la cucaracha, mi amiga

i did not sleep well last night. i wish that i could say that it was because i was up all night praying for the people of guatemala, or because i worked on my spanish late into the night and got up early to help make breakfast. but that would be a lie.

the truth is that last night i went to the bathroom right before going to bed and discovered one of the many creatures that guatemala has to offer: the cockroach. although, to call it a cockroach feels cheap, like something is missing in the mental image that word portrays. it seems more accurate to describe it as a small rodent disguised as a cockroach. honestly, if i had not been told that someone had seen a cockroach in the bathroom, i would have believed i had just seen a mouse fly out from under the sink and scurry somewhere towards the vicinity of the bathroom door. i would have known whether it actually made it out the bathroom door or not, but first of all, i was not wearing my glasses so i really couldn't see where it went, and second of all, by the time i could look to see where it had gone, i was already standing with one foot on the side of the bathtub and the other on the top of the toilet. still believing that cockroaches are "ground-bound" i proceeded to climb up on the counter next to the sink and crawl across it until i could open the bathroom door and jump out into the hallway before running next door to the room where i was sleeping.

it was at this point that i was informed by my "roomate" (an amazing american lady named bev) that cockroaches can actually crawl up walls and she once found one on the ceiling of one of her friend's classrooms (she is a teacher). i then found out this morning that cockroaches fly. oh, what joy is mine.

it is funny to me the different things that stretch people's faith when they go to other countries. i prayed so hard last night that that cockroach would not crawl into my bed. and then i woke up a few more times and prayed some more. bev even tried to help me get over it by telling me that cockroaches are really quite pretty, and informing me that they are actually revered in some cultures and worn on a necklace... alive. for some strange reason, i did not find any of this comforting. i woke up this morning happy to be in daylight and away from the looming fear of the unknown creatures that might be found in the darkness of a guatemalan night. i have now decided to think of the cockroach as a small bird (it's harmless, about the same size, and flies) and just accept the fact that it is a part of daily life here.

and i will hopefully sleep in peace... until the next "flying, larger-than-normal" creature i find scurrying around the bathroom floors.