Gringos in the MiraFlores

Today we went to Miraflores, the presidential palace, for an international press conference with Chavez. It was a whole day long event. Zarha had her first day of rest, seperate from us. She stayed at our secure, cozy apartment on the 14th floor up on the hill. She read and played on the computer. We had to be at the palace at 8 am and Chavez did not start speaking until noon. If you recall I wrote about the lack of security at the large Chavez campaign rally with over 1 million people. Yet with 200 people from the international press it was security overload. We were checked at three different occasions with metal detectors and our equipment had to be unloaded and sniffed by dogs. We asked our host about the difference with the intensity of security at the palace. Dr Nickoli Salazars view was this, "Venezuelans are peaceful people but we cannot always be sure about people from other countries."
There are many fears and delusions within the United States about the dangers of Venezuela and other third world and developing countries. Ironically, as Chavez detailed at the press conference, it is the United States that has committed more violence in the existence of its republic than all the years of other empires previously combined. War in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Panama, Grenada, Guatemala the list goes on. The United States has been the only country to drop atomic weapons on another nation.
which is the greater danger?

Perhaps all the security at the palace was for the unpredictable nature of gringos.
It has been a new experience to hear the United States empire, the Bush administration condemned while being in the minority of a few North Americans. I feel allied with this country and the people here, I do not feel attacked but relieved to be engulfed in this discourse. I have received only one negative comment. While in a cafe a man asked where I was from, when I responded Estados Unidos he made a cross sign with his fingers like warding off the devil. He was not light hearted but genuinely disturbed as he said "Bush No!"
I don't have all the words in Spanish yet to explain it better than this "I am here. Not there. Because I don't like Bush." simple and slow. Maybe that is the start of new friendship after all.

After waiting for four hours for Chavez to speak we were awarded with his typical three and half hour talk. We sat four rows in from where he spoke and have great footage of the conference. He began with all the positive changes that have occurred in Venezuela in the past 7 years under his presidency and with the peoples commitment to the Bolivarian revolution. All these acheivements despite the setbacks during the coup and the 62 day lockout of workers by elite businessmen. In a failed attempt to economically strangle the Chavez government many people suffered which only strengthened their convictions for Chavez and the Bolivarian movement. Chavez emphasized how critical it is that the media does not feed into any early exit poll announcements on Sunday. He talked about how early exit poll would be used as a strategy of the opposition to try to cause instability.
He was asked by a CNN international reporter about his hot headed behaviour and calling Bush the devil while speaking at the UN. He explained that it was not a prepared, planned statement. That it just came to him when he was at the podium. He says he speaks his heart and mind and that is what he believes, Bush is the devil.

We were treated to breakfast and a boxed lunch in the palace. The media treats are noteworthy and make up for the boring waits and media frenzy that inevitably happens as soon as Chavez appears. That is the funniest footage all day. Filming the media panic, dash, run, circle around, trip over Chavez when he came to greet the press. He was so close to me and I actually hoped he wouldn't get any closer. My Spanish is so bad I just imagined him speaking to me and the bastardization of the words "Buenos dia" spilling forth.
A big bag of books was also gifted to all 200 press members. Sadly neither one of us grabbed the bag of books. I console myself from this error by remembering they were all in Spanish and it would take me the rest of this life to read even one. I am guessing the Chomsky book was in there because Chavez mentioned him again for several minutes. Saying everyone should be required to read him. Actually, the main newspaper here in Caracas just announced today that will begin to have a regular column of Chomsky.

So many details so few moments to type this stuff up. We had an amazing day today in the most radical barrio in all of Caracas. The revolutionary spirit is most heightened here. It is called barrio 23 de enero. They are true revolutionaries. They have invited our media delegation to sleep in the barrio situated along the hillside for the morning of the election. The bugle, yes a real bugle wakes the city up at 3 am to remind folks to vote. So after tonight we may not sleep for 2 days or so. I still have not figured out why the bugle has to go off at 3 am when the polls don't open until six. Schools have been closed since Friday and will be closed on Monday too. Sunday is voting day and the metro is free all day. With all these incentives and extra time given to people to exercise democratic rights, maybe voter turnout could be higher in the States too. I suppose having a charismatic, leader who really cared about people would also help.

After we our tour around Barrio 23 de enero, and more details about the Missions, the social programs of the Bolivarian revolution, an amazing drum, guitar singing and dance jam broke out. We danced salsa and some dirty dancing, housing style type moves. I did some dirty dancing, as was pushed to do, with a national guard guy in uniform. He looked all of 18. Can you imagine our armed forces in uniform dancing at a spontaneous street jam? Thats the kind of military I wouldn't mind paying taxes for. Andy was called a "good dancer for a white boy." One little girl about 5 yrs old came up to me and wanted to know if I was German. That made me laugh. I was given a Chavez shirt by a compenaro after I thanked the group and said we are doing our best to fight against Bush and the empire and if the united states ever tried to attack Venezuela we would be back to fight with the people of Venezuela. I wore the shirt home and it drew the stares of the militant opposition. It attracted many scornful glances and made me feel much more on guard not knowing what reactions it might provoke. The tensions are escalating this weekend and no-one knows how, where when or if things will erupt. There is a lot of uncertainty and speculation in the waiting game. Many people here stock up on food and water around these politically heated times. How others may prepare for earthquakes and snowstorms, people are getting ready for anything. While I was wearing the characteristic red Chavez T-shirt with the MVP symbol and word "socialista" one old guy did the sign "finger across his neck" like a cut throat. I asked if it was the shirt he didn't like and he made the sign again. I didn't know if it meant he wanted to cut my throat for supporting Chavez or if he meant Chavez was finished. Well he will have an easier time cutting my throat than finishing Chavez.

We have toured many alternative, people run television stations and tomorrow we have more tours of radio stations. Then we are going to mobalize and witness the elections in the most powerful part of the city. Barrio 23 de enero. We have decided as a group to accept the invitation to stay in the barrio with them for the election preparations and election day. They have their own security and we will be well protected. That's all I can say for now. The hours fade fast I must sleep well tonight.
Por Ahora.
love, solidarity and a kiss....

Political Fireworks

Tonight after more than a half hour of fireworks going off like close artillery and bomb explosions all over the city, everything is back to normal. The opposition were also banging on pots and pans, blowing whistles, honking horns. All this was setting off car alarms, dogs madly barking as smoke wafted throughout the sky. A Repeat of last weekend. I was told that this past Saturday's explosions were the last hurrah of the opposition, but I guess tonight was the last, last pep rally of fireworks for the opposition. That is the common term here. Opposition. That refers to those who support Manuel Rosales and who are strongly against Chavez. A more derogatory term, that we have fun using as gringos, is esqalido. This is a word Chavez used to talk about the opposition and we hear many Chavistas (Chavez supporters) use. Im not sure of the exact translation in Spanish. But it sounds like something dirty. Maybe referring to the dirty tactics of the opposition with the coup and the lockouts that shut down the city for 64 days. I like the way the Chavistas spit it out partially under their breaths accompanied by a little hissing sound. A dirty word for those who support dirty tactics. The opposition is already calling the election a fraud, saying it is rigged and machines are already programmed with votes for Chavez. Actually, there are international observers at all the polling places, observers and witnesses from both parties. I like how Eva Golinger describes Rosales as similar to Bush. Not very intelligent and overly scripted. Rosales will speak at his rally with a couple repeated simple sentences and then some catchy jingo music will play. Trying to make a feel good campaign full of distractions. He says he will keep the various Missions, the general name of the many social programs Chavez along with the Bolivarian revolution has set up. However, Rosales has also said he wants to send the Cuban doctors back to Cuba. that would dismantle the medical missions called Barrio Adentro Barrio Adentro has been one of the most successful programs giving free medical treatment to those living in barrios who cannot afford health care.
Soon we will post Eva Golinger's presentation. She has documented how Rosales's campaign is supported by the United States. Even though it is illegal for political parties to take money from other countries, they find ways around it by lying and covering up. Rosales was involved with the coup in 2002 to over throw democratically elected Chavez and all the branches of government. Rosales signed the coup decree papers and hugged Carmona on camera for all the world to see. Due to the outrage of the people, Roslaes latter made some lame excuses saying he didn't know what the paper was about or what was really happening with the coup. It is reason enough not to elect a candidate who supported an illegal coup violating the peoples constitution of his country while allying with United States empire.

stay tuned for our next post.... Gringos in MiraFlores.....A press conference with Chavez that we attended as international press in the presidential palace

off for a busy day of meetings at various television stations and with community leaders.
I am thinking about all the trinkets I can by for you dear readers when I have time to shop. Hopefully next week. Much love

Pineapples are going to rule the world!



Their already half way done with Caracas, there every where, which is awesome....oops.....I said world, no, Samples gonna rule the world, Pineapples gonna rule the gala....universe, except pluto, not even pineapple can rule THAT. Wow, other than that I don't know what to say....uuummmmmm yesterday we were going to go to a museum but we didn't since first there was a meeting that turned out to not be a meeting, then the museum closed........I am not going to be reduced to putting spacing between the dots again.....OK maybe I might be. . . . . . . . . . .weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. OK, now to think of something importa.........better to say. So yeah, pineapples going to rule the world, maybe I'll put pictures of if I can figure out how.












OK, so their not real pineapples, I haven't even imported those yet, there was a whole truck load of it, you'll see, pineapple will rule the universe with Sample as it's minion......fine. . . .they MIGHT recruit Ace too..... So, contrary to belief, I DID have a lot of thoughtful and.....eh....wisdomic? things to say....I just forgot them. Oh and the internet went off it's schedule too.

So thats all that I can think of that has any thought behind it at all...........so

Sincerl........never mind

Name shmame who needs em.....well... they ARE usfull for giving excuses of murdering ice cream and whoever likes it.......muahahahahha





OK, so I've worked out a schedule, the computer also did but thats not so important, it just decided that it world only go online after 12 something in the morn...afternoon...(one our time, I still go by Rochester time since my computer is set on it, I think after I wright this I'll change, not that time really matters here...)
But that's not so important, well my schedule isn't really either but not so much I wright is important anyways. So my schedule is this, from 6-9 here time (As in Venezuela time.) I like Venezuela, and from 9:01-1 I don't, then from about 1-1:30 I do, then 1:30-2 I don't then I like it from there once we go out, I worked up that schedule since it's nice to when I'm not going to like it. But now that I'm a bit used to Venezuela I think I'll just quit (really hate little Q's for some reason...) the Schedule and play around with making a schedule for working on my Harry Potter spanish book........Well I'm my eyes I'm been doing nicely, in Dawns eyes its funny that I'm still on the first page, actually, I might of been on the second, but I decided to go over and make sure I memorized all the words, either way, Dawn thinks it's funny, though she blames it on that I usually such a fast reader, bleh. (I like that word, along with spiffing, hehe, eh, and pineapple and Moo™...) Well, I think it's sort of funny to since the page it half the size of a normal page, so she can laugh at me, I would to if I wasn't so focused in learning it, it's really fun if I have nothing else to do. I'm learning to pronounce the words g...well (hehe) With the E's and the A's and all the confusingness about it... By the way, apparently confusingness is not a word.....

I wore my paper clip shirt again, it didn't help in the slightest, though I didn't jump when I looked in the mirror, I jumped when I saw the REAL paperclips of dawns microphone....... So.......I had a dream about my friends, it made me homesick andy said it'll go away I said it wouldn't, we made a bet, though I'm not sure how much....probably a quarter or 50 cents, witch is worthless here anyways......

So, yesterday we got a tour of the whole place, I took pictures but it was sorta hard since we were in a car and it was moving, I almost got a picture of pineapple but it was a conspiracy against me and I ended up not, but before that I got one or two pictures of real pineapple, I'm not sure what their status is, but I'll try and get them on flikr. Before that, we just walked around the neighborhood, Dawn wanted to find a cafe' she liked but she didn't, once she had found the space cafe the day before yesterday, she just wanted to find a bunch more cool cafe's that sold frozen yogurt. We never did. So then we went back and I waited for every one to be ready, then we went on the driving tour, I didn't listen to to much since I was busy thinking of pictures....and pineapple, though I don't even know why I have to say that I was thinking of it...Sooo yeah, but I did learn a bit about Caracas, which still sounds like carcass to me. . . . . I have nothing better to do, so I put spaced in the dots, lame huh? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . this IS fun though . . . . . . . . . ., bleh, I messed up, eh, well....*cough* ah well. . . So during the tour we stopped in a Children hospital, I didn't really want to be in a CHILDREN hospital, not that anyone particularly cared... oops . . . . . . better, OK, well so I decided not to not like it, I didn't like it but it was good enough, although, next time, I should also remind my self not to be nervous, I kept thinking I would trip and fall down stairs or something, hospitals can do that to you, so even though I didn't not like it, it was still hard not to run out of there, I did get some cool pictures though. And something smells like onions right now for some reason......eh. . . . . . . So then we got dropped of somewhere and had to cross a billion streets and roads, it was adrenylon (I think I spelled that wrong) filling, dawn said it was like us crossing the lake in mane, that wasn't really adrenylon filling as much as fun, me and pluto had a war with the water. . . . . .not a REAL one.....eh. . . . . . . yay, OK, so yeah, when we crossed al the roads, Andy said to follow him, and we walked until we decided that we should ask some one since we should of been there by 'now' (then, but that wouldn't of really made sense, not that now does either.) So it tuned out if had been the opposite direction then andy had said, so we walked back down and got lost a few more times, I made a bunch of revelations, the most important one was that In liked Garfield 1 more than 2, I don't know why since generally I hate T.V. But I guess the other ones weren't that important, the other ones were something along the line of that if hamburgers where red the would look like the superman symbol, that it smelled really bad, that I should stick closer to Dawn and Andy because they kept getting to far ahead, and that zombies and clones were roaming the street.
So, then after getting lost..ehh....about 5-7 different times, we FINALY got there and listened to someone speak, apparently it was very interesting, but I liked Charlie's thing better, he told more jokes and stuff, but someone told me that Chavez called the person that was speaking, 'a true revolutionist.' Thats cool, but pineapple's cooler...

So I'm probably forgetting something, but if I can't remember it, how am I supposed to type it? That WAS actually a rhetorical question......eh. . . . . . . . . . . Ok, so I messed up on the spaces in the dots, who really cares. . . . . .I don't and if you do then I'll beg Bulavingar to come and kill you (Yes I know I stole his name from the golden compass, it's not like I'm making money off his name)

So the reason this is a bit shorter then the others is that It's only one days worth, and the reason that I'm trying to explaing something that disn't really needexplaing since it dosn't really matter is because I have nothing better to do, and the reason I have......OK.... . . . . So I'm rambling....who really cares.. . . . . . . ehm, that WAS another rhetorical question..... . . . . . . . . . .


Since..... . . . . . umm..... . . . unsincerely: . . . . . . . .. . .. .. . . . . . . Person That Doesn't Care if You Don't Like Me Messing Up On My C.O.O.L Dots.

(whoever didn't get that, I feel bad for you, unless you're named Nat or Emma in which case I just think your incredibly stupid....eh....MORE stupid than we already presumed that you were.........Witch I didn't think was possible, and I also didn't think it was possible for a person to be able to ramble while typing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . Pineapple...)

... ...
...

____ hehe

A Cowboy in Caracas: Reflections on the Venezuelan Democratic Revolution

Charlie Hardy has lived in Caracas, Venezuela for the past 21 years. The first eight of which he lived in one of the Barrios in the Hills surrounding the city. His insights into poverty, power and the immense popularity of the Bolivarian Revolution will help listeners get a sense of what is going on in Venezuela today. The audio included here is from a talk Charlie gave on Monday night to a Global Exchange Delegation.


A Cowboy in Caracas: First 30 minutes

A Cowboy in Caracas: Second 30 minutes

Que Paso?

Well we have had a few busy days. Actually, all our days are so full we just collapse at the end of them. I still feel I am not getting everything done I want to. This past weekend were the last rallies for the Rosales and Chavez campaigns. We have never seen this kind of support for a president of the United States! The numbers far exceeded even those of anti-war marches in the states both in DC and NYC before the war on Iraq in 2003! Even the opposition candidate Manuel Rosales had hundreds of thousands of supporters filling the streets this past Saturday. We filmed and interviewed at the Chavez rally on Sunday and we have heard estimates of numbers as high as 2 million people! Of course it is impossible to confirm any of these numbers but if you compare aerial footage of both demonstrations that could be the clearest indicator. The Rosales campaign had one avenue of supporters that extended beyond where the camera eye could film yet the Chavez rally had 4 avenues and 4 different stages at each avenue. The television cameras could not zoom in close enough to see the end of the crowds on any avenue.
We had prepared some interview questions and our ultra accommodating hosts helped us get these interviews. Once we were in the throngs of people in the streets everyone came to up to the camera and wanted to know if we were international media. People swarmed the camera eager to comment about how and why they love Chavez and all the programs he has offered for the people of Venezuela. In the United States when I film I have to seek people out to talk and often I am told "Oh no, I don’t want to talk" here in Venezuela it seemed offensive to people if I didn’t stop and film them. A small group started chanting “Bush no!” with thumbs down and “Chavez yes” thumbs up. The feeling of the crowd was exuberant and festive. The safest place we have felt in Carcas thus far was in the sea of rojo (red) Chavista supporters. The solidarity of all those in the streets showing love and support for Chavez and other Chavistas engulfed even us, the obvious gringos.

Chavez started speaking on a stage one avenue over from the avenue we had spilled into. The original plan was he would speak at one stage and then move via a truck standing on an open platform through the crowds and speak at the other stages. He spoke a long time (as he characteristically does) for about 2 hours at the one stage and while he moved slowly through the crowd on the platform truck their were too many people in the streets surrounding him that he could not get to the other stages. It is amazing witnessing how open and vulnerable he allows himself to be with this emotional crowd. Even while he spoke Chavez enthusiasts set off massive fireworks in a parking lot below near the stage. Can you imagine that in the United States? Explosives randomly being set off near the president while he speaks. I actually found it a little annoying because it was disruptive to what he was saying but Chavez never broke his flow and police never intervened with the rally in any way that I witnessed. The police presence was rarely noticeable and the manner in which they carry themselves is much different than at rallies I have attended in the States. Our presidents, especially Bush in his past 2 terms of stolen presidency has much to fear. His inaugurations and all his speaking engagements are swarming with secret police, armed police, military, metal detectors and covered motorcades. Basically Bush is on the run. Chavez certainly has security around him on the ground but they are indistinguishable from his supporters. He moved throughout the crowd beaming smiles and engaging people with hand symbols and throwing some personal items like his beret and handkerchief. He receives more attention than that of a pop culture celebrity in the United States.

Chavez has been criticized by the opposition as not being fair with elections because he has made it easy for people living in the barrios to get ID cards to vote. Some of these people have never had ID cards. Many older Venezuelens were never able to vote before Chavez made this process more accessible. Previously it was a very time consuming, complicated process not available to poorer citizens. Chavez has doubled the number of registered voters since 1999. In 1999 only 8 million were registered to vote. Currently, 16 million are registered. Chavez has empowered people by giving them a voice while Rosales is buying votes with the promise Mi Negra. Irocnically this is a blatantly attempt to by the voters. He says he will give a debit card called mi negra from oil revenues to the people every month. Here is a link to a great article written by Chesa Boudin about the elections. http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1880

´Zarha was amazing running around fearless and taking photos during the rally. Really, all the photos of the rally are hers. I filmed and I have to figure out how to get the interviews translated from Spanish. Sidenote, Zarha makes me seem meaner than I am. I am very proud of her determination with Spanish. It is a stuggle for us all that gets better everyday. I quess what tickled me about Zarha spending 2 hours to read half a page is that normally she finishes a 400 page books in that time. She is such a voracious reader that it was just a funny image. So, although I dont win any mothering awards I certainly dont laugh at her hard earned accomplishments. Zarha is benefitng so much from all this political and cultural exposure, she is growing so dramatically here with all this new experience. It is really exciting to see! I am excited to get her to a more natural environment after the elections. As someone from the global exhange group told us¨"If you into Eco-tourism Venezuela is the place".
It will be nice to get out of the congested, dirty, traffic ridden city. However, with the mood around election intensifying this is the best time to be here. We have been credentialed as international media and will attend a press conference with Chavez this thrusday. Tonight we filmed Eva Golinger author of the " The Chavez Code - Cracking US Intervention in Venezuela" and her newëst book "Bush vs. Chavez - Washington's War Against Venezuela". We will post the audio soon. First we are posting the audio of Cowboy in Caracas. He has become a fast friend and he tells amazing stories. check him out!

cltural tips section;
1) In Caracas and maybe all Venezuela (we will find out) when you wipe (after any business) after toileting you throw the TP in the garbage NOT to be flushed. Mostly its easy to remember but on a few sleepy occasions I forget. oh well.

2) Take an inservice in Spanish speaking keyboards before traveling. I still cant figure out some keys, at signs etc. It has a different language too.

3) Back to toileting. if in a public restroom like a mall area, there is one common toilet paper roll outside the stall. So remember to bring the toilet paper in the stall with you. If you dont, dont expect someone in the other stall to hand a gringo speaking gibberish Spanish about "papel" to hand you some.

4) In cafes you order, pay and get your receipt first. Then bring your reciept to the other counter where they make your cafe, dessert etc. oh, and if you order grande cafe (coffee) be prepared for what would be the tiniest size in the US, served in a plastic cup with a straw. The best coffee ever! I am now a daily coffee drinker and hope to kick the habit when in States. I have tried to convert how many cups of coffee my housemate paul drinks into Venezuelan terms. he would probably have to drink.......over 100!

5) Dont be suprised to see many Venezuelans in this tropical country wearing boots, scarfs, hats, sweaters etc. they like the style and dont seem botherd by heat.

more tips later.....

We got a great tour around the barrios tonight with a great history lesson of this situation. We also went on a tour of the newest hospital in Venezuela. a Childrens hospital serving all of Latin America. More on this later. hard to keep up on all the details......


peace and love who ever you are.

This blog post does not have a name because the evil MELTED ice cream stole it *sniffle*.......Well at least now I have another reason to murder icecream hehe :)


Ok, so Dawn says to wright another blog entry.
So here goes.


We got the second Harry Potter in spanish (Harry Potter y la camara secreta) and thought I lost it just now until Dawn found it, so she is, for the next 10 minutes, my hero for finding it.
So you ask, why get the second one when its my least favorite. Well the answer is quite simple, because I felt like it.
Yesterday the was a rally for Chavez. We walked and walked and walked, although this time it was fun. I was the photographer. Speaking of photography, which I think I was..... There WAS a cool kids delegation which wasn't really cool sine every one was going to be at least three years older than me, and that wouldn't be so fun, but now the kids happen to NOT be coming and I cant figure out if its better to have adults feel bad for me and help me too much, or a bunch of teenagers look down on me, I think I'd prefer the former unless there was a nice teenager. So yeah, and now I can't remember what I was talking about and I have to go back and read over. Oh yeah, OK, the Chavez thing. And Dawn just lost her heroism again because she did. Oh, off the topic again, hehe. So it was a thing where we were waiting to see Chavez talk, I don't know why though since we wouldn't be able to understand what he was saying, but apparently it's going to be a big event in history so it was interesting. We saw Chavez talking on a screen, he was going to come to the stage we were near. But Chavez talks for so long (unlike Bush who can't really talk, no offense to Butch...eh...Bush... lovers.) Which is cool except when it's hot out and you don't like crowds. So we went home early and we DID see Chavez live when walking past the stage he was currently at (which I later learned in America there would be no way the president would go out in public) though he was a little speck in the distance. So we got home and saw him on T.V. He got my respect even though I couldn't understand anything he was saying but Venezuela. (That might be because any president besides Bush is cool with me........I really hope insulating Bush isn't illegal.... Also maybe because I heard he gave out free houses to some poor.) So no thing else really interesting happened that day. So today we went to see about a spanish school, and made plans for some class in december. Then we looked around and got the Harry Potter book, I also got a about 6 page book to test my spanish, I didn't read it yet, but it's gonna be hard. So Then we went to a hotel and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited. Not as much as when we walked or when Andy and Dawn talked, but it was a bit. So then we met up with Dawn and Andy's friend that we stayed with, Charlie, and he talked about hid book that is going to get published,, even though I usually hate that kind of thing, it was really cool.
Then every one talked and talked and talked and talked while I tried to make heads or tales of my book......I got about half way through the first page in the hour or two that I did it, I was so exited and I went to show dawn and she laughed.....I guess it WASNT that good but I was proud, there weren't so many sentences that took half an hour to get, but even if it is hard and confusing and annoying and odd and just plain useless sometimes or another, it's really fun, so thats why I kept going, I learned a bunch of words, but I forgot them, learning words by reading teaches me to see them and understand thing, but I cant remember them to say them or to hear them, which is fairly annoying, but it's still fun to read it and try to figure it out.

I got two pictures of pictures of pineapple. That made me really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really happy, more then every one walked and talked and waited and stuff and every thing else put together. I cant wait until I get the picture of the wall of real pineapple down the street.



Sincerly: Person That Likes The Word Moo

......hmm.....yeah...Moo™ hehe

I love my sandals



No really, I do, we were walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking and walking, more than Andy and Dawn were talking and talking the first night. And they talked a lllllllllllllllllooooottttt. So when we got on the metro to go home I thought 'My sandals are cool, if it weren't for them my feet would be REALLY uncomfortable.' Well they already were, since we walked so much and Andy and Dawn seemed to be immune to the torture of walking. Well I'm not, but it would of been MORE torture if I hadn't had any shoes, or if I had sneakers on which would of made my feet REALLLLYYY hot. So yeah. I love my sandals....of course, no offense to the sandals....I don't love them as much as pineapple...............So yeah, yesterday all we did is walked and walked, I wore my paperclip shirt to see if it would help my fear...it didn't, whenever I looked in a mirror I jumped, and sometime almost screamed.......OHHH and Dawn says SHE thought of the dog thing, maybe she did I thought I did but she probably did and I just forgot because of that bump of my head......*cough* eh yeah....I REALLY did bump my head eh...hehe *cough* :).......so yeah, Dawn gets credit for that I guess..........Well so after we walked and walked and walked dawn insisted that we WALKED some more, so we went to a grocery store (the same one where that 'incident' happened) and I waited and waited and waited and waited until my legs felt like falling off (not that they already didn't) Then, luckily we were close to home so we FINALY went home.
Today I had to walk and walk too, but it wasn't that bad for two reasons.
2. Because my legs were used to it.
2. Because we didn't walk quite so much.
2. Because we did fun stuff while we walked.
So yeah those are my two reasons... I also have two reasons why it was worse.

2. Because Andy got lost.


Those are my two bad reasons.

Fireworks are going off now, they're cool, I got some pictures of them, only one was good, fireworks are hard to take pictures of. the fireworks not as bright as last night but there enough to set the dogs off. One bark sounded like Sample, made me miss her. It also sets the fire alarms off, I hear about 5 fire trucks right now.

So the words I learned today (today and yesterday really) were...ehh...I like lists.

2. Mira, thats look.
2. entonces, chances are, I spelled that wrong, that means either there or that, I got them confused.
2. Ailli, I think I spelled that wrong too. it's pronounced aiie. That one also is there or that, I THINK this one it there and entrances is that, it could be the other way around, or one could be this......
Well it's something that starts with a T :)

2. Ir, and some longer word I think, Is go. I might of already knew that though, I'm not sure.
2. Como can also be what as well as how, witch is odd since que is already what, but I don't make the rules, I only enforce them....I've always wanted to say that, hehe.
2. Palaceo Blanco is the 'white palace' I think thats like the white house and it's where Chavez lives, I'm not sure.
2. assemble' N something is where all the important people gather to talk.
2. different, is different, it's spelled the same but pronounced differently. Hehe get it Differently? bah.


I also relearned how to ask the time.

There was a band thingy today, it was in spanish so I didn't under stand it, but it was cool.

We went on this thing, like a chair lift at a skiing place, but it goes really high, on our way down, Andy freaked out, he kept thinking we were going to fall. He's scared of heights..... And snakes.....

So it was awesome, I got some pictures and Dawn got some pictures. There were dogs up there, there are dogs EVERY WHERE. Same for there. I didn't really want to know how they got up there, but they were really out of shape, all scuffed up and thin, I don't think they understood spanish, or english. So when we were up Dawn sat down and me and Andy looked for stuff, at the time I thought it was a way down but then it turned out that you take the chair lift down, so we must have been looking for a trail or something, we never found anything, there WAS and ice skating rink though, imagine that, an ice skating rink in a place that stays 60-90 degrees all year round. Though I wasn't as surprised as when I found out that they had ice skating rinks in Florida... so we went back to where dawn was and we waited, for a loooooong time and then there was a band thing that played, then we went home. And thats when andy got lost, but at least...............I just remembered haha loser, i knew there was something I was forgetting...hehe haha stupid memory, yeah so I had to give up veganism till I get back, I stopped the first day but I kept forgetting. Yeah, it's hard enough being a vegetarian, this place is a culture based on meat, I went into a bakery and they had pizza, but EVERY SINGLE PIZZA had meat, the ham, the sausage, though there was no pepperoni.... So yeah, every thing I eat has some kind of cheese or something, even the snacks have honey mostly. Yeah. so that is awesome. So At least we didn't have to stop at the store like last time. There's probably something else that my stupid memory that I ACTUALLY REMEMBERED SOMETHING FROM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is forgetting but for now.

Sincerely: Person Who is Sick Of Saying Sincerely.


This blog entry is dedicated to pineapple, whom I miss dearly.....although there's a whole wall of it down the street.