Silence is Golden

Well, it would be quite the understatement to say that adjusting to this new life has been very hard.  Don't get me wrong, I really do love my new home! Communication has been quite an issue though. I have learned a lot over these last few days, but my Spanish is still not where I would like it to be.  I tend to sit and "listen" to others speak Spanish although I can't understand much. I wish I could say that "silence is golden," but not necessarily in this situation. It can be a bit boring and tiring to just sit and only understand every 10th word. I am odd in the fact that I can speak much better than I can understand.  It is nice because I can talk to people and ask questions, but then I don't always know what they are trying to say back to me. I really like the house that I get to live in. It is really nice and I love my new family.My new parents are so sweet, and I have enjoyed talking with them.  My dad's name is Lion and my mom's name is Pura. They have eight children, and seventeen grandchildren.  None of their kids or grandchildren live in La Esquina but some live nearby and will come visit often.  There are many times when I try to say something to my mom or dad but I can't figure out how to say it so I just stop, then we just smile and laugh and everything is okay.  I do feel bad because my mom will try to explain something to me and I don't always understand so she has to get up and show me things all the time! I really have enjoyed all of the meals she has prepared for me although some of them are quite interesting! My friends and I have also been taking Spanish lessons with Alex who runs the computer center. They have been helpful, but we are all on different levels so it is kind of hard to accomplish much. He is a good teacher, but he cannot always explain in English so it can be pretty confusing. Class is at 8:30 and we get access to Wifi while we are in class and continue to use it until 12:00 without any charge.  So I should be able to check Facebook and my email, as well as update my blog on a fairly regular basis. Yesterday, some boys in the community took us girls to some caves.  It was quite an interesting trek, but we all survived and it was really fun! Last night, we watched Ice Age 2 in Spanish but it was very hard to understand it at all. I have enjoyed getting to know different people in the community, and cannot wait until I will be able to converse with them much better.  Sleeping has been an issue because it storms like crazy in the night and my tin roof is extremely loud. Also, there are chickens everywhere and they like to make themselves known early in the morning.  I am sure I will get used to this and will be able to sleep well soon. I do love how their culture takes part in siestas because it is a great way for me to catch up on my lack of sleep. I am excited to see what the weekend brings because it the time of many fiestas. I will have the opportunity to meet a lot of new people as well as learn to dance! I think we may also go to the beach, and I am excited to do something really relaxing. Thanks again for all the prayers! I will be updating everyone again soon!

-Kinsey