Sunday, April 30, 2006

Cock a doodle doooo!

Well, I just had my first experience with unreliable power. I was typing the last paragraph of my next post and....silence and blackness....shit. Nearly an hour´s worth or typing, editing and re-editing gone. Lesson learned: save drafts often. So, here it is again, completely rewritten- probably not as detailed/refined and a bit bitter....{saving now....} Luckily, I am using entries from my paper journal to write some parts.

Rafael told me yesterday that I would have to get used to the sounds of Guatemala. This morning I started to do just that- `Cock-a-doodle doooo!´ at who knows what hour. I know it was early though because I tried for a long while to go back to sleep only to be reminded many times that it was not possible. Cock-a-doodle doooooing numerous times, birds clicking around on the roof, {save} and the little neighbor girl speaking to her mother outside my window- her voice is so sweet. I wish I could speak Spanish as well as she does. I got here around 9am and that was after a leisurely morning of showering and putzing around preparing for my day. Despite the unwanted alarm this morning, I slept very well.

On my way home from this cafe last night, a girl in Guatemalan dress was selling sliced mango on the street by my house. She was fanning it, I think from the flies. {save} I love it here! I wish I could buy mango from her. She is so humble and happy. I wish I had the enzymes to protect my body from the ´bacteria´ in street vendor foods. {Note: the power just failed again.}

Rafael is adorable- he sings when he cooks and I can hear him from my room. Last night he cooked a fabulous dinner of pasta, salad, bread and sea bass (robalo.) Alejandro, Samantha, Adrian (the guy from the southern US), Rafael and I sat down promtly at 7pm. The pasta didn´t have sauce, maybe just a bit of oil. {save} The salad had tomatoes and a dressing that tasted very mayonaissey and the robalo was very salty but everything was so delicious!

Everyone in my house can speak English but they almost always speak Spanish- that is, unless I don´t understand and need something translated. It´s good for me to get used to the language and I feel like I understand most of what they are saying, though I can´t usually respond in Spanish which is becoming increasingly frustrating for me and probably frustrating for them as well. Tomorrow is Guatemala´s Labor Day, so I won´t get to start my espanol classes until Tuesday! I feel like I´m in a marathon with a broken leg. It also seems like when they ask me {save} a question directly, I don´t understand. I can´t tell yet if its because I´m being put on the spot or if they are challenging me. I hope it´s the latter. Either way, I am anxious to get going with Spanish classes again.

Today I will explore Antigua. {save} Sundays are the only day that the family does not provide meals, so I get to experience the cafe/restaurant scene. I can´t wait to see what else is going on here. Today is overcast but warm and the air smelled of smoke when I got up this morning. I can´t see the volcano. {save}

Any PC users out there who know how to change the language of my computer, I beg you-please share!! I am managing, the icons are the same as the US but there is no Safari/Macs here. {power just failed again} In the meantime, please forward synonyms for fabulous, delicious, amazing. I am serious. {save}

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