Smart Kid...

Sorry for the lack of posts but I only have dialup here in Sincelejo and it's painfully slow...when the phone lines are actually working at all.  However I just have to share this story with you:

As the only gringo in Sincelejo I attract plenty of people begging for money, which is hard because of course I can't help them all.  But last night a particulary cute little ~8 year old kid asked me for "una moneda" (a small coin) and I couldn't break his heart.  Yet at the same time I didn't want to reward him for begging so I told him if he swept up and threw away all the trash on the street in front of my hotel I'd give him 2,000 pesos ($0.75).  I was proud when he completed his thorough cleaning, afterwhich he was very excited to receive his wages for a job well done.  And of course I was feeling good about teaching him the value and reward for hard work.

Today I came downstairs for breakfast to find the street literally strewn with trash and about 10 kids hoping to know the reward for hard work.  So much for that idea...

-dave