...

hello, hello. .

am using a computer at a local bar - air conditioned and relatively inexpensive.



let's see.. lately?


-- well, wednesday nights at Las Brisas (a different bar - 'breezes') is Ladies' Night.

this means free vodka or rum drinks for females between 10 and 11pm, loud loud loud music and salsa dancing. i may or may not return next week, as i prefer beer and cannot salsa to save my soul. however, it was interesting, and i believe picture-worthy, so if i get the nerve to try out the free dance lessons at the language school, i just may try again and pass on some photos.
this teeny town is rather quiet, but on wednesdays, people flood out of the woodowrk (and surrounding pueblos) and shit gets crackin. really, i was absolutely blown away by the sheer number of people- i have yet to see more in one place.

-- i had my first two open water dives yesterday; they went well, though the visibility was not especially good. i passed all the required skills and had a good time. minor medusa (jellyfish) sting, but it didn't last nearly as long as a brush with nettles, so i wasn't phased. my next two will be this friday - longer dives with more exploration than exercises. upon completing those, i will be a certified open water diver.
i am excited and a little proud - the hardest part is stepping off of the boat with the heavy pack, but once i'm under the water everything's peachy. it's nice to know i can do multiple types of emercency ascents, and remove/replace equipment, etc. now begins the fun stuff. .

-- i cooked dinner for my host family last night, and it went well. a broccoli/carrot/onion quiche witha perfect crust. i was nervous as it was in a largeish square pan but it cooked completely and didn't burn.
today i am going to teach my host mother and sister to bake chocolate chip cookies - we had a conversation about what we like to cook, and they were rather excited to hear about my experience with 'galletas'; i guess their favorite variety is chocolate chip. . works well for me, as it feels strange to have gone 2 weeks without cooking anything.
the quiche crust inspired a pie discussion, and i will be making an apple pie sometime soon. manzanas are expensive here, but it will be worth it. . it's possible that they came all the way from the home state, but i haven't checked yet.


-- i took an afternoon trip to playa conchal- a nearby beach with, you guessed it, quite a few seashells. it was a windy but sunny day, which apparently means 'christmas is on the way' to people here. .
decorations are cropping up more and more, and my host siblings seem to be getting excited. .


-- might have mentioned this previously, but i decided to put my lip ring back in; after a dinner discussion about my host sister's desire for facial piercings and a tattoo, i've learned that they're much more common here than i thought - three of her 14 year old school friends already have lip jewelry and apparently it's no bigger a deal here than at home. something was mentioned about her father wanting a nose ring? not sure. .





to home:
i hope the shakespeare play was excellent (i'm sure it was)..
mary w - a beard? and blood? awesome. i'm missing the theater; it's been years. .

also missing vita's, the smell of quiche baking last night was comforting. i hope the fall-to-winter transition is going well for the restaurant and the island.

i am excited to hear about the glow-worm that's planned for the light festival, it sounds like an excellent idea and i would like to see photos.


feeling forgetful - will update more later. .