¿Que día es?

I am pretty sure its Wednesday, but I have already lost all sense of time as far as days go. Each individual day is pretty structured, so I know what time it is (and I have a watch). Its actually pretty easy to tell time just by looking at the sun, which rises around 550 and sets around 530 every day. At the beginning of March the sun will rise at 558 am for 17 consecutive days, which is the latest the sun ever comes up here.

I havent done a whole lot since yesterday, but I did find out some interesting, exciting news! The biggest party in Costa Rica starts tomorrow in a town called Palmares, and goes on for two weeks IN A ROW. The other huge party week that is supposed to happen in December in San Jose was cancelled by the major, so all of the Ticos are going to use the money they have saved to go to Palmares.

200,000 people are expected to be there tomorrow morning for the opening festivities, which include a carnival, 2300 caballeros (guys on horses), and apparently dozens of free beer trucks full of Imperial. The brother of one of my neighbors told me that what happens in Palmares stays in Palmares. Sounds like Vegas plus Carnival...

I learned that if you get a DUI here they seize your car, put you in jail for two weeks, suspend you license for 10 years, and fine you 1500 dollars, which to a Tico is like two months of salary or more. You cant drive and talk on a cell phone, and they have a seatbelt law, apparently, that nobody follows. I know you can pay off cops with about 5000 colones if youre getting hastled, which is about 10 bucks or so.

Apparently between 60 to 80 percent of Ticos are allergic to the volcanic ash and dust that frequents the air here in the Central Valley, and are also sensitive to "drastic" temperature changes, which isnt even noticable to a kid who grew up in Spokane.

Tonight I might go out to a club electronica with my hermano Jose called LIVING, because he is a VIP member and if he brings me we get free drinks from 900 to midnight. Sounds tempting. Other than that, I have to go to the grocery store because my family doesnt have any snacky foods at the house!

But I saved the best story for last. Last night I noticed there were a ton of these really, really tiny ants on my nightstand. Think smaller than a tiny fruit fly. They were following a line from the wall to my retainer (which was in its case) on the nightstand. Yeah. I opened it and about 15 ants were feasting on the various crevices of my retainer. Filled with little ants. Just earlier that day my mamá was saying the house has to be kept really clean or the bugs will find anything that is food or has a smell. Gross, huh? Now Im going to keep it in a zip-lock bag.