I think it was Einstein who said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." For years, I have wanted to learn a foreign language. When I was in first and second grade, our school tried to teach us a bit of Spanish every day. In high school, I took Spanish classes every day during my sophomore and junior years. As an adult, I've tried books, audio tapes, and computer programs. None of this has worked! I am still a typical English-only Gringo! I don't believe it's possible, at least for me, to try to learn Spanish (or any language) from books or by listening to tapes. To pay for one more language program in the U.S. would be the very definition of "insanity." If I really want to learn a foreign language, I've got to change my method!
For many years, I've heard about Spanish language immersion programs in Central and South America. Students sign up with a school, attend Spanish classes during the day, and live with a local family that doesn't speak English. Field trips to museums, national parks, cultural events, etc., are arranged so that the students become immersed in the language as much as possible.
So, I decided to sign up ! After a bit of research, I decided to attend La Union Spanish School in Antigua, Guatemala. I've been to Guatemala on business, and found the people to be very friendly (and short). Plus, it's dirt cheap! The classes are $125 per week for private, one-on-one instruction for 20 hours per week. The cost to live with a family is only $105 per week, and that includes three meals a day (except Sundays), one load of laundry per week, a private room, a shared bathroom, and a personal slave.
I made it my New Year's Resolution to go to Guatemala and learn Spanish. When I shared my idea with Mike Hill, a good friend for 16+ years who recently retired from work, he thought it was a GREAT idea! So much so, that he decided to join me in the adventure! When he agreed to do this, it was New Years' Eve...and he'd had a bit to drink. I chalked it up to drunken hype...but son-of-a-bitch...he's actually going to do it with me!
I am now in the hotel bar, waiting for Mike to arrive from the airport (we took different flights). I've just encountered my first problem; they don't have non-alcoholic beer here (the bartender looked at me like I was absolutely insane once he understood what I was asking for...). So I'm drinking a club soda.
There is a birthday party going on here at the bar, and they're singing Karaoke. I don't speak much Spanish, but I do recognize really, really bad singing in any language! It looks like we'll be having plenty of that tonight! God! I hope this doesn't contaminate me with some sort of bad Karaoke-accented Spanish!!!
Tomorrow morning, the school is sending a driver to take us from the hotel in Guatemala City to our host family in Antigua. It's about a 45 minute drive.
For the time we're here, we're no longer "Michael" and "Robert." We've both agreed to answer to the Spanish version of our names. Henceforth, we are Miguel y Roberto!
For many years, I've heard about Spanish language immersion programs in Central and South America. Students sign up with a school, attend Spanish classes during the day, and live with a local family that doesn't speak English. Field trips to museums, national parks, cultural events, etc., are arranged so that the students become immersed in the language as much as possible.
So, I decided to sign up ! After a bit of research, I decided to attend La Union Spanish School in Antigua, Guatemala. I've been to Guatemala on business, and found the people to be very friendly (and short). Plus, it's dirt cheap! The classes are $125 per week for private, one-on-one instruction for 20 hours per week. The cost to live with a family is only $105 per week, and that includes three meals a day (except Sundays), one load of laundry per week, a private room, a shared bathroom, and a personal slave.
I made it my New Year's Resolution to go to Guatemala and learn Spanish. When I shared my idea with Mike Hill, a good friend for 16+ years who recently retired from work, he thought it was a GREAT idea! So much so, that he decided to join me in the adventure! When he agreed to do this, it was New Years' Eve...and he'd had a bit to drink. I chalked it up to drunken hype...but son-of-a-bitch...he's actually going to do it with me!
I am now in the hotel bar, waiting for Mike to arrive from the airport (we took different flights). I've just encountered my first problem; they don't have non-alcoholic beer here (the bartender looked at me like I was absolutely insane once he understood what I was asking for...). So I'm drinking a club soda.
There is a birthday party going on here at the bar, and they're singing Karaoke. I don't speak much Spanish, but I do recognize really, really bad singing in any language! It looks like we'll be having plenty of that tonight! God! I hope this doesn't contaminate me with some sort of bad Karaoke-accented Spanish!!!
Tomorrow morning, the school is sending a driver to take us from the hotel in Guatemala City to our host family in Antigua. It's about a 45 minute drive.
For the time we're here, we're no longer "Michael" and "Robert." We've both agreed to answer to the Spanish version of our names. Henceforth, we are Miguel y Roberto!
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