It's an adventure every day, but at least now the adventures are becoming a little more predictable.
School every day is wonderful. Four hours a day stretches my head. I forget words in English and I mix up even basic tenses in Spanish.
Example: I can conjugate future conditional (ex: I would go running, but...) and use gerunds in three tenses (ex: I was running, I am running, I will be running), but talking about single actions in the past (I ran) is a struggle sometimes. But I'm learning. And I'm taking an awful lot of naps, which help a whole lot.
Today in class I learned a word with 19 letters that's difficult for even native speakers to pronounce:
otorrinolaringólogo
In case you were wondering, this is the approximate equivalent of an ear, nose, and throat doctor. It all started with my figuring out how to say "meteorólogo" (meteorologist, which was in an example sentence) and somehow we end up with my stumbling through, o-tor-rin-o-lar-ing-ó-lo-go and getting applause from Esther, the tutor at the table next to mine, because she can't say it.
Evidently, I need to impress my Semillas kids with this word.
Speaking of which. My Semillas kids. I haven't even memorized everyone's name yet and already they're 'my kids.' They have my whole heart, and I can't even begin to explain how happy my heart was when I got to tell Miss Nancy that not only would we be back the next day, but that we would be honored to be coming back four days a week for the remainder of our time in Guatemala.
You can learn about the mission of Semillas de Amor by clicking *here* and *this* link will let you see their smiling faces, though the photos are a bit outdated. If you have any questions about the work they do by all means please ask! Abby (the other girl volunteering with me) and I have it so heavy on our hearts to have these kids' scholarships taken care of in full before we leave for the states. All of the work at Semillas is based on donations, and you can even specify which child (there are 12 kiddos ranging in age from 7 to 14) and which area the funds can be directed to (education or health and wellness).
On top of 20 hours of school and 8 hours of volunteering and a whole lot of naps every week, there's still somehow a little time to spare.
One of my favorite things to do has been to go walking until I find a new coffee shop to sit and study in. One of my favorite finds thus far was Cafe Condesa, where I ended up talking for a while with a couple from the states and going over some homework and notes. Q16 for a bottomless cup of Guatemalan coffee with milk. { p.s., everything you've ever dreamed of about Guatemalan coffee is true. It's delicious and fresh and I love walking into the courtyard at school seeing a coffee tree and looking forward to touring a coffee plantation later this semester!!}
I've found some adorable places and savored some incredible views this way...Cafe Skye, La Barista, La Casaca... you see the beautiful, tranquil side of Antigua this way. Terraces over Parque Central, some of the most delicious Limeade with soda water, and smoothies that make me never want to go back home.
I love living here. I love the culture and the language. I'm sure I'll be ready to go back when the time comes, but rest assured that it's beautiful here and I'm embracing every minute.
Aaaaaand Leo. Oh, Leo. He's some poodle-mutt with a fascination for humping things, licking feet, and being very much in the way. After a recent trip to the groomer, though, he's smelling a little better and is winning some points on the cuteness scale.
However, the dogs at Semillas have my heart. Two giant chow-chows and mutts of varying sizes, many of whom are fostered or adopted street dogs.
So I'm finding a routine. I'm developing life patterns and habits and settling in to a new family and new house (with NEW MATTRESSES!) and embracing every second of it.
Example: I can conjugate future conditional (ex: I would go running, but...) and use gerunds in three tenses (ex: I was running, I am running, I will be running), but talking about single actions in the past (I ran) is a struggle sometimes. But I'm learning. And I'm taking an awful lot of naps, which help a whole lot.
Today in class I learned a word with 19 letters that's difficult for even native speakers to pronounce:
otorrinolaringólogo
In case you were wondering, this is the approximate equivalent of an ear, nose, and throat doctor. It all started with my figuring out how to say "meteorólogo" (meteorologist, which was in an example sentence) and somehow we end up with my stumbling through, o-tor-rin-o-lar-ing-ó-lo-go and getting applause from Esther, the tutor at the table next to mine, because she can't say it.
Evidently, I need to impress my Semillas kids with this word.
Speaking of which. My Semillas kids. I haven't even memorized everyone's name yet and already they're 'my kids.' They have my whole heart, and I can't even begin to explain how happy my heart was when I got to tell Miss Nancy that not only would we be back the next day, but that we would be honored to be coming back four days a week for the remainder of our time in Guatemala.
You can learn about the mission of Semillas de Amor by clicking *here* and *this* link will let you see their smiling faces, though the photos are a bit outdated. If you have any questions about the work they do by all means please ask! Abby (the other girl volunteering with me) and I have it so heavy on our hearts to have these kids' scholarships taken care of in full before we leave for the states. All of the work at Semillas is based on donations, and you can even specify which child (there are 12 kiddos ranging in age from 7 to 14) and which area the funds can be directed to (education or health and wellness).
On top of 20 hours of school and 8 hours of volunteering and a whole lot of naps every week, there's still somehow a little time to spare.
One of my favorite things to do has been to go walking until I find a new coffee shop to sit and study in. One of my favorite finds thus far was Cafe Condesa, where I ended up talking for a while with a couple from the states and going over some homework and notes. Q16 for a bottomless cup of Guatemalan coffee with milk. { p.s., everything you've ever dreamed of about Guatemalan coffee is true. It's delicious and fresh and I love walking into the courtyard at school seeing a coffee tree and looking forward to touring a coffee plantation later this semester!!}
I've found some adorable places and savored some incredible views this way...Cafe Skye, La Barista, La Casaca... you see the beautiful, tranquil side of Antigua this way. Terraces over Parque Central, some of the most delicious Limeade with soda water, and smoothies that make me never want to go back home.
I love living here. I love the culture and the language. I'm sure I'll be ready to go back when the time comes, but rest assured that it's beautiful here and I'm embracing every minute.
Aaaaaand Leo. Oh, Leo. He's some poodle-mutt with a fascination for humping things, licking feet, and being very much in the way. After a recent trip to the groomer, though, he's smelling a little better and is winning some points on the cuteness scale.
However, the dogs at Semillas have my heart. Two giant chow-chows and mutts of varying sizes, many of whom are fostered or adopted street dogs.
So I'm finding a routine. I'm developing life patterns and habits and settling in to a new family and new house (with NEW MATTRESSES!) and embracing every second of it.