4/8/21: The Only Thing We Have to Fear…

Last night, just after updating my blog, I went to use the bathroom connected to my room, and discovered two things: 1. There was no toilet paper (I discovered this a bit too late actually) and 2. The Biggest Spider I Have Ever Seen. Zoos and pet stores don’t count. It wasn’t like a tarantula, just a regular spider with a two-inch diameter, chilling in the corner, being huge. In that moment, I was ready to fly right back home.

In a way this was part of the plan. I knew from the beginning that the hardest part of this journey would not be the language barrier, or the homesickness, or the culture shock, but rather the sheer size of the bugs as you get near the equator. Nonetheless I was unprepared for this spider.

I brushed my teeth outside the bathroom and did an olympic-style, long-distance spit from the doorway to the sink, then went to bed around 9pm. In the morning, the curse of the monkey’s paw struck. I was briefly relived to find my bathroom spider-free, before realizing that now, the spider could be anywhere. Fear engulfs me. I will never again feel at peace.

Last night, when the Delmas Institute staff there was discussing whether my name was Adam or Adams, I also overheard someone say that they just learned the other teacher was named Sharon, not Cherry. Anyway, I met the other teacher, Cheryl at the Institute this morning when we had our 8am Spanish lessons. She is in her 70’s and has been teaching as a way to travel in her retirement. She doesn’t speak any Spanish, but she’s been here for two weeks already, so she was able to show me around a bit. The school seems pretty cool; it has a grapefruit tree and cats, which is everything I always felt my education was missing. Chibi the cat is my best friend now; he sat on my lap for most of our two-hour class.

After class, Cheryl helped me obtain pesos and we got a delicious breakfast for like $7. Then I bought some soap and slept all afternoon. In the evening, I went back out to buy dinner and ended up with about three times as much as I could eat, because I foolishly assumed that a $3 quesadilla wouldn’t be enough food. At least I have breakfast now.