Lisa Skeen on wed 26 jan 05
Well, I can't remember where I left off last, but the last couple of =
days have been pretty uneventful except at night. I have been making =
several masks and trying=20
a couple of things that I've wanted to do before and just never did. I =
think at least in terms of fixing the clay, we have one that feels good =
in the hand and does
not appear to crack when drying at least so far. It won't be fired =
until after I leave though, so Billie will be sending me my pieces in =
the mail when she gets home. We had a new arrival, Paula from Bullet =
Tree is here now and she is the cutest thing you've ever seen. She is a =
little Abuela, MAYBE 5' tall if she stretches some. She is making =
whistles, or at least trying to do. She makes the forms ok
but is having trouble with the whistle part.
Yesterday we ate 3 meals at Guillermo's house. Breakfast was eggs, =
fried plantains,
pineapple and beans with flour tortillas. Lunch was black chicken soup, =
which I have learned is made with burnt tortillas and a spice I can't =
spell. [[It is Recado, which comes in red and black forms]] It has =
chicken,
stock, potatoes and boiled eggs. We had it the first night here and it =
was yummy!
They can buy venison here in the store like we buy beef. Dinner was hot =
dogs. =20
Then, Billie went to the soccer game in the next town - it was a grudge =
match because
ourr guys lost on Sunday, but they got their butts handed to them again =
last night
- Billie says they got slaughtered. :(
Organization of events is pretty loose here. Where we plan things, =
departure times, vehicles, etc. to the Nth degree, they're like, Ok, =
we're going to go to the next
town before you leave, and then you never know when you're going until =
they come
get you with the truck. Soccer game, the same way. Well, are we going? =
O yes.
When? O maybe 6:00..... and at 6:00 they're still scrambling around =
trying to find
a way to get to the game.
Excitement at my house the last two nights. On TUesday night, the =
family went to bed around 11:30 and Chalo stayed up watching TV with the =
sound off. On two other
nights while I've been here, I have heard someone walking around outside =
my window on the front porch, but I thought it was Chalo so I didn't =
think anything about=20
it. But, on Tuesday night, I knew I hadn't heard Chalo leave the house, =
and then I saw a man open their truck door and get inside and start =
searching around. I=20
had to get dressed and get out of my tent to go get Chalo. He went out =
with his light and saw the guy, but did not try to catch him. Chalo =
said he knows who it
was and he will talk to him about it. THe guy didn't steal anything =
because he din't have time.
As I think I've told y'all before, the owner of my house runs two =
stores. One is at our house (in a building on the side) and the other =
is on the main road. Last
night prolly 1-2am (I'm guessing) 5 or 6 men came to the front of the =
house and=20
woke me up talking. I asked out the window if it was David out there. =
So then=20
they all came to the window and shined their flash on me (yay) and asked =
for beer.
I told them (in Spanish, in Present tense) the store is closed, there is =
no beer, go away. So, they went away....down
to Chino's room window to demand beer. David got up and sold them beer, =
and then they stood out in the yard talking loudly for at least an hour. =
THEN David got=20
up again at 4am to take the kid across the street to the next village to =
catch the bus to school. I've had very little sleep to go on today.
On Saturday is the 40th anniversary of the Catholic church here. They =
are having a big dinnner celebration (Lunch) starting at 9am with =
(probably, but not planned
yet) a parade and tamales for lunch. The other church (Pentecostal) is =
having a barbecue (not sure what that means here) sale on the same day, =
so we probably won't
get much done clay-wise - we are expected at the celebrations.
The little boys here are fascinated with me. Yesterday I was sitting on =
the porch reading my book, and they came to talk. Why do I read so =
much, they want to know.
I have suspected they were outside my window watching me read in my tent =
on some nights becuase I have heard them giggling. I like reading, I =
say. I can learn=20
about other places and animals and other people but I don't have to =
travel there.
They like math. They have learned 'find the perimeter', and 'find the =
radius' and find the circumference of a circle. I taught them 'find the =
area of a square or rectangle'. Now they know a math trick their =
compadres don't know. They are fascinated by my hair - who did it, how =
much did it cost, how long did it take, what does it
feel like. Last night the family went to Rosary and I stayed at the =
house by myself. The boys came over to watch TV with me - the last half =
hour of one of the Harrison Ford/Anne Archer series, the one with Willem =
Dafoe in it. It was subtitled in Spanish.
Then they went to the restaurant. THey were back as soon as my movie =
was over, saying the people in the restaurant wanted to watch the =
novella. I said that was
fine with me, I hope they enjoy the novella. The boys said no, I had to =
watch the
novella too, because the TV signal at the restaurant comes from the =
house! So, I had to watch novellas. =20
Novellas are the spanish equivalent of a soap opera, and they come out =
of Mexico. Man they are nasty. They make JR Ewing look like a priest. =
Everybody's killing
or beating or cheating or cheatingON somebody else. They have this one =
guy who is a black man in a small afro, wearing ice blue contact lenses =
and black clothing
- he is El Diabolo, and he is torturing this one girl. He's really ugly =
looking with those contacts. Yuck. [[I am not making this stuff up, I =
swear]]
Actually, I think I have misspelled Novela - the ll would be a different =
pronunciation. So, it's supposed to be with one L. Anyway. Gotta go =
teach more now. Making work to fill the kiln so Guillermo can learn to =
fire. 3 more nights here then Cay Caulker.
L
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