Weirdness of the Week (the second episode in one week!)

1.  Tonight on my way home, I saw 9 young boys (around 6-10 years old) pushing a car up the hill.  I assume an adult was driving, but one really can't be sure.  They were all shrieking and laughing.  It was quite a sight. 

2.  Remember how I said that there is a dentist in every neighborhood and compared it to how there's a Starbucks on every corner in the US?  Well, I noticed - today- that it was even crazier than I thought.  The dentist's office 50 meters from my house, literally... I'm not even joking... has another dentist's office across the street from it.  I once heard a comedy routine joking about there being a "Starbucks across from a Starbucks" and how only people with amnesia could make that work.  "You walk out of the Starbucks, see the other Starbucks, and think... gosh, I really need a cup of coffee."  I'm just kidding about that being the case with dentist's offices.... but it is kind of a funny correlation.

3.  My face is broken out with pimples right now.  Usually, I think everyone is judging it but not saying anything.... here, one doesn't have to worry.  Everyone who is judging it says so.  "You really should take care of that stuff on your face" or the best one (one of my 8 year old students) "What are those white things on your face?"  At least this takes the "imaginary audience" complex out of it.  Here, I know what people are thinking and I'm ok with that - there's a sort of peace in knowing.... most of the time.  It's like the time the girl at the ice cream shop told me I was getting fat and that she wasn't going to sell me more ice cream :[  haha.  She was incorrect, by the way - but I didn't go to her shop for a while.  That's an interesting way to up-sell customers. 

4.  I realized that I actually choose my route through town based on which sidewalks I like best.  Some are very treacherous and their every meter needs to be committed to memory.   One has to look down as he or she walks.  One distraction... looking up.... could lead to falling off a 3 foot sidewalk cliff into the precipice that is a  gutter.  Or, even more probable.... falling into the random canal that cuts straight across the sidewalk (I speak from experience on this one - luckily I stepped straight into it and was fine).  The topography of the sidewalks include canals, random gaping holes, uneven layers, moss covered slip and slides, and a multitude of different types of dog poop.  Navigating these is an art form.  I don't know how Ticas do it.... and in heels!