Last day :(

Before I talk about today, let me correct a gaping hole from yesterday´s post.. I forgot to mention the big one.. Derrick, stop reading now.  About 5:45 AM yesterday (I was already awake) I was greeted by a lovely shaking of the house.  I thought maybe a large truck was driving by.  Nope, earthquake.  Apparently they happen fairly regularly around here, because of the volcano.  Nobody was particularly worried, but there was enough talk about it at school to make me think it doesn´t happen every week.  I was actually pretty pleased, since I missed the earthquake in D.C. four weeks ago today (actually, I was awake and cleaning my apartment for the big move-out.. but I failed to notice it.. to be fair, no one in my building seemed to notice it, although everyone else in D.C. did.. yay for my building!)

Well today indeed is my last day in Xela (if you don´t count the four hours I will be sleeping/packing tomorrow morning).  Began the day with class with Loyola, although to be honest it was a bit hard to concentrate.  Still we managed to squeeze in another two-and-a-half tenses.  Progress til the end, no?  (By the way, regarding my diction and grammar.. my English has suffered tremendously.. I´m forgetting words in English, and I don´t yet know them in Spanish.. leads to a terrible combination.. yesterday, for instance, I couldn´t think of the word turmeric to save my life.. but this was readily apparently at the cooking class yesterday when one of the other students said to me, "You have a name?", which, in my defense is a very Spanish way of asking the question in-and-of itself, and unsure of her exact meaning, I responded,"of me?".. everyone laughed, so at least I can still entertain even if I can´t speak properly.)  Anyway, Loyola gave me a most wonderful gift, a book cover for my new Spanish Bible, made in a Mayan style.  I´ll have to take a picture of it and add it here soon, but it is beautiful and incredibly thoughtful!

After class, I graduated.  Every week there is an optional themed graduation party.  Usually at night, this one took place at lunch time, and the teachers cooked for us.  They grilled all these vegetables in the courtyard of the school, and the carne asada was perhaps the most delicious meat I have eaten, outside of a chorizzo-filled burrito from Qdoba.  At the end, we were handed our diplomas, and we were asked to make a short speech showing off our newfound Spanish.  Unfortunately for me, I followed the 11-year-old and 10-year-old, so I sounded pretty pathetic in comparison.  Still, there´s no point in learning if I don´t make a fool of myself trying to use it at times.  (Which reminds me, Edna, Abb, anyone else who speaks Spanish, that´s all we´re going to use from now on.. to try to give me as much practice as possible to force me to continue to improve.)  My camera was in my pocket, but I was having too much fun to take pictures.  Between this and the book cover, it must be "last day sickness" where you forget to use your camera!

I was sorely tempted, after class, to attend one last excursion.  There was a horse ride in the countryside, and it was awfully inviting.. there was a limit of four students, and the other three students going were my new friends Shona, Kirsten, and Agnes.. and since I couldn´t get to Tikal this year (site of famous Mayan pyramids.. the trip started today and completes on Monday), it would have been a nice end to the week.  But I really have too much to get done (including coordinating my pick-up in D.C. as well writing this blog entry), so I had to pass.

Instead, I stopped over at the Mennonite bakery that is only open on Tuesdays and Fridays.  Yes, those Mennonites.  It´s lore around here that their bakery is just slightly under Tikal in terms of things to see while in Guatemala.  Bought some cupcakes and pastries for the family tonight for dinner.. I´ll reserve my judgment until then.

Going to get to Mass one last time tonight, and then try to get an early bedtime so that I get a few hours before the bus ride back through the carretera that is half-washed away.  My flight isn´t until 2:30 PM, and the trip from Xela shouldn´t take more than 5 hours max, so leaving at 4:15 AM should give me oceans of time.. but just last week, it took one bus 7 hours to travel the road, so I´m leaving nothing to chance.  (My Spanish is better now, but I don´t think that it is good enough to negotiate well for a replacement flight!)  I don´t expect problems though..

By the way, right now I´m eating a very unusal snack that is worth talking about.  Wish I had my camera to take a picture.  It´s a 2"x2" square cookie that is rather bland but has bits of strawberry interspersed in it.  It is topped by four mini marshmallows (two white, two pink) and coconut.  It´s odd, but really good.  And of course, my new favorite, coke in a glass bottle.  I´ll miss that when I´m back home.

I´ve had a great time this last month.  As soon as I get home, I´ll start collecting names for whoever wants to return with me next year!