fin de semana

Well I made it through the first week. The Language school is the easy part. I managed to speak only spanish for 2 hours yesterday afternoon when out with my guia. So I´m pretty proud of myself. I am pretty homesick. Don´t know what I´d do if I wasn´t able to call home daily. That really helps. I´m also realizing how demonstrative (extraordinarily so?) my family and friends are at home. I´m pretty hungry for a hug.

I will be joining 3 other students tomorrow for a horseback ride in up the volcanos (Calpan) it includes breadfast and lunch---so that will fill the time. On Sunday the baby (Samantha) in my house, will be baptized. There will be a fiesta too, so that will be fun and interesting. Other than that I have made 100 flash cards, with commonly used verbs that I will be filling in. I´m very good at the present tense, but have to learn to use the preterite (past) and future.

Hopefully, early next week I can get some help posting photos. I already have mucho! Yesterday I toured the Talavera pottery fabrica, it´s all handmade, from stomping the clay, turning it on the wheel, grinding the minerals for the colors, and the beautiful hand painted designs. Anne (a student, from North Carolina) here bought a complete set for 12 yesterday. The shipping alone costs $600. It is so beautiful!!!

Right now, school is over, but there is a terrific thundersorm, so several of us are waiting it out at the institute. Usually, this happens daily and passes in an hour or so.