A New Start

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My stomach has been a wreck all day today because yesterday I decided to leave the family I was with and accept a new one. It didn't seem to bother them but I have been very affected by it and I don't know why. My new place has a real shower, though I'm told hot water runs short in the morning after 7AM so maybe I will try to remember to shower at night. The house is very neat and clean, with a glass table top instead of a dirty cloth one. I ahve a table in my room, also two light bulbs instead of one, and shelves to put stuff on (only had a window ledge before, and the window was into the kitchen area (glass you cannot see through). This one is right across the street from the school, with one of the teachers and his family: two teenage sisters, mother, and currently one other student.

The fellow who stayed in the other house with me has been back in town this week and went on a trip with us monday to "Toto" (don't ask me how to spell the full name but it ends in "pican" I think! It is high up in the mountains north of here I believe, and is a very neat and clean community. I actually saw a socccer field that had grass! Unfortunatgely, I accidentally left my camera at home. We toured a Catholic church that must be close to 200 feet long and quite high, though not so wide. It was built to honour the patron saint of the community whose name I failed to write down (possibly the archangel Michael). We didn{t get back until 6:30 last night but the buses were not crfowded, at least the main buses weren't, so it was not an unpleasant trip like last Friday. I will have more to say about bus travel on my next kid's blog later this week (if I remember).

Last Saturday we were on a trip to Huehuetenango, locally referred to as Huehue. It is a 2 hour plus bus ride and the bus coming back was packed with three to a seat - keep in mind these are all old beat up American school buses with air horms installed and sound systems that constantly pump out loud music that is aimed at the younger set. Outside of town we visited the Mam ruins and that was quite interesting - small pyramids and other structures partially restored by the United Fruit Company in the 1950's. Sunday I attended what turned out to be an extremely fundamentalist Presbyterian church and was subjected to a diatribe (in Spanish) against Moslems and Roman Catholics (he didn't mention us United Church folk but I am sure we would be included!) That was at 8AM. I walked past a Roman Catholic service in process and ended up at San Marcos Anglican again at 10:30. The Scouts sponsored "lunch" and were selling tickets on something. Talked to both my friends there and am to have "coffee" with the one fellow on Friday afternoon.

Spanish is becoming more and more complicated. Today I started on the past tense of verbs, and their are so many things to remember, including a bunch of new verbs, I am just about on overload! But I think my comprehension of oral Spanish is a bit better as the days go by because my vocabulary is increasing slowly. Last night I got home late and did my packing so did not study much. Hope after supper (at 7PM) I feel better.

This afternoon we had a talk from a very enthusiastic and nice university professor who talked to us all (only four students attended) and gave us his email in case we have questions. It went until after 4PM, longer than normal for trhese "conferences". But it was interesting. The lond and the short of it is that they have a federal system with local administrative areas and offices but the local offices have no real power and the communication is all top down. Also, the have a supposedly independent group of nine people to organize electgions and such, but all the parties are more or less the same and the persons who contributes the most gets elected head of the party and tells everyone else what to do. People who lose elections simply switch to the winning party: I said it sounds a lot like Canada!

This Saturday I am invited to go horseback riding with the Cubs somehwere out of town, and Sunday there is a school trip to an ecopark closer to the coast - I am undecided about the latter but may go. Sounds like it is mainly a recreation area with hot springs or pools and also cold waters, and I cannot find my swim trunks so much ahvbe left them sitting in my room.

I've had no end of ptoblems lately accessing this blog and my Sasktel website, and also uploading pictures. Today I could not do replies or send any messages from Sasktel, had to use my gmail site. Thsi computer is right by the door with people brushing past me continuously, and the keyboard is different again from others I have used in the location of special keys other than the alphabet. So that's it for now - adios amigos!

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Comments

[anonymous]

Keep the news coming. All is well in Sask - thawing a little but more snow in the forecast for Monday. What experincesdyou are having! See you when you get home. Darlene

[Akela Nancy]

Almost as warm
Hola Allan! Your Esterhazy Cubs kicked my Yorkton Cubs to the curb at the Melville Kub Kars. It's almost as warm here as it is there (well maybe not quite) as the snow is finally melting and puddles are invading the playgrounds. Speaking of which, do they have playgrounds like ours down there? Hope your foot is all healed up!

[Dexter]

caught up
Have been very busy. Fianlly took the time tonight to catch up. Very interesting.

[Bonnie]

Hello Amigo
Sorry to hear the body is complaining but great to hear about your travels and the people and sights. Take care and keep blogging along.