These are a bunch of kids from Stephen's neighborhood anxiously awaiting his arrival at a surprise housewarming party we had for him last weekend. Unfortunately...he wasn't very surprised. Apparently when you invite a bunch of kids to a surprise party, it doesn't stay a surprise for very long.

Here are some random thoughts and sights from the past week.

Last week at the produce market in Jalapa I found two rare finds: spinach and Brussels sprouts! Yum! I'd never seen either of them in Guate before. And as much as I love broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, it's always nice to have a little more vegetable variety in my diet. Mom sent me some brussel sprout seeds, which I'm excited to give a try in my garden this year.

On Sunday I went to two parties: a quince anos in the morning, and a 50th wedding anniversary in the afternoon. Both parties were preceded by a mass, so I got a double dose of church. The first mass was in the cathedral in Jalapa, and was surprising in a number of ways. First, it started at 9am, sharp. Since when does anything start on time in Guatemala? (Apparently that's what the mom of the birthday girl was thinking too, because she went last minute to buy a dress for one of the damas and missed the first part of the service). The next surprise came during the New Testament reading, which was the story of Jesus's transfiguration. Instead of just reading it, they acted it out in the front of the sanctuary, and when they got to the part where Jesus is transfigured in front of his disciples, the man who was playing Jesus threw aside his blue robe to reveal blazing white pajamas, and they actually set off firecrackers! In the church! Only in Guatemala...

Both of the parties were pretty similar to, well, every other party that I've been to here in my village. Here's how it goes. You get to the house where the party is, find somewhere to sit and chat. If it's a big event, there will be balloons and streamers hanging up, and at least part of the floor will be covered with pine needles. Soon you'll be handed a square or rectangular Styrofoam plate holding three tortillas, rice, and some kind of meat in a red sauce. Then a Styrofoam cup holding super sweet coffee. Everybody eats in silence. Somebody brings out a couple of grain sacks to put the dishes in. If there's no dance, then people go home after a bit. If there is a dance, the guest of honor will dance the first dance, and then everybody else starts to dance too. However, there wasn't much dancing at either of the parties yesterday. A breaker blew at the first party after only a couple of songs, and then two drunk guys got in a fight serious enough to warrant pulling out their machetes. Luckily, I had already left by that time. The second party started late (for parties here), and I went home after dinner. Walking alone in the dark here is not recommended here, especially Sunday night when there are bolos (drunks) out.

One thing that I really find amusing about parties here is how much people like to videotape them. Although most people here don't have cameras, they always find somebody to come and record the party. What do they tape? Well, people eating silently. Then people dancing. Who watches these movies?

Here's a picture of Laurita, one of my favs from Pino Dulce, at her first communion last Thursday. Yup, that's right, I went to mass not once, not twice, but THREE times this week! I'm just about to turn Catholic.