Ok...
Many of you have been asking for a blog post since I arrived here in Mexico. There have been so many things to write about rolling around in my sweaty, dehydrated head that I didn't know where to start, so I'll just start here--with some things I've learned from moving to a foreign country thus far.
1. Stop signs and traffic signs don't always mean what they say. In fact, they rarely mean what they say. For instance, I've realized that stop signs actually mean: don't stop. They actually mean: keep right on driving through this intersection at whatever speed seems right to you without regard for whoever else might be coming through and for heaven's sake, if a silly mislead gringa stops at one of these tricky red octagons, lay on your horn and go around her because WHY in the world would she stop like that???
2. Same goes for conversations, they don't always mean exactly what was said. Sometimes they mean the opposite. Like, if you are talking to someone and they said, "Sure, I can come Friday!" Well, you may think that means that they can come Friday. That would make you a poor, silly fool. That means that only maybe they can come Friday. It may only mean that yes, they have heard that Friday is an actual day of the week. It could even mean, that no, under no circumstances will they come Friday because their sister's friends's dog is having surgery on Friday and they will most definitely not be coming on Friday. It's just a wait-and-see kinda thing. Like, on Friday, you just sit there and wait and see......
3. God's greatest gift to humankind, after Jesus, was most definitely air-conditioning. I mean, I feel really sorry for my kids and husband right now....really sorry. If they thought hormonal Amy was a force to be reckoned with, how about sweated-all-day-and-night-heat-rash-hormonal-Amy??? She's scary, man. Real scary. But there just isn't any way around it, sadly. Being hot makes me angry. Cameron keeps telling me I'll get used to it, but every time he says that, in my mind I'm hitting him in the face with a tire iron.
4. I love me some spicy food...but apparently not as much as Mexicans. Because in Mexico, chile comes on everything. Ev-er-y-thing. Want chile flavored ice cream? Check. Chile flavored gum? Yep. Oh, you want chile on your lollipop? Well, you're in luck because that's just about the only kind I've seen. And of course, it goes on all your fruits and veggies. All the samples of pineapple and cucumber and what-have-you in Walmart? Bright red from so much chile. Tums are our new best friend. Well, along with Maalox and Pepto.
5. Feeling conspicuous is just our new normal. I didn't anticipate how much this was going to bother me. I knew that the boys would probably get a bit of attention for their bright blonde hair, but I didn't really think I was going to stick out that much. But, I was wrong. For instance, I was wondering around Walmart looking for something, and my friend Carlos asked why I didn't just ask someone that worked there. I said, "Because every time I ask them something, they literally just stare at me and don't say a word." He laughed and said, "Yeah, that's because you are from another planet."
So, we are adjusting. Slowly. Actually, the boys haven't skipped a beat, I think probably I am the one adjusting the most slowly. But you know what, life is life no matter what country you are in. The kids still fight. You still have to wash dishes. You still just want to go to Starbucks, alone. But by the grace of God, we are learning to live down here, and I think despite all the ways that it's harder, falling in love with Mexico and her people a little more each day.
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