Hola! Where to begin?? This month has been quite intense with a lot of ups and downs (mostly ups). I decided it was necessary to have a better Spanish foundation, so alas here I type in Antigua, Guatemala! I'm currently attending CSA (Christian Spanish Academy), a top-notch language school here in the heart of Guatemala. I've been in Antigua for about 3 weeks and it's been fantastic. Great food, people, sites...and of course learning a new language! Win-win. I'm in school for about 5 hours 5 days a week, one-on-one with a born and bred Guatemalan. Mi maestra (Cristina) has been teaching for about 20 years in the school and is pretty awesome. Although, she's constantly asking me for medical advice/drug recommendations which I'm afraid is getting a bit lost in translation..ah well there's not a HUGE difference between Atenolol and Acetaminophen right (I kid..)?..Que Mas. My spanish is making very small improvements...in two weeks I've made it through quite a bit of vocabulary and understand how to conjugate (simple) verbs into past, present and future forms...POCO A POCO YO. It's difficult, everything's backwards compared to english, but I'm thoroughly enjoying my time. When's the next time I'll be able to just take a month and learn a new language, spend my days wandering new territory, meeting new faces and 'drinking in' such a different culture. Although, I peek at that dwindling bank account of mine and thoughts start to wander..oh well, a little poverty never hurt anyone, only makes you stronger?
My friends/co-workers from Honduras came to visit last weekend. oooooyyyyeee it was so much fun! We wandered Antigua together, climbed Volcano Pacaya, danced around/celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving at a hippie farm (Earth Lodge), ate at some delicious restaurants and met some interesting Guatemalan folk at the infamous discotheques. It was so good to see everyone again and was a great getaway. Although, my teacher was slightly disappointed in my lack of spanish usage over the weekend. Meh. The volcano was ridiculously amazing. The hike up was epic---dirt changing to gravel to volcanic rock. Breathtaking views that go on for miles. Children riding up on horses offering a 'taxi natural' for the tired folks.. And for the finale, a gigantic volcano! We got some colored marshmallows before the big hike and our guide roasted them for us above some lava. So cool. Not cool was the fact that I singed a few eyelashes after I got a bit too close to the lava. Ahhh well, they grow back, hopefully. Earth lodge was also just completely ridiculous. Again, some gorgeous views of the countryside and volcanos and the most chill atmosphere. Birds soaring through the valley of sorts, interesting people from all over the world, volcanos erupting-ish in the distance and enough bloody marys to last a lifetime. So so good.
Salsa too! I've been taking salsa lessons on and off at a little hole in the wall across town.
In general, Antigua's beautiful, quaint and bustling with activity...Cobblestone streets, tiny homes with flowers cascading down rooftops, gorgeous people always ready for a Buenos Dias, Tardes, Noches or Buenas plain and simple and ready to listen to your life-story and let us not forget the surrounding volcanos...however I actually miss Honduras. I think I'll be ready to go back. Antigua's a bit too plastic for me. Over time it's been infested with so much influence from other countries that it's lost its own identity. Perhaps not in total, but there are many parts that appear this way. I went to a coffee plantation a few weeks ago and they showed a video of indigenous people and their lifestyles/habits. Everyone I was with ooo'd and aahh'd and I sat there missing it and feeling grateful that I've been given the opportunity to fully experience such a culture. Antigua will be my jump-start #2 of sorts..
When I return to Honduras I've actually been considering breaking away a bit from the cervical cancer project Beth and I've been working on. It's become more of a one person project and the entirety of women's health is desperately needing some attention. The plan is to try and gather all the information I can on each specific program in women's health and then formulate attainable goals and strategize the best way to go about implementing them. Bit of a project to return to, but I'm very excited.
Alright, time for a negra modelo or two before shut-eye...I'm in desperate need of some sleep (sin earthquakes----yes! 2 since I've been here, small ones though, but enough to wake me up at night--bed shakin'). Hope you all are doing well, miss you guys! Fill me in on some state-side gossip... <3 <3
La
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