Birthday parties, paseando, vegging

Hey all,

Well last night I went to my first 15th birthday party here. They are a huge deal here, kinda like Sweet 16, but bigger scale. The girl dresses up in a frilly pink dress, everyone brings her presents, there is lots of food, dancing, a father/daughter dance, etc. I was surprised to know a few people there pretty well so I felt pretty comfortable, except for the one room filled with high school boys, not one girl, who all stared at me when I accidentally wandered in there. It's easy to get a big head here...everyone wants to be my best friend, everyone mail, young or old, wants to marry me or at least comment on my beauty, even when I am walking back sweaty and nasty from aerobics class. So to say the least I had several propositions last night. But one of my best friends was there, Maria Luisa, and a new good friend, Ephraime (spelling?) and when the father of the girl offered us coke with rum we didn't say no. So began the giggling and hilarity of the night. Some of the high school boys must have drunk some as well because they got very brave, coming over to dance with me and one even just wanted to hug me and say my name, but everyone was laughing at him, so I didn't mind too much. I took a videa with my camera so I could blackmail him into free internet today, since he runs the internet cafe that I am in right now. At one point I really wanted to dance, but when I looked around all the girls had left (this was about 10:30), so it was just me with 20 teenage boys. Bad idea. After one song I decided to sit out instead of being made a Lauren sandwich. But all it all it was a great time. At midnight we all got a ride home. I left the party with several new friends that I am looking forward to seeing again. Maria Luisa and Ephraime and I and a couple others in our new exclusive group are going to have a margarita/dinner party in my house sometime in the next week.

Speaking of Ephraime, he works at the bank, and I forgot to tell you all the big news that happened in Dulce Nombre a couple weeks ago. We had a bank robbery. It was covered by the national news and everyone that worked there was interviewed. But it was the bank robber who made the story. He was found to have taken about 130,000 Lempira (there are about 19 Lps to the dollar) over a certain period of time. The age of the bank robber was 4. A 4-year-old bank robber. He had fooled the ever present guards when the lines were long and he could reach under the counter and pull out money from the drawers and stuff his clothes with it, unnoticed because of his small stature. One assumes his mother taught him what to do. But the money was apparently arranged to be returned and because she has connections she isn't going to jail. So yeah, Dulce Nombre was in the news for a while, crazy huh? Maybe my 5-year-old nephew Connor could get into the business before it's too late and he grows up.

What else. I have really been enjoying my house. I have had so much help with the back yard too, which still lacks a lot of beauty but is MUCH improved from before. With the help of a new good friend, Octavio, we got more rich dirt from the mountain side to make several flower/vegetable beds with layers of brick. I put several potted plants outside and we neatened up the weeds and pathways. I have really been enjoying cooking too. I haven't cooked like this since college. I have visitors constantly and have gotten to know people much better now that I live alone. The only problem is that it is so nice in my house that it is hard to motivate myself to leave it. The work the past two weeks was much less, yes, but I could have left more to seek out stuff. Now I will be starting some charlas and some other activities, but really it's hard to self-motivate here. Especially since no one really has an idea of what you SHOULD be doing and therefore does not judge you, and cuz life here is so much more laidback.

One more humorous story before I leave. I went to check on an hornilla that was built this past week and walked in, not thinking much of the fact that there were lots of people seated around the living room. I said a loud "Buenas" and walked over to kiss the lady I was visiting on the cheek and ask her about her hornilla when I noticed that I had walked past a coffin. Yes, a dead body. I was mortified. I hadn't heard anything about a death and everyone was looking at me so I got out an embarrassed "I am so sorry for your loss, I didn't know, and I will come back to see your stove another time". Being my first death here I wasn't sure of the protocol. So yeah, kinda embarrassing. But also funny, because these kinds of experiences make the larger experience what it is.

Well that is all from me today. Lots of love to you all and write to me soon!