Playing with Picasa

Yes, I realize that these aren't new pictures.  I've discovered Picasa, and the whole bunch of new photo editing tools that goes with it, so I'm just playing around with them.  I wasn't really happy with the limitations of the other collage maker that I was using so I turned to my cyber-pal in New York for help.  (Hi Monica)

Hmm, I just noticed that that little one 2nd from the left needs to be cropped.

I  like the idea of superimposing muliple images, but there's some kind of trick to doing it properly and I obviously haven't mastered it yet.  Monica says it's easy, so I guess I'll keep on trying until I perfect the technique. 

See, this one just gives me a headache.

This one is slightly better, but I still don't like it.

  

Another type of collage that's super easy to do.

Gringos in Paradise - Malana Ashlie

I was psyched to read this one.  A middle aged American couple move to Honduras.  Right up my alley, I thought.  Wrong!  First of all, she is a tad new age-y for me.  I mean whatever floats your boat and all, but that's just not my style.   Mostly, I just wanted to slap some sense into her!    She did reform her thinking by the end of the book, and even started to learn some of the language, but too little too late for me.

 

Example:  She's too lazy to get off her ass and cook and clean her own home, so she hires a local maid. (I'm allowed to be judgemental - I paid 10 bucks for this book) She is then bewildered when said maid has no interest in learning English. (Ms. Ashlie spoke maybe 6 words of Spanish at that point).  "But I was just trying to help her..."   Yes, well, wanting to help her would indicate that you think she has a problem.  She is Honduran, she lives in Honduras and she speaks the language of the country fluently.  She doesn't have a problem.  You can't communicate with her - YOU have a problem! 

 Another example:  She bemoans "will I ever fit in here?..."  Then she goes on to describe how most of her neighbours, and in fact most of the people in the town, stroll around the streets in the evening until their houses cool down enough so they can sleep.  They chat, they share gossip and news, the children play etc. etc.  Then she proudly says that she and her husband have air conditioning, so they don't have to do that.  Will you ever fit in?  Um, I don't think so.