Okay, I miss it a lot. We had a painting activity with the students, which was fun. I'm always impressed with how creative they can be. This was the second session that we've done painting. Last time, we gathered in a circle outside under the trees, next to the stone table where it is rumored Chiang Kai-Shek once played chess. This time, the stifling heat kept us inside the lobby, under the icy gusts of the air conditioning.
I painted this picture of Antigua, just an impression from memory. I wasn't looking at a photo, but I think it captured the feel of it. My coworker, who painted a very zen rendition of his kayak bow cutting through the river, remarked"so I painted what I miss and you painted what you miss".
It's true, I do miss Guatemala. I miss it a little everyday. I won't go on and on about the list of things (ahem: the fresh baked tortillas, the pure blue skies, the colors, Mayan women selling flowers in the market, Blue pacing in the garden of our apartment, micheladas, crumbling cathedrals, the volcanoes rising above the town), but I will say it's an easy place to miss. Everything - the language, the culture, the slow pace of life - is so different than big, busy Shanghai.
I guess I shouldn't mourn the end of one era...after all, someday I'll think nostalgically about Shanghai as well. I suppose I should just be grateful that I've had the opportunity to experience them both.
