Yeah, this kid is a magnet. We went out and bought some new shoes this morning (softer, flexible, no slip) in hopes of improving our walking skills. We then went to the park to take the new shoes for a test drive. In no time at all we hade a whole crowd keeping the princess entertained.
I’ve gotten to know quite a few of the women and children who sell stuff in the park. One woman has invited me to visit her village, which is about 8 kilometers away. I’ve asked her how we would get there, and she asked if I had a car, which of course I don’t. She then said that there is a bus. I am a little nervous about taking Liana on the chicken bus, and I also know that the village might be quite a walk from where the bus drops us off. But an invitation like this seems like something I should not turn down. Would it be really obnoxious and ostentatious to take a taxi?
In addition to the street vendors, I have gotten to know a number of the beggars. There is one woman I pass every day. I stop and talk, and she fusses over Liana. She is quite old, and her husband has broken his hip, it seems. She does not speak Spanish very well, and mixes in many indigenous words that I do not understand. But she tells me about her son, who worked in Guatemala City for a while, but now seems to be somewhere else. His wife just had a baby, a boy. He was born healthy. She is uncertain if she should send her injured husband to stay with family somewhere, because she seems unable to care for him. He is heavy, and needs to be lifted. She then talks about Liana and how beautiful she is, and blesses her and blesses me, and tells me about a relative who went to NY, and wishes us wonderful things in our lives together. I was walking down the street lost the other day, looking for a cross street and not paying attention, and I did not see this woman walking towards us. She grabbed me and kissed me, and then put both of her hands on Liana’s head. I am not accustomed to being kissed on the streets of Antigua, so I was quite startled. I am really starting to feel at home in this sweet city/town.
Haha… my boss wrote me this morning with comments on this blog and pictures of Liana, and she said she is concerned that it sounds like I like it here too much. Don’t worry. I really am coming home. I promise.
I’ve gotten to know quite a few of the women and children who sell stuff in the park. One woman has invited me to visit her village, which is about 8 kilometers away. I’ve asked her how we would get there, and she asked if I had a car, which of course I don’t. She then said that there is a bus. I am a little nervous about taking Liana on the chicken bus, and I also know that the village might be quite a walk from where the bus drops us off. But an invitation like this seems like something I should not turn down. Would it be really obnoxious and ostentatious to take a taxi?
In addition to the street vendors, I have gotten to know a number of the beggars. There is one woman I pass every day. I stop and talk, and she fusses over Liana. She is quite old, and her husband has broken his hip, it seems. She does not speak Spanish very well, and mixes in many indigenous words that I do not understand. But she tells me about her son, who worked in Guatemala City for a while, but now seems to be somewhere else. His wife just had a baby, a boy. He was born healthy. She is uncertain if she should send her injured husband to stay with family somewhere, because she seems unable to care for him. He is heavy, and needs to be lifted. She then talks about Liana and how beautiful she is, and blesses her and blesses me, and tells me about a relative who went to NY, and wishes us wonderful things in our lives together. I was walking down the street lost the other day, looking for a cross street and not paying attention, and I did not see this woman walking towards us. She grabbed me and kissed me, and then put both of her hands on Liana’s head. I am not accustomed to being kissed on the streets of Antigua, so I was quite startled. I am really starting to feel at home in this sweet city/town.
Haha… my boss wrote me this morning with comments on this blog and pictures of Liana, and she said she is concerned that it sounds like I like it here too much. Don’t worry. I really am coming home. I promise.
