Maestro albañil

Today (ouch) was (ouch) a tiring (ouch) and semi-painful (ouch) day. As if the ouches didn´t express that fact enough... I insert the exclamations because my blistered hands are struggling to type without stinging like a mad hornet on yellow jackets. Bum bum ching. Today was the day that we planned to carry out a service project. Initially we intended to paint a building of some sort (most likely something related to the Presbyterian church; that has been a common theme here...), but we were ultimately recruited for a job much more strenuous and smarting: we were instructed to clear property that would eventually become a church (I wonder which denomination it will belong to...). By clear, I mean that we had to move all of the rocks and dirt that were not at ground level to a different part of the property. That, and the stronger ones in the group (all of whom happened to be men...) were told to dig trenches in which the foundation of the building would be laid. Sure, picking up rocks off the ground and throwing them in the opposite direction is tough stuff. But digging trenches in boulderous, thick earth; who in the world wants to manage that? Being of the male sex, I was assigned that role, and not 10 minutes later my office-born and raised hands were bloodied and sore. I know what I am NOT made for... In the end, the job was...mandatory exercise, which I always enjoy. I also enjoyed the fact that we received tamales for our efforts. Que riquisima!!

The rest of the day was spent working on a presentation that I am giving tomorrow on the life of Mexican youth/students, which will primarily contain information that I have learned from living with Oto, my temporary brother (my permanent, beloved sister wanted me to differentiate). I did so in the comfort of a coffee shop and a Cuban restaurant. C´mon, who wants to do homework without coffee and "moros and cristianos"? Not me...

I miss you all, but just remember: I will be back in a week. Only one more week for you to worry about my safety, Uncle Tom. Well, that is unless I decide to hitch a ride to Cuba and spend some time over there. If only I had my Canadian citizenship status figured out...

Tito