So i think with last Saturday´s bus trip to San Quintin, and yesterday, I may have experienced all I need to in Mexico. Time to come home? (just kidding!)

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday I had a little cold, nothing too much. Wednesday morning, however, I woke up with a ringing in my right ear. I didn´t think too much about it until I went to meet with the girls before the kids arrived and their voices echoed in my right ear. I began to worry that my hearing was completely going (and subsequently was reminded of all my mom´s warnings about loud concerts). I told the girls, but kind of shrugged it off. I ate breakfast with the kids, but i was feeling really tired so I went to lay down for a few hours. When I woke up I felt a lot better. I saw Ruth Ann and she asked me how I was, and told her about my ear. She immediately said it was probably an ear infection and that i needed to go to the doctor.

So off I went with Rosa to the public clinic a few blocks away. Because of my misunderstanding of her Spanish when she said to me "Duele?" we got to go over the emergency room. There was no doctor in the clinic for a few more hours yet. "Duele" means "hurt", and no it didn´t hurt. I saw the doctor and all he did was look in my ears. I had to tell him I am allergic to penicillen and amocillin. I know for SURE that I am allergic to penicillen, and I think amoxocillen, and I thought I would just play it safe with the latter. I just got prescribed some ear drops, so I will be taking those. Ruth Ann told me to take a few days off for my own health, so I have been sitting around reading and being somewhat bored.

Mom and Dad were able to send a package under short notice to a friend, Ralph, who lives in Tijuana but gets mail in San Diego. He is headed down here this week. On the phone Sunday mom told me there were a few surprises in there for me, so I am anxiously awaiting his arrival. While I am sick in my room I look out the window at every car sound.

Something rather funny happened Sunday. I took my garbage out to the spot behind the kitchen where the garbage goes and the kitchen door shut behind me. When I tried the door, however, it was locked. I was standing in this courtyard, not quite sure what to do with my self, as the gate to the outside is padlocked and secure as well. I just stood there, with quite a problem on my hands... there was nobody around, or close enough in the place to hear me yell. So, I did a James Bond type of thing and climbed over a fence, shuffled between a small shed and the building and found myself in another courtyard with the guard dog, Vanessa. Vanessa isn´t much of a guard dog, however, because she only whimpered at me. From there I could just get out and walk around to the front gate, but it sure made me think about that back kitchen door and what I´ll do better next time.

Some of the times that I really love here are with the women in the kitchen. Often Rosa is in there with the cook (whoever it is that day) and Brigida and I might be in there as well (with our old friends, the strawberries, which keep appearing), and Norma the cleaning lady. And some other lady might drop by to chat or get strawberries, and their voices and talking is so fun. I can´t understand most of it, but it is just nice to hear them laughing and sharing together. I think i enjoy it so much because it reminds me of my family, with my two aunts, my mom, and my grandma in the kitchen. They are like that as well.. talking and laughing, and even sometimes singing. So maybe I just like it because it reminds me of home.

I am learning a lot more Spanish because of the girls. I have quickly learned some slang, or catchphrases. They said "Que Suave", I think when something is cool or neat. The girls joke around with me about my brain size, and the word for brain is "cerebro", so I will say "mi cerebro es grande". Also, when we are talking about something, or looking at something someone might say "muy interesante" in a sarcastic tone ("very interesting"). It is interesting to think about our language skils and what we are so used to hearing or saying because of the environment we are brought up in. I could say "what do you think you are doing?" really fast at home and people would understand. Here, however, if I said it to Geno and Brigida it has to be much slower, and vice versa, when they are speaking Spanish to me. Also, Avy is trying to learn English along with the kids when I teach them, so she says "How are you?" but so differently..

I haven´t got much else to say. Dr. Foltz: I will try to the anthro thing next time.. I think I´ll need to collect my thoughts on that one.

To everyone: If you know people who might be asking about me, or about me being in Mexico please feel free to give them the address to this journal. I tried to send out an all-campus e-mail twice, but I got it sent back both times with numerous names of people it didn´t get to.

It is raining here today, and it reminds me of home!