Ask and you shall receive

So this week I introduce pictures not many but some is better than none right. I also would like to mourn the loss of a long battle. Yes to all you who have been trying for years to get me to join I did, I officially sold out. If you do not know what that means than it is not relevant. I can be all your friends now, ha. Anyways, this past week was the celebration of many birthdays. Monday we went to celebrate a coworker’s birthday with lots of dancing and laughter. Then Tuesday was my cousin´s birthday so I sat and was able to be socially gracefully, I impressed myself. I am making progress in the language and culture category. Plus I feel that I am apart of my host family which is amazing. Then Thursday we went to visit these day cares which were impeccably organized and clean. Plus I got to try blood donuts truly delicious. As if there were not enough kids, back to volunteering at the library that afternoon. Friday we had a health fair in which I taught about how to make baby food and the diet of a small child to a group of mother´s. That day was my mom´s birthday as well so it was yet another gathering of the family at our house. Picture included. Saturday I went to the university and learned about how to raise guinea pigs. Oh yes I would like to have like 1,000 and be the queen of the guinea pigs. By the way they are top quality in the ratio of protein and low fat per square inch. Hoping to eat one soon. Plus they make leather out of the skin too. Food and fashion can´t get better than that. Attended a 1 year old birthday party which is organized chaos of confetti, clowns, candy, cake, children no batteries included. Went to bed early. Spent Sunday doing laundry and exploring the nearby city watched a traditional dance competition tried some local fruit and the ceviche which is world renowned. Actually felt relaxed for the first time in a while. I really need to utilize free time. Did some yoga yesterday and tomorrow we are off to get our hands dirty with training in the communities. I will miss Halloween but no worries I am sure the bus ride will be a great time. Sunday is another birthday party and also Dia de los Muertos. I will explain that holiday in the next edition. Plus other the other exciting adventures of this week. Love you all.

Oh Man

On Monday I went to an amazing and large concert ran around with my co-worker´s families, danced, and realized how much I love the outfits performers wear here. Glitter, boy shorts, and go go boots can´t beat them, however I unfortunately do not think I can join them either. I will put it on the list of aspirations to be glamorous. So I would like to say that my life is full of unexpected and every time
I think I have any idea of what is unexpected something greater occurs.
Like yesterday I spent hiking up a mountain of a neighborhood trying to
track down some guy who recovered from TB, interviewed him about his living conditions and habits, checked out his tin and wood shack. The man is in his late sixities and has better joints than I do. Then hung out in a health post, visited a soup kitchen, tried not to fall down the hill or get eaten by dogs. Got to the bottom of one mountain only to run up the hill that I live on to inhale lunch to run back down. Gave another presentation at lightening speed. Ate a whole bag of jelly beans thanks mom. Felt wired for the rest of the day. Played with a group of children at the library. Learned that being white is cool but being tall and white is more impressive after watching the kids go crazy with another co-worker that is 6 ft 4 inches. But today you see trumped any cup of coffee which mind you I did not have this morning. When I found myself shadowing a health professional and sitting in on a pelvic exam. Then headed over to the other departments. Certainly less intrusive. The weekend was relaxing on Friday. Clubbing again on Saturday until five in the morning. The joke here is that it is always early. One am is early to go out five am is early to be out and 8 am is just early in the morning. Whereas nothing actually runs even on time here. Early is my new personal joke. I am indulging in the local festivals especially food. And October is the birthday month which is sweet quite literally I get cake and get to dance all the time. It is the life, I officially made it. ha. On the other hand (I cannot effectively use transitions in Spanish but I can in English) work is getting more demanding we spend a lot of time in the communities getting our hands dirty and what not. We are going to have over night field trips soon and then I will know where my next two years will be... super exciting mostly nerve wrecking but I think I will get to work with an HIV/AIDS initiative so that I will be better prepared for my aspirations to go to Africa in the future. Oh the future keeps coming so quickly watch out!

Train Keeps on a Rolling

So adventures in summation I have official made my first local friend. I accidentally attended the viewing of a really famous singer who died last week. There was great music playing outside the National Museum for 24 hours. The floral displays were to die for ha. And I have gotten one step closer to my goal of attending a baptism, a quinceneria, a wedding, and a funeral. I have time though and I believe a wedding in the next week. Any who I later went to a stone beach and relaxed in the fresh air. Returned home showered ate went to a fiesta followed by clubbing with my cousin´s and mom until 5 a.m. Literally I do not think that people sleep here. On Monday I went to another concert outside great music dancing meeting more people. Trying my best to integrate. With some amount of success, I have improved my Spanish (which I suppose is a given). Working my way to advanced. I still run around like a crazy person with my schedule. You know you are in trouble when you have to schedule yourself into your schedule. But I love it. I did a 2 hour presentation for my health crew on breastfeeding which was a mix of English, Spanish, and boobs. It went surprisingly well, and any amount of stage fright that I used to feel I no longer have. I have reached a new degree of shameless. This week I start volunteering at the local library teaching English and doing self esteem workshops. The kids from what I heard are great so I am excited to start working with a familiar population. I think that is all for no.I was yelled at for my lack of photos so I will be working on that as well this week. Happy Birthday to the Homies.

Lost in Translation

Hardly it would be more accurate to say lost in communication. I am at the pivitol moment where I cannot effectively communicate in Spanish English Spanglish. It is mostly entertaining occasionly frustrating and has the potential to be gut wrenching. And yet I feel like I need to work harder. Anywho, the update last week I met the US ambassador, went to a parade, got to see the craziest display of fireworks ever. So they have these structures called castillos that are four levels high and each one goes off with a display of fireworks and then lights the next level and so on. The last level is all the sky and releases large fireworks. There is nothing like this in the states. It is probably not safe but who cares when it looks so great. Oh I also watched a beauty pagent of teenage girls. Very interesting I find myself attending or participating in so many random things that I would probably not do at home. But event is an opportunity to learn more so I go. The girl who one totally deserved it. I visited catacombs on the weekend in a gorgeous old church. Oddly there was nothing creepy about it in my opinion. There was not even a strange gut feeling or goosebumps the way you would expect looking at tons of bones of previous people in piles. But awesome sight nonetheless. I forgot to mention I will also learn how to breed small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs. No I have not eaten one yet though I do plan on it in the future. I have eaten intestines, liver, and heart of pig, cow, and chicken. The food here is incredible. My mom wants me to go on a culinary adventure so I could not be more grateful. I also will hopefully learn how to cook from her.