...the normal life...

As I sit down to write this, I realize how long it has been and I want to start by saying sorry. I know that there are those of you who anxiously await my next post and you lose sleep wondering what I have been doing. Well, here it is! Okay, maybe that is a little of an over-exaggeration but it makes me feel better to think that I am missed!

Things in the third world have been, well, a little boring lately. That’s why I haven’t written, because I don’t feel like there has been much to actually write about. Then, yesterday, as I was walking home from tutoring ,I came to the realization that life hasn’t been boring, it has just become normal. The strange things that are done in the country are no longer impractical and crazy. They are a part of my everyday life. This consists of the internet going down in the whole city for a day, you know, no big deal, that’s just the way it works in Xela, it always happens. And then there are the dogs on the roof (I know I have mentioned this before), I mean, why do they keep dogs on the roof. And speaking of dogs, there is this dog that I pass 2-3 times a day. I have named her Chubs because, well, she’s fat (I think she is pregnant) and the thing is with Chubs, we are friends. And there is this other dog. He lives in a pen right by my front gate. Most days when I walk outside he has a hunter green sweatshirt on. Our normal conversation goes something like this, “Hola Perrito, Como estas?” I’m sure that one of these days, he is going to turn to me and answer. I think that will happen the day he is wearing pants. On Sunday, half of the city didn’t have electricity. And when I say we didn’t have electricity, I mean, for the whole day! And it was no big deal; everyone just went on with his or her lives like nothing was going on. AND THEN, there are these guys that come every Friday. They wear hoods that are either black or purple. Honestly, they kind of freak me out but I have done my research and everyone says that if we stay away from them, they will stay away from us. I hear they are from the national university and every year they collect money to give to the poor. The rumor is that they actually throw a huge party with all the money they collect. If Guatemalans don’t give them money, they come to their business right before Holy week and tag it with graffiti. But no big deal, it’s normal here! As I was walking home from school today, I realized that in some ways, Guatemala and China are very similar. Like, they both have people that walk around and sell random things. For example, I have seen the same pecking chicken game that Emily and I got for our stepfather in China here in Guatemala. So the question is, do they make it in China and send it to Guate or make it in Guate and send it to China. But, they are also very different. For those of you that have visited the Li River in Southwest China, you can imagine the complete opposite river running through Xela. For how clean the Li is, this body of water is just as dirty. It is worse than the run-off from the pig farms in Arkansas. I seriously have to hold my breath when I am near it. I also realized what a giant I am in this crazy place. When I am at the grocery store, standing in line, waiting to check out, I realize that I always have to duck to get under the special clearance of the week. But there are advantages to this, I can find people in a crowd. However, I have found myself being attracted to any man who walks by that is over 5’10” because that is tall in this country! Last Friday night we had a girls night and went to the mall. We also went to the local video casino where you can play on 5Q for 100 credits.(1USD equals 7.65Q) I got up at one point and decided to cash out. I felt like I had made quite a bit of money. When I realized that I was cashing out for 10Q (about $1.30) I felt ridiculous. I guess it was more about principal than the actually money I was winning…oh well, again, just something that is a little different about this place! (I just thought of something else that was really funny, but as soon as I began to write it, it completely went away…alas, I guess I will have to have a second addition of the normalcy of Guatemala!)

Other than that, things have been normal around here. You know, the normal being hanging out with the girls, watching Grey’s and tying the shoes of my four year olds! We have our staff retreat this weekend. It is at a water park that is suppose to be really nice. We don’t have school on Friday so I am looking forward to that! I will try to be better about writing and keeping everyone updated! I need to know what is going on with you all as well! Don’t be shy with the emails!

Continue on the Adventure that God has set forth for you!

Liz

Playlist:
That Thing by Lauren Hill
You Can’t Hide Beautiful by Aaron Lines
Everything by Michael Buble
You Say by
I will wait on You By Shane and Shane
Waiting for Daylight by Rascal Flats
The Longest Time by Billy Joel
Roscoe by Midlake
Through With You by Maroon 5
Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell
Icky Thump by The White Stripes
Majesty by Matt Redman
What Goes Around…/…Comes Back Around by J. TImberlake