going to Ciudad del Este (City of the East) today... will update from there if possible... 6 hours by car...

Take it easy

So... I've been really tired lately...

That's me on the left and Pauli (Jeru's Niece) on the right... She's sooo cute... she was sleeping like that and after we took the picture she started crying and then she turned and stopped... she's hilarious... i'll show you guys video when i get back.

I recently caught a cold and have had to take medicine... but I'm feeling great now... it was like one of those 24hr colds... the weird ones...

It's great to hear from even more people as I continue on my journey. I'll be going to see a large dam as well as waterfalls that dwarf that of Niagara. This place is amazing, everyday i learn something new. For example, the traffic lights turn yellow before they turn green as well as before they turn red... it's like their saying "ready... set... go!" I'm having a great time here, although, I have been the center of much attention in the public and in the home... when I walk into the food court in the shopping mall, so many people start staring... when they walk by me on the street they stare... on the bus they stare... i am actually becoming quite self concious... thinking my zipper is down or perhaps a booger (not sure how to spell it) outside the confines of my nostrils.

Here's a picture of Jeru and her sister while we were on the way to her uncle's house for what turned out to be a beautfiul and delicious BBQ!!!!!! or Asado!Anyways... I'm really tired and it's 11:30 now so i'm going to go to sleep... gotta go pick up mi plantillas mañana por la mañana. Hasta Luego mis amigos!!!!

Take it easy...

IT'S GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS!!!

THANKS FOR LEAVIN MESSAGES! (Mitch, Brian and Nic, and of course my wonderfully awesome brother whom I miss a whole bunch too... Everyone else who wanted to leave a message but never got around to it... Thanks!)

Things are going really well! I just went to Jeru's cousin's house the other day, the cousin who plays for Juventus... Man THAT HOUSE IS HUGE! It's got a tennis court and a pool and everything... But the thing I'm loving the most is Jeru's little niece... Pauli!
She is SOOO CUTE.... and she has the biggest cheeks EVER you'd just want to bite them... She looks so cute and when she smiles its sooo funny... I'll show you guys videos when I get back!

This country is full of physical insecurity and yet at the same time there is an overlying familial sentiment that seems to bind everything. Just this last Saturday, the house keeper, here at the house, was on the bus and heard one man talking to another man, later she realized that the man who was talking was actually robbing the other guy ... On a full bus, in broad daylight... So the other guy refused and got up and started walking to the front of the bus... And before she knew it.. The robber shot the man. And still no one did anything... And then the dying man crawled to her feet and begged her to keep him from dying after which pieces of lung or blood started coming out his mouth... The point of that gruesome tale is that we need to appreciate what we have in Canada... and learn from these people. I felt SOOO welcomed here in the church the first time I came... Everybody and I mean EVERYONE even those who could not speak English welcomed me! I was shocked... Everytime I'm in the car, i wave to people on the streets and they wave back even though they don't know me... the point is that there is still such camaraderie despite the distrust and physical insecurity that these people experience.

This place is far from gorgeous in terms of BC life... the roads suck and its really dusty... I just learnt that cars don't stop for you when you put your foot on the road... they actually come faster... there are no rules and some drivers in Canada (mainly Chinese and Indian) are blessings in terms of the way they drive compared to this place...

Poverty is widespread down here and new diseases everyday... I am truly amazed at the lives that these people lead... They are still so happy and welcoming despite their situation... In Canada... no one talks to me on the streets even though I wave. Everyone only cares about "numero uno." I urge you to look around today... Some people are not worth helping or welcoming into fellowship with one another... but some are... and we need to make a conscious effort to look around and start making Canada a friendly place where everyone is family!

On the family front...

things are going great with Jeru's family... I've had some good talks with both her brothers and with her Dad too... Despite the language barrier. I am able to understand a lot more Spanish and I can speak pretty fast now too... I've only been here four days and with all the things that has happened it feels like I've been here longer...

Jeru's sister is awesome! She is so nice and she's hilarious too... Her extended family (her uncles and aunts), according to Jeru, love me... and her dad apparently likes my personality... According to him, I'm "calm, unlike the rest of the family where everyone speaks really loud and has all kinds of hand actions and are constantly talking."

I must admit, I really had Jeru's dad pegged wrongly... I told myself on the Airplane that I had to be me... No matter what... I can put on some show after traveling for so long... I'm glad I can be myself amongst these people too... I really love all of them very much...

Her cousins man... There's this one named Diego... HE'S AMAZING witht he guitar... you should see how fast his hands move...
Jeru's church friends are really great too... one of them might be comin up to Canada in 2007 so hopefully he can meet you guys!

I love them all here... I really do!

It's a whole different life that it is back home... so much more simple, and familial, yet fraught with physical insecurities everyday.


I miss you all too... I wish you all could be down here... I met a Canadian the other day in Jeru's church and it was awesome... We hit it off... He lives in Abbotsford!

Anyways...

Take it easy