The Importance Of Being Idle (part 2)

---

I really should get more done when I am in these foreign, slightly exotic places. I am in a great town, with ancient buildings, interesting museums, surrounded by giant volcanoes and mountains ripe for being climbed - and as for me? Well, I'd rather get half-cut on the local beer and dream of drunken friday night salsa dancing. What's new pussycat?

I have done a couple of 'things' since I got here in Xela, I had a go at teaching local kids English for an hour last Wednesday (although, I got the 3 class clowns who were only interested in me teaching them the words 'bitch' and 'money' -- looking at their teacher I can understand why). Yesterday I had a crack at salsa dancing with an hour-long lesson in a nearby school. I tried it last Friday and Saturday night and it seemed so easy when I was pissed, but when having a lesson it's a lot harder and more serious. I'll feel eternally sorry for the poor French-Canadian girl's toes that I kept stepping on... having said that she wasn't much better herself. It's good for working up a sweat but I think I'll stick to football in future for burning calories. I've wanted to hike the volcano but when I stick the boots on I still get a bit of pain from the Iberian airplane accident. Assholes.

This is now my second and last week at the school, the lessons are going fine and I am really getting stuck into reflexive verbs (whatever they are), there about 10 other students at the school and they are from all over the place... USA, England, Holland, Canada etc etc. My family are increasingly getting pissed off with me for my erratic timekeeping - but it's them who keep moving the goalposts of when dinner and tea are being served!! The food is basically a slightly flexible rotation of rice, beans, chicken and porridge... Not to mention sweet lemon tea to brighten things up.

Well, for the weekend coming up I've got a graduation party Friday night for all the students leaving including myself and about 4 others. It'll be good and I will believe once again I can dance to a salsa beat after 8 bottles of refreshment and a liberal dash of Whisky. After that I am probably going to do a 3 day hike to Lago Atitlan, to a small town called San Pedro - a hippy hangout by some accounts. Dig it.

Tell you what's also great about Xela... fireworks and bangers - all the bloody time to celebrate anything from births, deaths, marriages, the death of a clown and the start of happy hour. It's fine but not at 8 am when you are studying the depths of quasi-reflexive verbs in the plural!

That's enough for now, I have to go and pick up my laundry a couple of blocks away. I hinted to my surrogate family that they could wash my clothes for me - but they quite naturally blanked me. I salute them for their astuteness.


( I know you are thinking what a crap diary entry this one has been -- and I agree with you sincerely)

---

Photos

A mist descending...
Not a wonderful photo I know, but it is for your benefit not mine. Close your eyes, relax and float downstream.
Man.

The streets
The mad and not-that-dangerous streets of Xela.