¡Los estudiantes están volviendome loca! (Not really!)

Well I have officially exceeded my previous 6 week mark of how long I have been in a foreign country at one time. But mis clases are still going well, I have a wonderful novio, and I have a comfortable place to sleep and eat every day. I cannot complain. It seems that some of you have been having trouble leaving comments? Well I cannot do much to help, only walk you through the steps. Scroll down to the very end of that particular blog (past all the pictures and Spanish words). Click on the link that says ¨comments.¨ If other people have left comments already, you will see those on the left. There should be a box on the right that says ¨make a comment.¨ Just type in whatever you want to say, choose a user name (or post anonymously), and then publish the comment. If that still doesn´t work, then I really don´t know what to tell you. But just remember if you can´t figure out how to add a comment, you can always send an e-mail instead. Some people have also asked how to send money to me. The easiest thing would be to send it directly to Global Missions. I´m planning to add the address and website of Global Missions to my blog page for everyone´s convenience. Mail to Mexico is not very reliable (it might take 2 meses o más), and even if it did get to me, I do not have a bank account here.

My clase de inglés continues to grow (1.) cada día. I think it´s really (2.) irónico that I have had more people from la comunidad ask for (3.) información this past semana than in the whole three weeks when we actually had the fliers posted. And the fliers clearly said that the class starts on Sept. 17, so who knows how they even managed to find out about the classes or what they were thinking. Sometimes Mexicans just don´t make any sense. Then when I tell them that the other students already know a lot more and that it will be difficult for them in the beginning, they just look at me like, ¨So?¨

One of the biggest challenges I´ve had with the classes so far is that many Mexicans really do not take education very seriously--and especially not my class that meets in a private school for only three days a week and is practically free. They have continued coming after two weeks, so that in itself is enough to make me happy, but sometimes they don´t complete assignments when I ask them to (I guess they think I´m not going to bother checking anything even though I tell them I will), and they don´t study outside of class (even though that´s their only homework). I actually overheard one of my middle school students say that I am strict. (Ha! Can you imagine? I´d probably never hear that in the U.S.!) I try to tell myself that they are only hurting themselves by not completing the assignments or coming to class on time or studying on their own...but at the same time, I feel like foreign language teachers have so much pressure on them to perform well simply because of all the ignorant people en el mundo who think you really can speak una lengua after only three months of isolated classroom instruction. What a joke! I´ve been speaking español only when it´s absolutely (4.) necesario in order to help them get to that point, but some of them seem to tune me out as soon as I start speaking English and then expect me to translate everything for them afterwards.

I have also started teaching a class on Saturday mornings for the students who come here for Saturday school. None of those students speak Spanish as a first language; in fact, some of them don´t know any Spanish at all. And some of them never learned to read or write, a misfortune they too often use as an excuse for not even trying. So yes, the classes are frustrating at times. But even though I´ve been complaining a lot, the positives far outweigh the negatives and my students are really quite polite and well-disciplined.

¨Market day¨ at the Guatemala border (hence the super crowded streets). See the cool mountains in the background? El día del mercado a la frontera de Guatemala (la razón por mucha gente en las calles).

One of the cultural differences that has really made itself evident in each of my clases is that the people here, in general, are much more (5.) tímido--especially the women. Yes, I can be timid as well...but these (6.) chicas are much worse! That (7.) diferencia is not only manifested throughout the (8.) país, but within different ciudades, as well. (9.) Por ejemplo, I was originally having a hard time getting the girls in my Sunday morning class to speak up anytime I asked them something. I thought at first it might have been my poor pronunciation or the type of (10.) preguntas I asked that kept them from answering, but last week there were three girls in the class visiting from Tuxtla Gutierrez (that´s the closest big city, remember) who easily answered everything I asked, no hesitation. The students who come for classes on Saturdays live in a (11.) pueblo that, even though it is only 40 minutes away, is worlds (12.) diferente from San Cristobal. I have yet to visit that town, but from what I hear many of the citizens never went to school, they spend most of their days selling goods in the mercado, and just about everyone is indiginous (hence the reason español is not their primera lengua.) When I asked them to find someone they don´t know very well and introduce that person to the class, no one moved. Even after I made the pairs myself and practically led them by the arm to their partners, some of them still blushed and hid their faces behind their shawls, refusing to even make eye contact with the other person. Then I discovered that most of them did not even know each other´s names--and these are people who go to church together and ride 30 miles together cramped in the back of a pickup truck every week! So even though each of these areas are fairly close, I have concluded that the bigger the city, the more confident la gente.

For my class on Sunday mornings, we are talking each week about a different purpose we use our tongues for--(13.) bueno o (14.) malo. In addition to having a hard time getting las chicas to answer my questions or make comments, I have an especially hard time getting them to pray. I have told them that they need (15.) practicar praying out loud now while they have la oportunidad, that the prayer can be very simple, just a few words, that there is no reason to be afraid and that a different girl is going to pray every week...but nonethless, every time the end of class comes and I ask them those dreaded words of ¨who´s going to lead the prayer,¨ no one says a word. Instead, they immediately divert their eyes to the table, begin writing, or desperately look at someone else who will boldly take on the task and free them of the tension.

But little by little, I feel like we are making progress. Each week they speak up more, and a different girl talks who hasn´t said anything yet. They have also started to sit together in church and talk to each other more outside of class--one of the main goals all along. We did have our first young people´s outing last week since the Sun. morning classes took the place of our regular Saturday devotionals, and Jose Luis and I were a little disappointed that only 5 showed up. But since then more and more of the jovenes have asked when we´re going to get together again. So we can not let one día deter us from continuing to encourage them and spend time with them. Besides, I got to play soccer and basketball for about two hours straight, and I had a blast! I really think soccer is my new (16.) deporte favorito!

Well since I always try to include a good cultural story in every blog, some of you might enjoy hearing about the garbage collection here. That´s right--garbage. In our (17.) barrio the garbage truck comes around every martes y viernes. But most people here do not have good ole trash cans they can leave by the end of their yards on garbage day (in fact, most people here don´t have yards, either). So someone comes around ringing a cow bell when the garbage truck is a few miles away. Then, after hearing the bell (if they´re lucky enough to hear it--I still have a hard time telling the difference between the gas trucks and the cow bell!) (18.) todos los vecinos have about 15 (19.) minutos to gather up all the (20.) basura from the whole casa and take it across the street. Then they can´t just leave it there; they have to stand there until the truck comes by and throw the garbage in the truck themselves. Sometimes the truck comes within a few minutes, and sometimes it feels more like una hora. But if you aren´t standing on the corner exactly when the truck comes, you will miss your chance and have garbage smelling up your whole house until the following martes o viernes. Garbage day is quite the family affair. (21.)Niños of all ages (who should be in school at that time!) pour out of every house dragging bags, boxes, and buckets that are too heavy for them to carry and that are too full for their small size, with (22.) madres in aprons and dresses trailing close behind--sometimes down steep, rocky hills a half-mile long or more. Here is a picture of some of the ladies and kids from our neighborhood waiting for the garbage truck to come by:

Common Expressions:

¿Donde está el baño? (Where is the bathroom?)

Tengo hambre. (I am hungry.)

Tengo sed. (I am thirsty.)

Estoy cansado(a). (I am tired.)

¿Qué pasa? (What´s up/What´s going on?)

¿Qué tal? (What´s up/What´s going on?)

Buenos días. (Good morning.)

Buenas tardes. (Good afternoon.)

Buenas noches. (Good evening/good night.)

Lo siento. (I´m sorry.)

Con permiso. (Excuse me--when you´re wanting to pass by someone.)

¿Como te llamas? (What is your name?)

Me llamo (name). (My name is...)

¿Cuantos años tienes? (How old are you?)

Tengo (x) años. (I am (x) years old.)

Mucho gusto. (Nice to meet you.)

Igualmente. (Likewise.)

Que Dios le bendiga. (May God bless you.)

¡Salud! (Bless you--when someone sneezes.)

Sari (from church), Chantel and I at the Guatemala border--I told you I crossed the border on foot! Sari (de la iglesia), Chantel y yo a la frontera de Guatemala

Top 12 things I miss the most after living here 2 months now:

1. Hot water
2. Milk shakes
3. David and Andrew´s sermons
4. Biscuits and gravy (and pretty much all Southern food)
5. Songs in English
6. Heat
7. Bagles
8. Driving (but not Nashville traffic!)
9. Hollywood Video
10. Big, hearty breakfasts (especially from Cracker Barrel!)
11. Our 20 Something´s Class
12. Talking to David Burka and Grif about running

Spanish words:
1. each/every
2. ironic
3. information
4. necessary
5. timid/shy
6. girls
7. difference
8. country
9. For example
10. questions
11. town/village
12. different
13. good
14. bad
15. to practice
16. sport
17. neighborhood/section of the city
18. all the neighbors
19. minutes
20. trash/garbage
21. kids/children
22. moms/mothers

And of course, my family and friends. I didn´t put that because it´s a given. But don´t worry, I´m getting along just fine with everyone here.