Sign Off

I don't think I could efficiently sum up my whole abroad experience (see last four months of blogging) or tell you what the most important thing I learned was. I think it will be an experience I ponder the rest of my life and look back on with affection and gratefulness. When asked about it, I encourage people to visit Gto., and I tell them I had a wonderful host family, wonderful church, study abroad program, and overall experience, though. (University of Gto). It was one of my favorite semesters ever, for sure.

These are pictures from the night before I left. We went out to Cuba Mia (a local "anthro") and said our goodbyes with the palomas (my favorite drink) and music and dancing. I even got to put some of my few salsa lessons to use!


Some professional flamenco dancers entertained us while we chatted.










This is my last walk home through downtown streets of Gto. I miss it!

Last few adventures

These are pictures from when Hans Carnice and I hiked to the top of Cerro de la Cruz. We ran across the Marlboro man (who trotted over the hill with the horses,
without his cigarette, by the way), and we got caught in themost violent hail storm on the face of the mountain when we began our perilous trip back down. It was scary, but very exciting in a warped kind of way at the same time.


This is from international kitchen night, where students from all over Asia, Europe, and the Americas gathered to enjoy the wide variety of food cooked all over the world. It was a great dining experience (one that couldn't be complete in Mexico without our Palomas), and no, I didn't cook anything...I was just a moocher...

One of the beautiful Guanajuato tunnels, which weave like spider webs under the city. This one has a more ascethetically appealing entrance from the center of town.

This is me with Nolin (sp?), a 2-year missionary in Queretaro, aslo a graduate of Berry College in my homestate of Georgia, Daniel, a graduate of a Christian school in Greeneville and also a friend of my former roommate, Ro. (What a small world! we meet in Mexico to find we all have common acquaintences!) They came to Gto. to learn about new outreach opportunities with students there, and I was the tour guide!

This is the last night everyone went out before leaving Gto. I ducked out before it got too wild. I tend to like to remember my good times when I wake up in the morning! Caitlin and Hans were fun to be around and my partners0in-crime on our spring break adventure to the beach. I miss those times!

More Gto

This is the owner of the ice cream shop on a corner on my route between home and downtown. I requently caught him "playing around" on the job. Here is a full-blown dominoes game over one of his freezers.


This is just a picture of some of the sidewalk cafes. I just love all the colors.



Rocio and I went out one night for a chat and some fruity smoothies; yum! We had a splendid time at our table on the bridge of Santo Cafe. She really was one of my favorite people in Mexico (though she's from Medida, Venezuela), and it was quite sad leaving her. She was also one of the best Spanish teacher I've ever had.

Here is one of the many colorful alley ways. This one is on my way home from school. I took this for a class assignment to take pictures that would be well on a brochure advertising Guanajuato.

This precious picture is from one of the many plazas around town. This little girl perched herself in the middle of the plaza with her parasol to feed the birds. I wonder if she was talking to them...

A few more pictures

Here are some of my final favorites as the semester finished up.

This is the last night at church, when the congregation threw me, and Graham and Linda a goodbye party. Of course, as with all Mexican celebrations/social events, lots of food was
involved. Rachel, Graham and Linda and I all sang English hymns for the congregation that night, and it was also when I decided I wanted to be baptized!

Yadira and Pepe (engaged to be wed this December, when I hope to return to Guanajuato with Ryan) ate at the back of the hall. They were great friends who were always wanting to share truth with me!

Yadira's cousin, Mari ate on the floor with Pastor Cesar's sons. They're so cute!


Here, my Grammar and Composition class met at a coffee shop (Los Carcamanes) for our last review before the final exam. What bittersweet times! We were anxious to finish the semester and see our families, but hating to leave friends and our new families behind! Rocio is helping David, as Kate, Ashley, and Andrea listen on. You can tell I'm really paying attention, too...at least to getting some good pictures!

This is the one of roofs outside my bedroom. On this particular one, I witness cats, dogs, and sometimes roosters. I wonder how they all got along, though, admittedly, I never saw them all there at the same time!

This is a funny shirt on an old man we saw downtown. He had no idea what his shirt really said. Actually, I think that is what happens frequently; people where English shirts without knowing really what they say. I tried to explain it to him, but as I walked away, THEN I realized it has a double meaning!

Lucky for me, Ryan came to visit again 2 weeks before my return home! Ha! (Isn't he great?!?!) Here is the handsome guy trying on some hats in the Mega (Mexican Walmart, but more "upscale," believe it or not.) Isn't he such a good-lookin' guy?! He only stayed 2 days the second time; gotta love cheap stand-by buddy passes! I carried this sign when I met him in the airport. Translation: "Someone in Gto. love you, Ryan Fisher!"

This is our last movie night at my house with my host father. Afterwards, we had palomas, cake and lots of fun. Hans brought back some Cuban cigars ("Puros") from his wild trip to Cuba over spring break. I actually got to puff it a couple times, too. Don't I look like a natural?

Baptism

This is another entry I wrote on my computer while I was still in Gto, which I never posted:

About a month ago, a couple, Linda and Graham, arrived from Manchester, Great Britain. Graham teaches Chemistry in the University of Guanajuato and will be living, with his wife, part time in Mexico, and part time in England (and the various other travels he makes for his job.) Because they haven’t mastered much Spanish yet, I have been translating, along with Rachel Hall, Cesar’s sermons. This has been a joy for everyone, for now in the church we have three languages—signs (for the deaf), Spanish, and English, with international representation (Mexico, US, Costa Rica, and Great Britain.) They are a lovely couple who obviously love the Lord. My last week here, they graciously invited me to dine with them twice!

The lovely couple took me out to eat at a beautiful restaurant, which was rather pricey, but excellent. The service made me feel like royalty and the food was succulent. I had some asparagus with a vinaigrette sauce as an appetizer and some sort of deliciously marinated chicken and vegetables as an entree, a glass of wine, and some coffee to finish it all off. Hmm. We had a wonderful time!

The last few months, I have been pondering (with Scripture and input from Ryan, my pastor Cesar, of Iglesia Central, the significance of baptism, the difference between that of infant and adult baptism, and whereas I have only been baptized as an infant, whether it is something I should do. Cesar, in answering my questions, strongly encouraged me to go forth with it, as it is a commandment from God (Matthew 28: 30-something), and there is a precedent set many times in the Bible. Very set in my PCA reformed theology ways, I was resistant, but kept pursuing the issue because I didn’t feel assured at all in my state. If the Lord really desires a “believer’s baptism” for His people, then I definitely want it! My question is, does my infant baptism count, because God is not restrained by time and it is a beautiful picture of God’s control of the matter, and not ours (seeing that as infants, we didn’t choose it.)

Cesar and I met several times to discuss that matter. At times it was difficult getting of the cultural and denominational barriers (though the Holy Spirit and our brotherhood we shared in common). I have often wondered here in Mexico how I’m really coming across—am I sounding rude when I don’t know it? Am I communicating in the “mood” and manner I think I am? Anyway, some of the things Cesar shared with me, I did not agree with, but I couldn’t get over the fact that Jesus commanded it, and I saw the example in the Bible(Matthew 28:19, all over Acts) . And being a reflection of how Jesus’s blood washed us clean by His work on the cross and our trusting in Him as our Savior and Lord of our life, I thought regardless of necessity, it’s a beautiful thing! My baptism, witnessed by a couple members of the congregation, Grahm and Linda, Pepe, Pastor Cesar's family, and others, was recorded and can be watched from http://iglesiacentral.blogspot.com/ by clicking on "videos" and selecting the image on the right, which should come up with this title: IGLESIA CENTRAL GUANAJUATO, BAUTISMO SARA (Perhaps it will acts as a link too? Maybe not...)

Since then I have pondered about this whole act often and have been captivated and awed by such relevant verses, "Romans 6:3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection."

Also, in Sunday school, Andy pointed out that baptism is often identified with suffering (even similarly back to Noah and the flood). Back, praise Jesus, those saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) don't have to go through the suffering to experience salvation into eternal life with God in Heaven!!! Coming from a background of infant baptism, and appreciating the symbolic claiming of the promise of God "to you and your children" (Acts 2:39), examples of familial baptism in Acts (16: 15; 16: 33; 18: 8; I Corinthians 1: 16), and the fact that God saved all the Israelites and their children in the Old Testament, because of God's promise to his people, regardless of the children's full understanding of the fact, I wasn't sure about "adult baptism" at first, but I felt convicted about following through with it, and was overjoyed in the act of physically realizing and proclaiming what Christ has done for me.

As Dr. Dan Orme puts it,

sacramentally the ordinances do what they symbolize doing if they are used properly, that is' if they are used as external accompaniments to a believing acceptance of God's Word and promises. When one believes in the salvation of the Lord through faith in the work of the Savior and receives baptism, he is able to experience physically what God has done for him. A receipt is a commercial device for giving verification that a sum of money or its equivalent has been received. The baptism is, to use an anology, God's receipt which is given to the individual. It is a formal and external record of the actual transaction between the individual and God. In the earthly analogy, the thing that makes the receipt meaningful is not the receipt itself but the word and reputation of the person who gave it and its non-fraudulent use on the part of the person who received it.

I encourage anyone interested in the subject to visit his website, and click on "Book on the Sacraments" and then, I recommend Ch. 2, 4 and 5 (mainly because these are the ones I scanned http://theuniversitychurch.org/) Ch. 2 discusses adult, Ch. 4 infant baptism, and Ch. 5 among various points, speak against re-baptism. I agree with him that to nullify a former, perhaps infant, baptism might "support the idea that the working of God is nullified by human frailty," but I don't deny my infant baptisms' legitimacy. I would not call it a symbol of deepening or greater awareness, either. It was a wonderful experience for me, that I would admit, not necessary, but a joyful celebration nonetheless. I am still, and expect to be always recognizing my limited understanding of all of this, but I follow on towards Christ and knowing him through his Word, Holy Spirit, and wise people he puts in my path.
Cesar's son wanted to get wet too, so he just jumped in after us! Ha!

Final Project

Unfortunately, I didn't blog up to the time of my departure from Gto. Furthermore, thoough I talked (or at least thought fondly) of Gto. every day over the summer, I failed to complete bloggin over my Mexican experience then as well. Now I am back at Wofford, and have been pondering over how to finish.

First of all, here is an entry I wrote, still in Mexico, but not within access to the internet to be able to post:

I haven’t written in a long time, obviously, and now that I am writing this, I’m actually sitting in the Leon airport awaiting my Continental Airlines flight to arrive and take me to Houston to continue to my beloved family and Ryan in Georgia. If I sound sentimental, it’s no lie! Right now I think I am more sad than happy (though I am very ready to be home….and also, I get nervous before international flights, especially traveling along.)

(Man! I just realized my flight leaves two hours from now…yay for time to write, bummer for waiting more because I’m antsy to get this traveling junk over!)

One reason I haven’t written is because I began to feel the weight of leaving soon, and every minute I spent writing, I felt like I was missing something. Another reason, I had LOTS of work, papers, exams, etc.

One of the biggest assignment was my independent project for my culture class (a 20 page paper on the topic of my choice), which took up a lot of time. Inspired by my Señor Palacios, whose specialty as a professor is such, I researched Semiotics (the study of signs), specifically iconic signs, and more specifically, photography. (Side note, I keep wanting to write and spell in Spanish. I will miss being around this language.)

I interviewed about 12 people, asking each one if they were to leave Guanajuato, of what sign would they think? What mental picture in the mind is personally representative of their town? I did this for 2 main reasons: 1) to personally known Guanajuato better (via the citizens who experience in a deeper way than a one-semester-foreigner), 2) to make a record for myself and to communicate to others. (Signs, according to semiotics, are a way that we communicate and better understand our world. If you want to read my paper, email me at saysay743@aol.com) After I gathered the various (beautiful) answers, I took pictures of each “sign,” representing the object, Guanajuato, not only be words (symbolic signs), but also by photography (iconic signs.)

Margarita, my host mother's sign/symbol of Gto. is the view from her kitchen window. She said the view has gradually changed, especially as the pomegranite tree just outside has grown and gradually obstructed part of the view. The somewhat is symbolic of how the Gto. as she knew it growing up has changed as some images/traditions have been overshadowed by others with the passing of time.

One afternoon when I was running, I decided to explore a bit and ended up walking down a callejón (narrow street, impossible for cars to traverse) where it was obvious that foreigners rarely dared to go. I made eye contact with a woman selling clothes in the middle of the path and greeted her, “Buenas tardes,” or “Good afternoon.” Whereas it was 11:45 or 12, she informed me that it was still “Buenos días,” or “Good morning,” and that afternoon started around 2. I thanked her and started on my way when she started chatting with me, asking me why I was in the area, and then why, unlike myself, were so many “extranjeros” foreigners so hesitant to interact with natives and make conversation. We chatted for a while, and somehow after about half an hour, she asked me if I was a Christian, and after my affirmative, she invited me to her church.

The lady selling clothes, Verónica, I also interviewed for my project. She told me her sign of Guanajuato is her family. When I explained to her I therefore wanted to take a picture of her family, she graciously invited me back when they would all be there. When I returned, I was saddened to see all that she had, with her three children, was contained in one room—the kitchen, table, bunk beds, and stacks of clothes against the walls. What touched my heart was her generosity, her openness and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ and his provision in her life. She explained to me later that her father was a child from the streets, so I gathered she (with two jobs) was really a huge step up from his circumstances. Still, as I found out, she makes a mere $30 a week and sometimes struggles to make ends meet. Nevertheless, she assured me of her enduring trust in the Lord, and gratefulness for the salvation He has given her, so that things of this world are of such less consequence.

I truly enjoyed getting to know Verónica and her children. She was quite the chatter box, but besides being great practice, I was encouraged by her faith.

I also interviewed Oliverio, a mining engineer, whose wife owns the bakery where we met, and Ricardo (center), who worked at the hostal where Ryan stayed. Oliverio's sign for Gto. is the University of Gto. where he studied mining and later taught and which is also a major tourist attraction here. Ricardo's sign for Gto. is the tunnels, which he says, capture the beauty and "convivencia" (communal liveliness might be a way of translating) of Gto. Ricardo also sells and rents out real estate.

Many peope mentioned Teatro Juarez and the "centro" of Gto. as a key representational sign of the essence of Gto. for them. It is a central meeting place and "hang out" place for youth and adults alike. It's a great place to people watch, and in the afternoon, street performers also usually gather to entertain. Two university students mentioned that when you come to Gto., you feel like you're on vacation, even if you're not. I think I would agree!

High Goals

I can't remember if I've said this yet, but one of my goals since the first week I got here was not to put toilet paper in the toilets. And as of today, I'm going strong. (When I went Peru, I tried so hard to remember, but I occasionally forgot--all three trips there.)

(I hope now that I write this, I won't forget.)

Sunday, April 29

Yes, I curled my hair (slept in my sponge curlers...one of the simlest ways to deal with hair, really) and vainly took pictures of myself this a.m. But because the curls slowly fall throughout the day, I thought someone should witness the initial Shirley Temple look…

Today I after church, I also went to eat with Margarita at her conference for comida. They meet in this place here which leads to the garden/patio where we ate. Apparently, many people who have conferences in Guanajuato meet here.

The ladies that I spoke with at the pink table are R to L: Esme (or Esmeralda), can’t remember the next pink girl’s name, Poncho, Susi, little Margarita, the bigger Margarits (my host mom), and Myrna. They were all delightful ladies, and we chatted the whole time. They complimented me on my Spanish many times, and frankly, I really understood them well. I thought to myself that my Spanish is pretty darn good. I even cracked a few jokes that every laughed at and added to (you know it’s good when everyone keeps the joke going.) But then later tonight as I listened to Margarita chat to Dante, Flaco, and Valeria (her children), I understood very little. I’d like to say that they mumble and talk fast, but that’s not a good excuse. So then I felt back in my place of feeling a little alienated by still present language barrier. But now I’d just call it the language sheet.

PS. 27 days until I come home!

Other Random Items of Interest

I went running the other day and unintentionally stopped my watch at exactly 40:00. This really did amuse me. The same day I saw a donkey strolling down the road. The road was on a mountain with absolutely no pasture or any type of home for a donkey nearby—only houses on cliffs and traffic—and no one seemed to be looking after him either. Ha!

My host mother has a conference with her psychology workshops during a full weekend once a month. This weekend, she didn’t have time to leave any food for anyone, which wasn’t a problem, but later I found out it seemed to worry Señor Luis. He anxiously asked me several times Saturday if I wouldn’t mind making him some salsa later on. Thankfully, Margarita had taught me her formula the week before, but it quite surprised me how helpless a 50-60 year old man seemed in the kitchen! I made him the salsa as he curiously watched on. It was very amusing to me that I knew more about making salsa than he did!

There is a “upper-scale” restaurant chain called VIPS throughout Mexico, one of which is located very near my house. They have a large lawn in the back where many people pay to host parties and such. Funny thing is, they play really loud music there, so loud that it sounds like surround sound throughout the house. I’ve heard every style of Mexican music I know, including reggaeton, pop, banda, ranchera, salsa, etc. plus US music, too, like oldies, contemporary pop, you name it. The one that beat them all, though, was probably hearing “Don’t Break my Heart, My Achy, Breaky Heart” in Spanish. No kidding, they played from 8 am to 2 am and the 10 am to around 10 am the next day. Crazy times. The two most popular Mexican songs here right now have these lines in their chorus’: “Paseme la botella,” (or pass me the bottle), and “Lo que pasó, pasó entre tú y yo,” (or what happed between you and me, just happened).

It would take me a long time to get sick of this place. I have seen the mountains here look blueish, grayish, orangish, and today, they looked the most red I’ve ever seen them.

Pretty much every time I leave the house, some man/guy/boy will comment something like, “Hola, Guerra,” or “Gringa!” or “Bonita,” or something or the sort. Usually I ignore it, but sometimes it annoys me. Well, amusingly enough, the other day, a four-year-old girl said, “Hola, Guerra, Guerra!” to me! I smiled and waved back, but couldn’t help but laugh to myself!

Wrapping things up...

Sunday, Ryan, Holly, and I walked to church together, at least to the park where we meet. Everyone teased me and called me “enamorada,” (in love) because I forgot the Bible study Thursday. (Really, though, they didn’t bother me…because they were right.) How wonderful it was to get to worship the Lord beside Ryan again!

After church, Ryan and I went to the famous (or infamous, if you want…I do) Mummy Museum. They aren’t mummies like you imagine, all wrapped up, but merely really well preserved bodies, apparently because of some “preserving nutrients” that the water here used to contain. It was somewhat disturbing, to see the bodies with their clothes and hair still intact, but a good reminder of how short is, and a good time to reflect on what we’re living for. (Praise the Lord He’s given me the assurance of heaven after this!)

Then we ate lunch at Truco 7, a popular restaurant, known for good food at a good price, down town. We enjoyed enchiladas verdes con pollo y cheso. Hmmmhhm! Back at my house, I did some homework, unfortunately, but it was the most fun I’ve ever had doing homework, due to Ryan’s help. (Thanks, Ry.) And that night, we cuddled up to a movie together.

Monday and Tuesday, Ryan joined me in most of my classes. He fit right in, being a former Spanish and Mexican culture/history student himself. One time, he and I even teamed up in a class activity. Monday afternoon we met with Pepe to study the Word some, which was fun, especially since the guys seemed to “click” right off. Later I introduced Ry to Rachel and Catherine (who I had told Ry might go well with one of our friends at home…haha.) After chatting for a while, Ryan asked how he could be praying for the girls and before we knew it, we were all praying together. It was a sweet, sweet time for which I praise the Lord. Later, we ate a light dinner at on outdoor café and after our soups (Ryan’s Sopa Azteca and my Consumé), we split a Café Kalua, which Ryan calls, “Dangerously good.” (Funny thing, Ryan doesn’t know how dangerously good that he is!)

Tuesday when Ryan left I had to send him on a taxi because no one was available to drive us to the airport. It was so very sad. In fact, the next day was my hardest day here in Mexico. But after talking with my grandmother, Ms. Margaret, she told be to praise God for the good times we’d had because I won’t be depressed while praising Jesus. So I did, and I definitely felt much better, realizing how much I don’t deserve Ryan anyway! Thanks, Father God, for such a wonderful guy!

Mexico (or Ryan) Lindo y Sabroso

Back in Guanajuato, Ryan and I dressed up—him in my favorite dress shirt of his, and me in a new dress—to go to my favorite restaurant, Mexico Lindo y Sabroso (translation: Beautiful and Flavorful Mexico.) We strolled over to the restaurant, still enjoying every moment to the max.

The restaurant has incredible atmosphere—a terrace in the middle of the restaurant, several nice dining rooms, and a front patio, where we sat. I ordered the Guatemalan dish of Cochinita Pibil and Ryan ordered Fajitas al Norteño. Both were so delicious and in generous amounts. We also toasted to each other we a glass of red wine, a perfect compliment to a perfect night, another one of the “must-dos” on my list.

Hiking, Bus rides, and the Youngs

The next day, Ryan and I hiked up to the bufa together with a tasty breakfast prepared by my wonderful host mother. To our discomfort, to say the least, the cows (which are usually ambling along the faces of the mountains) were filling the trail along the way, but I had planned this hike for a while, and I wasn’t going to let them stop us! We decided to take the more adventurous route up after we passed the cows, so that we had to use our hands some in scaling some rock. Then we took a break in one of the caves. Here is my handsome man in the cave. My handsome caveman. :)

At the top, by the cross, we ate our quesadillas and fresh mango-filled yogurt from Margarita. We chatted away while we ate, enjoying each other and the beautiful scenery around us. Ahh. It was great.

Back down again, we showered and pack our bags to head to the bus station. We hopped on the intra-city bus to get to the inter-city bus station where we would buy our tickets to Querétaro, where we would visit the dear Young family.

Ryan and I decided it would be most fun to sit in the back of the bus and enjoy some privacy, so we snuck to the back and hoped that nobody that got on at our various stops had bought (or wanted) these particular seats. We were in luck. The amazing thing about Ryan, is that he is sooo much fun wherever we are—including bus rides! (wink wink.)

Mrs. Laura Young was kind to pick us up at the station (after Ryan and I watched the police unscrew license plates from people’s cars as a way to ensure they received the parking fines…) We drove to the Young house and after Ryan met all the girls (Stephanie, Audrey, and Mary), Steve and Laura chatted with Ryan and me for a while before taking us downtown. Unfortunately, my Querétano friends that I met at camp were all out of town, except, fortunately, for Ingrid, who joined us for dinner. We especially had a great time with the Young girls who love to joke around. Afterwards, Ingrid gave Ryan and me a full night-time tour of Querétaro before driving us back to the Young’s.

The next morning, Laura cooked us a fabulous breakfast of oatmeal, cheese eggs, toast, lots of fruit, and I don’t even remember what else, but it was good. Then, Steve prayed for me and Ryan before he and his wife took us back to the bus station. It wasn’t much time with the Young family, but I really wanted Ryan to meet them. We both agreed how good of a model of a husband and wife who really love each other and even more, Jesus.

Of course, we had another great time on the bus ride back... :)

Best Bday present ever!

I arrived back in gto around 11 pm, and went to bed shortly after chatting briefly with my host mom, Margarita, and her daughter, Valeria. I was overcome with excitement because my best friend was coming to visit me the next day, which happened to also be my birthday. Thankfully, I was also exhausted enough that I slept that night.

I was confused about the arrival of the flight, so Margarita and I arrived (thanks to her son, Dante, letting us borrow his car) an hour early. We took the time to buy a coffee and tea and chat together. We watched Ryan’s flight come in, but I was unable to see him walking through the plexi-glass tunnel. But finally, to my great relief, we met him by the exit of the airport. Margarita read my mind and told me to sit in the back seat with Ryan. Thanks, Margarita. We chatted about Guanajuato and the surrounding area on our way back, and it was interesting to hear Ryan’s Spanish since my ear for it had improved since being here.

(I promise I didn't know that you could see the Ryan's hostal from my house--it's the one with the red roof and I took the pic from my patio. My host mother told me after I made the reservations! haha!)

Margarita dropped us off at the hostal, and we took the next while unpacking his things and then ventured over to my house. We gave the gifts to my host father that my mom sent (a mug with a Georgia peach, some St. Ives’ coffee, some lotions, and some good ole’ country grits), and then headed up to my room. Ryan suggested I open up my birthday gift from him on our own. He gave me an iPod!!!! Yay! (He didn’t want us to be flaunting in front of them…) Then I showed Ryan my pictures from Puerto Vallarta while telling him all about the fun. We had planned to get dressed up and go out, too, for my birthday, but soon, Señor Luis called us to comida (the biggest meal of the day eaten around 3-4 pm. By the way, that’s how all times are given here: eg. The dinner starts 7-8, the party starts 9-10. The only things that start at a specific time here are mass, theater, and class.) Margarita cooked a great meal of consume (a chicken broth vegetable soup that I love), and cilantro rice and chicken. Ryan and I both love cilantro, so we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ryan and I spent the rest of the evening walking around town, chatting with various people that we ran into that I know, and basking in each other’s company. We were so thrilled to be together and couldn’t help telling saying it over and over again! One of the more humorous sights we saw was this sign that has a picture of the Virgin de Guadalupe on it, which says, “Favor de no tirar basura; Propiedad Privada,” meaning, “Please don't throw trash here; Private Property.” Umm, somebody can’t read Spanish…haha, just kidding, and um, why the saint’s picture?

Around 8 pm, I realized I completely forgot my Bible study I go to every Thursday. I had even told everyone Ryan was coming. I called Yadira, and she asked me told me they waited for me a while, but figured I was with Ryan somewhere…haha. Later Ry and I went up to the Pipila, a historical statue at the top of Guanajuato that represents this town’s role in the war for independence. Ryan took some nice pics of the town, too.

I had a more difficult time with the camera, as you can see…

Later, I opened up a gift Mom sent with Ry, a beautiful photo album. That will be useful! Thanks, Mom. We went to bed early, though, both exhausted--sad to say goodnight, but so happy that'd we'd be together the next day. (And I was even more happy, knowing I got the best birthday present ever; Ryan came to visit me!!!)