The Joys of Soy

Well, I know that I have been gushing about my host mother, but recent developments certainly deserve some more air time. At the first homestay, what I usually ended up getting was rice, beans, tortillas and the occasional mixed vegetable stir-fry thing. Well, the past 3 days I have gotten SOY with every meal. Needless to say, I am on cloud nine with her food. 2 nights ago she made empanadas with soy, which is a pierogie type thing with fillings, yesterday's lunch was spaghetti with soy on top mixed with some tomatoe and on the side were french fries and a small salad. Then this morning, as if things couldn't have gotten any better after those two meals alone, I got potatoes, peppers and some tomatoes all sauteed together with ... yep ... .SOY! Ahh. Its wonderful, and I love how everyone thought that all I would be able to eat down here were some twigs with lettuce and beans. :-)

Today was the official start of the evolution course, and also the wrap up of the Tropical Bio final. Yep, it was soooo long that we had to take it in two days. Now all that we need to do for that course is write our papers when we get home. Have to admit that it is a little imposing having the Evolution course be only 3 weeks of class time, with a research presentation worked into that, and then a paper that we write when we get home, especially since it is a capstone course for the majority of us on this trip.

Yesterday, a group of uswent to the market down by Centro. It was huge! We spent 3 hours there and I'm certain that we did not see everything there. I was able to invest in a sweatshirt poncho type thing so I do not freeze to death in the mornings and night, and also picked up some gifts. ;-) After lunch today, I actually think we are going back to the market to finish the second half of my gift list.

It's all starting to sink in that the semester is coming to a close, especially with all the things going on at school back home: housing, work over the summer, reapplying to the Ambassador program, just alot of stuff that is looking ahead to the summer and year to come. Kinda scary to think that in a few weeks, I will be a junior, and therefore halfway finished with my college career. Where did all that time go? It will also be interesting in the fall semester to go back and have the majority of my class be abroad, including the majority of my friends. Hmm ....

Alright, well, time to go get some more amazing food at my homestay and read some more Selfish Gene for class tomorrow. More on that to come, I'm sure :-P