Pool, party and visitors

Our big news is that we finally got cable! I was able to catch the last few games of the US Open, which made me feel like part of the human race again. Interestingly enough David went to all the trouble of waiting in line, signing contracts, paying and setting up the cable install date. After the appointment came and went, their phone service called and informed us they would not be allowing us to sign up for cable since we weren't locals - and were therefore a potential flight-risk on payment. Frustration ensued and David even attempted to argue our case but we ended up being set up by our internet guy and all is well.

And better than that is that we had the pleasure of meeting our internet guy's children - one in particular was such a bright light. Her name is Liz, she is 13 and is perfectly sweet, respectful, intelligent - basically everything you want your kids to be around. She came over Sunday (during our hell no-power day) and saved our lives by entertaining the kids. I asked her to come back in the afternoons when she has time to play with Ruby for a few hours after school. She came by yesterday and confirmed our outstanding first impression. Ruby is thrilled to have a big sister type companion and they made fairy arts and crafts all day (thanks Kim!). Most importantly Ruby busted out her Spanish with Liz and never looked back. David and I looked at each other in shock as our child spoke nothing but Spanish for hours, with no qualms or hesitation. This matching could be huge.

Piscina Bosque



We did hit up a new pool this week called Piscina Bosque. This is in our top 3 favorite pools now since there is a huge area where Felix can stand up on his own. We were fortunate to meet a great group of high schoolers who were having their swim class there at the same time.

Getting Measured for School Function's Dress

Ruby also is a recording artist now...well, not exactly but she did have her voice and her friends voices recorded for their school's anniversary celebration which takes place this weekend. We had to have a dress made for her too - so it is a substantial production and I'm curious to see how it turns out this upcoming weekend.

Neighborhood Birthday Party



We had the honor of being invited to a child's birthday party - I was thrilled and saw this as a real sign we are becoming a part of the neighborhood instead of just the weird, tall gringos. And I was proud that Felix was the one who really initiated the dancing action to get the party started!

Our buddy Chris


Another few bonuses of our week. We had another great visit with David's college buddy, Chris, who passed back through town on his way home from the jungle. And we had lunch with another man who heads a Peruvian NGO that is a proponent for indigenous people. He has worked in Peru for 25+ years and held some real insight into the way locals think of indigenous rights. Again, this is not my field so David knows more but from what I can gather - the heart of the matter is to help the indigenous people maintain their rights and their lifestyle against business (and therefore political) interests. This in itself is a worthwhile endeavor but in so doing, you will end up conserving the Amazon region because when left alone the indigenous people will use the land wisely and take from it only what they need.

In closing, our thoughts are going out to our dear friends, Tal and Jenna, who are going to have twins any minute! We miss you and wish we could be there to help!