Drummers and Belize City

Let me just start with last night! We had about thirty international students from a university in Belize, who are here to learn English, over at the TEC to dance and mingle with Creole drummers. We were also told we would have a bonfire. So the drummers and the students arrived after we had dinner, but it was dark and they couldn’t get a very big fire going. So we all stood around trying to make conversation with someone we couldn’t see and could barely understand! Finally the fire got going, the beer started flowing, and the drumming began. We all danced for a little while, but it was still really awkward. I left to walk to the bathroom and the second I opened the door to go back outside, the rain started. Now this was no ordinary rain. This was rain straight from Hollywood! It was literally clear one second and the next second it was a torrential downpour! I made my way back to the dorms, but by the time I got there, I was already soaked. Everyone was running to get inside, so I fell in with the crowd going into the boy’s dorm. But once inside, I was pushed up against the wall and could barely move! The drummers started up again, but I couldn’t dance. So I stood there for about a half a second longer, and then began pushing my way back outside. Once I got outside, there were two other girls from our group out there. We jumped on top of the picnic table and began dancing in the rain! It was such an awesome experience. After awhile we began dragging people out of the dorms, and before long our entire group (as well as a bunch of international students) was outside dancing in these huge mud puddles which formed in front of the dorms!

The party eventually got moved inside to the classroom, where there was more room for everyone to dance. All the Latin guys were trying to show us gringas how to roll our hips and the such (not in a sexual manner, just in a fun, time to make myself look like an idiot, kind of way!). Needless to say, I was not a very good pupil! I was really struck by their “politeness” when we were dancing. They would always ask if they could dance with you-a male in the US would NEVER do that! We all ended up dancing for over six hours. So overall the night was a success!

We jumped on top of the picnic table and began dancing in the rain!

Today we moved in with our host families in Belize City. I am staying with a family of four women. There is a granny, mom, and two daughters age 14 and 2. The granny told me she chose me because she liked my smile. Awww! They are so nice and immediately welcomed me into their home. They said they are going to take me to Mexico on Saturday!

I can’t believe this is actually how I am spending my college semester. Granted we start classes tomorrow and I don’t know what I am going to do for my Independent Study Project. But I feel this semester is going to be challenging and, as the Belizeans say, “chillax” at the same time. This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime.