Se fue la luz!

Well I know that you are probably all surprised that I am writing again so quickly...life has finally slowed down for me and this is the reason! I am only teaching 4 hours a day now I have more of a life and am able to get more things done...and this week has been WONDERFUL thus far!

Where to start?

Yesterday while I was in class I was explaining to my students how to say the time in English. ex: It's five after ten, it's a quater till seven, etc.... Then we started talking about "what time do you wake up in the morning? What time do you eat lunch," etc.... Anyway somehow we got off topic and the students said "teacher, do you know how to cook?" I said..here... no I don't...They said "teacher, what do you eat for breakfast?" I said oatmeal..they said "with milk?" No..with water..." with fruit?" No.... only oatmeal...One student said "teacher when you go back to Iowa you are going to be thin." Then they asked me what I eat for lunch and I said every day I eat rice, beans, eggs, and plantanes... About that time I had like 15 people screaming at me because I do not eat good enough around here...so a girl who sits in the front said she would bring me spaghetti today at 12:30...sure enough, at 12:15 here she came with 2 huge boxes of DELICIOUS spaghetti..... OMG was it good!!! Then, today a woman (her and her husband are both in my class) said that she wanted to invite me over for fish tomorrow for lunch at 11:30...I said ok, but I don't know where you live and she said, well we know where you live so my husband will come pick you up on his motoconcho! So, I guess tomorrow I will eat great as well!

Today when Yaremi brought my spaghetti I asked her if she could take me to a hair salon tonight because I HAD to get my hair cut and my eye brows (what I thought were going to be waxed)..... She said of course, after class.... So after class we started walking to this salon (which was closed but this lady opened it for us)...it started storming a bit and it was around 6:15.... sure enough, about 5 minutes into my hair cut "se fue la luz." The lights went out.... So keep in mind that I am ALREADY terrified to get my hair cut in another country...this lady who I hope to have explained it well enough to in Spanish is cutting my hair, in the dark.... THEN she goes to get a candle and sets it beside me.... She finished cutting my hair and gets out a razor blade.... one person held the candle next to my eye and the other razored my eye brows...... THANK GOODNESS they turned out fine (much better than having it completley ripped off by wax). Of course 5 minutes after she got done cutting/razoring the lights came back on... It was an experience but it worked out for the best.

I assigned my students homework last week that they brought for me yesterday on "their best friend." They had to interview their friends and ask them 10 questions and bring a picture of their best friend... Icould have CRIED.... the first lady (who is cooking me fish tomorrow) got up there and said "my best friend is Paulo ( her husband)" The next lady said "my best friend is my son." Next, "my best friend is my mother." " My best friend is God." "My best friend is my brother in law." Everytime someone went I said "awwww" and all of the students laughed at me but it was so freaking cute! THEN...even better.... I brought the projects home to read and at the end of this girls assignment she wrote "I really happy to be your student." Again, I could have cried!

Que mas?? I went to the wedding with Victor last weekend and we had a blast! I got spoiled all weekend with air coniditioning, good food (including meat...chicken AND fish), windows WITH shades ( so it wasn't bright at 6 in the morning... my feet and hands were their nomral size (no swelling because of the obscene heat). ...oh it was wonderful!! On my drive to Santo Domingo for the wedding, I had 2 bags and my purse under my feet and I was trying to sleep and I was uncomfortable and it just was not working. The nice guy beside me could tell that I was not comfortable and he said "excuse me, but if you want to put your stuff under my feet you can." So freaking nice..but I said no, even though really I wanted to! I just love these people here!

On the way back, I got off the bus in Higuey which is about 2o minutes from Yuma and I had to take a motoconcho to the bus stop...so I got off the bus and I had about 5 men yelling "rubia rubia" So I picked one and said "a la parada de yuma" (To the Yuma stop) so he hopped on the back of his motoconcho and away we went, with my three bags in tow.... I was on the back for about 5 seconds and he said "tiene un esposo?" do you have a husband?" I said no...he said " quiero ser tu esposo, eres muy hermosa, donde vives? puedo conducirte a yuma." I want to be your husband, you are very beautiful, where do you live? I can drive you to Yuma." I said..It's not necessary, thank you, just take me to the parada...He went on to ask me for my phone number, my email address and everything under the sun to which I said "Soy imposible." I am impossible, but thank you :) Anyway, he got me to the parada and I caught another bus to Yuma and I made it home! I did it...all on my own!

This weekend we don't have to work Friday so our students are having a party for us at the beach... a bbq, lots of yummy food, drinks, and sun, AND best of all, AMAZING, WONDERFUL people to spend the day with. Saturday a few of them are having us over to their house for dinner, and Sunday I may or may not go back to the beach again.

We paid our rent finally yesterday...and our electricity bill...which was 350 pesos.... 9.50...4 dollars per person for the month for electricity...LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!

Well...that is all that I have for now...I will probably write again this weekend! LOVE YOU ALL! COME VISIT! I am famous here, you will get the golden treatment if you come! You could also visit my students and they will make you feel really good about yourself!

Much love!