Here's the soccer poll, again, seeing as it didn't work before......
So vote away, keeping in mind that there IS a VERY correct answer!
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Sigo Adelante
I'm okay guys! I got a few emails today after people read my yesterday's blog, encouragement emails! It was nice though - really nice to know that people are plugging along with me and encouraging me. I needed it. I'm still very much lacking in the support-raising world, so that is a big source of stress and icky-ness for me. Will I EVER get to leave!?!? I hope so!
I burnt myself TWO TIMES today at work, litterally like within ten minutes of each other. I burnt a finger grabbing a hot pan of cheeses sticks - that one blistered right up. Then I spilled a customers' coffee all over the back of my hand. Luckily I know the customer. That one didn't blister, but it's been about 8 hours ago, and it still burns. My other counter person - a new guy who started last week - spilled coffee twice too, one time just on himself, the other time on himself and under the cash register. Today wasn't a good day for coffee for us. I would have rather overflowed the coffee pot twice in one day that have us get burned! Althouh I don't know if I can ever top the time I overflowed the coffee pot twice in a row the day before Thanksgiving when there was a TON of customers in the store. Hahahahaha!
Me at work
I burnt myself TWO TIMES today at work, litterally like within ten minutes of each other. I burnt a finger grabbing a hot pan of cheeses sticks - that one blistered right up. Then I spilled a customers' coffee all over the back of my hand. Luckily I know the customer. That one didn't blister, but it's been about 8 hours ago, and it still burns. My other counter person - a new guy who started last week - spilled coffee twice too, one time just on himself, the other time on himself and under the cash register. Today wasn't a good day for coffee for us. I would have rather overflowed the coffee pot twice in one day that have us get burned! Althouh I don't know if I can ever top the time I overflowed the coffee pot twice in a row the day before Thanksgiving when there was a TON of customers in the store. Hahahahaha!
Me at workSoccer Poll!
I just got this poll thingy so I decided to make a poll about World Cup! I'll post the correct answer (and yes, there IS a correct answer that EVERYONE should be rooting for!) later this week or sometime.
| One year till World Cup time!!!!! What country will I be fanatically rooting for? | |
| Costa Rica | |
| United States | |
| England | |
| Mexico | |
| Brasil | |
| Argentina | |
| France | |
| Free polls from Pollhost.com | |
Monday, June 27, 2005
Nadie Me Entienda - Parte 2
I don't have a culture. White people don't understand me. People at the Mexican church, they understand me. But I still just don't know them all that well. I'm getting there though - my adventure yesterday was going to a baby shower for a lady I didn't know. It was fun though!
Anyhow, today hasn't been such a good day for me. I'm cranky. I even talked for quite a while on the phone to one of my "gringa friends" in the area, and we just don't have a lot in common I guess. That's okay though, it's still nice to talk to her. Then there's "la situacion" as I will call it - the one that me and Elsy have in common. Franklin was the victim today in listening to my rants about it. I've thought about maybe not even writing anything about it because I have no intention of EVER telling anyone about it in this blog, so it's weird to write about it since I'm really not explaining myself. But Franklin understands me, like Elsy and Luisa. Go figure, 3 of my closest latino friends. In fact, I guess you could say Fran has a similar situation as me. I'll bet many people have a "la situacion" but just different.
I keep hoping that when I move to Mexico, I'll love it sooooo much that I won't miss Honduras as much, and my "situaciones" will work themselves out. Especially "LA situacion." But I have a feeling that I'm still here in Oregon because my "situaciones" aren't worked out. That and the fact that for litterally the past 2 years - more now probably - every single day I miss being in Honduras. Even last summer when I was there, I dreaded the day I had to leave. Now I am playing with the idea of going back in like a month - several people have asked me to come to camp and I want to just go as a participant, and to hang out with my friends. But I'd have a problem of where to stay - my homes are already full of gringas. Fran said the boys would move into the hallway room so I could stay there. Ha! That would sick for them, plus it would really be bad for Marlia's team dynamics to have a foreign gringa staying there, I think it would be really weird for everyone. Then there's the whole "I'm raising financial support and my supporters very well may think that I'm wasting money paying $600 to go to youth camp." $600 is for the airplane, then add $25-$30 for the camp, and everything else is basicaly free. But I don't think I'm going. Luisa told me I should buy a ticket to get there, then they'd raise money to send me back home. Too bad that doesn't really work.
Ok, I feel like a mental case today. I need to go to bed, get a good nites' sleep, and go on with my life.
Anyhow, today hasn't been such a good day for me. I'm cranky. I even talked for quite a while on the phone to one of my "gringa friends" in the area, and we just don't have a lot in common I guess. That's okay though, it's still nice to talk to her. Then there's "la situacion" as I will call it - the one that me and Elsy have in common. Franklin was the victim today in listening to my rants about it. I've thought about maybe not even writing anything about it because I have no intention of EVER telling anyone about it in this blog, so it's weird to write about it since I'm really not explaining myself. But Franklin understands me, like Elsy and Luisa. Go figure, 3 of my closest latino friends. In fact, I guess you could say Fran has a similar situation as me. I'll bet many people have a "la situacion" but just different.
I keep hoping that when I move to Mexico, I'll love it sooooo much that I won't miss Honduras as much, and my "situaciones" will work themselves out. Especially "LA situacion." But I have a feeling that I'm still here in Oregon because my "situaciones" aren't worked out. That and the fact that for litterally the past 2 years - more now probably - every single day I miss being in Honduras. Even last summer when I was there, I dreaded the day I had to leave. Now I am playing with the idea of going back in like a month - several people have asked me to come to camp and I want to just go as a participant, and to hang out with my friends. But I'd have a problem of where to stay - my homes are already full of gringas. Fran said the boys would move into the hallway room so I could stay there. Ha! That would sick for them, plus it would really be bad for Marlia's team dynamics to have a foreign gringa staying there, I think it would be really weird for everyone. Then there's the whole "I'm raising financial support and my supporters very well may think that I'm wasting money paying $600 to go to youth camp." $600 is for the airplane, then add $25-$30 for the camp, and everything else is basicaly free. But I don't think I'm going. Luisa told me I should buy a ticket to get there, then they'd raise money to send me back home. Too bad that doesn't really work.
Ok, I feel like a mental case today. I need to go to bed, get a good nites' sleep, and go on with my life.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Mis Amigas MUY Amables...
Yesterday, I wrote about my friend Elsy and that I am encouraged by her. I got an email from Luisa, my next-door-neighbor/good friend from Honduras yesterday. She is another friend who I am so blessed to know. I can write to her (or talk to her when I'm there, or on the phone) and she listens and is just somehow really encouraging. Not really sure how to explain that. I have some "gringa" friends who are very encouraging too though, I really tend to pity-party myself for "not having many friends" sometimes, but it's just that my best friends are not in Salem. But they are still my friends! And I am blessed to have some really neat co-workers - even though they don't always understand where I'm coming from, they're great to work with none the less!
I wish I were there with Luisa now though, she wrote about some stuff at work that just makes me sad. I wish I were there to tell her that I am her friend and that she is loved, even if not everyone treats her with the respect she deserves. I hope that Suyapa or Belinda or some other lady who actually IS in Honduras can be an encouragement to Luisa this week!
Luisa's family also has 2 gringas (from Marlia's team) living with them. I don't think they realized that people from the united states are not all acostomed to living in the same manner as they do - it sounds like it's been an interesting experience watching gringas adjust to a new culture, and for the family to adjust to the gringas! But I'm sure in just a short time, they will become near and dear to Luisa's family's hearts! I keep thinking of serving gringas "cuajada" for the first time - a white cheezy substance that Luisa's family makes at home - they have a big bowl of it in their living room, and just pull the cuajada out of the liquid that it sits in. It was an interesting experience for me the first time I saw that happen, and I'm a pretty adventurous eater. Cuajada is now one of my favorite foods!
Anyhow, I guess the point of today is - again - that I love that God has blessed me with some great girls who encourage me so much, even if they live so far away!!
Belinda (another wonderful young lady from Honduras!) and Luisa
I wish I were there with Luisa now though, she wrote about some stuff at work that just makes me sad. I wish I were there to tell her that I am her friend and that she is loved, even if not everyone treats her with the respect she deserves. I hope that Suyapa or Belinda or some other lady who actually IS in Honduras can be an encouragement to Luisa this week!
Luisa's family also has 2 gringas (from Marlia's team) living with them. I don't think they realized that people from the united states are not all acostomed to living in the same manner as they do - it sounds like it's been an interesting experience watching gringas adjust to a new culture, and for the family to adjust to the gringas! But I'm sure in just a short time, they will become near and dear to Luisa's family's hearts! I keep thinking of serving gringas "cuajada" for the first time - a white cheezy substance that Luisa's family makes at home - they have a big bowl of it in their living room, and just pull the cuajada out of the liquid that it sits in. It was an interesting experience for me the first time I saw that happen, and I'm a pretty adventurous eater. Cuajada is now one of my favorite foods!
Anyhow, I guess the point of today is - again - that I love that God has blessed me with some great girls who encourage me so much, even if they live so far away!!
Belinda (another wonderful young lady from Honduras!) and Luisa
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Nadie Me Entienda
Who reads this thing anyways? Some people have told me that they read my "blog." It almost wants to make me write differently in it. Not that I don't want people to read it - that's what it's here for! haha! I've thought about putting titles to entries in english, but I'm not going to - it's just part of who I am. And too bad for you if you don't "get" my catchy titles (catchy in my opinion!).
So yesterday, I was talking with my salvadoran friend, Elsy, online. Seriously, we are living the exact same life! Looking at each of us from the outside we are totally different. We live in different countries, attend different styles of church, and have different daily activities. Her house is the size of my living room. There are four (I'm embarassed to say) cars parked in front of my home right now (one is the one that was given to me to sell for fund-raising for Mexico). There might be one car in front of her home, but it's her uncle's. So in those ways, we are totally different. But, we are the same age (oops, missed her birthday last week), and we both are going to be missionaries. We have both wanted to leave for the mission field since we met 5 years ago. We are both raising financial support. We are the same in those ways.
Yesterday, well the past week or so I guess, I've had this situation that I've been dealing with that no one will understand. Not that I've really given anyone else the chance to hear me and try to understand, I am just assuming that no one will understand so I never said anything to anyone. Great, huh? So when me and Elsy were talking, she brings up this situation that she's been dealing with, kind of to get my opinion, and it's the SAME exact thing that I've been going through! After she told me her story, I told her mine, and we laughed (I could see her on webcam) as we marveled at how similar our lives always seem to be. What would I ever do without Elsy? What would I ever do without cheap/free ways to communicate with my "montón" of friends that live out of the country? Another weird way that God provides, no?
So yesterday, I was talking with my salvadoran friend, Elsy, online. Seriously, we are living the exact same life! Looking at each of us from the outside we are totally different. We live in different countries, attend different styles of church, and have different daily activities. Her house is the size of my living room. There are four (I'm embarassed to say) cars parked in front of my home right now (one is the one that was given to me to sell for fund-raising for Mexico). There might be one car in front of her home, but it's her uncle's. So in those ways, we are totally different. But, we are the same age (oops, missed her birthday last week), and we both are going to be missionaries. We have both wanted to leave for the mission field since we met 5 years ago. We are both raising financial support. We are the same in those ways.
Yesterday, well the past week or so I guess, I've had this situation that I've been dealing with that no one will understand. Not that I've really given anyone else the chance to hear me and try to understand, I am just assuming that no one will understand so I never said anything to anyone. Great, huh? So when me and Elsy were talking, she brings up this situation that she's been dealing with, kind of to get my opinion, and it's the SAME exact thing that I've been going through! After she told me her story, I told her mine, and we laughed (I could see her on webcam) as we marveled at how similar our lives always seem to be. What would I ever do without Elsy? What would I ever do without cheap/free ways to communicate with my "montón" of friends that live out of the country? Another weird way that God provides, no?
Sunday, June 19, 2005
La Mejor Ciudad del Mundo
So this post is for all you who didn't have the joy of being in Salem Oregon this past friday...
This is a city of 200,000 people, more or less. The Willamette River runs through the west side of Salem, kind of making west Salem it's own city, but not really. There are two bridges connecting West Salem to the rest of us, and those two bridges are downtown one block apart from each other - one heading west and the other heading east. So Friday (the day I was sick, so I didn't get the joys of experiencing all this) a little after noon, there was a car wreck on the eastbound bridge. By the way, downtown rush hour here is from about noon to 6pm on Fridays. Then some genious decided that he shouldn't live anymore, and wanted to end his life by jumping off the westbound bridge, during the afternoon rush hour, the same time as the car wreck. So half of the eastbound bridge and the ENTIRE westbound bridge were shut down about 12:30. People were stuck in non-moving traffic for 1-3 hours. Apparently, people stuck on Court street were leaving their cars in the road and coming to (my) work to get snacks. The jumper was on the bridge all evening! One person told me he fell asleep at 1am, and someone else said 3:30am. Either way, it was over 12 hours. So, in the evening, they opened the eastbound bridge to westbound traffic. Also, the next closest ways to cross the river are: 1. Independence - about 20 away from downtown if you drive fast and there's no traffic. 2. Wheatland Ferry - I think it's even further away, and it's a really small ferry that only operates for a few hours a day. Those routes were totally blocked too. Then, to top it all off, a storm rolled in, downpouring all the people who were stuck in traffic north of town trying to cross the ferry. There were predicted "nickel-size" hail stones (don't think that ever materialized though). Call me insensitive, but as I was watching this all on the news from the comfort of my home with nowhere to be, I had to shake my head and laugh at our city. I love living in a city of 200,000 that has a capacity to accomodate about 50,000 people. And no, I'm actually not being sarcastic, I really do like it here! :-)
This is a city of 200,000 people, more or less. The Willamette River runs through the west side of Salem, kind of making west Salem it's own city, but not really. There are two bridges connecting West Salem to the rest of us, and those two bridges are downtown one block apart from each other - one heading west and the other heading east. So Friday (the day I was sick, so I didn't get the joys of experiencing all this) a little after noon, there was a car wreck on the eastbound bridge. By the way, downtown rush hour here is from about noon to 6pm on Fridays. Then some genious decided that he shouldn't live anymore, and wanted to end his life by jumping off the westbound bridge, during the afternoon rush hour, the same time as the car wreck. So half of the eastbound bridge and the ENTIRE westbound bridge were shut down about 12:30. People were stuck in non-moving traffic for 1-3 hours. Apparently, people stuck on Court street were leaving their cars in the road and coming to (my) work to get snacks. The jumper was on the bridge all evening! One person told me he fell asleep at 1am, and someone else said 3:30am. Either way, it was over 12 hours. So, in the evening, they opened the eastbound bridge to westbound traffic. Also, the next closest ways to cross the river are: 1. Independence - about 20 away from downtown if you drive fast and there's no traffic. 2. Wheatland Ferry - I think it's even further away, and it's a really small ferry that only operates for a few hours a day. Those routes were totally blocked too. Then, to top it all off, a storm rolled in, downpouring all the people who were stuck in traffic north of town trying to cross the ferry. There were predicted "nickel-size" hail stones (don't think that ever materialized though). Call me insensitive, but as I was watching this all on the news from the comfort of my home with nowhere to be, I had to shake my head and laugh at our city. I love living in a city of 200,000 that has a capacity to accomodate about 50,000 people. And no, I'm actually not being sarcastic, I really do like it here! :-)
Friday, June 17, 2005
Enfermita
Today was quite possibly the worst day I've had in a long time. I stayed home from work (came home early yesterday too) because I felt crappily sick. The bronchitis kind of sick, not the barf kind. And you know how when you're sick, stuff seems like out of proportion or something? I mean, sometimes it seems like everyone is yelling at you or talking in a really low voice, or like everything looks distorted or far away. Well, I was dreaming much of the time I was sick in bed. And guess what I was dreaming about. Yep, Honduras. I was in Tegucigalpa walking around, but it wasn't really Tegus. I went to Pollo Campero, and there were all these stupid gringo high schoolers complaining about anything and everything. I was trying to cross the road with several people (it was Blvd. Morazan, a major road there) and we got stuck in the middle of oncoming traffic and cars were swerving to miss us, but wouldn't let us get to the other side. Omar was on the other side of the road yelling at us to get out of the road, and I started crying becuase we couldn't. And I was blaming the whole thing on the gringos. Somehow, I ended up safe at Michelle's house (which isn't Michelle's real-life house) and it was SO nice. There was this little boy with me, I think it was Denis from Germania, and he kept wanting me to take pictures of the house so he could remember it. I told him to come in the house, but he wouldn't because he was afraid he'd get into trouble.
So, I went in the house and there were 3 bedrooms. And that's all the rooms. Jessica was in one room asleep, and Omar was in another room asleep. Then somehow, they both disappeared and I KNEW they were both, uh, gone for good. I woke up so sad and scared, and since I was sick, I couldn't make myself know that they are both really still alive and well.
I HATE dreaming when I'm sick and not being able to make myself know it's fake. When I was a mission team leader, I had bronchitis, and I took a nap on a sunday afternoon. It was a dream about Teagen, one of my girls. I saw her die in my dream, and I woke up crying. Luckily my roommate wasn't there. I looked at the clock and saw that I was about to be late to our Honduras team meeting. So I went. All the girls were there except Teagen (which shouldn't have been surprising, she isn't known for being on time..... but I love you anyways!). I couldn't stop thinking that she was dead. It was terrible, and in real life I knew she was just late, but since I was sick, it didn't make sense in my head.
So tonight - no more nyquil!!
And hopefully non more dreams about people I love dying!!
So, I went in the house and there were 3 bedrooms. And that's all the rooms. Jessica was in one room asleep, and Omar was in another room asleep. Then somehow, they both disappeared and I KNEW they were both, uh, gone for good. I woke up so sad and scared, and since I was sick, I couldn't make myself know that they are both really still alive and well.
I HATE dreaming when I'm sick and not being able to make myself know it's fake. When I was a mission team leader, I had bronchitis, and I took a nap on a sunday afternoon. It was a dream about Teagen, one of my girls. I saw her die in my dream, and I woke up crying. Luckily my roommate wasn't there. I looked at the clock and saw that I was about to be late to our Honduras team meeting. So I went. All the girls were there except Teagen (which shouldn't have been surprising, she isn't known for being on time..... but I love you anyways!). I couldn't stop thinking that she was dead. It was terrible, and in real life I knew she was just late, but since I was sick, it didn't make sense in my head.
So tonight - no more nyquil!!
And hopefully non more dreams about people I love dying!!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
¡LKM! Con Cariño
Hey guess who I saw tonight! Justin! (No, not the kid that died - Justin my childhood friend...)
He is back from Kansas/Missouri for like a week or something. He was at the church BBQ tonight, I went there to mooch free food.... I'm glad I did now. He is on summer break from Naz. Theological Seminary.
Sometimes, like right now, I miss my teenage years. In high school, all I ever had to do was go to school, work, do homework, and live at the Lanes' house every weekend (by choice). I had lots of friends at school, but I rarely ever did anything with them outside of school, I hung out with my church friends. Started out as the people my age and the guys older than us. Then it turned into being the people my age (Andria, Justin, Emily, Kristine...) and the little brothers of the older guys. Man, when Justin and Emily were dating, it seems like all of us would hang out all the time. I remember frequently running the red light left turn signal at Aumsville HWY and Cordon coming home from the Wadsworths' because it was hecka late at night and the lights are on timers not sensors. Dude, I'm in bed at 9pm now, closed to wakeing UP at 2am than getting HOME then! Lame. I miss Cindy's house. I miss spending every weekend doing absolutely nothing with Andria. I miss us laughing at ourselves for liking the same guy. I miss going to Shari's at midnight. I miss getting junk food at WinCo to take home and curl up with like 7 people on the big bed in the green room to watch a lame scary movie. I miss BACKPACKING (the highlight of my summers!!)
But the 2 and 1/2 years after that - the ones I spent in NorCal - I love those so much too. My wonderful new friends brought me back to being myself after several months of messed-up-ness. Jenny, you were HUGE in that. Joana too. Remember when I had to go to the doctor because I had lava dust in my eye and the doctor made me wear an eye patch? Jess, you taught me how to live with other people long-term after having been an only child. I'd be screwed if I had to leave the country never having had a roommate! ("I'm a spoiled-brat only-child!!!" hahaha!!!!) Jennifer and Sarah, you were influential roommies too - still got to experience the only child girl! haha! Leah Tortilla, I love that I could talk to you about messed-up stuff and you never acted like I was messed-up! I HAVE to mention all 4 other members of the Brasil team - I'm sure I wouldn't be where I am today without your guys' blunt wisdom (and the fact that I heard about I.T. from Ben on that trip). Marlia and Katy, thanks for walking me through Honduras withdrawals, and listening to my hopes and dreams. Yeah, those were good years too.
Going back a LONG ways, before my teenage years... I must thank Danny for the "big-brother" that I desperately needed. And Andria, I would have been bored out of my mind without you and the Orphan Boat. And Apryl, thanks for 23 years of craziness in harassing me like a big sister, and being the greatest friend EVER! Just remember - red and blue together make a purple horse. And next time you make a copy at work, please make an "It's a hand! AAAHHH!" in my honor! hehehehe!
And the past year and a half? Well......... I quite possibly missed out on having more friends influence my life because of my lack of willingness to accept being here in Oregon and getting involved. But I've still been so blessed everywhere I go by people God puts in my life! Keep 'em coming! And I'm glad I'm not still a kid, a teenager, or even a college student. I get to move to Mexico and start a whole new adventure in who-knows-where God will lead me!
Some of my girls from school
The "Simpson 5" - Brasil folk
(My computer pictures only go back so far, hence no pictures of my childhood friends, or even from my teenage years.)
He is back from Kansas/Missouri for like a week or something. He was at the church BBQ tonight, I went there to mooch free food.... I'm glad I did now. He is on summer break from Naz. Theological Seminary.
Sometimes, like right now, I miss my teenage years. In high school, all I ever had to do was go to school, work, do homework, and live at the Lanes' house every weekend (by choice). I had lots of friends at school, but I rarely ever did anything with them outside of school, I hung out with my church friends. Started out as the people my age and the guys older than us. Then it turned into being the people my age (Andria, Justin, Emily, Kristine...) and the little brothers of the older guys. Man, when Justin and Emily were dating, it seems like all of us would hang out all the time. I remember frequently running the red light left turn signal at Aumsville HWY and Cordon coming home from the Wadsworths' because it was hecka late at night and the lights are on timers not sensors. Dude, I'm in bed at 9pm now, closed to wakeing UP at 2am than getting HOME then! Lame. I miss Cindy's house. I miss spending every weekend doing absolutely nothing with Andria. I miss us laughing at ourselves for liking the same guy. I miss going to Shari's at midnight. I miss getting junk food at WinCo to take home and curl up with like 7 people on the big bed in the green room to watch a lame scary movie. I miss BACKPACKING (the highlight of my summers!!)
But the 2 and 1/2 years after that - the ones I spent in NorCal - I love those so much too. My wonderful new friends brought me back to being myself after several months of messed-up-ness. Jenny, you were HUGE in that. Joana too. Remember when I had to go to the doctor because I had lava dust in my eye and the doctor made me wear an eye patch? Jess, you taught me how to live with other people long-term after having been an only child. I'd be screwed if I had to leave the country never having had a roommate! ("I'm a spoiled-brat only-child!!!" hahaha!!!!) Jennifer and Sarah, you were influential roommies too - still got to experience the only child girl! haha! Leah Tortilla, I love that I could talk to you about messed-up stuff and you never acted like I was messed-up! I HAVE to mention all 4 other members of the Brasil team - I'm sure I wouldn't be where I am today without your guys' blunt wisdom (and the fact that I heard about I.T. from Ben on that trip). Marlia and Katy, thanks for walking me through Honduras withdrawals, and listening to my hopes and dreams. Yeah, those were good years too.
Going back a LONG ways, before my teenage years... I must thank Danny for the "big-brother" that I desperately needed. And Andria, I would have been bored out of my mind without you and the Orphan Boat. And Apryl, thanks for 23 years of craziness in harassing me like a big sister, and being the greatest friend EVER! Just remember - red and blue together make a purple horse. And next time you make a copy at work, please make an "It's a hand! AAAHHH!" in my honor! hehehehe!
And the past year and a half? Well......... I quite possibly missed out on having more friends influence my life because of my lack of willingness to accept being here in Oregon and getting involved. But I've still been so blessed everywhere I go by people God puts in my life! Keep 'em coming! And I'm glad I'm not still a kid, a teenager, or even a college student. I get to move to Mexico and start a whole new adventure in who-knows-where God will lead me!
Some of my girls from school
The "Simpson 5" - Brasil folk
(My computer pictures only go back so far, hence no pictures of my childhood friends, or even from my teenage years.)
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Atracción Mas Popular en la Zoologica - Los Misioneros Gringos
Ok, fine. My last post (the one right below this one) made me think of something else (go figure), that I didn't want to junk up my blog with. Is it possible to "junk up" a blog? But I decided to write it anyways.
When you're a gringa living out of the country, you get stared at. All the time. As of now, it doesn't bother me tooo much, just sometimes. When I was in Queretaro to visit like a year and a half ago, I went for a short walk by myself. I was wearing jeans and a sweater, the same kinds of things the other girls my age wore. But everyone stared at me. I walked past the bus stop, and people did double-takes. It's not as if I were dressed differently, and I wasn't speaking so they weren't hearing a different language. I don't think we stare at hispanic people here who are dressed in west coast modern clothing. Maybe if they're speaking spanish people might stare, but not normally. If we stared at every latino we saw here, we'd now be staring at 1/3 of the people we see aroung town (more or less depending on if you are in North Salem or South Salem).
When I go to La Dispensa Familiar in Loarque (Tegus) to buy chicharones or CocaLight, the cashier doesn't talk to me, but kind of stares. The waiters at Pizza Hut...... Holy moly, they STARE. I'm sure it doesn't help to be THE white girl with a group of Luisa and 5 or 6 obnoxious rich guys. So why am I the one picked out of that group to be stared at??! David and Franciso are GIGANTIC TWINS and no one gives them a second look.
Then there's Ciudad Delgado El Salvador. If you don't like to stand out in a crowd DON'T go there while white. Lots of people from Chimaltenango there - the white people of El Salvador. That sounds like I'd stick out less there, but I have yet to see any Chimaltenangan who has hit the 5'3" mark. Elsy told me that people should stare less if I always spoke in Spanish because they might think I'm just from Chimaltenango. But I'm a bit large, I said. We died laughing! I stopped a soccer game in Delgado just by walking past one time. There were about 8 boys (like ages 10-14) playing, and all of a sudden the game stopped. They all stared at me and whispered. I can still distictly remember hearing the words "gringa" and "giganta."
So, I hear that the things that bother you a little bit will bother you a lot more when you actually move out of the country. I'm thinking this will be a big one for me. On one hand, I like it when people want to meet me, only having noticed me because I'm different. I feel like I can start up a conversation more eaisily, as we can always talk about how life is in the States, things I don't know about their culture, and english. Just as long as no one asks me how many cars we have at my house. (My house isn't too big, so I was able to tell the Delgados that their house, even without the grandma's section, is bigger than mine, but I always avoid the car question.) So there are pros and cons to being different. I want to learn to love it!!
Elsy and I in El Salvador. Her dad is from Chalentenango, he is the same height as her.
When you're a gringa living out of the country, you get stared at. All the time. As of now, it doesn't bother me tooo much, just sometimes. When I was in Queretaro to visit like a year and a half ago, I went for a short walk by myself. I was wearing jeans and a sweater, the same kinds of things the other girls my age wore. But everyone stared at me. I walked past the bus stop, and people did double-takes. It's not as if I were dressed differently, and I wasn't speaking so they weren't hearing a different language. I don't think we stare at hispanic people here who are dressed in west coast modern clothing. Maybe if they're speaking spanish people might stare, but not normally. If we stared at every latino we saw here, we'd now be staring at 1/3 of the people we see aroung town (more or less depending on if you are in North Salem or South Salem).
When I go to La Dispensa Familiar in Loarque (Tegus) to buy chicharones or CocaLight, the cashier doesn't talk to me, but kind of stares. The waiters at Pizza Hut...... Holy moly, they STARE. I'm sure it doesn't help to be THE white girl with a group of Luisa and 5 or 6 obnoxious rich guys. So why am I the one picked out of that group to be stared at??! David and Franciso are GIGANTIC TWINS and no one gives them a second look.
Then there's Ciudad Delgado El Salvador. If you don't like to stand out in a crowd DON'T go there while white. Lots of people from Chimaltenango there - the white people of El Salvador. That sounds like I'd stick out less there, but I have yet to see any Chimaltenangan who has hit the 5'3" mark. Elsy told me that people should stare less if I always spoke in Spanish because they might think I'm just from Chimaltenango. But I'm a bit large, I said. We died laughing! I stopped a soccer game in Delgado just by walking past one time. There were about 8 boys (like ages 10-14) playing, and all of a sudden the game stopped. They all stared at me and whispered. I can still distictly remember hearing the words "gringa" and "giganta."
So, I hear that the things that bother you a little bit will bother you a lot more when you actually move out of the country. I'm thinking this will be a big one for me. On one hand, I like it when people want to meet me, only having noticed me because I'm different. I feel like I can start up a conversation more eaisily, as we can always talk about how life is in the States, things I don't know about their culture, and english. Just as long as no one asks me how many cars we have at my house. (My house isn't too big, so I was able to tell the Delgados that their house, even without the grandma's section, is bigger than mine, but I always avoid the car question.) So there are pros and cons to being different. I want to learn to love it!!
Elsy and I in El Salvador. Her dad is from Chalentenango, he is the same height as her.
Rarita
Am I weird?
Sometimes when I think about my thoughts, I think I'm kind of messed up. If people knew what goes on in my brain, I'd be scared for them. Not that I'm schitofrenic (?) or anything, I'm not suicidal or homicidal, in fact, my thoughts are more about helping people. When I talk to myself in my head, it's usually in spanish. About half my dreams are in spanish. Sometimes in dreams, people who don't speak spanish are even speaking spanish. Everytime I imagine what I will be like or where I will be in the future, why am I in Honduras and not Mexico? It just seems logical that in several years I'll have a home (I can even tell you exactly where!) in Germania Tegucigalpa Honduras. I want it to be across the street from the Delgados, down the hill past the charismatic church, but before the alley road. Where the horses are now. Maybe it is because this is what I know. I'm familiar with Central America. I guess it's just like when I was in Europe and I imagined going home, I thought of my old house, the one we had moved out of two weeks before I went to Europe. I thought of that as the house I'd go back to because it was what I knew. En route to Mexico in 1997, I pictured that things would be just like in Puerto Barrios Guatemala, since that's what I knew of LatinAmerica. Well, Tecate Mexico and P.B. Guatemala are worlds apart! So maybe that's why I think of Tegus as being my future. Because I can't see myslef living in the States for the rest of my life, and Tegus is what I'm most familiar with. It's the only city besides Salem, Redding, and Portland that I can find my way to most places that I need to go. I even know bus drivers in Tegus - Rodolfo (aka Ceijas) I know because we rented his bus services for a short term team, and then the "mariposa" bus with the two enamored males who drive. The tall light skinned guy with black curly hair in the ciber cafe in Loarque know me, he even remembered me from a year before! If the immigration officials ever needed to find me, it would be easy. All they's have to do is go to Germania, stop at most any house up the hill from the escuela, and ask where the gringa lives. Everyone knows because everyone knows my family. Although, I don't know if I'd always WANT immigration to be able to find me...
So that is what I think. All the time. But lately, I figure, even if I am weird, I'm not alone. I read several other peoples' blogs - people that I know - and they are just as weird as me. Maybe in different ways, but weird none the less! Who's blogs have I been reading? The world will never know!
Sometimes when I think about my thoughts, I think I'm kind of messed up. If people knew what goes on in my brain, I'd be scared for them. Not that I'm schitofrenic (?) or anything, I'm not suicidal or homicidal, in fact, my thoughts are more about helping people. When I talk to myself in my head, it's usually in spanish. About half my dreams are in spanish. Sometimes in dreams, people who don't speak spanish are even speaking spanish. Everytime I imagine what I will be like or where I will be in the future, why am I in Honduras and not Mexico? It just seems logical that in several years I'll have a home (I can even tell you exactly where!) in Germania Tegucigalpa Honduras. I want it to be across the street from the Delgados, down the hill past the charismatic church, but before the alley road. Where the horses are now. Maybe it is because this is what I know. I'm familiar with Central America. I guess it's just like when I was in Europe and I imagined going home, I thought of my old house, the one we had moved out of two weeks before I went to Europe. I thought of that as the house I'd go back to because it was what I knew. En route to Mexico in 1997, I pictured that things would be just like in Puerto Barrios Guatemala, since that's what I knew of LatinAmerica. Well, Tecate Mexico and P.B. Guatemala are worlds apart! So maybe that's why I think of Tegus as being my future. Because I can't see myslef living in the States for the rest of my life, and Tegus is what I'm most familiar with. It's the only city besides Salem, Redding, and Portland that I can find my way to most places that I need to go. I even know bus drivers in Tegus - Rodolfo (aka Ceijas) I know because we rented his bus services for a short term team, and then the "mariposa" bus with the two enamored males who drive. The tall light skinned guy with black curly hair in the ciber cafe in Loarque know me, he even remembered me from a year before! If the immigration officials ever needed to find me, it would be easy. All they's have to do is go to Germania, stop at most any house up the hill from the escuela, and ask where the gringa lives. Everyone knows because everyone knows my family. Although, I don't know if I'd always WANT immigration to be able to find me...
So that is what I think. All the time. But lately, I figure, even if I am weird, I'm not alone. I read several other peoples' blogs - people that I know - and they are just as weird as me. Maybe in different ways, but weird none the less! Who's blogs have I been reading? The world will never know!
Monday, June 13, 2005
Casamiento? Eso Lo Dudo... ¡Por Ahora!
Hi. So I haven't written in a while. hehehe
Today I went to Iglesia de Cristo again. It seems like I can never go two weeks in a row for various reasons. But it was cool, as always. I am starting to get to know people better, and I am starting to remember names....... which is something I wish I could do better! haha! Some of us went to a little Real Mexican Food restaurant on Fairgrounds Rd. after church. It was really good, and they have gorditas there - quite possibly my favorite Mexican food. I had those for the first time (I DO NOT count Taco Bell's gorditas as really being gorditas) at Taco 57 in Queretaro. They looked like pupusas there, so I had to try them.
Anyhow, after the Fairgrounds restaurant, we went to Bush Park and the women played volleyball and the guys played soccer, but we only played volleyball for a little while, then sat and talked for a long time. I am starting to be able to understand Mexican spanish better, but I still have to smile and nod a lot. I was talking with Sylvia the pastor's wife, and 3 siblings - Nora, and I can't remember the guy or other girls names... They are ages 22 - 34. the 22 year old (the girl who I can't remember her name!) is married and has a little boy - the second cutest kid EVER (Trenton Lane is THE cutest!!). It seems like pretty much everyone there over 20 is married. So I, not thinking about who I was talking to, said that I must be an old maid to them since I'm 24 and not married. They proceeded to barage me with what I call "Los Robles Questions" (Marlia, use your imagination, these have to do with Fernando "Feo" Nuñez and the rest of the guys bugging me about him...) such as "So, would you rather marry a Mexican or a Gringo?" "Does it matter how old your husband is?" "How many kids do you want to have?" And luckily they kept it more toned down than real "Los Robles questions," but it was still like they were trying to figure out if they knew anyone that they could fix me up with. But then the sisters (whose husbands were out playing soccer) proceeded to tell me how lucky I am to still be single because I can do whatever I want and I don't have to wake up early to fix breakfast and pack a lunch for my husband, and I can eat whatever I want whenever I want, and no one will tell me that I don't cook as good as his mom!
Anyways, I'd actually been thinking about this a lot lately - if I could ever marry a Latino. As my co-workers would glady tell you, I just don't seem to be interested in white guys. But I'm also pretty strong-willed and independent. It would be a lot harder than I think to be married to a Latino. My Honduran friends tell me that I shouldn't marry a Mexican, then today the Mexicans told me I shouldn't marry a CentralAmerican. They all have their reasons. But seriously, it would be hell to be married to most any of my latino guy friends. If I get married, which I certainly might not, I wish my husband and I could like be mentored by Delmer and Suyapa. Weird, but I don't think I've seen any marriage - latino or gringo - be just what marriage should be, like theirs is.
So don't think that I'm all desperate to get married as soon as possible or anything. I fully plan on leaving the country single, and staying single for at least my first two years - the Mexico years. I can do whatever I freakin' want to, without having to worry about if my husband will "give me permission."
This is a weird journal entry. hahahahahaha!!!
Today I went to Iglesia de Cristo again. It seems like I can never go two weeks in a row for various reasons. But it was cool, as always. I am starting to get to know people better, and I am starting to remember names....... which is something I wish I could do better! haha! Some of us went to a little Real Mexican Food restaurant on Fairgrounds Rd. after church. It was really good, and they have gorditas there - quite possibly my favorite Mexican food. I had those for the first time (I DO NOT count Taco Bell's gorditas as really being gorditas) at Taco 57 in Queretaro. They looked like pupusas there, so I had to try them.
Anyhow, after the Fairgrounds restaurant, we went to Bush Park and the women played volleyball and the guys played soccer, but we only played volleyball for a little while, then sat and talked for a long time. I am starting to be able to understand Mexican spanish better, but I still have to smile and nod a lot. I was talking with Sylvia the pastor's wife, and 3 siblings - Nora, and I can't remember the guy or other girls names... They are ages 22 - 34. the 22 year old (the girl who I can't remember her name!) is married and has a little boy - the second cutest kid EVER (Trenton Lane is THE cutest!!). It seems like pretty much everyone there over 20 is married. So I, not thinking about who I was talking to, said that I must be an old maid to them since I'm 24 and not married. They proceeded to barage me with what I call "Los Robles Questions" (Marlia, use your imagination, these have to do with Fernando "Feo" Nuñez and the rest of the guys bugging me about him...) such as "So, would you rather marry a Mexican or a Gringo?" "Does it matter how old your husband is?" "How many kids do you want to have?" And luckily they kept it more toned down than real "Los Robles questions," but it was still like they were trying to figure out if they knew anyone that they could fix me up with. But then the sisters (whose husbands were out playing soccer) proceeded to tell me how lucky I am to still be single because I can do whatever I want and I don't have to wake up early to fix breakfast and pack a lunch for my husband, and I can eat whatever I want whenever I want, and no one will tell me that I don't cook as good as his mom!
Anyways, I'd actually been thinking about this a lot lately - if I could ever marry a Latino. As my co-workers would glady tell you, I just don't seem to be interested in white guys. But I'm also pretty strong-willed and independent. It would be a lot harder than I think to be married to a Latino. My Honduran friends tell me that I shouldn't marry a Mexican, then today the Mexicans told me I shouldn't marry a CentralAmerican. They all have their reasons. But seriously, it would be hell to be married to most any of my latino guy friends. If I get married, which I certainly might not, I wish my husband and I could like be mentored by Delmer and Suyapa. Weird, but I don't think I've seen any marriage - latino or gringo - be just what marriage should be, like theirs is.
So don't think that I'm all desperate to get married as soon as possible or anything. I fully plan on leaving the country single, and staying single for at least my first two years - the Mexico years. I can do whatever I freakin' want to, without having to worry about if my husband will "give me permission."
This is a weird journal entry. hahahahahaha!!!
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Sábado
Today was a good saturday. Not that most of them aren't...
It was "Church Work Day" today. We went to do yard work at church. It was a perfect day for it - not too hot, but not rainy, and a little sunny. My dad and I turned barkdust and weeded, and I got to drive Dan's ATV around a lot to haul pine needles, weeds, etc. I love driving that thing. I'm kind of sore now though. Not from driving the ATV... hahaha!
I sent off a package of stuff to Marlia to take to my catrachos in Honduras yesterday. When she was here last week, I gave her A BUNCH of stuff to take - picture frames, books, Old Navy sandals, candy, and Great Harvest cookie dough mix! It was all cheap things, because I am cheap and I got stuff on sale (or for free). But it's things that I think people will like. So I just sent the letters to her in the mail. I'm really missing being in Honduras now. I think it's beacuse I know what I'll be missing this summer. I think that once I get to Mexico it won't be too bad though, because then I'll be busy with lots of things (well, AFTER language school!) and meeting new people! And then I go to Honduras for Christmas! And so far, Luisa and Omar have both decided that we are going to Roatan. It's funny because they aren't really super good friends together, but those two are probably my two best Honduran friends, with the exception of my brothers! But between Luisa and Omar, we should have somewhere to stay for free in Roatan - Omar's sister or some family member lives there, and Luisa knows some church people there pretty well. I doubt that the two live in the same town though. Anyhow, I hope that I'll be in Mexico before Christmas time! It would be really cool to finish up language school then go to Honduras (losing my Mexican spanish for Honduran slang!) then on to Queretaro!! That would put me at actually ending up in Queretaro not until December though. But I'll be in Guanajuato for school for 3 months...
Happy June. Happy summer!
Hi Apryl!
It was "Church Work Day" today. We went to do yard work at church. It was a perfect day for it - not too hot, but not rainy, and a little sunny. My dad and I turned barkdust and weeded, and I got to drive Dan's ATV around a lot to haul pine needles, weeds, etc. I love driving that thing. I'm kind of sore now though. Not from driving the ATV... hahaha!
I sent off a package of stuff to Marlia to take to my catrachos in Honduras yesterday. When she was here last week, I gave her A BUNCH of stuff to take - picture frames, books, Old Navy sandals, candy, and Great Harvest cookie dough mix! It was all cheap things, because I am cheap and I got stuff on sale (or for free). But it's things that I think people will like. So I just sent the letters to her in the mail. I'm really missing being in Honduras now. I think it's beacuse I know what I'll be missing this summer. I think that once I get to Mexico it won't be too bad though, because then I'll be busy with lots of things (well, AFTER language school!) and meeting new people! And then I go to Honduras for Christmas! And so far, Luisa and Omar have both decided that we are going to Roatan. It's funny because they aren't really super good friends together, but those two are probably my two best Honduran friends, with the exception of my brothers! But between Luisa and Omar, we should have somewhere to stay for free in Roatan - Omar's sister or some family member lives there, and Luisa knows some church people there pretty well. I doubt that the two live in the same town though. Anyhow, I hope that I'll be in Mexico before Christmas time! It would be really cool to finish up language school then go to Honduras (losing my Mexican spanish for Honduran slang!) then on to Queretaro!! That would put me at actually ending up in Queretaro not until December though. But I'll be in Guanajuato for school for 3 months...
Happy June. Happy summer!
Hi Apryl!
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