When Work and Play Collide

Not that I'm one to condone mindless stereotypes, but Mexicans sure know how to party!

Back of the Yards had a street festival this weekend- closed down the main drag and set up booths with food and games and info and music and drinks public service stuff. The streets were packed all day and into the night both Saturday and Sunday- and I got to work it.

HOPE Program had a booth and we did a lot of community outreach- giving out information on preventing HIV/AIDS and free condoms. We were set up right between the music and the alcohol, and we made a lot of young men happy with their free goodie bags, and a lot of those young men then offered to make us happy (offering drinks, asking us out), but it was all a one-way street, metaphorically speaking. Their happiness and safety was important, not our drunkeness or social engagements.

But man was it a blast! They had Marimba and folkloric dancing and music with full costumes. They had a pretty famous Mexican band, and a heavy metal sort of punk-ish band for the kiddies. I had some great food, and I drank cantaloupe juice and watermelon juice, and I bought some books because I'm a book junkie, and I worked really hard out in the sun and was so friggin tired when I got home both nights.

So I took this morning off. Would've taken the whole day off, but I needed to get some stuff done for the theatre program, and it really can't be put off any longer. Starts next week. I'm so excited.

I'll take Wednesday morning off too. That'll add up to a full day, so it counts. I don't get to take Tuesday off as usual because I'm on the scholarship committee at Holy Cross, and I"m interviewing scholarship applicants Tuesday and Thursday. I thought I was also going to wind up in a workshop this weekend, but that was postponed, so a full day off (all in one go) is slated to happen soon. Yay!

And the Claretians have a new Provincial for this province. Fr. Eddie de Leon. Cool guy. I like him a lot. But all the priests and brothers and novitiates and everyone was in town and we had a big banquet on Thursday to welcome 'the new guy'. I met Br. Tom, who is serving down in Jamaica, and got to be friends with him, and saw Fr. Steve again, who was at Holy Cross when I first got here, but was soon reassigned to Jamaica. It was great talking to them and hearing about all the things they are doing and want to do. I guess it's not completely certain, but Michael and I are planning to go to Jamaica with the Claretians after our time is up here.

Anyway, I"m going to graffiti some sidewalks with Theatre Workshop propaganda in a minute, so I'll catch you guys later.

peace out yo
kati