Homestays, Spanish, and Exploring Xela!

By Emma Wagner

Hola from the cozy computer lab at PLQ (Proyecto Lingüistico Quetzal Educativo)! We have taken a break from the delicious cinnamon tea and bread we’ve grown to know and love over the past few days, to give you a glimpse into our lives in Xela—and hopefully, some pointers on Xela’s best offerings if you ever find yourself here with some time to kill.

Some highlights of the week include:
1. Cheering on Xelaju against Siquinala minutes after we arrived.
2. Exploring parque central.
3. Enjoying some questionable street food, only to be hooked on garnachas and churros.
4. Taking the infamous chicken buses to the hot springs in Almolonga to see the beautiful farming community.
5. Taking a dip in the hot mineral baths.

Unplanned adventures are always welcomed as well; for instance, when the power is out and there are no lights at the soccer field, a pizza party at the local Dominos is a must.

This week has been an incredible experience that has tested us culturally, personally, and mentally. Each morning starts off with fresh meals with homestay families, fun Spanish-filled conversations, and pleasant walks around the city. Our language skills have improved exponentially since our arrival here seven days ago, from speaking with our host families during the day and at meals, to challenging ourselves with five-hour Spanish classes every afternoon.

The levels of each student’s comprehension, application, and confidence have risen with each passing day. There is always more to learn and we are accepting that challenge with every future endeavor.

Upon our arrival here in Xela, we embarked on our first cultural immersion in the city: a futbol game. The Xelaju club team crushed Siquinala 4-0. As we took cover from the downpour, the true liveliness and commitment of the Xela fans became evident. With the rain coming down, the encouragement and excitement of the fans did not dwindle.

Futbol has the ability to bring people together in communities like these.

Hearing the chants and the band continue on through the harsh rain really showed us that these people take great pride in their city and their team, as they should.

The chicken buses in Xela caught our eye the minute we arrived. How could we resist old American school buses that had been completely redecorated and tricked out? Finally, our opportunity to catch a ride on one of these beauties came when we needed to get to a nearby village to use the mineral baths. We piled into the bus, sitting with strangers and squeezing into any open space to make the twenty-minute journey to the hot spring. Once we got there we were amazed by the beauty of the landscape as we walked through the community to the baths awaiting us. To our surprise, the baths were not, in fact, serene natural hot springs but dimly lit, dirty, tile baths that you could fill with the volcanic mineral water. The overwhelming smell of sulfur greeted us when we got to our baths but after we had given them a try, many of us were pleasantly surprised with how relaxed and rejuvenated we felt after taking the plunge.

PLQ provides different cultural opportunities and activities for students to partake in, such as speakers coming in to talk about important historical events or current issues that affect Guatemala. We heard from one incredible man who endured severe torture, imprisonment, and psychological abuse during the time of the war. He had pure intentions with joining a cooperative organization to benefit his community when he was kidnapped, interrogated, and beaten for being misjudged as a guerrilla fighter.

Hearing his inspirational tale of resilience showed the true character of many Guatemalan people who had to endure similar experiences.

Another inspirational speaker came in to talk about the issues and obstacles women face in their daily lives here in Guatemala. She discussed the extreme economic differences between men and women, the lack of health care they receive and the way it affects pregnancy, the violence and sexual abuse women endure, and also education and how an incredible 54% of students who attend universities are women. Her information provided a clear view of how difficult it is to be a woman living in Guatemala and it allowed us all to learn and respect the women living here even more.

As we look back on our time here in Xela, we are proud of what we have accomplished with our Spanish abilities and the connections and bonds we have formed with our host families.

Although we’ve fallen in love with this city, it will be a relief to unwind at Lake Atitlan and enjoy some relaxation and yoga. After a week of living with different families, it will be nice to reconnect and share one home with our group again. The lessons and skills we have learned here are ones that will remain with us throughout our future endeavors and will help us to grow and expand our knowledge of the world.