I am the Guatemalan equivalent of a John Deere

Also, I'm 21. Not that that makes any difference here, but it's nice to know.

So, apparently my grandpa actually HAD a non-electrical corn-shelling device. This, I need to investigate.

This week's lessons:
1. Use and care of machete (Use=anything you could imagine, and so much more, Care=sharpen occasionally)
2. Proper clotheswashing by hand
3. Cleaning and preparation of cornfield (see Title)
4. How to make organic insecticide

Yeah, it's been a busy week. My pampered American self is not used to being bent double clearing weeds with that-tool-that's-kinda-like-a-shovel-but-not. Which is what I've been doing the last two days, and will continue to do. This task is further complicated by certain non-weeds, namely blackberries and some other climbing vine for which my entire knowledge can be summed up as "we call it Champra" and "it's good for the cow". These two things are also growing in the cornfield, and as they're useful, they get to stay. If I didn't like blackberries, though, I'd be quite annoyed, because whoever designed the bayonet either did or should have taken a lesson from the blackberry spikes. Ick.

Now, don't start thinking I don't like it here: I do, I just like complaining. Especially on (...) Thursday. I want a story, Jeff.

My birthday was Tuesday. It was uneventful, but good. I'm celebrating in Xela (pronounced Shey-la, or also Quetzaltenango) this weekend, with Kathryn, whose birthday is the 30th.