Beer Me!

Hello faithful readers! Another week has gone by and surprisingly little has happened that is even remotely blog-worthy. It has been a very low key week because I got a cold (either from the 14 year old slob that lives with me or the teaming masses of germ-factories that surround me 5 days a week). Now, clearly I don’t have to speak to the irony of getting a ‘cold’ when living in a place that’s low is about 68 degrees Fahrenheit on a chilly evening, but I will speak to the discomfort and inconvenience.

First of all, my 8th grade teacher (ever the life-guide) asked me a simple, but telling question: do you have a thermometer? No, no I do not. I don’t even have a meat thermometer and being a supposedly grown up person, I should probably have both. Well, the question was asked when I was unable to determine whether it was the weather or whether I had a fever… as it turned out, I had a fever. Which, is uncomfortable enough in Minnesota-Wisconsin style homes with heat kept around 68 degrees, but reaches the realms of unbearable when it’s 87 degrees outside at 8pm. The fever was the most dramatic part of the cold and while it didn’t last, it’s annoying but often more persistent friends nasal congestion, head and body aches (twin brothers) and sore throat followed along the next day and set up shop for the week. As we write/read, I’m sipping lemon and honey tea and hoping this will be the ‘boys’ last day of residence.

The other excellent thing that happened since last blog is that Pako was called by Sol beer company and offered the job of “route auxiliary,” which means he will be mainly carrying boxes from the warehouse to the truck, from the truck to various stores and then backwards with the empties. WE ARE PUMPED! Right now he’s been hired for the high season (when all the gringos* come down and drink a lot of beer), however the “big bosses” are looking to hire 2 people on after the gringos* abandon paradise and return to Canton, Ohio or wherever it is they come from. The fact that he got called is a pretty big deal as there are almost NO jobs here and they were looking to fill the positions from inside the company rather than hire new people. The process that he has to go through includes medical, physical, psychological and socioconomic tests and fill out enough paperwork to rival the first Harry Potter book (the 1st one is the smallest book, but in case you didn’t know, it still represents about 400 pages). And just what is a socioeconomic test and why is it necessary to haul beer? Apparently they come and take pictures of the apartment. I’ll be sure to look destitute, but mentally stable that day, just in case it might help. Anyway, we’re only uncrossing those limbs necessary for walking at this point and keeping the other appendages crossed in hopes that he’ll get kept on after gringo-season (that would mean a higher salary, FREE health insurance for him, me and his mother (that’s right no premium, no deductible, FREE – take that republicans – 3rd-world-landia has cheaper health care than you do), being part of a union, and company food stamps that we can use to buy food instead of using actual money!). I’ll keep you posted of developing detail and amusing anecdotes from the beer warehouse! Now when I utter that classic college phrase, Pako will be more than qualified to respond: BEER ME!

*Tia Maria, would gringoEs be more correct here? Dan Quayle wants to know.

That’s all for now folks. This school week comprises oral exams for all of my classes, so it would be nice if my voice returns before then, but we shall see. I hope you all have excellent weeks and are keeping warm! One more shout-out to my newest reader, HI GRANDPA! LOVE YOU!

Hugs and kisses,
Leyah