The following multimedia presentation is one in a series that will attempt to provide a quick snapshot into my non-working life in Guatemala; which unfortunately, is a small part of my Guatemalan life.

Handball
One Saturday, a fellow teacher approached me and asked if I would want to go see a handball game that night. Logically, I replied immediately and emphatically "Yes!!". Well, to be honest, I first asked what handball was. But, you get the point.

The sport is quite intriguing. To me, it's a combination of soccer (the strategy and flow of the game are similar), basketball (they must dribble and pass using their hands), hockey (they have penalty minutes for naughty players), and lacrosse (there is an arc in front of each goal that only the goalkeeper can cross).





Couple of things you can learn from the video clip above.
1) I was videotaping with my digital camera, not a professional Sony video camera.
2) The wind inside of the gymnasium was severe, as it consistently rocked my camera back and forth throughout the taping.
3) My favorite part, by far, of the evening were the fans and their cheering. Most of the fans were parents of the young stars, and they were hilarious. My favorite character was the guy who brought a megaphone and kept shouting things throughout the match/game/event in his shouting device. He kept saying, "Now I can sleep tonight" whenever one of his sons scored. You can hear him at the beginning of the clip.




The most comical part of the handball game is the Penalty Shot. To me, it's like a cross between a pitcher winding up on the mound in a baseball game and a petrified soccer goalie only feet away from the path of the incoming ball. But that's just me.



Closing thoughts:
1) I think the name of the sport is fascinating in its simplicity. Team Handball? Does that mean an individual handball league is out there somewhere?
2) The game I saw was a part of the professional league. I'm pretty sure I could be the next Michael Jordan in that League if I wanted too. During the game, one individual kept dominating the other team. He seemed so much bigger than everyone else. I was impressed with his athletic prowess, until I walked up beside him after the game. He may have been an inch taller. Maybe.

Until next time,

Hoss. Pepe. Josh.

PS. I have more pictures and videos to share, but it takes quite a while to load them. If anyone has any suggestions for better methods of uploading videos, I would appreciate them.

"Guatemalans don't understand why Americans think Eva Mendez is hot. Most of us look at her and think,'Wait, what is my maid doing on the cover of Cosmopolitan'?"

This section is not meant to characterize all Guatemalans as racists, because they aren't; however, the general population's racial tolerance leaves a lot to be desired. Almost all advertisements are adorned by white models in a country whose population has a strong indian majority. Ironically, my inability to get sun here (the sun never shines and it's never hot) has increased my position on the hottness totem pole. It's quite sad; anyone unwilling to admit Eva Mendez' beauty has a few screws loose in their head. Personally, I would let Eva clean my clothes any day of the week.



Seriously though, a strong animosity is evident between the upper class and the lower class. The upper class feels the lower class (who are often of indian descent) is lazy; the lower class retaliates by shooting and robbing the upper class. These are not the symptoms of a healthy relationship. Due to this cycle, let's just say the city is not the safest place in the world. Every student in my classes has a mugging story. Just this past week, my roommate saw a murdered body on the road and his girlfriend (and my friend) had to duck in her car to avoid a street gunfight. Just another day in the Guat:)



I hate that fag - Anibal Tamacas, on Carlos Pena.

Yes, I know. Nice comedic timing there Mr. Hostetler, including that insensitive term right after your speech condemning racism. I'm with AB though; I've seen Carlos Peña's face way too often. For the non-Chapines out there, Carlos Peña is the recent winner of the 2nd Latin American Idol and he happens to be a Guatemalan. This was cause for huge celebration; Carlos Peña's reality tv show triumph was marked by fireworks into the wee hours of the night courtesy of all my neighbors. Also, the city was jammed with traffic for a day as the city closed down several roads to celebrate Carlos's homecoming parade, which was quite the intelligent move by city officials considering awful traffic already clogs Guatemala City's poor transportation system.

As far as the contest is concerned, it was unfortunately very similar to its American counterpart. For me, there usually is a reason why all the artists on these shows were never previously discovered. Poppy music, average vocals, and awful songwriting abilities are these singing contestants' only consistent characteristics. Thanks to Simon, Randy, and Paula, American radio has been blessed with the sounds of Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, and Taylor. The one positive feature is that the Latin American Idol contest divides the contestants by their countries. This leads to intriguing patriotic text-messaging voting contests between the contestants and their fans. Which brings me to the next topic...

Mexico is in a sandwich of hate - Anibal Tamacas

Ellos jugaron como nunca, y perdieron como siempre (They played like never before, and lost like always - Maria Fernandez, on Guatemala's soccer team abilities.

Pobrecito Mexico. As an individual who grew up working with Mexicans on his father's construction crew, I have always felt a bond for these latin immigrants. I've worked with many of those workers since I was a mere twelve years old. To them, I am like their little brother. For this reason (and many others), prejudice against Mexicans in the States disgusts me. Still, the existence of such sentiments in the US does not shock me; however, I did not expect to find such sentiments in Guatemala.

It seems that while many Mexicans are hated in the States because of their lower class status, Mexicans are hated in Guatemala for being too cocky. That's right, they're hated by Guatemalans because Mexico has a more powerful economy and often beats Guatemala in soccer. So it seems, Mexico can not catch a break. Either they are too weak or too powerful.

Ironically, Guatemala has been kicking Mexico's ass since I got here. I tend to have that sort of effect on places. For example, my last year at UF, we won 3 titles in basketball and football. This sort of feat will never ever be repeated. Ever. Since I have come to Guatemala, Carlos Pena beat out a Mexican for Latin American Idol, and Guatemala beat Mexico 3-2 in an international soccer friendly. Due to all of these significant upsets, Chapin pride is very strong right now.

Still, I feel a little bad for Mexico. This feeling of animosity is not just shared by Guatemala, but the rest of Central America as well. What are they supposed to do? To the north, the States stand leering and to the south Central America leers. Hence, the sandwhich of hate. Pobrecito Mexico.

PS I. That will be all for tonight. If this entry seems rushed and poorly written, well, that would be a correct assumption. By the way, for all of you looking for good Spanish music, my must listen to list includes Camilo, Gondwana, Mana, Juanez, Ricardo Arjona, and Belinda. Oh, and of course, Daddy Yankee.

PS II. The Guat is starting to feel more like home; the past two weeks have been great :)