30 September 2010

Some cool things (and some random things*)

So, an update:

I am intensiving! (Except not today, because I was sick today...and then I went to a pharmacy and got a week's worth of cold medicine: 45 cents) But anyway. The intensive is PRO. I am learning so much, not only language wise (try reading the Ridvan 2010 letter and consulting on the main themes, in Spanish!) and just the material. The first day we had this crash course in the administrative order from Baha'u'llah to the regional councilors and LSAs. And its so wonderful, I love working with the other youth from Ecuador, the United States, and Guatemala! My Spanish has definitely grown grown grown in this past week, more than the weeks at school which I spend instructing English! A funny effect of this is that I know lots and lots of words that have to do with the institute process: programas intensivas de crecemiento (intensive programmes of growth), desintegracion del mundo viejo (disintegration of the old world), el desarollo de comunidad (the building-up of the community) but still have problems with some simple words!

I get my share of slang terms during lunch and breaks. And we have some really fun loves, such as:



Which we are all learning to sing (although the only words Maryam and I know are "cuando me enamoro!!" so we sound like "cuando me enamoro doo doo doo doo doo doo do doodo")

Also:



This cracks me up so so so much (and if you speak, have ever taken, or live within 500 miles of a Spanish Speaking country, you will crack up too).

IN OTHER NEWS: Today the police attacked the Ecuadorian President. Because I was sick today, I didn't find out until this evening when Maryam came home and broke the news to me. How weird, huh? The president's okay, apparently the police were annoyed with their pay and promotions or something, so they attacked him for the third time. As a result, we don't have school for the next week (which works out pretty good from a selfish point of view, as I can now spend all my time at the intensive!) and yeah...definitely shows the desintegration of the world, huh?

Oh, and one more thing: check out Maryam's latest blog: she has some really cool quotes by 'Abdul-Baha about cows and birds that are inspiring!

*I'm referring to the fact that the POLICE JUST ATTACKED THE PRESIDENT. That just made me think of the West Wing episode where the President asks his docter "how do I know you're not poisoning me as part of a military coup? Get the Secret Service in here!" to which the doctor replies "in the case of a coup, how do you know the secret service would be on your side?"