So much has happened this last week.
      On Sunday, at a little before ten in the morning, my family set out for the initiation of a soccer tournament that our team is going to participate in.  As we were driving there, we see Fernando dos and his parents! They seemed as if they were going to try to get a taxi so we gave them a ride instead! We got there and there was a game going on in the stadium. We were very confused, but then again, when aren't we!?
     We got a seat in the stands and Fernando showed us a top that he had. It had a string; he would throw it and then pull it back catching it on his hand. He (nice as always) let me and Oscar try!! It was extremely hard! He kept showing us how to do it and let us try again and again. Each time we got less interested in doing it again because we couldn't master it and more people from our team were arriving.
      A man over a microphone told us to gather on the other side of the field with our team. We sat on the stands for a short time before Profe lined us up in rows of three. I was next to Ismael and Michelle and behind Fernando. Here are some pictures and videos of us there:

This other team's mascot is an eagle and a handler brought one for the procession. Talk about unfair!!

Our big team; find Oscar and me.

From top left: Profe, Luis (evil jerk), Rodolfo, ???,???, me, Wicho, ???, Gabriel
Bottom left: ???, Michelle, Fernando (dos),  Martine, Fernando, Eric and Ismael.

From top left: Profe, Gabo, Oscar Pollo, Victor, Jose Luis, ???, ???
Bottom row starting from the left: Javier, Oscar, Toño, ???, Dago, ???

Adorable Lalito far right on bottom row!

The goal to start the tournament

                                                                        MONDAY
                  Monday morning was bitter cold. It was also extremely foggy and we could see our warm breath meet the freezing air, making it steam. We stopped classes a little earlier than usual before the Homenaje (flag ceremony) so that we could practice for it. Xotchitl was supposed to take one of the spots in the back but since she didn't come, Lorena volunteered me (thanks Lore...). I quickly learned about the procession even though I was not pleased. I did it without any major mess-ups!
         I didn't have very much homework so once I finished what little we had, I went out with my mom to buy some supplies for homemade weights. That was our PE assignment. While we were buying bread, a woman (she looked like an extranjero) overheard us talking about how confused we were about our assignment. When she was done buying her items, she turned around and asked us in an awesome British/British colony accent what our project. I explained to her that it was PE project; she asked us what we were doing in San Cristobal; we told her the usual story. She was about to leave when my curiosity overcame itself and I asked her where she was from. She told told me that she was from Australia and asked me the same question. I quickly replied before she told me "good luck with your project"and slipped out the door.
                                                                       TUESDAY
The part I most remember about Tuesday is the end of soccer practice; it was the first time that anyone asked me a question about myself (since summer camp, that is). It is a big leap for me since most of these boys act like I am not there (with some exceptions). Pepe came up with one of his friends while Oscar and I were partners practicing a drill and asked us where we were from. Then as Oscar and I were walking to my mom's car, we walked past the stands where most of the older kids were hanging out and one of the them yelled out to me, "Where are you from?" but in English. I whipped my head around and just gave them a quick smile. I was kind of stunned and I had already told Pepe where I was from that day so I figured he could tell them. Thinking back on that moment, I probably should have answered him, but then again.....oh well.
                                                                        THURSDAY
Somewhere during the week (I don't remember which day) my whole class went to the store! We went to Sam's Club to buy ingredients for some international dishes we are going to make for another Kermes (meeting/festival) this month. On the way there, I sat on Lore's lap for lack of space and Pao and I punched each other very hard for all the bochos (slug bugs) that we saw. We all hopped out of the car and proceeded to buy the necessary food! It was very enjoyable! One thing I will miss about DICET when I go home is the spontaneity of school. I will miss the shopping trips, harvesting, cooking and other random activities we do at school here.
               Okay, now about what I remember from Thursday, about partway through the day, I see Oscar being guided down the hallway by a teacher as he cries. I figure out that his stomach really hurts and that he is really cold despite the unusually warm day. He really wanted to go home so late on, I called my dad and he came to pick Oscar up.
                  Generally after school on Thursdays, I go to soccer but this time because Oscar was sick, my mom didn't even bother to bring my soccer things. I think she knew that I would refuse to go to soccer without Oscar (who is my social oasis...if that makes any sense at all). We went home and Oscar who was curled up under a blanket watching TV. He seemed fine but then at random times, he would contract, practically cry and touch his tender stomach. He barfed a couple times that day and was unable to eat. The next day he improved greatly.
                                                                       FRIDAY
Swim time is a big thing that I always look forward to. After we had our water polo game (which we won, I am happy to report), Diego grabbed Lore and tried to dunk her/drown her. Then for the sake of copying (I suppose) Kevin grabbed me and tried to do the same. I could not get away from him for the longest time and all I can say is that I hope that does not become a pattern.
                                                                      SATURDAY
                Before my soccer game I chatted with my friend Isabelle. As I always say about phone conversations with people in the US (because it's true), it was nice!
              I got dressed and got in the car. I showed up on time though the game hadn't started yet. We were waiting for the rest of our team to show up to have enough players to play. I was put in as mid-fielder for a while before I was pulled out. We scored the first goal making it 1-0. Then things took a turn for the worse. The other team scored two easy goals thanks to the failings of Juan Pablo our seemingly disheartened goalie. Everyone on the other team knew my name and granted, I am a guerra (blonde (for Mexico) girl) and am the only girl but still it really surprised me! On corner kicks they would always say, "I got this guy, you get Yurmina!!"
                   During half-time, Profe gave us a pep talk. I was put as a forward to my dismay and I had the ball right in front of the goal; I had a brain-dead moment and I just passed the ball. Soon after, Profe pulled me out and told me with his arm over my shoulder that if I have another chance like that right in front of the goal, I need to just go for it. I agreed and now I am really going to try to just try to make a goal. As sad as I would be if I didn't make the goal, I can just imagine how extremely happy I would be if I made a goal.
                     I was put in again as mid-fielder this time upon my request and at one point, I kicked the ball at the same time that a kid from the other team kicked it. My dad commented later that he could hear (practically) the sound of my leg vibrating. The other kid was stunned for a second so I took advantage of the moment and dribbled away from him. I passed the ball to one of my teammates and that was when the pain sunk in. I could barely walk or put weight on my right leg. I was nervous that I could have torn a muscle in my right knee. I asked Profe to come out and I limped over to the sideline. He stretched my leg out and immediately it felt better.
                Pepe scored a goal, tying us up 2-2. We were all so happy that Michelle jumped on him! Soon after, the game was over but as we were tied, we had a shoot out.
Our team:Michelle------Made!
Their team: ??????------Made :(
Our team:Gabriel--------Made!
Their team:??????-------Made :(
Our team: Juan Pablo---Made!
Their team:??????--------MISSED!!!
And that was that, we won!! Everyone congratulated Juan Pablo who was the goalie for those shots!

View down on San Cristobal

Lore and I

The Festival

                   I had a little time to relax before Lore came over to work on our Biology project. Once we finished, we played around with Oscar. Everyone went out to dinner at an Italian place that was delicious. After we ate, we walked to the center where the Cervantino Festival was going on. They constructed a giant stage in front of the big yellow Cathedral. The plaza was packed and the music shook your bones. We tried to find a spot to simply glimpse the stage. This is one moment when almost everyone (even the nicest of people) become selfish putting their needs first (seeing something). There was ice on the stage and all the acts were on ice! They were incredible! Since I could barely see anything, I mostly listened to the music. I wonder what the saints of the church thought about it! At one moment, I thought "I would rather be here than any other place." That moment lasted not very long, but it was nice while it lasted. Lore was behind me with her hands on my shoulders and then when we got cotton candy, we moved next to each other and ate the cotton candy with our sticky fingers.
                                                                      SUNDAY
                  Unfortunately, I woke up pretty early on Sunday morning to get ready for a morning road race. It was being hosted by a Rotary Club. I didn't train at all because it is only a five kilometer race.
                  We jogged over to the cathedral and joined the group of people waiting to start. A lot of them were extranjeros. The race was really fun and at the end (like all of my road races), I could not feel my feet as I sprinted over the finish line!

A day in which I am glad for eye sockets.
         I woke up at eight forty five to have sufficient time to get ready before my game. I got to the field and kicked a ball around with my dad while Profe watched the little kids' game before ours started. We walked over to the different field that we were going to play on and the game started. I felt like I had missed some crucial passes in the first half. One kid fell on my ankle and I also fell over. He asked me if I was okay and offered me his hand. I probably should have taken it, but in my haste to return to the game I stood myself up.
       By halftime, we were down 2-0. We started again and that's when things started to change. I stole the ball from one kid who had been winding up to take a shot at goal and as I ran past him, I heard hime say "No mames (or mamis)" which pretty much can mean anything from "no way" to "stop" to "wow." I think he meant no way though. I was going against this one kid and neither could really pull away so I did my favorite move--the pull back--and even though another kid got it, I felt pretty professional :). A kid on the other team had the ball and I was maybe three or four feet away in the direction he wanted to go. I get ready to steal the ball from him and then all of a sudden, BAM! I feel a big pain in the right side of my face and I see nothing for a quick second and I then am looking to my left. The kid had kicked the ball straight at my right eye. That really hurt. During all the confusion I vaguely remember someone saying my name (soccer version, so it must have been one of my teammates). The referee stopped play and asked me if I was okay. It must have looked pretty bad because Profe asked me if I was okay and then after I said I was okay, asked, "Do you want some water?" (to give me another reason to step out). I decided to keep playing even though I practically cried. I took deep breaths in an attempt to stop myself from crying. For me, it is crucial not to cry or cry out during a game or practice to prove to everyone else that I am a tough player that just happens to be a girl. Plus, I hate crying in front of people! If I didn't have eye sockets, my eyeball would be smashed into my brain!
       We scored once though right after, they scored again. The weird thing is, even though I was hit really hard in the face, you can't even tell!!! During the game, I kept feeling the bone around my eye to see how much it hurt! It didn't hurt at all really! The end score was 3-1.
       After the game, we bought snow cones and went home to change. We got changed and got in the car to get our pictures taken for our visas. That was over in less than ten minutes and we hopped back into the car to go to Tenejapa. The drive was longer than we expected but not too long nonetheless. We parked our car in the small town's plaza and got out and commenced in finding a place to eat. We found this charming little family-run restaurant. We had a hard time ordering because we thought there were five tacos in a order. So when we asked for three orders we got three tacos. That was a little confusing but the food was delicious. We said goodbye to the family and walked around the city.
      The traditional costumes of Tenejapa are very different from other places. For the men, it is wool vests with a little hat with short ribbons of different colors coming off the top. Also, they wore  necklaces with metal disks. The woman didn't really have a specific top that I could tell but they did wear dark colored skirts with embroidery in a small line at the height of the top thighs. The patterns were all different but they were all in pastel colors.
       Their church was linked to the plaza, so we took a look inside before we left. When we walked in, to our right was a guy who muttered and occasionally yelled out (most likely drunk). There were candles on the ground burning just like in Chamula. There was one saint that had whiteness in the space where his eyes should have been (I knew because there were painted eyelashes around them. It looked to me like Isaac the painter from Heroes. Isaac paints the future and when he does, his eyes cloud over. Here is a picture of the church:

Pictures were not allowed in the church so my dad snuck one.

     At one point, this guy came up to us and kind of made sounds and gestured at us to look at a car. It wasn't his and the guy sitting in it looked kind of embarrassed. We thought then we would say goodbye and we would keep walking on our own but instead, he followed us. From the gestures he had made, we weren't even sure he spoke Spanish (the native language for there is Tseltal) but he asked us what some words in English meant. He asked us for ten pesos so that he could get a drink (yeah right buddy). As he followed us, whenever we walked past people, they would try and get him to stop talking to us. My dad finally shook him off (very politely, of course) and we went to get popsicles.
       One the drive back, while eating our popsicles, we saw a roadside shrine. Here it is:

It looks too nice to be on the side of the road!

When we got home, my parents went out shopping and Oscar and I stayed home and read. My dad made a noodle vegetable stir fry and we ate that while we watched two episodes of Heroes.
       

Not a whole lot happened.... but that's okay!
            During school on Friday, nothing much happened but before swimming class, when the teacher didn't show up, Pao, Maya, Ana, Lore, Tilo, Toño, Emma and I took pictures with distorted images. That doesn't sound very fun but it really was! We all were smushed together and we all made faces with different images like: underwater, retro, comic book, fire, drawing and many nameless ones more! Tilo said that Maya, Pao and I are very photogenic. I can't speak for the others but if your dad is a photographer, you would think that from being photographed practically every day of the year (or more) would make you like that (no offense intended, dad)!
           After school we went home and I started on my homework. For dinner we went out to a really good sushi place! I accidentally ordered tempura thinking it was vegetable sushi but generous people in my family gave me some of their sushi.
         When we got home, we watched an episode of Heroes and, devastated by the reoccurring cliff-hangers, we went to bed hooked!

A day when I am asked to write all I know about reproduction......
       When I first entered my classroom, I was dismayed because the table the Lore was sitting at was filled with Ana, Pao, Maya and Tilo. That only left one space at the very front facing away from the board; I didn't feel like the teacher would want me to sit there. I sat down at a spot at another table that was empty. I was disappointed but I tried to swallow it and just work. After maybe ten or fifteen minutes, Maya said, "Willa, come sit over here," (pointing to the chair next to her), "that is not a question." That made me feel really good, like she genuinely wanted me to sit with them!
      Before breakfast, Lore, Ana, Pao, Tilo, Maya, Toño and I played tag with the little kids! We were the taggers first and then he switched it to the older kids being the people who got tagged! Seven against fifty is very hard, let me tell you! We had an okay breakfast and then I kicked a ball around with some people for a bit.
       When Vanessa (the biology teacher) arrived for our next class, we all groaned, none of us really like her, she is cold and unsmiley to us. Lore and I ran to her car nonetheless to be able to carry one each of her adorable twin daughters. She has three kids so she needs help taking them out. Lore carried Naomi into the class and I carried her sister Sienna into the same room.
       In Biology, we were told to write a whole page about what we know about reproduction.......  awkward!! I find those things awkward to write about, so my whole table collaborated to write a page about that embarrassing topic.
       In History, we made a poem by each writing one line (not knowing what the others were writing about) and then fitting them together!
       During PE, we played soccer!! It was girls against boys and the girls did better than I thought they would (I am not being sexist (I am a serious feminist), it's just that most of them have not had as much training in soccer). I scored twice, Maya scored and Pao scored twice!
      When my dad picked us up, I was expecting that he would just take us to soccer, however, that was not the case. Because my mom had a meeting and my dad needed to teach a class, he was going to go set up at the school and send us on a taxi to soccer. I was very upset because I didn't want to go on a taxi on our own. He drove us to get a snack quickly and then he rushed to the school he was going to teach at. We got there and jumped out; we met some people and then waited for the key to the classroom that he was going to teach in. That took a little longer than expected but meanwhile, we talked to a very nice student who spoke a little English. While we were talking to him, a group of high-schoolers formed around us. We were the center of attention and I felt very awkward. I don't like that much attention from people I don't know.
         I heard snippets of conversations about me and here they are: "Their eyes are so pretty" and "She looks like a doll." Looking like a doll is not exactly my intention, just like I did not exactly like it when someone told me that I looked like a Barbie. Not exactly my most shining compliment I would say!!
         When someone finally got us the key, we asked to sit in the library. One of the workers said that we could; we spent an hour their first doing homework and second when that was done, we played games on our parents' phones. The whole time, people watched us (which was sort of unnerving).
        We planned to go to the next hour of soccer, but, I practically fell asleep and I didn't feel like it would be worth it to go at the very end. Instead, we watched my mom do her dance class before we left to go home.

I am going to apologize before I start; I am sorry that nothing exceptional happened today but anyway, here goes.
          They changed our schedule again at school, making it VERY confusing; breakfast time changes and class times are unclear. The morning was okay but the best part about it was that Azul came back! I like her a lot and she is a good friend. Breakfast was nothing special except the cappuccinos which were great!!
          Swimming was fun and our team won this time! Fruit was cantaloupe or bananas; thank god for cantaloupe. I gave Wicho (a nice kid in Oscar's class) a hug as he passed by in the hallway and tried to pull me to his class. I got my hand free only to have it pulled (which turned me around) by another kid named Kevin (who I have never said a word to). He tried even harder to get me to his class and I just said "dame un abrazo" (which he did) to get him to stop pulling me! I am popular with the little kids!
          English class was fun because we are reading The Hunger Games. After English, we were supposed to make corn tamales but they told us that the very efficient elementary students had finished them all. That was disappointing because I had looked forward to making them. As my classmates pointed out, we were the ones who harvested the corn and took it off the cob. To make it even worse, for one group, tamale time was replaced with math!!!! That was a very unpleasant shock!
         After school we went home to have Spanish classes with Gaby. She is very smiley and has a laugh that escalates in pitch as it goes on. She is very nice and I think she is a good teacher. Today we used flash cards to practice conjugation and opposites (just for fun). I worked on my homework and my family had a reading night (meaning we read during dinner). That is one of my favorite kinds of dinners.

A figure from my past emerges. (Unfortunately.)
              Every morning at school, my dad walks me to the stairs, but whenever a friend is walking in at the same time, he will leave me to walk with them. This morning, Ana was getting out of her car at the same time I was and I waved hello to her. I said goodbye to my dad and walked to Ana who was waiting for me at the top of the hill. I fell in line with her and after a short awkward pause, she said "Hola." I said hola also and we kind of laughed because that was one crucial part we had left out of the  morning hello routine. I asked her how she was doing and she said fine. When she asked me how I was doing, I said fine but tired. "Why?" she asked. "I got to sleep late," I said and then as a side note, "Well, I am always tired." And with that (and a laugh) we climbed the stairs to our room.
            Double physics was as unwanted (by me) as ever but I survived. Every morning, Lucerito (the sweet cook) brings a pitcher of linaza (pretty much sweet oatmeal water) and some mugs. For whoever wants it, she will give them some. Nowadays, I drink some every day, not because it is exceptionally good but because having a warm drink in the morning provides me with a small comfort.
            Before breakfast, Lore, Toño and I participated in the little kids' PE; we were the taggers for tag and it was very fun! Breakfast was hotcakes with jam (which was better than I expected) and lemon tea. After washing our plates outside, Lore climbed a tree to get a ball that Toño had firmly wedged in there with a hard kick. We ran upstairs to get our toothbrush as the PE teacher (I shall call him triceratops because he has a hair-gel horn in front) told us to hurry up. I ran up to get it, only to find that someone had stolen it (well I think someone did). That is odd because who in the world would want a used toothbrush and some used toothpaste? I borrowed some of Lore's toothpaste and used my finger. During PE we did strength and flexibility exercises.
         As it turns out, Vanessa will still teach Biology (WHY!!!!) and Griselda still came for the class. Even though Griselda's class is only once every two weeks, that is still too often for me. If I could choose, her class would be never. During her class, Lore and I practically fell asleep; it was boring and I was exhausted.
        After school, I walked to Emma's house with Oscar to wait until my mom came. We played on the swing and petted the cats while we were there. My mom came and picked us up to take us to soccer practice. I asked her to let me sleep instead but there was no choice.
       We changed into our soccer clothes in the car and jumped out to start practicing with the massive amount of people who had shown up this time. We were doing some drills when I saw an ugly, familiar face: it was the idiot who was rude to me in summer camp. If I hadn't mentioned it before, he looks like a stupid ogre (pardon my french). Nothing happened, but I still dislike his guts.
        Profe separated us into groups based on age. I went with the team I normally play with and when he asked us to get into partners, Oscar and I were unsure if we were allowed to be partners with each other. As it turned out, Fernando (dos, the smiley one) asked if I wanted to be his partner! I was happy at being asked and I accepted his offer; working with him was fun! When Profe divided us into thirds, he put Tonatiuh (a nice kid from the games) with Fernando and I. When we played keep-away, I was the monkey in the middle first. I got it from Fernando quickly so he spent most of the time in the middle until at the end, he stole it from Tonatiuh. Before we started the scrimmage, Leonardo (who I now consider a jerk) said to me "Yurmina, let's dance" because there was music from a zumba class also going on. I don't know if I was overreacting but I just gave him a death glare as everyone laughed. I took it was not a compliment because I am the only girl. During our scrimmage, Profe put all the best and oldest kids against everyone else. I thought it was kind of unfair but since Tonatiuh is fearless and really good, he stole the ball from them quite a few times enabling us to score once. The end score was 1-2; not bad considering that the odds were stacked against us.
Good Night!
         

On Monday I spent more time outside than in!
         Monday and Wednesday are my favorite days of classes. The first two classes we had were pretty much the same was normal though they sped by unnaturally fast! Breakfast was giant chicken tamales and those were really good, though, towards the end, I was put off by the bones that I found inside.
         In English, Maya and I read The Three Musketeers though by the end of class, we would both rather have read The Hunger Games. After checking my geography project and giving me tips on it, the teacher sent us out to swim class. Now at that time, we were all sort of confused. Aren't Wednesday and Friday the swim days? I thought we had Geography right now? etc. We figured out that Monday swim class was meant to make up for our Friday swim class that we missed. Only two people were informed/brought their suits, so they spent that time messing around with water polo balls and foam noodles.
       After a short time watching, I suggested to Lore that we go take care of the babies. That is one of our new pastimes as we both love babies. We helped with them for a while before we went to eat pineapple (which was our snack).
      Shortly after, we were recruited to harvest corn with the little kids. We would rip the stalks out of the ground and give them to the little kids to put in a pile. By the end, we had one-hundred fifty-two ears of corn! Tomorrow we are going to make corn bread and jam (out of figs that some other classes harvested)! Mariana (the little girl who adopted me (and vice-versa) at the zoo) kissed me hello and good-bye every time we saw each other! That means I kissed her six times!
      We helped make paper and Toño, Lore and I kicked a ball around. If you made a goal, you had to be goalie. At one point, Toño kicked the ball pretty hard and I trapped it with the bottom of my shin. I hurt a lot and the ball left an imprint on my navy-blue tights!
      School flew by in a flash!! My parents came and talked to Eloina and Monica for a little bit before we went. (Small note: Karla had her baby on Sunday! She named it Dylan Yeshua.......!)
      We went to the market (still in our school clothes) to get some get-well flowers for Hugo (Doña Lesvia's son) who recently had his third surgery on his nose. My dad went off to get vegetables while the rest of us made our way to get flowers. Going through the market, we passed: Candle Way, Fancy Watch Boulevard, Gourd Pass, Shoe Alley, Be-headed Chicken Drive and finally arrived at Flower Lane.

• Candle Way is a small route branching off of the main "road" (you may call it) and sells many types of beautiful candles for every occasion. 
• Fancy Watch Boulevard is a place where they sell many high-quality (or seeming) watches. 
• Gourd Pass is something I only found out about recently. It is a very small section of the market where a woman has hollowed out gourds made into bowls and such for sale. 
• Shoe Alley is an alternative way to get through to the market; it has nicer shops and stands full of stacked or showcased shoes. 
• Be-headed Chicken Drive is a place with many different stands all with a yellow oil cloth (I think) table cloth under the fresh meat; flies swarm around. 
• Flower Lane has a series of stands that have singular flowers for very cheap or beautifully arranged flowers for funerals, weddings and more.

       After we met up with our dad, we bought some soda to share and then walked the short distance to Doña Lesvia's house. Hugo looked like he was having a rough time; he had purple and red sacks (of blood I believe) over and under his eyes. His nose was heavily bandaged and he didn't look himself. We talked with him and the other people visiting him as we sipped Fanta and Coke. We excused ourselves around five o'clock and went home. I lost most of the post I am now working on (which was very frustrating) so I hope this is as good!

Today was not very busy but it was relaxing.
              I woke up to the sound of the TV playing, I walked into the living room and my brother was watching cartoon Hulk in Spanish. I watched for a while but I was eventually the one who set a deadline for a time to stop.
             I finished my homework over the course of hours and I proposed to my mom that we go to my new favorite coffee shop:Tierra Adentro. We got some capuccino mochas and guacamole and chips and got down to business. We were later joined by my dad and later still by Oscar. He had been dropped off by Karen and Emma on their way to Emma's gig which they mistakenly thought was at 5:00 p.m. It wasn't and we went home to eat before we went to the fundraiser that Emma was playing at. We showed up late and missed his playing (again). We donated and watched one song before we left to return home. 

Saturday proved me right (to what I said before) that soccer games are much more fun than practice.
           For some reason, we couldn't get our act together enough to get to my soccer game on time. I showed up and the first thing Profe asks is "why are you so late." "I don't know," I reply with a small sigh. He tells me to wait in the dug-out with Fernando (the smiley) and just as I am about to start warming up, he puts me on the field. I am put in as mid-fielder. Small note: When I am put in, the score is 1-0 our advantage.
          I don't know how the score got to this but then it is 4-3 we are down. After that last goal that broke our tie, we depressingly walked back to our starting positions and Pepe (the hedgehog kid) says to me "4-3, come on Yurmina." I had a chance at a goal but I panicked at the prospect of it being up to me and I passed it off. That was about the nicest thing he said to me ever. I believe he scored the last goal before half time tying us 4-4.
         We walked back to Profe after drinking our water and he gave us a pep talk. He said that he really dislikes it when people don't have fun playing. He said that we need to try harder and that when the other coach makes fun of our team after we score (I didn't notice this) we should channel our anger into stealing the ball instead of illegally pushing the players. He told Fernando (the offender) that he can't just stand by and watch; he said that since he wasn't even playing in his age group that if he doesn't do it in these games, it will be harder for him when he goes to his normal group (I am guessing that his normal group is the older team). Profe also told some defenders to not just watch and try and steal it and then he also told me that if I am wide open, take a shot.
          Then, he put me as delantero (forward) my biggest fear. I got the ball as I played left offend and dribbled up the field. I got to the other side of the field and slid out of control (on the account of the mud and water) and could only poke it weakly. The whole left side of me was wet and I was disappointed with my efforts but I had to keep playing. I got another chance where I was right there in the end zone (I just had to internally say, screw my fear) and I got really low and pegged it pretty hard. The problem was that at the same time, the kid trying to guard me slammed his arm into my chest and I fell over. I didn't feel so lame though because once I kicked it, it slammed into the goalie's chest and had someone on my team been there, maybe we could have gotten a goal.
            Soon after, Profe pulled me out and he laughed and said "did you get tired?" I nodded and he gave my head a hug and said, "we are getting better." That made me feel good because he is not one of those people who gives compliments if it is not earned. He put me in later as left offense for Ismael. We won by 7-5 and I finished the game pretty satisfied with how I and my team had played.
         Later at home, we marveled at how all of my teammates (save Fernando the smiley) that are not emotionally attached. I have hardly seen any of them smile and they are generally serious (again, this does not include Fernando the smiley).

Mud on my leg that got down my shin guard when I slipped.

Going to the zoo sure beats going to school!
          This Friday was drastically different than the one before. Instead of arriving at school at seven in the morning, we arrived at Chedraui at 7:30 instead.
           We were going to go on a field trip to the Tuxtla zoo, the same one that our family had visited a month or so before, but I didn't mind. The people from my class who arrived first got into Eloina's (the principal's) van. Maya, Pao and Tilo got in the back (in that order starting from the left), Lore and I in the front seat (there was no middle seat because of the space for people to get to the back). Toño sat shotgun; the people who arrived after (Emma, Lina and Xochitl) rode in the bus.
            On the way down, we talked a little, listened to the songs on the radio and towards the end of the ride, we played bocho. Bocho is the word they use here for a bug (beatle, slug bug). We all peered around anxiously, fists at the ready, and punched each other and yelled "BOCHO" every time we saw one. Tilo and Maya punched Pao when they saw one and she punched them at the same time when she saw one. Lore and I punched each other and Toño sat in the front and pointed out ones for whoever payed attention. Typically after a scream of "bocho" a groan or shout (normally mixed with laughter) came after. That was just a bunch of fun.
              Upon arriving we all showed and compared the red marks on our arms and legs from the punching fest. Tilo, Pao and Maya sported the most impressive ones because they all had no mercy for each other! Maya's was probably the most remarkable because she wore black tights (abeit pulled tightly) and you could STILL see the red marks through them. We got out of the car and the older kids helped carry breakfast to the tables where we could eat before entering while we laughed at Toño's joke of being a tamalero (a person that sells tamales). We ate the sandwiches and Lore helped me tie my shirt that came to my knees before we entered.
              We noticed that Mariana (the girl that held the flag at the Kermes), probably was sick of all the boys in her class (she is the only girl in her class). They orbit her like all the planets orbit the sun. We begged Eloina to let her stay with us and she agreed to it. When we got in the lines so that people could count how many people in total, she gently pulled my hand to put me in line behind her.
             She is really sweet and speaks English relatively well. She held my hand when she was scared when we went into the nocturnal house (which was very dark). When we finally had to part at the end of our trip, she gave me two kisses and a hug before she joined her peers in the bus. On the way back, we started playing the "bocho" game but we were all tired so Maya, Pao and Tilo all tried to sleep. Tilo slept the longest of the three. 

Playing in the mud isn't as un-fun as it seems. (There is less pressure on you if you miss a goal.)
         We went to soccer practice on both Tuesday and Thursday; both days it had rained earlier and I was the tallest and once the oldest there. None of the people I consider "older kids" showed up so I felt more comfortable in that atmosphere. On Tuesday, Profe put me at the front of all the activities so then I really had to get my act together and "pay attention" because if I didn't... embarrassment! Both times it was incredibly muddy and here are some pictures so that you understand the definition of San- Cristobal-really-muddy.

Oscar slipped (can you tell!)

On Thursday, Profe had the brilliant idea to have us do headers. I decided to go first, so Oscar threw the ball to my head and every time he was pretty much right on. The problem here, though, was that the ball was muddy. Muddy ball+earlier-clean-head=muddy head (and in my case, muddy face also). Now I should be able to do that math but my brain was brain dead so after the first four or so headers, the whole left side of my face and bangs were covered in mud. Profe told me to wash the mud off my face with the less muddy water (great).

I conquer my giant fear for my first game.
        On Saturday, the thing I had been fretting about had to take place. Since my "bombing" (doing awfully) in PE practice, I had become even more terrified about my first game on Saturday morning. I showed up early to be able to warm up and was the tallest one there (on my team). The only kids at that time were ones who I knew fairly well: Martine (the older one), Fernando (the smiley one) and Ismael. Then the other Fernando (the really great forward), Pepe (hedgehog kid) and Leonardo (I feel iffy about him) showed up. That, by no means, is a bad thing.
        Alejandro (the assistant coach) tried to put me on defense and I readily tried to push away that idea.  He finally caved in and put me on mid-field (thank god). That was perfectly fine with me because I really really didn't want to have to be in charge of making goals. I had some pretty good passes and by half time we were up 5-1. After half time they started catching up, they got as close as 5-4 (if I remember correctly) and then thanks to some goals by our team, we won. I had one chance at a goal and it soared too far to the left corner and I missed it by a smidgen.
        Regardless of my failed attempt at a goal, I still had a bunch of fun. I like games a LOT more than practice.

Me playing soccer and kind of elbowing the other player (you can see what I mean when I say that I am pretty much the tallest!). Number 32, running behind, is Pepe (the hedgehog kid) and number 10 next to me is Tonatiuh who I have never seen at practice (he is pretty nice though).

         Now the taco-related mystery I hinted at before. The rest of the day/night, my whole family was incredibly gassy. No one else on the Planet Earth would want to be around us that night because it was like a bad smelling orchestra. One person would fart and then the next...... That's how bad it was. We called for a silent farting truce. None of us could help it so we just rolled with it (as bad smelling as it was).

On Friday we had many confusions.
          We woke up at eight from insanely deep slumbers. I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed quickly before I limped downstairs to eat breakfast. We ate at the hotel restaurant and overheard another extranjero (foreigner) with reddish hair and big classes discussing his personal finances. Okay, now it is not illegal to discuss your finances in English over a computer but it is annoying for the people listening to hear him. I felt like his loud voice kind of intruded in on our breakfast.
          We hopped in the car and drove through the surprisingly green surroundings of Mexico. We drove across the un-guarded, hot border into Guatemala. On both sides of the border there were many stalls were you could buy clothing and belts. We parked the car in what seemed like the middle of the road (no one seemed to mind) and my dad jumped out and talked to a guy in the office. We were told to go park on the Mexico side and then come back over so that I could help them with the Spanish. When we told them our dilemma, they informed us that we had to go to Cuahtemoc three kilometers away (in Mexico) and have them give us permission to leave Mexico and then we could return and get the much needed stamp from them. We thanked them and returned to the extremely hot car and stickily sat uncomfortably in it before the a/c kicked in.
         We returned to Cuahtemoc and told them the problema. When I heard them utter the word "problemas," I internally said "Uh-oh"! Eventually the head official said, "Okay look, I will do you a favor," and he just gave us the form we needed and we signed it, overjoyed.
        To celebrate, we bought some soda and continued sown the road back the way we came. We stopped on the way and toured the ancient temples in Tenam Puente. In the parking lot, there was a total of four cars. None of them (besides ours) belonged to people touring the temples. It is a shame  because they had a small exhibit that was very neat and up-kept.
       I painfully climbed the wonderfully preserved temples and my family agreed that probably what made the site so nice was how desolate it was. From the top of one of the pyramids, you had a wonderful view of the whole valley. We played some short games of tag in the old ball court and then proceeded home. The only significant thing about the rest of the day was that we got some tacos. Now that doesn't seem very important, but you will figure out in the next post!

Stately pyramid at Tenam Puente.

Ball court where we played the "deadly" game of tag.

Picturesque clouds.

          

Thursday was slightly bizarre.
       Lore and Azul still didn't show up but I sat with Pao instead. She asked me what kind of games kids in the United States play; I found it really hard to explain the rules of Grounders and Lava Monster because I didn't know the word for jungle gym!
      During the beginning of math, I helped a Canadian kid learn his Spanish with some worksheets. I think he is doing pretty well considering that he didn't know anything a couple of months ago. I did my own work the rest of the time.
     We had been warned earlier by the biology teacher that we were going to have a test that day so I studied earlier. The first six questions were easy but the next twelve were harder. Once I finished, I gave it to the teacher. She read one question to me and immediately I could think of the answer I should have given. She told me to go and change it to the right one and I thought "is this even legal!?" After we finished, she gave us time to do what ever fit our fancy. I did some flips on the goal post for a while before I went to go sit on the hill with Maya and Ana.
     Ana stole a ball from Favio and as he tried to get it, she chucked it down the hill. I ran down and grabbed it, and Toño came up and asked for it. I was about to give it to him but then he tried to bat it out of my hands. Then it was game on! Ana and I worked together to keep it away from Toño and Favio. Favio generally guarded Ana and Toño guarded me. The rules were pretty basic: get the ball and keep it away from the other team at all costs. You could tackle each other (which we did) as long as you are careful (well that wasn't a rule but it might as well have been one, as everyone was pretty gentle). After a while, we went and got fruit for snack and then we played again. Toño and I played again because Favio and Ana were too tired. We recruited Emma and Kevin to make two teams (Emma and Toño against Kevin and I). That was also pretty fun!
    We went to Spanish class sweaty, hot, red in the face and tired. Eventually we cooled off though! Then barely after our body temperatures returned to normal, we had PE!
     We did this really weird race (or attempted race) where we had to do the push up position but put our feet on the shoulders of the person behind us and walk like that. It was incredibly hard!!! We weren't able to do it but he assured us that we would do it on Tuesday (thanks, thanks Profe).
      He made us do this race where at every couple lines we drop and do some push ups. At the first line we had to do 5, the next 10 etc. and at the end we did 20. In total we did 50 pushups (oh my gosh!) and then we did the same thing but with squats. We played soccer at the end and that was the most disappointing part of a mostly good day! I don't want to describe it too well because it was very disappointing, but I will say that I missed four different opportunities for goals!!!!
     Right after school my dad picked us up and we went home for the final preparations for our trip to Guatemala.
      We hopped in the car and got the heck out of town. Now, the problem was that before we even got to Teopisca (roughly 15 miles), there was a blockade that the police (get this, the police) had set up because they wanted to be paid for their work. Our family are into civil rights and all but it was very frustrating. Well I suppose they got their point through!

The long line of cars in front of us.

Protesters' sign.

We inched forward over the course of roughly forty-five minutes and finally got through to Teopisca. We drove on to Comitan and got a room in a charming hotel before we went out to the main square. Oscar and I climbed some trees that had tree limbs that were very easy to climb.

Oscar seated comfortably in the tree.

I stuck my head out the top of the tree and I felt like I was in another world. The top of the tree was flat (they prune it) and it muffled the sounds of the busy world below me.

My head in the other world at the top of the tree.

      We went and got some dessert before we headed back to the hotel and watched a Spanish movie before we all crashed and fell into deep sleeps.