lista y caliente

Whoot, good to know the cheap, greasy staple that is the $5 Hot-and-Ready at Little Ceasers knows no borders. Although I'm feeling pretty stuffed up and out of it today, having that for lunch perked me up a bit. didn't do wonders for my stomach, but it helped my heart.

Over lunch there was a discussion about Hispanics in the US - whether everyone calls them Mexicans, immigration, language... I didn't take part in the conversation because I was 1)trying desperately to focus in spite of my headache and 2) I just wasn't up to expressing my feelings in Spanish. But it did get me thinking about how I percieve myself here in Guatemala. I find myself using "them" all the time to describe, well, everyone who isn't me.

Nowhere is this more evident than in my drives into work in the morning. Traffic is always really bad going into downtown, and it gets a lot worse when the police officers stand in the street and direct traffic (I don't THINK that's the goal, but I wonder sometimes).

"This would never happen in the United States. What do they think they're doing? Don't they know that stoplights are for a reason? Everyone drives so badly here. What are they thinking? Those bus drivers! I can't believe it took them five hours to clean up that crash!"

It all seemed like innocent observances at the time, but I realized today that it's quickly becoming a habit, and one that I want to break. (Side note: there is a lot of corruption in the police system, so if I find out that creating traffic jams is part of that, I will take back portions of this post.)

In other news, nothing much has changed. I love my job but can't write about it here and nothing else particularly exciting happens during the week -- work takes up most of my day, then I come home, eat, read and sleep -- so there's not much more to say.

Here's to a blogworthy weekend.

these words are not enough...

...so I'm adding pictures. Here's the view of the mountains from our colonia this afternoon; unfortunately today was a cloudy day. To the right is a gorgeous volcano but sadly it's blocked by a hill and by trees.

Here's a look down our street. I'd show you our house, but you can never be too careful.

I always say that I'm going to take a photo at sunset, and today I finally remembered.
If only photos could do the view justice.

Ok, I'm quite excited about this photo. That's our kitchen table, laden with the fruits and vegetables we picked up at the street market after church. We've got lettuce, snow peas, pineapple, oranges, tangerines, mangos, strawberries, blackberries, carrots and more that you can't even see. We just walked around the street to all the people selling their veggies on the ground, and wow. I loved it. Plus, it's all ridiculously good and fresh. AND to make the whole experience even better, we got it ALL for about 85 quetzales, which is a little more than $10. Although I will always love you, Fulton Street Famers Market, your deals pale in comparison.

Yay! I have to admit that these next pictures weren't taken with my camera, but I had fogotten it yesterday but I'd still like to share our grand adventure with you so I may have stolen these from Jo (sorry). I did take this particular picture of the teleferico over Lake Amatilan, where Jo, Victor and I spent the afternoon. We were ascending past some adorable kids climbing the mountain when I took this photo of another car.

This photo of me is pretty dark, but I love the light on the volcano in the background. Oh my, so pretty.

Yay, my lovely roomate! We discovered that we both have the same problem: our eyes go all squinty in photos. That makes this particular photo even better, because our eyes are so open!


More photos of the house's interior, etc. to come (maybe of better quality, too). It takes forever for photos to upload here.

o o o a o a o a o AAA oooAAAA

I am thrilled to announce that it is Saturday morning, I'm sitting on the floor of my apartment in my pajamas, and WE HAVE INTERNET.

I have to admit that I sort of liked being cut off from the technological world; I finished more books in the past three weeks (3) than I did outside class all of fall semester. I'm currently working my way through "The Audacity of Hope," but I'm worried that my resolve will die out now that I'm able to access email, facebook and skype whenever I want.

Oh, not to mention YouTube, where you can find this gem of a song Alex has been torturing us with for the second half of this week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r0n9Dv6XnY

You should probably hang in until the chorus, but then free yourself from the ropes of "Tarzan Boy" while you still can.

Last night I went to a despedida for my roommate Jo and her fiance, along with two other couples. Despedidas are basically like wedding showers, and I've been told that I'll be attending plenty over the next few months leading up to Jo's wedding. They're quite fun, although it may get expensive as you're expected to contribute a set amount at each despedida (instead of presents). Whatever, it makes sense and the money goes to buy bigger appliances, etc., which apparently don't come standard with the houses here. You also get to dress up; last night's party was themed "carnival" (I made quite a stretch with my bright purple t-shirt and orange sweater).

Weddings are front and center lately. I'm getting SO excited to head back to Michigan in two weeks for my best college friend/longtime roommate's wedding in Minnesota. I cant believe it's already here - I mean, I've known it's been coming for four years (right from the first time I saw him in the dining hall and rudely called him ugly - my opinion has since changed dramatically) but it's now HERE, and he's replacing me as her roommate for good. I'm so happy, though, and so excited that I'm going to be able to be part of their day.

I'm also ready for the dancing. Maybe I can talk them into Tarzan Boy?

Mail = Happiness (as do trips to UNESCO world heritage sites and trashy TV)

I got my first letter today! Thanks, [anti-]valentine. Yeah, I'll be yours. I may or may not have skipped through the office holding it to deliver the other piece of mail (a letter for my roommate, who was also quite happy for the delivery).

I've been finding happiness in more and more locations lately. One place was Antigua, the prettiest town I think I've ever been in. A couple interns from here in Guatemala picked me up Sunday and we drove down the winding curvy road to Antigua to walk around, sample some platanos fritos and traditional Guatemalan candies (mmm. So good.) and just to see something other than the big sprawling city of Guate.

Antigua is so pretty, surrounded by volcanoes and hills. All the shops, hotels and houses lining the cobblestone streets are painted in gorgeous colors, and the purple jacaranda trees are in full bloom right now. Everyone's walking around so happily... you can almost forget you have a care in the world.

I'm so excited to explore this country. I'm chomping at the bit for my dear friends to come visit in April (although I'm growing weary of the planning, unfortunately). We're going to take C.A. by storm.

A quick note about the grace I've been given lately. The interns who took me to Antigua were so sweet and join the rather large list of people who have bent over backwards to make my transition into Guatemalan life so easy. Between my roommate's fiance cooking for me when I was sick, my roommate letting me tag everywhere with her, and the people in the office just smiling or laughing when I say the dumbest things (or nothing at all) in Spanish, no one has been anything but lovely toward me. I really appreciate them.

On a much less important note, I can't get enough S, B and Chuck Bass and was able to spend several mindless hours watching them Sunday. Pure bliss.

A ode to my favorite restaurant

Oh Rey Sol

you fill the hole

in my belly

with your vegetarian food

and bright sunny mood

I live for lunchtime.



Admittedly, that's one of the dumbest things I've ever written. But what can Is ay? I'm infatuated with this pretty yellow vegetarian restaurant where we often walk to eat for lunch. I can honestly say I wasn't expecting the best spinach tacos I've ever eaten to be found in Guatemala City, but here they are, along with a little happiness every day around 12:30 p.m.

Ok, time to head home... here's hoping for a beautiful volcano sunset on the way.