Appreciation

Though I have yet to be here a total of one week, I have already developed a better appreciation for the States. Last night, as Son, Tu, and I walked the desolate streets of Guatemala, we were greeted by massive amounts of commotion from the distance. There, before use, was several fire trucks and police cars. Avoiding any sort of issue, we opted to sway from the excitement and head home.

Today, as we walked the streets in search of shirts for Tu, we came across the area of destruction. 10 - 15 shops had been transformed from a bustling place of business, and turned into a place of sorrow and lost dreams. Rubble and ash were all that remained of a place that once housed the livelyhood of so many.

I, being interested in the outcome and extent of damage, started speaking with a vendor who´s shop had survived. I learned that these shop´s where unable, nor could they afford, insurance; that the possibility of collecting any sort of compensation was hopeless; and that the lives and profession of these people were now in question. How and what caused the fire is uncertain. They speculate that it was either faulty electrical wiring, a candle that had tipped over from the near by restaurant, or possibly arson- this last Monday,burglars had broken into several of these same shops.