A Day in Antigua

Although some of our time here in Antigua is to observe and soak in the new culture, we've probably spent the bulk of our time just studying and living life as a student (despite what the photo suggests).

A typical day for us is as such:

Every morning, except Sundays, and when we don't want breakfast, we are woken up by a knock and jingle: “desayuno” (which means breakfast) by the cleaning lady. This means breakfast is ready and time for us to start our day. We'll struggle out of bed, put on layers of clothing so we are not bitten by mosquitoes during breakfast and head over to the dining room.

After breakfast, we head off to class for our first four hours of Spanish. Fortunately, class is held just across the street at our neighbor's patio. Although it is very convenient for us, there are several amusing aspects about having class here. First, the house is located right next to a tannery, a place where they make leather, so we are blessed every day with wild scents of dead animals. During our first week, I thought it was the parrot and canaries giving off these foul odors but I soon found out the smell was from next door. You have to love leather.

At 12 pm, we head back home, At approximately 12:15 or so, we get another knock and “almuerzo” (lunch). Almuerzo is typically the largest meal of the day in Guatemala. If we are served meat, this is typically the meal where it's served. We head off to class after lunch for an additional two hours (of Spanish conversation). Although we find it helpful, you can imagine how challenging it can be sometimes to find an interesting conversation for two full hours.

After class, we either study at a cafe or go to the gym.

(Although this week we've discontinued our additional two hours of Spanish in the afternoon for additional studies, and hopefully more blog entries.)

Approximately 6:15 pm, we receive one last knock and “cena” (dinner). Dinner typically consists of vegetables, frijoles, rice or pasta.

We have frequented some bars and clubs here, although, I (Agnes) still find it a bit unnerving to walk around in the dark with just the two of us. I'm getting use to it though. We will go out typically on Fridays and Saturdays, if at all.

Last Friday, we went to a local dance club “Sin Ventura.” As you can see from the photo(s), we had a great time. This is a bar/club where many locals (also known as 'Guatamaltecans') and tourists frequent. We went with several of our friends from school and met some locals as well.

As a side bar, here's some studying tips we (or at least, I, Agnes) have used:

Since it's been many years since we've last taken a class in anything that required memorization, I (Agnes) have forgotten how much work is required to learn a new language. I've learned new tricks to keep myself motivated. For instance, I'll reward myself with coffee or a shower (yes, I'm much dirtier now) only after I've conjugated a stack of my flash cards in future tense. I've also learned to stretch and do push-ups while I'm studying. Hope you find this helpful.