A Drunkard in Xela Who Can't Spell

Ok I will prefix this by stating what my current situation: I'm sitting a cafe and with a liter of beer for myself. I ordered from the waitress who I vaguely know because she's dating a friend of mine and while my spanish isn't completely up to fluent yet, I gathered that she mumbled under her breathe "Wow, what a drunk" or something to that extent. In my defense, the beer here is so light, it makes PBR look as strong as Deschutes' The Abyss. Just sayin'...


So now that I have time to fully articulate and a whole beer to drink, I think I should explain what my current situation is. When I arrived in Xela, I was set up in a host family just outside Xela proper (about a 10 minute walk into the center). Right now, my day goes as follows:

• 7:30 Family breakfast. Mi madre de guatemala talks to me in spanish and forces me to talk back.
• 8:00 - 1:00pm One-on-one spanish classes. My teacher isn't super great but she provides a decent structure for me to have to talk in spanish to her. I've grown as a spanish speaker so much in the last 3 days.
• 1:00 - 2:00 Lunch with my host family. More spanish talking and a rice and beans meal with a tortilla.
• 2:00 - 4:30 Researching for my internship. So many papers to read, so little time.
• 4:30 - 5:00 Semilla Nueva meeting.
• 5:00 - 6:30 Study Spanish.
• 6:30 - 7:30 Dinner with host family. More talking, most of which I don't understand. Sad times.
• 7:30 - 9:30 Study or read for Semilla Nueva.
• 9:30 - 10:30 Study spanish.
• 10:30 Get ready for bed. By 9pm, I've generally felt really tired and out of it.

That's my day. I've never been more busy than I am right now. I think its setting me up well for graduate school, especially the research aspect.

As far as my host family, they have been great. Three square meals and friendly hospitality. Mi madre wears traditional mayan clothing everyday and mi padre is really into soccer so we can bond through the little spanish I have about Xelaju MC and Seattle Sounders FC.

After the 19th, I plan on moving out of my host family's house and into an apartment on my own. An apartment for a month is about $150 including wireless internet. Super cheap. I will be working 8-10 hours a day for Semilla Nueva when my spanish classes are done and then weekends will be free for me to explore Lake Atitlan, Antigua, Tikal, and everything else this beautiful country has to offer.

I plan on taking pictures this weekend and posting a few more things about my initial impressions of Xela and Guatemalans. But until then, I'm going to finish this beer (which has made this post really hard to write) and head home to study more spanish. Buenas noches!