second week

I've got my computer set up now so that I can access the internet from home. I could act as if I figured this all out myself, but the truth is the people at the Institute set up my computer so that all I have to do is hook it up to the phone line, and even then for a few days I was plugging into the wrong place and so nothing happened. I am relieved, though, because the keyboard at the internet cafe had me baffled and I was under the impression that I was spending a lot of money there. Finally I figured out the cost was something like 50 cents an hour. Still, it is very nice to write from home where the neighborhood cat, who can come in through a hole in my screen door, is curled up on the couch asleep. Last night the cat came in, crawled up behind my head on the back of the couch, purred loudly and then bit me on the head.

Today we learned the future tense in Spanish. This is quite exciting but of course in order to utilize it I must be able to remember. And remembering seems not to be my strong suit. We shall see. I have learned, in just 4 classes, an unbelievable amount. Still, sitting in class with my wonderful teacher who is patient and speaks ever so slowly and clearly, and actually speaking and understanding Spanish out in the world are two very different things. I am much better in the classroom. In taxis and such it seems my pronunciation is problematic. And no matter how much progress I have made, when working with about 10 verbs and maybe 100 nouns, one's ability to communicate is somewhat restricted. (That's on the good days when I can remember the nouns and verbs.)

As always, the weather is fabulous--high 80s during the days, 70s at night. Every day I take the bus home from school. Two buses, actually, the second one called dulce nombre. Sweet name. I like the idea of the bus better than the reality, mostly because that bus in particular runs so rarely and I must stand a long, long time waiting. Today a bunch of school children rode for a while on it, and when they got out, the bus driver patted each of them on the head.

I am settling in, then. It's hard not to love this place with the fabulous weather and kind, kind people. But I do miss home and my family there, the daily world that's so familiar to me.

So: send me letters! Email! Keep in touch.