Overflowing praise.

Oh my Goodness, if you could imagine the laughter! Anyone who knows me well -- or even who simply knows me -- knows how much of a giggle box I can be! Sometimes, each of us in life are utterly thrown into "giggle fits," where laughter cannot be contained much less a smile withheld.

This perfectly describes last night's dinner scenario. Conversation has thankfully been flowing (if I can be so generous) at our house in recent days. We were chatting away, or making our best attempts, last night while we ate. Kymberlee and I were expecting a meager meal because she was supposed to go to Bible study and not eat at home, but that got cancelled. We hoped our meal for one would be split into two; however, the meal we had could have easily fed three people! Oh, comida Dominicana. I'll describe the food in a minute because let me just say that it was my absolute favorite yet! That had to have been also attributed to the fact that I actually enjoyed everything sitting before me on my plate, (and you probably know I eat almost everything!)

Okay, so we're chatting and practicing our Spanish. Maria goes back and forth to the kitchen while we're eating, and that's the time for Kymberlee and I to whisper or talk about the food. I was muy llena (SO full), so she took my yuca. I was so thankful! Well, Maria steps back into the dining room, and we start to ask her about guanabana. It's a cactus-like fruit that makes the best frozen juice dessert or ice cream, but we think it's absolutely horrid by itself! I asked Maria something in Spanish about the fruit that was totally misunderstood. She takes it into the kitchen to cut it up so we can have it raw. Kymberlee looks at me with big eyes and says, "Maddie, did you mean to ask her to cut it up??" Of course I didn't, but I didn't have the heart, guts, correct wording to tell her that's not what I meant.

Things get better. She brings it to the table and splits it in half for us to eat. The texture is that of a large, spongelike banana with enormous watermelon seeds. I lost it, and the giggling began. You see, I think it absolutely tastes like a mix of soap and bananas too -- can you imagine the combo? Kymberlee gives me the eye and mutters under her breath, "I ate your dinner..." I really couldn't stop laughing. Maria and her granddaughter, Mariela, join in with us -- having no idea what we're laughing about, or that we're really laughing about all the miscommunication! And so it continues. I try to ask Maria if birds eat the fruit seeds, of guanabana or anything, and then she starts to tell me how to juice a guanabana -- pulpa, pulpa. Kymberlee has to let me know again what she is actually telling me. Laughter is harder and harder to contain. (I'm smiling so big writing this; even if you were not there to experience it, I have not laughed so hard in awhile.)

So, I try to reexplain to Maria my question about the seeds. Then she interprets my Spanish, which I thought was extremely clear, into me asking if I can have different fruits to try each day. My laughter is almost out of control at this point, and it is hard for me to tell her that is not at all what I meant. Kymberlee is harping in from behind Maria -- "no, no." I try to reexplain yet again, flapping my wings like a madwoman talking about animales en el cielo referring to birds. She begins explaining different types of fruits...mangoes, melons. Then she starts impersonating another type of animal and somehow leads into talking about someone or something "fumar," or smoking. The hilarity stopped there, when I waved my hands crossing back and forth in front my chest to let her know I could obviously not convey my original questions, and to let her know that they were simply not important.

I hope you got some laughter out of that crazy, detailed explanation so you could appreciate the hilarity of all along with me.

Food-
Okay, so dinner was an amazing mix of eggs and onions, bell peppers (aji). There were enormous yuca halves surrounding the plate that tasted scrumptiously like buttery potatoes with a bit heavier flavor. We had juice that I believed to be papaya, and of course she placed a bowl of rice and pasta on the table too. We couldn't eat the rice and pasta and instead took it to school for lunch today. You better believe I ate every bit of my plate though!

After Dinner-
Kymberlee and I rushed down the street to meet friends for hang time after dinner, while they ate at Colombiano's. While we were apparently speed-walking (very un-Dominican-like) down the street, Daniel -- a hilarious staffer from school, pulled over on his moto and let us hop on. He spun around and literally sped a few blocks down to the restaurant to drop us off. While they ate, we laughed and exchanged stories of the day and our families. Eric gave us a ride back, with a three person-moto being the means of transport for the night.

Okay, I have so much more to write but have to head home now. I'm heading back this way soon for a movie night in the school's amphitheatre; students are raising money for Haiti, and the older kids are going to watch "Walking on Water," while the younger kids watch "The Jungle Book" in the library. I'm eating for the first time at Colombiano's, although I've sat there once and pass by it every day. I can't wait to try Kymberlee's favorite, a cuchulpa (spelling?) and tostanos, or twice-fried plaintain chips.

Until tomorrow, or soon enough friends. All my love! May Christ bless you and shine upon you, may you come to know him better with each waking moment. If you don't know Him, I pray you see Him so clearly in others. Simmer on that for now.