Over and Out

I moved out of Fort Wayne today.

By and far the best good-bye gift I received:
A life size 7ft cardboard cutout of Sarah Jessica Parker from Sofia.

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She will be my first and only friend in New Orleans and will hang out with me in my living room at night or while I am brushing my teeth in the morning. We had a long talk on my way to Indy about how much things are about to change for us.

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About New Orleans. I have gotten into this awful habit of checking all the crime alerts on campus by the hour. It has been integrated into my daily routine: check e-mail, check facebook, check crime alerts. Statistically, I’m sure to get shot, mugged, carjacked or burglarized within the first ten minutes.

People have encouraged me to take a self-defense class. The thing is, self-defense classes are in the recreation center, which is far away, which means I’ll have to drive. I am most concerned about getting from cars to buildings and back into cars. I will be doing it as little as possible, and most often with hand-held shrubbery to disguise me as I scurry between buildings. This makes something as dangerous as a self-defense class more risky than helpful since it will involve a parking lot and all. I mean, how would I get from my car to the building, or from the building to my car? Especially if the class is after 6pm or something?

A person has to think about these things.

Also, the fact that there is no Taco Bell in the city. My diet consists of mostly fast food and $3 champagne. While local fried food is available, I am worried about the effect this lack of Taco Bell will have on my body. Don’t even get me started on the prospect of having to introduce fruits and vegetables at some point. I don’t want to overwhelm myself.

Happenings of note.

I had to drink Sprite out of a bowl this week because there were no other dishes.

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Saturday we had birthday mimosas at Spyros—our favorite breakfast joint. BYOCAOJ- Bring your own champagne and orange juice. Classy.

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Favorite goodbye party moments of yore:

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The box of sweaters in the closet that let me know I was definitely home at my dad’s

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Goodbyes & The OC

Previously on the Brooke-C (my own real life version of the OC):

  • San Marcos school threw a good-bye party.
  • I received 26 key chains, 2 t-shirts, 4 snow globes and a porcelain dolphin.
  • We ate huge, overflowing plates of coconut rice & beans, chicken, tortillas and coleslaw- the staple Belizean meal.
  • We played volleyball all afternoon, teachers & parents vs. students
  • It was perfect
The dish-washing/kitchen cleaning committee:

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(She ran out of chips, plus she couldn’t play with the 409)

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The serving committee

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The eating committee

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“So, how do you feel about our government’s export of local wheat for ethanol production in the States?”

“Well, personally I think its a misappropriation of our local resources and puts us at a disadvantage.”

The surprise good-bye assembly

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My entire heart was in this school. It was a hard good-bye, though the porcelain dolphin and alligator snow globe made things easier.

In the meantime, after only one episode on a random Thursday last week, I came home to find the entire family addicted to The OC.

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When I went to sleep, Inez was watching. When I woke up, she was watching, when I left for school, she was watching. Then one day, Ricardo started watching, and then Bryon and Richard. I became sort of concerned when I walked into the kitchen one night to find the whole family, plus Mr. & Mrs. Cabb, deeply engrossed in whether or not Ryan and Marissa would end up together. I tried to pull the plug. There was a mild panic when the electricity went out for a few hours and Season 2 disc 6 was stuck in the DVD player…

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I love this family.

One Month Party!

I am in love with Marcos.

San Marcos, that is. The school. (Despite the doctor’s best efforts to get me to come “rest” in his hammock after I’d been in the hospital all day; despite Antonia’s cousin offering to give me a “special tour” of the Pine Ridge– I am in love with a school, not a Belizean.)

I love the drive to San Marcos in the morning, I love the three classes of students making up 8 grades- Infant 1 through Standard 6, I love the Mennonite ice cream. Its what I envisioned when I imagined myself in Belize…

But alas. On Friday Santa Familia school threw me a one month party to say goodbye, pinata and all! The picture sequence is below:

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Each class also read poems, made signs and did skits to show me what they learned. Here are some favorite signs, as they appear:

  • Thanks miss Bruck for coming in our class and teach us a bout drung effect.
  • Thanks Miss Brooke for your precious time that you offered us
  • Thanks you brook for the things you teach us about drougs and the things you give us.
  • Thanks you Brooke for being here with us and showing your love and affection to us. Have a safe trip.
  • For my friend Brooke. Thank you for coming and teach us good lesson about druges. I hope you come again. It was a plesur to have you her. good biy.
  • Miss bruck, happy birthday.
  • Thank you Brooke for everything. I learn many things about drugs effect. The picture that you showed me were very interesting.
  • Thank you brooke for teaching us about good things that we did no.
  • Thanks you miss brooke for being good with us. I will never forget you. Thanks you for teaching us a good lesson.
  • Thanks you Brooke becuawse you came to teach us in our classe and thanks you for telling us about smoking and good biy friend.
  • Thank Miss Brooke. For teaching us and helping us. Thank you for the thing. And God will tak cyar of you. Thanks Miss Brooke.

Here are some pics of the party:

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And the gifts

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Inez running to get the laundry before the rain (I just thought it was funny)

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And the rainbow after the storm

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Some pics of my day at the caves with Ms. Elda (the Standard IV teacher) and her family:

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And the zoo.

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Sorry for the sloppiness and disorganization. I have limited internet access and I’m borrowing David’s computer. I am receiving all your emails and they are most encouraging even if I can’t respond– please don’t stop! I am feeling much better, and finished my last round of meds yesterday. Love and Miss you!!