Way behind...

Wow. I haven’t updates in soooo long, I wonder if I’ll ever catch up, but here goes my best effort. I think I’ll be doing this all afternoon. I dedicate this afternoon to Melissa and Ryan, my faithful readers. Maybe if I’d known it was going to be just you two, I’d have written in Spanish, but I guess this is still better for more people…

Here is a journal entry (which usually are more like prayers) I found while looking through my personal journal about Mexico, trying to find a place to start up again on the blog:

“I like how Spanish says “think in/on” (pensar en) instead of our English “think about.” It’s more personal—especially when I’m thinking “in You,” Lord. I want to think in You—in your will/voluntad—in your character, in your Word.”

Día de las Flores is a holiday relevant only to Guanajuato. (I think I’ve already explained it in a former blog…) Anyway, this year is was Friday, March 30. The Thursday before, to our surprise, our history teacher, Earnesto—who doesn’t speak any English—invited us to his birthday party, enticing my wild little free with “habrá mucha tequila,” or “free drinks!” On my way home from class that day, I was amazed at how much decoration and merchandise was already being set up all over downtown.

So, as usual I went to Bible study on Thursday, where we celebrated the birthday of Pastor Cesar and his son (how cute), and I chatted with Rachel (from South Carolina) and Cathering (from Knoxville, TN) and others during the “fiesta” for a while. These two girls really love Jesus and are an encouragement to me every time we meet. They have actually been here a year (!!). I also met Ben and Barbara Herrera, a missionary couple (of maybe 11 years?) who decided to drive me (yeah, free ride!) to Bernal, Querétaro, where I would attend a Christian youth conference that weekend.

Later on, I got dressed up and met my program friends in front of Teatro Juarez (the standard meeting place for pretty much all of Gto) to go together to Earnesto’s bday party. (BTW, many of my classmates have a crush on this man, but it’s just not something I can say I share with them…) When I was waiting for the rest of my friends to show up, I was sitting on the steps in front of the Teatro talking to Cathering and David (from my program), and some foreigner (not English or Spanish-native speaker) came up and handed me a rose. Later he came back and asked David in very broken English if I was his girlfriend. David only understood "friend" and therefore answered in the affirmative. When he asked me to explain what had happened, I reassured him, that although I'm not his girlfriend, he was free to tell that to guys tonight so I wouldn't have to do any more explaining!

At first the party was a little awkward, being that the US students (about 7-10 years below average age of everyone else) segregated off into a corner. Finally, we ventured over to a bar (in a house of a friend). I split a Paloma (probably my favorite mixed drink here), but still felt pretty dizzy after I finished. Trying to break some ice, I ventured over to a couple and started chatting with them about their jobs. Both being teachers, one of “la primaria” (like kindergarten) and one of “la prepa” (high school), we discussed dis/advantages of public v. private education in Mexico and the districting laws here (basically you can go to any school you want, if it’s public). Interesting.

I ended up heading home after walking around town a while with my friends because things we getting a little rough down town, most everyone was wanting to get wasted, and I wanted to get up early and watch the traditions of Día de las Flores the next morning! Already the streets were filled with venders selling every form of flowers (real, paper, etc.) and creatures made out of egg shells (the tradition is to break a confetti-filled egg shell over your head—not sure why…) In fact, many of the indigenous people were sleeping in the streets in order to take turn selling their merchandise all night long. Still, I took time to stop and smell the roses...um, paper flowers. ;)