VOLCAN DE AGUA (WATER VOLCANO) HISTORY AND LORE

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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VOLCAN DE AGUA (WATER VOLCANO)
HISTORY AND LORE

At midnight, fireworks lit the sky. They lasted all night.
At breakfast, I met Maria, the owner of the house where I am staying.
“What happened last night? Why so many fireworks till dawn?”
“In the near town of San Miguel, they are celebrating the patron saint.”
“Who is he?”
“Saint Michael the Archangel!”
“I want to go! How can I get there?”
“Don’t worry! I’ll lead you. The place is not far from here.”

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We arrived at San Miguel Escobar half an hour later or so. The streets were decorated with yellow ribbons and yellow balloons. The color yellow is symbol of happiness!
In some houses an altar had been set up with angels and baskets full of fresh flowers.
In the small church of the town there were big and small statues of Saint Michael the Archangel. He was dressed as a Roman soldier with sword and shield, but his face looked like that of a little boy. Apparently, he uses love as a weapon!

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Keeping walking, we arrived at Ciutad Vieja (Old City), the second capital of Guatemala. It lies at the foot of Volcan de Agua.
“There is a small church inside the crater! But it is a bit hard to go up there. Do you know what happened to this old city a long time ago?”
“No, I don’t!”
“Beatrix de la Cueva, Governor of Guatemala, had twenty maids attending her. In 1541, she wanted to be proclaimed the queen of the local population. To her enthronement, she organized a sumptuous ceremony in the Cathedral.
“When she was about to be anointed, a huge mass of water came down from Volcan de Agua. Beatrix de la Cueva was submerged in the water and disappeared with all her following and the city. This is human life!”
We walked for a little while in Ciutad Vieja, and then left the town to go back to Antigua.

Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
-The Vibrations of Words
Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

WHY DO I VOLUNTEER?

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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WHY DO I VOLUNTEER?

My way of traveling is a bit unusual.

First of all, I don’t use tourist guides. Whenever I land in a new country, I try to spy out the spirituality of the people living there and their approach to religion and sacredness over the centuries.

I am interested in people’s heart to see whether there are some differences depending upon the country when one has been born. By volunteering, I can stay with the locals, talk with them, and taste their feelings.

Hitherto, traveling all over the world, I have not found any discrimination in humans’ heart. All people are the same! Africans, Italians, Germans, Americans, Guatemalans, migrants, local residents, and so on have the same soul, the same mind, the same heart. No difference between them!

Second, I volunteer to share what I know. I have been studying since I was a child, and now I want to hand down what I have learned over the years.

My way of volunteering seems to be working. The children have enjoyed my teaching. That was enough to make me satisfied.

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– A Hidden Sicilian History

– The Vibrations of Words

– Travels of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

CESAR BRANA, A CULTURAL CENTER IN ANTIGUA ( GUATEMALA)

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

 

 

 

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CESAR BRANA, A CULTURAL CENTER IN ANTIGUA (GUATEMALA)

As soon as I arrived in Antigua, I looked for a music school to practice the piano.

It is not easy to find a piano in Antigua. Their traditional instrument is the marimba, played with two small sticks.

Since I am not used to giving up, after many attempts to find a music school, at last I came across the Cultural Center Cesar Bragna.

It is housed inside a building with many rooms and a theater. In each room a particular subject is taught: languages, piano, painting, theater, cooking, violin, marimba, psychology, and so on.

The Center is open to everybody. I enrolled for piano lessons with a teacher who, although young, is very competent on the subject. A natural friendship arose between us.

Looking around the Center, I saw people of all ages and from all walks of life studying marimba, violin, painting, and English.

I wonder why in my hometown there is not a center like this.

My thoughts are with the elderly and those with mental problems. These last are at the mercy of psychiatrists who give them drugs. This way, they reach an equilibrium. But, the medicine can cure just the symptoms of the mental disease, not its cause. Once one stops taking pills, the disorder reappears.

Are psychiatrists able to administer the pill of painting? Of theater? Of friendship? The pill of love?

I don’t think so! It is much easier to give a medicine.

If in my town there were a Center like Cesar Brana, how many old people and social misfits could socialize!

Is art, music, friendship, and love more effective than psychiatric treatment? I think so!

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– A Hidden Sicilian History

– The Vibrations of Words

– Travels of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

AN EARTHQUAKE IN GUATEMALA

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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AN EARTHQUAKE IN GUATEMALA

Last night, I was sleeping in my bed when something unusual happened. I felt the house shake.

It was an earthquake, a big one measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale.

What to do? Outside it was raining hard. I didn’t feel like getting dressed and going out under that heavy rain at night.

I kept staying in my bed waiting until the earthquake would be over. It lasted one minute and thirty-three seconds! Too long for an earthquake.

What did I feel? Nothing, neither panic nor surprise. I just waited until the ground became stable again. I confined myself to observing what was happening, so as a member of the audience does while he is watching a play.

I let myself rock by the earthquake. I couldn’t do anything to prevent the phenomenon.

How many earthquakes happen in our life! All of a sudden, we lose our money, our loved one, our job, and even our life. Events appear and disappear like slides projected onto a screen. On the other hand, life is nothing but a play, a temporary and amazing play!

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– A Hidden Sicilian History

– The Vibrations of Words

– Travels of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

WALKING IN ANTIGUA

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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WALKING IN ANTIGUA

Traveling across the world, I have landed in the city of Antigua, in Guatemala.

Today, I took a walk to spy out the place. Soon, my attention was drawn to the many ruined churches. What happened? Although the places of worship had been built well and with good materials, they didn’t withstand the earthquakes. Here, the ground quakes quite often.

The city, which once was the capital of Guatemala, stands near three volcanoes: two inactive and one, called ‘Fuego’, still active. The plumes of smoke from its peak are really amazing.

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Some churches have been rebuilt in different areas. I entered one which is run by the Franciscan Friars. They assist the population in many ways.

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Someone told me that a lot of children with the harelips are born in Guatemala. Their parents take them to the hospital to have surgery, but sometimes they don’t return to the hospital to take their children back home. The Franciscan Friars help all those abandoned children.

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Keeping walking, I came across a quinceanera, a girl who has just turned fifteen. She was standing in the square wearing a long, shiny dress to celebrate her transition from childhood to womanhood. Today, a big party will be given for her. According to Latino tradition, she is now ready for marriage. She is a woman.

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– A Hidden Sicilian History

– The Vibrations of Words

– Travels of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo