Day 314 | Saturday, November 7 | 2009

Good Friends...

It's been a rough day -- my car wouldn't start and I haven't been able to get any work done. I am sitting at the library right now and am finally starting things now. It's going to be a long night!

In better news, I played soccer this morning and it was a lot of fun -- I scored a goal even.

Caitlin and I got a quick bite to eat with Evan and Leslie too, which was nice! Here is a picture of us at lunch. Caitlin was telling a joke but I don't remember what it was. I just wish that I didn't feel like I was so busy.

Day 301 | Sunday, October 25 | 2009

Soccer Players...

Played another game of soccer this morning and we won 2-0! Fun times indeed. I scored a goal and it was pretty exciting. We won the game even though we were playing with five players (usually we play with 7 in this league). The other team had about five substitutes and that made it even more challenging. Still, we pulled it off!

Last night was part fun, part awkward, and part upsetting. It was a nice get together to see Boaz off (he's returning back to New York today) and about twenty people came over for dinner. The food went off well -- we had the Romanian feast I had made before but this time Leslie, Caitlin, Casey and Sarah helped out a lot and made everything possible. The awkward parts of the night were when Boaz kept on insulting Leslie. By now, I've sort of gotten used to Boaz poking fun at Leslie but somehow things just didn't seem right this time. It seemed like something deeper was going on. I could see Leslie trying to reach out to Boaz to try to communicate how she is going to miss him and how much of a friend he was to her and it was a little surprising to see him act so callously rude to her. It was as if he didn't really consider her to be a true friend -- or at least a friend that he valued very much. It all escalated as the night went on and eventually turned into a full-blown argument. Supposedly the two have been arguing online today and it saddens me to see two very good friends be so upset at one another. I can understand pieces of where each of the two are coming from but what I can't understand is both person's inability to reconcile with the other -- particularly Boaz. I wish things weren't so messed up right now.

Regardless, I have lots of work I should be doing (particularly a PowerPoint presentation that is due tomorrow that I just found out about) and I am going to get on it.

Day 300 | Saturday, October 24 | 2009

Halloween Time...

Today has been mostly good. Started off nice with a run on the bike path and then went to Kroger's with Leslie to get groceries for Boaz's going away party. We will be making the Romanian bean mash / rice pilaf that we made about a month ago for him and I hope it all goes well.

After groceries, I went and played a game of soccer and it was a really good game. We started off losing 3-0 and there was about 15 minutes left to play. Somehow, our team rallied and scored four goals in the remaining time to totally turn the game around and win 4-3. It was great. I mean, it would have been fun too even if we would have lost but it was really fun to win a game for a change. I think our record is now 1-1. We have a game tomorrow morning too to make up one of the games that was rained out.

Anyway, I'm about to get ready to make a bunch of food. Here is a picture on my way to go play soccer this morning.

Oh yeah...this is the 300th entry of Beans with Garlic. I'm kind of surprised that it's lasted this long.

Day 281 | Monday, October 5 | 2009

Monday Night Lights...

Nothing much to say about today other than that I have not been very inspired to keep this blog going. I haven't been updating it lately (for about a week) and I have just been writing without publishing now because I feel like I am going through the motions. I feel like this blog is no longer a space for me to just be. I am not sure, though, that it ever was that sort of space -- I am aware that people other than me read it and it might not be wise for me to write everything that is on my mind.

Should I keep going on with it or should I stop? That is the question I am trying to figure out. I feel like I should at least go on until the end of the year to complete my original intent if nothing else. If at that time, I find that I should stop or continue on in a different way I will choose then. It doesn't really matter anyway.

Took a music theory mid-term today, went to class as usual, and that's about it. After class, I did laundry, went running and did some homework.

Stopped by the soccer fields to watch some of the intramural teams play.

Day 268 | Tuesday, September 22 | 2009

Down the Street...

My spanish teacher who teaches 19th Century Spanish Plays is on vacation to Spain this week and my other spanish teacher Spanish Civilization and Culture is in Ghana. Today and yesterday we have had Skype video conferences for the civilization and culture class and it has been really odd. Somehow, the use of technology just doesn't translate in this setting. I am guessing that if our teacher used a bigger projector or a more powerful speaker system, things would work out more smoothly. As is, the classroom dynamic has turned awkward and people are just baffled.

Played soccer tonight and I am already sore. Plyometric activity is so different than the exercising I have been used to this summer. It works the muscles more intensely and from more acute approaches than distance running. I suppose I will just have to keep taking motrin.

Día 89 | Domingo, el 29 de Marzo | 2009

Cuarto...

As stated in my blog description, I knew that there would be times this year I would not be able to post in real time (i.e. the day the picture was taken and the day the picture is posted).  I'll get back to putting my journal entries in later today (if I have time) or tomorrow.  The internet connection here at CEDEI (Center of Interamerican Studies) is fairly strong -- a huge contrast with the Internet Cafés on the street.

I love you all!  Thanks for reading.  I miss you!

I'll be back later.

Later:

Here is my room in la casa de Oscar Trelles y Lida Martínez.  It's a really nice room and I live there comfortably.  Lida (my host mother) is so nice.  She is always really kind to me -- makes me breakfast, lunch, and dinner, does my laundry, and helps me with my spanish.  I have been trying to figure out some Spanish jokes but they have mostly been to no avail.

Today was a really important soccer game:  Ecuador versus Brazil.  I watched it in Oscar's and Lida's room (along with Verónica, Johana, and Lida's sister [I can't remember her name]) and it was really great.  The game ended up being a 1-1 tie, although Ecuador should have won.  Ecuador squandered so many great opportunities -- they probably had about 15 shots on goal and only one of them went in, whereas, Brazil was lucky.  Brazil had about 5 shots on goal and they still ended up with a goal.  Sometimes, that's just the way things work.