Hoping I can still talk here

[seichu kaisho]

I'm leavin' to Ohio the evening of Dec. 23rd to visit relatives so I might not be posting too often - or at all - for a week. (Two of my grandparents don't have a computer at their house, and the other two have one that I think is only usable for e-mail. But, there's always the library in East Sparta that I could go to every once in a while.)

[SamScales]

You have a very Merry Christmas and fun in Ohio. The zone will always be there for ya when ya get back, hehehe. Enjoy your family.

[epdc]

I know EXACTLY what you mean hehehe, in my case is not my grandparetns the problem but a one year old who wants 100 %attention hehehe

[seichu kaisho]

H�y h�y h�y h�y!

I'm still on vacation but just letting you know I finally have access to the Internet, so I'm just checking out the Petra Zone again and stoppin' here to say "hai."

[Shell]

Hope you're having a good vacation.

[seichu kaisho]

Bleh, it was emotionally tough for me leaving them and coming back to Iowa. The trip was great, but not quite long enough. Do any of you get post-vacation depression? I sure do. At least now that I'm back home, I finally have the Internet, piano, and trombone back within reach.

One of my aunts held traditional feasts at her house on Christmas and New Year's Day; another aunt of mine did the same a couple days after Christmas. I loved the food, fellowship, and playing Uno Attack with my cousins. One day I went to a Chinese buffet restaurant, where I ate a bunch of stuff including a piece of sushi wrapped in a blob of sticky rice and half of an octupus on top of it.

I got a couple Spanish novels and a Spanish devotional book for Christmas. The one I'm reading right now is La Muerte de Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes. (La Muerte de = The Death of) I'm underlining all the words I don't know so I can look them up later (the pages i read so far are chock-full of underlines.) I also received Cuando Era Puertorrique�a by Esmeralda Santiago but I did not start on that one yet. Because of the title, it's probably about a girl who used to live in Puerto Rico and then moved to another country.

Whie in Ohio, I watched Univisi�n, the Spanish TV channel, from time to time. On New Year's Eve, I watched a few hours the New Year's program and saw the ball drop in Times Square, as well as a Vicente Fernandez concert (a popular mariachi singer I've hardly heard of before). I struggle to understand what those people are saying, but I'm getting better at picking out words and phrases.

[epdc]

how cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ya know, don`t feel bad if you don`t understabd many words in books, i did the same thing when i was studying english, it took me a while to learn many words vicente fernandes is very famous here. I have read Carlos Fuentes, what I have readis a history book he made called the hidden mirror (el espejo enterrado), is a history of latinamerica.

ya know, i have seen german movies lately (because i`m studying german now) and i have the same problem you have hehe, i understand some words and phrases. but hey, i had the same problem with english but if you keep learning on your own and listening and reading, believe me, the time will come when you do understand everything

[seichu kaisho]

Do you ever read stuff in Russian? I like to. I have absolutely no idea what any of it says, but the letters look crazy.

[epdc]

no I haven`t lolol, i have never seen a russian text or maybe i have but didn`t know it was russian

[bakersfieldpethead]

Now forget Russian text

A "Russian Texan" is something to behold

[seichu kaisho]

That was humorousky, Bakersfieldovsky! Xa xa xa xa!

(The Russian letter that looks like an X is prounounced with the English "H" sound, so xa xa xa xa!)
- - - - -

Anyhoo, I moved back in to UNI last Friday night. Just so you know, all the students were supposed to unplug all the appliances in their rooms, including refrigerators. So back in December when I moved out, I thought I had taken everything out of my fridge.

But lo-and-behold, I forgot to remove my can of orange juice concentrate.

By the time I came back, it had turned into moldy, smelly stuff which leaked all over the fridge. The entire fridge smelled kinda like wine, but much worse. And pretty soon my entire room was filled with the repulsive odor of fermentation.

Now I've been working on getting rid of the smell, with the help of my air freshener and my box of Arm 'n' Hammer laundry detergent (which has baking soda in it).

[epdc]

ugh! that sucks!

[Shell]

Oh, yuck. Mold is so gross. The holidays seem to fly by so fast, it never lasts long enough.

I'm taking a Spanish class at the adult school, just started this week, and the teacher gave us some directions in Spanish. I was proud of myself, I could understand part of it, enough to understand what she was talking about.

Of course, understanding it and actually opening your mouth and SPEAKING it are two different things...I'm such a gringa.

[epdc]

give me 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had the same problem with english and I`m having the same problem with german.

usually the last thing you learn is the speaking thing. HOW COOL SHELL!!!!what kind of instructions???

[Shell]

She was telling us about our homework and that she'd have handouts for us when we come to class. Reasonably simple stuff, but you have to start somewhere. It's a fun class, it's not for credit so there's not a lot of pressure. She's from Columbia and she's a nice lady.

I'll catch on with time...