I have changes!! we are closing the area for sisters to come in. that means that I will have been in this area for only 1 transfer. If you lost track that makes it 4 in Alamos 1, 3 in San Pablo 1, 2 in Almacatla 1, and 1 in Manantiales 1. hence the 4...3...2...1 in the title. it also makes 3.5 of my 4 areas have sisters in them (the 0.5 comes from Almacatla 1 where we divided the area).
I don't have much time to write because one of the members here took us to one of those Brazilian stake houses (the ones dad told us about where they bring the meet around on swords). It was awesome!!! I'll send a picture next week when I have time.
Elder Jason Blanding
President Christensen;
I would like to thank you for the great opportunity you gave me of being here in Manantiales. I have learned a lot that I will put into practice in the rest of my mission. I hope to be able to full-fill whatever assignment you chose to give me.
Elder Blanding.
1: You have to warm up their water every morning by turning on a boiler that is outside the house and fueled by a tank of natural gas that you buy off of trucks that drive down the street.
2: There is almost no such thing as a back yard. (or a front yard for that matter) because all of the houses are placed one next to the other.
3: A finished house is the exception rather than the rule.
4: You buy your bread out of a van that goes down the street blasting a really annoying song.
5: You can basically live within a block of your house.
6: Instead of a police force to control speeding they just put speed bumps every 100 meters on all of their main roads. (even the freeway has speed bumps).
7: No one has personal computers. Instead they go to the nearest Internet server to do anything and everything computer based.
8: You can't buy a vacuum in Mexico. partly because no one ever has carpet.
9: Wooden houses are for the poor people and cement is for the rich. (a wooden house here is basically like a camp shack, 4 walls and a roof)
10: Pizza is delivered by a motorcycle.
11: Fresa (strawberry) is a slang term that can be interpreted as posh, rich, really nice, or just anything upper-class. not just a very tasty fruit.
12: Being 30min to an hour late is normal...
13: A Piña (pineapple) is a slang term for a good looking woman. not just a delicious fruit.
14: It is virtually imposable to buy Root Beer. [I found a place where you can get it... but it is super expensive for a missionary budget.]
15: Milk is sold in boxes and doesn't need to be refrigerated until after you open the box. The expiration date is usually for next year.
16: When there is a World Cup game on in the which their country is playing the whole city seams to shut down. you can also always tell if a goal is scored.
17: A doctor hits your stomach a few times and because it hurt says that he needs to operate
18: Average people know more than the doctor about what a sick person should or should not eat... or at least they think they do.
19: Nobody buys DVDs in the stores... they all just buy the pirated ones you can find on almost every street corner.
20: Owning a car is for rich people.
21: Squeegees are used to clean the floor.
22: The best way to make a dog stop barking at you or chasing you is to bend down. (no really they are accustomed that when someone bends down they are going for a rock to hit them with)
*23: The public transit thinks they own the roads and that every one else has to give them space.
*24: The car horn is connected to the gas pedal of the car in front of you.
*25: If the road has no posted speed limit it has none (not a real law but they treat it that way).