Ceviche and more ceviche

I finally found a holiday that I enjoy more in the US.  Well, of course I love the 4th of July, but that doesn't count because it's not celebrated here.

When I lived in Salt Lake my favorite church service at K2 each year was Good Friday.  Sounds like they had another great one this year.  I was a little homesick for K2 this weekend.  Iglesia in Transformación does not gather for Good Friday at all.  Easter is not a big event either.

Last year I was a little disappointed with the Easter service here.  It was not the big celebration I was used to.  People didn't dress up.  It just didn't feel like Easter the way I know it.  This year I went into it with an open mind.  I wore pink jeans instead of a dress, thinking at least I had Easter colors.  In the end I decided that we all know the story of what happened on Easter.  It could be boring to hear it over and over.  But it's so awesome, it really should be a day of celebration.  Once again, I didn't feel that at church.  The songs we sang didn't speak of it.  It was a good service, but not special and not particularly Easter-ish.

I did have a very enjoyable day, although not related to Easter.  My landlords invited me to celebrate Hermida's sister's birthday.  We went for a nice walk, then ate ceviche (for the second time this week!!!) and had a delicious seafood soup.  I have gotten to know all of Hermida's family pretty well.  They are very kind and welcoming to me.  I enjoy spending time with them and feel at home with them now.  We sang happy birthday, played pool and enjoyed the afternoon and evening together.

Hermida's mother and father are in their 80's but they are so active you would never guess it.  Hermida's father always wears a tie and a knit beanie.  Her mother is beautiful.  I had my first lengthy talk with Hermida's father yesterday.  He told me that he has seen pumas near my house.  He said it was many years ago when he saw the puma, but he believes there are even more now because they are being protected.

Hermida's neice went to Bay Island on the North Shore for spring break.  She had funny stories, typical of kids her age on spring break.  Her friend let her stay at a really fancy place on a private beach for free for the week.  Unfortunately, the rains were so heavy that the free place flooded and she had to pay $300/night for a hotel so she spent all of her money on the hotel and had none left for food or transportation.  In the end she slept on the beach with her friends because they didn't have money to get back and forth to the hotel and she barely ate.  It was a funny story.  She was fine and her parents would have stepped in if necessary.  She saw it as an adventure, a life experience, and a reason to eat lots of seafood soup at the party.

Today I learned that I will not have to pay for water because my landlord's water bill has not increased since I moved in.  Yay!  I was worried about the additional bill.  I hope it continues to stay the same.

Tomorrow I am supposed to go look for cars with a man from the church.  We may not buy anything, but I am eager to see what is out there.  If we come across something good...

My landlords got a cute new puppy.  He is part lab and part husky.  He has the markings of a husky, but the build and the fur of a lab.  This is only his second day with us so he is still a little whiny, but his cuteness makes up for it.  He doesn't have a name yet.  They might name him Benny, from "Benny and the Jetts".