uno, dos, tres

1. I haven't watched tv since I have been here.
2. I have seen a movie though. Went to Guate (aka the capital)
side note....the Country is Guatemala...the Capital is Guate...everywhere else in the country is called by the name. Therefore, if you say I am going to Guate, you mean you are going the capital. Or if someone asks where you live, you could say Guate, meaning the Capital only. Weird I know, but you get used to it.
Movie-Inception...great movie.

3. I only eat beans once a week...augh I want more!
4. My Spanish is improving. I understand conversations and usually catch everyword, but I still speak slowly. It is a working process. I still have had only 1 weeks worth of classes.
5. My work is only drama. I have to remember why I am here. :)
6. I applied for a tour guide position....nothing yet.
7. I officially like (and almost prefer) warm milk in my cereal.
The milk is not refrigerated here in most cases, and is usually created instantly.

8. I have lost between 5-10 lbs and none of my pants fit! auuughhh
9. I am really craving some spicy buffalo wings and bbq
10. My friend, Zach, went to the states for 9 days and returned today...and I am not one bit jealous. I really, really don't miss the states.
11. I wash some of my clothes by hand because I can't afford to spend 40 Q (Guatemalan money) every other week at a laundry mat.
12. Sometimes I get up to eat breakfast at 7:30am then go back to sleep. I am laaaaazy!
13. I have found a REAL gym and am joining tomorrow. No more aerobics with the drunk instructor. And it is open until 1oPM - YES, I know -- sooo late!
14. I have read but about 10 pages of a book since I have been here. (This is especially hard for me to admit! But I promise to start reading more)
15. I am embarrassed to say that I now think 65 degrees is cold, and I have to sleep with the windows closed. :(
16. I am looking into moving into a house or apt with a friend in about 1-2 months!
17. I now have to take out my nose ring to teach. Boooooo
18. You never have to carry ID with you anywhere - this is so nice!
19. There are small tiendas EVERYWHERE that sell beer by the can, or a cigarette - you don't have to buy the carton. (I only know this because I have seen people doing this).
20. I have eaten the best banana bread of my entire life here in Antigua.
21. Because you can't drink the water, you never get free water with your meals at restaurants.
22. I have a uniform for work: M, W, Sat I wear a ugly colored polo. On T, R and Fridays I wear a t-shirt that says, wait for it...... "I'm a cool girl." And I only have one of each!
23. I can't wear flip-flops or sandals to work.
24. A newspaper costs less than .50 cents.
25. I secretly (very secretly) like the rain, even though it won't stop.
26. I kiss on the cheek saying "hello" and "goodbye" so be prepared if I get to see you.
27. Locals say "adiós" when passing you by (they say "bye" instead of "hello").
28. I haven't touched my yoga mat once.
29. I am learning to do nothing...it has been a struggle, but I am finally learning. Some days I still feel bad and useless but then I remember that I can "do something productive" tomorrow. That has been helpful. Also the Americans around me are constantly busy and working, and their motivation has been making me more and more unmotivated!! I feel good about that.
30. I love learning Spanish. This is way cheesy, but I do.
31. Zach brought back oreos and reese's peanut butter cups back with him. I ate 4 oreos and about 8 (not kidding) reese's peanut butter cups (the miniature). Wow - real peanut butter...fantastic...still not jealous!
32. Nobody keeps their eggs in a refrigerator.
33. I really do enjoy teaching English. I would recommend trying it once.
34. My cell phone number is 8 digits. Incoming calls and texts are free, so call me.

Rice and Beans and little back kick

If I have to eat another piece of rice I think I am going to scream!!!!! I love beans, why can't I eat more beans?? I mean seriously I really like rice - like, a lot. But I have had it for almost every lunch and dinner since I have been here...that is over 31 days!! If someone even says the word rice I might punch them in the face! (JK..... a little)
I want more beans please!!!

On another note, the aerobics class that I attend is like rolling-on-the-ground hysterical!! First off, this guy I am pretty positive is drunk the whole entire class!! Have you ever taken aerobics with someone drunk before? It is crazy!! He drinks cokes the whole time...and I am not convinced they are only coke. And this poor guy knows about 6 moves and just tries to add jazz hands to them to make it different....I love it!
And his favorite move is the best....you put your legs together and your arms by your side, then slightly move your shoulders up and down and make a kissing face with your lips...then look around like you don't know what to do next, or like you feel you are about to puke!!! We do this move A LOT. And then sometimes take it up and down, or turn it into salsa dance.
We also do back kicks to the speed of 10 X a million, so watch out anyone who may try and sneak up behind me, because I will kick you so fast you won't know what hit you!!! :) (don't worry, I modify)


So guess what...I am have been using the sink water and I haven't gotten sick yet!! YES!!


I teach little 5 year olds at the school, and today we took them to McDonald. That was interesting....did you know McDonald has amazing fries?? I refused to eat MD in the states, boy was I missing out!!


Tonight I made an executive decision to not eat my dinner at my house (because guess what it is??) and to eat out. It is one of my friend's last nights here so we are going to have a fancy meal together. Wine and hamburgers. But not just any hamburger...a hamburger made from the a street vendor!! Amazing!!

First Aerobics Class

I took my first ever aerobics class on Monday with my friend Vanessa. We found this guy that teaches aerobics on the avenue that we live on. We walked by his place last week and heard aerobic music blasting from inside, and decided to stop in and see what the commotion was about. YES, I found aerobics here!!!
So here we are in class, which is me, Vanessa, and two other ladies...using a used milk crate as a step. We are taking class in an open space on tile floor (not dangerous at all). It was mostly dancing behind the step with a lot of 80's aerobic moves thrown in. It was great, and I couldn't help but laugh the whole way through. Oh well - you make do with what you have. We have decided to go back for the rest of this month!!!

A Confession

I just want to brush my teeth with the water from the sink dang it. I am lazy and don't want to grab a glass with purified water! I wanted to admit that there has been several times lately that I have been using the sink water...I hope I don't get sick. There is really only one way of knowing!
Now I feel better for telling someone. :)

Churrohs and Choloate

In a previous blog I mentioned churrohos and chocolate....this past Sunday Annie, Zach and myself went back to that hotel to fill up on them. Now I need to put a note here for those of you that don't know me well...I am not a big sweet person, and frankly chocolate doesn't do anything for me!
Needless to say, and I am quite sad to say this - but the churrohs and chocolate weren't all that good (to me)! Annie and Zach enjoyed themselves very much, however, it wasn't the dipping chocolate we were all expecting. From what we understood we were supposed to get churrochs and REAL dipping chocolate. What we got was a cup full of chocolate water, like hot choc that you drink. I didn't really care for it much....apparently that is what REAL choc tasted like, go figure! After finishing the churrohs you were then to drink the choc drink - makes sense, right? GROSSSSSSSS...
The hotel on the other hand was not gross, it was amazing!! It is sooo beautiful and if I ever decide to get married (if), I would love to do it there. Imagine this huge open area with green trees everywhere and flowers that are beautiful and grown. Red rose petals in all of the water basins around the place. Macaws standing/sitting on their own little platforms in the trees. A nice, relaxing pool. It could be so perfect!!
Just a note: Guatemala is known as "The Eternal Spring" because of the wonderful weather and plants.

And you could try a churroh if you were brave. :)