Meet The Family

i feel very comfortable in guatemala. i have fond memories and experiences from asia, but i feel like i can relate to central american culture on a different level. perhaps it is the language. now i am not a spanish speaker, but it feels more attainable as it is based on the more familiar common language it shares with english, that is latin. perhaps it also has to do with the fact that cultures are a sort of expression of religion, or at least reflect values and beliefs from a religion. while i am not particularly religious, i am more familiar with a christian=based culture and the deities it displays. i guess, for me, with familiarity comes comfort. with that said, however, south american cultures maintain thier own individual histories, heritage and customs creating a beautiful culture that varies from my own. and it is a friendly people that i am immensely enjoying.

so here is a brief intro to my "guatemalan family". my maestra, veronica, is an intelligent woman and an excellent teacher. we similarly share more liberal ideals, and conversation is rarely boring...for me. but my input is stifled by my language handicap, so i cannot speak for veronica. hahaha. the 2 women that operate the school, yannette and maribel are equally as fantastic.

as for my home living with 3 siblings in their 60s in xela, they are all quite kind and huggable. romelia is a sweet woman, traditionally dressed in colorfully full dress and double braids laced with ribbon. she is a fantastic cook, and i am becoming one with corn as that is the staple of my diet (corn tortillas, tacos, tomalitos...) along with beans...lots of beans...and i love it. i crave the tomalitos. i now need them. and i have been contributing my share of methane to global warming. hahaha! she, understandably can be a little more frustrated with the language barrier, reminding me to use my dictionary and correcting my pronunciation (which i appreciate). she also knows when i speak more english. i guess (somehow) my spanish worsens, although i find that hard to believe. i may have told them that they are a woman family instead of the best. they seemed to take it as a compliment anyway. but i definitely told fellow classmates that i ate women for lunch (in broken spanish).

anyway, jorge and i have become fast friends. he is a soft spoken man, a patient listener, and a lover of music. carlos is the brother i see the least as he moves at a brisk pace and carries a distinguished but friendly air with him. he speaks quickly, and i unfortunately can comprehend little, although i am looking forward to the day that i can discuss with him. i believe they all have much to say and are interested in discussion. unfortunately, i have little to offer at this point.