uno semana

I´ve been frustrated by computers before, but when they are extremely slow and everything is in a different language more operator errors are bound to happen, thus frustrating me more than ever.

Today I was supposed to have class with Lourdes, but she cancelled. I am not suprised- her brother just had a baby and she is taking the next month off from teaching to help him out. I think she was pretty much zoned out, even yesterday. I´ll get the four hours in sometime next week - two afternoons I´ll do two hours on top of the morning four. Spanish is coming along. I suprise myself everyday with my ability to understand a little more. I had a great time in el mercado (the market) yesterday. I bought some avacados, garlic, potatoes and chilie picante and the vendor was such a nice and friendly man that was patient and encouraging with my communication. Gracias, senor!

Staying at the hostel is an international experience. Everyone has an accent of some sort (even me, how exciting)! The past two nights there were three others in the room I am in. Two were a couple from Holland that have been traveling for 8 months. They just spent 3 months in suriname and venezuela, 2 months in jamaica, a month in cuba and a month or so in central america. It was great talking with them about jamaica and the rest of their adventures. It´s a whirlwind being around all these like minded people. And its so human to realize that some of these like minded people are terribly annoying, while others are amazing. The other woman staying in the room was from Germany and while she had the best of intentions she clung to me immediatley and invited herself along everywhere I went. She used the school I am taking my class at to hook herself up with all sorts of activities and today the director of the school asked how long she and I had been friends. When I told him I met her a day ago, he was shocked - she told him she was here visiting me! Weird. She´s gone now (as are the great folks from Holland) and a whole new crew of people will arrive sometime today. I may use the free cocktail card the hostel gave me to have a drink or two and practice some more spanish. We all know that alcohol removes your inhibitions....I am sure it will remove my inhibition of speaking crappy spanish!

I still have another week in this town, and while I am getting tired of how touristy everything is here I feel comfortable enough. The locals are used to people speaking next to no spanish and are patient with me, perhaps more so than in other parts of the country. So far every single person in Honduras has been kind, gentle and helpful, and I am very thankful for that. It will be nice to be back in Siguatepeque to settle myself into my own community and begin making connections there. And it will be great to have a little spanish under my belt to do that! I have taken a bunch of pictures and will sometime this week post them on this blog of mine. Until then imagine me under tropical blue skies, walking along cobblestone streets and dodging red, three wheeled mototaxis! Hasta luego mis amigos! AMOR!