Oh Yeah...It's Spring!

I must admit I am not the best at identifying the changing seasons here. Autumn was hot. Then, it changed to Winter, still hot. And now, it has changed from Winter to Spring and it's still hot. Maybe even a little hotter than before.

In a place that only has 2 real seasons, rainy and dry, how DO you tell when the seasons change??
You have a parade! Each elementary school and kindergarten has their own 'Jardin de Niños' or Garden of Children. The kids dress up in costumes and parade through the streets in front of their 'Reina de Primavera' or a Queen of Spring. She rides on a float behind her garden and throws candy to the crowd. There were marching bands, silly string, and a host of parents guiding their children down the main down town drag. Some floats were simple, some were elaborate, and one even shot sparks and confetti out the top (this one also had a man who rode on the float and using a big wooden pole, lifted up the power lines as the float passed under. I wonder how he got that job!). Overall, the parade lasted 2 hours and here in Ometepec, we have officially welcomed Spring!

Spring Break '07...Fun with the Schempp Family

Ahh...Spring Break....a time when we are given a week away from school to enjoy some time to relax, reflect on the passing year, know that we can count the remaining weeks of school on two hands.....and in the case of my parents, come to Mexico on a plane full of obnoxious college co-eds who have forgotten all the basic rules of civilized society.
Luckily, this was the worst part of the trip, and though I don't know for sure, I imagine their return flight at 7:00 Sunday morning was a little more subdued.

I really enjoyed the week I had with my parents and I managed to keep them healthy, feed them some good food, and of course, put them to work a little! We stayed together in a little hotel here that is owned by one of the doctors at the hospital. It's cute, clean, has a/c and hot water, and all for about 7 dollars a night per person....they even throw in a toilet seat for no extra charge! We had to spend one night coming and one night going in Acapulco but were able to enjoy breakfast on the beach, take in a movie at the really nice theater (we don't have movies in Ometepec), special order quesadillas, and avoid as many spring breakers as possible. Of course, life in Ometepec is a little different.

I was able to introduce my parents to my favorite ice cream/aqua fresca store, which was visited almost daily. The owner was proud the share her unique flavors of ice cream with us, giving us sample after sample until we decided on our favorite (ask Mom about the corn ice cream!). We sampled tacos at my favorite restaurant, made sopes in our kitchen after a trip to the market to buy the ingredients, ate a torta and a fresa frappé in the town square, and even tried my favorite snack, the Máximo, right out of the fridge in Xochis. Dad painted our bathroom, mom cleaned the kitchen and covered our shelves to keep the dust from everything (it hasn't rained in 6 months, so there is always dust everywhere). Dad loves the geckos and Mom can now identify gecko poop if every there be a need.

We awoke one morning to an earthquake rattling our beds and doors, the strongest one since I've been here. Everydayl, we enjoyed the sounds of the confused rooster who crows at all hours of the day right outside the hotel window and the fireworks didn't disappoint. We rode to Xochis in a combi shared with a few other people and 2 open containers of gasoline...without vomiting or falling out. We had a good visit with Dr. Carmelo and got the see the clinic first hand. We got a weaving demonstration by the Amuzga women at the artisan center and of course couldn't resist buying some of their handiwork.

I impressed my parents with my bargaining skills and was even able to bargain down a taxi with a pack of gum and a sad story about my mother's swollen, tired feet.

Mom and Dad, I am so thankful that you could come and spend some time with me, met my friends, say hello to the people I see in church, on the street, and in the market. You saw, smelled and heard all the things I see, smell and hear everyday. Life isn't exactly the same here but we had fun experiencing the differences. Of course, I had to take a three hour nap after you left, a testament to your ability to still wear me out.

Enjoy the new pictures and on a funny note, someone asked me today how I could be so brown and come from parents who were so white.

It's Christmas in March!

After crossing the desert, braving the mountains, and who knows how many hours on a donkey, my package from AFP has finally arrived...three months later.
Thanks guys, for the card, the calendar of Spanish phrases, and especially The Black Book of Psychotropic Dosing and Monitoring, 10th Edition....was that a gift from Dr. Gustin and his drug rep friends?

I am also very excited because my parents are coming to visit on Saturday for a week...my first real visitors! Now that the pigeons are eliminated (don't ask how) the house and the yard are clean and ready for my dad to paint!...of course only if he wants too....

Well, now I have no choice but to go and eat a hand full of kisses, wash my hair with my new shampoo, apply chapstick, use my new ponytail holders, take some advil, all while eating a blow pop and a candy cane at the same time...¡Muchas gracias mis amigos!