The content for my classes this week has been SO interesting. We've been studying idiomatic expressions- lots of things that direct translation can't help you with. There has been some pretty hilarious sayings with ideas that are very comparable to things we use in the U.S. It's very hard to know whether an expression is very strong or not. People here will give you different responses when it comes to the "strength" of a word or saying, much like the U.S., I assume. I apparently tried to play a vulgar word for "butt" in Scrabble the other day without realizing. Then I used the word I learned for people who have dwarfism, and my teacher was like, "That's a very strong word..." Also, the other day, while we were studying idiomatic expressions, my teacher mentioned a word that I knew I had heard. I wanted to tell him I couldn't remember what the word meant, but the translation of what I ended up saying was, "I can't remember shit." He lost it. (Forgive me, Mom, for typing that word on my blog, but if my point is the chronicle the struggles of language learning, there it is.)
We learned a new figure in dance class for the salsa yesterday. It's kind of complicated, but we're getting there! Today we are going to learn a new figure for the bachata. Wish me luck! I tend be a kind of tense person at times, so dance class has created a sort of conflict for me because it presents me with this goal that I need to achieve, but also I have to relax and "feel the music" and other stuff that is hard to fit into my frame of mind when I'm "training" for something. As a result, I am constantly hearing "tranquila, tranquila" and "relajate" ("calm down," "relax") which I am pretty sure is a Guatemalan man's favorite phrase. They use it all the time. I get excited because I see a cute puppy or I ask what time it is, and I'm bound to hear: "Tranquila!"
After dance class yesterday, we stopped at a tent that was selling used books. I've met several people here who just have a serious love for books. I know people in the U.S. love their books too, but I've witnessed here a very precious appreciation for books from some people who might not have the money to buy books, but their eyes sure light up looking at them.
After class today, I went with two students to a museum that I had already visited with my teacher. I'm not really good at museums, but I typically can't focus enough to read the information posted. Luckily, one of the students was similar so we kind of buzzed through the museum and then stopped for ice cream on the way back home.
The weather has been so beautiful the past couple of days- not too hot, not too cold, just the right amount of sunshine. It looks like rain today, so we'll see. Tomorrow, we are going to visit the Fuentes Georginas, which is a natural hot spring. I'm so pumped about that! Friday will be the giving of the diplomas for all the students that are going to be leaving (seven of the nine students that are learning Spanish will leave Saturday). I'm really sad that they're leaving and I know the house will be different without everyone here! Amberly, who went on the trip to Jacal, in just a few weeks has become someone very precious to me and we've had so many wonderful conversations (yes, in English- for our sanity, okay?) and I know I'm going to be sad without her here!
No comments:
Post a Comment