Learning Spanish

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The day starts as the sun just begins to clear the mountains here in Xelaju (Quetzaltenango). We wake up and get ready for class eating breakfast with our host family before walking 4 blocks to school. We are studying at Escuela Minerva and every student there has a private tutor for 5 hours per day monday through friday. Corey´s instructor is named Astrid and Chris´ instructor is Miriam.

The teachers focus on how much time you have and try to personalize the instruction to your Spanish level coming in. It can be hard for teachers to gauge what level you are at so Corey and Chris made it easy on them and admitted to being total beginners. Our lessons have been going for the majority of our time here and have focused on gramar as well as vocabulary. The immersion with a Spanish speaking family also really helps the Spanish "stick".

The school organizes and coordinates fieldtrips and activities for "practical use of your SPanish away from the classroom." So far since we have come to Xela we have been to several markets, learned a little salsa dancing, played soccer against the teachers, visited a glass making factory, climbed several volcanoes, watched Spanish movies and enjoyed lectures, in Spanish, on Mayan history, Guatemalan history and the economic history of Guatemala.

In the afternoon at one we return to our host family for lunch and begin working on our homework and practicing our Spanish. Corey is volunteering in a hospital here to help cement her medical Spanish.

In the next few weeks, we will post pictures and stories from our trip to Tikal and Antigua and also get some more pictures of the lovely country that is Guatemala.

Miguel de Cervantes - "It is one thing to praise discipline, and another to submit to it."

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Photos

Cyclist with guitar
Not much shoulder room for bike riding in Guatemala. We prefer to stay in the safety of the vans and buses.

Hand woven baskets
During one of our field trips we visited a coffee plantation that still uses technology over 100 years old to process their coffee beans. In the plant, they still use wicker baskets made by hand to move the processed beans to be dried.

Pigs at market
San Francisco de Alto has a large animal market in addition to the handicrafts, textiles and food for sale in most markets.

Manteles y blusas
Tableclothes and blouses are just a few of the highlights found in Guatemala´s vaired markets.

At the top of Mueles
Corey and Chris climbed up the remains of a volcanic crater that overlooks Xela.

Bus vendor
This t-shirt reminded us of home. Guatemalans receive millions of dollars from family members working in the United States and then wiring the money back to Guatemala. They also send gifts including West Seattle High School t-shirts.