First of all, my mother did catch her flight last evening and arrived home safely and without incident! Praise God and thanks for the prayers!
Secondly; you have my sincerest apology! I have come to the realization that I have failed both as a journalist and as an informant. Amid all of my babbling about plans and my adventures here on the Island of Enchantment, I have neglected to explain my surroundings or accurately express the beauty of nature.
In an attempt to reconcile myself, I will begin by saying that it is very hot and humid. I mean, we are living in the rainforest so it does have a tendency to be sultry. And while it has rained at least once a day, the downpours last only for about ten minutes before the blistering sun comes back out. So much for a lasting respite from the sun. Today, it was in the mid nineties and with the humidity, it felt like at least a hundred degrees! I drink and sweat simultaneously...I teased Rosa yesterday saying, "I chug water and it sprays from my pores." That is about as accurate as I can put it! And today after church, I ate a cupcake in the kitchen (which is about the coolest place at the school) and my icing was melting off of my cupcake! Crazy, huh?! Rosa and I have discussed making eggs for breakfast tomorrow morning and cooking them on the sidewalk. It could honestly work!
So apart from the humid heat and the random rain showers, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous here. Everywhere you look, the landscape is covered in crab-grass and other green foliage and is dotted with palm trees. The flowers here are amazing and come in practically every shape and color imaginable. There are coconuts scattered absolutely everywhere and banana trees grow in forests behind the school, as well as lemon trees, avocado trees, mango trees, and star-fruit (which actually happen to be star-shaped...imagine that!)
The animals here are really neat as well. There is a great population of cats and dogs, which sadly, most are left to roam the streets in search of food because their owners cannot afford to feed them. There are cattle and horses here as well. I know this because, for one, I have seen several cows, and two, there is a stupid cow who has, for the past three days, bawled every night for hours! I had initially thought perhaps she was in labor because she sounded like she might be dying, but after the second night of incessant bawling, I have come to the conclusion that it is mentally unsound and should be dealt with accordingly. Perhaps she needs to be hospitalized until her levels return to normal? So if anyone has information on a ward for Psycho Bovines, I would be much obliged. I seriously have my music blaring and I can still hear her....Now I am convinced she needs professional help. But anyway, back to the horses that inhabit the island. They are all beautiful and I am fascinated by them, although I find the means of transportation for the equines, quite interesting. It is not at all unusual to see a pickup truck zooming down the road with several horses standing in the bed. Or see a horse tethered to a stake or an electric pole, grazing alongside the highway. The birds are also intriguing. They are black and their tails are vertical instead of being held horizontal to the ground as usual. I was thrilled, too when I saw several pelicans while at the water front. There are also the toads that randomly appear at night and some are as large as my fist! Then there's the matter of the cockroaches--which freak the crap out of me--especially because they are two-inches long! But there are the lizards which I find neat and don't mind! There are millions of them skittering around everywhere. They range in size from two-inch little yellow ones to eight-inch blue ones! Wherever I go, I can hear them rustling in the leaves or see them darting through the grass. The other day, there was one in my bedroom...apparently he was living in my dresser! But just so long as he doesn't run across my face while I'm trying to sleep, I really don't care about him. And finally, after searching continually, I saw an Iguana--which made my day! He was about a foot long and his gray, green and blue body was covered in sharp, gray spikes. There are also some huge, black, scary-looking bees, which I have fortunately not coming into contact with. Although my red-splotched legs are evidence of the prevalent existence of mosquitos.
So all in all, I hope this gives you a glimpse into my little corner of paradise.
And bright and early tomorrow morning, we have our first staff meeting. We will be discussing plans and I will be sharing my VBS ideas with the ladies--wish me luck. Stay tuned as I will give you an update on our decision.
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