Shelter Updates

Building relationships with people is a beautiful thing and has always been the reason I have stayed in a country longer, and why I always go back. The countries I have the fondest feelings for are the places that I have the strongest connections with people, like Nepal, Peru and India.

Each time I go to the shelter it feels like relationships are building with the people that stay there and it is this that I love the most.

My favourite, Maria (many call her Esperanza which is fitting because it means Hope and she certainly has that), continues to collect her recyclables from dusk till dawn, although that is probably an understatement as she is quite a hard worker. It's been colder so I haven't seen her "I love NYC" t-shirt lately, but she continues to wear a long skirt which I can't imagine is very warm in the park. The strength of that woman is incredible. I just love her.

The other girl who comes is Blanca, who is in her 20s and I think a bit delayed as she seems fairly childlike. She laughs shyly and covers her face if you are talking about something, like a guy for example Yet other times she presents as bold and dramatic like when she tells stories. The staff told me that Blanca grew up in a hogar as she had no family. So she is very much alone as an adult. Despite the huge age difference she and Maria are pretty tight, sleeping together in the park, and watching eachother's back, literally.

I had talked with Blanca a bit at the shelter but had found her pretty closed. Yesterday as I was on my way home though I noticed her sitting in the park and sat down with her for awhile. She opened up a lot and cried at one point talking about her aunt, who lives in Guatemala City, but whom she can't see. It seems that, and this is an example of where she got animated as she told me, that there are people there whom she has had some trouble with and who have told her that if she comes back, they will kill her.

Now, this could be very possible as the capital is very rough in places, especially in gang territory. But, it could also be one of Blanca's stories, as I've heard that she can be quite the storyteller. And sharing that you can't see a family member for safety reasons may be easier than verbalizing that you have nobody in this world that cares about you.

Another story she told was of being pregnant a few months back and having some kind of accident which caused her to lose the baby. When I first met her she told me that she was pregnant again; however, has since admitted that she really isn't. It seems to be an attention thing. After our chat I left her to spend the cold night in the park. Thankfully she at least has some warm clothes.

I like the fact that when I am out and about in Antigua I run into some of the people that stay in the shelter and that they now know me as well. Yesterday as well I noticed one of the elderly men from the shelter sitting on a bench sleeping. Hopefully I can talk with him another day as he seems very sweet. He shakes my hand when he comes through the gate.

Henry (after being encouraged to smile). His grin kills me :)

Today as I was waiting for the shelter to open I noticed that across the street a younger guy who stays in the shelter was sitting waiting for it to open. I went to chat with him (Henry) but wasn't quite sure how it would go as he is a really quiet guy who doesn't talk to anyone, keeps to himself and present as perhaps having some mental health issues. I got him talking a bit after which he told me that he has been sick for months and that he is having tests done, although I doubt this is the case. It was really hard to hear him as he talks really soft and perhaps has a stutter. Plus I was having a frustrating Spanish day, GRRR. Well, he went on to tell me that he actually used to live in Canada, in Kitchener, and that his family was still there. Then he started to speak in English which shocked me, and it was actually pretty darn good so we continued in English which seemed to open him up more than when he was talking in Spanish. What I could gather is that he was deported when he was 22, and he is now 31. He didn't say why although when I kinda bashed our government for being so difficult, he commented that Canada wasn't to blame so I gather that he may have got in some trouble. He said he could go back after 2 years, and it's been 9, but that sounds a bit odd. He is now here, has no work and lives on the streets. I asked him if he used drugs which he admitted to once in a while, and apparently he rarely drinks. He spoke of how his family doesn't understand his life here, and that they do nothing to help him. Just as I was about to walk over to the shelter, and I pretty much had to cut him off as he wouldn't stop talking, he started to talk about wanting to go back to Canada, as he has a girlfriend and a son there. He more jokingly talked about me helping him go back as well. After that conversation I noticed a real change in him. He actually sought me out in the shelter to continue the conversation and seemed to be more "present" while there, but still avoiding contact with the others at all costs. Alex told me Henry rarely talks so they don't know much of his story, just that they suspect that he has been affected by drugs or some mental health issues. Well, it seems as if English was what brought him out of his shell, and perhaps the Canada connection, so I look forward to talking to him more.

The other Henry, the one who was attacked by a machete, was back tonight. Thankfully one of the words in my trusty little book of new Spanish words includes "stitches" so I was able to ask him how his wound was. He kindly showed me (yuck) but thankfully they are healing really well which was good to see. He's a really sweet guy and likes to seek out conversation with me. Neither of us have kids nor want them.

Many of the men were trying to incorporate some English while in the food line tonight, such as saying thank you. They're a great bunch, very respectful and kind...

My nose served me better as I manned the gate tonight. One guy arrived and he had never been there before. I learnt that every day he travels to and from Esquintla, which is on the coast, 1.5 hours away. He works in Antigua selling cookies. I'm not sure why people don't like cookies in Esquintla as it would save him a lot of travel time, but that is his job. Well he missed his bus apparently, for the first time, after which someone told him about the shelter. When I first started talking to him he seemed fine, but when I asked him if he had been drinking, I noticed that he started to put his hands up to his mouth to cover it. Eventually I caught some whiffs of alcohol, although he had probably only had 1-2 as he was sober. So I called Alex over to make the call as to whether he could stay, following which he showed us a massive growth on his neck, a hernia, that he has had for 3 years. It is extremely painful apparently which could be why the poor guy wanted to have a couple drinks (can relate with the ol' sciatic issue)! He was let in as he didn't smell a lot and was sober, for which he was grateful, but clearly apprehensive about staying in the shelter. He talked to me a lot about his family; his 24 year old wife, who according to him he has never cheated on :), and his 2 daughters who he got choked up talking about being away from him that night. As he stood in line for his pizza and atol, I asked him how the shelter was and he responded "lindo" which is like saying really nice. So I was glad that he found us.

Bad news on the hot water front..they had someone come in for an estimate and it is going to cost much more than they thought as the cables need to be replaced. So it is going to be almost $600! Yikes, that is a bit steep so I was really disappointed to hear that. A foreigner who lives in Antigua had heard about the hot water issue before Xmas, and showed up tonight to donate $200 which is awesome. I am going to donate the same, so little by little hopefully they can get save enough. In Guatemala, like in many other countries, people are used to showering in cold water, so even Marcos didn't seem to have much compassion for the homeless only having cold water. I would say that perhaps cold water is more bearable when you have at least a rood over your head, warm meals etc. If a hot shower can make life just a tad easier for those without those comforts, or basic needs I should say, then isn't it worth it? I would say so.