lightning strikes in antigua
well, it took me 6 years to get here, and now i might not ever leave. antigua is enchanting. i am using the computer lab at my school, which overlooks one of the three volacanoes that surround antigua. i just saw a dim flash of lightning in the clouds. i am really happy with my choice of schools, not just because of the birdseye view of the volcano through the window in my room or anywhere else on the school grounds, but that certainly doesnt hurt. the entrance of the school, like most places in antigua, is behind a large, imposing wooden door and a high wall, but inside it is a maze of outdoor and indoor verandas, built around a large couryard that is serves as the classroom. in the mornings the courtyard is dotted with several single wooden tables and chairs, with instructors dressed formally in suits and ties, and students dressed like, well, students. this is the first session of class, from 8 til 12. the place starts getting rowdy around 730, with students and teachers alike wandering around, talking, setting up. then class starts, and everybody retreats to their own patch of space, to immerse themselves in individual spanish worlds with their instructors. the minute the clock strikes 12, however, music starts playing and every last person, except for me and my instructor, clears out. i had no idea that in choosing to study for 5hrs a day instead of 4, i would be outside of the norm. the last hour was nice, having the entire courtyard to my meager spanish attemps, although by 1 my head felt like it was going to explode. some people opt to take the 1 to 5 classes, since it rains often in the afternoons, but i like having class first thing in the morning.
so far i like my instructor, who seems very educated and patient, although i caught him looking bored a couple of times. it was tiring having to concentrate so intensely for 5 hours straight. i was happy that i understood most of what he was saying, and we broached topics ranging from how chileans regard indigenous people and the horrific recent guatemalan history to the US presidential elections. of course, he was speaking at the rate of a retarded child, so it was not all that difficult to understand him if you knew the words. based on the written assessment that i took, i am at a medium comprehension level. however, the holes in my spanish are abundant, and i am much better at writing it than speaking it. we identified areas to work on and i have a lot of practice and studying ahead of me. it annoys me that i have forgotten things that i knew completely a few years back and i wish i had continued then so i would be at a better level now....ce la vie.....i spent the afternoon studying in a beautiful colonial era mansion that was turned into a bakery and cafe, in a courtyard filled with flowes and birds, that dflo recommended-thanks d!
there went another flash of lightning, only this one much brighter than the last. this is the rainy season in guatemala, and i experienced my first dose of it about 30 minutes into my first walk around town yesterday. the sky went from pale blue to cloudy, then pouring rain, in less than five minutes. i camped out under an awning across from an open air church that looked and sounded like a music hall, and waited it out. i learned my first guatemala lesson: never go anywhere without an umbrella, because it rains here a lot. today, however, was beautiful all day, a rare dry summer day in the guatemalan highlands.
i am taking pictures of everything and anything. i think i have seen few towns as picturesque. i was a bit worried, based on what i read, that antigua would feel overrun with tourists, but it definitely is not the case. there are tourists, of course, given the abundance of spanish schools here. but this is a living, breathing town, steeped in its own culture and history, and it feels squarely guatemalan. people live their lives and exist, and the tourists are window dressing. they are here, but escapable if you so desire.
the lightning is much closer and vivid now. tonight, i am going to go study and then watch bad cable tv as a reward. tomorrow after class i am doing a walking tour organized by my school to visit some of the ruins around antigua, and on wednesday i am going to hike the pacaya volcano, which is active. i am so happy that i finally came here and did this. besides wishing i had a lot more than 2 weeks, i am feeling pretty content and relaxed. more to come about my guatemalan adventure.....
so far i like my instructor, who seems very educated and patient, although i caught him looking bored a couple of times. it was tiring having to concentrate so intensely for 5 hours straight. i was happy that i understood most of what he was saying, and we broached topics ranging from how chileans regard indigenous people and the horrific recent guatemalan history to the US presidential elections. of course, he was speaking at the rate of a retarded child, so it was not all that difficult to understand him if you knew the words. based on the written assessment that i took, i am at a medium comprehension level. however, the holes in my spanish are abundant, and i am much better at writing it than speaking it. we identified areas to work on and i have a lot of practice and studying ahead of me. it annoys me that i have forgotten things that i knew completely a few years back and i wish i had continued then so i would be at a better level now....ce la vie.....i spent the afternoon studying in a beautiful colonial era mansion that was turned into a bakery and cafe, in a courtyard filled with flowes and birds, that dflo recommended-thanks d!
there went another flash of lightning, only this one much brighter than the last. this is the rainy season in guatemala, and i experienced my first dose of it about 30 minutes into my first walk around town yesterday. the sky went from pale blue to cloudy, then pouring rain, in less than five minutes. i camped out under an awning across from an open air church that looked and sounded like a music hall, and waited it out. i learned my first guatemala lesson: never go anywhere without an umbrella, because it rains here a lot. today, however, was beautiful all day, a rare dry summer day in the guatemalan highlands.
i am taking pictures of everything and anything. i think i have seen few towns as picturesque. i was a bit worried, based on what i read, that antigua would feel overrun with tourists, but it definitely is not the case. there are tourists, of course, given the abundance of spanish schools here. but this is a living, breathing town, steeped in its own culture and history, and it feels squarely guatemalan. people live their lives and exist, and the tourists are window dressing. they are here, but escapable if you so desire.
the lightning is much closer and vivid now. tonight, i am going to go study and then watch bad cable tv as a reward. tomorrow after class i am doing a walking tour organized by my school to visit some of the ruins around antigua, and on wednesday i am going to hike the pacaya volcano, which is active. i am so happy that i finally came here and did this. besides wishing i had a lot more than 2 weeks, i am feeling pretty content and relaxed. more to come about my guatemalan adventure.....