It begins...

It's day 2.5. We arrived on Sunday afternoon, and it's Tuesday.

Our homestay is with a lovely family, la madre = Maia. The houses in Guatemala are all partially open to the air, and seem to all have lots of rooms. The doors are wrought iron and everything is made to circle an open courtyard. From the outside, the houses are squat, discreet buildings (edificios) with short, thick wooden doors and little revealed to the outside world. But inside, the families are warm, welcoming and sweet. Maia fills us with good, tasty food every day and won't let us speak inglese at the table. I'm staying with 5 students from MetEast, and we were joined by Lars, from allemagne, today. Maia works hard to fill the silence at the table. Maxie, Lars and I work to speak Spanish with her (it's harder for some of us than others) and I hope the other girls will begin to be less embarrassed soon and take some chances at conversation.

The school is basically a big courtyard, with tiny white tables for each maestro y estudiante. We are working in very small classes (1-3 students) and the learning is lightning-fast. Between school, studying and speaking Spanish at home, I feel like I've learned more of this language in 2 days than I learned of Italian in the three months I was in Rome. Last night, as I tried to sleep, a salad of Spanish words (palabras) was racing through my head. It was incessant! But I realized that I've gained so much knowledge! And yo tengo hambre! I want more!

The weather is interesting. It's cool sometimes, in the morning and at night, and it gets pretty hot midday. It rains every day, and the time and duration of the rain are unpredictable. The rain comes usually after lunch sometime, and can be light or medium, and last 10 minutes or an hour. It also rained at night on Sunday. The sound of the rain on the rooftops was very pleasant.

Being here with 13 students is no small challenge. They seem to be adjusting very well, however, since they found a McDonald's with internet access. To them, it is the holy grail in a foreign country. My speech on the evil ubiquity of global corporations falls on deaf ears. I am really impressed with most students, as they seem eager to learn, enjoy school, and are excited about the city. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a huge change for them, and they each need to take it at their own paces. Today, I actually have some time to myself, and I'm realizing how much I really needed it. At night, I have been too mentally tired to enjoy my solitude, but now I can revel in it! It's 3:00 in the afternoon. I'm at a cafe in plaza mayor and I'm free until 4:45, when my salsa & bachata lesson begins! As soon as I finish at the cafe, I will squeeze in some shopping. Souvenirs and post cards needed immediately!

This weekend, we head to Tikal to see the Mayan ruins. I'm really excited, and I hope that the kids will like them as much as I do. Also, we are staying at a hotel with a pool, and I know that will be a big hit!

I will write again when I have a chance. I am afraid my blogging will not be as creative or scintillating as usual, as all of my brain power is centered on maintaining a sense of balance and trying to communicate orally at the moment. Bear with me. Things are always getting better!

My love to all at home, and I can't wait to see you.

--Jennifer