el dolor de nacimiento

-Guillermo, our somewhat mystical, very poetic academic director on our current state

I am sitting in the SWELTERING computer room of the hotel on our last night here before we get assigned homestay families tomorrow, and start school on wednesday! I can't believe it has only been 3 full days that I've been here. Nica is enveloping me quickly!

Yesterday I was placed into the middle spanish class, technically called Advanced I, which is perfecto en mi opinion. I'm not sure how to add acentos quickly yet, I'll have to work on that. We also got to go to Aynn and Guillermo's house for dinner, which was so, so wonderful! Some of their musician friends came and gave us a concert. Nicaraguans really like playing "guantanamera" for the cheles because we all sing along. The 6 year old daughter of the lead singer gave us a very emotional rendition of "Zombies" by the Cranberries. Jess, if you are reading, you might have some competition!

It is so fascinating to see signs of the political universe EVERYWHERE. there are handpainted signs and billboards with the new FSLN advertising on every street - pink, with hearts and a big picture of Ortega and some heartwarming slogan adorned with yellow and ligh blue, two of the other new colors. And then lining the streets are trees and lighpoles painted with the more traditional red and black, to combat the new image and try to hold on to the old.

TOday we went to Leon for our cultural drop-off. A friend and I wandered the city and learned about our assigned topic, which was the indigenious history of the city. With a group later we found our way to the barrio that maintains the tradition, Subtiava, and found the church, which was having new roofing slats put in and so was letting in these glorious slits of light. it was beautiful. in the center of the ceiling is a big sun, representative of one of the indigenous gods, which was put in by the Spanish to convince the locals to come to the same building to worship their gods as the christians did for their own.

I have so much more to write, but I think I might melt! plus I need sleep desperately. I will hopefully write more in the next couple days. Buenas!