Morir Soñando

April 9, 2013. Well as I lie here in my bed, the frogs outside have become unbearably loud (totally competing with the dogs), I'm pretty sure one just jumped into the stream, a cockroach is chilling under my bed, a dog definitely just attacked a cat, and my Doña is mumbling something in her room (possibly singing?). And despite the yucky feeling in my throat (probably due to being soaked for 3 hours yesterday), I don't want to go to bed yet. And it's 11pm! Haha :).
Today I had two hard boiled eggs waiting for me with my two cheese and jamón sandwiches. Win? My host mom and I talked outside before I left about the rains and what happens to the stream that passes through the street near her house. It has been filled with water since I got here but there's a pretty easy spot to jump over it off to the side. When the rains come, however, it can be impossible to cross and get to her house. She has had to walk all the way around the back neighborhood and down to come in on the opposite side. The water has also risen all the way to her house before and the people that live upstream will push their garbage into the water and it will sit in front of her house since there's no outlet. I guess stream is the wrong word since it's not moving... But yea. Pretty awful. Her road needs to be paved so this isn't an issue for my poor old Doña...
At training, a volunteer who is possibly in her 30s came to take about literacy! She was a youth volunteer but just extended for a third year as an education volunteer. That was an exciting morning, just talking about literacy and having things flood back into my memory from college. She also brought an entire box full of books in Spanish for us to use and borrow here in CBT!! And guess what I found, munchkin!?! The Kissing Hand! See the picture below? In Spanish you say, "Un Beso en Mi Mano." Goodness I wish I could call you and read it to you. I still have that kiss on my left palm that you gave me ages ago. And no matter how many times I wash it, I can still feel your love when I place it on my cheek. Thanks little man. I hope my kiss is still on your hand! I miss and love you so much.
Lunch deliciously followed and Spanish was of course, at 2pm. Today was pretty fun since we just talked together for a while, casually. We then watched his Doña make that orange drink that we had made back in core training. The one with freshly squeezed chinas, evaporated milk, ice, and sugar? Yea, it's called "Morir Soñando" or "To Die Dreaming." And it's so true. I would die happy if it was while drinking that drink :D. We then worked on a project for tomorrow where we will tell a children's story en español! We were able to choose how we wanted to retell it (with a cartoon, poster, acting, etc) and we chose acting it out with puppets. So pumped :).
After, yet again in the rain, a few of us went to play volleyball. We only stayed for about an hour this time though since we had Game Night at Marcia's house at 8! Aye, no hay tiempo para nada. But at least it's all fun stuff! I showered, had mashed potatoes and this delicious mystery meat that reminded me of sausage, and I was off again! All of the Spanish teachers were there and there was Scrabble, Dominoes, cards, Spanish Banana Grams (sooo need to get that game), and others that I can't remember. When we arrived, Marcia said as we started talking in English, "Oh no! This is a Spanish only zone!" I joked and started walking towards the door and yelling goodbye to everyone. Pero en serio, that made me really happy. I've found that I'm totally fine when it comes to exercises or practicing in the grammar book. Ask me to conjugate a verb in a certain tense and I'll write it for you. But applying what I know and then being fluid in my speech? Ay Dios mio, no. I feel like we don't have enough time to just casually converse in Spanish just to practice. Pretty much all of our training is in English and when the volunteers are together, we speak in English. Hay solamente Spanish class and then the little time I have with my Doña. So my point after that long-winded explanation of my frustrations? Yay Marcia for making us talk only in Spanish even if I initially dreaded it!
I played Dominoes first and owned :). Then we played a game called Blitz which was pretty fun too. After, I taught a few volunteers and Marcia and David how to play Set! Remember though, I had to do it in Spanish! haha They started to understand by the end and David said that he really enjoyed it because it was challenging. Exactly! Marcia said that each year the volunteers teach her a new game. The first year it was UNO, the second... I'm blanking, and now Set!
Caitlin, Keegan, and I then walked home in the dark since se fue la luz. They seem to have the same concerns about needing to just casually talk in Spanish and invited me over to converse anytime :). Definitely going to take advantage of that. My host mother was reading her Bible by cellphone flashlight when I arrived and thought my headlight was really cool haha.
A half hour has now passed since I began this blog and during that time the frogs have not stopped, the dogs are still having barking competitions, some other animal has joined the group but I have NO idea what it is, and hopefully the cockroach is gone... Though I'm not getting out of my mosquitera to look. No way, no how. So! Buenas noches!