Adventure and the art of conversation

(Jeana)  Yesterday, we took a trip outside the orphanage walls.  Gigi's first since being here.  The plan was to walk down to La Frogua to the tortilla tienda and purchase tortillas to go with our beans for dinner.  It's about a half mile (feels like miles in 97 degree heat).  Right outside the gates we ran into Sam Waddell driving down the road and we hitched a ride.  We ordered "doce" tortillas.  Should have been about  Q4 which would be about 50 cents.  What we received was doce Q worth of tortillas which is about 48 tortillas -- big difference.  What could we do but smile, pay and lug all 48 piping hot tortillas up the hill home.  We stopped for a soda.  Which is truly a stop because the bottles are "return required" so you have to stay at the store until you finish your drink and give the bottle back.  The six of us sitting on the bench by the side of the road attract lots of looks. 
Today, we drove into Zacapa to the Maxi Despencia.  We took Santos with us.  Ran into Rocky Bean at the store (another missionary living in Zacapa).  This is noteworthy because, so far, I have been here 17 days and every single time I have left the orphanage walls I have run into somebody that I know.  Every single time. Weird.
Daveed had a little accident today.  He and Tony crashed on the play ground.  Daveed got a bloody fat lip.  It is very swollen and black and blue.  Tony is okay.
We had after dinner time with the kids from house 3.  Games and conversation.  Lots of conversation goes on here.  With the absence of T.V. and no way to read the newspaper (if they even have one here) people actually sit around and talk.  All down the streets and on the "porches" of their huts they are talking together.  Not on phones.  Like talking to each other.  We do a lot of that now too.  Talk with each other. I love it. 

a view outside casa seis window