A Quick Hello

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Hey All,

I'm sitting in Jaurez Park, just a short walk from my house, using some free internet from our friends next door in the government building. How nice of them to extend their lightning-fast and free wireless connection to us in the park.

Not much has been going on, just going through my daily routines with classes, hanging out with my my friend at the Univ. of Veracruz a couple times a week. All is well at home with the family but I might look into getting my own place in the next month or two. Renting apartments is easy and very affordable in Xalapa, especially in the general vicinity of the school where landlords are used to students. It's been nice living with the Hernandez family but their are certain luxuries I'd like to have again, for instance being able to eat whenever and whatever you want, have a little more space other than my basement room with no natural light, and not hear three women yell in rapid spanish all day about food prices and city traffic. Ha. But as far as relations go, all is still well with them.

I have been learning to cook little by little just by hanging out in the kitchen with the grandmother Trini. On the weekends when I have nothing to do I hang around and watch/help her cook the bigger mid day meal. I made some pretty impressive empanadas the other day. It's fun and we laugh a lot when she asks me to add more flower and I move a pot or pan. Lost in translation.

I also had a puppy this week which was entertaining and very time consuming. My mexican sister, Jenny, brought home a five month-old Doberman Pincher that her friends had not been taking care of and had to get rid of. She is very cute but the mother and grandmother definitely do not want another dog in the house. Tomorrow we are going out to a town called Naolinco, about an hour away, where my host mom has a friend with a ranch and we'll be taking the pup out there. Naolinco is famous for its leather. There are many shops that do "custom-made whatever you want" as long as it's made of a hide. Pretty cool. I want to buy cowboy boots and a jacket before I leave this place, and thought I'd go scope it out. The best part is it's a quiet little town tucked into the mountains with zero tourism, and that means everything is still extremely cheap! It should be neat.

Everything else is going well, there's a band that just began playing music behind me and I think I'll go see what's going on. Spanish is crawling along at its usual pace, but I'm learning bit by bit.

Love to all at home and abroad,
Barry

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Comments

[mom]

Cooking
Hi Bar: Things sound good there in Xalapa. I like your description of helping Trini in the kitchen! Very funny. Good thing everyone has a sense of humor, and hanging out with her often is how you learn! How was the trip to Naolinco? Sounds really neat. I want boots too!!!!! How did Sammy the household dog like the visiting pup? Take care, xo mom

[Barry Blount]

hey mel
thanks mel, glad im bringing the sites to you!

[Barry Blount]

to mom
sammy and the pup didnt get along at all. more of a reason it got the boot last night. off to the ranch she went where she can go to the bathroom anywhere she wants, ha.