Wednesday, July 05, 2006

La Iglesia

Hola amigos! Happy 5th of July! El Dìa de la Indepencia wasn´t quite the same here in Antigua, although i did hear numerous fireworks throughout the day. Fireworks are nothing special, as Guatemalans commonly mark special occasions with an early morning bang. Almost daily i awaken to the sweet sound of shot gun- like fireworks.
Wow, it is raining gatos y perros at the moment. i am sitting in a small internet cafe happy to be under cover. Acutually, since my jeans buying adventure last weekend it has been quite warm and dry here. Maybe i will have an excuse to put on my sexy pantelones this evening...

Speaking of lovely morning sounds, i am quite fortunate to live directly across the street from a small evangelical church. i have been trying to come up with a fitting description of the music?? that began filling my tired ears by 8:00 Sunday morning. Ohh the music. Ohh the piano player. i think i heard someone sing in tune, but i really am not positive. Tossing and turning in bed, i thought, maybe this is punishment for not going to church regularly or for accidentally flushing toilet paper down the toilet. (The septic systems are archaic here so t.p. goes in the trash. it does take some getting used to.) I am the first to admit that i have a hard time carrying a tune, but i know better than to sing at the top of my lungs unless i am trying to torture my roommate (in Seattle), Sasha. Besides the horrible singing and piano playing, the excited Guatemalan churchgoers frequently clapped their hands to the music, oblivious to where the beat should have been. I couldn´t escape the torture (unless i wanted to get my butt out of bed and dressed). It was like the music was being piped directly into my room- and then i opened the window. At first i was frustrated, but then I began to find the situation quite hilarious . There was no reprieve for at least 2 hours. That night when i was attempting to study mi espanol the singing started up again. However, whoever was playing the music could at least find a beat, and compared to that morning i found it almost enjoyable. Maybe they will make a convert out of me. umm i don´t think so.

It is almost time for la cena (dinner), but there is one more little story i wanted to tell be for i go. At least the rain has subsided.
Antiguans cater to many English speaking tourists and many businesses adervertise their services in English. However, often I find the Guatemalan English much more difficult to decipher than any espanol. I am sure my Spanish frequently gives the native speakers reason to laugh, but i think i usually get the basic sentence structure correct. A few days ago i picked up a flier advertising an overnight hiking trip on the nearby impressive volcano Agua. The flier reads as follows:

Trips Volcano Agua
We provide guide- bus
We leave-We return-Be back next day
Sleeping bag - jacket -food- take - pents- water- bring

No, pents is not a typo. That´s what it says. I don´t suppose i can expect the guide to speak much english.

Anyway, necestio regressar a mi casa ahora por la cena.

Hasta luego,
Julia

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