The Uke is Mightier than the Sword

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7-cBvD9sZg (check out the dance video)

Dear Asher,

Since you were up late last night celebrating your seven month birthday, you missed saying goodbye to the Brazilians who caught the 6:30am ferry back to La Ceiba. It is amazing how close you become with people when you live in the same quarters and share meals together. The same phenomena happens with the families and youth leaders at the camp. The Brazilians were here just one day and it was sad to see them go, but we all had a good laugh when I lined them up to take a photo. They were in a big rush so they hurried over to the dock and when I clicked the button, we all heard the self timer countdown; the same timer that made us laugh the night before. As they ran down the road towards their next adventure, Luceneo yelled out, “give Asher a kiss for me.”

You loved your morning walk today. A cool breeze found its way to the island dawn and you bounced up and down on my shoulders every time you saw a dog, cat or chicken wondering along with us. Each morning we walk to the lagoon bridge, look out at the rising sun and watch the dive boats prepare for their morning livelihood. The bridge is the breeziest spot on the island since there are no homes on stilts, no picket fences or tropical trees interrupting the ocean breeze. You like stopping here each morning and watching the bay of Utila come to life.

Your mom sneaked in a few raisins into our oatmeal this morning, a treat we reserve for emergencies, but it was a welcomed addition. You are really interested in feeding yourself now and you enjoyed sucking on a pineapple core while watching as we chopped up pineapple, cabbage, onion, tomato and garlic for our afternoon rice and beans.

Tony and Rosa, the owners of the hostel, had to go to the mainland for a week so they left it in the trusty hands of Melissa. Melissa is 22 years old and is responsible for all of the housekeeping and now the reservations as well. One thing we have really enjoyed at Rubi’s Inn is that each day, Melissa comes into our room and folds EVERYTHING and tidies the whole room before wiping it down, giving us new towels and moping the floors. Now that we have been on the island for ten days, you have really come to like Melissa and she enjoys flicking her hair in your face, making kissing sounds, and even holding you once in a while while your parents eat. The local boys know that Tony and Rosa are away and also know when Melissa takes an afternoon break, so they all come running to use the dock. We retreated to the hammocks and belted out some more tunes and this time, the boys joined in with clapping and dancing. We could not resist making a music video and the boys were happy knowing they would be on the Internet.

Music has been a big part of our trip. That little green ukulele has been a powerful force. It has broken the ice, entertained, returned favors, challenged language barriers, put you to sleep, got you dancing, made videos, attracted smiles and has your parents jamming more than ever.

“Where words leave off, music begins.” ― Heinrich Heine

A special thanks to Alex from A-Track Music in Dorchester for helping us with the tiny but powerful green ukulele.