En el pasado.... and other happenings this week

Este tardes, estoy en El Cuartito, el cafe que Caitlin me presento a mi primero fin de semana. Esta semana paso mi primero nivel de espanol en la escuela. Ahora voy a ir a el segundo nivel y empezar a aprender el tiempo pasado (pretirete). Estoy muy emocionada. Caitlin graduarse ayer, aunque ella tiene una semana mas de la escuela de la montana, y en su presentacion de graduacion ella habla sobre aprender el tiempo pasado. "Antes aprender el tiempo pasado, necesito decir 'Voy a lavanderia, pero en el pasado' o 'Vivo en mucho estados, pero en el pasado'" Este acompanado de ella move su mano rapidamente en un movimiento que muestra "en el pasado" ... pero, en el pasado (anoche). Voy a extranar a Caitlin, ella esta mi primero amiga aqui. Lo digo ella puede visitar a Dylan y mi en cualquier momento.

Porque yo no se el tiempo pasado todavia, esta historia es en el tiempo presente, pero sucede esta manana. Maggie (otra amiga de escuela) y yo vamos al mercado minerva para buscar las ollas pequena para los especias, como ellos en El Cuartito. No encontramos, pero tenemos una buen manana. El mercado minerva es como un laberinto de tiendas y colores (stalls, really). Hay todos una persona quiere: ropas, especias, frutas, vegetales, zapatos, velas, caramelos, instrumentos, los alimentos cocinados. Una mujer quiere vender nos remolachas y ella esta persistente. Ella sabe nosotros queremos remolachas, aunque decimos "no, gracias" varios veces. Es una adventura.

Antes ir al mercado, vamos a Wendy's. Si, Wendy's. Anoche, despues graduacion y cena, nosotros vamos a el bar cerca de la escuela, que es propiedad para una mujer quien trabaja a la escuela. Ella hace mojitos - muy bueno mojitos, y muy fuerte. Yo bebo dos, y Maggie bebe tres. Entonces, nosotros necesitamos un remedio para la resaca la proxima manana, y Wendy's es nuestro remedio.

This afternoon, I am in El Cuartito, the cafe that Caitlin introduced me to my first weekend. This week I pass my first level of spanish in school. Now I am going to start the second level and begin learning the past tense (preterite). I am very excited. Caitlin graduated yesterday, although she has one more week at the mountain school, and in her graduation presentation she talked about learning the past tense. "Before learning the past tense I had to say 'I am going to the laundromat, but in the past' or 'I live in many states, but in the past'" This was accompanied by her moving her hand rapidly in a movement to indicate "in the past"...but, in the past (last night). I am going to miss Caitlin, she is my first friend here. I told her she can visit Dyl and I anytime.

Because I don't know past tense yet, this story is in the present tense, but happens (it happened) this morning. Maggie (another friend from school) and I go to the Minerva Market to look for the little spice pots like they have at El Cuartito. We don't find them, but have a good morning. The Minerva market is like a maze with shops and colors (stalls, really). There is everything a person wants: clothes, spices, fruit, vegetables, shoes, candles, candy, tools, cooked food. One woman wants to sell us beets and is very persistent. She knows we want beets although we say "no, thank you" several times. It's an adventure.


Before going to the market, we go to Wendy's. Yes, Wendy's. Last night, after graduation and dinner, we go to a bar close to school which is owned by a woman who works at school. She makes mojitos - very good mojitos, and very strong. I drink two, Maggie drinks three. So, we need a remedy for a hangover the next morning, and Wendy's is our remedy.

My Spanish is coming along quite well. Wendy's in Guatemala are pretty much exactly like Wendy's in the states. The items are named in English even. For a half hour I munched on french fries dipped in a frosty and indulged in a cheeseburger, with Wendy's regulation pickles. It was a nice little escape. My hangover was not nearly as rough as Maggie's, although I'm still in need of rehydration.

Other cool news from this week, on Thursday I hopped over to Entremundos, an organization that helps connect volunteers with organizations to volunteer with. I have a meeting set up on Monday with Primeros Pasos "First Steps" to discuss volunteer opportunities with them. They are a health clinic on the outskirts of the city that do a lot of health education with women and children populations. They prefer folks with intermediate Spanish skills, so we'll see if I'm up to snuff, but hopefully it will be a great opportunity to practice my speaking, help support a local clinic, and pick up some clinical vocab in the process.