11.9.08

FTJ: 6-9-08

Today, Anita and I went shopping for the flour for the pizza dough, and other things. We tried to go to the paper store, but they were all full of people. We decided to go shopping for my school supplies tomorrow.

In the afternoon, Anita went to the Pizzeria in Atuntaqui, but I stayed in Ibarra in order to go to an AFS meeting. Rosalina and Carolina went with me to the House of the Arquitects, which sounds remarkably like something from The Matrix. It's the arquitecture school here in Ibarra. Three of the other foreign exchange students were in Quito for the weekend, but Lotta, Daniele, Camille and I were there. We ate some appetizers and got our passports. I ate a pitted olive, thinking it was an unpitted olive. Ow? We have to go to the immigration office to get the Senso, the card that says that we're foreigners here for a foreign exchange program. You have to pay a $200 fine if you don't get the Senso within one month of arriving in Ecuador. Anita said that we're going to go all together to the office on Friday.

I like seeing the other foreign exchange students. Lotta was sick, and had no voice. Camille's brother here has left to go with AFS to Germany. Daniele has adapted well, but he speaks little Spanish.

My brother called me today. He told me that he's reading my blog, and that I shouldn't get mad in defense of AFS. (NOTE: I hear you, Jesse.) It was good to talk to him. He understands what I'm going through, because he went to South Africa with AFS for a year.

Ecuador played football against Bolivia today, and all they televisions in all the shops and restaurants were turned on to the game. Ecuador won 3 to 1.

288 more days.


So, I tried to upload a picture of me with my haircut yesterday, but the computer at the internet shop wouldn't recognize the camera. So, instead, here it is today. I know you're all freakin' out about it, but whatever. I didn't want to get into more fights with the administration. (You'll just have to what until that day to find out what happened... Dun dun dunnnn.) No, really, it wasn't that much. Some stupid administrator told me to cut my hair. <rant>The administrators here are just like the school administrations in the US, kinda petty. I mean, what's the point of cutting my hair? What exactly does that achieve? It's about power. It shows the students that the administrators can do whatever they want. Some kids were playing soccer while we were waiting for the bus today, and some administrator walked up and said "Go take that ball to Inspection." Because he could. Losers.</rant>

So, any of you high school students who are thinking of using your Spanish skills in a real life situation, I have some advice for you. Por vs. Para and Ser vs. Estar are the two most difficult things I'm working with in Spanish right now. It's not the subjunctive, it's not perfect participles. It's what we were supposed to have learned in Spanish I and II. It's stupid. Spanish can't just have one "to be" and one "for," no, can it? Lamecakes.

Even more fun stuffs!: Tom has created a podcast that puts audio to all my blog posts. We're currently working out some way to put them directly on here, but until then, Paula, Alex, http://jacobab-for-lazies.blogspot.com/. Thanks again, Tom!

And thank you, Mom, M, and Jessica, for the comments. Love you guys!

4 comments:

Snap said...

You look fine with no hair! Grrr I miss you!

Stephan B.

that black girl artist said...

Now I'm taller than you again!

yer dad

Anonymous said...

Oh and on the real, im subscribing to your podcast, no joke.

Anonymous said...

(It didnt publish my first comment. i was essentially saying:)

what are the other students like w/r/t administration? is there a good spirit of rebellion? your neighbor bolivia is laying the smack down on autonomy seeking farmers. vive la socialisme

and also ser vs estar is not very complicated, at least in portuguese. in fact once i learned it it bothers me that english uses the same word, because the concepts are not the same