Welcome to 2-2-2 Tuesday and Happy Valentine’s Day!
Here are 2 brief stories, 2 cultural highlights, and 2 quotes for you to enjoy.
2 Cultural Highlights:
1. Don’t flush the toilet paper:
To prevent clogging In Central/South America, ALL soiled hygiene products go in the trash. Many bins lack lids, and sit without being emptied for far too long.
Here’s a fun fact: If you can smell something, the particles of that thing have already entered your nostrils.
Kind of gross, right? Well, it’s our new norm. Let’s just say that stepping into foreign cultures can also help us more deeply appreciate aspects of the home we left behind.
Next time you use the bathroom, flush some TP down the toilet for me. 😉
2. What on earth is a Chicken Bus?
In short, it’s your standard American school bus repurposed for local transportation. But it’s so much more! It feels more like a party bus.
No two chicken buses are the same. The operators added all the bells and whistles. Flashing lights, shiny chrome body kits, sound systems equipped with subwoofers, and even a flatscreen TVs are features we enjoyed. It’s like a celebration on the ride home after work.
The fare is 5 Quetzals (65 cents), and passengers are 95% locals.
The chicken buses are NOT just for show as the mechanics have clearly undergone massive upgrades. They zoom around like rally cars as drivers narrowly dodge pedestrians, cars, bikes and buildings at high velocity. We found the experience equal parts entertaining and terrifying.
2 Quotes to Consider on this Valentine’s Day:
- Feelings come and go. If we rely on our feelings to sustain our relationships, we will be disappointed. Regardless of our feelings, our ability to choose loving actions remains intact.
- The highest form of love is unconditional love….My friend, love is a verb. Love – the feeling – is a fruit of love, the verb. So love. Serve. Sacrifice. Listen. Empathize. Appreciate. Affirm. Are you willing to do that?” – Stephen Covey
2 Brief Stories:
“We can start today!,” exclaimed Farah.
Moments before we were asked when we’d be ready to teach English to four different grades. I was still thinking of a response to delay in order to build in some prep time when she enthusiastically committed. But hey…It always works out.
“Here we go” I thought to myself as I smiled at the fact that my wife jumps at challenging opportunities. Over the course of the week, we created games, illustrations, and entertaining tools to teach English. It wasn’t always fun, but we’re glad we we went for it. We both lit up as we overheard our students practicing English skills from our lessons outside of class. This is just one of countless examples where Farah has made the most out of situations.
It’s not lost on me that Farah’s positive and proactive approach to life is a big contributor to the numerous friends we’ve made on this journey.
I’m grateful she’s my wife, my best friend, and the brightest light in my life.
2. Julio squeezed me tighter. He then went limp, and started seizing.
I awkwardly held him up as another teacher rushed over to help. That was one of my first interactions with Julio. He wasn’t stable enough to walk on his own, so the school asked me to help him get up and help him perform whatever task a given situation required. With his current age unknown, it was explained to me that he was severely abused as a toddler.
Despite this history, Julio is almost always smiling from ear to ear. He’s such a happy kid. He’s unable to form sentences, but he repeats words with enthusiasm. During our time together, we developed a simple routine.
“Listo mi amigo?,” I’d ask.
“Si!,” he’d respond.
“Vamos,” I’d say.
And off we went. We quickly became pals – solidified by a handshake ending in a fist bump. He was super patient with me as I figured out: 1. How to best lift him up. 2. How to support him as he walked. 3. How to hold him from behind while he went numero uno and washed his hands.
We love and miss you. Your adventure are amazing.