Back to school

It was funny, on Sunday I said to Will, emphatically, "It is so wonderful to not have to work or go to school" when Will reminded me that, in fact, we are working (in exchange for our living quarters and meals,) and we are going to language school. Of course, that was true, but down here in Guatemala, the work and the school are so much different than what we have been used to.

So Monday, school began! After conferring with Dave, we planned to take la lancha to San Pedro in the morning. And so, waking up at 6, taking care of the chores, and yoga and breakfast, we headed off to the muelle. We ended up following the route we had taken to get here, only in reverse: San Pablo to San Marcos to San Pedro. As Will mentioned, the drivers do not like to stop at San Pablo. Since we didn't want to risk being late for our first day of school, we decided to take the certain, if longer and more expensive, route to San Pedro. We arrived without a hitch, and happily walked the mile to la escuela. Five minutes early is perfect timing in my book, and we were shortly introduced to our teachers, Luis for Michelle and Wilson for Will.

Our classes are spectacular! We have one-on-one instruction, which allows for individualized teaching. My session began with a long conversation where Luis spoke only in Spanish, gauging my knowledge. It was great practice, but very difficult. I find only a few things return to me from Spanish classes in high school 15 years ago. After the long conversation, we got to work with the lessons. We reviewed basic concepts, which I remembered easily (letters of the alphabet, numbers, conjugation in the present tense...) then focused more heavily and some other beginner lessons for the remainder of the the four hour morning session.

For lunch, Will and I walked all through town and the market. We bought some tortillas and avocate (avocado) for lunch and sat down in front of the Catholic church, in a beautiful well kept park, complete with benches and a fountain. Will's stomach bug had run its course, and we enjoyed the local meal. On our walk back, we bought some fresh squeezed jugo de naranja (orange juice). I left Will in the market, and headed to my afternoon class. I have elected to study for 6 hours a day, while Will had decided to attend class for four. We'll decide later if either of us want to adjust as the weeks progress. My afternoon class proceeded similarly to the morning. Conversational practice, followed by lessons and repetitions. We left, tired and arms loaded with groceries, headed to la muelle in San Pedro to catch our lancha back to San Pablo.

In addition to appreciating the structure of the classes, the setting is magnificent. Tucked away from the center of "Gringolandia" as my instructor refers to it, there is ample space to host approximately 10, maybe 12 students on the beautifully landscaped property. There are little platforms each with a palm or grass roof, furnished with a table and basic plastic chairs which are comfortable enough. The learning spaces are small but not too small, and spread far enough apart that a different student's lesson is not a distraction,. The entire area is landscaped with local flora and some winding trails leading to the platforms. It is a beautiful scene, and peaceful, incredibly conducive to learning.



Tuesday proceeded similarly to Monday, with both of us advancing in our studies and enjoying our class time. Today, though, we decided to see if we could arrange a deal with a local kayak rental place. Our hope was that we could rent a kayak for a reduced rate overnight, when no one else would want to rent a kayak, and save a few Quetzales on the "tourista" lancha fair- which is about twice as much as the locals. Everyone are firm hagglers. After some difficulty recalling our new vocabulary words, we came to a great deal with the man who owns the kayaks. He was fine with us taking a kayak overnight and returning it in the morning. He even told us if he wasn't there some evening we could take the kayak and pay him the next morning or evening. We were so pleased with this excellent deal. We not only save money and get to enjoy the lake, but we will get some additional exercise too! Unbelievably, it only took us 25 minutes to paddle across the lake, and about 15 to carry the kayak to a safe location on Dave's property. If the lancha went straight to San Pedro it would take 15 minutes, but its route through San Marcos can take 30+ waiting for the connection. Save time, money, get a beautiful view, adventure, reduce fossil fuel consumption, AND get exercise??? Take that lancha drivers... No somos touristas! Evidenced by the fact that we are the ONLY ones who you see crossing the lake in a kayak.... :)

That brings us to Wednesday, when Will woke again with a stomach issue, leading us to vow to avoid any questionable food down here. Will braved the kayak with me, since we didn't want to break our promise to the kayak owner, but chose to get back to San Pablo as soon as we arrived in San Pedro. I made the walk to school without him, and he made his way home. My day at class was great. I am feeling more confident in my interactions and understanding more and more. During my break today I went to the Farmacia to see what medications might be available in case Will was sick for longer than a day this time. I left feeling concerned that so many medications with dangerous side effects we so readily available over the counter. The pharmacist recommended a medication for nausea/vomitting that had me worried. While this medication (Metoclopromide for my medical/nursing readers) is an effective antiemetic, I would not advise anyone to take it for a day of sickness. It is a strong medicine, with potentially life-long side effects. It has it's place in modern medicine, and taking small doses for a short time reduces the risk, but I still would hesitate to take this EVER. My trip to the farmacia reminded me that I should not be buying medications that would normally require prescriptions, and thorough understanding/education, in the United States. Luckily, Will is feeling much better this evening and plans to return to school tomorrow.

Well, I think we are all caught up for now. Until next time, buenos noches!

Michelle