On Class, Kids, and Karma

Hola todos!  So school has been going pretty swimmingly thus far and I'm finally starting to meet people and - could it be? - make friends!! :D  Yay me!  I'm not sure if I'm in the intermediate or advanced class but I understand everything my teacher says and feel like I'm learning, so it must be the right class for me.

Today some of us visited a school in a barrio to serve lunch to the children there.  It was quite an experience - and I had a great time chatting with some of the students - in Spanish!  This excites me quite a bit and I'm happy that all this language business is finally starting to click in my brain.  And it shows me that I'm ready to start working with the children at the orphanage - something I'm super duper uber excited for and really can't wait to begin.  I will keep y'all posted on that - thinking I may start next week :)

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So remember how I was bragging about the wonderful, sunny weather here while you've all been suffereing the snow back home?  Karma is a bitch.  It has been raining for about a week straight.  Sure, it stops once in a while, but it's been one long, cold, rainy day.  I swear to Google (that's for you, Mai) that it rained for about 6 hours straight on Saturday.  Perhaps longer.  Reminds me of the 7 year rain Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote about in One Hundred Years of Solitude.  Every day I am in school and the weather is chilly but seems o.k. at least, and then the minute I walk out the door for my 20 minute walk home, it starts pouring.  By the time I enter mi casa, my shoes, socks and pants are sopping wet.  This is not a fun feeling.  I think it's probably the reason I've had a cold.  It's supposedly still "summer" here so I hope the rain stops soon.  

But you know what?  At least it's not snow ;)

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Okay my friends, that is all for now.  Hope you're all doing great and enjoying the snow - I will say I miss a good hot chocolate on a snowy day, making snow angels, ice fishing, and snowmobiling.  But after 30 years of that, I don't mind a break ;)

Love!!!

Mahli

*photos from La Estancia, a farm near Tomine and Guatavita

Me Gustas Cuando Callas

Due to me being in a rush (I have homework, peeps!) I am going to leave you all with my favorite poem by Pablo Neruda, whom I rather love a lot, followed by photos.  Lots and lots of photos.

ME GUSTAS CUANDO CALLAS

Me gustas cuando callas porque estás como ausente,
y me oyes desde lejos, y mi voz no te toca.
Parece que los ojos se te hubieran volado
y parece que un beso te cerrara la boca.

Como todas las cosas están llenas de mi alma
emerges de las cosas, llena del alma mía.
Mariposa de sueño, te pareces a mi alma,
y te pareces a la palabra melancolía.

Me gustas cuando callas y estás como distante.
Y estás como quejándote, mariposa en arrullo.
Y me oyes desde lejos, y mi voz no te alcanza:
déjame que me calle con el silencio tuyo.

Déjame que te hable también con tu silencio
claro como una lámpara, simple como un anillo.
Eres como la noche, callada y constelada.
Tu silencio es de estrella, tan lejano y sencillo.

Me gustas cuando callas porque estás como ausente.
Distante y dolorosa como si hubieras muerto.
Una palabra entonces, una sonrisa bastan.
Y estoy alegre, alegre de que no sea cierto.

                        *  *  *  

I would give you the translation, but it loses it's beauty.  Sorry.  You can always google it, but sadly, every translation is different and, well, just not as good.  Click on the title above and it will bring you to a youtube video of a woman reading the poem, and you can at least get a feel for it :)

And now, PHOTOS!!!

These are from our New Year in Tomine.  Enjoy!

 When you see it........

 See it yet?  I believe it's called a Green Comet (cometa verde)

He had so much fun throwing his hat up in the air....

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Keep cool everyone!!!  

Lots of love-

Mahli