Ok well I feel compelled to fill the spot where my forgetfulness still lies. Not last weekend but the weekend before I went to Miami for a few days for a visa run and meet-up with my best pal. I went out of my way to make the trip easy, packed light, short & direct flight, nice hotel, but of course things don't always end up that way! Traveling nearly 7 months pregnant, alone, is hard enough but when everything goes awry, it totally sucks. For one, the American Airlines (grrrr, American Airlines) airplane was broken in Guatemala City. We backed away from the gate only to sit on the plane for 2 hours before returning to the gate, de-boarding, then re-boarding, then de-boarding again because, yes, the plane was really broken. So all passengers had to be rebooked and no one flew out that day. One less day for me with friend, a night lost on a prepaid hotel room in Miami, and a hell of a day standing in lines, re-boarding planes, being last at everything because I walk slower and have no one to help carry stuff or hold my place in line while I go to the bathroom. It was hell.

Ok, so that happened. The days in Miami were fine enough. Miami Beach is like an American neighborhood of Cuba, I imagine. Everyone had accents and spoke Spanish. It was hardly any culture shock coming from Guatemala. I got a souvenir sunburn and spent about 2 hours in Target buying larger clothes and enjoying it's orderliness.

This week marks the beginning of my third trimester. Now indigenous ladies ask me when I'm due. The other day in the market these ladies, while speaking Kakchiquel among themselves about me, asked if I knew the gender. I said no, and she said, Pues solo Dios sabe, or Well only God knows. As far as most Guatemalans go, God knows everything, including when buses come, why tiendas close at random hours and why the chicken crossed the road. Truly all knowing.

I do feel rather sensitive though. I stared down a lady staring and whispering about me in the Miami airport. And cried at all intervals of my 3 travel days to and from Miami. But sometimes it is funny, like in the Guate airport when I left (the 2nd day) this little girl whisper-shouts in English to her mom, SHE HAS A BABY!!! It was a very audible whisper-shout that made me laugh.

Oh, this might have been what I was going to post the other day. The day I actually flew to Miami I saw ex-Guatemalan president Oscar Berger at the airport Pizza Hut. I did a triple take, rubbed my belly and shot him the head nod/smile combo. Mid-sip of his cafecito he smiled back, I think appreciating the randomness of possibly being identified by a prego, tattooed gringa tourist. So that makes three "famous" recipients of the Colleen head nod/smile combo: Jon Bon Jovi, Steve Buscemi & now ex-prez Oscar Berger.

And as Semana Santa is revving up, it's amazing to be in Antigua this time of year. It's like the capital of Catholicism celebrating the world's 2nd largest Holy Week party. I read that somewhere. Second only to somewhere in Spain. And I think I've mentioned that before. It is rather incredible. And the weather is awesome this time of year. The rainy season starts in May-ish, now June with climate change, and April is usually the hottest. They call the pre-rain mugginess Cunicula or something. Sounds like Bunnicula, that children's book. Anyway, there are a few days before the rain "breaks" where you can feel mother nature's hesitation, the tension before she pours us with fat, warm Guatemalan rain. Then timing changes... the day is planned around making sure you are under shelter around 1 or 2 pm.

And finally, my sweet neighbor Any (like Annie) brought me fried chicken the other night, although I was in Miami. She is so delighted at the baked goods I have brought her that she brought home fried chicken from her job. She knocks on our door quite late sometimes, because she works late, and ends up usually talking to Andres. He tells me that she thinks I'm preciosa and that my baked goods are yummy. I'm actually quite okay with the fact I missed the fried chicken. I was going to bring her my newest baked concoction but they turned out kinda gross. There were no bananas in town so I made plantain bread. Not the same. Imagine banana bread but harder, less sweet and with chunks. I can't do that to Any.