Update

Hello again friends, family, and maybe enemies... No pictures today, but I do have some words for you. Here is a quick update on my life in bullet-point format:

• The last time I made it to Salinas (the park we are starting) I saw a crocodile bigger than me, a family of spider monkeys, and more mosquitos than I thought possible.
• Fourth of July was a good time and it was great seeing all my American friends here again.
• My soccer team is 3 and 4 and we play the worst two teams to finish up the season. We should end up in about 4th place which will be good for the playoffs.
• I started working with a newly formed group of youngsters in town and it has been cool. They started up a little library. It is a breath of fresh air to work with kids. They actually respond better when I am my goofy self.

That is all that is new for now. Congrats to all my recently graduated friends. I see pictures of you guys online and it bums me out I missed the festivities. But hey, I celebrated for you here.

I´m a freak

Hello friends and family. Fourth of July is coming up. I´m going to miss being home for the traditional family bash at the Joseph house, but thankfully it is also a big day for those of us in Peace Corps Guatemala. All one hundred and seventy something volunteers here make the trek to Antigua where we have a place rented out. There, we get to BBQ and play all day long. Just like home! I´m looking forward to that.

In other news, life in the site is good. It is certain that by now everyone in town knows me. The best analogy I can draw to being the first gringo to live here is the time I had to dress up as Smokey the Bear for work back in the States.
Here´s why:
-Most kids are stoked to see me and ask me a thousand times how I´m doing while they shake my hand or give me a hi-5.
-Some kids are a little apprehensive to say hi and when Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, or Friend tries to force them, they usually end up in tears.
-People ask me to just give them stuff. (I guess that´s more like Santa than Smokey)
-Everywhere I go, people seem to pop out of nowhere to scream “B´ex!” (that´s my name, remember?) and then wave to me excitedly.

All that may sound a little overwhelming or annoying, but it isn´t. I have gotten to know some really good people here and I take their excitement as meaning that they like me. So ya, that´s a good thing.

Here are some pics of those good people.

These are Ramiro´s 3 youngest kids. From the left, Hector, Julio and Walter. They´re great. I always make fun of their pot-bellies, so here we are showing them off. If I look a little weird here, it´s because I´m trying to look fat and I can´t even pretend to do that.

Welp, the other pictures won´t load so it looks like just one will have to do. Take care and have fun on the 4th.