Class Picture

Happy birthday, KK! You get a point for turning 15 this year!

Happy new year to my Jews! You also get a point for good karma.

Day started out with 10 sun salutations at yoga. Wendy wants us to learn the Ashtanga way, so we have been memorizing the series of poses so that we can practice without thinking. It is nice to be able to space out and focus on breathing while your body automatically drives itself forward. Why can't more of life be like that?

I hung out at Omega Tours after yoga and met a couple from the states who were vacationing in the area. The woman, who was slightly older than me, had the worst boob job I've ever seen. It was hard not to stare. It's just so... unfortunate. Amy 0, Honduras 0, KK 1, Jews 1, Boob job -1.

Instead of having class today with the Tucanes (the youngest group in Las Mangas), we decided to help out Fabrizio and be pretend tourists for the guides he is training. The guides took us along the sendero and told us all about the trees, flowers, and wildlife of la cuenca.

Yes, that is a machete.

Below, the guide (Marlon, in the back with the backpack) is demonstrating how a certain tree (with a name that escapes me) wraps its roots around itself for protection. Camilo (center) is the tree and my little tucanes are the roots.

With the Aguilas today, we opened the class with an English discussion about the differences between men and women. There were the expected responses (hair length, strength, size) and the unexpected (men abuse women, machismo, men have money and power). The lesson that stemmed from our discussion was about comparisons and superlatives. Each student wrote 5 sentences that compared men to women (i.e. Women are more intelligent than men.) and we took a class vote on the validity of each statement. Some of my impromptu field-research findings were:

1. Men are stronger than women.
2. Women cook more than men.
3. Men work more than women.
4. Women are more sensual and passionate than men.
5. Men play soccer better than women.
6. Men are more dangerous than women.
7. Women have less opportunities than men.
8. Women love God more than men.

Given the community where I live, none of these observations really surprised me.

We also took a class picture! I told the girls that I wanted to take their picture to send with their pen pal letters, so they dressed up and insisted they take a group photo with me (post-swimming, sweaty, and far from dressed up) and Adolfo, one of the boys in class. They look great! Amy 0, Honduras 1, KK 1, Jews 1, Boob job -1.

I wanted to leave you with another picture of Genesis. She melts my heart (and kind of looks like my sister when she was younger).

Mosquito Bites: 2

Final Score: Amy 0, Honduras 1, KK 1, Jews 1, Boob jobs -1