just another day in mexico

you're probably kinda bored with my day to day life so i'll keep today's update short (plus, i'm a bit tipsy so my 'short' is still probably gonna ramble a bit).  

i did multiple cool things today, but i'm gonna limit myself to 'things i've learned.'  and 'things i want to accomplish this week.'  but i might start there and end somewhere completely different, whatever, i'll do my best to keep on point.

first, there's no point in trying to go to sleep at a respectable hour.  someone will always think that fireworks 3 hours after your bedtime is still a respectable hour.  thus, i'm starting this at 11pm.  there's a full on band outside my window right now, and although i promised tracy i'd run at 6am i just have to deal with the fact that i will only have 4-5 hours of sleep if i'm lucky.  i got to bed at around 2 last nite and at 4 i was awakened by a fireworks show.  really?  

one of my teachers describes san miguel as 'fiestero', an actual adjective to describe how much they enjoy their fiestas.  god help me when there's an actual holiday.

the cucarachas aren't any bigger than in hawaii.  thank god, cuz i could barely deal with them there.  come to think of it, i didn't deal with them, i ran screaming and got someone to deal with them for me.  but whatever, the mexican cockroaches of my imagination were way bigger and more ferocious and maybe had some teeth too.  so i finally saw some today while walking home and they were big and gnarly but nothing a slipper can't handle.  

i also saw my first scorpions.  both were already dead so no extra courage was required on my part.  they were sorta cool to look at, not like a dead roach or cane spider, i'm not sure how to describe it (i'll probably change my mind when i'm chasing one with a phone book).  tracy later remarked that they were teensy babies (actually i think she said 'where's your daddy') and that gives me some pause but it's better to have seen one than to be wondering.  for now.  

finally, there's no amount of hair conditioner, chap stick or skin lotion that will keep me from feeling like i'm going to dry up and crack into dusty pieces here.  but that's just locational so i'll just keep looking forward to the beach days to come.  and apologies for that, and the many other split infinitives that i've used, to those that are more anal than me.

as for what i want to accomplish this week, they're both fairly pedestrian types of things.  i want to find a post office and mail something.  do they have those ready-to-use boxes like our post offices or do i have to find my own box?  every day i see things i want to mail to my friends but until i know what i'm doing there's no point in buying anything.  i was also told that there's about a 50/50 chance of the mail actually getting to its destination (or arriving here), so i'm going to buy 2 postcards for everyone and try to get feedback on what is received.  there's only a week until father's day (sorry dad!) so i'll mail 6 father's day cards and hope for the best.  

my second task is getting laundry done.  might not seem like much but i'm slightly afraid of the lavenderias here.  there is no laundromat so i have to give my clothes to someone (not just someone, its going to be a short, round, old woman in a room with a washer and dryer).  i had so much trouble finding clothes that fit me i don't know what i'd do if i lost all my clothes.  i'm not assigning blame in advance to these women, i'm sure they know their craft, but what if i can't find the place i left my clothes?  that's a real concern in my geographically challenged world.  so, note to self, take lots of pictures.  

but i have to admit that i'm a bit self conscious with this as well.  are these mexican women prepared for my thong underwear?  i really don't know why that's a concern but it is what it is.

finally, (yes, finally, i promise), i am learning daily to be thankful for the small things i have.  i was in houses today that i couldn't afford if i worked and saved for a gazillion years, and i was envious.  but the average mexican worker won't make in a year the amount of money needed to buy the computer i'm typing on right now.  

so, life is good, even if someone laughs at my underwear.

sunset overlooking san miguel