Never eat before excercising.

So after telling my host father I was interested in football (soccer), he got me into a league to play in. So Friday night (the 22nd), he told me I would be playing in a x-mas tournament in a town called Jogampichu. So we hopped onto a bus at 8:30 in the morning on Saturday. At first I was sitting in the back w/ a bunch of big older guys and everyone was speaking spanish at a pace faster than I could understand (and they were using lots of slang). One guy asked if he could see my white and blue cleats and I said sure. He was like wow they're white. And he passed them forward w/ everyone commenting on how pretty they were. I was like they are white because I am really fast and all of you need to be able to see me.

So we got off the bus and walked up a hill (the theme of my trip) to the field. Then I watched the first half of the kid's game while half my team smoked a joint. After the first half I went to see where the other half of my team was. They were drinking beers. So they let me start in the first game and it was like 90ish degrees with humidity so I was done after 25 minutes.

The host town then served us chicken, tortilla, and rice for lunch and a green sugar water. So we started our 2nd game. I had 2 breakaways w/ one on ones with the keeper and failed to score. No luck at all.

After that game my host father was going to drive me back on his motorcycle, after drinking 3 beers.... So we eventually got back (after stopping for 2 more beers). I decided to wash my clothes instead of paying the 2 or 3 dollars for someone else to do it. Then there was a disco at the big town hall at night. I watched what the normal dance was. Imagine Will Smith from Hitch doing his little step back and forth for 30min to 1 hour. So I tried it and got bored. Then I went back to crazy dancing. Instead of cooking a pizza, yo cocino una tortilla. I showed my host mom. Then there were more gringos crazy dancing with me and it was fun while people stared.

When it rains, it rains, then pours

Today, I woke up in excitement for work at about 7. My night was filled with me going to the bathroom because I overcompensated for how dehydrated I was. I banged my head on the ceiling of the bathroom about six times. (The bathroom is made up of a stone with the center jutting up with a hole in it. Did you know you don't throw stuff down the toilet in guate?) I went with boy to the park in the morning. I met some volunteers from Texas, Canada, Denmark, a student from Germany. I found that I live the farthest from the park and am the only one walking up hills that are 45 degrees or steeper. W/e my bedroom has a view of the lake and sun rising in the morning is one of the greatest sights.
Today I got a tour of the park and we cleaned some turtle's cages in el museo. Then I helped the canadiens work on a water tank at the school.

We decided to meet at the top of the hill to go to the lake at 2pm. I decided I would meet up with the volunteers at the lake since it is literally 30ft from the house. But I couldn't find them at all. In the process of searching, it started to rain. Then it stopped. Then it rained some more, but this time the streets became rivers and the steps around the village became rapids. Then it stopped and became hot for a while. Then it rained some more...


NOTE TO ALL THAT READ: I write these in my days, and type them up when I find time.

"Crazy dreams"

"Once you have those anti-malarials drugs, you'll have crazy dreams", said an old woman named Judy. I sat between her and her daughter's friend for my flight. I didn't believe a word she said. After sitting at the bus station, not understanding a word being said to me, I decided to reach out. The first man was a 25ish banker/professor, nice guy. (I got to the station on saturday at 3ish and my bus was at 9pm). On the way to the bus I found a bunch of english speaking people. A man, his daughter (from poland) and a college student from Belize who spoke great english.

I slept really hard on the bus. I had to get off and use the bathroom at a stop. When I got off I asked a guy "where's the bathroom?" and I forgot where I was. I put together ?Donde esta puedo ir al bano?

After we got off, for 10 min crazy taxi drivers harassed me till I could pull off a phone call. I found the nice guy trying to pick me up.

My host family is cool. They have 3 daughters and 2 pet chickens. I slept for the entire day and night pretty much (the park wasn't open on a sunday). The first time I woke up was for lunch where I realized I was having crazy dreams.

Un pollo

While I write this, a chicken stares me down in a shack of a bus station in Zona 1 of Guate city. A lady is yelling about selling tortillas while balancing a box of meals on her head. A child is repeating her for fun, while hopping up and down the seats of the station.
The first leg of my journey is slowly ending. My spanish is currently terrible and I can barely communicate with a few memorized phrases. I didn't exchange enough money and barely have enough for my trip to flores.
The plane ride was good. We ran late, because I overslept, but the plane to Houston caught up by being 30 min late and then the plane to guate was 40 min late taking off. Then we arrived 15 min late. My backpack was on one of the last carts to come off the plane and I was def freaking out.
The sun's shining and it's beautiful. My can driver didn't understand a word, but I got to the right place.
I starved for a good hour while carrying my 50lb pack. So I found a place after 2 hours to place it while I looked around. With all the sketchy cafes and restaurants, a pair of golden arches saved me. And all was good again.

First of Firsts

After a long night/afternoon of studying I settled down to find my roommate asleep before me for the first time, ever. So I woke up early this morning to do my laundry and get some breakfeast. Exam starts at 1:30.

I then decided I would call the organization that I'm working with. I finally got a taste of Spanish. DAMN do they speak fast! I can't even think that fast when I'm in English mode. But I got my point across after telling Inquita (I don't know how to spell) that she spoke too fast. I don't know if I told her to call me back before 7pm or after 7pm.

On to STUDYING AND FOLDING CLOTHES/PACKING! Does anyone actually read this? If so please leave a comment just so I know.

Fast Forward, please!

So I have had four finals, 1 monday, 2 wednesday, 1 this morning at 8am, and 1 tomorrow afternoon. This is pretty ridiculous. I was even suppose to have 3 wednesday (yeah 4 in a row) but I conflicted one to Friday. This would normally be nice.

BUT! There's always a big butt at the end of everything that's nice. So now I have to move all my shit out of my filthy place because the squatter won't clean his shit up. The smell of marijuana, keystone light, and mold is pretty gross. This all needs to get done by 6pm. My mom and I have to drive home for 2 hours and then I have to pack my bag for this trip.

THEN I have to leave the house at 3am to get on a plane that leaves by 5:45 am. But it doesn't get better. I have to then traverse Houston airport named after our great president. Then I land in Guatemala city.

But it doesn't end there. I have to then travel to the bus station on the opposite side of the city. Then take an 8hr bus ride where I hopefully won't be robbed. So I get to wind down maybe Sunday? If I'm lucky....

The first of many

Hi Guys,
To all that know me, I started this blog for my various adventures around campus at UIUC and around the world (mostly Guatemala). I'll be trying to write some from the rainforest this winter.