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Guatemala: May 20

During my first one-on-one spanish lesson yesterday afternoon, Julio, my maestro, asked if I remembered Hurricane Mitch. He was talking and drawing a map of Central America - drawing, always drawing. Oh, and by the way, a hurricane is expected to hit Guatemala at midnight tonight. It was the first I´d heard about it. Today is the sunniest (or least overcast) day I´ve seen yet and, to my eye, there isn´t a storm in sight. Last night "Adrian" hit El Salvador, just south of here, with a bit less force than Julio and others expected. That´s not going to stop me from saying that I survived Hurricane Adrian! Maybe I can find a shirt that says as much. Speaking of natural disasters, two nights back I awoke to feel my bed shaking like a tourist in the Guatemala City airport. The next morning everyone was talking about the earthquake, a relatively small one as these things go. I suspect these are not at all uncommon phenomena in Guatemala, a volcano-ringed region that sits at the convergence of three tectonic plates. Maybe one of these volcanoes will erupt while I´m here and round out my natural disaster experience. I´m now registered for daily Spanish lessons - 5 hours each - at Celas Maya, one of the bigger schools here (40 students perhaps?). Yesterday, Julio and I talked about global politics, veganism, hurricanes, our families, and little bit about verbs. Actually, time flew by. It feels great to be able to have a conversation in Spanish about important things (not just, "do you have a vacant room?"). During the break I met some travelers who invited me out for a beer or two or three and to play some pool. Everyone wants to know about veganism. I´m beginning to feel like a de facto missionary for the movement (no, I´m not preaching). My second lesson begins in a half hour.

“Guatemala: May 20”

  1. Anonymous Anonymous Says:

    thanks for writing, relieved to hear you are not washed away in a mudslide. dad and j. ps what's wrong with FOX news? dad

  2. Blogger Jeff Says:

    Dad: for starters...

    http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1873.

  3. Anonymous Anonymous Says:

       

    Estamos teniendo una gran visita con Joanna. Y estamos mirando adelante a tenerle aquí en agosto también. Es difícil leer su blog porque se escribe tan pequeño y con blanco en fondo azul. ¿Tiene que ser esa manera? Judy Klevans

  4. Blogger Jeff Says:

    Tia: tu capacidad para Español es más grande que miyo. Podemos practicar juntos en Agosto, tal vez. Sobre el texto muy pequeño, ¿puedes aumentarle para escoger "ver," entonces "tomaño de texto" (en Internet Explorer)?