Un Temblor!

It was a little tough to get out of bed Monday morning and swing back into routine, especially after such an early start the day before. My sunburn already felt much better by the morning, but Ali was still suffering miserably. I don’t know what we would have done without the aloe vera I brought.

My teacher’s name this week is Marta. Like Mercedes, she is fairly young; only a few years older than I am. Marta is very straightforward and logical. She progresses from one topic to the next in a very orderly sequence. I like her style, but I’m trying to get her to loosen up a little. I managed to get her to laugh at the end of the day, though it was at my expense. Monday was teacher appreciation day in Guatemala. People were really jovial and the phrase “¡Feliz el día del maestro!” was constantly being said somewhere in the school. As I was packing up I tried my hand at it, but ended up saying “¡Feliz el día del pad—” I caught myself, but Marta started laughing because she knew I had been about to wish her a Happy Father’s Day.

At the noon break on Monday I quickly walked to the Juice Café to see if I could look for my camera. Thankfully, Bob and Megan were both there and they told me they were going to be leaving for Guatemala City in the early afternoon. I got there just in time! I walked with Megan to where they kept the car parked. It was in a gated-type community with lush gardens and an underground parking garage. When I climbed into the car I almost panicked because I didn’t see the camera and Megan said they had done a sweep the night before. But then I did find it wedged down on the side of the seat. Thank goodness! I thanked Megan profusely and she gave me a ride back to the shop, which lessened my walk home by a few blocks.

There are some things that may never cease to amaze me here. There are mopeds and motorcycles everywhere you look. Even Juan Carlos has one. However, it is also very common to see three people on a motorcycle: the driver, an adult passenger, and a child sandwiched between them. I’ve seen a three-year-old girl sitting on her dad’s lap while he drove the moped. I’ve seen a mother holding a toddler on the back of a motorcycle. My heart skips a beat whenever I see things like that.Another interesting bit of news about transportation in Antigua: Marta said that the mayor of Antigua wants to eliminate the use of tuk-tuks in the streets because it’s “bad for tourism.” I somehow can’t picture Antigua without them…

Tuesday night I went to bed just after 10:00. At 12:30 I woke up disoriented and thinking I was in the back of a truck on a bumpy road. It took me a moment to realize that Antigua was experiencing an earthquake! I was only awake for the last few seconds before it stopped. Wednesday morning it was all anyone could talk about. “¡Anoche hubo un temblor a las doce y media!” Marta said the earthquake lasted just under a minute and was rather strong. I was a little sad I missed most of it, but some people (including Ali) slept right through it. Mercedes said it registered 5.4 on the Richter Scale, but Marta said 5.1. There were also reports of aftershocks throughout the night, but I didn't feel any of those.

After morning classes on Wednesday I returned home to find two guys working over by the computer with Juan Carlos. They were installing internet! There is now Wi-Fi at the house, but I would need to cough up Q50 a week to use it. That translates to $25 for the rest of my stay here in Antigua. Ali and I are trying to decide if it’s worth it, because we do have internet at the school for free. However, the connection there has been very temperamental as of late. On Monday I wasn’t able to connect all day, and on Wednesday I only managed to get a slow connection in the afternoon. It would be really convenient to be able to access internet at the house because I wouldn’t need to lug my computer to school every day. It would also help me in my studies because I could create online flashcards to memorize vocab and such. On the flipside I would need to have the self-control to not to check facebook constantly. However, I would be able to Skype on weekends! Then again, I think Q50 a week is a little steep compared to what other students pay their host families to use their internet. I’m kind of on the line. Any advice?

I learned that the Spanish equivalent for “it’s raining cats and dogs” is “Está lloviendo a cantaros” which means, “It’s raining by pitchers.”

Adios!

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah”

Psalm 46:1 – 3