Antigua

[EDIT: just catching up on posting some entries after a particularly bad run with Internet connectivity, and couldn't be bothered re-writing anything ;-) ]

After a very long overnight bus trip, we spent a total of 3 days in Antigua. This is a beautiful city. It was once the capital of Guatemala before it was moved when an earthquake tore through the city. There are 3 volcanoes in the surrounding area and the city itself still has some of the old colonial architecture charm and cobblestone streets.

This is a cute place to wander around. There are little nooks and crannies to the city and each turn may hold an unexpected gem, such as quirky café or local handicrafts for sale.

Street in Antigua, volcano visible in the background :-)

Even Mickey D’s has a touch of class here. The local joint is identifiable only by a subtle gold plaque outside, and the familiar smell of French fries. No golden arches here. Same goes with Burger King and Subway.

Antigua is famous for it’s Spanish language schools and I decided to take a few lessons while I was here. I seem to have this problem when trying to learn a new language where it simply reflects off my brain. I did have fun however, the Guatemalan people have a great sense of humor and many laughs were had…mostly at my poor Spanish ;-)

Although I’ve temporarily ‘unplugged’ from the system, while here I’ve been experiencing some kind of delayed thought processing and sense of despair given the recent state government election results back home. Congratulations Queensland, we now have a backwards, ultra conservative, boys club government; with a Premier whose legacy as Brisbane’s Lord Mayor was to build a tunnel through the city that nobody uses. Well done and presumably Federal elections will follow the same trend?

This is a good read http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-30/lnp-driving-jobs-for-the-boys-gravy-train/3922230

How are people supposed to influence positive change in this kind of political environment with a government looking after big business and self-serving interests? Trying to work with or within this kind of outdated paradigm is like trying to push the proverbial uphill.

On a positive note, while taking time out and allowing space I’ve noticed some creativity starting to emerge. It’s been hiding in a very small dark corner, stifled from years of oppression as a public servant, but it’s there… somewhere.

Given I’m trying to figure out how to best spend the rest of my life, I’ve posed the question to myself, “how can I best influence positive change?”. The potential political landscape in Australia for the next few years is unappealing; perhaps my time is better spent elsewhere? I’m definitely open to opportunities are this point.




PS: I am aware of the irony that I am complaining about the government back home while I'm in a country with very few resources and as a result, something like 95% of crime is never investigated. I definitely grateful for what we have, but things need to be much better. I'd love to see some real, progressive thinking within the Australian government, but unfortunately this doesn't seem to buy votes, or it simply doesn't exist atm. As someone once said, "the price of freedom is eternal vilgilance".

*gets off soapbox*