Birthdays in Guatemala

Two posts in one day. You can tell I must be trying to catch up before I head off to Belize this week!

My birthday, Friday the 13th, was surprisingly very fun. I got a cake, a really good one too. Pretty sure the monks bought it because it looked very professional. With ice cream too! The whole “day” was actually really fun. Thursday night, Fr. Bernie and Fr. Basil (the two American monks) along with Matt and a Guatemalan friend of Fr. Bernie’s and Fr. Basil surprised me with a bottle of whiskey, a bottle of rum and some beer. We sat around eating peanuts and sipping “holy water” until way passed the monks’ normal bedtime. On Friday, I woke up a present of candy outside my door, still don’t know who left it? I went to the refectory for breakfast, and they had signs, streamers and balloons on the wall for me. PLUS, we had pancakes for breakfast! No beans - thank God!!! Then at lunch, I got the birthday song, cake and ice cream. For dinner, my Spanish teacher invited Matt and I over to have dinner with her family. Very fun. Good food, a little wine, good company. Very nice evening. And finally, one of the monks and one of the guys I work went out for Chinese food and a couple beers in the Central Park, where they had the Christmas Tree lighting program. Sponsored by none other than Gallo Cervaza. The lights decorating the tree are actually Gallo beer lights. I really wish I was joking, but it is the truth.

See you all soon,

PD