So I think I owe you all an update. Sorry for taking so long... I don't really have an excuse, I guess I've just been a little lazy. How was your long-weekend? Probably more eventful than mine. Our plans got all confused this weekend because we didn't find out Friday was a holiday until Thursday morning which meant our assumed drive to Surama was in fact leaving Thursday afternoon and not Friday afternoon like we had thought. Then when Friday came around, the only working vehicle here at Bina Hill was (and in fact still is) broken and so no Surama for us. Instead it became a laid back weekend at Bina Hill with very few people around and not a whole lot to do. I enjoyed the nothing to do for about a day and then got bored and looked forward to Monday when things were to get running again. Food here also isn't nearly as good (or as abundant) on the weekends, so even though there were 2 trips we still wanted to do anyways, now we're even more determined not to spend our last 2 weekends here at Bina Hill.

What else is new? Well the place here is hopping this morning! Gilbert (the groundsman?) is all dressed up, the cooks made cake (!!) and there is toilet paper in the bathroom! (The excitement behind this statement might give you some insight into what it's like around here normally). And why is it that everything's all done up? Well, there is a meeting here today which is apparently expecting 50-55 people. Don't ask me what it's for because I have nothing to do with it, but I'm anxiously awaiting everyone to arrive because I haven't seen that many people in one place at one time since I've arrived! It's only 9am now but apparently the meeting should have started at 8:30 so we'll hopefully soon be seeing the arrival of village toushabs and who knows who else heading upstairs in our building here.

I don't have a whole lot else to add. OH, there are two 1-2 week old puppies hanging out around here, and they are oh so cute! The boys here seem to sort of take care of them (keep them in the shade and make sure the mom feeds them) but I've been having a great time checking them out in my spare minutes. In the last few days they have opened their eyes and are now just learning to walk.

That's all for now. When I'm bored a little later I may add some pictures of something so come back this evening and see if there's anything fun to see!

Talk to you later!
Kaila

Edited @3:30PM

So I'm still feeling a little lazy but thought I owed you a few pictures so here they are. Just from around here this time.
This is my bedroom. On the walls you can't see are a couple of sets of shelves with all of our stuff, but this is basically it: 2 beds and a make-shift clothesline for our towels.

I don't know these kids names, but I've gotten to know them a little. The baby is the cleaner's son, so whenever she's working she brings one of the girls from her town with her to take care of him while she works. The older girls seems really good with him, and I'm very thankful because last week it was his 7 year old sister that was taking care of him and he is crying much less often this week. Plus it's hard for me to watch a 7 year old take care of a baby and not want to take care of both of them.
A donkey. They just roam around randomly. Sometimes they run, but usually only when the boys around here or the dogs start chasing them. We also get random roaming cows and horses.
This is the fish pond. On Sunday one of the boys (Bian) offered to take us to the fish pond. Not only was I not expecting only about a 100m walk, I also was not expecting a man-made fish pond. Apparently it was just dug a few months ago and they are going to be putting fish in. Nick (from the Peace Corps) was trying to tell him that it needs plants so that there can be oxygen in the water, but he seemed to think they could just throw fish in and they would be great. Or maybe I just wasn't understanding his english well, that's always a possibility around here.
And last, but not least, the puppies. I went out to try to get some pictures of them today, but don't know where they are at the moment. This is a picture of them nursing the first day the boys found them when they were (according to them) about a week old. Eyes closed, couldn't walk, it was quite the sight! Sorry I don't have a better picture of them, but believe me when I say they are cute :-)

I guess that's it. Sorry for the ecclecticness, but like I said, I'm feeling a little lazy. I still have a few more places in Costa Rica to add, so maybe that will be this week too.