jan 5, 2005 -- first day in guatemala (happy birthday vas and mindy)
friends, hope this finds you well and in good health. this is a hi to most and an apology to many for not getting in touch wtih yall before i got on the steel bird adn headed south...
but, most of all this is the first in a limited series of dispatches from guat and beyond. now, im not so keen on writing the dispatches on teh first day; however, it is necessary in this case. i arrived five hours ago with a head cold and fever and have been walking around like a zombie with love for smog. despite the multi-color phlem all is brilliant down here. the inspiration for this note is a series of things i witnessed over the last few hours:
bus driver grabbing my hand as the bus kept moving to get me on and winked with a shit-eating grin that made me think i was gonna die any minute but it would be a spectacular death, i had a starring contest with an old man. why? because i wanted to see his gold teeth, of course. he obliged adn we strolled for a few blocks together, i followed a line of sinners to confession to realize hop out of line and stare at a candle for a little too long...i think i inspired a wee bit of concern, sat in a plaza watching children chase after pigeons and periodically stop to see a clown juggle adn then i saw a clown on stilts juggle in a CRAZY busy intersection and right after that i passed a display of love that i have not seen since a prison movie...a man behind a red corrugated steel wall with a window maybe one foot by one foot pryed his hand out to stroke a womans hair while they kissed. that will stay with me for a while. did some touristy stuff and got a private tour of the palace and met the national painter and debated dali and rothko in my broken spanish...debate is clearly not the right word. but hes gonna show me his gallery tomorrow in antigua.
lastly, the inspiration for this email comes from my last spanish lesson...
scene: central plaza, water fountains, kids, old ladies pawning random waxy things, tons of shoe shiners and it seems everyone here walks around with a fucking shotgun -- and they look twelve.
i see a crowd of men about four deep in a circle and someone is utiling a bullhorn so yall know i was up in there -- especially after just having chats about the civil war here and the latest with the new president -- and what do i see as i approach? an oldtimmer with a dildo in his hand saying derecho, escierda as he moves his hips with the dildo. the crowd of boys and men (i saw a guy that had to be 80) stood around at awe of this Casanova whom had to be 50 and had a tenth of that in teeth as he showed him how to please a woman (yes, plastic displays were abound in numerous sizes and colors) and there were a series of posters and visuals to help explain the importance of, what i gathered, movement, timing and the like.
so, i have yet to officially start my language classes in xela (thanks to emily utter!); but, i took advantage of this free class and im certain it will be the most memorable.
wishing you all optimal health and all that makes you giddy...and, happy new year!
much love,
christo
ps: id love to hear from yall. itd make my day
ps2: if you have advice for spots and contacts and whatnot, please lemme know
ps3: for those in sf, sean hayes and sun kil moon (or mark kolzeck) are playing at great american, different dates, and yall should see them. your life would be better for it. i guarantee.
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