Primero Lección

29^th May 2012

First day of Spanish School, and about 30 more to go!! Phew that was intense.  It’s a full on 4 hours a day at ones own pace, as lessons are one on one, but there is much to learn. Our teachers are very patient, and have an excellent grip of English which helps immensely. Most Guatemalans only speak English if their parents are able to afford to send them to good schools, as free English education isn’t available to public schools, so the young adults must work very hard on their own accord to learn English.

We actually learn off one another. We want to understand about their cultures and tradition and they want to know how two adults over the age of 20 are not yet married and don’t have at least six children by now.

We have been putting it all into practice with our host family, and conversations have now graduated from flailing arm movements and Si or Me Gusta to lyric much more fulfilling.

The day runs from 8am to 12pm at San Pedro Spanish School. In the morning we tuck into breakfast at home, usually pancakes, and pop down the road for lessons. At noon , we head back home for lunch, where the youngest child of the family, Bartolito, has already finished school for the day and joins us, and tells us about his basketball practice. I don’t think he actually does anything else except play this game. His mother Elsa and sister Juanita also eat and converse. Todays topic over lunch was trying to describe the wonders of passionfruit to Guatemalans and how to nick the neighbours avocados off the trees.

In the afternoon, we stroll around the town, which is very quiet, except for the Irish bar full of drunken expats and mangy dogs. Im sure we all have a local like that.

Dinner is at 6.30pm each night, where Bart the Father joins us and tells us about his day. He is a school teacher, like his wife, and he is also a tour guide in the afternoons. The Spanish word for guide is “guia”, which is prononuced “gayer”, but he has stressed he is not gay.

After dinner, we offer to help with chores, which is usually washing up or shooing the dogs off the front porch. Before bed there is of course Spanish homework to complete, before we are ready for the next day.

Adios!

***********