What an interesting Christmas it has been..sadly just like that it’s over..the Carpenters are no longer in my iTunes playlist and all the “Feliz Navidad” signs are packed away waiting for next year. SADDEST.

Anywho, over here in Guatemala My Mama, Dad, and Aunt Judith awoke at the painful hour of 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning and started on an adventure, along with the Kings (Bonnie and Preston) we caravanned our way with the Bawdens.

Drive to Coban
We hit a little traffic..
We made our way to a town called Coban, where we parked our Chrysler mini-van and checked out the markets. There were beautiful flowers, chickens, and all sorts of weird veggies for sale on the street. I bought some marackas (Stef get ready for the plane ride home) and quite enjoyed stretching my legs.

The next strech of driving was awful. Tumolos (aka huge bumps) were everywhere. Which meant frequent slamming of the brakes, going over a huge bump, then flooring the gas pedal. Repeat 356 times. PUKE. Luckily before the first tear of pure anger could fall from my eyeball we arrived at this beautiful lake that we had to take a ferry to cross.
It was nice to get out of the hell-wagon and enjoy the lake for a bit.

After making it across we ventured the rest of the way to Flores. The hotel was kinda creepy, but the view from the back deck was GORGEOUS. We went to dinner and then me and Judy fell asleep, I kid you not at 8:25 p.m.
The next morning we woke up and made our way to Tikal. The setting was beautiful..very rain forest cafe-ish. We started our tour and learned about the Mayan Civilization and culture. Me and Judy climbed on top of one of the pyramids…it was really cool. We spent around 5 hours there just wandering around.



On our way back to our hotel in Flores we stopped and got some Christmas Eve dinner at Pizza Hut 🙂 My family and the Kings read silent night out on the patio. It was really peaceful–especially because across the lake was a huge lit Star of David! wooot.
On Christmas morning we drove from Flores to Rio Dulce. The hotel there was A LOT nicer. We all got some breakfast and then I took a nice long Christmas nap. Ahhhh. When I woke up me, Judy and my mom got some lunch while my dad and the others traveled to Polochic. We relaxed, watched a movie and waited for my Dad to get back.

After dinner me and Judy used the hotel computers to connect for a few minutes and then we, now including my mother went and hung out at the hotel bar and got a christmas drink. My drink tasted like ocean water with lime..I loved it. It was a margarita minus the tequila + soda water. Hmm. It was an interesting Christmas..but I am glad that I got to spend it with my parents and Judy.

The next morning we got to sleep in (till 8!) and around 8:45 we all boarded a boat and made our way to this little town on the Caribbean coast called Livingstone. The ride there was beautiful, filled with lillypads, birds, tree covered mountains and fishermen in hand-made boats. Livingstone was humid, but rad. You could definetly sense the Caribbean vibe with all the bob marley merchandise. I got some goods including a Conch shell and dream catcher! When we started heading back towards the boat it started raining! The ride back to the hotel via boat was rough && scary! EK.

After arriving back to the hotel we checked out and started our way back home–and 5 hours later I was safe, sound, and on facebook.

I hope everyone had a good holiday,

Till next time

B

Soo since October–I finished my first semester of college…with a 2.0 average. WHATEVER. I became a CNA, and have since then signed up for pre-req nursing classes for the Spring semster. I welcomed my little nephew Smelliot into the family on Nov. 25, and have spent most of December hanging out with my family && friends. My mom came into town to see her new little grandbaby and I followed her back home. So here I am sitting in my parents Guatemalan apartment 12 stories above ground, listening to Coldplay. It’s beautiful here. Even though fights often arise because my Dad forgets I don’t understand ANY Spanish, I have really enjoyed my days in this foreign country so far.

Today I went up to this little town that has too many syllables to count with my parents and a few other Senior Missionary couples. We delivered hand-made blankets, passed out candy, had pinatas, played games, and left stockings filled with Christmas goodies. The kids that recieved these gifts are children who are sent to live in this short-term housing unit..the kids are brought back to health while the parents go to parenting classes. Most of the parents have little money and can barely keep themselves healthy let alone the kids they have–so this place helps those kids out.

I’ve witnessed many good acts of service provided for people of lesser fortune on TV(Oprah’s my hero, BFD). Butttt I must admit that I haven’t ever done any true service for another person. So that’s why it was really rewarding to see smiling faces on these kids that have a hard life but take every moment with gratitude. To see them when they recieved their little pink or blue blanket was a cool thing to witness forsure.

In light of the Christmas spirit it’s hard to see this side of the world, that holds so many struggling people. It was nice to help these kids out! They were so cute, even when they made WTF faces when i’d speak to them in English, HA. I am excited to see what other adventures I will go on while I am here. Guess i’ll just have to let you know…

Till then (unless I get straight up shot from some drug lord)

B

Preconception–An opinion or conception formed in advance of adequate knowledge or experience, especially a prejudice or bias.

Photo assignment #2: What subject matter(s) do you usually shoot? Now consider how to challenge the subject matter or how you would usually shoot the subject. OR, list then challenge some of the normal technical or visual technics to how you shoot? If you usually shoot to freeze movment, then try to show movement. If you always apply the rule of thirds to your compositions, then shoot subjects centered… etc. etc.

Photo assignment #2 example: Irving Penn shot this image of frozen fruit..

Is this typically how you would imagine what a photograph of frozen fruit would look like?

How about this picture of a women with lipstick on..

Now…what image comes to mind when someone asks you to imagine a photo of sponge cake?

I sure as hell hope it’s not this or else I will get a bad grade…

Comments and critiques welcome.

-B

Photo assignment #1: Take a series of photos showing the life of a balloon having the time of his..err..her life during the summa!

I had a few friends come over to my lovely apartment and I had them model for my assignment. Let me know what you think!!

P.S. yes I did put red grapes on incense sticks into martini glasses full of water…but I photo shopped a green olive in. Is anything real these days? Eh.

BIG WHOOP.

Stef&&Stripes!

MUAH!

Kate Feinstein evvvverybody!

Girls night.

Ashlyn&Stef

Ashlyn Buchi.

Laying Out

BABE.

Cos-Ho

Stef in her cutest fall dress ever!