world wow!!! I hope that everything goes out well, look after yourself God blesses you!!
November 18th, 2008 at 3:33 am
Dear Joel, I am so very amazing happy that you guys went to my country Guatemala that where I born, currently I live in United States since I was teenage. Finally I have been go to Guatemala every year since 3 years for summer time with my children even some bring my friends whom born here U.S.A I noticed that moslty people from here thought that Guatemala is SOUTH AMERICAN but ISN’T ha ha. It is Central American. Yes defitinely Guatemala is so beautiful country and generous weather but sometimes not when the rain comes everyday
. Mayan, Culture and etc which I love that. My most favorite are Frijol, Tortilla, Carne de Asada. Of course I like anothers food 
.
By the way I thank to Alvaro also. He was my classamete in Elementry/ some Middle School in Guatemala school for the deaf. God Bless to all 
I would like recommend to Joel that I thank you very much and very appreciated it.