Lluvia como una cascada

This post is entitled Lluvia como una cascada (rain like a waterfall) because that's what we had today.  The day started out very nicely, with temperatures in the 70's-80's and partly cloudy, but around 4 o'clock, the weather changed very suddenly and the rain came.  Luckily we were at the ICO (Instituto Cultural Oaxaca) for our salsa class and could go under the roof.  When I jumped out and stood in the rain, it was like standing under a waterfall, there was so much water.  It was even complete with a lightning display.  I have never used an umbrella before, but they are very handy here.

El Intensivo is going very well.  The class can sometimes be long, but I am learning a lot.  Depending on the speaker, I can pick up most of what the locals are saying.  Speaking is coming more slowly because it takes me a while to think about what conjugation to use, but I'm hoping that will come with practice.  My teacher is young, but is a very good teacher who knows spanish grammar and how to teach it.  Part of the class is an hour long period called "La Mesa," where we forget grammar and only talk for an hour about anything we want to.  This is very helpful because we can learn more about the culture and what most Oaxacans' say apart from the textbook.  Salsa class is very fun, but it's much more difficult than I imagined.  There are about 15-20 girls and only 4 guys including the teacher, so most of the class is aimed for the girls part, since two of the the guys know most of the moves already.  This leaves me, who is supposed to be leading, high and dry.  Still, I really enjoy the class and hope to learn lots in the next two weeks.

Last night I tried the famed chatulines, or fried grasshoppers.  They are served in a sauce called mole with tortilla chips that really isn't a bad combination.  I am eating my way through Oaxaca and enjoying every minute of it.  And the best part is, it is very healthy food and with all the walking I do to get around, I can work most of it off.  It is also very cheap if you don't go to the tourist places and stick to the local cafes.  For a filling meal, I pay anywhere from 40-80 pesos, somewhere between 3-7 dollars.  Friday we are doing a picture scavenger hunt as part of our orientation and Saturday we travel to Monte Alban.  I'll keep posting en todo lo que pasa.
Adios!
~Bryan