04 - Getting used to village life

(Like I mentioned before, there's so much to tell, so for variation's sake I'll wait with writing about all the things Per told me about. <: )

Four days have passed since I left Sweden, but I still can't really shake the feeling of being out of place. And I'm not surprised, because this place is simply just.. So much! At least for a city dwelling computer nerd like me. I recently managed to get music going on my laptop (which, by the way, didn't work at all like I had planned. Bloody thing is just too dependent on internet), and when I turned on one of my CD's, in this case Korn's album Follow The Leader, I just got this great kick of happiness. Finally, something enjoyable that I can recognize! I then spent the last hour listening to System of a Down while trying out a new experimental black beans-recipe that I had made up in desperation of something tastier.

Life here in the village is very quiet at the moment, as you might imagine, although today a few interesting things happened. I finally started with my work, having a meeting with Per and some of my students at eight this morning. I was really nervous, partly because I'm still getting used to speaking Spanish most of the time, but most of all because it was my first real meeting with anyone from the village. To my surprise they were pretty shy, and although my short introduction to why I was there was probably pretty dull (I hadn't prepared one bit, didn't even realize I would have to make one), they seemed very grateful for this course in computers they will be having with me and someone else. Also one of my theories was confirmed, when one in the group told me they are Chuj and that Castellano (Another name for Spanish) is not their primary language.

After the meeting I had my second stroll around town trying to look for a place where I could buy tortillas and salt. It took a while and a lot of asking around, but after a while I finally arrived at this small house where I bought eight tortillas and a bag of salt, all for 3 Quetzales* which was the cheapest deal I have made during this whole trip. Then I went to my bed to relax as I felt completely exhausted, but was interrupted by Per knocking on the door and reminding me that I was 30 minutes late for my meeting with him when he was going to introduce me to another student of mine. So I immediately went there with him, and after some walking we arrived in this concrete house where I met this guy who looked a few years younger than me. Then after a short introduction Per went out and I spent a few minutes there talking with him.
It was quite a special moment. He doesn't actually go to school any more as he was relegated (don't ask me why), so I'm there to help him out finishing the studies he has left. So I sat there trying to do my best with my half-fluent Spanish and the knowledge and experience I have of teaching in Sweden (thank you Suzan!), while I was trying to ignore my thoughts about his concrete walls with climbing spiders on them and flies flying around. He seemed like a really nice guy though, and although he was “lazy” in his studies (yeah, who isn't?) he seemed enthusiastic about learning the physics I will be helping him with, which was hopeful. My guess is that he just lacks the discipline to do it all on his own, which is a very common problem that even followed me until the second year of my current school.

There was one thing that annoyed me about that moment, though. I couldn't stop thinking that it reminded me of one of those documentaries you see on TV; some journalist sitting next to a poor person with grey concrete in the background, listening to his or her story of poverty. Thing is, I don't want to think of this place simply as a run-down village in need of help. It is, despite some flaws, a very beautiful place with all of its nature and its very wilful villagers. If I'm going to be here to help I will be doing so as a person and not a prejudicial westerner.

¡Gracias por su atención!

*I have mentioned it before but it's worth mentioning it again: 1 Quetzal is around 0.8 Swedish KR, which makes 3 Quetzales worth less than 3 Swedish bubblegums.