buenos dias

My morning so far:


5:30 am - Wake up at to my little host brother crying and throwing a fit
                  (this continues until around 6:45 am)


 7:30 am - after much rolling around I decided I've sleep in too long


 7:45 am - My terrific host mother serves the family breakfast, the usual tasty mix of eggs, beans, fried bananas with cream and cheese plus piping hot coffee


8:30 am - have a lively discussion over the stupidity of spending thousands of dollars on a "Fiesta Rosa" or Quinceañera (15TH Birthday) as its known in Mexico.  I shared stories about my sixteenth birthday (which is the big deal in the U.S.) and how its more traditional to have a smaller party with just close friends and family and rather than spend the 10K on a Fiesta Rosa, I received a used car that I still drive to this day (when I'm in Iowa of course). I left out that it's a beautiful cherry red jeep wrangler that I absolutely adore ... but she got the point I was trying to make. She completely agreed. Furthermore, the purpose of the fiesta rosa she says is to present the young girl to the world as a stand up citizen who the parents raised to go to school and care for their family but then months later they are all pregnant and I quote "all used up with their boobs hanging down sad saying how their families don't give them any money or take care of them" this came with my host mother's hilarious facial and body gestures. (* note to self * start bringing camera to the breakfast table).
It was a lively conversation which then moved onto how the remesa money that comes in goes to buy 12 year olds cell phones. She also thinks this is ridiculous since, the cell phone equals a boyfriend or girlfriend which leads to spending more money on cell phone minutes, lower grades in school and after the Fiesta Rosa,  teenage pregnancy and the cycle continues... So as you can guess...none of her girls had a Fiesta Rosa and her children don't have cells phones except for the one who is at the University. She bought her one for her 20th birthday.  Now this is why I love. love. love. my host mother. She's smart. She's one of the "gets it" people.


9:00 am - wash dishes


9:15 am -  cold bucket bath which felt great because its a warm one today 

(the view while I bathe)


9:30 am - get dressed, have no clean bottoms except a pair of jeans that are just a tad too snug. No prob, just gotta throw on a loose top. done. and done.


9:45 am - make my bed and find that the whole time I was rolling around in bed I was rolling around with a friend. A junebug/beetle friend. Yuk. well...too late to freak out now.


10 am - walking out of the house onto the street I almost slip and fall on a mango that had splattered on the street. With arms flailing and a toe scraped a bit I am able to save myself from a complete face plant. A neighbor boy sees the whole thing and only giggles quietly.

"are you going to work"

"yes, where are you going?"

"I'm going to the molino" (He is carrying a huge guacal (bowl)"

"What do you have there?"

"Corn"

 "what is your name"

 "Brian"

- pause for him to ask me my name -

- he doesn't ask -

"My name is Krystal"

- silence-

"you already knew my name didn't you?"

"yes"

"well have a good day Brian"

"Salut"

10:05 am -  waiting on the street for a pick-up to pass-by


10:15 am - still waiting. but then a truck slows down, the man gives the universal signal for "going up" not to be confused with "thru the butt".  he pulls over. I recognize his face. I know him. sweet! So I run toward the truck. I realize today was not the day to wear the tight jeans as I have to do a serious bend at the knees to give myself momentum to pull myself up into the tall work truck.


* side note * I look over to relatives of my host family inspecting him and the truck wondering who the heck I'm hitching a ride with. This comforts me as I know they can give a full description to the police and peace corps if something crazy where to happen. One plus of living in a small community and everybody knows everyone else's business.


He is on the phone. I recognize his face, I know him but from WHERE? uuughh...think. think... quick before he gets off the phone. bah. he's off the phone and he starts talking and finally says something that lets me know he's the owner of the house I'm going to be renting. He is heading up to drop off some supplies so they can pour a cement patio in the back.


10:30 am - inspect the house, meet the workers, then... thank you peace corps training, see out of the corner of my eye that he calls me CHEAP through a hand gesture. Pu-leeeez. Just because I didn't want to spend 10 bucks on a burlap sac for decoration. anyway, I did manage to squeeze out a privacy fence, a gutter for one side of the house, and a new shower-head.


12: 09 pm - the accountant at the office is clipping her toe nails! Is this really the appropriate place to be doing this?




Current Status: Waiting for Daniel to arrive so we can have lunch. amazing I still have any appetite. toenail clipping? really?