Inevitabilities

This week has been a week of inevitable happenings.  I'm not talking about my first bout of Montezuma's revenge (that happened about a week in, and as a result I lost about 10 pounds in just under 8 hours...) I'm talking about things that I have been putting off/expecting/dreading for quite a while. 
     The first of these inevitabilities was my first attempt at a conversation about physics.  While I'm generally not horribly opposed to touting what little physics knowledge $90,000+ worth of college degree has given me, it turns out that is much harder in spanish than in English.  This particular morning we somehow got on the topic of freefall, and whether or not two different objects would fall at the same rate on the moon.   I'm not sure if they learned the truth or not, but I did learn some interesting Spanish facts. 
1. Apparently monks aren't knowledgeable about everything after all.
2. Masa= "mass" AND "dough," so when I thought the conversation had turned to cooking on the moon (see left)  I was actually quite mistaken. 
3. Peso="money" AND "wieght." Same idea, I thought the conversation had taken a drastic turn to moon currency... it hadn't. 
     The second inevitability we experienced this week was the monastery's kitchen's attempt at pizza (possibly worse than Katie's gluten free pizza) and subsequently a trip to the "Pizza Burger Diner" a veritable institution in Esquipulas.  We enjoyed the night with REAL pizza, and some Gallo beer, definitely a needed escape from the monastery.

     The third major happening this week, though not inevitable, was Kenan's decision to depart from Guatemala. The lifestyle down here is very different, and that added to the fact that he came with less Spanish experience than me took its toll, until he decided that he had had enough.  While I understand his decision and appreciate that he has to do what he has to do, I do worry about spending the next 9 months as the only gringo in Esquipulas.  I guess asi es la vida.
     Yesterday, I scored my inevitable first goal in Guatemalan soccer (and then my second).  I don't say it's inevitable because I have any particular skill in soccer, but because soccer here basically consists of the Guatemalans telling me to play forward (I think to keep me from accidentally scoring on our own goal) and then feeding me the ball in front of the net.  Actually it's embarrassing that I have gone this long without a goal.  The best part is that the high school was on recess, so I had a cheering fan section of 16 year old Guatemalan girls to witness my first triumphant goal!
     They say "When in Rome, do as the Romans do,"  and that is the theme of the fourth event of the week.  En route to Chatun, the water park/campsite/adventure park/tourist center of Esquipulas, we found that we were without a ride.  While my American sensibilities suggest that seat-belts are necessary for extended car rides, I'm in Guatemala now.  When in Guate, ride like the Chapínes.

   
     We took that trip to Chatun with the same Leonidas that I had mentioned working with earlier, which brings up the last inevitability of the week:

I don't see how it could have gone differently.