|
We woke up this morning to find that we still had no internet access. Uh-oh, I was supposed to work today. Antonio got right on the case, calling his service provider. It turned out that there was a problem with the antenna in the mountains above town. They dispatched three technicians up the mountain (literally!) to fix the problem.
We noticed this morning that the beans that we had planted on Sunday had started to sprout, true to Rosa's prediction that we should see some growth within 5 days. How exciting! Breakfast was soft boiled eggs, boiled plantain, bread, coffee, and juice. We listened to music and I colored in my Day of the Dead coloring book. I decided that maybe I should do some laundry, but just before I started, the internet came back. It had been fixed within a matter of three hours. I had missed a couple of meetings this morning, but nothing crucial. I was able to shift my work day by 3 hours and still put in a full day. The first week of my remote work experiment was a success, with this being the only minor glitch. My internet service at home can be less reliable! We had lunch at 12:30, enjoying soup, meat, veggies, and rice. Antonio and Marcelo worked with the rebar today. Marcelo's wife Sandra came back to help, while their son Jung and daughter Ruby Natalia played with the kids. Jung is getting much more comfortable being around us gringos. It is funny because Sandra, Jung, and Ruby Natalia now refer to me and Achi Mama and Craig as Achi Taita. That is our title, and more important than our actual names. We find this very sweet and respectful, having never been called "Aunt" or "Uncle" by our own nephews. Sisa was very protective of me while I was working, and shooed Ruby Natalia away several times, telling her, "Achi Mama necesita trabajar!" (Godmother needs to work!) I thought it was very nice that they respected the fact that my work was important. The family had obviously instilled this work ethic in the kids. By the end of the day, the rebar was installed on top of the third floor walls, and they had started creating wooden forms for concrete. It is amazing how much progress has been made since we arrived just one week ago! Tayanta was being very cute and cuddly. Rosa fed Marcelo, Sandra, and their kids some leftovers from lunch as a thank you for their help today. Sisa and Yupanqui helped with the dishes and setting the table. Yupanqui stands on a little bucket to reach the sink. Although there are times when Yupanqui struggles with anger and frustration issues, today wasn't one of them. He was happy and loving all day long. Antonio returned home in time for dinner: cream of broccoli soup, lentils, radish salad, rice, and cabbage slaw. We had a wonderful evening with the kids, and are looking forward to spending the weekend with them - no school and no work! TGIF! |
 Aida does Abuelita's hair  Antonio on the roof  Sisa 
|
|
 |
|
 |
