about not posting regularly anymore. I find posting harder now because
most of the delight and curiosity I felt here in the first few months
have been replaced by jadedness and nonchalance. Nine months is a long
time to continually feel stimulated and enchanted by your
surroundings. Don't get me wrong, I am stil grateful to be here and
love Buena Vista, it's just that the newsworthy portions of my life
here are few and far between.
Something to talk about, though, is Dia de La Independencia. Where, in
my PICASA ALBUM, we all made Faroles or Carrerras and paraded down
from the school to the comunal salon at night. I didn't really know
what a farol was so I just made a little jack-o-lantern which turned
out to be sad and pathetic even afte I tried to up the anty but
putting TWO candles inside instead of one. That ended up starting to
burn my (carton of milk) box so defeated, I had to blow one out. The
festivities were fun if not extremely loud, and I bought some churros
for 20 cents which were fantastic. Kids dressed up traditionally. We
had jump rope competitions and competitions on who had the best farol
or carerra. I hung out with the teachers, and for the first time
really felt like they were my colleagues and that I fit in amongst
them. It was a good feeling.
On actual Independence Day school was closed, so I also went on a
culinary, carbohydrate pilgrimage throughout Buena Vista. It all
started with an invitation to try some wild shitake mushrooms fried in
margarine wayyy up the mountain. Then we ate a spaghetti and potato
soup. Followed by arepas (sweet pancakes) with sour cream and tamales
(a sort of bread thing but made of out cornstarch, crushed peanuts,
sugar, and cheese? It was gross.). Drank coffee. Then walked down to
another house, ate more homemade sugary bread, drank more coffee. It
was night by the time Hellen, Giselle, Lisette, and I made it down
near by house but by then we decided to be champions and finish off
strong. We went to Hellen's and ate more bread, drank an agua dulce
(literally "sweet water"), and ate biscocho (a corn based bread with
cheese.) Such a fat day of questionable food choices but it was a
fun,memorable way to pass the holiday. I got a chance to spend more
time with people I don't take nearly enough advantage of because I get
weirdly shy here.
In my daily struggle against rice, cookies, crackers, and bread I've
recently become obsessed with downloading exercise videos. Keyword
being downloading, and not always doing. So far they've been kicking
my ass, so much I've injured myself a handful of times from being too
enthusiatic or out of shape. Our summer is approaching in the next few
months, and it scares me.
Something you shold know. Hellen probably weighs 85 pounds and she
eats more than me. She's a bad influence on all earthly, human
creatures in this world and she is just the worst.
Check out my albums on Picasa.
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