Keepin House In Guate

 washing a fleece in the pila..

Keepin house in Guate was a major adjustment, or as I like to look at it, a triumph. My biggest triumph i would say was learning how to wash my clothes by hand, lots o trial and error there. my host family gave me a mandatory lesson one day when they saw me givin it a shot, pretty embarassing. My host mom was like " you just dont want to break your nails" and i was like " youre absolutely right, how do i do this without bustin up the un~as?!?" NOT EASILY is the answer. My method goes like this, I soak my clothes in boiling water and powder detergent for like 2 hours or until the water is cold, then head out to the pila and scrub them with a special soap shaped like a ball. Each peice has to be done individually and scrubbed against the cement. It reminds me of that scene in the Little Mermaid where the old fat ladies are gossiping about Ariel and scrubbing the clothes that Sabastian was secretly hiding in. Ok Maybe Not...but whatever. If You knew me pre-peace corps, you know I take lots of pride in my clothes, mosty because theyre rocawear and victorias secret and i love them and worked hard to get them..but theyre not fending too well against the cement, its really doin a number on em. So sad. Eight Months or so into the PC, I think Ive mastered it, my friends from home are all in competition over being the best housewife, i wish these skills could be entered in the contest lol. Of Course no washer- no dryer, but ive always liked to dry my clothes in the fresh air..just like mama. lately it has sucked cuz it legit has not stopped raining, or ill have them almost dry and doze off and find them in the middle of a monsoon...WORLDS MOST ANNOYING THING.

my fav trinket, dries skivs and socks so fast...wal-mart find

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I thought I had escaped the wrath of the bucket bath when i moved into my new place but that was nothing but a falsehood. Yes My new house has running water which i am thankful for, and wonderful for washing dishes and clothes.... However, the hotwater is connected directly to the electricity so in order to get hot water the pressure is a mere drip, so back to the bucket baths. Ive gotten used to them tho.

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Damn Bucket Bath, slash me wping my tears and
 pouting over my short hair

     

My body's gone thru alot of changes here In Guatemala, and as much as i hate to admit it or talk about it, my hair has been falling out like crazy- and its legitamately devastating. If You know me, you know im not the type of girl who won't put the effort in to take care of it, im always trying to keep it fresh. I think the bucket baths have alot to do with this, i think cuz i cant get a strong rinse when i go to brush it afterwards it just comes out like crazy. I take the Prenatal vitamins the PC gives us probably more than i should to strengthen it but its not helping. Not totally against my will, but with the help of my moms advice, I cut 6 inches off my hair when i was in the states. I didnt want to but i had to. It sounds silly, but i just had this vision of myself 2nd year PCV with two long braids and a bandana... i guess i just gotta let it go. BUT IT SUCKS. It's just hard letting the diva-side of me slip away as i learn to become more practical and live the simple life i committed to..India Arie has this amazing Jam called " I am not my Hair" she wrote it after she shaved her head...it certainly is comforting and relatable..."13 when it all broke off, 18 and i went all natural, february 2002 i went on and did what i had to do, cuz it was time to change my life, to become the woman that I am inside.." She has been inspiring me for 10 yrs, she is dope.

fly paper doin its thing in my kitchen...effing gross

i killed this flying beetle creep as i wrote this blog

 BUGS! omg when i first moved here i legitamately think i killed 50 spiders in my kitchen and bedroom alone, pre-pcv grace would squeal and be annoying but you just gotta get over that shit man, for real. I have like 5 fly paper things hangin in my house, they're DISGUSTING but whatever flies are everywhere. One Night I had a butterfly land on my computer when i was watching FRIENDS and its wingspan was just about as big as my computer, granted i have one of those mini chungs but it was HUUMUNGOUS ive never seen anything like it before in my life...they dont have those up in boston...scared the shit out of me tho- the body on that thing was like the biggest insect body on the planet.  i wish i bopped a pic but that thing was MOVIN. for sure.
That's it for now, kinda boring but i know some of you are interested in my every day life here in Guate...so here are the basic household things, next time i'll answer the question i was asked 8457 times in the states ..."How The @#$* did you lose 30 lbs?" lol there is a definite answer to that.