Happy New Year!

¡Feliz año nuevo a todos! Espero que hayan fijado metas buenas :)

This was a busy, good week here in what I'm sure was one of my final weeks in Marcasa. Changes are next week and President tells me I'm out of here. Kind of sad...but ready at the same time. Especially after what happened on Wednesday night. I was in the back room putting away clothes when I heard scuttling in my suitcase. Hna. Bloomfield and I both grabbed brooms and took a good whack at it and out jumped the biggest, fattest ROUS I've ever seen. It ran over HB's foot and I can tell you that much screaming/wild broom whacking ensued. I didn't think I was the type of woman that screamed at rats but there's just something about having it jump out at you that takes you off guard. HB told methat to check and make sure there weren't any more in my suitcase, so I reluctantly whackedit a couple of more times. Out jumped slightly smaller those equally fat MRS. Rat, who scurried about the room for a minute before our piercing screams forced her to flee. (Really, I'm quite surprised the neighbors didn't stop' by to see if someone had been trying to kill us--they might have been consoled by the hysterical laughter that followed the piercing screams, I guess). We decided we couldn't sleep until we'd poked and prodded every little nook and cranny with our brooms that night. We didn't find anymore, thank goodness. However last night I found an oldpiece of ham on my suitcase and HB assures me she was NOT eating in the back room...perhaps it was a peace offering. Anyway, I'm looking forward to a new apartment!

We spent New Years at home ofcourse but not before one of our members loaded us up with delicious ham, pineapple, apples, grapes, bread and sparkling cider. We couldn´thave slept at midnight even if we wanted to because the fireworks outdid the ones from Christmas. Panamanians just love noise.

So it's now 2011 and I'll be seeing you all pretty soon---maybe too soon. (Don't get mewrong--I love you.)

Happy New Year!
love,
HnaBrewster