More from Guatemala

I spent 5 weeks in Quetzaltenango learning spanish with 4 amazing Spanish teachers. (from left to right, Mariela, Angel, Mariana, and Juan Ramon) On my last day they handed me a certificate of graduation from my school, El Nahual. It definitely doesn't mean i'm fluent--i'll be practicing even more during my month in Honduras--but it was a concrete sign of my progress. None of my teachers knew more than a few words in English which made my 4-hour, 1-on-1 classes challenging but all the more rewarding. Each had their own strengths, accents, teaching styles, and topics of conversation. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better team to learn from!

OYE! ...In Honduras

Mayan ruins in Copan, Honduras

I have left my friends and Guate-family behind in Quetzaltenango and I am now in El Progreso, Honduras.  I will be here for at least the next month volunteering with OYE's many projects here in Progreso, mainly their radio program.

The first thing I noticed about Honduras is that it is HOT.  During the day it is consistently about 95 degrees with humidity.  Sweat, sun, and heat are a part of life although somehow the Hondurans manage to wear jeans, shoes and long sleeve shirts while I soak through my shorts and t-shirt.  It will definitely be a transition from the

 cool climate of Xela.

But so far I love the culture, the food, and the people here in Honduras.  There is a lot of work to be done with OYE and I can't wait to dig in.

Reggaeton group performing in San Pedro Sula, one of the biggest cities in Honduras.  The group was promoting positive messages and safe streets in Honduras.

The sign that greeted me when I entered a bank in Copan, Honduras.

3 hours, 1.5 liters of water, and 10 tortillas after we started, some friends and I scaled the tallest volcano in Quetzaltenango, Santa Maria. The peak is about 2 miles above sea level so we were all struggling to catch our breath and had to make several rest stops along the way. From the top we had amazing views of Xela, surrounding towns and mountains plus we watched as a live volcano nearbye erupted. Well worth the sore legs the next day.

A few more fotos of my familia

Luisito, my guatebrother, is in the spiderman outfit. Yoshi, and his other cousin are usually over at our house playing on the terrace.

¡Buen Provecho!

In Spanish, ¨buen provecho¨ basically means bon appetit! This phrase involves one of my favorite customs in Guatemala. At the dinner table, when you´re done eating you say, ¨muchas gracias¨, and everyone else responds ¨buen provecho.¨ Everyday at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I´ll thank my family for the meal, and they´ll always respond with ¨buen provecho!¨

Also, in Guatemala, lunch is the main meal of the day. At about 12:00, the streets are full with kids returning home from school and people walking from work to make it home in time to eat with their family. Stores close for a few hours and everyone sits down for a big meal. Then at about 2:30, things go back to normal. It is a bit like the Spanish siesta, but people actually do go back to work here.

The picture is of a food cart near Xela´s soccer stadium. (I was going to post a picture of an entire roasted pig, but figured this one was a bit more vegetarian friendly) I ordered a plate that came with tortillas, carne asada, grilled onions, salsa and a Gallo (Guate´s national beer) and it all cost about 30 Quetzales, less than 4 bucks.

My Guatefamilia

While I may have left behind my family in California (hi mom!) I was lucky enough to meet an amazing Guatefamilia here in Quetzaltenango. As part of my Spanish studies, I am living with a Guatemalan host family: Elyda, 30, Luis, 29 and their two kids, Ale, 10, and Luis, (above) 5.

In many ways, they are similar to a typical American family: Luisito loves to play soccer and videogames, Ale watches Disney channel religiously, while Ely and Luis give homework help, cook delicious meals and send the kids off to bed.

However with current economic conditions in Guatemala, my family, like others here, still struggles to pay the bills. The $40 per week that I pay for food and lodging is the main source of income. Luis, though very qualified, has trouble finding consistant work, while Ely stays home to care for the kids, cook, and take care of the house.

My Guatefamilia is well-off compared to others. They have a nice TV, stereo, computer, and a three story house (I share the top story with two other language students). But despite the nice things at home, my family can´t afford to go out to eat, see a movie, or take weekend trips.

At first, with my rusty Spanish, I felt like an outsider but now after two weeks I´m more like the American cousin. Ale and I watch ¨Patito Feo¨ together (on Disney Latino channel) and Luis, Luisito, me, and a group of neighborhood kids play fùtobol in the street every weekend. I still have a bit of trouble decifering Luisito´s spanish but otherwise I am right in the middle of the daily dinner table conversations.

Hasta luego!

From high school football to Fùtbol Guatemalteco

While most of the SportsTime crew is busy preparing for the upcoming high school football season, I am in the middle of the Guatemalan fùtbol season. To be more precise, I´m in Guatemala.

This summer I am traveling through Central America with month-long stopovers in Guatemala and Honduras.

Currently, I am in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala´s second biggest city, brushing up on my Spanish, eating plenty of frijoles with my host family, and volunteering as an English teacher at a local high school.

On August 8th, my next adventure begins in Honduras.

I will be working for OYE, Organization for Youth Empowerment (www.oyehonduras.org), as a volunteer with their after school soccer, art, health, and most exciting for me, radio programs!

In order to participate in Honduras I need to raise $1,000. OYE relies on private funding and requires all volunteers to help them in their fundraising endeavors. A $25 donation would be a tremendous help to the Guatemalan youth that OYE serves.

Tax deductible donations can be made payable to “Organization for Youth Empowerment” and sent to 3351 18th Street N.W.Washington, DC 20010. Please note “Carl Nasman” on the memo line. You can also donate on-line at oyehonduras.org

Also, check back here for updates, pictures, and stories from my summer in Central America.