Hey, everyone! It's Sunday number two here in Guatemala, and that means update time! I'm pleased to say that my time in Guatemala has been excellent so far and I'm excited to share a little bit of it with all of you!

I'll start off with some information about how my classes have been going, as they are one of the primary purposes for my semester here and I had not yet attended at my last post. Classes have been a mixture of hard work, extreme concentration, fun, and coffee! First, the hard work: The style of the class sessions at La Union (the language school here in Antigua that SAU has partnered with) is one-on-one tutoring. At first blush, this is what every student could want! A chance to be with a teacher and have their full attention. Can you imagine that on a University pamphlet? "Our school offers a teacher to student ratio of one to one!" You get the point. Upon experiencing this, however, I have found another aspect to consider and work with. As a one on one situation of learning is effective and desirable, it is also much more intense than a normal classroom environment. I have never experienced a class with over thirty-five or so students, and an average class size for me would be around ten to fifteen. Even with such a low number of students, it is easy to fade into the background. Do your homework, take notes, and get your grade at the end. Imagine if every time your teacher asked a question in class, you were the only one able to answer. This is the case with one on one tutoring. Each verbal exercise, quiz question, and article of conversation is directed solely at the student. Now, imagine how much more you would study and how much more you would have to be ready if you knew you were the only one answering questions. That is also the case. After my first day of class, I realized that I would have to be on top of the ball at all times in order that I would feel good about the sessions. Meaning, if I am getting many questions wrong, and am having to be constantly corrected, it is not fun for me or my "maestro." My first day of classes was much like this. I was nervous and I had not studied all summer. Not a good idea at all. I fumbled over words and made silly mistakes. My teacher constantly corrected me and I got down on myself, making it worse. So my advice to Past Evan and future prospective study abroad students is to study in preparation for studying! I accept the fact that I will make mistakes, but I wish to make them fewer. I am not at all saying that I don't appreciate or think that this style is effective. I am loving it and learning quickly. Summary: one on one tutoring is very hard, and I have been stretched a lot.

Since I have been in Guatemala, I have been tired almost constantly. This may be due to the fact that it gets dark here around 5:30 at night, the time difference, etc. However, I theorize that I have been very tired because of the mental toll that my classes have been taking on me. As the previous behemoth of a paragraph states, a one on one class structure is tough. I take this class for four hours a day with a half hour break. This regimen of concentration, mental translation, and verbal exercises takes a toll on me mentally. As I'm growing and learning, I realize that I am not forced to exert myself mentally this consistently on a normal basis. I am getting used to it, and have had some time this weekend for R&R. Whether it be that I'm getting better at Spanish or that my mind is getting used to the extra work, I am enjoying classes more and more each day.

I shan't make my schooling out to be nothing but grueling, boring exercises. I also have a lot of fun studying and learning! The style and method of teaching at La Union allows for individualized teaching, outings, and special activities, all of which I have experienced, even in a mere five days. The basic structure of a day at my school is: I walk in and talk to some friends before class and grab a cup of coffee (I knew you were waiting for when the coffee came into the picture...). I, then, take a seat at my table and have a brief discussion with my teacher about the night before, bits of news, and the like. The rest of the time is spent fulfilling our lesson plan, a plan of learning that has been written up by my teacher and myself. The basic means of learning are conversation, question and response exercises, writing exercises, and other various practices. This usually continues to the end of our time, excluding a much appreciated break in the middle. As I said before, however, this is flexible.

On Thursday, we were able to go to El Parque Central (Central Park) to watch a parade that was in celebration of the day of Guatemalan independence! Many schools and organizations from the city were "dressed to the nines" (That is a thing, right?) and marching, dancing, and playing instruments in celebration. More on this at the bottom. Another activity was to watch a movie in Spanish: Voces Inocentes, a portrayal of the civil war in El Salvador from the perspective of an eleven year old boy, trying to evade recruitment. (I recommend it.) Below is a short video I shot of a band marching in the parade.

In summation of the above paragraphs, my short time learning here in Antigua has been tiring, exciting, productive, and fun. I am looking forward to the opportunity to keep it up for many more weeks.

In heavy contrast to how my first bit of time here proceeded, my first whole weekend here has been nothing but relaxing. On Friday night, we had some friends over to play cards, a great time! On Saturday, the boys and I sat around the house and relaxed. That afternoon, we walked around the city a bit and got some coffee. In the PM, some friends gathered at a small restaurant called "La Canoa" (The Canoe in English) to watch a UFC fight, play pool, and eat french fries. This was a taste of home. There are certain advantages to being in a tourist city. (This is contrasted by the feeling that I should be taking advantage, more, of the culture.) Sunday, we attended church, ate out with the entire Spring Arbor group, and spent some time at Paul and Bev's house. I have spent the rest of the night studying and writing to you! This weekend has been a time for me to relax a bit and rest. (I have used these nice words to make myself seem a bit less lazy. :-))

So my time is proceeding grandly! I look forward to starting my second week of lessons tomorrow and starting my internship in the near future! Topics to look for on future posts: church experiences, "the rainy season," and a more visual look at my school! Below are some more pictures of the parade!

Antigua Firefighters

We saw many young ladies that were wearing high heels. All the streets are cobblestone!

This is the Quetzal bird, the national bird of Guatemala.