Weekend in Guate, take 1

Meet three important characters in my weekend:

1. Roscoe the new car.

I've been relying on taxis, buses, Jo and hitchhiking (just kidding on the last one) a lot since I arrived in Guatemala. It's been all fine and dandy, but as an independent woman (ha) it's been a little rough not to be able to go where I want to, when I want to, as fast as I want to.

Enter the nasty blue junker Jenny christened "Roscoe," after her grandfather. (In case any of Jenny's relatives ever stumble across this blog, let me say that the levels of cleanliness and beauty of Car Roscoe have nothing to do with the levels of cleanliness and beauty of Man Roscoe.) He's old, a little shaky, but a great companion as I wander around Guate.

Currently two people from work are teaching us the new route in to the office. Tomorrow we're trying on our own for the first time, so if there aren't any updates on this blog for over a week, you can assume we're still wandering around the back streets of Guatemala in our business casual. Hey, at least that would mean Jenny was still here instead of heading back to Georgia and leaving me all alone.

Well, not all alone. Which brings me to:

2. Karri the new intern.

She arrived this week, she doesn't eat much meat, she laughs a lot and she's a tinge sarcastic. She likes people with a "streak of trouble in their eyes" and I don't think there's much more I can sk for. I'm looking forward to getting to know her better.

We're setting up shop in our new house for the summer. It's beautiful, high-ceilinged, and already christened by its first earthquake with us as occupants. The chandelier above my bed rattled a bit Sunday morning at 8 o'clock and as my bed rocked back and forth, I thought, "Is there a better way to start the day?"

Actually it was a great day, mostly because we spent most of it in:

3. Antigua (the old city)

More a setting than a character, Antigua's charm hasn't faded yet for me. I doubt I'll ever get tired of its ruins, colorful storefronts, volcanoes and comforting American food. Yes, Antigua is a place to escape. But we need that sometimes.

After eating with some friends and walking around a bit, we dropped off a few things at the house where:

4. Jo and her Australian family

are staying this month. I've got to say that although they make me miss my family dearly, it's been fun to be around people of that dynamic. I love my 20-something friends but there's a dynamic when you're hanging around with a family that can't be replicated. This weekend we attended the last shower for Jo, and then on Saturday we went to her civil ceremony.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this on the blog before, but in Guatemala there are essentially two weddings: one smaller simple ceremony performed by a lawyer where only the families of the bride and groom gather to witness them sign the marriage contract. It's actually quite lovely, and feels very much like a real wedding.

That makes it weird, because although the bride and groom are legally married, they're not married "in the eyes of God" until the religious ceremony, usually the following week. That's the real party, with the wedding dress and bridesmaids and many guests. But somehow, even with all that to look forward to, this week feels anticlimactic. I bet you I'll feel differently on Sunday. Wow I cry a lot at weddings these days.