Day Quince

I have to apologize, I have no photos from this day. I'm ashamed. I wish someone had taken some, it was just a very busy, stressful day. It is a crazy adventure, so please read!  

Thursday: The last day to film, the last day to edit, and by far the craziest day we have experienced so far.

I hate reminding everyone this, but it's important to the day, so I wanted to say I barely slept the night before because of my stomach. I was still sick. I woke up in the morning and felt completely awful. I couldn't stomach anything and as the morning progressed I was in complete pain. Esme and Melissa told me a trick that helps their stomachs: boiling rice and drinking the rice water. So they asked Chuy if she could make this and she did for me.

Esme and Sarah started the day talking to the kids to motivate them while I sat there doing anything I could to help; which was designing some things that Melissa would make for the kids. When it was time to start filming, Oscar and I had our work cut out for us. We were to film the ending, refilm some of the middle parts, reshoot a few of the green screened shots, and have all the kids' parts organized so we could write out the credits. Not only did we have a lot of work to do with the kids, but we also needed to work with Mauricio's friend who was the musician and record and let him know the kind of music both movies needed.

So as we started to film the ending of the movie, our cameramen decided they didn't really feel like working. We convinced them to stick around and shoot a few things, other times, Oscar took the camera and did a few shots. However, as I sat to the side going over the shots we needed to do, Oscar was doing some of the shooting, most of the direction, communicating with the actors, and still making sure I was alive. It was ridiculously stressful as kids would walk in on the scene, or not feel like working. We understood that it was the last day and everyone was just ready to be done, but we needed to get through today. We got to the ending just as our ghost decided he didn't want to be our ghost anymore. So we quickly recast someone from Esme and Sarah's group. Then we had to reshoot all of the other ghost scenes with the new actor, which took up more time.

Chuy later made some herbal tea for me. She had told us around the first day that she knew about herbs and natural cures. It was amazing to see her figure out the problem and procure a solution to my stomach. Although I didn't eat lunch, the pain stopped, so I was somewhat happy. Around three we finished filming everything. Exhausted, but so proud we dismissed the kids and told them to get ready for the big debut of their videos tomorrow. We had so much to do and on top of everything else everyone at Ceracaly wanted to throw us one last hurah. So we had to plan food, a time for the party, people to invite, as well as finish the movies tonight.

I knew we had a lot to do and I also knew we'd be up most of the night so I went to catch an hour nap before the craziness began. When I woke up I found Oscar and we started working on our video. Sarah was working on hers, Esme went back and forth between helping Sarah and Melissa.

We worked for a few hours as people started to head over to the party. Around 9 we decided to pack up our things and head over. The drive was about a mile down the road to the place where we swam in the natural springs and as we slowly drove down that dirt road, insane lightning lit up the sky. It was highlighting the dark night in every direction and we were in the perfect place to watch. When we arrived, we greeted everyone that we had come to know and love during those two weeks. It reminded me of those movies where the main character meets everyone they had met throughout their journey. There were also new people, friends of Mauricios there to help celebrate. Food was being cooked on this MASSIVE grill, beers were given out, and everyone laughed and talked with one another.

The storms prevented us from having a pool party when we arrived, but after a little while, the water was turned on and they set to filling the great tub up with water. I believe they got it a third of the way full, and had some people swimming in it before the water was turned off due to the storm. It was a shame we couldn't stay and swim, but we were all also aware of all the things we needed to do for the films. Dinner was incredible grilled meat with guacamole, and cheese. At this point, I was running low on energy from lack of food, and it was the last night there, so I sort of just ate and enjoyed it. I'm so glad I did, because the memory still makes my mouth water. It wasn't long after eating that I wanted to get back to editing. I thought since I wasn't drinking and I was done eating, I might as well start while the others enjoy themselves. I set up in the dining room and Sarah joined me soon after. She was working on some cool effects for her movie  and needed Oscar to help her. So I set to color correcting the entire film, working on audio levels, and working on completing the story.

We worked like that for a few hours, looking up every once in a while at the party, smiling and laughing at everyone having a good time. Some people thought we were working too hard, Julio brought us some grapes to snack on and told us to come back to the party. The house was open, so it's not as if we were isolated from the party, just in the next room. I made sure to throw limes to the dogs and enjoy their company as well.

Around 1 I knew I didn't have a lot left to do without the help of Oscar or the internet, I wanted to work on the title page and browse some typefaces, and Oscar still had work to do with aftereffects. So I decided to pack it up and go back to Ceracaly to use the internet. Now for those of you who have never worked with video, you don't know how long it takes to pack everything up. We have to save files, safely eject the hard drive, wrap cords, unplug from outlets, close down computers, pack them into bags...the works. Not to mention we had to say goodbye and express our gratitude to everyone who came.

It was around 1:45 when we got back to Ceracaly. We got inside only to realize that the electricity was out once again. It was extremely frustrating and a little ironic that we started and ended this trip with the power out. We huddled into the kitchen to talk about our options. I could work on the computer for a little while but the battery in my mac was funky and it would be no time at all before it just died. Then someone got the generator up and running! So we set up shop just off the kitchen, unpacking everything, and plugging things into the generator. The room was lit by candlelight and we set to work. If you've never worked off a generator, let me tell you, it's loud, it smells like gas (because that's what it runs off of), and it's a little hard to work on audio stuff when it's blaring in your ears.

Either way, twenty minutes later the generator shut off. There wasn't enough gas in the tank to keep going. So we started packing up again and discussing our options. Sarah and I decided to go back to the place where the party was and check to see if there was electricity. We were pretty sure there was because it didn't go off when we were there for the party. So everyone went up to our room and we started packing overnight things. I knew I wanted warmer clothes, maybe a blanket to nap while the video rendered, etc. We went into the car, drove the mile down the road and saw the house lit up with lights. We went up to the door, with Mauricio close by and stood in the pouring rain as we knocked. The guy who hosted the party had had a little too much fun and was most likely sleeping it off. So we banged on the window, called his name, I even did my terribly loud whistle. We waited to see if anything would happen. After standing in the rain for 15 minutes, we gave up and drove back to Ceracaly. At this point we didn't know what to do. The men of the group, after much discussion, decided they were going to try and siphon gas out of the gas tank to put into the generator. I think everyone tried, but for some stubborn reason, no one could get it to work.

So here we are, it is 5 in the morning, we have no power to work on our movies, a massive amount of work ahead of us, and we were all extremely exhausted. I don't know who finally came to the conclusion, but no one argued with them. It was decided we would sleep for two hours and at 7 someone would drive to the gas station to get some fuel for the generator.

I collapsed in my bed, I'm pretty sure I was fully clothed and passed out for the few hours we were allowed. Such is the life of a filmmaker.

Day Catorce

Today was a busy day and I was actually able to eat a little. We jumped right into work, Sarah and Esme actually took some of the kids who always arrive early and reshot some scenes while Oscar and I waited for our whole team to arrive. The kids started doing makeup again and as soon as we could wrangle them all up we started shooting for the day.

Now, it was mentioned that the other team had most of the older kids in it. They were amazing at their jobs and worked really well with one another. One of the challenges we had was in storyboarding our piece. It was really well drawn but there seemed to be some parts missing. So Oscar and I had sat down the night before trying to fix some of the problems. It worked out in the end but it also gave us more work to do.

The scenes we were shooting today were some murders and the green screening of the ghost. For that we brought out a blue table clothe and we took it outside in the brightest light we could find. We got a few kids (and myself) holding it taut against the wall as the ghost was filmed doing all sorts of things. (Later on in post-produciton Oscar would drop him into a scene that was already filmed using aftereffects.) This inspired me to take an aftereffects class this fall!

So the point of today was to get as much filming done as possible. The day involved sewing a head back on, helping the kids remember different camera angles, scratching dogs' ears, and filming, Filming, FILMING galore. It was at the end of this day with that kids that I was starting to see everyones capabilities for this project. Sarah and Esme worked with their group efficiently and confidently. They communicated with the kids well considering their spanish wasn't perfect. Their kids are really starting to get into their roles and the director is realizing that her job is more than just saying cut and action.

As for our group, I am continually in awe of Oscar. He's incredible at giving direction. The way he communicates is amazing because he knows what he's talking about but it's the way he talks with the kids and laughs with them that inspires me. Sometimes I feel useless because I can't speak and I'm still so new to all of this video stuff; but then Oscar gives me the reins and I make a few decisions. His confidence in my abilities moves me to be confident in myself. We continue working with one another and learning from everyone. I am still amazed at this experience. I'm writing this now, and it's been a month since we've been home and I am still enthralled.

After the kids left, we all had work to do. Melissa continues to do the paperwork each night, writing down our successes and stories for the day. The rest of us had editing to do. However, today we were to take a day trip to San Miguel de Allende. We were also supposed to meet with a member of FAI to discuss our experience working with their members.

Note: FAI is an organization that promotes sustainable development of water and natural resources focused on the active participation of those children. FAI and Akosia worked together to make this project a success.

We had to leave early to meet with the people from FAI. We got into the city around 4 and looked for a parking space. Oscar drove separately because he was taking Mauricio's friend in with him and there wasn't enough space in our little car. We decided to meet him somewhere in the town. While looking for a parking space, we pulled over to ask someone where we could park. Sarah rolled down her window, spoke the best spanish she could muster, AND... was pleasantly ignored. While we were laughing, a woman came out of a shop and told us that she owns apartments down the road and that we could park there. She then ran back into the store, grabbed her bags and then hopped into our car so she could show us (and she wouldn't have to walk back in the drizzle). This kind of thing happened to us where ever we went. We always randomly met people who somehow were able to fill our needs.

We walked around the town and found ourselves in this square. The square was filled with people, things being sold, and an interesting twist to a well known snack. There was a snack stand that was selling a bag of doritos, opened, with mayo, butter, corn, hot sauce all mixed in; it is eaten with a spoon then. It was such an odd mixture we spent a lot of time marveling at this concoction. We met with Oscar then who was with the two woman from FAI. After a quick cup of coffee we walked to the FAI offices and they basically asked us about the people at Ceracaly and any suggestions for the future. We talked about how accommodating everyone is. There wasn't really anything we could complain about.

We didn't stay there long, and afterwards we needed to find a place with internet so that we could start editing our videos, which was going to take a lot of time. We found a place that had a restaurant on the roof. So we walked upstairs, turned a corner, and saw the most amazing view. It literally might be the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. The one wall most mostly just glass, it looked down some mountains and on them was the city of San Miguel. To the right was a giant golden church; and to make it even more beautiful a storm was rolling in on the left of the scene as the twilight sky changed colors. I stared at it in awe as massive lightning bolts struck and I watched the rain downpour across the valley while the sky stayed dry above us. Everyone else was checking facebook, emailing, and Sarah had even started editing, but I just couldn't take my eyes off that scene.

Eventually I did get to work. I watched, still in amazement, as Oscar zigzagged around in AfterEffects trying out different things and creating the "ghost" in our movie. It was really amazing watching it transform and I was thankful to be able to watch someone who confidently navigated that program.

Much later the woman who let us park in her apartment area came to the restaurant we were at and introduced us to her husband and chatted with us for a while. They asked if we were staying in the town and offered us a room with them. We told them we were driving back, (I was driving and had passed on a drink). It's sort of funny but they kept pushing us to stay, they didn't think it was safe to drive at night. Of course we were perfectly fine and we had to go back to Ceracaly to teach the ninos in the morning.

We thanked them for their generosity and then made our way back. Everyone here seems anxious to drive at night, but we don't understand why. When we got back Oscar and I planned what we needed to shoot the next day and then we all went to bed.

Day Trece

Today we were back with the kids. It was a day we had planned to be full of filming, and since we were behind schedule from Friday we decided there should be no english lesson. Once everyone came, we split into the two groups and instructed everyone to finish storyboards, handing out roles, sorting out props, and location scouting. Things got really chaotic with people running to the bathroom, girls changing their outfits for the films, kids running around looking for places to film. It was nuts.

Around 11 everyone was mostly ready to shoot, and all of us coaches were very eager to start shooting because we know how long it really takes. Esme and I talked about working with both groups and basically having Sarah and I switch back and forth with Oscar and Esme so we would always be with someone who spoke Spanish really well. In the end, Oscar and I went with the group doing the horror movie. Once we got working with this group however it was really hard to switch to the other groups. We knew what things needed to be shot and we knew the story really well. Therefore Oscar and I became the producers of the terror movie and Sarah and Esme worked with the kids on the drama movie.

It took a little bit of time to get started shooting because we were working with a much younger age group. They had shorter attention spans and a lot of the young girls wanted to draw on the white boards or wander off. Eventually we set up a policy that if they weren't directly active with the movie scene, they were to go help Melissa with the signs and CD cover drawings.

The first day we actually got a lot of shooting done, as in 9 scenes. It was amazing doing the very first scene though. With the silent films, they kids pretty much shot each scene once. However, with these films, we did the first scene once. Then we did it again at a different angle. If something was off, we did it again. It the acting wasn't perfect we shot it again. I think the kids appreciated the amount of work that goes into filming that first day.

We finished with the kids on time and sent them home. We went to eat and I believe I went to go take a nap. I hadn't slept the night before. Today was the day we were supposed to go horseback riding. Unfortunately I talked to Fernando at lunch and he told Oscar and I that the only horses available were race horses, therefore we wouldn't be able to ride them.

Which ended up being a good thing because I was still sick.

There were some things that we needed from town, so the girls went out. I stayed in. Esme and Sarah's group needed a time lapse of the sunset and there was no guarantee I'd make it back in time so I stayed, set my camera on a chair overlooking the countryside and did a time lapse. I'm actually mad that I didn't do this sooner, or for more days. By the time we thought of it, I really only had one night to do it and sometimes it can be hard to guess what area is going to have the best lighting, clouds, colors, etc. It was such a beautiful 'moment,' the sunset. I'm glad I captured a piece of that night.

(Photos with myself in them were taken by Sarah Wann © 2012)

Post Script, I'll post the time lapse when I get a computer that can edit video, which should be soon!

Day Nueve

Today was one of the most beautiful days I've ever experienced, but first, the kids. The kids came at all different times in the morning, so we played games waiting for everyone to get there. The california boys were back as were all the new kids from yesterday so we had a ton of people today. While everyone went into their english lesson, Sarah and I set up for teaching the kids about the flip cameras, setting up the TV to watch short clips, and teaching them about storyboarding.

;

The kids came upstairs and we brought them together by playing a quick game that would allow them to practice their acting skills. It's called 'Wink Murder.' Basically a murderer is chosen at random and without anyone knowing. Then their job is to look around the circle and wink at people. If you've been winked at, you have to act out this dramatic death. The kids had some trouble with this game and most of them just knelt down on the floor when they were murdered. So Melissa was the murderer for the second round and she sort of let me know that she was so she could wink at me and I could demonstrate what a good murder was. So she winked at me, and I was strangled, and cried out, and fell to my knees just before completely keeling over. There were a lot of laughs, but people didn't really get anymore dramatic (and to top it off I had some pretty spectacular bruises blooming on my knees).

i wish that game would have worked more, I think we should have done more acting lessons with the kids. Other acting games were trying to keep a straight face while someone else was making you laugh. This one was really successful and I think a lot of the main actors were people who were good at this game.

;

;

;

Then Sarah, Oscar, and I talked about different kinds of shots, how it's important to do different angles, and try new things with the cameras. We showed them my demo reel that I had made last fall which demonstrates a ton of different things you can do with a camera.

;

;

Sarah then went through the specifics of wide, medium, and tight shots. After that we went over the specific camera buttons. I'm not sure if you've ever used a Flip, but they are the size of a point and shoot camera and they are VERY simple. Basically there is a small digital zoom (which should never really be used), a record button, a playback button, and a delete. Everything on it was super simple and it was really easy for the kids to pick them up and start recording.

We kept the technical stuff to a minimum before their eyes glazed over. I know the older ones took away more from this teaching than the younger ones but we also were ready to work hands on training with the Flips once they started filming their stories.

The kids had the task to split into groups and film one object at all different angles. This way everyone was able to hold and play with the camera and we could show them all the different types of shots and angles.

;

We were also able to show the kids storyboarding and a video made from my storyboard. In Syracuse, I worked as a group of three creating a super simple story. We had about two hours to storyboard, shoot, and edit these stories. Luckily I was working with two very talented women, one who was a great actress and the other who was a wizard at Final Cut 7. We storyboarded a story about a girl who has to use the bathroom and there wasn't one open on campus. We had a subject, a problem, and a solution. I drew out the storyboard and then we set to shooting it, thinking of different angles and different positions. We showed the kids the final product so they could see what it would become.

https://vimeo.com/30031503

;

Then it was everyones jobs to form 4 groups and write and storyboard a story and then shoot it. It was really chaotic, and it was even more difficult that I couldn't communicate with the kids. I ended up helping Melissa explain to a group that even though they wanted a truck in their video, it might be better to act one out. The other groups worked with Esme and Sarah and did really phenomenal jobs because they made them shoot it several times and get a bunch of angles so we had more to work with as editors.

Today was a really difficult day and we had more problems with the california boys, but it was still incredibly productive and we were all proud of them.

The girls wanted all of us to ride home with them so we did and Esme, Melissa, and Sarah got to see the beautiful countryside. About halfway there, we got stuck in this GIANT lodo (mud) puddle. We all jumped off and I took off my hoodie, shoes, and nice shirt, stepped barefoot in the mud and tried pushing it out. A few others joined in but it was super deep (something I found out when I took a step to my left and my entire leg went under. (Good thing I wasn't wearing my white shorts, oh wait). I also was the dog rescuer because one of the Ceracaly dogs had gone with us, gotten tired, and was in the truck. When we got stuck he was too scared to jump off. So I lifted him up and carried him off (and then back on when he was being too silly to get in the truck). After everyone got to the front of the truck and pushed, we finally got it out of the mud. Needless to say it was a very interesting afternoon, I ruined my white shorts, and we got the entire thing on video! So worth it! (screenshots from the videos)

Yes, we did do this on the way back home...

Later on after lunch and planning, we were invited to a friends house to swim. He lives about a mile down the road and was trying to explain he had these hot springs in his yard. Then he said he had a pool. So we changed into our swimming trunks and drove down there. It was this gorgeous place with an elaborate stone entrance and a massive empty pool. Fernando was just starting to fill the pool up with crystal clear bright blue water. It was gorgeous. After laying in the sun for a bit the pool was finally full. I dipped my toes in and it was the most glorious temperature of probably 100 degrees. It was like a massive bath tub which felt amazing seeing as the air has only been around 60 to 70 degrees. It was a glorious way to spend the evening, swimming in this Godly water, which was all natural, sipping refreshing tomato juice and spices, and hanging out with my amazing friends. (Pool photographs by Sarah Wann ©)

;

We went back a few hours later and drove around because we were locked out of Ceracaly. Esme and I watched the sun set over the mountains riding on the back of the truck and talking about our traveling. The rest of the night Oscar and I edited the silent films while everyone else did the work for tomorrow's lessons. It was such an intense day, but it was also one of the most beautiful ones I've ever experienced. I love seeing the beauty around me and one hundred percent appreciating it in it's entirety.

Day Cinco

Day Cinco We slept in a little bit today and went downstairs for breakfast of eggs and sausage with tomato salsa, and beans on the side. Everything Chuy has made us has been delicious. After breakfast we dove right into work and planning. We found games to play and tested them out. We planned schedules, correlated our notes, and I drew up some flashcards. I learned a ton of Spanish but I’m not sure what has actually stuck yet. After a while we stopped and had some lunch. It was soup, rice, and more beans. The food is healthy here despite the cheese and carbs. It’s like China’s cuisine, better in the country than its version in the states. We went right back to working on stuff and planning. There’s so much to think about when teaching kids.

At around 8 we left to visit a town and get some dinner. We drove to Pozzo, this town that was supposed to be filled with art and museums and a great view. When we got there it looked more like a ghost town. There was no one out, it was already dark out, and nothing looked like it was open. We drove around and through the town and finally Oscar hopped out of the car and asked someone if anywhere was open for food. They said it was Sunday, and pretty much everything was closed.

We chalked that up for experience, saying that perhaps Sundays are better nights to stay in. Still we forged ahead and drove into another city, San Luis de la Paz, that was 100 times more lively than the last. Everyone was out, there were stalls selling cakes and corn on the cob, and everyone stared at us like we had stepped out of a space shuttle.

So the girls bought some cake and we walked around, still looking for a place to sit and eat, while taking photos of this lively little town. It was getting later and later with no luck, so we stopped at the grocery store and picked up some food to take back to Ceracaly.

Day Seis

Today is a long day and I actually took a ton of photographs. So I decided I would split the two events even though they are from the same day.

We thought that Monday would be our first day with the kids, but Mauricio mentioned that Monday was a fiesta day. We spent the morning continuing with planning for the arrival of the kids tomorrow. Part of today was also communicating with the people of Ceracaly why we were there. Six weeks ago I skyped into London and talked to Esme, Melissa, and Sarah. We trained on dealing with people and different thoughts and feelings. We all talked about our fears, hopes, and times we were brave. As a thank you for trusting one another, we all received a bracelet to remind us how courageous we all can be.

We were supposed to do this training with them, and I will respect everyone by not mentioning what they talked about. I do want to say that I was the youngest person there; and I'm not saying I've had a good or bad life. My life is what it is, but talking to these people opened my eyes to others problems and priorities. It made me reanalyze the hardships that people go through and it made me realize how much shit people can deal with. Everyone will have something go wrong in their lives, but proof that someone is a good person is all about how someone deals with those hardships and overcomes them in the end. The best thing about this project was asking some questions and having the people say "no one has ever asked me that." It made them think about themselves and reflect everything they have accomplished.

I loved watching the emotions on their faces. This trip is awe-inspiring. I can't believe I get to work with these people and be a part of this project. I hope the people that take the time to read this realize the hardships others go through to get where they are. I hope you see that the things you go through aren't stronger than you.

*Note: I am still sorting through my photos. I know I took photos from Day Cinco, but I just haven't found mine yet.

Day Cuatro

I'm happy to say I survived the night. We all did. We woke up to the bright morning light, stepped out of our room to see birds flying around the corridors,  dogs barking, and good smells coming from the kitchen. Melissa had already tried out the shower this morning and gushed at how amazing it was despite the fact that it was outdoors and there really wasn't any privacy for changing after the shower. We decided to walk back to our rooms for changing then and there (I only had a few awkward moments of walking past strangers in my towel while living there). However, a shower this morning was going to have to wait until after breakfast for me. We came downstairs where Chuy was there (the woman from last night). She was cooking tortillas with ham and cheese in them, there was a massive bowl of cantaloup and papaya, there were hot sauces, and a hot water with lime juice and honey. Melissa was downing those like there was no tomorrow because her voice had gone missing from the night before. We had breakfast with the other guy who greeted us yesterday, Aender, a man named Manuel, and Gerry, who helps out around Ceracaly and brings his wife and adorable one year old daughter.

Everything was delicious and we stayed and "chatted" with everyone for a little while. I say "chatted" because I basically sat there and smiled while everyone around me spoke Spanish.

Just at the moment I was going to shower, it was insisted that we take a tour of the place, so we saw the library, computer rooms, bathrooms, and the gardens where they grow all these different vegetables. Right after we got back inside, we met Mauricio. He basically was in charge of everything or anything we needed at Ceracaly. He's 28 years old and plays the guitar and smiles like a little kid on Christmas. We all instantly loved him. Not to mention he had the coolest dog ever named Orpheus. I'll keep coming back to Orpheus and I only have about a hundred photos of him.

During the meeting, we were brought a snack called Tuna. Tuna is the fruit of a cactus, it's magenta in color, and it's got a bunch of little pits that you just swallow. It didn't taste like much but we still liked it.

Anyways we went over our schedule for the first week with Mauricio and he told us a little bit about Ceracaly. After our talk with Mauricio,  after so many photos and meetings with all kinds of people, I was able to shower. We all got ready and packed up our things to go into Dolores Hidalgo to use the internet and get some supplies for the two week stay in Ceracaly. At this point we met the famous Oscar, who was the only person to work on the project last year and came back this year. We loaded into the car and Aender, Mauricio, and Oscar got into another car and we drove about 20 minutes to get to Dolores Hidalgo.

It's actually a beautiful little city filled with bright colors and we took some time to walk around and explore the little shops. People were selling all different kinds of food and there was also famous ice cream in this city that we were on the hunt for.

When we finally found a stand that sold ice cream we approached it and were instantly given all different kinds of free samples of the ice cream. I tried beer, avocado, chocolate, and some fruity ones. They were so weird, but the avocado one was surprisingly good. After some sightseeing we decided to get a drink and get some internet to contact home. We found a place that had two for one drinks and thought it was as good as any place.

Me and my beautiful friends.

At this point I had my first taste of mexican tequila. I had declined a beer because I'm not a fan of the taste. I like girly fruity drinks. So the waitress suggested a margarita. Now, I've had margaritas before; you can barely taste the alcohol in them because they are filled with different fruit flavors. I ordered one and it came without a fruit flavor. It was basically tequila. It was really difficult sipping it because it was really strong. We chatted around the table and then the waitress brought everyone their second drink. Remember, I mentioned it was buy one get one. Well I had forced the first one and I really didn't want the second. I offered it to Melissa who claimed she had to drive. No one else wanted it. I decided if I could just get rid of it fast it would be better. I took larger gulps of it, and voila, it disappeared…as did I a little.

We did some shopping and headed back to Ceracaly. It was about 10 when we got back and we played some cards and hung out with the guys a little longer before we sunk back into bed.