Guns!

Guns!

Guns!

...and that is all I have to say about that.

It's been a couple of interesting days down here in the land of humid weather and stray dogs.

I went to Guatemala city the day before yesterday (Wed.) to meet with an academic colleague of Krister (my advisor). That went well. He provided me with a great deal of useful information which, although it was fairly general (and probably stuff I should have known already) I was unaware, including migratory dynamics that have led to greater deforestation in the lowlands (especially migration from the Southeast to the Northeastern lowlands in Petén), and the presence of a relative equilibrium in the Western highlands.

The day would have been a wash, because I woke up with a case of the typical traveler's stomach flu (too much Pizza the night before, I think), but I felt well enough to give it a go.

I was paid back not only with a successful meeting, but also with a typically entertaining van ride all around Guatemala city on the way back, complete with moderately insane driver who would switch from joking with the passengers one second to cursing and hitting the steering wheel at traffic or a missed turn a second later. It was all made more entertaining by an Israeli couple who was about to miss their bus, and a German girl who was a little freaked out at the driver's apparent inability to find her hotel.

...And a good time was had by all...

Today, I headed out to Sta. Catarina Barahona, my first case study, where I conducted my second and third interviews with individuals involved in community political organizations. All in all, I think, pretty successful. One interview was with the female president of one local organization--she hardly said a word, and her husband did all the talking. The second interview was with the secretary of the same organization--a gal about 20 years old, who brought her sister to the interview (she contributed her opinion vocally at a couple points) and after I had asked all my questions, they asked me a series of interview questions of their own, including whether I was married, whether I was an evangelical protestant, and (when they learned that I was married) whether I had kids (and why not, for God's sake, I think they were thinking--you're, like, thirty!)

Pretty fun, actually.

Actually, though, I do have more to say about guns. One of the ubiquities of urban Guatemala is the private security guard with pistol-grip shotgun. When I first was here last year, these guys (who guard everything, from banks to jewelery stores to McDonald's) intimidated me a little. I've gotten used to the phenomenon over time, though, and I've started to notice a couple things.

First, these are the most beaten-up firearms I've ever seen, with the exception of guns in pawn shops in the shady part of downtown Fairbanks.

Second, the people carrying the guns are clearly not treating them like firearms. More like heavy bookbags, or (occasionally) walking sticks (I have now on several occasions seen these guys leaning on the gun, with the barrel planted in the concrete sidewalk.)

Third, many of these guys can't be more than 15, and 120 lbs. I don't know much, but I taught shotgun shooting, and I know how difficult it is for a 120 lb. person to shoot a 12ga. with a stock--I can just imagine the problems associated with a pistol grip! I hope not to ever be around when one of those firearms is put to use!

Finally, I can't remember a time when I've seen a female security guard--women in national police uniforms, yes, but not female security guards.