In Other News:

Today makes one full month in-country and four complete weeks with my host family.

My one-month recap will be of the sorts of things that really don’t fit in anywhere else in my journal entries. All of which should be prefaced with the phrase “in other news…”

In other news:
 I have estimated my “tortillas eaten to date in Guatemala” number to be 227.
 I am sleeping more than I ever have in my entire life.
 I have not shaved my legs for two weeks.
 Though my Spanish is improving, I still cannot understand a lick of what the children say.
 I have only had to take two (warm) bucket baths and both during the first week; after that I got some guts and now just bear through the cold showers. It’s a sure-fire way to ensure water conservation.
 I am really building my tolerance to “picante”, hot salsa. It’s delicious.
 I have not gotten sick to my stomach yet due to the food or pila water (bad tap water).
 Malaria pills taste gross, even though they are swallowables and not chewables, and when I took mine tonight they both stuck in my mouth and I can still taste them.
 I have not had the chance to play guitar yet but am thinking about buying one tomorrow.
 I did get the chance to play a keyboard and it was great.
 I have been bitten by exactly one mosquito and have seen with my own eyes exactly three mosquitoes.
 I have tried a bunch of new and interesting fruits and I can’t wait for more to come into season.
 I learned last night (from a book) that the word for “hot” as in attractive is “mango” in Spanish slang.
 I really wish I had brought my external CD/DVD reader for my computer because black-market movies are common and cheap here. They cost about $1-$3.
 I could live off of banana bread.
 I really should have brought my sleeping bag.
 There was really no need for me to have brought as many things as I did; however, I do fall back on the excuse that I have never traveled outside the country and really didn’t know what to expect.
 I get along better with guys. Period. But I really am trying hard to make female friends also.
 I honestly don’t have a preference in where in Guatemala I will be sent for the next two years.
 I do have a strong preference in what I will be doing for the next two years.
 I’m realizing that the local people are going to try and make friends with me because they want something from me, not just because I’m a cool person and a good friend.
 I really never should have stopped playing basketball.
 I’m glad I have portable speakers and a lot of music to listen to.
 I’m glad my bed here is comfortable.
 I’m extremely glad that my room is rather sound-proof; I can’t even hear the roosters on our roof in the morning, and I’m an incredibly light sleeper.
 I’m determined to finish my service with zero extra cavities. I swish Listerine like it’s water.
 I’m going to come back to the US with a most extreme farmer’s tan.
 I learned today that my family has a pet fish. It lives in a bucket with no plants, rocks, or friends.
 The detergent here is better than anything I’ve ever used. My whites are whiter and brights brighter.
 I need to be eating more protein.
 My body definitely agrees with eating little or no dairy.