You Say Potato, I Say Patotoo - Week 1 at the MTC

Hey guys!!! As it turns out PDay is every Friday....except for yesterday! So we only get a half PDay today. By half I mean from 7-10. So I'm doing laundry right now and writing you.
So we only get 30 minutes a week on the internet. I'll try to get as much in as I can. My first couple of days were great. The language was coming along well and stuff. I can greet and ask simple questions of a certain structure. Our teacher is Sister Maiello. She's a convert from California who served in the Philippines on her mission. She's really fun and a great teacher. The other teacher is Brother Welch. He's the bomb dot com. He is such a great teacher. We started learning to bear testimony in Tagalog (its called Patotoo or pronounced po-toe-toe-oh) and it was going well until yesterday when we got a new teacher for about an hour (she was just practicing on us I think) and she talked only in Tagalog even though we didn't understand, and she spoke real fast. Then she got us to go and bear testimony to random elders and sisters on the campus. It was really difficult. Good thing everyone is so nice here.
My companion is Elder Taurabakai (ta-oo-ra-bak-eye). He's from Kiribati (kee-ree-bas....dont ask me how that makes sense) its a set of Islands in the Pacific called the line islands. He speaks Kiribati and is a little weak in english. Pres. Stott said that most islanders speak really softly and don't enunciate....which is really true. He can read english really well but I don't know how much he understands. I need to help him as much as I can (as Senior Companion!....decided only by alphabetical names though) but it's tough when he's never worn shoes before. I taught him how to iron, how to use a camera, what to eat in the cafeteria (he ate rice and fish back home, I think he's going to the right mission), and lots of other stuff. He ate lots of dog back home, and couldn't believe that it's against the law here to kill a dog ("even if its your own!?" I told him, "especially if its your own").
They called Elder Chadderton as DL! He's really awesome. He's a huge New Zealander ( I keep saying "Flight of the Concords" quotes to him).  We had role-playing seminars where the whole room of Elders and Sisters had to teach an "investigator". I spoke up a lot and did well I thought....this one role player destroyed me though. It was humbling.
The first night here I was temporary companions with Elders Behira (Filipino) Miller (American) and Robillard (Canadian! He's a great guy and I still talk to him sometimes). My roommates are Elder Taurabakai, Elder Tucker, and Elder Thurston. I did meet him Mom, he's living in my room. He's quiet but he's a really nice guy. I like him a lot. The district ahead of us is really great too. I get along with them really well. Anyways, my time is almost up. I love you guys. Today is great, and we're going to learn more Tagalog. I'll send you a real letter soon okay?

Thanks for all the letters so far. They have helped a lot. And you guys are very popular here. The candy and how prepared I am impressed everyone. Love you, talk to you in a week.
Elder Dustan