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Published: February 22nd 2007
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this is elena
the mean hat weaver :) Today is the Worst Day Ever! Don't take me too seriously I am just very annoyed with everything today. Nothing has worked out the way I wanted it to.
I woke up at 6:30 a.m., with my straw and went over to Jose's parents house. They were still asleep. I quietly brushed my teeth and then sat outside on the bench and waited for them to get up. When Papa opened up the front door, he told me that the straw was too dry and needed to be soaked in water for 1 hour. So, in the meantime I drank some chamomile tea and studied my Spanish. At 9:00, the straw was ready but there was no one around who could teach me. I was tired so I went back home and crawled into bed with Jose and took a nap until 11a.m.
I got up and there was a lady outside making a hat, so I asked her if she would help me. Just when I thought I was ready to start, she told me that you have to tear off a thin strip from each piece of straw, so that was a lot of work to begin with, then Elena across the street, told me I was doing it wrong and taking off too much, so she came over and sat down and helped me. Then she took a bunch of the yellow straw and started weaving it. I wanted to learn how to begin the hat, so I asked, "How do you begin?" She answered, "A little cross" - which means nothing to me.
Next, she was trying to figure out how to weave with three colors, because I guess this is unusual to have an odd number of colors. So when she got going on it, I said, "Can I try?" and she said, "No, just watch."
I watched but I could not really understand what she was doing. I learn by doing things not just watching. So, I started getting angry because it was my straw that I bought to learn and here she was just going on weaving and weaving and explaining nothing. I don't care if I make a perfect hat, I just want to learn how to do it and have a hat that I made. Then it was time for lunch so I told her I'd be back. Well I told Jose why I was pissed and he looked outside and said, "She left, go take the straw and put it on the table".
It was a beautiful, hot day today and for lunch we had a bowl of hot, thick lentil soup and a big plate of rice and a vegetable that is related to corn but has the texture of potatoes. I was very hungry but I just did not want to eat this. It was too hot.
I ate some, but I gave the rest to Jose. When I went to wash my plate, Elena came to the door and asked Papa for my straw, and he gave it to her. So I was mad again.
Kathy came over and helped me learn a little. She is 10 yrs old. So, she let me try, but I was confused which direction to go, what goes under and over, etc. So, after a while we had a dust storm so we all went to our own houses.
Jose and I played cards, then he wanted me to write English prayers in his notebook.
Papa knows how to weave straw but he says he forgot because it has been many years. Elena, told me that she learned to weave when she was 5 years old from her grandma. Then, the hats were the only way to make money for the family so they made 5 hats per week. They were sold to an intermediary who then sold them in Cuenca for more money.
Today, the hats are sold more directly right here in Principal for $2.90.
I give up on the hat for today. Papa said he'll try to help me tomorrow but it has been 30 yrs.
For dinner, we had rice, soup, and eggs. Then I washed all of the dishes. Jose and I played Playstation - a fighting game, until my thumbs hurt, then I quit and went to study Spanish. After Jose's mom, Miggy, Kevin, and I played Burro, a card game. I am the champion in this game and I am hardly ever the donkey.
Yesterday, in church, I forgot to mention that they auctioned off a live, black chicken. It was sold for $5 and the money will go to help someone who is sick. I thought this hilarious! Well, it has been a long day so I'm going to bed. Goodnight.
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