Friday, October 11, 2013

"i feel like i just broke up with my girlfriend."

hello friends.
 my pictures keep building up! life. here goes nada:
my bud kev and me at a baile. long live dancing bachata!
there may or may not be a neveria just outside outside the ccm...you know it!
friends, meet piñon. this is celestial. wait, we've already talked about it. like every post huh? ha ha. well i'm in love! best ice cream err! what do you expect?!
i took this just walking around the city last week. like it's just totally normal here and no big thang at all whatsoever! viva!
welcome to las bellas artes. where beautiful arts are presented. ha ha.
(the roof! stunning!)
we came for the ballet folklorico and MAN was it bomb! typical dances from all over mexico complete with mariachi music, mexican tap dancing, huge monsters, crazy costumes and the best people around. fantastic. 

...
so my first or second week i started chatting with an hermano in the teacher's lounge who seemed a little forlorn. he was slouched hardcore in his chair and was staring off into the distance with his arms folded. i asked if he was okay and he said, "i feel like i just broke up with my girlfriend." not knowing how to respond to that, i sat quietly looking at him with one of those side frowns i always do when i'm stumped. he noted my expression and clarified by adding, "my missionaries left, hermana."

say no more.

as crazy as it sounds, it's real. it's a real feeling! 
and i'm going through that break up right now. 
life's rough.
i have grown to love my missionaries deeper than ever before. maybe it's because we're all far from home, in a strange country...because we live, worship, study, exercise, eat, go the temple and breathe together in the same gated community all day?

anyways. they left. gonezo.
and they're going to go change. the. world! 
so it's a good thing.
here are some fantastic photographs. : )
these two are headed off to the c.sandiego mish! ballin!
elder glazier mocking my child's umbrella. ha ha. brat.
(ps. maril. any relation? he made me think of you err day! how did i forget to mention that one?! told you--chalk em up! always thinkin of you, love!)
one minute lessons=pure, simple, straight truth. GO!
 their last time at the temple. sad!
 being a temple worker has been incredibly fulfilling, especially as i've gotten to see people i love so much through the ordinances.
i love these dear hermanas so stinkin' much! 
and these elders? get outta town!!! 
the hermanas at the relief society broadcast. :) 
wasn't conference a spiritual FEAST?! holy hannah! 
the church is true. god def speaks to us through his prophets!

oh you know. just trying to hold still and smile "pretty."

normal us.

so maybe my heart feels like it's being liquified because i'm not just "breaking up" with one district... but with TWO. 
simultaneously.
i imagine parenthood is this multiplied a billion times: i love my missionaries separately (and singly haha) and can't compare them! no way jose.
fantastic elders teaching pure DOCTRINE. 
viva.
i had them practice teaching...the wall.
and they immediately all turned and got to work!
i LOVE missionaries! so willing, so obedient, so eager to learn and progress and prepare. 
they inspire me!
trying to be normal

this is easier. ha ha.
these missionaries share my love for illegal activities. whoops. 

and here you have both districts. i love that my children are all friends. look at them do service together. :) yeah, i forced em' to, but still. cute!
and they're ouuuuuuuttttaaaaaaa here. off to baptize the world. godspeed friends. 
...
on prep day a few migs and i headed off to see the old lake xochimilco. 
venice of mexico, much? 
no but seriously. it made me nostalgic for my good old venetian memories. good times.
we took a nice "gondola" ride on what's left of xochimilco. 
our man wasn't super pleased with us. but he did do an excellent steering job. vamos greg.  
it was cool--there were other vender guys out there selling everything from blankets to corn...
to music to flowers and plants...
 
we went at kind of a dead time so everyone was accosting us, trying to sell us errthang.
after that experience, we roamed the city and got lunch:
my first experience with a mexican torta...
they said it was a "special" torta. and maaaan it was. especially spicy and rico. i've been missing sandwiches packed with veggies so this was a nice substitute. cherish your blimpie's, people. "cherish it!" -billy madison

anyway. here are some pics of the eats and such of daily life:
yeeaaaaaaaaaaaah... about that... COOK YOUR MEAT PEOPLE!
this is for you, ma. a whole truck load of cilantro for your cafe rio salad. haha literally!
agua de coco? yeah hi see ya later.
my favorite mexican dish is mole. and look what they've got in wally world! just bins and bins of different kinds of mole ready to be prepared. holy hannah. #dontmindifido #moleception
mole poblano. my best thing.
mexico jello. tasted like the worst medicine doctors have around.
my uncle calls flan phlegm but i think he does it just to be funny. because it's not gross or like phlegm at all. in fact, it's deliiiiish. probs one of my fave mexican desserts, thank you very much.
(it lives. the legend of the 26. even in mexico!)
anyways. life's peachy. keep calm and carry on friends. 
viva.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

is this for real?!

meet oyuki.
one of my very very best friends in the whole wide world. 
we were compas for a bit in the mish and wow. it was a time of life-lessons learned and a ton of laughs had. i joke about her being my better half only because we're like the same person except for the fact that she's mexican and is a million times better at everything. she's incredible, seriously!
anyway. when we were companions we always talked about traveling to mexico and seeing/doing/eating this or that. it was all fiction until last week when she showed up at the mtc for an interview. :) and i died of joy!

sueño realizado! 
(dream come true!)
we went all around the city with her amig, david, and just partied. all day. best thing!
bussed to coyoacán
of course eating ice cream. piñon!
gave churos rellenos another try. still not the hugest fan, sorry!
at this sweet museum you can ride the elevator up to the lookout...
(this is the huelga--the teacher's are striking here. yikes.)
at the top!
and then we rode the blessed metro...
(she'd told me all about the crazy metro and then we were suddenly there together!)
TACOS!!! obviously!!! 
yuk talked about tacos for days. it was so fun seeing her in her element!
look at her cute pajamas. :)
...
this picture of us with the B is the Best (get it?) thing ever? i feel like i'm in yuki's homeland as i traipse around the benemerito/ccm/mtc. she was a student here and alllllways told me stories of the benemerito and her high school memories. it's been a tender mercy living in her zone and learning about her culture. it makes me appreciate and love her even more.
and then she left. onto her next big adventure. 
i cannot WAIT to see how her life develops. you deserve all the very best dear hermana. 
i love you! thanks for coming to visit! best thing ERRRR.