topspinwilly's Guestbook

Dating Renting & Cell phones
Hey Dwayne: Well the Spanish is advancing. Still a long way to go. Sometimes it goes very well and sometimes not. Got a cell phone for about $50 bucks with 70 texts and maybe100 minutes. I do a lot of texting. Much easier than talking in Spanish. I moved to Marta's because I needed a change. Learn about a slightly different area better. Too long in the hostel, prvt room $450/month, but some great people there & I am getting to bed earlier now. This is half price $225/ month. Bigger room, own bath, Marta is about 50 learning English, we hang out and get on well. The Neighborhood that works best for me is near Estadios where my tennis club is. So now I am 20 minutes the other side of Estadios where I used to be, a little longer walk but that is part of the enjoyment. I have lived in the best part of town, its a bit sterile (and now a total of 5 areas). I might like farther out (Sabaneta) it is more country-like and seems great but you have to live there to really know. I would have to take a bus 15 minutes then the train 25 minutes to get to tennis everyday. Big problem for me. Yep I have been dating but nothing romantic has happened yet. Met some very nice ladies though and went out many times. Still looking. Glad to hear from you Dwayne. Hope we play some tennis in the summer. It would be nice to see Sherry and Shawn also. Take care. you cousin William PS I will post this as a comment if you don't mind since it covers some questions. This post was from Dwayne's Prvt message

Monica I will edit my post..
I think your right, my tennis "Jovani" coach agrees. Of course it probably is not as safe as Poblado but also not the most dangerous area.

Hi Chris, I thought maybe too many fotos this post.
I missed some fotos during a night at Edgar's a couple of days ago unfortunately. He is a friend from tennis (we played a couple of games this morning) He and Margarita were so hospitable to Maria Elena & I in their wonderful penthouse in Poblado. He is a doctor doing nothing but 6 month pilot exams. Dwayne and the rest of the Mcalistors will be interested in that. So he plays tennis in the morning and is lucky enough to see only pretty healthy people in the afternoon.

Dear anonymous thanks for commenting
No reason to be nervous here. Unless someone jumps of a motorcycle with a weapon. You get so much advice here on safety, much of it overkill but things can happen. An older friend at tennis this morning related being attacked last year by a guy with a hammer. He had some martial and subdued the attacker. He had been here for 3 years but the attack was in Ohio while he was back there.

Catica is spanish class still going strong?
Yes blood has its supporters and it tasted fine. Pigs ears in the butcher window. Haven't seen them on the menu though. Probably I will not get out of Medellin except for maybe a trip to a finca (farm) nearby, many people I know go often to their (or a friends) finca. I hope to come back for longer next year and might explore more then.

Aida & maybe others? I will invite everyone again.
Thanks Catica (Cathy from my Spanish class). Maybe people don't know that to get a second email notice of a new blog entry ... they have to click "subscribe". I would love to bring the Spanish class here. Such friendly people and great place to learn more Spanish.

Don and Catica I agree.
I guess a good combination of lots of reading for vocab, movies with subtitles, practicing one verb tense at a time with a native speaker. Maybe even recording a conversation (with street vendor for example)and the reviewing it to know what I didn't understand and why he didnt understand me. It becomes like school then and I really need someone who is very serious about language learning.

Catica it is Sedi (Saydi Hawkins)
In fact we are talking about his last trip where Sedi said the customs went through his pictures on his camera, then asked for his password for his computer. I amgoing to check to see if you have to give up that info.