On Friday, my friends and I went to the weekly graduation at our language school. Everyone was to bring a food to share and the administration provided the beverages (rum, wine, and beer…not something you would experience at a school in the states). There was a lot of singing, dancing, and lively conversation. It was great.
Yesterday I got my second tummy bug. I woke up and spent a lot of time in the bathroom…and no, it wasn't because of the festivities from the night before. I felt horrible! When you're sick and see things or dream of things that are less than pleasant, you tend feel that much worse. For example, I woke up feeling awful and walked to the school to get some work done. On the way I saw two dogs doing the dirty in the most beastly and grotesque way. I thought I was going to blow chunks on the spot. Then later I returned home to nap and had a dream about having a miscarriage. I woke up feeling worse than before. My friend Robyn had a dream about a baby as well and a few of my friends pointed out that dreams about babies are about new beginnings…but my new beginning died….what does that mean?
I spent most of yesterday in abdominal agony. The group ate together at Cafe R.E.D., then Miguel and I walked home while everyone else went out. We are the two unfortunate ones with intestinal problems. When I got home, Margarita made me tea with herbs from the garden that are supposed to make me feel better. I took my tea to the roof so I could observe the city at night. It was a pretty amazing sight and the raging party at my neighbor's house made it even more interesting. Afterwards, I went downstairs and talked to Margarita about economical differences between Guatemala and the United States…I think I can officially say that my Spanish is improving. Margarita made me drink 4 cups of the tea she made and forced me to eat potatoes she prepared for desert. They were pink, which made me a little skeptical, especially since I had just eaten for the first time that day only a few hours earlier. They were potatoes with berries and a tiny bit of sugar in them…they rocked! After talking for about an hour, I thanked Margarita for the tea, took a hot shower, and returned to my room to get some work done. I think I had a better night than if I had gone out.
Today, I did my laundry, went to the market, went to the cemetery, did homework, and tried to not think about my stomach. The market was bumpin' on Sunday!
There were all kinds of people buying and selling. It was quite an experience. The cemetery was just as wonderful, but in a different way. The difference was made clear between the upper class and lower class in the cemetery. The upper class had large mausoleums, while the lower class had small graves in the ground very close to one another with no sense of organization.
I probably should not have been running around today because of my sickness, but I am determined to soak up the culture as much as possible. I will, however, be going to a doctor tomorrow.
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