So, this week I've been in the plaza nearly every night enjoying folklore and traditional singing and dancing. I think (but am not certain) we've been celebrating Siguatpeque not just a tree?! But I can't be certain of that..rumours! Thursday night was perhaps the most amusing of them all. I went with Carina and Douglas and there was a lovely, quiet ballet dance and then an awful school orchestra...and then a reggaeton concert! Hilarious. Sigua is a fairly conservative, quiet town and here in the plaza was a reggaeton concert. It's hard to explain reggaeton, it's latino, kind of rap, with turn table squeaking. I have no idea what to compare it too - but it is not liked by all. Now, it will be hard to imagine this without knowing the music but every young guy in Sigua filled the plaza pretty quickly when the women started dancing on the stage with men from the audience. Almost pornagaphic dancing. I have never laughed so hard!! And in Sigua. Just comical. I then went home, pulled my car up in front of my gates...and it died! Wouldn't start. So at 10.30pm I had to call Adony to come and help me. Bless him.
Friday, we had the day off school for Workers Day (May day really) and so I went to the garage with Adony in my car - which had started working thankfully. He then dropped me off at Hollie and Israel's and I spent the entire day chatting with them! Was lovely. Anyway, my car wasn't fixed before the garage closed (I think it closed early!) so was stuck without a car. Again. Obviously managed to find a lift to get me to the plaza in the evening with my friends - Amanda, Carina, Lorena, the twins, Douglas, Walter etc - a whole new group of friends form church!!
Today, was fence day. I have been looking forward to today all week. Jaime came round early and we set about making the fence. Zuko couldn't help and so it was just the 2 of us building it. It was my job to prove women could do it as well as men! I was in charge of cutting the wood with the electric wood saw and he dug all the holes. Just as we were starting, a helicopter randomly came and landed in the field next to our house. Things just get more random around here daily!! There was a march, carnival in town at lunch time and I think it was connected to that somehow!
The helicopter landed and all the neighbours came out!
One of my neighbours houses (I made the most of being out with my camera!)
Here you can see the lovely sewage ditch they are digging and cementing - smells lovely when they do it in the mid-day Tropical heat!! Mmmm
Here you can see the lovely sewage ditch they are digging and cementing - smells lovely when they do it in the mid-day Tropical heat!! Mmmm
After, we'd been out to see what was going on we carried on working and then for the first time in about 3 or 4 months it rained in the day. And I mean RAINED, heavy rain. No way we could carry on working. At this point, Adony also turned up with my car. Apparently the battery I bought 3 weeks ago was bad battery - just my luck!! The mechanic had lent me a battery from another car so Adony could come and get me (and the guarantee for the battery) so we could go and exchange it. Adony had to get to a meeting and so I went with him and Jaime to exchange the battery, the man was none too pleased and said the car wasn't charging it properly, wasn't the battery, he still changed it though. Adony went off to his meeting and Jaime and I went back to the mechanic to return the battery and get him to look at it. By this point, in the rain with a partially built fence, a car with someone else battery in my stress levels were through the roof and I just wanted to cry!! A lot. The boys were having none of that though and did a good job calming me down. Everything got changed and I could take my car home - it has to go back Monday! Adony tells me he thinks there is a much bigger problem with my car and so pretty much I have to sell it in the next 2 weeks before it dies entirely and costs me a fortune to repair!! Agghh!
Working together, Jaime and I
We went home for lunch and eventually the rain passed and we could carry on working. We managed to get the whole fence finished and the gate was built but not put on! In the middle of all this was a military air display, I'm not sure what the planes were, but there were 2 planes flying low over my house and the town centre, spinning and putting on a display. Provided some entertainment if nothing else! A good days work. Tomorrow I am going to finish the gate myself so it's all done. We then spent the evenign relaxing and chatting. As I sit here now there is torrential rain outside, I love listening to it on the tin roof, although it does mean it's impossible to hear the tv as the noise is so loud!!
I think cutting wood wearing flip-flops is a good thing! (not the most flattering of pics!!)
So, a productive day. I hate my car even more. I am going to go to San Pedro either this week or next (depending when the boys can make it) to buy the new one, I can't wait any longer.
Tonight, there is a huge carnival in town. I am glad it's raining as I am not allowed to go. Apparently a) it is too dangerous for us and b) Christians should not go/be seen at it! Apparently everyone gets drunk, the men start 'touching' all the women etc. Jaime refused to go with us if we went. Said he never goes with women 'cos he has to protect us and if a man touched us he'd punch them! Safer not to go! At least with rain I have no desire to leave my house!!
So there you go, another fun day! More deep and profound thoughts to follow shortly I'm sure!
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