Febrero Loco

In Guatemala, they sing happy birthday in Spanish just as we´ve heard it since we were little. But they add something on to the end. Kinda like how we always added on ´¨How old are? How old are you? How oooold are you? How old are?¨ They say, ¨Ya queremos pastel, ya queremos pastel. Aunque sea un pedacito, pero queremos pastel.¨ Pretty cute, huh? Love you, bro.

Happy Birthday, Pinguino!

This blog is dedicated to my brother, the roughest but sweetest boy I know. Not to mention probably the guy that has the best style. Even better than Perla and I, because you have the dough to make things happen. We all wish that we could be with you for your birthday. I even tried calling you twice today but the call didn´t even go through. Know that we love you and are always thinking of you, birthday or unbirthday. Te queremos muchisimo.

The following are things that I hope make you smile:
1) I´ve been singing the ABCs song all this week and will continue the following week because I am teaching basic level English.
2) The principal called in about 10 boys into his office for throwing rocks at a girl. These are high schoolers.
3) The Municipality had not picked up garbage for over two weeks because our mayor is corrupt and God knows what he is doing with the money. The people are pissed as a result, there was a underground movement to take all the garbage and leave it on the steps of the Muni. Truckloads. The cops tried to stop the people and they got trash hurled at them.
4) Bebes, my dog, had brown crap all over his face and I realized it right as I was about to kiss him.
5) I love you and miss you.

Yesterday I was a little kid again. I came home from going to visit a teacher´s brother that got hit badly by a motorcycle. He was at the National Hospital which isn´t too too far from where I live. I must say, visiting someone when they are suffering is bad enough with someone you actually know and in English, but its ackward as hell in Spanish and with someone you don´t know. Nevertheless, I think the family was very happy that we (me and Seño Emilsa) showed up. She went to pray and I tagged along. I think I may eventually turn into the O but I have a long way to go. I came home from the hospital and found Cristian and his best friend, Carola, making a piñata. I was tired. I could have easily just gone to bed but why would you pass up making a piñata. We did that though we aren´t done. We still have ways to go. Doña Raquel thought it would be cool to take an old piñata frame and make a new one, stuff the thing with candy, invite all her friends over and whack it open. Good idea. After the piñata, Cristian, Carola and I decided we were going to ride bikes. The problem was that we only had one bike. So we would take turns while the other two ran behind. But then a former student of mine showed up and he started riding with us and giving Cristian and Carola rides. We ended up riding for about an hour up and down the block. We then got to the cancha and started sticking bottles in the tires so that they´d make motorcycle sounds. It was so much fun. I don´t know how to describe it aside from giving an example. A few weeks back, I took one of the last buses home. They are either super packed or empty. I don´t know if there is anyway of knowing. Anyway, so the ayudantes for that day where two teens, maybe 18 years old or so. All the people were packed so damn tightly into the bus. I was almost sitting on the driver´s lap. People were hanging outside the bus door. The ayudantes were hanging out the door with one foot inside and the other leg dangling out. The music was blarring, some ranchera love song. It must have been these kids´ jam because they started shaking their heads, jumping up and down, grinning so wide and singing along. They looked so happy. It was hilarious. It was so unlike what I´ve seen here. People don´t do that in public. That´s how I felt riding bikes yesterday. Out of my element, free and totally happy.