The weekly schedule has become routine and has a little of everything in it. Of course, our main focus is all about learning the language. Yet mixed in with language is living life.
Here’s a glimpse of what our week looks like right now. Morgan has class five days a week every morning until noon and a two-hour class three of those afternoons. He has a total of 16 hours of class. He then returns home and watches the kids so I (Lori) can study with my tutor for 2 hours, four days a week. Alleyah spends a little of my tutor time, just with fun basic language. Right now Alleyah can say about 20 local words. We practice the language by going out and along with living life.
I feel like we are doing a lot of shopping. It seems we have to go out almost everyday for basic needs. Every place has something different and of course they are not close to each other. I usually try to hit one or two stores each day. That will take me about 2 hours if I am good! Morgan seems as if he is fixing something new everyday. So much that the little hardware store by our house knows Alleyah by name. So far he has fixed our bathroom sink, washer, tub drain, cloths line, and electrical outlets. He also spends a lot of time doing basic things just to keep the lights and heat on. Each month he has to trek downtown to pay these bills, hoping that we don’t run out of gas or electricity in the mean time. Most things here are pre-paid, including cell phones.
The more we study, the more we can use words instead of pointing or guessing if it is the right “white stuff” to buy. (You may need to read my last blog to understand that~ oh and it was sugar!) I know we are also learning, because every day I can communicate better. I can ask “how much are those apples for one pound?” or “do you sell flour here?” Morgan as well can use language to communicate to the taxi driver instead of leaning forward and pointing his way around. Morgan has conquered the vocabulary for giving directions. It is nice we are learning different things, because together we are making an OK team.
Other things we have started to do here; once a week Morgan helps in a college coffee shop where they hangout and speak English with locals. This is a great way to make friendships. Another fun thing for Morgan is helping coach the college baseball team. They are a fun group of local guys that speak no English. Sundays we meet with friends from America for fellowship while our kids run around crazy. Soon, once a week or more, I (Lori) will be volunteering in an orphanage. I have had to wait for visa status to clear and the organizer to return to town. I can’t wait to start! This is just a start, it seems there is something new we add to the list of things each week. I can’t believe it has already been a month.
That reminds me! We all got our one-year visas about a week ago. We had to go through the visa process in the states, but when we got here the process started over again for the area we are living. Too bad we had to pay for it twice, but at least it is finished for one whole year!
