Grammar in any language

The past few days have been spent in a classroom, but this time in English. If I thought it was going to be easier than Spanish, I was sadly mistaken. Language skills indeed. I've just finished 20 hours of a TEFL course (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and it turns out I have to learn it before I can teach it! Hopefully once I get English grammar sorted out, Spanish will become a little less confusing. I have my fingers crossed (in Spanish of course).

I really don't know grammar, English or Spanish and I really don't like it. I love language and pronunciation but not rigid grammar structures so this course has been challenging. The teaching aspect was interesting and I realised that the Spanish teachers I've had haven't been very creative.

The most interesting part of the course was coming up with new ways to communicate and teach. There are several approaches and I instantly gravitated towards creative teaching through activities and games. It was interesting and (after I finish the online grammar section of the course) it opens up new opportunities to travel and work.

Only 20 hours of grammar to go!

I'm planning my next reconnaissance mission... more to come soon.

Progress

I've been back in LA since Monday and so far I've avoided the night panic, the feeling of loss, hopelessness and despair which had plagued me previously.

C and I continue to talk almost daily but for the time being I'm stepping back and getting on with my life. I had some ideas while I was in Guatemala. Ideas about where to go and what to do. There's no reason for me to stay in LA,. I realised that as I was able to do business easily from Guatemala.

The only restriction (for the moment) is Pig. She has ups and downs and my vet said he would be hesitant to fly her because of her nervous disposition. So it looks like we're driving. Pity about the price of petrol but there you have it. I quite fancy the idea of a road trip with the Pig. An adventure, a voyage of discovery.

And so to California

My last day in Antigua. I went shopping and was surprisingly restrained.

Textura didn't have a queen size bedcover in the fabric I wanted, nor did they have enough fabric available to make one. Just as well as the fabric by the yard was really expensive ($30 a yard). I thought and thought about it, went away, came back and finally decided to resist buying the three yards they had. I'm still thinking about it though, it was gorgeous.

I had lunch with a couple of people I'd met at my hotel, a mother and daughter in Antigua for a large wedding at the lovely hotel Santo Domingo. After lunch I ran into the two girls I met at Lake Atitlan. They had complained to their tour organiser who apparently had responded by shouting and swearing at them in English. They'd been shocked by his attitude but at least we were able to laugh about it.

Getting up at 3:45am was hard especially as I'd woken every hour to see what the time was. The shuttle was due at 4:30am but I'd been warned to be ready by 4am. Just as well, for the first time ever the driver was early. We sped off in the dark to Guatemala City. It was dark, a faint smell of burning wood, the others slept. I reflected on my time in Guatemala.

Two weeks has seemed like forever in some respects. I feel quite proud as I've accomplished everything I wanted to do and I've had a lot of time to think. I met some fantastic people. I may never see them again or perhaps we'll cross paths in some distant location. I realised that the world is a big place and there's so much more to explore.

Returning to Los Angeles was a dose of reality. I was questioned by the customs officer in English and (after I mentioned I'd been studying) in Spanish and, I can assure you, he wasn't being friendly. The Russian taxi driver rudely announced that there was a minimum charge to get to Westchester ($17.50 which is a huge rip off) and I was just not in the mood.

But all irritation was gone when my little old Pig woke up from her deep sleep and realised I'd come back. Pig has aged a great deal in the last few months and she's not the feisty little dog she used to be but she gave me her best welcome and I gave her a bath in return. She didn't seem to mind too much.

And so the question begs... where to next?

Well, that's a surprise for now but I have some ideas...

Disaster!

Having resisted the various textiles, jewellery and ceramics for the past two weeks, I have found my perfect shop. Disaster has struck.

Textura sells the most beautiful fabrics, the most incredible colors, the most amazing textures. Bedcovers, table cloths, rugs, cushion covers and more.



I'm doomed...

Lake Atitlan

There comes a day when even the most seasoned traveller gets ripped off.
This was that day.

Lake Atitlan was described by Aldous Huxley as the most beautiful lake in the world. Aldous must have gone on a clear day because clouds were hanging heavily over the surrounding volcanoes and unfortunately very little of the most beautiful lake was visible. Still, it's not all about the view, it's about the experience, right?

Arriving in Panajachel, the largest of the towns surrounding the lake, we were met by a rather dubious guide who convinced six of us to take a boat to three of the other villages surrounding the lake. One he claimed was known for textiles (I was in), one was known for paintings (two others) and the last town was the prettiest in the area (so that was six of us). Like lambs to the slaughter, off we went. That was rip-off number one.



The first two villages were pretty disappointing. Small to the point of almost non-existent we searched in vain for the promised textiles and paintings. We headed across the lake to find Santiago, our last stop.

The boat pulled in to a restaurant far away from the center of Santiago and we were shanghaied. Bambu restaurant was lovely to look at, the setting was superb, the food not quite so much and we quickly realised there was an "arrangement" between the boat driver and the restaurant. I had chicken but which part, I'm not sure (fond memories of Mexico). The margarita certainly helped as we were all getting on brilliantly and having a great laugh but who knew that would be the highlight of the day. We should have had another drink but that's hindsight for you. That was rip-off number two.




Time was ticking away. It was 3pm, we were due back at the minibus at 4pm and it was an hour across the lake to get back. We had yet to get to Santiago, the whole point of the trip. After much cajoling of the boat driver, we finally made it, margarita-induced fun still going strong at that point. There were a lot of paintings, two people were happy so at least something was accomplished.

Returning to the minibus an hour late we were informed that we would each have to pay an additional 40 Quetzales to get back to Antigua.

Outrageous!

Margarita-induced fun stopped there.

It may only be $5 but there was a principal involved. The minibus only cost $10 to start with so to charge half again was just wrong. A full-blown Guatemalan argument ensued between the Spanish speakers (everyone except me), the boat driver, the tour organiser and the bus driver. Fingers were pointed, fists were shaken, but to no avail, the only way back to Antigua was to cough up the additional money. And so that was rip-off number three.

To bring the day to a perfect end, one of the girls I'd spent the day with then threw up in the minibus on the way back to Antigua. We think it may have been the food!

The whole experience was hilarious and I met some great people. We were completely taken advantage of, blackmailed (not my phrase but yes, indeed) and taken for a ride in more ways that one. I wouldn't change a thing but then again, I might not hurry back to Panajachel!

Spanish Survival

I survived twenty four hours of Spanish classes!

I can't even begin to say how intense it was and how my frustration almost got the better of me at times but I learned a lot and it was challenging to say the least.

The school offers internet classes via Skype so it's possible to continue one-on-one for the number of hours of one's choice. I'm tempted as the prices are reasonable but I shall let the dust (or brain cells) settle for a few days and absorb what I've learned so far.

The Cobbles o' Death

How nice it must be to live in a place where the rainy season starts right on schedule!

May 15th is the official start to the rainy season and so the heavens opened and it poured. The dust of many months was washed away and Antigua emerged bright and sparkling. The only drawback, the cobbles o' death.

I mentioned the cobbles earlier and have to say, they are hard going... literally. It's impossible to wear anything higher than a flip flop however wearing flip flops means one feels every single cobble through the sole. Add a torrential downpour and you've got it, not just cobbles but slippery cobbles. Throw in the occasional water-filled pothole, a few mad tuk-tuk drivers and one's very practical multi-purpose white jeans (an absolute must for treking in the tropics) are looking a little worse for wear! Next thing I know, I'll be climbing a volcano in plastic shoes...

Having got off to a rip-roaring start in Spanish at the beginning of the week I have met my match in los verbos. Oh the agony. However I refuse to go down without a fight and have two classes left. I'm determined to finish on a high note whatever that may be, although at this point it's most probably me screaming in pain!

I went to see a film after class today as there are a number of restaurants in Antigua showing free films. It's interesting to watch a film in English with Spanish subtitles and I enjoyed it however while my reading comprehension is improving, my conversation is still sadly lacking.

Spanish - Day Two

I survived the second day of Spanish! Funnily enough I have a different teacher this week, I can't imagine why!

As luck would have it, the teacher I have now is fantastic and even though I'm starting again in some respects, I feel as though I'm getting a much better grounding (than the previous four times!!)

The "Christian" approach is to teach the three main tenses together (past, present and future) which makes so much more sense. In the past I've learned verbs in the present first, it's so limiting when you can only say "I go" instead of "I went". Spanish has fourteen tenses (very inconsiderate of them) but I'm not worrying about the other eleven for the time being!

Conversation is still extremely limited but the good news is that I have a better understanding of what I might say... one day!

The Missionary Position

Volcan Picaya is supposedly the easiest to climb of the four volcanoes surrounding Antigua. The starter volcano, so to speak. It's also the only active one. Both reasons for visiting Pacaya were appealing so it was off on a minibus to climb the volcano.

At the entrance to the national park we were greeted by numerous small boys with armfuls of hand-hewn walking sticks. It's a great idea. They rent sticks to intrepid explorers for 5 quetzales a piece. It's less than a dollar but they get the stick back at the end of the day and can rent it to the next international adventurer.



The variety of nationalities here is surprising. Our group alone consisted of Australians, Americans, French Canadians, Israelis, Germans, Spanish and me - an international cocktail.

The going was fairly steep and not being prepared for a hike (no boots, only trainers) it was quite challenging. We were accompanied by a number of men and small boys on horseback. The noise, the smell, the shit was everywhere but they offered an essential taxi service up the volcano to the physically challenged. Before long there were a couple of additional riders.

Reaching the rim of the volcano we were suddenly shrouded in cloud. As we dropped over the rim we went from dust to black lava that cracked and splintered underfoot. The cold lava was sharp and as we hopped from rock to rock, cuts and scratches started to appear on delicate flesh.

On we went, the heat gradually increasing until we finally reached the molten red river of lava winding its way down the mountainside. At first it seemed to be moving quite slowly but from time to time a large rock would shift and the lava would pour down, rocks crashing together as they were pushed aside.

One girl went a little too close to the heat and her plastic shoes started to melt. When considering volcano-friendly fashion, it's definitely something to bear in mind.



It turned out the girl with the melted shoes was a missionary spreading the word. She was part of a group of 170 missionaries converging on Antigua this week for a conference.

I've been carrying a (free) Christian Spanish bag around with me for the past few days. The world's heaviest laptop fits quite nicely into it but perhaps Christian promotion isn't the best idea this week as I don't fancy my chances against 170.

Returning down the dusty trail in the dark was challenging. A few hikers had torches but the majority of the group staggered and slid down the hill, the piles of horse dung unavoidable, invisible in the dark.

It was a fantastic experience all the more so for being in a country which doesn't cry "lawsuit" at the drop of a hat.

There's a strange theme emerging here. Missionaries, Christians, retired ballet dancers... I can't imagine what's next.

Oh, that's right, Spanish classes...

Guatemalan Recipes

I have included the recipes for Pepian Colorado and homemade tortillas. I will definitely attempt to make Pepian again as it was really delicious and easy.


The Recipe:
To make Pepian Colorado start by roasting the following vegetables on a griddle or in the oven:
12 medium Roma tomatoes (cut in half)
4 small tomatillos (whole with the husks removed)
3 red bell peppers (cut in half with the seeds and stems removed)
1 medium white onion (quartered)
2 garlic cloves (whole, peeled)
8 sprigs of fresh cilantro (coriander) wilted briefly on heat

In a frying pan roast the following dry ingredients to release the flavours:
1/2 dry Guajillo chile
1/2 dry Ancho chili
1 small French roll (toasted dark)
2 tbs pumpkin seeds
2 tbs sesame seeds
5 whole black peppercorns

To make the sauce:
Blend the roasted vegetables (starting with the tomatoes) Add the dry roasted spices and blend until smooth.
Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan and bring the blended sauce to a simmer on a low heat.

Add to the sauce:
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp white vinegar

The other ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless breasts of chicken (can use boney bits if preferred)
1 chayote squash (peeled)
1 large carrot
3 medium white potatoes
1 cup green beans sliced diagonally
Salt to taste

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes and sear quickly in vegetable oil over a medium heat.

Cut all vegetables into one inch cubes, steam or boil until vegetables are lightly cooked but still retain some bite.

Add the chicken and cooked vegetables to the prepared sauce, simmer for five minutes until hot and serve.

This dish is very flavourful due to the roast vegetables and spices. It is not spicy however more chills can be added for more spice. The sauce can also be cooked and frozen and used for pasta sauce and I think it would be delicious like this.

Guatemalan Tortillas. These tortillas are smaller and slightly thicker than Mexican tortillas and thinner than the El Salvadorian pupusa.

This was a very simple recipe and even if you don't really like corn tortillas, they're so much better freshly made:
I cup of corn flour (maize harina)
2/3 cup of warm water.

Mix to a dough and divide into small balls.
Roll balls between fingers and add small amounts of water to prevent sticking.
Gently pat the ball between fingers to slowly flatten, repair cracked edges with water and pat again. Gradually pat dough into a thin disk about 4 inches in diameter.

To cook:
Place the flattened tortilla on a hot griddle. The tortilla should bubble slightly to allow the inside to cook. Turn over to cook the second side until slightly brown.

Serve with black beans cooked with white onion and blended with cilantro to a smooth paste.

The Cooking School in Antigua

After an exhausting day at the market I was ready for a little relaxation and so it was off to the cooking school in Antigua to learn more about Guatemalan cuisine.

The day started with a traditional stew called Pepian. Pepian consists of a sauce made from roast vegetables, sesame seeds and spices blended to a smooth consistency. Sauted chicken and vegetables are then added once the sauce is prepared. The flavour of the sauce is delicious due to the roasting of fresh vegetables and spices.

There are many varieties of Pepian depending on the region. The one we cooked was Pepian Colorado named for the red bell peppers and tomatoes used in the sauce. Around Antigua the most common type of Pepian available is Pepian Negro which uses burnt tortillas to make the sauce black. Somehow the idea of Pepian Colorado was more appealing.

Other recipes we cooked were traditional beef tacos (similar to Mexican taquitos - rolled and deep fried), a dessert called Dulce de Guisquil. Guisquil is known in the US as Chayote squash. Guatemalan guacamole, Guatemalan black beans and homemade tortillas.

In Mexico guacamole is pronounced with an accent over the e, so it's guacamol-e. In Guatemala it's pronounced as guacamole (to rhyme with whack-a-mole). No idea why, but good to know!

After a couple of hours of preparation and cooking it was time to eat. The food was delicious and I would highly recommend the experience. Accompanying the meal was a dark red drink called Rosa de Jamaica - made from hibiscus flowers, it was superb.

Chichicastenango

With an early start at 7am, it was off to the artisan market in a small town called Chichicastenango set high up in the mountains.

Loudly singing Chi-chi-caste-nango to the tune of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang... well, not really, that would have been ridiculous but it does work.

The Guatemalan countryside is quite spectacular; volcanoes wearing fringed hats of cloud, steep mountains and tree-filled valleys surrounded us. At times I thought we might have to push the minibus but after two and a half hours we made it. It was a great way to see a little more of Guatemala's fantastic scenery.

Arriving at Chichi, the local market was in full swing. This market occurs every Thursday and Sunday and is the largest market in the area drawing vendors, locals, tourists and all sorts in between. Woven and embroidered textiles, beaded bags and belts, carved wooden animals, fruit, vegetables and of course, a man with a giant toad.

I'm not sure what the man was selling but it seemed to be some sort of magic cleaning fluid. I can only assume it came from the toad. A little magic toad juice squirted onto a dirty 10 Quetzales note and it was as clean as new. A little magic toad juice squirted into a glass of dirty brown liquid (hate to think what that was) and all of a sudden it was crystal clear. It was fascinating. The toad's performance was minimal.

The people in Chichi were tiny. Surrounded by women who couldn't have been more than 4 feet tall, for the first time in my life I felt like a giant. The women all had beautiful straight, long black hair and not a grey hair in sight! I was dying to know the secret but as my Spanish had gone into hiding, it shall remain a tantalizing mystery.

En Espanol... or not

...and so I went to meet the Christians.

It was a little nerve-wracking as I had to take a written test to determine my level of expertise. I think I could have saved them the bother.

I agonized through 90 questions utilizing different verbs and tenses. Beginner's Spanish here I come... again. I have started Beginner's Spanish at least five times which just goes to show my natural linguistic ability.

The first class was agony. I think the teacher suffered as much as I did, poor thing, and the only saving grace was that we both tried to have a sense of humour about it. I tried to think of it as a warm-up, a gentle refresher but somehow it was just too excruciating. I realized I was doomed when I asked her if she ate her family.

I'm going back on Monday and have signed up for the week. That gives me a few days to try and dredge up some of my previous knowledge. Hopefully it's lurking in there somewhere.

It turns out that my new friend, Rod who roped me into the Christian Spanish academy (previously referred to as the gay Canadian) is a retired ballerina. I think he's in his mid-sixties and he's absolutely fabulous darling!

Christian Teachings

I asked two people staying at my B&B if they could recommend their Spanish schools as there are so many to choose from. It's daunting. Antigua is definitely a Mecca for Spanish immersion. I had been looking for a suitable school and found it overwhelming.

One guy said he absolutely loved his school, CSA. I'd walked past there and been very worried as CSA stands for Christian Spanish Academy and I instantly imagined being indoctrinated with Christian teachings, signed up for missionary work and whisked off to help the poor all before I could say "I'm not a believer."

Rod (the gay Canadian) highly recommended it though and I agreed to walk over there to see what it's like. He's doing 6 hours of Spanish a day (one on one) which is terrifying. As the sum total of my Spanish comes to ten minutes of conversation (if I'm lucky) the other five hours and 50 minutes could be a bit repetitious. Apparently though you can do four hours instead of six...!

Rod then accompanied me to a weekly slide show at a nearby restaurant being put on by a local ex-pat. The presenter, originally from California moved here when she was 14 in 1969. Since then she seemed to have been involved in the restoration of every building in Antigua. She's now working on moving the market and the bus station out of town which I'm sure will be handy for the locals. I definitely got the sense that she knew everything going on in Antigua!

Despite that, it was nice to talk to Rod. He's here to learn Spanish which is great. I helpfully pointed out that learning a language apparently helps stave of Alzheimer's... luckily he thinks I'm funny!

More about the Christians to follow....

Greetings from Guatemala

The flight to Guatemala City was less than five hours and easy. For anyone who has the slightest apprehension about flying to a country in Central America then I can highly recommend coming here to break the ice.

The only downside is that leaving Los Angeles at 11pm gets you into Guatemala City at 4:30am local time. I started on how serene Guatemala seems compared to Mexico and then realized that anyone with any sense was still in bed.

A very nice guard greeted me in Spanish (a lot of it) and (my limited Spanish being extremely rusty) asked me if I was going to Antigua (I heard him say Antigua so nodded). Si, Antigua, por favor. I tried to look bilingual.

I had been nervous about getting a taxi on my own (fear of being abducted and perhaps ending up somewhere in Central America). I needn't have worried, for the bargain price of $10 I shared a shuttle with two other women. One lady must have been about eighty and was living with a family learning Spanish for a year. I think my fears were laid to rest!

Arriving at Casa Capuchinas, the bed and breakfast we stayed at before, my friendly shuttle bus driver Jorge, banged loudly on the solid wooden gate. My concerns about waking everyone at 6am were out of my hands and I was greeted, shown to my room and left to my own devices.

Sleep. Shower... Coffee!

A few hours later, refreshed and revived I wandered out in search of coffee. Guatemalan coffee really is good. I remembered a café in the main square and headed off.

Café Condesa was still there and exactly as I remembered. I love it when that happens. I sat in the courtyard listening to the fountain and ate an excellent breakfast of Huevos Guatemaleros (Guatemalan Eggs) consisting of scrambled eggs with tomato and onion, black beans, fruit and toast (not to be confused with Huevos Mexicana which are scrambled eggs with tomato and onion, beans and ...) Two large cups of strong coffee, all for the bargain price of about $8 and I felt human again.

While I drank my coffee I wrote a list of the things I'd like to do while I'm here. My list includes climb the smallest, easiest, starter volcano which is active (apparently), go to the market at Chichicastenango (and, knowing me, buy some fabric I don't need and won't use), go to Lake Atitlan described by Aldous Huxley as the most beautiful lake in the world, do a class at the Antigua cooking school (probably learn how to make Huevos Guatemaleros) and possibly (if I have the inclination as it's four hours a day and hard work) do Spanish classes next week.

Having written my list I set off to accomplish the first thing and have booked myself on to a bus to go to the artisan market at Chichicastenango on Thursday.

Antigua is just as I remember. There are painted walls and cobblestones streets everywhere you turn. Carved wooden gates and little tuk-tuk taxis causing chaos. Friendly people dressed in traditional, brightly colored woven clothes. And loads of tourists of course.

Being cobbled, the streets here take a bit of getting used to. After wandering around today I think I’m going to be feeling the cobbles tomorrow. I think I might be developing a nasty case of Cobbled Calves as a result of many hours of walking. I hobbled the cobbles back to Casa Capuchinas and called it a day.

undecided and confused

It's been a bad few days, quel surprise.

I've been struggling with C, pushing him to tell me where he stands and meanwhile I feel I've done everything possible to attempt to reconcile with him and now I have to try and walk away. It hurts so bloody much that every time I think of life without him I cry... again and again.

I'm pushing him now to give me an answer. Not the best idea I realise because there's nothing like pressuring someone to make them run away even faster than they already are.

C's pattern from what I can see, is to run away (move countries) whenever he wants to get out of a relationship. I said that to him yesterday. He's been leaving me for a long time and it wasn't until he bought this house in Florida that it finally hit me. He finally forced me to realise that he'd left me.

And yet he's done nothing to meet me anywhere regardless of half way. I got upset when I had to call him to ask him his address. He's now in Florida and I had to ask him where he lived and if he'd forwarded his mail there now. Before that I had to ask him if he'd stopped giving me money for rent, his way of communicating to me that things were over.

Over the past two days I've been at the vet having Piggy tested for liver problems and Cushing's disease. Going back to February Pig slipped a disk in her back and had to stay in a cage for three weeks. C's response then was to make light of the situation. When I found out Pig had a problem with her liver I was heartbroken and thought she was going to die. C showed very little support during a very stressful time.

Today brought it all back. Pig has been under the weather. I got the results today, one liver enzyme is down (great) the other is up and I have to take her off the medication for her back. It looks like she's negative for Cushing's but it's not definite.

C's response was a text saying "Great news - told you you've got another ten years of a lethargic pig! She's not going to let you off the hook that easily."

I was upset by the references to me only and my response was "Guess that makes it clear you're not involved"

I admit not the best move on my part but I was upset and the emotions got the better of me.

His response... Jesus! I was making a joke about her. Nothing more.

I'm leaving for Guatemala tonight after coming very close to not going. I'm not sure it's the right thing to do as I'm concerned I'll spend the next two weeks sitting in a B&B in solitude and misery but seeing as I'd be doing that here anyway, I may as well go somewhere else and do it on location.

I'm so confused and upset all the time. My emotions are in turmoil and I can't see how my life is going to work out. I've lost so much in the past few months and I'm so scared of losing Pig too because she's all I've got left. When C made light of the situation it just seemed so insensitive. He knew yesterday how I upset I was and how much Pig means to me.

I wish I could get to a place where I feel calm and rational. Everything feels like it's out of control and spiralling down. I keep thinking I've reached the bottom but I don't think this is it yet.