Settling In...

After what I am surprised to say has only been 3 days (!) we are finally settling into our new life in Xela. Back on track, and out of Antigua, we have begun school. Waking up earlier than I have since highschool, I am learning to see daylight in the 6:00 hour--granted it´s 6:45, but still--probably to the delight of my father. We are living in a little yellow casa about 4 blocks from school with Edna, who has become our new mom, and her mom (unable to be in the picture with us), as well as her daughter, Viki, who is 16. Much to the dismay of her mother, who is a retired sex-ed teacher, Viki is pregnant and due the same time as Bronwen. Edna now only cries occasionally. It made me wonder if she cries a lot, or particularly if she cried when our first night with our new family, Sarah and I slept through dinner by mistake, having traveled 6 hours on 3 different busses through the mountains with the only hope brought by the heaven-sent Dramamine we took. Edna´s granddaughter has also taken a liking to us as I think we have the same vocabulary. She may actually have more.

But the city is wonderful--all that the guidebooks said it would be and more. The streets are stone and simple, but busy enough that I daily think I am going to die either from the speed of the mini buses and mopeds, or from asphyxiation from their deisel engines. ITs amazing how quickly we are picking up the language. EIther that or people are very nice because currently I speak in only broken sentences comprised of the present tense. At the dinner table people seem to speak louder when directing questions to sarah and me, I suppose because they think that this helps, when in fact we simply don´t know what they are saying...yet.

Our classes are all outside and one-on-one. Its the learning environment I have always wanted. We sip coffee and sit in the sunshine, and laugh at my poor knowledge of spanish vocabulary, but I can ask as many questions as I like!! Not to mention the school offers a PLETHORA ("Would you say that I have a plethora of piñatas?" "A WHAT?" "A plethora.") of activities--hikes, trips to hot springs, movies, lectures, parties. The mentality of the school is awesome--they really want us to learn and be educated, as opposed to leave having some new vocabulary.

We are now off to perhaps plan some more of our trip, because as of now we are here for two more weeks, and then have no further plans. Hopefully we will also make it to our yoga class, which it turns out is similar to flogging, as my muscles are still sore from Monday´s class which kicked our booty. I am hoping that our teachers hair will still be unwashed and the 5´x 12´room will still be packed with 20 people, creating a perfect mix of sweat and incense that makes you both light headed and sort of want to vomit. It´s all wonderful.

Paz y amor.
K