When Life Hands You Lemons.... Make a Lemon Drop!

The following day (Tues) was the 29th of June. Mr Assi finally spoke to me--all he said was I had 2 days left in the house. Ahhh. So I ate and left for work early because I felt awkward at home. Work was actually a really fun, good day. We got an intern from Barbados who will be working with me for 2 months. Because she was knew, our big boss took us out for lunch-- yay free lunch! haha
That afternoon I spent time hanging with Michelle.... we walked around and took pics and chatted...very touristy, but nice. I needed a good relaxer. I tried to look around for some places to rent before heading home for dinner and quality time with those cute little puppies!

I went to bed early Tues because Nester, my host bro, took me with him to thatch his house in San Antonio village on Wed! Me, Nes, and Omar left at 5am that morning! Soooo early! I rode in the back of the pickup all the way into the village--already a great start to the day! Since the poles were already up, all that had to be done was the actual thatching part. We met up with some village men and headed down to the river to grab the cohune leaves that had already been chopped. There were probably 50 leaves! And these leaves are HUGE.... each leaf is basically it's own tree. They are the entire length of a house... I don't even have a good way to describe it. So google it! haha Anyway, we had to drag the leaves and pile them into the back of Nes's pickup.... it took us four full loads of leaves to finally get them all over to his lot. Meanwhile, the Maya ladies bathing and doing laundry in the river were all staring at the crazy white girl dragging leaves with the men! hahahaha Once we got the cohune leaves up to his place, we had to split them all in half, because when you thatch you stack each half on top of the other. It was really funny, because I had split the leaves before during training when we built our garden, so when I walked up and split a leaf with no instruction, the guys were all really impressed. But after about 5 leaves, I started to get tired! It was hard work! And they split them SO fast! They can do about 4 in the time I finish one! hahahaha Eventually, I learned a trick to thrust my hip into the leaf and get it to split easier---that sounds really weird, but it works!
After they were all split, the thatching began! 4 guys got on the poles up top, and Nes and I stayed on the bottom. We separated the leaves into two stacks, based on which side they were split from. Then we passed up 8 leaves at a time, and after every 8 leaves, the guys used a large pointy stick and some wire to essentially "sew" the leaves together onto the poles. It was really cool! As the thatch got higher and higher, it was harder to pass the leaves up to them. I was sweating my butt off!!! During the whole time, the guys were drinking liquor to hydrate.... every now and then a glass of water or two...but mostly just rum. hahaha. I didn't want to drink because it was weird being the only girl and in a village. Gotta play it safe!
I had to be back to look at a house to rent, so we piled in the truck and started to head home.... But Nester pit stopped for a beer at the village bar and we all went in and before I even opened my mouth, had a beer. So much for being a girl in a village! I was so paranoid, but I guess since I thatched a roof with the men, I'm entitled to a beer with the men! Even so, I tried to be discreet and not be seen in the bar.
After our pit stop, we headed back into town. I made it just in time to look at a house out in Hopeville, a small area right outside of town. Michelle came with me to look at that house and then three other houses in town. I liked them but either they were too expensive or about to be rented by someone else... everything seemed to just not work out. After the house shopping, I hung out with Michelle at her place for awhile. We had a few stouts and made some dinner before I headed home to my host family. Luckily, everyone was already asleep by the time I got back!

The next morning I woke up early because we had workshops at COMPAR. I told Mr Assi in the morning that maybe we could negotiate extending my stay over lunch... maybe I could pay him weekly or something of that sort. He didn't oppose, though I can't really remember him saying yes either. But the family was sitting around the table and it just seemed like an "ok." So I went to work and came back around noon. Mr Assi wasn't home yet, so Mrs Assi insisted that I start laundry. I had been dreading laundry (it's such a LOOONG process), but I had nothing else to do. Finally, Mr Assi came back and lunch was on the table. I get inside and it was just me and him eating some pigtail. He asked if I had found any places to stay and I told him no luck as of yet. Then, without even being sympathetic that I had just explained I had nowhere to go yet, he told me that he needed the key to my room by that evening because they were leaving for San Antonio. He was rude and I was completely caught by surprise! We were the only two in the house and I wanted to cry! So I told him I would pack when I finished and went outside to get my laundry done as quick as possible. I had texted a few people, and before I knew it PC heard about the situation. But I couldn't talk because I was there with the family, so I left them in limbo for a few hours. Then, like an idiot, I got my phone wet and it stopped working! Right in my hour of crisis! Ahh, I was so upset!
So I finished up my laundry and proceeded to start packing in my room. I had to leave briefly to go look at another house, but I told Mr Assi I would be right back and finish packing. I came home and nobody came in to talk to me or help me or really say anything at all! I thought it was so weird. So finally, I finished getting all my crap in order and started bringing it out to the veranda. Once nearly everything was out, Tonya comes out and asks me where I was going. She said, "Mal, you goin on a trip?" And Mrs Assi and the family come to look and I told her no, that I was moving. I suddenly looked like a major jackass. I realized that Mr Assi didn't even TELL his family that he told me to move out. They had no clue whatsoever!!! I felt so stupid to assume it was a family decision, it was Mr Assi being bitter about PC. So I tried to explain that I had to leave. I went to collect my laundry that was still wet, and Mrs Assi and Romana told me to just leave it and stay one more night. Mr Assi wasn't in the room so I was trying to tactfully tell them that I wasn't welcomed another night. That he was the one who wants me to go, even though I don't have anywhere to go. So I felt really bad. Mrs Assi insisted I at least leave my laundry to dry and come get it tomorrow because they will be gone but Romana will be home. Mr Assi asked me how I would be leaving and I told him I would call a cab, but then Mrs Assi insisted Nester take me in his pickup truck. He, Cor, and Ant helped me load up and took me over to Nate and Michelle's house. Tonya started crying. She gave me a hairtie and some trinkets as a gift and was so upset. Mrs Assi gave me a pillow and some sheets. I felt weird accepting them w/Mr Assi in the next room just not saying anything. Before I left all he said was, "did you leave the keys?" and I told him where and left. Mrs Assi started to cry.... I felt like such a jerk.
We headed over and they helped me dump my stuff into Nate and Mich's spare bedroom. I told Antoinette that I would love to have stayed but I think her dad really wanted me out. The only comforting words I got that night were from her: "Sometimes I don't know what Daddy is thinking..." The way she said it made me feel like she understood the situation. Anyway, I said my goodbyes to them, and then sat in the empty house and starting crying. What a bad way to leave... What a bad situation!
I was a lot more upset than I even realized... I felt bad because Nate had to come home to me balling my eyes out... What a rough night.

The next day I didn't really do any work. I needed to relax. Michelle came home and we hung out. She went with me to grab my laundry and be completely done with the house. We went to watch the world cup game at Sports Bar before I got on the 2pm bus up to Cayo because I had another football match that weekend. Luckily, we made friends with the owner, Felix-- good connection to have. haha

I headed up to Cayo and was happy to escape the madness that had just erupted in my life. Luckily, I had a good weekend planned for me! Out with the old and bad, on with my life and fun! I got off the bus in Belmopan around 7pm and was starved!! I had been talking to Bernardo, my old host bro, and he came to meet me on the walk from the bus terminal. He had asked me out on a little date! (But I really wasn't sure it really was a date til that night, hahaha!)He didn't even tell his family, which is huge because they would've all wanted me to come visit and we couldn't have had dinner. We caught up and chatted all the way to the pizza place where he ordered a pizza for us to split --he asked me what toppings I wanted on it-- and got us two cokes... pizza is a BIG deal in belize....it's expensive stuff! He ordered and paid.... cute little guy! It was definitely a date... hahahaha. We had a really great time and talked a LOT about football. After dinner he walked me to my friend's house where I was staying. I dropped off my stuff and hung out with them and then we went to go watch his game. I was glad they came with me, because I would've been the only girl out there that night! It was just safer to have 3 of us instead of just me, too. Esp since the game was at 9pm...so late! Nardo's team tied, even though they should've won... I could tell he was a little angry about the outcome. But it was nice to watch.
At the end of the game he came over and I went to tell him "good game" and as I opened my mouth a HUGE FLYING COCKROACH went in it!!! I started spitting everywhere...how gross! I could not believe it!!! Well, I can believe it because it's me and weird things happen to me. hahahahaha

Saturday I left Belmopan and headed to Cayo, a different bus but only an hour or so trip away. I got there early and walked around the market for awhile--- Cayo has the BEST market! I actually ran into Alana and Eluvia, my old host family! They were so cute and hung out with me as I walked around. Eluvia wouldn't let go of my hand the whole time. It was cute. Finally, I met up with Amber in Cayo and we went to lunch. We were hanging out, when I get a call from my coach that the game was moved from Cayo to Esperanza! Ahh. It wasn't too far away, but still, I was in Cayo. So I had to get a taxi over to the field, but since I was late he took me off the starting lineup. So I had to sit out at first...sad, especially because Amber, Dena, and Jenna came to watch! But I got in and they got to see my team kill Dangriga 11-2! Intense! hahaha. After the game, my friends left and I was invited to one of the player's houses for the post-game party. It was awkward at first, because most of the team live all on the same hill. So we all walked over there and they went to change and eat dinner and do their own thing before we all met up and I was just hanging out. But soon the fun got started and we drank some rum and partied it up with some Belizean music... it was a good time! And the guys even gave me a ride back to Cayo to stay with Amber for the night, so I didn't have to worry about getting home! It was a fun,fun night!

The next morning was the 4th of july! Amber, Jenna, and I headed to see Dena's house and have breakfast with her. She made us pancakes!! Yum! They were delicious! And her place was so adorable! We ate and chatted and I had to scurry out of there in order to get the bus back home.... long journey ahead of me! The bus on sunday sucks! So it was packed and I was hot and gross and just wanted to make it home. I left in the morning....somewhere between 9 and 10... and got back to PG finally around 5 or 6. Dicky, a PCV in town, was having a 4th of July bbq and a lot of the village vols were in town. So I cleaned up and headed over there for a night of fun. A lot of ppl were there... even a bunch who were PCVs! It was a fun shindig. Owen and I played a fake Mayan flute and made it into a production... I played the entire My Heart Will Go On song on it...even though it was basically me just humming loudly into this wooden decoration, hahahahaha. The party ended relatively early, which I was glad because I was exhausted.

Oh, July has turned out to be an interesting month thus far!