Ramble

Hi Ya'll,
Here's to you: I'm trying to write my weekly entry (little late--sorry!!!) and am finding it incredibly difficult. To put off the inevitable, I'm just writing now, and hoping that by rambling I'll awaken that silly English side of me. And it's kinda not working. Crapola. I realized what a wall I've hit when I tried to write the word ''colonization'' but it came out ''conolization.'' I used spell check to get the correct form, then for the next minute or two, stared at it and said it over and over, because honest-to-goodness, I had forgotten how to say it. Daaang...
Hmm...que más?
Oh, how about this:
I've been in Bolivia for three months today!!! Woo-hoo!!! And kind of sad in the same breath, because that means I have only 8 months left, más or menos. What's especially uncanny, is that in prep for Bolivia, especially at Shussout, I heard that Thanksgiving was the hardest time for exchangers, and now I'm living it and...
it's not that hard. Maybe it's just because it's not actually Thanksgiving yet, but I'm not feeling the sickening waves of homesickness and utter wretchedness that I'd heard about. I love and miss you all, but I'm not wallowing in grief. Sorry.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, what in the world am I going to do with it? I'm destined for an evening at my YEO's house with a bunch of other (and probably moody) exchangers. They're not that homesick either, I'm a-thinking, but Thanksgiving in S.C. is pretty disappointing for quite a few of us. Long story short: Sarah (http://www.boliviablog.braveblog.com) went to Hades and back (oh, just finished The Odyessey!) to get a group of us exchangers on a rough and dirty tour of the Noel-Kempff National Park, part of the Amazon. We were set to leave today and jungle-ize for 8 days (including travel time.) Everything was set: the tour guides, the chaperone, Rotary support...from some Rotarians. Last week we went to Rotary to present the almost-watertight plan, and after a lot of explaning, got some support and some acceptance. Then Sarah went to our YEO and somewhere in the conversation, despite our precautions, parental permission, and already having made the first payment, our YEO vetoed the whole trip, using Thanksgiving as an excuse. Yeah, she didn't want us to miss our Thanksgiving to the Amazon. Needless to say, the group as a whole had some pretty bad energy after that. I probably took it the best, being young and prone to flexibility, ha ha, or maybe just a little more scared of getting Malaria than everyone else. Still, the thought of sitting down to an amiable meal with the woman who took away the adventurer's dream is pretty hard to swallow. So happy Thanksgiving! I'm still looking forward to cooking and eating and talking in English, but I'm also very curious to see how it's going to play out.
Change of subjects:
Last night I went to Espiritu Santo's promocion graduacion party. Holy cow, and what a prom it was. You know, I was wondering what it'd be like to miss my Junior Prom, but I think this sufficed. I got an official invitation, wore a dress, the whole enchilada. And it was pretty dang fun. I really loved the Desfila. I don't know the word in English. It's when all of the seniors walk down this long read carpet. Their names are announced and everyone takes pictures and applaudes. Really, it was cool. And the decorations and gowns and hairstyles of the room and girls within were incredible. No offense, SHS, but Espiritu Santo's gotcha beat. Ooh, tangent on dresses: Since I have an extra $320 laying around from my lack of Amazon trip (merg.) should I get a dress made? Chelan and Brodie got their dresses handmade for them for this ''prom.'' One was $50 and the other $100. That's more than I've ever spent on a dress, but maybe it's worth it, being able to design my own dress and make it fit me perfectly. Should I do it? Both of their dresses could have easily been displayed on David's Bridal for on the high side of $200--or more. So should I? As nice as it is to think that I have all of my summer job money, and all of my money in general for this year, I do have to have a life after this, and that life will include college. But $100 for a handmade-for-me dress. Should I?
Okay, well, I think it's time I close this ramble, and pray that I can pull off this entry, soon. But my brain is full of cotton right now. And my bugbites of absurd proportions are bothering me, and I'm wondering if my internal-clock is normal enough for me to be able to go to bed in an hour or two and actually sleep. Lately that sleep thing has been pretty hard for me. I blame in on dance! Ha ha, I'm loving 3 hours of my 4.5-hour-a-day dance classes, but they're wiping me out! I finish tango every night but Sunday, I think, at 8:30, and by the time the movil (cab) gets me home, it's after 9. I'm so tired from all of the work, I eat, change, and crash on my bed, hoping for a good HBO movie while I brush my teeth. Then for whatever reason, I can't sleep! I'm soo exhausted though! Take the other day--Thursday? for example. I can't remember why it was so late, but my light was off by one, I was very much awake until at least 2, then I don't know when, but whenever my sister came home from working the night shift her relatively quiet footsteps woke me up (wasn't in a deep sleep) then I was in the fairly awake category again at 6am! I laid in bed wondering what to do, and at 6:45 got up to walk around the yard. My dad was up so I went inside and ate some pineapple, then went back to my room and managed to sleep from 8 till 10, when a phone call woke me up. Argh! That night I slept beautifully, but the night after I was again tossing and turning until at 3am I decided, if nothing else would, CNN in English would put me to sleep. Anyway, you see why I can't decide if I'll be able to sleep today. Oh, and even better, I've already slept a lot today, so though I'm tired, I'm betting it won't happen. Yeah, last night my parents had a party until 5am. I got home from the prom party at about a quarter to 3 (took forever and ever to get a cab!) and went to bed pretty much immediately. My alarm was set for 7:30 so I'd be up in time to prep for church. And up I got, and prepped, and walked over to the house to get some breakfast before my mom or dad drove me to church. Except they had had a party until 5am, and were still asleep. Even better, the house was still locked up, so no breakfast for me! There's a wicker sofa outside right now, because of the party, so I lay down, hoping they'd wake up in time to get me at least to Sunday school, but there was no sound from inside, and I fell asleep outside. I woke up sweaty, and decided to wait in my room. And Mama woke me up at 11:30, saying it was time to go to lunch. Yeah. Lame, I know. Then at the Resort after lunch, I fell asleep in the hammock. Then after the Resort back at home, I slept for almost another two hours. So will I be able to sleep tonight? I doubt it.
Anyway, I have to go. Mama wants the comp, and you'll be getting that promised post tomorrow I suppose.
Loves and kisses,
Erika