Thursday September 3, 2009
Vocabulary:
paila: bucket
trapo: rag
pichinga: large bottle
Photos:
Lavando en el Rio (Washing in the River)
Esmeralda
Today was a slow, at home day. I learned how to wash clothes in the river and washed all of my own clothes. This took quite some convincing, since Doña Hilda was pretty insistent that she wash my clothes for me. Everyone is always insisting on doing things for me, and offering me the best of everything (chairs, fans, all sorts of food, the front seat in the car). I'm flattered and appreciative, but I'd also like to help out, and learn how to do things that are new for me. So today I did that with the laundry. It was a lot more work than going to the laundromat, but also satisfying.
Last night when we got back from San Salvador (Don Alfredo didn't go with us), Don Alfredo told Doña Hilda that she had a new granddaughter. Turns out a new calf had been born. Since yesterday was Doña Hilda's birthday, Don Alfredo was saying he was going to call the calf Hildita ("little Hilda"). She took it as a joke, but I think he was pretty serious.
Don Alfredo has a wonderful voice and enjoys singing around the house. Today he shared with me some hymns that he wrote himself and also a video of a singer, Stanislao Marino, that he especially likes. He was shocked I had never heard of Marino, but once he got over that enjoyed sharing the music with me.
Everyone is always offering me random food in between meals. It's all very yummy, but it's a lot of food and I'm often not that hungry by the time regular meals roll around. Today's snacks included a frozen banana of all things, covered in chocolate. It was yummy, and reminded me of California (and Arrested Development, of course).
The kids have been playing with cards for the game Memory without actually knowing how to play the game, so today I taught them. It was a big hit, and we played for quite awhile (yes, siblings, I played a game).
Everyone is always offering me random food in between meals. It's all very yummy, but it's a lot of food and I'm often not that hungry by the time regular meals roll around. Today's snacks included a frozen banana of all things, covered in chocolate. It was yummy, and reminded me of California (and Arrested Development, of course).
That's awesome that you taught them how to play, and that they "let" you do your own laundry. I was just watching a show on Beijing where they were talking about the concept of "face" and this reminds me of that: if you can do something nice for someone else, or show guests honor, then you earn face. Interesting.
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