haha, whatever it was that i had or have, well…. i am taking the helen route of mind over matter. It makes things a bit easier to deal with. Tonight i am not sure when i will be home. but i think your best bet would be to call around… .hmmm good question. I am going out to dinner tonight, so i would suggest that you call at 11 ur time. That two hour difference doesn’t sound like much, but really makes a difference as to when i will be around. Now that i think about it, ur best bet would be to call around six your time. I will try my hardest to be around. Quiero halbar con mateo, if you didn’t know. this will probably be followed by a large amount of confusing fast words and then by them putting down the phone to find me. No esta aqui, means he isn’t here. at which point you could try again later tonight. I would kill for some steak from the 99 at the moment. Although i do enjoy the food here a lot.
Yes we did start work at the school, although i am not exactly sure of the name, but we are translating letters to american sponsors who give money to the school and to the family of the kids. It is not exactly the easiest thing to read spanish written by a seven year old. But it is doable and pretty fun. Anyways, we leave tmorrow at 520 for miraflor. Should be interesting to see if we can get up that early.

Much love as usual
matt

Hil’s email address – sun_moon_and_hilly@hotmail.com
Matt’s – abstudent16@hotmail.com
Matt’s Phone Number – 011-505-713-3274

°Feliz CumpleaÒos, Mateo!

Globos

Que tengas un buen dia!

(In Latin countries, girls get serenaded on their birthday–when is Hil’s?)

Haha, i bet you are loving the emails, keeps you knowing we are alive. I was sick yesterday and for most of the morning, but i seem to be recovering at the moment(knocks on wood). I agree that the trip to managua is a must, as does hilary so i don’t think that is a problem. We are meeting some wonderful people , such as this couple from the states. They are abagados and have been living down here for the last year, working with organizations. Humanitarians they seem, and are awfully helpful. Tomorrow is not only my birthday, but the revolution celebrations. I am thinking it is going to be a very interesting day. As for today, i am sitting in this internet cafe, looking out the window at a portion of the street that has been blocked off. They are playing music and volleyball and other games. I have no idea why or if it is even a celebration. But it is all very interesting to watch. As to where i am sleeping, no it is not a closet, in fact the room is fairly large. As is their house. They own a new izuzu rodeo and a four wheeler, and i wake up one morning and it turns out they also use the kitchen as a garage. As you will see from the pictures. I think today is going to be our first day of volunteer work at the schooll. If i feel well enough to go. Everything is going great, and as for the connection…. i think it may be a DSL type thing, because it goes faster then dial up… but we are in central america and it still isn’t what i would call fast. 21 days left according to hil.. anyway
much love
mateo

At Johnís non surprise birthday party, Flo mentioned how she had been bitterly disappointed at not having a bathtub at Concord Park. But her spirits had brightened, she continued, when one of the residents told her that indeed there was a common tub, but that it was located in the basement. Cheered by the prospect of soaking her aching bones, Flo had sought out Nancy, the executive director, to ask where in the basement the tub was. Nancy replied, ìNot only do we not have a tub, but we donít have a basement.î

Bob Lewis, Johnís father, was at that party and told me later that he enjoyed Floís story so much heís now passed it on to , ìAbout a half dozen people. But gosh,î he continued, ìsome people donít get it. They look at me like they are waiting for the next line.î

I’ve been calling Chris my right hand man, but he amends it to, “My right index finger.”
Here we are hiding from the rain in what nearby condo owners are referring to as our home away from home.