Viva

I have a beard.

It hasnt rained since Ive been here.

I went to 2 fiestas since I last blogged. I am still convinced that there is no better way to meet people than during celebrations. The rule, as a volunteer, is that I cannot drink within my community. But there are no rules against listening to musice, dancing, and celebrating. The fact that I wasnt drunk, made it even more of a new experience for me.

The music here is so different. Salsa, Merengue, Reggaeton. The dancing is very different too, but I feel that I can still adjust, even if I look like an idiot. For me, life is about learning by jumping in head first.

The music was deafening, but I managed to maintain conversations in Spanish. I was in a group of all older guys (my security guards, the DJ, and a couple of complete strangers to me- I was easily the youngest), who were getting hammered, talking about philosophy. Yes, philosophy and religion. I was really happy that, for the first time since Ive been here, I was just hanging out with the guys. I couldnt understand everything, but I was able to slow them down and explain. I wanted to hear what they were saying about their lives and experiences. This time, I wouldnt settle for confusion. I kept up a conversation about Frued, then transitioned to Taoism, and eventually Christianity. We concluded that life is about balance. We concluded that we are all brothers and sisters in this world. We concluded that life is about celebration and helping each other out. We concluded that life is good.