English Classes

I noticed it had been a while since I blogged. Well, I need your opinion. With expenses of pregnancy and a new baby coming up I was doing some thinking of some sort of job I could do to earn a lil extra. Can´t quit school. So, I was thinking that perhaps one of the biggest things in demand here is English classes. Now, I´m not talking about the literture classes in high school type stuff. I´m talking about the language. You know its funny. Everybody that speaks english as their first language take spanish classes in school and everybody that speak spanish take english classes in school. So, what I thought I´d do if give private tutoring classes. What better way to learn a new language than from a native speaker. Many people have asked me to teach piano and english classes. Well, I just don´t have a piano to be teaching classes...and the majority of people here don´t have a piano nor do they want to pay for the lessons (they want it free). So, english classes. I think that I´ll start by tutoring. You know parents want their kids to learn English well while they are in school and get good grades. So, I thought about making a few announcements at some of the private schools. I think it´ll go well, especially since my brother and sister in law have gotten much better grades in their English class since I married their brother. But, here´s my question. WHERE DO YOU START? HOW EXACTLY DO YOU TEACH ENGLISH CLASSES? Its quite different being able to speak, write, and understand it than teaching it and giving reasons to why the grammar is that way. Does anybody know a good website of basic grammar and pronunciation rules for English? It would be even better if its teaching from Spanish to English. Let me know what you think about my idea and if you know of any good websites for English grammar.

Bolivia Trip

Ok, so I know its been a long time since I´ve blogged. Some of it was just plain laziness and some of it was because we took a vacation/honeymoon. Well, ever since we got married we had been talking about the idea of going back to Santa Cruz Bolivia, where we served our missions. But, there was always some sort of excuse as so why not go. Well, one night in our family home evening we just felt very strongly to go now. Or, that a very same weekend. So, we went! And what a trip! To get there by bus it takes about 50 hours! So, you can imagine the trip. There were tons of problems getting there and getting back. So, the next time we take a trip like this we are going to try and be a lot more prepared for whatever comes our way. 1. After the first bus trip my dear husband came down with some sort of horrible stomach flu. So, we ended up staying in Lima a day instead of going on with our trip. 2. After 24 hours of being stuck in a bus...without a complete bathroom we got to the Bolivia/Peru border. We cross the lil bridge and get to Bolivian immigrations just to find out the law had changed about 6 months before. Before, anybody could enter in Bolivia with a tourist visa for 90 days and then leave. NOW, North Americans (nobody else) has to have a 5 year visa to just enter into Bolivia. Well, needless to say the president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, doesn´t like North Americans. So now we had to pay a $135 visa just to get in. We even thought about just turning around and going home. 3. We finally got to La Paz and they said, sorry that last bus to Santa Cruz already left. You´ll have to travel to Cochabamba first and then Santa Cruz. We could have waited until the next day in La Paz, but noooooooooo. La Paz gets way way to cold at night and the majority of the people there are theives...it was best to just get out of there. So we made the trip to Cochabamba and went to get bus tickets to Santa Cruz... 4. There was a trasportation strike in Santa Cruz. No buses were entering or leaving Santa Cruz for perhaps one day or two or three, nobody really knew how long it was going to take to open bus routes again. So we hung out in Cochabamba for about two days waiting it out. We went by the temple (closed for maintenence...just our luck) and we went to the giant Christ. We thought about turning back and go home. But the road opened up and we went to Santa Cruz! 5. We finally got there!!!!! We got there about 4 days later than we had planned, but we got there! What joy! It was a fabulous experience to see old faces and visit with converts and members and friends. We really had a great time! We really only had time for visiting...because shortly after...bigger problems came around. 6. The Bolivian country folk doesn´t like how Santa Cruz is going about things....so....BLOCKADES to every route out of the department (state) of Santa Cruz. Now what? 7. So we stayed one more day and were obligated to buy plane tickets to get out of Santa Cruz. There weren´t any buses leaving Santa Cruz and we just wanted to visit...not stay and live there. Well, all and all we got out safe and sound. And just in time! We found out that about a week after we had left there were more problems. They cut the gasoline from getting into Santa Cruz. More strikes, more blockades and the country is really in problems now. The west is divided from the east. The East (Santa Cruz, Beni, Tarija, Pando) want to separate and become independent. The East is the wealthier section...petroleum and that kind of stuff. And the West is where all the government comes from and they are generally farmers. Anyways, theres been a lot of problems...they sent the militia into certain cities, killed somebody, taken away the citizen rights from certain parts of the country. And the president of Venezuela wants to get a piece of the action...possibly a civil war. Things just aren´t looking too good. The thing is that its a horrible situation. I feel horrible that there are such wonderful people in Santa Cruz and they have nothing to do with this, but they are the ones that are and will suffer in the end. They just want to live their lifes without all these problems. Sucks, huh? But, you know what, it makes me feel really grateful for all the many blessings I have. I´m from a GREAT country. U.S.A.! And am living in a fairly stable country politically and economically. I just hope and pray that all my dear Bolivian friends are ok and that this political problem can be resolved quickly.

Ok, Are you ready for the big news!

Ok, so I guess the cat in out of the bag. And, I think I´m ready to let people know now. Yes, I´m PREGNANT! I know, crazy! The great thing is...that I hardly feel a thing. No "morning sickness", no wierd cravings. Just more tired than normal that, as always, being tired can cause more headaches for me, and i´m hungry alllll the time! But nothing out of the normal. The funniest thing is that nobody here even suspects. I think our baby is playing hide and go seek. I have a lil gut, but I´m a lil more than 4 months pregnant and still can tell a thing...unless I put on really tight fitting shirts. Anyways, its a fun and interesting experience. So, our family will become 3 instead of just 2 people at the end of January 2009.

Dreams

Do you ever have these weird, unexplainable dreams...and you just wake up confused? Well, that´s been me lately. For those of you that know me REALLY well...I just don´t remember my dreams. Here in the latin world...everybody remembers their dreams and I seem to always be left out...well, not any more. For example, last night I had a dream that will obviously never happen. Here´s why. It was about my good friend, Amy. I dreamed she was a missionary in Ohio and just tearing up a storm. I think that she was one of the best sister missionaries I had ever seen. Plus, tons of fun. I was her companion. We had a blast. Oh, and way spiritual. Now, why would that never happen? Well, for one...both of us are already married. I doubt either one of us would go back to living without our husbands. But it was really cool...just weird. The first dream that I remember in a LONG time is about something that is unlikely. Second, so my head was kind of aching so I decided to lay down and take a lil nap. Well, that lil nap turned into a 3 hour nap. Oooops! So, my good friend Amy was there again. It was right after a big football game...in high school. (Which also doesn´t make any sense since we didn´t even go to the same high school and its been years since we were in high school.) And there were lil pizzas and tortilla chips and Pace Picante Sauce. Now, maybe I´m just craving chips and salsa...but heck I would eat the chips and salsa like crazy and Amy would tell me..."hey, quit eating all the chips. They´re for the football champs." I didn´t care....but I just wanted tortilla chips with cheese sauce or pace picante sauce. Now for those of you that haven´t ever gone to Peru or Bolivia, (I´m in Peru.) Tortilla chips are non existent! And a hot sauce that has tomato in it...you can only find it in your dreams. So, maybe thats why I dreamed that. What I just don´t understand is why in both dreams Amy was there? Amy is a great person and I love her half to death...but when I remember my dreams...it never has anybody that I actually know well in it. So, who are the dream interpretators? And what do they mean? Who knows, they could just be weird dreams and thats all. But, if you are let me know.

Memory Tag

This sounds like an interesting game. I think I´ll try it and see how it works. 1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! 2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Post Office

Ok, so must I say overseas customs and post office requirements are ridiculous! Ok, so my family sent me a package. Cool, huh?!?! Certified and everything. Got there great. Thanks! I told them to put my mother-in-law´s name on the package because her address is more reliable. Well, lo and behold its not as simple as just going to the post office and picking up the package. 1. We got there and had to make copies of her id card. 2. Wait for about 30 minutes until they call your name. 3. They had to know how "Brian Taylor" was related to my mother-in-law. Luckily, I was with her and could clear that one up. He´s my brother and she´s my mother-in-law. 4. Here´s the kicker. My mother-in-law´s id card had expired...4 months ago! She didn´t realize it expired because she used it for everything else. So, what did we have to do? 5. Go to the National Bank of Peru...pay a fee 6. Take photos (passport size) 7. Wait for them to be developed 8. Go to Reneic (the legalization gov´t place) to start the process of a new id card 9. Go back to the post office before 12:30pm 10. Then, my mom sent some vitamins that I had asked for...one problem...there they consider it medicine. So send medicine over seas you have to have a prescription in the box or in your hand. 11. Well, after she signed what seemed to be 20 papers and explaining the entire reason and what the situation was they finally gave it to her. 12. The guy in the post office said that the next time you send something overseas through certified mail...when it asks for a description of what´s inside...just put "presents". Otherwise there´s a heck of a lot of problems. Anyways, I´m very very grateful for the package. Now, we know the entire process and whats best and whats worse. It was kinda a crazy round about but in the end everything turned out fine!

Torta de Galletas

Ok, so my sister-in-law came over last week...she´s 13...and taught me an incredibly yummy and simple dessert. It one of the easiest things ever. We had to put a limit on ourselves as to how much to eat. The first time I ate it I ate a TON and later had a tummy ache...so now I´ve learn...all good things in moderation! So here´s how you make it. Make up Vanilla Pudding Make up Chocolate Pudding Buy Vanilla wafers or cookies...whatever is more available (in Peru its vanilla crackers) Then put a chocolate layer of pudding on the bottom Then a layer of cookies Layer of vanilla pudding Layer of cookies Layer of chocolate Layer of cookies ...continue this process until there´s no more pudding Top with crushed vanilla cookies and refrigerate That´s it! I know way too simple...but its SOOOOOOO GOOOD! We enjoyed it. Hope you enjoy!