Today, I...
...saw a Rammstein patch on someone's backpack. Tom Kovach, if you're reading this, I hope you just smiled a little.
...missed peanut butter/chocolate chips/ovens. All three things exist here, but are incredibly expensive to buy and/or use. Have you EVER realized how many desserts use one of those three things? Or all three at once?
...realized I am going to miss having a mom. While all my other friends are out on their own at college, I still have some one who cooks for me, does my laundry, and reminds me that I just need to be myself.
...learned how pointless it is to try and find clothes here that fit.
...smiled as I passed out the first issue of "Primicias Juveniles", our little newspaper! It's not my greatest production, but the girls are proud of it and I can honestly say I didn't do a whole lot (except throw it all together at 12:30 last night...reminded me of the good ol' days of the Sixth Grade Post). Once we get a really solid issue, I'll put it online for you all.
--Hannah
PS I've had some people ask me about care packages...thank you thank you thank you for thinking of me! Here are some things I could use:
- Any kind of peanut butter product. Miss that. Mucho.
- Nesquick anyone?
- PAPERBACK BOOKS. I'm working on a list of certain titles I'm interested in, but feel free to just send me whatever is lying around your house.
- CD mixes. Those things mean a lot to me.
- Nothing that you wouldn't mind me losing...my folks sent me a package a good five weeks ago and it still hasn't shown up. Hopefully it will. Eventually.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Day 50.
Today, I...
...saw a taxi driver hop out of his cab, squat next to a storm drain, and brush his teeth with water from an old Coke bottle.
...missed singing Paul Baribeau songs with Henry as we would bike home from the six o'clock service.
...realized I am going to miss the bus drivers. Yesterday I was spacing out on my ride and realized that we had stopped for a little longer than usual. I was confused. Looking around, I realized it was MY stop we were waiting at. The bus driver was looking in his mirror at me, surely thinking, "Let's wait until the stupid gringa figures out what a bozo she is." Still, he didn't let me miss my stop.
...learned that if there are three dogs hanging around a PUBLIC entrance, even if it is BLATANTLY open, trying to enter is not not not not not a good idea.
...smiled when I asked my tica mom if I could snack on some raw green beans -- her face looked like I had just grown a third arm.
--Hannah
...saw a taxi driver hop out of his cab, squat next to a storm drain, and brush his teeth with water from an old Coke bottle.
...missed singing Paul Baribeau songs with Henry as we would bike home from the six o'clock service.
...realized I am going to miss the bus drivers. Yesterday I was spacing out on my ride and realized that we had stopped for a little longer than usual. I was confused. Looking around, I realized it was MY stop we were waiting at. The bus driver was looking in his mirror at me, surely thinking, "Let's wait until the stupid gringa figures out what a bozo she is." Still, he didn't let me miss my stop.
...learned that if there are three dogs hanging around a PUBLIC entrance, even if it is BLATANTLY open, trying to enter is not not not not not a good idea.
...smiled when I asked my tica mom if I could snack on some raw green beans -- her face looked like I had just grown a third arm.
--Hannah
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Day 49.
Today, I...
...saw Tatiana on the bus, another young woman who was a care free goofball last time I saw her. Today though, she was holding her waling two-year-old son.
...missed Nik.
...realized I am going to miss the incredibly delicious bakeries here. They are on every block practically and there is not a single thing that doesn't taste like a slice of heaven.
...learned that "carpa" means "tent". That's what my tica family calls my new umbrella.
...smiled when one of my students turned to me and asked, "Why are there some US citizens who don't have blue eyes?" I got to explain to her that the United States is actually a mix of all cultures, how my ancestors are from Holland and Germany. "So you mean that people speak Spanish there?" I told her that yes, some people speak Spanish there, mostly Latinos. "And are there dark-skinned people?" It was a glorious moment when I responded with, "Why yes there are. In fact, our president is dark-skinned."
--Hannah
...saw Tatiana on the bus, another young woman who was a care free goofball last time I saw her. Today though, she was holding her waling two-year-old son.
...missed Nik.
...realized I am going to miss the incredibly delicious bakeries here. They are on every block practically and there is not a single thing that doesn't taste like a slice of heaven.
...learned that "carpa" means "tent". That's what my tica family calls my new umbrella.
...smiled when one of my students turned to me and asked, "Why are there some US citizens who don't have blue eyes?" I got to explain to her that the United States is actually a mix of all cultures, how my ancestors are from Holland and Germany. "So you mean that people speak Spanish there?" I told her that yes, some people speak Spanish there, mostly Latinos. "And are there dark-skinned people?" It was a glorious moment when I responded with, "Why yes there are. In fact, our president is dark-skinned."
--Hannah
Monday, October 5, 2009
Day 48.
Today, I..
...saw a lot of young men in Aeropostle shirts. This is normal.
...missed riding the bus home from a hard-fought volleyball match, stuffing my face full of croissants and fruit snacks.
...realized that I am going to miss the way mother/son relationships are so strong in Latin America. Yes, it can cause for some ugly drama in the family, but in the States you rarely see a twenty-year-old man walking with his mother, her arm in his. Here, you'll see it on nearly every block.
...learned that some of the girls at the Institute are active gang leaders. Initially I was a little frightened by this, but then I realized something: they're the same girls I've known for the last month and a half, the same girls who are reaching out for God's hand, and the same girls I've grown to keep close to my heart. This just makes me want to teach them more, share with them more, and love them more. So I will.
...smiled when little Maria (the 3-year-old sister of one of my students) saw me from a distance, ran into my arms and pieced together "Mah aiba!" which I gathered was "Mas arriba! Higher!" I hoisted her up in the air, letting her touch the ceiling, squealing.
--Hannah
...saw a lot of young men in Aeropostle shirts. This is normal.
...missed riding the bus home from a hard-fought volleyball match, stuffing my face full of croissants and fruit snacks.
...realized that I am going to miss the way mother/son relationships are so strong in Latin America. Yes, it can cause for some ugly drama in the family, but in the States you rarely see a twenty-year-old man walking with his mother, her arm in his. Here, you'll see it on nearly every block.
...learned that some of the girls at the Institute are active gang leaders. Initially I was a little frightened by this, but then I realized something: they're the same girls I've known for the last month and a half, the same girls who are reaching out for God's hand, and the same girls I've grown to keep close to my heart. This just makes me want to teach them more, share with them more, and love them more. So I will.
...smiled when little Maria (the 3-year-old sister of one of my students) saw me from a distance, ran into my arms and pieced together "Mah aiba!" which I gathered was "Mas arriba! Higher!" I hoisted her up in the air, letting her touch the ceiling, squealing.
--Hannah
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