Weekly Re-Cap
1. When stuck in traffic in an old American school bus covered in slogans like “Jesus is my co-pilot” in Spanish, it is hilarious to change the words to American pop songs so that you end up with lyrics such as “In the Chicken Bus, the mighty Chicken Bus, the Mayans sleep tonight.”
2. Sometimes, children in the streets of Xela set off fireworks. Sometimes, if they can smell your fear, they will throw these fireworks at you. Beware.
3. Yesterday, on the way to a café, we saw five children, between the ages of 2 and 5, standing on the counter of a bodega, dancing, while their mother directed them like a conductor. It was preciosa.
4. There is a store on 10th calle in Zona 1 called “moda for Lady Men´s.” I get the reference, but think it´s hilarious that the English term for a man who´s good with the ladies is just an apostrophe away from implying gender queerness.
5. Zil buys her yarn from a married Guatemalan couple named Telma and Luis.
6. Sarah, while trying to conjugate the Spanish verb “pedir,” meaning “to ask for,” accidentily discovered the word for “pedo” meaning “fart.”
7. Megan, attempting to say that while drinking tea you cannot also drink coffee, said that while drinking Edna, her teacher, she could not also drink coffee. Even though this is true, it was not what she was intending.
Tags: Chicken Bus, Guatemala, Language School, Quetzaltenango, Spanish, Travel, Xela
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I’m in the library waiting for media loan to give me some mics before I go into the recording studio, and I almost laughed out loud a few times, which would have been incredibly embarassing seeing that everyone in the computer center is super hushed while they finish their work for the quarter. As for me… I’M DONE! Handed in my portfolio with a ton of work in it, gave a presentation today about Napoleon and the Egyptian Campaign, and now can do whatever I want for the next month. Which includes a trip to New York, Philly, and Tulsa. Yessssssssssssssssssss
I’m laughing till I pedo!
Let me know when you want to reserve the evenings at your hotel Aaculaax with the spiders (but are you sure you want to do this to Megan? She’s really afraid of them… I completely relate!)
Love, Dad
OK, i’m just not sure I’m convinced. Is it really not possible to drink tea while drinking coffee? I’ll bet it can be done!!!! Can one fart and “ask for” something at the same time? Well… apparently the very talented can. These are the deep philosophical questions your blog always inspires for me. And I’m SUCH a sucker for them.
miss you. terribly. love you. See… I can miss you and love you at the same time. But can I type about missing you and drink coffee at the same time ?? … let me try… here I go…
Hi funny-faces. Please don’t miss Loki’s message on your former post. She’s on my lap now, purring up a storm. Paw on shoulder. Forehead putting arm. Will you translate, please? Now she’s assisting me by “cleaning” my computer. YUK!
Obviously I cannot come see you, since I am cat-sitting. However, I will keep a candle lit all day on each of your birthdays, to remind me to talk to You-Know-Who about you, asking for your safety, and your joy. Love and hugs and lots of little licks on your chin from you-know-who.
Oops. That was supposed to be “Forehead BUTTING arm.” It’s hard to write while your fingers are being licked, your arm butted, and your shoulder tapped!
Oh! I miss the Lokster! Can you translate a typed pat on the head and a scratch behind the ears for me?
Austen– congratulations on finishing the term… if ever you want to come visit ME, just let me know. We could totally tear up South America… just a suggestion.
Other than that: I am willing to brave the spiders. I am taking this trip to conquer fears, I am taking this trip to conquer fears…
And, I am drinking coffee, but not tea, right now. I cannot have my cake and eat it too.
-Megan
Oh how I love you! “taking this trip to conquer fears” gave me a flashback of your 2nd halloween when you were terrified of the trick-r-treaters. I tried to assure you that they were not monsters, just kids, and you said as a mantra “not mamoos, just tids” over and over until we were all hypnotized.
I like g’ma idea of lighting a candle all day on your and Sarahs perspective birthdays. I will do the same, for all the right reasons and add “to conquer fears.”
and…I, too, am proud of your brother for finishing the quarter in style. I look forward to seeing him and have a hard time imagining Christmas with just the 2 of us. Too bad I wasn’t brave enough to confront my fears and brave the travel to so. America. I am with you in my heart.
love you so much.
mom
I’ll light a candle too — for the tids!!!
But WHICH candle is the question? When you live, as I do, a block from a Mexican religious candle emporium, and a block in the other direction from an Italian relgious candle emporium, you really have your pick. I am partial to St. Anthony, saint of lost things, who has miraculously returned my wallet to me on numerous occasions (the best was the time it appeared on top of a pile of books in a cafe, SIX MONTHS after I had lost it). But I don’t need you guys returned miraculously to me. I bet you would think it was a bit of a let down if one minute you were informing your teacher that while drinking her, you could also drink coffee, and the next you were standing in my kitchen listening to me explain that me and St. Anthony thought you had quite enough adventuring, and it was time you came home and spoke English like everybody else. So. Perhaps today I will venture down to one of the candle shops and pick a saint. But if you have any suggestions . . .
Anyway, happy birthday tomorrow!!! xoxoxox
But don’t you have to have your cake if you’re eating it? and haven’t we had this conversation before? You two sound as if you’re on a perpetual high, which is absolutely delightful. I sense a lot of giggling, which explains why you are not able to drink Edna and your coffee at the same time. Sarah, happy happy day. There will be quite a few candles burning tomorrow. I’m even going to burn one and as a Unitarian, we don’t worry about saints. We just call them birthday candles.
(IN FOUR PART HARMONY: G’MA, G’PA, NELLIE AND LOKI)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUU
HAPPY BIIIIRRRRRRTHDAY, SARASPONDA,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOO YOUUUUUUUU!!
And from Loki, a lick on the end of your nose.
(In four-part harmony) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOO YOUUUUU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SARASPONDA,
HAAAAPPPPYYYY BIRRRTHHHDAY TOOOOO YOUUUUUU. And a lick on the end of your nose from Loki.
Well, here it is, your birthday. I hope it’s a wonderful day and a sunny warm one. Have fun with each other and enjoy the Guatemalan hospitality.
Congratulations on warming our hearts for another year. MWWWWAA!
Happy Berthday sweet one, only one, deer one, all together one. Love you so much when I think about you. Pat reminds me to think about you. GPP
This is the third time I’m trying to get your blog to accept my message, so if it comes through three times, it’s because I REALLY mean it!! (and I’m a Neanderthal at the computer!!) In four part harmony, from me and Grandpa, Nellie and Loki, who adds a lick on the end of your nose — we are singing Ye Olde Birthday Song to you, but the Blog won’t seem to accept it. So I’ll send this and you supply the “Sponda” and the many many “p”s and “o’s” and “u’s” if the song won’t be acceptable to the Great Censor in the CyberSpace. Love, love, love, love from Grandma and Loki who this moment YELLED “Meow!” which being translated is, “Happy Birthday, Sarah!”
Happy Birthday my little cocktail sausage. Katie-Louise and I are thinking of you and we will eat cake for you tonight. Such a hardship. BIG KISSES AND HUGS!!!!!!
In other news, I am about to ride herd on GPP for obvious reasons. Look for updates.