At least for the past two years there has been a "hunger crisis" in Guatemala, especially in what is called the "dry corridor" in the central/eastern part of the country. Climate change, bad 2nd rate overworked land, higher prices for stuff... couple that with Guatemala's notoriously high rate of child malnutrition. Yesterday the topic appeared in the news again about the need for an aid program to be implemented, but saying:

"To implement the plan, which includes the distribution of food to at-risk families, the government needs 324 million quetzales ($40.5 million), of which it only has 46 million quetzales ($5.8 million)."

Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2011/04/19/guatemalan-govt-says-thousands-risk-going-hungry/#ixzz1K53uXneX

This is such a load of crap. It is extremely bogus that this country doesn't have enough money to feed it's people, declaring a national "nutritional risk alert." Guatemala has some of the planet's worst rates of child malnutrition YET is not considered a "poor" country. Did you know that? This country is not technically poor. Guatemala has one of the largest gaps between rich and poor in the entire world. And highest rates of impunity - only 2% of crimes are ever convicted. There is so much corruption, at all levels of the government, that no wonder there's "not enough money" for any program designed to feed the thousands and thousands of hungry children and families. Perez Molina, presidential candidate, has been less than enthusiastic in the press about continuing the Colom administration's social programs - some of the first on such a big scale in recent memory. Guatemala has never invested in it's people the same way other Central American countries have.

Some times I get pretty frustrated at the way things work here. I think, sheesh it's 2011 and this and that still happens... Then I realize the US is still pretty backwards, too, and it's 2011 and elected officials email pictures of Obama super imposed on a monkey questioning his birth place, like Marilyn Davenport, Rep. in California. I mean, Wow. I think sometimes we tout ourselves as being beyond the racism of the past, but I guess not, eh? Totally grosses me out that some representative of our nation did this. While I don't doubt people harness these types of racist thoughts in their heads, it's so disappointing when it becomes public. Yikes. I think she should get a new job.

Yesterday we went to Guatemala City for our midwife appointment. There's something extremely annoying yet slightly empowering about being on a chicken bus at 7 months pregnant. For 10 minutes I totally detested the man next to me who wouldn't give up his seat and therefore I sat in the aisle with a cheek on each seat on either side, I realized my pregnant-entitlement is full gear these days. I wondered why the entire bus didn't stop and re-arrange itself so I could have a full seat in the front row? And free fare, while they're at it. Just kidding. But the guy didn't even budge. Fine, I'm probably too sensitive on the matter. Not too long after a whole seat freed up and I had both cheeks on the same seat.

Hannah, our midwife, had us wait over an hour for our appointment. She's always behind on her schedule and we always wait, that's ok. There was this other couple before us having their first appointment, so there was a lot to discuss. Finally they came in to the "postpartum" room to check it out, which is where Andres and I were waiting for our appointment to start. The mama (I think they were Americans) was like Oh when are you due? blah blah. Then I guess it looked like there was a baby in the bassinet in the corner and she goes, Oh is that your baby? (I thought she was kidding) and I go, Oh yeah I had it just now. And she goes, Oh wow! Then Hannah goes, Oh there's no baby in there. (I thought Hannah didn't get our joke) Then the girl goes, Oh so you didn't just have a baby? Then I sat there like, Uh.. Uh.. Was that not obviously a joke? Aaawwkward. Since I am so rarely around Americans, or English-speaking foreigners for that matter, I think my social skills have suffered.

Finally, after arriving promptly for our 4:30 pm appointment, we were seen a little after 5:30. My appointment literally lasted 10 minutes, after all that. I wish my appointments were more involved but there's nothing to really talk about I guess. I feel fine, my measurements are fine, my weight, pressure, etc. are fine. Any questions? I never really have any. I've read so many books that Sarah my doula-friend gave me that I feel rather full of information and if I have questions I can ask Sarah or check a book and so by the time I get to Hannah I'm pretty question-satisfied. The best part of the appointment, as short as it is, is the part where Hannah feels my belly for baby's position, we listen to the heartbeat on the doppler machine, and she takes a tape measure to my belly. I'm at 29 weeks and measured at 32 weeks - which may or may not mean anything, but I secretly hope to have a big baby like my brother and I were. A nice, solid 9-pounder sounds good to me. Both Brian and I were just ounces short of 10lbs. My mom rules. She had us both drug-free. Go mom!

And because Hannah felt bad about making us wait so long for a 10 minute appointment she offered us a ride back to Antigua - which is an enormous relief. One bus less is a relief these days. But Guate City traffic is nasty in the evening so it took us about 2 hours to get back, normally a 40 minute drive. I got a chance to talk to Hannah more than our usual appointments so that was cool. I figure this lady is going to be ALL up in my business several weeks from now so I should get to know her and her me. Right now our appointments maintain a certain modesty, when she has to fold down my pants to measure my belly or feel the baby, she says Permisito, asking permission to go there, but, by July I'm gonna be crazy, birthing, naked, happily out of my mind, and I assume we'll be beyond Permisito.