Ya Betta Belize it!

I'm back home safe and sound. More details to come about my epic journey to and from Belize, zip lines, cave tubbing, hurricane Mateo, consolidation with the Peace Corps sprinkled with breakdowns, good people, Belikin beers and more. 




Current Status: fighting goosebumps in the cold Morazan winter. Brrrrrr

stand in the place where you live...

i <3 my simple beautiful life

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

VOCABULARY
CA*CHI*PORR*I*STA | 'KA CH E POUR E STAH | 
noun
CHEERLEADER / BATON TWIRLER 


"wow that cachiporrista has some serious neon pink eyeshadow on which accentuates her bedazzled shimmery hot pink dress and bloomer combo."
(photos to come)

HISTORY (via wiki)

...on September 15, 1821, in light of unrest in Guatemala, Spanish authorities capitulated and signed the 'Acta de Independencia' (Deed of Independence) which released all of the Captaincy of Guatemala (comprising current territories of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica and the Mexican state of Chiapas) from Spanish rule and declared its Independence.

If there is a good busy this is IT. 

Independence day is tomorrow. This means a busy time for the area and my tourism association. 

The association is planning events this Saturday and Sunday near the revolutionary museum. 

Last week I went with members of the tourism association to met with various Mayors in the area. 

We were asking them to put together an 8 person relay team. Our region known as the "Ruta de Paz" or Road of Peace starts at a river roughly 18 km south of Perquin (where I live at the top of the mountain). 

The first runner starts there with a bag...then when he gets to the exchange point he passes the bag and the next runner puts in a trinket. These trinkets, 7 in total, in some way symbolize the region.  So the winners will have the pride of being the best municipality in the region as well as a small cash prize and free lunch at the festival near the museum. 

Last night we had a meeting to tie up the last minute logistics and decided on selling party-favor bags and snacks to generate funds for the organization. Tomorrow I"ll be helping put together these bags ... all 200 of them. Today, I went via pick-up truck around the region dropping off fliers with the weekend's programed events. Then on Thursday I'll be heading down with a few association representatives for an interview with a television station. Promotion Promotion Promotion... and I my dear friends will not even be here to see the fruits of all the labor. 

Because Friday very early in the morning I'll be picked up by a cab and taken to the airport. 

I will be in beautiful Belize for 10 glorious days! 

zip lining

snorkeling

cave exploring

dancing to reggae

fruit blended drinks

white sand between my toes

reading trashy american gossip mags

the smell of tropical sunscreen in the air

waking up and jammin to my "Rad beach playlist"

falling asleep to the sounds of the ocean 

photographing

spa perhaps?

and the cherry on top

 hanging with my bff... Mz Alexandra i'm a hot mama Atha. 

Vocabulary

@ = Arroba

took me 8 months of saying 

"el 'a' (with my finger in the air drawing the symbol) luego gmail" 

to figure out how to say "at sign" in spanish 

maybe now I won't get so many funny faces from my counterparts down here. 

hope this helps other lost SSLers "spanish as a second language" 

sad but true. Write your Rep!

http://www.collegescholarships.org/research/student-loans/

Infographic by College Scholarships.org

neurotic

I realized I was neurotic when I was living in DC. 
I found a fellow friend of mine who was also a self proclaimed neurotic. 
We laughed it off as having "Larry David" moments. 


Now that I'm in peace corps El Salvador I'm having Larry David moment almost daily. 
Cultural clashes happen everyday and little by little I'm laughing about it rather than ranting. 


Ready for a Joke?


What is the difference between a neurotic and a psychotic? 
The psychotic truly believes that 2 + 2 = 5. 
The neurotic knows that it is 4 but can't stand it.


I tried this joke out on Haley and she laughed.... well as much as she could over gchat. Please feel free to use it. :)


Current Status: Being more and more ok with 2 + 2 equaling 4. 

wow. cacao!

walking down to the lodge to use the internet i stumbled upon yet another little salvadoran gem.

the cacao bean.

ladies who work at the restaurant were cracking open the outer shell of the dried cacao bean.

of course i asked if i could give it a try. it was pretty easy to crack off the shell.

inside was the pure yummy goodness. bitter & sweet.

texture was close to that of a roasted coffee bean

these lil gems (cacao nibs) are later used to make the restaurant's famous hot coco

Current Status: craving some more nibs.