16/1/2011

9:50pm

Today was a day of many differences, and many of them good. All of them, in fact. I've had a pretty good day, especially compared to the way I was feeling two days ago.

Firstly was the weather. So far it had been a cold and miserable week: it was literally raining sideways on our first evening, and howling winds rattled the house for the first few nights. Today, however, was free from wind or rain, and the mountain air provided perfect weather, allowing us to take a walk during our lunch break.

It was during this walk, doing some exercise, that I noticed how little of that I've been doing lately. All the travelling and working just doesn't leave much time for it, which is a scary thought when you sit back and realise how much food they give you here. With rice, beans, potatoes and pasta, its carb heaven and I'm beginning to actually worry about my weight for the first time in my life.

Luckily, because of the good weather, we were invited to play soccer with the local children and families. It was a great experience (it's a really popular pass-time here, so many of the kids are awesome players), and it also meant I got to do some running around, and I also did some crunches and push-ups when I got home. The point of all this: I'm not going to get fat, and I have one more thing to think about instead of being homesick.

I also had a really great time with the family tonight. I've been working on my Spanish so after dinner I practiced a little bit and it seemed to delight them as much as it did me. We played some more card games, and I even managed to build a house of cards (with which they were all very impressed). This led to getting out cameras, and me showing the mother, father and daughter my holiday photos, as well as the photos of my family that I brought. My host sister has taken a real liking to my roommate and myself. The fact that he speaks pretty capable Spanish makes me pretty proud that she still likes me too.

She's just come into my room to watch me write, and got her coloured pencils, and is now colouring in pictures in my Spanish book from Heredia. I wish Australian kids were this cute.