Day 13

Last day of classes with Sandra!  I wanted to get her a little gift for the last day and tried to find a florist that was open before class with no luck.  We did a bit of a review and caught up on some words that we had meant to go over, as if my brain really has any more capacity for more at this point in time.  My last assignment was to tell her a story, she said I had been listening too much, it was my turn to talk.

It is hard for me to talk about myself even in English let alone my minimal Spanish.  I also found it difficult to tell a story from the past when all I know so far is present tense.  Sandra stated that it was possible to just tell my story in present tense (all my Authentic Movement practice should have helped with this).  I ended up telling one of my best psych hospital stories.  I'm sure that dear old Ellis would love that remnants of his antics made it into Spanish and all the way into Guatemala.

My story also prompted Sandra's interest in Schizophrenia and mental illness.  We discussed the mental health problems in Guatemala and how when men have an illness here they are always diagnosed with alcoholism but that they may actually be self-medicating an underlying cause.  She said that there is a big problem with young men sniffing glue in Guatemala.  We talked about why this is only boys that display these behaviors.  The conversation continued from the day before about how these problems may have stemmed from the previous culture of household chores being the female's job while the men went out to do other work.  She said at one time men weren't even allowed in the kitchen.

I think this is gradually changing.  For instance, the family I live with, the husband excitedly told me that he is able to cook a few things.  Also when I needed hot water for my tea the other evening, Hector, the son went and got it for me without having to be asked.  But my teacher was telling me that many boys become lazy because they are not asked to complete household chores when young and become disrespectful.  Meanwhile girls are made to help with the younger children and are required to work more at a young age.

In the afternoon, I met a few ladies for cake (2 Canadians & 2 Germans, all traveling separately).  It is so interesting that it has taken me the whole week during my 2 weeks here now to find people to connect with.  With travelers things move quickly, it can't take me so long to warm up to people because before I know it they will be gone or I will be gone and I'll have to make a whole new set of friends the next week.  It's also interesting to see who I feel a connection with and how I develop my instantaneous friendships.  I am hoping to find a smaller school at my next destination so that it might be easier for me to get to know other students in one week's time.

A whole lot of us also gathered at another student's terrace after dinner.  After hanging out for a bit we also went out of the town.  I stayed out much later than I might have otherwise as I wanted to make sure I had someone with whom to walk home.

Meals today: Pineapple and an egg around some kind of meat that had a meat texture but no taste, red sauce on top for breakfast.  For lunch a bean soup with that same meat and rice.  And for dinner a really salty soup served with a veggie that was white like potato or yucca, but also had part of a root in it that tasted like and had texture of artichoke.  Also, Josh moved to my room in the other house today because it was too noisy for him here.  So for my dinner meal it was just me and Adolfo.