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Published: October 26th 2007
View of San Pedro
Yes I did climb up another hill, but it was only a small one!Aargh! My brain is hurting because I´ve just finished my second week at Spanish School. This school was definitely more relaxed then my last one. Lessons take place under palapas in a garden, and this morning I spent an hour of my lesson swimming in the lake with my teacher. I´m still not by any means a Spanish genius, but I do know a lot more and can actually use the past tense now (kind of!). No more ¨Yesterday I go to the beach¨for me! I can actually make a bit of sense when I speak now! Woo hoo!
This week I´ve been staying in a town called San Pedro La Laguna which is perched on the edge of Lake Atitlan. It´s really pretty with views of mountains and the lake everywhere, although I´m often a bit dumb and think I´m on an island. The weather here is quite temperamental. Every morning there is clear skies and sun (when I´m in lessons- handy!) and in the afternoon it is either cloudy and chilly or it rains for hours.
The most interesting thing about this week is that I´ve been living with a Guatemalan family instead of staying in a
My Guatemalan house
It´s on the left with a little balcony. Notice the tuk-tuk in the street- they´re everywhere! Feel like I´m in Thailand again! hostel. Schools advise you to do this so that you are immersed in the language completely and supposedly learn faster. The whole thing has been a bit bizarre really. The family are lovely. Magdalena, the mum, gives me a kiss every time she sees me. I think it is her mission in life to clog up my arteries with all the massive dinners she keeps providing me with. Fried plantain, black beans, fried eggs in different formats, fried chicken, fried noodles (yummy though, I´m not complaining!) There are 2 boys, Abraham and Malachay who are little chubblers (not surprising with the food they´re eating) and who regularly beat me at cards.
The mum has about 20 different jobs to make ends meet and is quite stressed out about money at times, which has made me feel a bit uncomfortable at times. In the afternoons I try to get out of the house for a few hours to get a bit of space. Usually end up going for a drink and cake somewhere- this is definitley my fat week!
The house is clean, but it´s really weird! The bathroom is a concrete cell and has no sink, so to
My Guatemalan family
Mum Magdalena, Abraham (11) and Malaquia (7) clean your teeth you have to go to the weird concrete sink in the kitchen. There is a shower but it only dribbles cold water, so every morning they get a bucket of water and put this electric motor thing in it which heats it up. Then you have to use plastic bowls to pour water over yourself. The family sleep in the same room so that I can have a room to myself. My mattress is massive and looks quite new, but they´ve kept the plastic sheeting on it, so everytime I roll over in the night it makes loads of weird noises! It´s also a bit cold and noisy in the night, so I end up wearing my earplugs, hooded top and socks to bed!
It has definitley been an experience though. Wonder what feast Magdalena is going to cook me up tonight?!?
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Hannah
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Your classroom
Would love a classroom like that, what a great "outdoor area", though not sure our freezing frost and springtime snow would make it so hospitable! xxx