Extra: Living in Yalambojoch

So, finally, I remembered to make this update. I'm pretty sure I didn't yet write about how I'm living here, except for mentioning a few things every now and then. So I'd like to spend some time doing so.

First off, I'm living in the centre of education, which is on top of a big hill from where you can see the whole village. Ages ago here used to be some Mayan ruins, but they were destroyed because the military figured this would be a good spot to put up a bunker; simply bulldozed the whole thing Anyhow, it now looks more or less like one of those Japanese or Chinese places of study in the mountains – dojos surrounding an open area with a garden in the middle, and with red roofs and stone walls. Really, really pretty, which I believe is greatly thanks to Per's bricklaying skills (if you ask me he's a true architect, although an uneducated one).

I have a room in one of the visitor's houses, which has eight beds in total but only three in use at the moment. That doesn't mean it's very big, however. We have a small kitchen and a dining room which we share, with a gas-stove and oven. Mostly we have running water which we can use for washing dishes, and also for drinking if we boil it first (it's drinkable otherwise, but a little risky for your stomach). The water system is quite fascinating, as it requires no pumps whatsoever but runs on the elevation of the water thanks to the mountains (at least what I understood) – and the sewer system designed by, guess who, Per, filters the water when it flows downwards.

The bathroom is unfortunately outside the house itself, so we have to first get the key and walk down some stairs before we get to it. And inside there, well... Toilets without water, and reeaaally cold showers. Although I've been told they are even colder during winter.

So, what do I do here? I go to bed as early as possible, around eight if I can, and get up around six or half past six depending on how much time I need. Then I eat my breakfast, brush my teeth, and go to work. Between Monday and Thursday that means going to the teacher's room before having a music class, otherwise I'm having my computer classes during the weekends. And after that, well, I do random stuff. Either I do my duty and wash dishes and clothes, or I might get lazy and play games on my computer, or I might socialize with some people if there are any around. During weekends I'm mostly so very exhausted after more than five hours of computers class though, so I tend to mostly lie in bed in between cooking and buying ingredients in the nearby shops.

Speaking of which! The shops here are great; open every day, and just a two minute walk or so from the centre. Unfortunately they don't have much, but that makes it an even bigger surprise when you finally get to find some specific fruit or vegetables, for example potatoes or bananas. Oh, and there's no queue, you just go up to the shop, look around a little, and tell them what you want and they'll pack it into a little plastic bag for you. Sometimes their mathematical skills are a bit slow, but it's not like anyone's ever in a hurry here anyway.

That's pretty much all I can think of right now of my life here in Yalambojoch. Quite chill, and very non-European. Great for escaping big cities like home.

Nighty!