My computer has ants

That doesn't really have anything to do with my past week, except that it occurred to me this might not be a problem Apple has had to deal with in the past. Everything still seems to be functioning, there are just a few little creatures scrambling around my screen and I'm not sure how to get rid of them...

It's been another fun and busy week in Quebradas. I still don't feel quite settled into a routine, but am getting there. I took an awesome 5 hour hike with Richie through farmland and more farmland on Monday. We are almost finished painting and decorating the volunteer office, bedrooms and conference room, which is exciting, especially because I am pretty ready to be done inhaling paint fumes. On Wednesday a representative from the municipality of San Isidro gave a recycling charla at the Quebradas elementary school, and then they announced that I would be helping kick off the recycling project in the community and I had to make an impromptu speech with a still very stuffed nose. Luckily the majority of my audience was between 6 and 12 years old. Yesterday I had my first English class, and it went really well. Twenty three people showed up and two more came by after to ask if they could join the class, so I am a little concerned it is too big and might split it up into two smaller groups, but in general people were enthusiastic and willing to participate and help each other out, which is really great because there is a wide variety of experience within the group. It definitely helps that almost everybody knows each other. The hardest part is definitely going to be remembering everyone's names, especially since they're not so common in the US. Lots of extra i's where you wouldn't expect them. And people have trouble saying my name, so I get called Kaylie, or "teacher," which is fine. I made brownies for the first class, which were a pretty big hit and some of the high school girls came up to me after class and asked if I could teach them how to make them, at which point I had to admit they came from a box and all I had to do was add eggs and margarine...

Tonight my family is hosting a Christian families gathering at their house, and the theme is money management, and I have been invited as the guest of honor. There will be arroz con pollo and monopoly-like games involving fake colones, so how can i go wrong? Other than that, my mind has mostly been occupied by excitement about my first visitor to Quebradas! Dan arrives Sunday and we will be spending three nights at my site and then heading to the beach. My host family is very excited to meet him my host dad and I practiced English today in the car, so meals will not be filled entirely by awkward silences. Will have lots to report and hopefully some new pictures and videos next week after the visit!