Carnival Holiday

Little Bryan sleeping in!

So here's a peek into a typical Friday at the office with all the volunteers...this one was special because we had our September birthday celebration and got to have CAKE! The tiny kitten was rescued and about to go to its new home!

In my 'office' cuting Clint's hair...like the after shot?


Next! Just a touch up.

Happy Birthday!

Erin is the cake master..and Peetah is a man of many names.

So for our Carnival holiday we decided to make a corn food called Ducunu...the real maya way. This is laid out more in the video on the one month post. So before any further adoo here is greg's story:

I went to the “Farm” today. I don’t know what you picture a farm to be, If you have been in Belize longer than I have then you might have a different idea. My “farm” is a pretty place with a red barn that houses horses, a tractor, fertilizer, etc. There are cows and goats grazing, maybe sheep, a golden retriever running around with chickens roaming free and a Chevy truck parked somewhere on the property.

My host Mom had been planning on making dukunu with my wife. If you don’t know, dukunu is made from the corn that is still soft and green, it is a sweet cornmeal concoction that is wrapped in corn husks and baked over the fire hearth. She told me that the guys were going to the farm to get the corn in the morning and she asked if I wanted to go. My first thought was “No, I can’t. I have two things to present and one workshop to be a part of this week and I am only 50-75% done with all of those things, I really need to work on those.”

Then my wife had to open are metaphorically large mouth and start talking about how cool that would be and how she wants to go and “wow the farm must be awesome, you get to walk there”. All this was said before I could even articulate my rejection of the invitation. So now I’m left with going or looking like a lazy American. “Sure, I’ll go.” came out of my mouth.

I went to bed only to awake to a cool rainy morning hoping that Belizeans don’t go to the farm in the rain. I ate breakfast and sure enough, right on Belize time of 45 minutes after they said they would leave, I suited up and started on my way. The weather was nice and we started walking through the village and out the back down a dirt path. Within minutes my pants and shoes were caked with mud. Ok, this isn’t that bad, at least the sun isn’t out. I sure am glad that I put bug spray on because I can see the mosquitoes swarming around the man in front of me.

After 30 minutes of walking through the jungle we reach a cornfield. “This is first farm”, I am told “But this corn is too ripe for dukunu. We need to go to the other farm.” Ok, I’m doing good, lets go. Another 30 minutes go by and we arrive at the farm. We pick about one and a half sacks of corn and decide that we found all of the young soft corn in the field. Alright, I just realized that I didn’t bring my water bottle with me and the sun is coming out. At least we are leaving. Thirty minutes of walking and two feet slipping into six inch mud puddles and we arrive at the first farm. Why are we stopping? We have to get more corn. Ok lets get this done, I’m starting to get thirsty and the Belizean sun is out in full force. Forty five minutes and 75 pounds of corn later and we finally leave. Holy crap I’m thirsty. Didn’t I just hear a story of someone getting heat stroke last year? If that happens to me I’m going to kill Kevina.

Walking, walking, and more walking. Yep I am definitely dehydrated. How are these other guys not drinking any water? We cross a creek and my host grandfather asks if I want to carry the lighter bag. “Hell yes I want to carry the lighter bag!” He also tells me that he I going to drink from the creek. Should I drink from the creek? Dysentery anyone? Uhh I’ll pass, it can’t be that much further right?

Some more walking and we stop to rest and look at the black bean plants. I look at the other guys and they look like they are going to survive this “trip to the farm”. “I hope I look as good as they do because I feel like that stuff that comes out of a horse’s ass. What is that stuff? Dammit, I’m loosing my ability to recall words. I’m going to have brain damage.” We round a corner and I see a roof! Oh happy day, I think I’m going to make it. We make it back home and I stumble to the back door and everyone is looking at me shocked that I survived. My wife says to me that she’s happy that I made it back safely. I think to myself “I hate you for making me do that.” I say to her “Get me water.”

I drink a half a liter in 8 seconds and tell her to get the oral rehydration salts. She mixes me a liter and I drink the horrid mixture of slimy salty water. I am so glad that’s over.

Final conclusions that I have come to: (One) that is way to much work to get corn meal, they sell that stuff in a box you know. (Two) the Maya people are either robots or aliens because no human being would do that to themselves on a regular basis.

I want to put a little editors note: I DID send a kid to catch up to Greg to give him his water...the kid came back an hour later covered in mud and out of breath with a very muddy water bottle and an unrideable bike (due to the huge cakes of mud on the tires and spokes). I was very very concerned throughout the 3 hours but Greg did good and survived without any heat exhaustion:) I am also super proud of Greg and his hard maya man day at the farm!

I washed every bit of clothing we own while Greg was gone.

After we got the corn, and revived Greg with oral rehydration salts then my work began... We shucked the corn for 3 hours, then we went over to Mrs. Kus's for banana bead and kriol bread while they cut the corn from the cob. Mrs. Kus also gave us delicious coffee and we watched cinderella in spanish for about 45 minutes. We then went back and I went back to work. We all walked to the mill, which was just a guy's house down the road with a shed housing a huge enjine and belt. He stuck in a crooked metal pipe and started cranking the machine to life...It gets a sputtering and sparks fly out ocassionaly as the corn is ground into masa. We then mix the masa with lard and salt and fill the corn husks with the mixture. My host mom's aunt, Aunt Junanna said that I was really good at rolling ducunu and she kept asking me if I had done it before. Had I ever taken corn mush, spooned it into a corn husk, rolled it up and put it in a huge pot...um...no can't say that I have done that or anything even remotely related to those actions. I did figure out why I had an advantage...since I am so tall my hands have a much wider wing-span than the maya women so I can load more in my ducunu and roll it easier...shhhhh don't tell.

This is the first masa that comes out...it is like playdough and we had tons of fun...Kevin said, "make me da bad man horns!"

Grandpa chopping the wood for our kitchen fire.


Kevin and I. Kevin was saying..."I'm da Kevin and you da Kevina!" I love him!

Little fight over the corn playdough.

Aunt Juanna and I showing off our pot of ducunu!

Walking back with Ivan, cleaning up our mess.

After our late dinner the kids gathered around and had me tell them stories. I had 10 kids age 3 to 14 sitting around me on the floor wide eyed and non blinking (with ocasional nods of heads) staring at me completly silent. This went on for about 30 minutes (little red riding hood, the three little pigs, and cinderella). Then with my voice faultering from making all the pig snorts Alyssa wanted another ballet lesson. So now all 10 kids, (Kevin doing the best!) followed as we went through the six positions, went up on tip toes and then spun around. Then I had them do the front; tap tap tap, side; tap tap tap, back; tap tap tap and they were so cute all doing it. Lastly we had a ukulele lesson and the kids decided to organize themselves by height to await their turn 'playing' the ukulele. Overall it was a grreaaaattt holiday.

Before story time!

A friend that was under the kitchen table one morning.

Playing with the giant crickets!

Our Belizean wedding band tans!