Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas

A very Merry Christmas to everyone! Sending blessings of love and peace to you and all those you hold dear. We hope that you cherish the greatest gift of the season and surround yourself with those you love.

We spent the first week of christmas with the Braunwart side of the family. They were great, we had a birthday, and a Christmas all in the same week. Janelle's Grandma turned 37 again this year. She is really 87 but she is really spunky. We then made the hair raising drive down the Columbia Gorge in the ice and snow to Portland. There we met up with Janelle's brother and sister to celebrate Christmas. We were snowed in for three days in which we played lots of card games and had so much fun. Then we came North to celebrate Christmas with the Costanti side of the family. The little Diablos are so adorable and growing like weeds. We had pasta vongulie on Christmas Eve, and prime rib and raveoli on Christmas. It was wonderful to spend the time with our families before we depart for our life of services.

In 4 short days we will be on the plane again to San Antonio, Texas. Here we will participate in 2 weeks of formation/orrientation for our coming work as lay missioners with the Salesian Sisters. We are so excited to finally meet Sister Mary Gloria and everyone in San Antonio. Keep us in your prayers as we begin this next part of our adventure.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Adios Oaxaca!

Wow, I can´t believe it´s our last night in Oaxaca. The little pink apartment was starting to feel so homey. We have been savoring our last meals here. We had to go by the taco place by Matt´s school one last time for Tacos al Pastor. Amazing flavors, then we add pinapple, a great smooth guacamole, and some sort of chile infused onions. Then one last stop today for Oaxacan Hot Chocolate and Mole. Our other great food experience here was at an Italian Restraunt. They make everything down to the noodles by hand, and the Main chef is from Naples. He sat down and talked with us for about an hour, and between our Spanish, and Matt´s Italian words, we understood each other and had a great time.
We have met such wonderful people here in Oaxaca from our landlords, to friends of Robert and Glenda´s, to amazing people traveling through the school. Funny thing is there was a whole group of people from UW and PLU, so we got to hear about how the Cougs stompped the Huskies at the Apple cup... There´s such a funny thing about traveling, even when you just spend a day with someone, you really make a connection. We went up to Hierve el Agua today where they have ´petrified´ waterfalls of mineral deposits that are still forming out of water springs. We took a truck up with a couple from Southern Utah. He´s in his 80's, she´s in her 70´s and they love to hike, and were such wonderful company. It is really inspiring to meet an older couple still on the go and hiking around the world.
We can´t get more pics up tonight... but hopefully will on Friday.
Wednesday we´re spending in Mexico City to see a few things we missed coming through on our way down, then it´s back to Sea-Tac! Christmas here we come!!!
Sending Christmas blessings to you and all of yours. Much love, Janelle and Matt

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Just Everyday…

Well, after a short interruption of the flu I think we’re back on track. This week was Matt’s last week at school. He’s feeling good about it now and is able to communicate on a basic level with people here in Oaxaca. We haven’t been able to make it out to see as many things lately due to being sick, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to talk about the everyday a little. Living in the City of Oaxaca is very different than on a ‘farmhouse’ in Quincy. There are so many more noises and smells. Everyday we get woken up by a rooster. Our little nighbor, Gabi, has him as a pet, and he crows about every 10 minutes starting at about 5am. Matt keeps offering to wring the rooster’s neck and cook up a good chicken dinner, but Gabi keeps insisting he doesn’t like chicken.
Somewhere between 7 and 10am the natural gas truck comes around. It has a recording that ‘moos,’ plays a part of a song, and then a voice like a soccer announcer comes on and says, ‘Gas de Oaxaca’ and it starts all over again. Later in the afternoon the Tortilla truck comes by. Again, the soccer announcer, ‘Las Tortillas!’ and a popular song plays for a while. The announcer continues to tell you that you should buy tortillas. Why leave your house when you can get fresh, hot tortillas right at your door step. There is also a fruit truck that comes by every now and then. They didn’t have the luxury of hiring a soccer announcer, but the amateurs do pretty good too. The hardest one I have found in recognizing, and probably the most important one, is the garbage truck. They have a bell, and Doña Zoila tells me that there are kids that run up and down the side streets ringing bells as well. I have yet to catch the garbage truck on my own. The trucks come up on either side of our street and then each person has to bring their own garbage out to the truck.
Probably my favorite sound from the street is the old gentleman in the evenings who cries out ‘Eloooootes,’ in a somewhat somber, yet sing-songy voice. He is selling roasted corn on a stick. Matt talked with Doña Zoila and says that the gentleman in our neighborhood is blind and goes out each evening to sell his corn. I’m glad we have him to accompany us as we drift off to sleep. It’s a much more soothing than the soccer announcers.