Crunch time!

Gonna keep this post short - gotta study for my exam tomorrow! If I pass, I move on to the next book - level B!

Stefan the Austrian and I found ourselves at Cafe Sky again last night! He loves that place! Also, I realized while calling him "Stefan the Austrian" makes sense! There was a dude at Indiana Wesleyan I called "Tim the Austrian." He wasn't really Austrian, but he was a missionary kid who grew up in Austria. I called him "Tim the Austrian" for a specific reason that ... Chris Smackintosh might remember (sorry, the rest of you will remain in the dark) ... and Stefan the Austrian shares this particular trait.

I purchased a sim card so now I have cell service in Guatemala! Yes, my phone is an international unlocked version, so all I needed was the sim card. Turns out, however that the sim card plus 100 minutes was about $20 US, and buying a phone with 100 minutes is about $25 US ... so yeah ... You're probably wondering why I have an international unlocked phone. It's a long story, but it starts with Conley and I scheming to visit India and then him getting all responsible and my dreams being dashed to pieces :) Hahaha!

I bought a Claro sim card, cause the guy working the phone counter in la bodegona said they were all about equal. After I showed off my newly functional phone to mi maestra, she informed me that Tigo is the best. So if you need a phone in Guatemala, remember - Tigo!

A few of you have asked for my mailing address, so here's the best way to get in touch with me through the post:

Brandon Dodgen

c/o Christian Spanish Academy

6 Avenida Norte #15

La Antigua, Guatemala

03001

Guatemala, Central America

(502) 7832-3922

David, the guy who helps out students with questions and arrangements, said that US Postal Service takes 2 or 3 weeks to get here. He said that FedEx, UPS, and DHL are faster and more secure. He also said that when you ship packages internationally, you're charged by the volume - not the weight ... This doesn't sound right to me ...

Some of you have been asking, and yes - I'm still climbing cerro de la cruz every morning. It's getting a little bit easier ... a very little bit. Makes me wonder if I'll ever be in volcano climbing shape!

Also, you see this?! There are so many motorcycles down here it's ridiculous! I can hardly stand it! I'm getting the moto fever again! I've been shopping around, and I fear it is only a matter of weeks before I'm tearing up the streets on my own motocicleta! Most people here ride little 120cc bikes that are styled like bikes from the 80s. It's just a thing I guess. They're still making them and selling them new!

It's nearly impossible to find a "big" motorcycle (like more than 300cc. And if you do, they're really, really expensive.

The other pictures in the post are of a friendly neighborhood  police officer walking around el parque central with a machine gun, and a photo of my school - looking down from the second story.