In the dark

It had to happen.
The classic 'learning language' stuff up.
I was trying to ask a guy how he hurt his foot, he was limping around the room, so I asked my American friend for the translation into spanish.
Turns out I asked him 'Will you marry me?'
I have never seen such a shocked look on someone's face!
His jaw dropped and he jumped out of his chair, pushing it to the side as if I was about to attack him! It was hilarious, and of course my American friend was rolling around the floor laughing. Me too, after I realised what I said! His reaction was gold! I knew something was wrong while I was saying it, some of the words I knew already and thought they didnt fit but I just trusted him to have told me the right thing....hahaaa I should have known...
THEN
I am walking out of the house later on that evening, and down the path I say to the same guy with the sore foot that I feel so embarrased for what happend. I'm searching for the words in spanish, I think its similiar to the english word, in desperation I ask my American friend for the translation. I say 'Estoy embarazada', sounds pretty similiar to the english version so I take it as it is. Turns out I just told him 'I am pregnant'. The real version is 'Estoy avergonzado'
OH MAN TWO HITS IN ONE NIGHT!!
I have to learn this language fast!
It was good to have a laugh about it that night because more and more with each day it feels like a huge mountain to climb. And its getting to me, how useless I feel in many contexts and the frustration that comes with not being able to express yourself or connect fully to others. I am trying to fit in as much language learning as I can, but with the schedule we have there is not much time, and just absorbing this new environment has been huge for me. Getting used to the power-cuts has been quite fun, we had a big one today for most of the evening, during our Ayyami-Ha celebrations with the Baha'i community tonight we ate and socialised in the dark, bumping into each other occasionally. A typical Chongon moment!
Normally I'm shattered at the end of the day, but it is a priority to learn the language. How can I work on a project about communication if I can't even communicate with the people? oh the irony. I have found a language school in the city, it's at least an hour's bus ride to get there, but I think it's the only way.

The forum on Friday went well. We had about 45 people show up, not as much as we were hoping but its a beginning. When it came to question time after the film was shown, over half the audience (mostly youth) left. So that is a huge question, how do we make the forum portion of the evening something that the youth would want to take part of? Having the questions on a projector screen, does it distance the audience too much? Does it become like a 'school'? The other big learning is around the medium, when the project used theatre before it turned to film (about a year ago), they had huge audience's 200+ people and during the forum time everyone engaged in the dialogue at a high level. Now with the film, the audience seems quite passive and almost removed. Does theatre effect people more than film? Or is film more powerful because it works on a subliminal, sub-conscious level where the individual identifies with a character and wants to be like? Is it more powerful to leave that with them in their minds or to discuss the issues it brings up?
Tomorrow we have a big consulation about it, so let's see!

I am moving into my new home tomorrow, in the heart of Chongon. For the first week and a half I have been staying with a family, so it has been a gentle introduction! The new place doesn't have internet yet, so perhaps no blog posts for a short while! Till then...