First off, Spanish is not the primary language here at the lake. We live among mostly Mayan/indigenous folks, not Latinos - those descendants of Spanish colonial rule mostly live in the larger cities here in Guatemala (and tend to be much wealthier).
If you were born in a town on one side of the lake you speak Kaqchikel (Ka-check-Kel) and on the other side you would grow up speaking Tz'utujil (Su-tu-jill). Apparently, they are very distinctly different and it's common that in the next town over, you wouldn't be able to understand what they are saying. So, the supposedly unsophisticated Mayan here at Atitlan speak at least two and usually three or more languages.
I was really excited to have the opportunity to work with a Mayan woman for my Spanish classes, and hoped to learn more about lake culture as well. On the first day I began the trek to the school. Here's a look back down to the building I started from and also the view up the rest of the property to the gate - both are MUCH steeper than they look in photos. Add that to the 6k feet level oxygen and whoa! By the time I get to the top and open the metal entry to the road to town, I am usually a little out of breath. I was feeling particularly sorry for myself one day about that part of my walk, and then I looked up from the road and saw a kid on a mountainside trail about 10 times more steep with a backpack on, hiking down to get to school. Humbled.
My walk takes about 30 minutes depending on my stride and how much I am slowing to enjoy the weather and the views. Yes, we have a quad that I could drive but I am also trying to get a little more active. Each morning is perfect - crisp and refreshing but not cold enough for a sweater. Here are a few photos from the walk:
The journey is beautiful and filled with the sounds of birds along the way. I'll have to record them next time and talk a little about the nicknames Ken and I have for the birds based on the how they sound to us.
I almost never run into a tourist or non-Mayan for that matter. It is usually a Mayan man or woman on their way to work. They always make eye contact and say some variation of Hola or Buenos Dias...always. My teacher asked me why gringos sometimes don't acknowledge people they see...I told her it was a cultural thing that also varied widely within a city in the U.S., but I much prefer the Mayan way of greeting each other.
The roads are rough and a little tight when there is a large truck coming through, so although it would be amazing to create my own soundtrack to compliment the views, I keep my ears open. Besides, I wouldn't want to miss the birds and the greetings!
One of my favorite sounds is of the wind chimes in this temple on the hill above the road. It was built since we left and I haven't had a chance to go up to see it and participate in their sunrise and sunset ceremonies, but it's on my list.
After about 2/3rds of my walk as I near the town of San Marcos, I come to the paved road...literally in pavers. At first this was confusing to me - isn't using pavers an extravagant way to pave your roads? Then I thought about the relative cost of labor and materials/machines. It is likely much cheaper to use pavers that can be made locally and use local labor. The average decently paid construction worker here gets about $10 a day, police and other government folk make about $20. A store owner in town selling fruit and vegetables hopes to make $15.
One of my favorite things along the way is this community garden. The day after I took this photo, I ran across a Mayan man working in there and we said our hellos.
The church in town, although not as fancy as some, is beautifully constructed in stone. This is the back side of the church that faces my path to school. It is a Catholic Church, which is the most prevalent religion here. The Mayan are also followers of Mayan symbols and mythologies and somehow weave them together in their world view.
This the first look into town along my way. The first building on the left is a store that sells food and further up on the right where the tuk-tuk is parked is actually a health food store that sells home-made granola, coconut oil, natural health and beauty products and stuff like that. In the distance you can see the "cancha," the gathering place for big town events that also serves as a semi-indoor basketball and soccer field.
Right as I approach the cancha, I turn to my left into what looks like a stone pathway smaller than an alley. It's a clever construction - if you can see there is a center lighter section with holes in it. That allows the heavy rains here to clear pretty quickly into gutters that run under the paths.
There are a couple stone pathways like this that run from the main road through town down to the lakefront where you can catch a boat to another town on the lake. Along the paths you'll find quaint hotels and restaurants, small stores and farm stands, massage and spa centers, and the usual trinket/souvenir places. It's pretty charming.
And this is where I take my classes - inside restaurant Fe there is a large courtyard and three small "classrooms" on the edges.
Most importantly, this is my teacher Irma. She is a lovely 18 year old girl that has no problem keeping me in line in our one-on-one class. She is quite funny, though this picture doesn't show that. I think she doesn't smile much in pics as her ID card was a part of one of my lessons and it looked similar. She has a been very creative with lessons, many times they are conversations in which I tell her about my life and answer questions about what I do each day. Other times there are games that break up the small amount of "stand and deliver" teaching. She asks me each day if I liked the class and if I want to make any suggestions for her teaching. Coincidentally, I have been editing a white paper on dual immersion teaching and learning for a client and it has been tremendously impactful to be a language learner in a foreign land. So much so that it deserves its own post later. :-)
Irma is wearing pretty typical Mayan clothing with a blouse (huipil) tucked into a wrapped skirt (corte) and a belt wrapped over the middle. She is sweet and very smart, although unfortunately with 7 in her family and two parents my age who are ill, she can't afford to go to school. :-(
She has been wonderful to work with and we have formed quite a bond. My classes end next week, but we have already made plans to get together at least a couple times a month so I can teach her English in exchange for some Mayan culture lessons.
We are also both soccer girls, so after the lessons, we're heading over to the field to kick the ball around. Yay!
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