almost 30...

Well, it's that time of year again..... Yup, today's my birthday. 26. Now that one's starting to sound old and I'm not sure how I feel about that. Sometimes I look at my life and I think: "hmmm, I'm in my (now) later twenties but I still live with my parents, don't have a 'career'-type job yet, and don't own anything big like a car". But then other people tell me "But we've never travelled half-way across the world by ourselves." Good point. So I guess we all show our "grown-up-ness" in different ways.
I'm kind of caught in the middle of wanting to be "mature and grown-up" and wanting to stay young and sheltered at the same time.

It's funny because I work in a high school and everyone there thinks I'm really young. A bunch of the students even think (or at least thought at first) that I'm a student, too. I just tell myself that looking 8 years younger than I am will be a very good thing when I'm 50!

So, there are a few pessimistic thoughts, but I am looking forward to today. I'm having some friends and family over for supper tonight. Yesterday, a bunch of the Sr. High from church came over and surprised me with a cake (thanks, guys!). And this morning I'm going bowling with my Grandma! Good times (she always whips my butt, though!) And, of course, as I work in a school in Manitoba, this week there's NO SCHOOL! A day off of work is always good.

And, of course, I'm expecting a phone call from Ecuador.... Here's a picture of my friends Elizabeth and Ximena at the birthday party they threw for me when I turned 24. My mom had arrived to visit the day before and Ximena had secretly arranged for her to bring a bunch of my baby pictures, of which they made a collage. Sweet, eh? Yeah, I was pretty cute...and still am! ;)

Bueno, hoy es mi cumpleanos--tengo 26 anos! Wow, soy viejita!! De verdad, hay un parte de mi que siente muy immadura, todavia muy dependente. Aqui en Canada es un pocquito raro tener 26 anos y todavia vivir con tus padres (si no eres estudiante). Tengo muchos amigos quien ya tiene carreras "reales", tienen su proprio casas (al menos estan alquilando), tienen su proprio carros, etc. Aveces es dificil no pensar que todavia no soy "adulte." Pero luego, mis amigos me dicen que ellos no han viajado al otro lado del mundo solos.... Bueno punto. Talvez hay mas de una manera ser "adulto."
Hay una parte de mi que quiere ser mas madura, pero hay una otra parte que todavia quiere ser nina.
Es chistoso porque en el colegio donde trabajo, muchos de los estudiantes han pensando que soy estudiante tambien. Bueno, me digo, cuando tengo 50 anos, voy a querer mirar 8 anos menos que soy!!

Mas de estos pensamientos pessimistas, creo que voy a tener un dia linda. Voy a salir con mi abuelita (jugamos bowling) y luego voy a cenar con mi familia y una amiga.

Siempre me acuerdo de mi cumpleanos en Ecuador. Gracias a todos por hacerlo un dia muy especial!

taste the thunder

Yesterday was a very exciting day. I went out for East Indian food with my friend Brigitte and guess what I found? Thums Up and Limca!!!! Those are two drinks (pop) that I had all the time in India when I was there with my class from Bethany! It's amazing how taste (and smell, for that matter) can bring back so many memories.... Good times.


I specifically recall being in a village on the second day, being sooooooo tired and stressed out and wanting to head back to where we were staying (and we had 2 hours of driving on bumpy road ahead of us). But then the villagers, being hospitable of course, brought us drinks before the ride home--Thums Up to be exact. Well, I liked Thums Up, so it was no issue to swig it back. But Cordella was having a lot of difficulty--especially because she normally didn't drink much pop (and she didn't particularly like the taste, either). But her finishing that bottle was our ticket home so all I could say was "Drink it and smile, Cordella!" Not very compassionate--sorry, Cordella! But I did do the ol' switcheroo under the table with her, so suddenly she had an almost empty bottle and mine was full. I wonder if anyone noticed....

Ayer fui a comer en un restaurante de la India--y tome algunas bebidas que tome cuando estuve en India! Estuve muy emocionante! Los sabores pueden hacerme recordar los tiempos pasados.

Me acuerdo de un dia, cuando estuve cansadissimo y muy estressada y solo quise regresar a mi casa (estuvimos en un pueblo muy, muy lejo de nuestra casa). Y los personnes en el pueblo no dieron "Thums Up" (una bebida que me encanta) porque son muy gracioso. Pero a mi grupo, solamente quisimos ir, entonces yo tome ese bebida rapidissimo. Pero mi amiga, Cordella, a ella no le gusta este bebido y fue una lucha tomarlo y le dije "tomalo y sonreia, Cordella!" (bueno, no estuve muy compassionate). Despues cambio mi bouteille (casi vacia) con suyo (casi llena) abajo de la mesa. Espero que nadie lo vio..... Bueno, este historia no es muy chistoso en espanol.....oh well :)

que vive la quincinera!!!

Feliz Cumpleanos, Luli! Estoy muy agradecido con Dios por ti. Oro que creces mas y mas en el imagen de Dios este ano. Dios te guarda y protega y bendiga. Te quiero, mi hija!

Today is Luli's 15th birthday (I lived with her and her family in Ecuador). In South America, 15 is the big birthday. People would always think she was my daughter (hija) or younger sister because she has blue eyes and fairer skin and hair. A real sweetie.

a day without a mexican

Have you guys seen this movie? I saw it this evening--very interesting. It's kind of a "mockumentary" about what happens in California when all of the Latinos suddenly disappear (although, of course, ALL Latinos are Mexican, right?)--there's no one to do the menial tasks or agricultural work and pretty much society just falls apart.
We might not have the same number of immigrant Mexican workers here in Canada (although I watched a documentary about Mexican migrant workers who come up to Leamington, ON, to work in the tomatoe greenhouses--our hands are not so clean, either), but this film definitely pushes one to think about one's own stereotypes about other cultures and North American ethnocentricity. Definitely recommend it.

Vi una pelicula que se llama "Un dia sin un Mexicano"--es muy chevere. Se cuenta de un dia en California cuando subidamente no hay ningun mexicano o latino--se desapariaron! Es una pelicula chistosa--pero tambien tiene una mensage importante de como pensamos de otras culturas--todo somos personnes, iguales. Entonces, estamos tratando el otro como alguien igual a nosotros?