Current events: a mid-week update

What do you think?

I was sitting at my favorite heladería this afternoon (after I left the gym of course) and I saw this nifty poster across the street. I was a bit confused as to why there was a (very pretty) Spanish girl dressed like a “Native American” looking at me until I read the poster. It’s an advertisement for English language classes with the tag line “Your tribe speaks English”. At first I was confused because Native Americans didn’t speak English. According to a quick Wikipedia search, they spoke Adai , Algic, Alsean , Atakapa, Beothuk, Caddoan, Cayuse, Chimakuan, Chimariko, Chinookan, Chitimacha, Chumashan, Coahuilteco, Comecrudan, Coosan, Cotoname, Eskimo–Aleut, Esselen, Haida, Iroquoian, Kalapuyan , Karankawa, Karuk, Keresan, Kutenai, Maiduan, Muskogean, Na-Dené, Natchez, Palaihnihan, Plateau Penutian, Pomoan, Salinan, Salishan, Shastan, Siouan–Catawban, Siuslaw, Solano, Takelma, Tanoan, Timucua, Tonkawa, Tsimshianic, Tunica, Utian, Uto-Aztecan, Wakashan, Wappo, Washo, Wintuan, Yana, Yokutsan, Yuchi, Yuki, Yuman, and/or Zuni…among others. I was feeling slightly offended until I noted that the Union Jack had also worked its way on to the advertisement. OF COURSE they were referring to the “tribes” from England! How could I be so uneducated?

In other news, Rey Felipe and Letizia of Spain are in the states this week. After visiting Capitol Hill, Felipe went and spoke at Georgetown, his alma mater. Please tell me that if you go there you went to see him!

I watched the GOP debate this afternoon so I could keep up on US politics while I’m here because YAY I actually get to vote this time. I don’t want this to be a political blog, but as with every debate (regardless of party) I spent half the time cringing and the other half feeling like our country could go somewhere great. But alas, only time will tell.

Oh, how could I forget? This blog was originally about Burkina Faso (if you’re new, go read some old posts…). There was a coup last night. It’s very upsetting, but now understandable because elections are coming up and I couldn’t have expected a perfect governmental transition. I’m blessed to have gone when I did but my heart breaks not only for the people there but also for families who have been working on adoptions that are now sure to be extended even farther with the unstable government and closed borders. Ugh.

Well that’s all for now, look for my weekly post on Sunday! I’ll be trying to do more mid-week posts on things other, there’s just so much I want to write about!

**Also still looking for a hostel/place to stay in Munich in January!!**