I’ve mentioned before that I am staying with a host family so I can practice my Spanish all day long. A lot of tourists who opt to live in homestays are able to choose the family size, area they prefer to live in, and amenities in the home (i.e. private or shared bathroom…etc). I requested a small family because I didn’t think I’d be comfortable with a house full of 200 strangers. Well, small in Guatemala is a family of 5 plus the 20 family members that come to visit everyday. I was thinking more like a single mother with one mute and well-mannered child. On the first day, there was about 17 children running around the house and 5 adults. It’s was a zoo. It wasn’t until dinner that I realized who the actual children were that belonged to the couple I was staying with.
Other than the extended family intrusions, the winey 5 year old who cries and cries every two seconds, the pseudo vegetarian meals (like the soup made with vegetables and meat that cooked for hours on end and was kindly removed of the chicken before it was given to me), aaaaand the room that has to be about -3204983240923840923 degrees all day long… the homestay hasn’t been that bad. Because I may need the last few nerves I have left and to prevent myself from becoming violently ill again from the not-quite-vegetarian food that I am served I have decided to move into more private accommodations in a couple of days.
I still rarely speak English here unless I’m calling home to the states or writing blog entries so I’m learning more and practicing every day.
I forget to mention that I want to speak fluent Spanish so I can guest star on a telenovela show….just kidding 