This past weekend, a group of students that attend the school were on a short trip, hitting all the tourist-y spots across Guatemala. They returned late Sunday, so now there are even more students here! All of the Spanish-learning students that are here (there are 10 of us taking classes here, 5 that live in the house, 5 that live in nearby homes) everyone except me will be gone within the next three weeks. It makes me a little sad because I already enjoy being around all these people! After they leave, one other student is scheduled to come. So we will see what that is like! The Guatemalan students will still be here though- of which I am very glad.
Yesterday, a guy showed up, wanting information about the school. He didn't speak Spanish and he was actually from Taiwan so his English was a little hard to understand. Entonces, Doña Cyndi asked me to translate for her while she gave him a tour of the school. He asked a lot of questions that I got to help him answer. It was so very neat and I really enjoyed it! My first moment as an interpreter.
The weather yesterday during class was beautiful. About two hours into our classes each day, we stop for a snack. Yesterday it was a warm, creamy banana drink and today it was a rice drink with sweet bread. So yummy.
Mia, the shameless killer, enjoying el sol.
Dance class yesterday was yet another learning experience! I have learned the three basic steps of the salsa: the basic, the open, and the marimba, plus the turn, and figure 1 and 2. A lot remains- like learning how to move to the beat, not lose my balance when I spin, and not look at my feet- but I am optimistic, you guys. It was raining on the way back from dance class, so we took a bus that was completely packed and a challenge to balance in. I thought it was 25 quetzales to take the bus, but I had only brought 20, so Angel paid for me and some other people. Then today, I repaid him. He laughed because it was apparently only 1.25 quetzal to ride the bus and there I was, trying to give him over 20 times that in return. Thank goodness for good people. Buena gente.
Today, class was kind of a drag because 1) it was raining a beautiful, sleepy, steady rain and 2) we were going over irregular verbs that I have already learned two or three times. I know the verbs. In a written test, I could write the correct forms. Talking is just a different story, because knowing the irregulars on paper certainly doesn't mean you can spit them out in a timely fashion. Basically, today's class was tedious, but necessary.
Afterwards, I took a short nap, did homework, had lunch, then more homework. Tomorrow, we are going to have a cena internacional, where everyone brings something from their country for dinner. My first thought was hot dogs- is anyone surprised?- but then I decided I might want to go for something a little more original. So I am going to make my mother's delicious mock mashed potatoes with cauliflower. ¡Qué rico!
After we returned from el supermercado, a few of us piled on the couch and watched Crazy, Stupid Love in Spanish. It's funny watching a movie translated into another language. Of course their lips don't move with the words and the translation is not always direct. But it's funny.
Then we had dinner (some delicious, delicious soup with sour dough bread!), then we talked for a bit, then we had a clase de chocolate and learned how to make chocolate from scratch.
We separated the beans by size.
Toasted the beans. Then burned our hands peeling the shell off.
Then the beans when through this hand-cranked machine,
and it was absolutely incredible because there was no water or anything, but due to the nature of the beans and the friction from the grinding, they turned into a shiny, liquidy mush. It was amazing! Terribly bitter to taste, but amazing to see.
We added sugar and cinnamon and shaped them into balls. Tomorrow, we will get to try them! In the meantime, Doña Cyndi had some on reserve that she quickly made into hot chocolate for us! It is not quite as sweet as our idea of hot chocolate in the United States, but it tastes so fresh and rich. Doña Cyndi has a business selling it so I will most likely be bringing some home!
This weekend, we are going to hike a nearby montaña that has a crater lake at the top! Really excited about that! I also found out that there is going to be a color run in a few weeks that I might participate in! ¡Muchas cosas, muchas cosas! Thanks for reading!
I love this!
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