Hola!

I started my Spanish lessons! Each session consists of one-on-one teaching and discussion for 4 hours, with a 15 minute snack break at 11. My teacher, or Maestra’s name is Vilma. So far, I get along well with her. She does not speak English (none of the teachers at the school do) but she does know some basic vocabulary, which is helpful when I am trying to say something and I can’t think of the correct word, or don’t know the correct word. Yesterday (Tuesday) we did a lot of conversing about different topics like my life and family in the United States and her life/family. We also talked about food, so I told her I was a vegetarian. Then, I had to explain why I am a vegetarian, in Spanish. It was not an easy task, but I think I got the idea across (with the help of lots of hand signaling.). We reviewed basic vocabulary and verb conjugation in the present tense. My tarea (homework) was to write a page about my Guatemalan family.

Today in class (Wednesday), we reviewed my homework, added some verbs and adjectives to my list of vocabulary to study, and worked on the verbs “ser” and “estar.” The concepts are complicated because English sentences cannot be said in Spanish in the exact same form. So, the trick is to wrap my head around a whole new way of forming sentences. I am picking up more and more as people talk, but I still don’t know how to respond very well, so I definitely need a lot of practice!

After classes yesterday, we had a walking tour of Zona 3. We walked through an extremely large market that sold everything from shoes to books to pig’s feet and cow’s liver (I especially enjoyed seeing and smelling that!) and visited a bakery that is well known in Guatemala, but only open on Tuesdays and Fridays. They had so many delicious looking items, but I decided on a carrot cake muffin. It was delicious!

We also walked to a mall that looked a lot like an American mall where I got my cell phone and exchanged my US dollars for more Quetzals. The last stop on our walk tour was a sports complex that has a track, tennis courts, basketball courts and baseball fields. After seeing that, our leaders left us to our own devices to get home. It took us an hour, but with some good groupwork we got back safely!

Yesterday (Tuesday) morning and this (Wednesday) morning, I went running with a group of people from Somos Hermanos. We have to go running in the morning before school because the torrential downpours usually start around 2pm and never end. With the combination of hills, altitude, and a significant amount of smog in the air, running is a little challenging at the moment, but I’m hoping it will get easier. The views of the city aren’t that great. Most of the time spent running is being careful to not step in a pothole, slip on a piece of trash, or get hit by a car, but when we are waiting at stop signs I’ll look up and see the volcanoes and mountains surrounding us, and that is pretty! I am looking forward to hiking them.

For dinner Tuesday night I had Ramen for the first time. Who would have thought that the first time I would eat Ramen would be in Guatemala?! I’m pretty sure Ramen has chicken broth, but I ate it because I was cold, hungry, didn’t know how to ask if it had chicken broth in it, and figured it would be extremely rude to refuse to eat.

After dinner, I did my homework and then played the card game Phase 10 with the whole family. It was a lot of fun and a great way to let loose and get to know people, especially since card games don’t require a lot of complicated conversation. We played for a good 3 hours.

This afternoon (Wednesday) we watched a documentary called Recycled Life. It is about the largest landfill in Guatemala. The movie talked about the lifestyles of those living there (called “guajeros”), the dangerous and unhealthy conditions, and those who have tried to help change the situation. But it also talked about how the people living there have families that have been living the lifestyle for many generations. That life is all they know, and they felt very strongly about not having it changed. After the movie, we discussed possible ways to combine modern healthcare with traditional views. We also highlighted the importance of understanding traditions and becoming lifelong learners in our medical professions.

Our conversation transitioned to the elections that will be happening in Guatemala September 11. There are 2 rounds of elections, and for the first election there are approximately 22 parties with a candidate for each. After the September election, the top two winners are re-voted on some time in October. We talked a little about the political parties, the governmental reforms that have occurred in the past and the reforms people are talking about for the future. It was a very interesting conversation, and I am excited to learn more about the process and be involved with the community as the election unfolds.

That’s it for now… sorry I don’t have any pictures today!