First week, etc.

So, the first week has been survived. Only….35 weeks left? I guess I haven’t calculated. Nor do I intend to. (I counted down the weeks til finals most of my semesters in college, but I don’t need to here. :) It’s somebody else taking the finals this time. I just gotta write ‘em.)

Hmmm… I’m playing opera on my computer now (Batti, batti) and it apparently attracted the cat who is now outside my window meowing… I ought to investigate further and see if the song works on other cats…

Back to the first week: unremarkable. In a good way, though. Ask me about it if you have any questions. Otherwise, not that exciting.

The weekend, though! Wow! I went hiking. With… people who are in shape. I’m still laughing at myself for thinking that I really wanted to invite myself on that trip. It was actually quite good -- beautiful views, and good company. And fortunately I’ve already completely forgotten the feelings of “almost dying” from over-exertion combined with lack of oxygen (we’re at over 7,000 feet) and the sense of not being able to go on yet knowing that I must, both having been replaced by a great sense of the accomplishment of SURVIVAL! :D It was a great time, when it was over! A couple other girls at the school and I are going to start an out-of-shape-hikers league, coached by a very patient gym teacher, and we will conquer the world, I think. :) Either way, we’ll see.

In other news, I’m happy to say that no Guatemalan has yet tempted me to consider staying in Guatemala longer than previously anticipated! History to that comment: I told Mom one day before leaving that it might be dangerous for me to go to Guatemala, since I’m a sucker for brown eyes. However, people here are very short, and…well, they must just have MHC (major histocompatibility complex) genes that are too similar to mine because I’m just not tempted. (If you’re not sure what I mean by this comment, do a little research on pheromones and human male/female attraction.) (And remember always to take my ramblings with a grain of salt.)

No hay mucho más que es interesante. I’m having trouble sometimes between the English, Spanish, and French. It goes back to language not really being about specific words meaning specific things, but being more of specific sounds that communicate specific concepts that are running through the mind. So I’m finding more and more lately that while I’m trying to speak either Spanish or French, the concept I want to communicate isn’t necessarily in any specific language in my mind, so that when I say that concept out loud in either language, I do not realize if I say phrases in the opposite language of that in which I’m trying to communicate… Clear as mud, right? See, language is a habit, which is another thing throwing me off: I’ve now gotten used to saying things like, “It’s..” or “There are…” or “…, too” or “and” in Spanish, so they just fly out of my mouth automatically in Spanish whether I’m speaking Spanish or French, but other things like “One can/could…” or filler words, like “well…, in fact…, actually…,” etc. I don’t know in Spanish, so I’m still in the habit of saying them in French they will automatically creep into my Spanish sentences with a very Spanish accent without my even realizing that I’ve said them until I get a funny look.

I do highly encourage all of you, though, to undertake the intellectual challenge of learning many languages, though: just do it better than I’ve been doing! Learning a language might even hold off the Alzheimer’s you’ll get when you’re old!

Anyway, I’m off now to get some work done! Adios! Au revoir! Tootle-oo!