Internet decided it would work for me today. So here is a photo dump.

This is my front yard, only gated one of the lot. It's nice we've got some plants I've never seen before, birds love our yard and their chirping is the most unique thing I've heard in awhile. I feel like in some weird alternate world when I walk outside.

That is the gate on the other side of our compound. There is a guard there 24/7. Safety is always a concerned in Ciudad Ojeda but we're taken care of in a lot of ways. I rarely feel unsafe. Things do happen though.

Front of our house, I'll put up pictures of the inside later. It is a giant house for two people. I have a closet that would make some people cry, it's absolutely huge and I do not use it like it should be used.

That's the rest of the compound, most of the houses are teachers. There are around three that aren't. I usually run around this in the morning with Godiva. I don't usually go that far, once I get into a routine I'll be able to put in the mileage.

This is Godiva, the sweetest dog I've met in awhile. I know the picture makes it look like her eye is all sorts of messed up, that isn't the case, I am just giving her the deepest scratch behind the ears. She gets a long well with the turtles.

Smalls.

Smalls again.

Biggie. ... actually this might be smalls again, Biggie is hard to find, and is afraid of everything.

Beer is okay, it comes in smaller containers, and is as close to water as I can get without being in a canoe but you can't complain. They have a weird system here where you bring back the empty beer bottles to buy more beer. I don't understand what they do with the bottles... and a part of me just feels like they fill them without cleaning them but its the only recycling that I've found. Til sunday!

I never said I was an animal person, but sometimes a dog needs a home.

As cliche as it is to say, I am a stranger in a strange and different land. I woke up my first night in a panic because I heard some weird sounds and didn't realize until the morning that there are many birds outside my window and their song is different than those back home. 

Sorry this week was supposed to be pictures but again my phone refuses to work. I can't even use wifi, so hopefully I will use the schools internet and be able to send what I have. This is the best I can do.

This big guy is Biggie, and there is a much smaller one named Smalls. We also are taking care of the sweetest dog named Godiva. We are the animal house apparently. The fact of the matter is our house is the only one in our small compound (which I swear I will have pictures of once my phone starts working) that has a fence. These turtles are the land lords, and they are pretty relaxed and the dog was abandoned last year by previous teachers. I don't view myself as responsible enough for a dog, but I couldn't say no to this. Who abandons a dog? So she waits outside the front door every morning and I wake up early to jog her around the compound. It's a good relationship so far.

It rains in flash flood style for 15 minutes at a time here, it does not cool this place down, it just causes more humidity. Everyone says though, rain causes spiders to show up. I have not seen a single spider yet but damn it I am making my rounds everyday. It is my mission to not live in fear, and to rid myself of any and all spiders and scorpions I come across by whatever means necessary. The first one will be an example to the rest.

I haven't really had a lot of time to worry about it though since tomorrow is the start of school and I am definitely anxious, first days always get me. I don't feel nearly as prepared but we'll roll the dice and see how this goes. I have one class of 4 students which is incredible and my largest class is 12. This year is going to be completely different. Sorry to cut this short but I procrastinated on this post because of prepping for classes. Hopefully I can post up pictures tomorrow and tell you a little more about life in Ojeda.

Venezuela where the rules are made up and the points don't matter.

I am here. I have survived. I am unpacked, and working on the settle.

There is a lot that I want to say about Venezuela but it may take many pages and many posts. I will start here with: Venezuela is a beautiful country of beautiful people. I have met many great and extremely kind and humble venezuelans who have gone out of their way to make me feel more at home. On the other hand this place is basically the wild west. There are no rules here. Things are in flux, constantly. When you think something is concrete it changes. I know this sounds vague but it applies to every situation. Like oh, there's a stop light... it's red... does anyone stop? No. Oh wait there are exceptions to this? Yup. Are they arbitrary? Oh dear lord yes. And no turn signals, ever, that just is the same as putting up a sign that says "I am a foreigner."

Another example, go out to eat. Can we have x, y, and z? Waiter: We don't have z. Oh man well we'll just have X and Y. Waiter: We have z. Okaaaaaaaay we'll have z as well.

There are no concrete rules here, everything is just whatever you make of it. Is it illegal to drive drunk? Yes. Does it happen... almost all the time here? Yes, yes indubitably.

Part of this is due to one of Venezuela's most charming characteristics. This country is definitely a community, and they look out for their own. In the town I am in, Ciudad Ojeda, everyone knows everyone. Pull a u-turn on a major road? Don't worry, I'm friends with the police chief, we go back. Oh man, food shortages keep me from getting food I like. Don't worry I know the owner of a super market, he always holds some stuff for me.

It's just kind of chaos though. The weirdest thing is that this is all starting to grow on me. The flux of everything, the always changing landscape that is this society can be charming. When you look into this hectic lifestyle there are some amazing people and amazing things.

Since I haven't gotten my phone activated yet I really haven't taken many pictures but I will this week hopefully and post them up. Sorry for lack of pictures. I am hoping to do a post a week, every sunday, so that it doesn't take up too much time from adventuring and teaching. Pictures of turtles, home, and classroom next week.