Latrine and Loneliness

I finally have a latrine with my house! Now I do not have to pee in the cornfield or run to my neighbor’s bathroom 100 yards away. It took 2 weeks to get everything settles with money and materials and labor but once it was started it went right up. A man worked on it for about 3 days and now it is all done. The style of the latrine is about as simple as possible- a deep hole in the ground with a little wood hut on top. And when I say little I mean LITTLE! It is probably about 5 feet tall which means I have to duck every time I use it. It also has this weird backward tilt to it so I feel like I might slide off backwards. However those are minor annoyances. I am just so thankful to finally have a latrine.

Day 1


Day 2


Day 3


Day 4


Finally DONE!


I have officially been in site 2 weeks and a few realities are setting in. First, I may never learn the Kanjobal language. I am trying to study but it is so difficult and I doubt I will ever become conversational in it. My host grandmother does not speak much Spanish and whenever I am over there she just talks like I understand her. Maybe this will help me learn it but who knows really.

Second, I am very isolated out here. A little bit of loneliness has been setting in. I am sometimes surrounded by people who want to talk but the problem is I cannot share completely with them how I feel due to language and cultural differences. Sometimes during the day I have nowhere to go, no work to do and I get a little too lost in my thoughts. I am trying to journal to help with this but it is difficult. The one good thing is that I now have internet all the time. It is so ironic that people out here have nothing but everyone has a cell phone and with cell reception I can use my internet modem. I have been able to Skype with people and send e-mails which I think is going to keep me sane the next 2 years. On that note…I would love to hear from all of you via e-mail, Skype or regular mail! Keep me updated on what I am missing in the states!