Q: “How is your heart?”
A: Getting twisted and stomped on and filled up with love and intense joy
Q: Do people act surprised when a gringa is walking down the street?
Sometimes. Mostly they just say "Guerita linda!" Or "Hola guerita!" (Hello beautiful white person!) And I always want to respond, Hello friendly short person. Every once in a while I do. And when I'm in a great mood I wave and comment on how everybody knows my name here.
Q: Do you still get your water from under the floor?
No! Last week some friends fixed it. I didn't mention it because I didn't have much faith that it would hold up for a week and sure enough the next day we were out again. BUT. THIS week I decided to figure it out myself and learned a plumbing lesson, and I can now fix our bomba whenever it breaks! So WE HAVE WATER! And I'm trying to teach my companion in case this is (probably) my last week in Coita.
Q: How comfortable to you feel with the language now?
Super de duper. I love spanish and everyone tells me I talk like a chiapaneca, because I use all the sayings and sometimes find myself cutting my words short like they do here.
Q: How often do people use words you don’t know?
About three times a day probably my companion or someone else asks me a question, and I tell them, I would answer that if I knew what a "liga" was (etc).
Q: Carnival sounded festive and colorful. Have you seen other holidays?
A: Not much! I got here to Coita on independence day of Mexico and we were pretty disappointed. There was one day, Rosca de Reyes? In January where everyone in the pueblo made roscas, delicious moist cakes with gummy candy on top, and you just had to buy your roscas. There was one day in the park where they had one HUGE rosca around the whole perimeter--a big long line (circle) of cake all connected, and apparently they gave it out for free at a certain hour, but unfortunately it was the day my companion was discovered with dengue and we were headed for the house.
Q: What are your favorite things to eat?
A: Tacos. Nothing beats tacos here.
Q: Did you learn how to make them?
A: No. :( I'm still in the process of asking everyone, but it all has to do with the way you cook the meat. I'll get there! I've learned a few other things though!
Q: What is the yuckiest thing you’ve eaten?
A: Nothing really exciting but I think shrimp soup. Not because shrimp is awful but because it seemed to have been roasting in the sun before being cooked and had a really sour and weird twang to it.
Q: What don’t they have that you’re most looking forward to?
A: I miss bagels! Don't exist here!
Q: Do you hear from lots of your friends and family, or just a faithful few?
A: They all do pretty good, not everyone of course, but I hear from a lot. The dear elders are just from my faithful few (mom dad and Erika) and a few surprises every once in a while ;)
Q: Is the camera working out? Any questions? Did you get my page of all knowledge on it?
A: Yep! I'm having a ton of fun zooming in reeeeal close on things and figuring out settings. Super handy at the zoo and with crazy bugs this week!
Q: Were you able to figure out how to make Morgan the Mouse? Have you put it to use?
A: Yep! I'm going to teach a family how to do it this week.
Q: Do kids there have the same reaction?
A: Mostly the kids when they see it go deathly silent and stare at me, and then slowly get closer. But it's fun :)
Q: Do they have fun flavors of soda there?
A: Peach, pineapple, etc. The best is "manzanita" and I still don't understand what fruit it is, because it's not apple. But it tastes good.
Q: Do your feet hurt a lot, or are they tough as nails now?
A: Tough as nails! Just covered in bug bites currently.
Q: Are you ever nervous to talk with people? How do you get past that?
A: Sometimes, but nothing like before. You just get used to asking a random question and not worrying about what they'll think of you. Like, are you going to work right now? Is that your child? Or, Hi I'm from the United States! Ever seen a missionary? It all works great. Sometimes I feel like Kimber. And sometimes I feel like Sharon.
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