Reflections from my window

If you're a normal reader of my blog, you are probably surprised to see this many posts in a week.  That's because my bed and I have become way too good of friends, and being the social person that I am, I have resorted to job searching/applying, reading, and starring out my window wishing that I had enough energy to make it down the stairs and back up them again.  But alas, I don't, so I'll just have to share with you what I see from my window.
(and yes... these photos aren't the greatest.  I didn't even edit them because I'm already 100 points behind on the pretty scale with the panes being dirty... my apologies)

Let's start with a geography lesson:

 First of all, by my window.  That's my bed.  Well, actually, it's a boxspring with a egg foam mattress on it and it usually has sheets (I promise, all the moms in my life), but they are being washed right now.   But that's my bed.  On the left, the liberation theology things that I SHOULD be reading.  On the right, my laptop with Malea's magical Tigo Internet Stick that I am using to apply for jobs.  Behind my highly attractive pillows?  MY WATER BOTTLE!  Exciting!  I've been looking for that all day!

Now... to the outside world.  First we have looking up, because if you don't look up, you really are missing out on 99% of the world... do you realize how often we miss out on the world?

Anyways, up is the sky.  Every afternoon it's a bit cloudy (Come on body... why didn't we get sick during rainy season, not before!) 

There's also a cell or radio tower... it's a great marker to find our apartment from the tops of mountains.

To the left, we have some apartments and a yellow and black sign that squeaks in the wind.  See that strange fabric on the connection closest to the apartment?  Those are Andrew's (as in Becca and Andrew) jeans... it was a sacrifice for a good cause that needs to be repeated. 

To the right, is a clearer view of the street, an intersection, and a tienda.  That tienda ocassionally produces some entertaining characters so I try to keep an eye to the right as I'm pretending that the sign on my left side doesn't exist.










Then, there's the things that are directly in front of my window.  They are what fascinate me the most. 

There's the strange car floor paneling store.  How they make business in one of the poorer neighborhoods in town really baffles me... like who would buy a colored floor panel for their car when their kids can't eat? 

Then, there's the ice cream vendor store that sells ice cream to people who sell ice cream.  There's always a fun bunch coming and going from there.

A short bus in for some fixin'

And... the Pinchazo, tire fixing company, that is owned by a family at my school.  I know that this family doesn't make a lot of money... their child is in desperate need of glasses at school and they either don't have the time or money to get him some... but they certainly do have a great deal of business, and the kids are adorable!  My student is a first grader, and hands down the smallest first grader I've ever met in my life.  His sister is smaller and younger and wears traditional clothing (which makes her even cuter).  They live above the shop and their daddy's workplace is their playground.  They are constantly running outside back and forth between neighboring shops.  Never mind that they live on one of the busiest roads in Xela and definitely on the loudest (since it's the road all the buses drive down to get to the terminal and buses sure like their horns!) - it's their home and they play like kids in their home.  

They also work in the home and take care of it.  Every night, my student is out there sweeping, with a broom bigger than him, the shop.  In the morning, before his first clients come, his dad is sweeping the sidewalk.  When you live in a dirty country in a dirty city on a dirty road, it's really remarkable to see people cleaning the sidewalks in front of their businesses; it makes me want to go there!  (I'm serious on that one).

Finally, the pinchazo makes me think.  What would it be like to change tires for a living if you don't own a car?  If you have never driven one?  Cars definitely symbolize class here: the haves and the have nots.  These people are the have nots - every single person they serve is inherently a have.  What do each party think of that?  Do they realize the disparities?  Do they feel judged? 

Then, my thoughts go to the next logical place.  How often am I in that boat?  How often am I the have not serving the have?  (if you ignore language abilities and claims, the answer is probably almost never).  How often am I the have being served?  (A whole lot!)  Do I notice? Do I judge?  What do they think?  Am I someone who cares or a dollar sign/big Q (depending on currency)? 


Then, when my head hurts and I finish journaling about these really important questions, my gaze returns to the window.  To the cars that go by. 

From the large, decorated buses that say, "I'm not in the US so I don't need to follow any of those silly transportation guidelines!  Watch me put people in and on top and things everywhere so I'm bursting at the seams"

To the motorcycles that say, "Well, see that bus?  If they don't have to follow rules, we won't either.  So, we'll take this nice lady's banana leaves (that are larger than many of my students that were strapped to her back and use the blanket to strap them to the back of the motorcycle, and we'll just drive away.  I'll even wear a helmet to pretend I respect rules"





 I hope to be 100% by tomorrow (I really want to teach, and more importantly to have the kids hear what I say when I teach!)... it's been a week of feeling less than great, with four of those days feeling like a diesel filled bus has stopped on top of me and is filling my lungs with black smoke while taking all my energy out, so I think I've paid my dues.  But, considering the medicine the doctor gave me is to treat malaria and acne, we'll see about that...
You all may have another reflections post coming soon!