The past few weeks there has been a strange tension in the house between some of the students here and another particular student. Things seemed to come to a sudden solution when that student suddenly moved out of the house. The whole situation was really odd, but at the end of the day it is really wonderful to have regained some peace and harmony in the house again.
Which had perfect timing as this week has been incredibly wet. Thanks to the influence of a tropical storm, Guatemala has received the equivalent of one months rain in a few days. Considering that we are now spending a significant amount of time in the house, it is nice to have some cohesiveness between the students. And it has also given rise to the opportunity to get to know our five new housemates. A Welsh couple, two Americans, and one Brit.
This weeks Spanish classes have been really interesting and I definitely feel like my brain is on overload. Even though I complain on here, my Spanish has had an incredible improvement from my first day here until know. I can carry a conversation in Spanish now, and can for the most part comprehend what’s going on around me. I definitely have a long way to go, but this has been an incredible help. Anyone who wants to travel down in Central or South America, it is definitely worth spending some time learning Spanish. Even if it is only a week, you will not regret it.
One thing I really have loved about Antigua is just how small it is and how nearly everyday someone is having a fiesta. Case in point, after the football match I found myself at Iglesia San Francisco again. At the time there just happened to be some sort of procession going on leaving the Church into the parking lot. But it was a great way to get a glimpse up close some of the traditional women's garb and the colourful Catholic outfits. This fiesta also included a street market, which if nothing else had some amazing smelling local specialties.
The previous day, I went to the nearby Church’s ruins in order to escape the house and get some studying done. I just happened to have the good fortune of arriving as the local school’s bands decided to put on a wee show. The only song I remember was Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence, which I must admit make me crack a grin.
When my studying is not being interrupted by school bands, it is still difficult to study outside here. Apart from the fact there are very few places to study outside, if you do end up finding somewhere you will likely have at least one ant on your person at any given moment. Granted these are small little things, but naturally it is not something I particularly enjoy either. However, I will say that nothing beats studying Spanish in the ruins of a Church while basking in sun.
Today I also had to cancel my upcoming trip to Tikal and Rio Dulce due to the damage the rain has caused on Guatemalan highways. Essentially today my teacher advised me that going would be tantamount to stupidity. Not entirely sure if that’s the case, but I also know that if I’m paying a significant amount of money to visit Tikal and Livingston, I should do it when the weather is significantly better. Which at the moment better be next weekend.
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