Life at the Language School

The day after the conference, I tried to do some yoga (I brought my matt with me so hopefully I will develop a daily habit) and had breakfast with the other students at 7am. Then I had 4 hours of one on one Spanish classes with a short break in between. After lunch, I took a microbus (really a van) into one of the nearby towns to buy a cellphone and change money. The town was spread out and full of store fronts and small parks. When I got back, I went to the homestay house of one of the other language students Liz. We went to a restaurant to eat chicharon (pork) with her host mother, who told us a great story about how her grandfather had 40 children and many marriages, his last at 90 years old. The next day I had classes again and a nice lazy afternoon. I also had an exciting conversation with the Spanish school owner, Paulette, about potential ways that the language school could collaborate with the library. In the evening I went to a bar to meet Liz, Tom, another student who is leaving to travel, and one of my Spanish teachers who is also Tom’s host family. It’s really nice how the families that work with the Spanish school are very involved in all aspects of the school. Sunday I had my last day of class-I really hope that I can retain the grammar improvements I’ve made. Paulette gave me and a new student a tour of the grounds of the school and told us about the process of it’s development. The land has really been transformed from basically barren to a haven for birds, butterflies, and frogs. Between the wildlife and the chickens, parrots, macaws, monkeys and 6 dogs, it’s quite the menagerie. Later I went along with Guillermina, the owner’s daughter to a tiny “salon” in the neighborhood and took a walk around the town, where a baseball and soccer game were being played. I had dinner with 3 new students who have all been traveling for quite a while. Today I finally get to go to the library and I should be seeing Sally soon. I can’t wait!