025. Back to Guate: or the day we advance in our greek... invididually

Morning Meeting:

Kata presented today and she shared with us 2 very cool videos from the History Channel one about the Mayan Baktun 13 and the other about Halloween. They were pretty funny and well designed. We were told by Bert that Moris made a complaint about not being notified about our trip on monday, although we do told him two weeks ago that we were leaving so we should plan our lessons in order not to be behind. We also sang the happy birthday to Majo for this 18 birthday!

We worked during our individual time in catching up with our greek and gladly most of all advanced a lot. Even Franz start catching up with his greek and I’m glad because I think he really will enjoy this. Well but when the time arrived Moris didn’t show up... and at the beginning we keep waiting for him but later after a call to remind our principles we start working on greek. We tried to use the presentation but we realized that working in groups according to our level was the best and get the best questions for Moris next time. Some worked individually others worked in pairs of small groups. I worked with Isa and Marce and we had lots of fun checking our answers.  Later in the day we discover that Moris actually send a request to be absent but I thank Bert because if we don’t have the chance to react to this little vicissitudes we won’t be able to develop a stronger culture.  

We also worked on our documentation and let me tell you I was really behind but I discover that I love to do it. I documented Atitlán Trip and it was great. Then we had a dialogue on Self-Reliance the work by Ralph Waldo Emerson and even when it was just a brief overview of the paragraphs I loved it.  The main thing that I got it was that you should start learning to recognize the light in your own thoughts and speak your mind with confidence. The consequence of not doing it as Alejo described it will  to feel bad because someone else would say the same idea and he would be praised and you don’t. With Gaby we started to explore the more spiritual side of it... it is this the mission of your life? is this a mission god gave to you?

After lunch we had Javier Tabush doing and activity called: “The Trip” he red us a story and we had to imagine what he was telling us. Amazing activity he actually made us get really deep into our minds. I imagine visiting Petra and having a plane crash in London.... hehehe pretty intense right?

We had Kyle’s visit who help us to keep working in our programing. We actually made some developments with Grace and Carmen but we were still stuck. But then Kyle help us giving us some hints to improve our work and guess what IT WORKED! Then all groups had to share their findings and Alejo was the first. Honestly I’ve seen Alejo happy many times but today his happiness was different it surrounded him with a glow. The glow of wisdom, maybe?  

Well he explained to us how to find the biggest palindrome number multiplying two numbers of three digits each. Intense right? hehehehe Well he and his group accomplished it. Remarcable. Then it was Diego’s turn and he also was very happy his group problem was how to . Finally Mabe explained his problem and we found that it had a very close relation with ours. Ohhh amazing experience that even when gave me a headache it made me be interested in learning more about programing.

In our diebrifing we agreed that we should dedicate a little bit more time to learn programing since is a beautiful language that make us to think in different ways.

024. Failing: Or the day I saw into myself and I didn't like what I found

The night before we standed up until very late and we got a call for our actions and our commitment to the main goal of the trip. I knew that I wasn’t putting all my efforts in doing our tasks to I decided that I wanted to catch up that day.

We had our morning meeting and Javier conducted it, we all shared one funny experience, something that we learned from the person on our left (mine was Grace) and a thing that we learn about ourselves. My funny experience was looking at Alejo while sleeping and noticing that he was laughing! hehehehehehe What I learned from Grace was how attentive she is to other people feeling and about me it was how grateful I am about being at the MPC.

Then we had time for individual work and I decided that it was a good time to read Franklin so I start reading. While doing that Ana Isa asked me a favor which I knew it was going to take time but I said yes nevertheless. As I was expecting it took more time than I should planned and then I realized I only had about an hour to deliver my work. I thought it was simple but then I realized that without a computer it was more difficult than I thought. Noticing this made me really stressed and honestly the stress made stop thinking. When the time was done I approached Bert and let him know what happened. He just told me “Pablo, you know the assigment?” I said “Yes” and he turn back to work. I said “Bert?” and he told me “Pablo, do you need something else?” Then I understood that it was up to me to do the assignment. So I runned back to the computer lab and found that all computers were taken. I had to ask the owner his computer which he happily agreed and even when I were able to finish my work it was of lousy quality and I felt really bad. More bad I felt when I realized that first it wasn’t my usual standard and more than anything that it was the main reason to be at Ati in the first place. I then realized that I took it in some relaxed way and that I did not accomplish the MPC standard. I felt really bad about it because it was (as always it is) only my responsibility.

Then we moved  a dialogue on Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson a dialogue that I liked and that at the same time it touched many things upon me. Then we had lunch. Before we left I approached the person that  I wanted to talk and after some small talk I told him: “Before I leave I want to tell you that you are really cute and have beautiful eyes”. He said “Thanks you are cute too. I’m not gay but thanks for sharing that.” And you probably won’t believe me but I felt really good not only of telling him but because the fact that his answer was negative I was proud of myself of following my principles and conquering my fears.

We departed and on the way back to  Guatemala, Carmen called our attention about the quality of our work. At the beginning I resented her but thinking about my own feelings I realized that I was again angry not at her but at me because I wanted to be her, proactive and calling for action and commitment. Well, after she talked we agreed on improving our quality of work and we did! Next day our hand book was in Bert’s desk ready to be presented.

What an amazing and powerful this journey was for me. I’m so glad to have this experience and to share it with other committed persons.

023. The Glasses of God: Or the day I saw the Universe into the eyes

With Lola we wake up to watch the sun rising. It was an amazing experience that words can’d describe. Even when the clouds cover a great part of the sunshine the lake was nice with us and gave us some fantastic reflections on its surface. It was a festival of color and shape. And honestly it was worthy the climb to the mirador on the mountain.  

The working day began with our morning meeting and we discussed the “food issue” which was settled and we agreed that coming back to Guate we should talk some of the underlying subjects under that issue such as: honoring our commitments and be aware of our decisions on  others. The day unfold and we keep working on our questions. I got a lot of help from my peers (too many to name :D)

Then at lunch an announce we were going to San Juan la Laguna!!! This little community had so much to offer since it is different from all the others at Ati. They organized and banned delinquents and looked to have a clean town. The become really tourist friendly and it worked. So we visit the city. During our boat ride we appreciate how astonishingly  gorgeous the lake is. At our arrival we witness better the problem that the water rise had how it has covered many houses.  I partnered with Gaby and Isa to visit the places... ohhh how much fun we had discovering the little art shops and the textiles workshops. Amazing!

With Gaby and Isa and latter both Javieres we were introduce to the art of dyeing fabrics with natural colorants such as Té de Pericón, Añil, Xilca and others. Btw, Gaby bought a lot! hehehehe Then with Isa we went to visit this lady 87 years old ohhh amazing to witness her willingness to share her stories and keep working at the same time. She told us about the change on the town and how tourist visit more.

Then we went to the announced Artesanos Restaurant where they sell wine and artisan cheese made all over the guatemalan highlands. We arrived first with Isa and the lady owner told us that they would take their time to make the food (a lot we discover after). Then we seated with Diego, Gaby, Marcela, Isa and me. We ordered a cheese table and a sangría. We waited A LOT! But this gave us the chance to find a copy of ATLAS SHRUGGED in the little library, how amazing!!!! All the people in the restaurant were chatting and being loud but believe me when the cheeses arrived OMG you could hear the flying of a mockingbird blocks away. (well not that much but the only thing that you could hear it was the amazing classical music background). So we started trying the cheeses and their flavor paired with Mozart, Handel, Bach and many others made of it an unique experience. I cannot describe you in words the thrill that those cheeses made me had. But now thinking back I believe it was the fantastic company for example Diego paired me when praising the beauty of gourmet food. Then Isa and Gaby also were enthusiastic about this experience. Marcela even suggested that we shall closed our eyes to experience it. And I’m not afraid to tell you that at some point (when we were on the blue cheeses) I was about to cry with the thinking of how amazing it was to be there enjoying life on a Tuesday (Actually was wednesday hehehehe but I thought that all day lol). Then we finished and departed. No cheese survided.  Some of the guys missed this experience and I regret a lot because at least for my group was incredible in many levels we went back to Santa Cruz and something great was about to happen.

When we came back we had individual work time. I answered the sub-questions that I made in order to answer my great question. I got my answers and then I decided that since I didn’t finished a reading on reason to have a Liberal Education I must read that. So then I took my pages and decided that I was going to the dock where we swimmed the day before to read.

I arrived to the dock and start reading about  “The Role of the Liberal Arts in a College Education”. The first article titled “The Earthly use of a liberal education” striked me and the following also moved a lot on me. They were talking about the joy of discovery and how education instead of being a monotonous process of acquiring knowledge must be a widening experience that allows you to view the world in a more profound way. One quote of the “Purpuse of liberal education” says: ‘But it seems clear to me that a crucial difference between the educated and the uneducated is the extent to which one’s life experience is viewed in wider context’. And being that the last reading I start watching the lake, the volcanoes the sunset.  I thinked about Sam Bonis, about the Cheese experience that I just had, about Baruch Spinoza, about how amazing is the world and then I realized how much I loved to be alive. It was a feeling weird to describe, moreover indescribable! It was pure joy to be there in a dock, thinking about the caldera explosion,  thinking about the college education, thinking about thinking, thinking about being, thinking about the universe! Wow it was a magnificent experience for a moment, just for a moment, I thinked about everything! Yes about the infinite greatness of the universe, of the spirit! I start laughing like crazy I start sobbing! I’m not afraid to say so. I was happy to think to be there (honestly to be here) to be thinking about my existence! OMG I got thrilled again to think about it! I was absolutely delighted to be sharing my life with wonderful amazing human beings at the MPC! With being ready to think about the universe, not afraid to be called weirdos! I start thinking that I was surrounded with unique people that believe that this are important matters to talk! I missed at that moment Franz since I know he is really interested in this kind of talk! I also thinked about how I was living as a person and that the responsibility is upon me! I wanted to kiss someone in that moment! I decided that I was going to approach the person that I liked the day before and tell all what I thinked. Wow, after that moment I start walking again to the Hotel and I was so happy that I stopped again at a dock to see the lake. When back I shared this with Bert who told me to write this and I did. :) Well it was nonsense but it was what was happening in my head.

Then I shared the experience with Diego and Majo, they were really happy to hear and I’m grateful because they confirmed my belief that they are amazing unique people. I later found out that Chacho was hearing too and was paying attention to what I was saying. He is such a good observer!

Well thinking back I think that in that moment  I saw my life in other context. I saw my self sub specie aeternitatis as Spinoza would call. Trying to find out a good explanation to the concept  found a Michael Martin quote: “Unlike animals and inanimate things we can transcend our own limited perspective and see our lives sub specie aeternitatis.”  and I can describe this as watching the world not in the realm of now but with an eternity view with the view of God. This is to think about the universe in all possible moments. Like if in a second you could contemplate the whole existence. I felt in that moment that I was watching the whole universe. I know it might sound weird and when I read some of this things I could say yeah they sound cool but until you had that experience you cannot feel what it really is.

As I was saying to Bert this experience it was like knowing  by heart what I already knew by word. Amazing day this was!

Ahh and we also saw the stars in the night and swim in the lake at midnight but that must remain lost for the future generations. ;)

022. Swimming Day at Ati

Honestly this name is the best way to describe what happened that day. We actually started to get deeper into the thinking of our individual question. We brainstormed and make guidelines to make cleared the idea that we wanted to express. At least I discovered that I’m still a little bit addict to get guideline of the professor so I asked Bert a lot. But also discovered that I loved to work with Carmen and Grace, they are so creative and so spontaneous. Actually Grace taught me a great lesson: to be aware of others feelings during dialogue and that is better to talk than to keep you issues to yourself because they will disable to be attentive to what you are doing.

The fact that I was uneasy was because I talked with bert about the “food issue”. Well this proved to be really irritating at least for me but in the longer term good for our community. It goes something like this: When planning the trip we shared that breakfast was going to be buffé at a cost of Q35, lunch was going to be individually elected and dinner (the only available) would be Q60. Well we agreed on this but when arrived and due personal schedules for food and limited budget some people asked not to be served breakfast or dinner. So since I was the link with the hotel to make the reservation they start asking me about it and I accepted the task... So I asked the hotel and they said it was no problem... but they asked to make lists and I also accepted. This took away a lot of time of my schedule. Also Bert got annoyed by this because it would make breakfast slower but more than that it was not honoring the commitment that we did at Guate. So we brought back the allegory of the Ati Boats that change their mind. Well so this became the “food issue” and we talked about this extendedly in the afternoon.

Ohh but I forgot to tell that accepting the task of making lists proved me to be a bad choice. For example when the lunch was pizza buffé  they asked me a list and I asked all and half said yes and others said no. But then when a group realized there were no other place to eat they asked the manager to sign in when the pizzas was about to get ready! But what was worst some people that were not in the list and not even asked got into the line and eat from the pizza! So the result was a semi pizza buffé where people eated less than they paid for and a couple of angry vegetarians... since their pizza was the most abused.  Ohh well after this we had a session and agreed to make some changes and honoring our commitments. We got a solution where there were no lists we asked the hotel to put all of us for both breakfast and dinner and if someone wanted to sign out they would had to do it by themselves with the following deadlines:  breakfast at 8pm the day before and dinner before 3pm. If not they would have to bear the consecuences both being without food and hungry or not wanting the food and paying.

I also got to swim to a dock with a couple of friends in the afternoon. I also start swimming on the pages of the Autobiography of Ben Franklin. At the beginning I didn’t liked it so much but then proved me wrong and showed me how interesting it was his life.

021. The AtiTrip Begins

I stepped out of my house a little bit late for the first day since we started and I was afraid not to be at 7 at the circle. During this trip I found out that only Diego and me have been all days on time, Isa was the third one but she got late last week because a car crush (she is fine, don’t worry... only a little bit worried but she found out she the guy she crushed it was a friend’s parent hehehehe).

Well I got on time 6:56 ufff... and to my surprise we skipped the morning meeting because we had many missing persons and also we have a lawyer waiting for us.. yes a LAWYER!!! He was there for us to sign the disclaimer for the trip. Well as my years related with lawyers taught me I actually read the document, it was only a declaration that we were individually responsible for the trip. But I realized that many of the pioneers didn’t read the paper, actually that was the first thing that the lawyer  talk to us and then he read the full document. (Fausto I think was his name... so appropriate name for a lawyer hehehehe) (Be educated and read Goethe and you will understand the joke, lol)

Then the guy of the bus called me and I tell that to the guys who start going out. Then Bert who was still working on getting ready the binders told us to come back. Then he gave us the binder and a couple of readings and schedule. The we departed to the catch the bus. Problems with communication made Carmen and me to accept a ride from Lorena who thought that the bus was at Las Margaritas Mall not the UFM Margarita’s entrance and this made us get almost 15 minutes late!!!! We were called the VIP’s aka the Very Irritating Persons. Ohh well... then we departed for sure.

The travel was smooth and we arrived Pana 3 hours later. Then we took a boat to Santa Cruz and another incident happen. When negotiating Alejo and Bert got a price of Q150 for the 18 persons but when we arrived at Iguana they told us that it was now Q180!!!! Can you belive that? Well some people get really mad Bert and Lola included more because the guys of the boat approach the manager of the hotel to protest about us! Well you can say it was only Q30 (about U$3.50) but it was more than that it was about principles and honoring a commitment. Well we finally paid the price they asked but this will proved during the week a point about our own learning.

Then we had lunch and after that we have a meeting (mpceers correct me if I’m wrong) and then we divided a set of questions about the MPC that each student had to work on.  We were alloud to change so I did with Chacho and I got: “How MPC students learn the economic principles of a free society?” Wow what an amazing question it was my mind got happy because I got in touch with UFM almost 4 years ago trying to get more info about this. I wanted to be an economist after I graduated... well that is another story for another time. As Bert would say (correct thing to do, wrong time).

The thay keep unfolding with such a nice background that makes you realize how limitated are words to describe the greatness of some experiences. But don’t misunderstand me they do can help if can revive the experience you had. So lf you have ever been at Atitlán you will know how astonishingly beautiful the lake is and add to that the fact that you are joined with a group of committed inlove with their learning. What a great week was ahead!

014. Pizza Day: The day we met the people making magic on the back

Today Marce shared with us an amazing video: The most Astounding Fact. Made from an inverview with Neil deGrasse Tysson. This video is tantalizing since show how amazing is the universe in which we live, how everything comes back to start’s core and how we all are a single being.  Then we had invididual worktime which I used to catch up with some readings.

At lunch we had the visit of the Business School crew who were curious to see what the MPC is. For many of us this visit was great since we finally manage to meet the people who help us to manage the administrative work that we don’t actually see during our classtime but it seems like a lot. They invited us to have pizza and we invited them to play with our Corn Hole game. You know its glad to have them as our partners in this endeavour and I think both can learn a lot from each other since in a way what we are doing is entrepreneurship! The help that they and specially Karla and Helmuth give to us is one of the great resources that we have since many of us are looking towards starting our own company. They are very skillful in many areas and I hope they can join us more often in our dialogues.

013. Truth Day: Or the day Pioneers got real.

Today’s morning meeting was about videos: The Holstee Manifesto shared by ISA and what portrays what I consider are the best maxims to enjoy your life. Amazing video, if you haven’t see it or if you haven’t read the manifesto I really encourage you to read it since is amazing! Mabe also shared a video: Smile or Die. I liked the general idea to be real with yourself and work based on reality not illusion but I honestly didn’t liked the flaws the presenter had in the economic grounds. Fortunately Bert pointed out them and we dialogued about them for a bit.

Then we had Greek! I’m still surprised how much I’m enjoying this since at the beginning I tought it was going to be something boring or shallow. But how mistaken I was I love greek because it can help you to track the stories of words and I love to do that!

The main dish of the day was the Getting Real discussion. I got chills just to try to describe this activity.

Thinking back the activity was a little bit stressful but in the longer term I think it has helped us to develop a better culture among the MPC. We had scheduled a dialogue on the first chapter of getting Real but since we were real and didn’t all read it we decided to instead do an activity described in the book. We had to say “I notice this X and I imagine Y” we did if first in couples. Mine was Isa and we did it very good and we had fun doing so but later we decided to do it in the group. We established the rule that a person had to say something to other and then the other had to say something to someone else. Wooow! We used this chance to get real and share some of our thoughts about what we imagined the other pioneers were doing to build our culture at the MPC. Ufff we received a lot of feedback that day and the great thing was that we start losing the taboo that giving negative feedback (things you might improve) is a very cool and great way to express your trust, care and friendship to another person.  

But ohhh I might tell you that it was stressful since the things that people imagine you are doing might be not what you are doing. So even if they are wrong in their imagining is always good to know. It is the only way to know how your actions really affect the other! And yes it was a little bit stressful but in the longer term I think it has smooth the environment at the MPC. After this almost 2 hour session, we decided that we must doing this constantly and during the moment that the things that might dislike us are happening.  Also interesting was the fact that Bert before we began decided to step out and it was a good choice!

012. Gaby Speaks: Or the 16 habits of mind

Today’s morning meeting was in charge of Gaby and believe me it was an amazing morning meeting. She pointed out very strongly that we should keep working in our 16 habits of mind but don’t think that was something traditional the way she expressed herself. She was very animated and she gave examples and sometimes call for attention. It was a good session since with other pioneers like Isa, Mabe and Marce we were worried about some lowering in the standards at our performance at MPC. But his was a good call!  

We later had a conversation vía Skype with Andrew Humphries who called us from New Delhi, India. He shared his passion about Euclid and talk to us a little about the importance of what we were doing.

After lunch we had a dialogue on the reading “The allegory of the Cave” with Gaby and Javier Tabush offered to interpret with their voices. We talked about this for about an hour and we discovered how interesting and profound is the thinking of Plato. What striked me the most, besides the actual allegory, was the constant references to Geometry and in that moment I felt connected with them. Then we start watching the documentary La Eduación Prohibida but we didn’t finished that day. After we saw like half of the documentary we debrief the general ideas and the main problem that education is facing nowadays. We also realized how our own personal experience can be described in the terms presented in the movie.

011. FFD: Or the day Isa missed our First Formal Dialogue

Since Isa had a previous commitment to visit a Steel Factory she couldn’t join us this day. Or first activity after the morning meeting was to think and then share key events in our life timeline. So we worked this individually and then we gather together to share them. But we decided that it was better to share it with a person first and then he or she had to explain to the others our own life! Amazing! My partner was Chacho and I loved to know so many things about his life since he is usually really quiet and silent. But ohhhh he has an amazing story to tell! He loves to write since he is really young and he also practice magic tricks. Then we shared in the complete circle our findings. I tried to explain Chacho but my memory failed me in some points like the carpet incident in his childhood. So I learned that its good to take notes. Then others share their findings and it was amazing to realize how unique is every human being and what an amazing story each one has. Also I was surprised about the astonishing and amazingly stories that each MPC pioneer has to share... I confirm this again: THIS IS AN WONDERFUL GROUP!

Then we had a lunch made with contributions of every pioneer. Mine was rather small... just Butter! But actually it gave a nice complement taste to the some of the southern food that we prepared since today we were having our first formal dialogue on Twain and Kant. Lemonade, Corn Pone, Meat, Sweet Corn and Pecan Pie were in the menu.

Then after lunch we had our First Formal Dialogue! How amazing! We first made a inner circle and an outer circle. Then we divided in three groups formed with our small groups. Then we started our dialogue. People in the first circle would do the talking and people in the outer would pay attention. I might be honest and say that during the first round I was extremely tired and it was really difficult to concentrate. Bert noticed that and taped me on video. But after he and my peers gave me feedback I found the concentration to do it better by taking notes and hearing carefully. Also my choose for a chair made a difference since the first one was really big and inviting me to rest. Then we diebrief it but saying for this time only the positive things that we saw.