La Escuela

Buenas Noches,

Today was another tireless day of speaking Spanish. It is getting a little easier with fewer blank stares, but everyday I have learned a lot of vocabulary...retaining it is very difficult. See a picture from our school inset. This is a picture of the main lobby where students hang out between classes to check their Internet and mingle with the other students.

We've met a lot of new students over the past few days. There are several students from the Maryland/DC area ranging in age from 20 to 30. There are a couple of students from The Netherlands, including our roommate Emma and a young man named Hans who is in my class. A lot of students are from California. Since this is a hot spot for surfers, there is a crowd of students here that look like they flew here straight from Laguna Beach. It is not hard to strike up a conversation with anyone and it has been so interesting learning about the different cultures. Everyone has taken some time to adjust to life here. It is very laid back and totally different from the States. I just learned today that Gouda cheese gets it's name from a place in The Netherlands that is famous for its production. Gouda is actually pronounced howda. Who knew that!

Tomorrow I have more class and Alysia and I were enrolled in a cooking class but we've opted not to go. Instead we are going with a group of girls to a restaurant highly recommended by the Lonely Planet guide book. We'll try to take the cooking class next week. Also, this weekend we are going to Ricon, which is a short drive from here. There we will horseback ride, ride on a zip line, go tubing in rapids, and experience a mud bath. It should be a fun day!

More later, but until then Hasta Luego!

xoxox

Anne