Additional random thoughts and comments

- My definition of what is safe has drastically changed since I've been here. Dave, I don't think I'll ever freak out about your driving again. :)

- My definition of a scary bug has changed, too. We don't have scary bugs in Indiana.

- I'm much more accustomed to bugs being around me. There are always flies in the kitchen and around my food. We often sit right on the ground and ants and small spiders crawl on us. Luckily, I haven't had to deal with bed bugs like some of the other students.

- My birthday is this week, and my real family (not my Guate-family) has asked me for some gift suggestions. It's been really hard for me to think of anything, because after living here I've realized that I have an awful lot already. I honestly don't need anything.

- It's difficult to keep up with the slang in another language. Just like how in the US we call a Coke either pop or soda or Coke, there are tons of words that change in Spanish depending on where you are. Here's a couple examples for Xela (which will probably be much more interesting if you know Spanish): Water is not agua, but agua pura. Agua means soda. A blanket is not a manta, but a chamarra. A jacket is not a chaqueta, but a chumpa. A T-shirt is a playera, not a camiseta. A camiseta is a tank top. I could go on and on...

- The life of a teacher at ICA is pretty tough. They work from 8am -1pm with their first student, have an hour break, and then work from 2pm-7pm with their second student. All the work is one-on-one, so they have to pay attention and be at their best all the time. It's pretty amazing to me. I'm not sure I could have that much patience for that long.

- There's another student staying at my house now. His name is Carlos, and he's from Germany. He seems nice, but a little lost right now since it's his first full day. I'm glad because now I have someone to walk home with after class when it's dark.

- There are wild cats that run over the roofs of the houses almost every night. Many roofs are tin, and you wouldn't believe how loud those cats are. The first time I heard it, I thought for sure it was people jumping up and down.

- I've been asked a couple times now what I think about all the wild dogs living on the streets in Guatemala since I'm a dog lover. Honestly, I just can 't let myself think about it or I would be overwhelmingly sad.

- I haven't made friends with the other students at ICA as quickly as others because I don't go out drinking and dancing at night.

- While I stand out as a white person in Xela, I think the locals are fairly used to seeing white students. (There are several language schools in Xela.) However, there have been a couple times on the excursions when we've stopped in a smaller community for food, water, etc. and it's quite obvious that they don't generally see a group of individuals with very light colored skin because they literally stop what they are doing and stare at us. We joke that we are a gringo parade, but the truth is that it's an uncomfortable feeling. It's a new feeling for me, though, and I'm glad I've been able to experience it.

P.S. I posted three times today. Don't miss the photos below.