Numero Dos

That´s still about the extent of my Spanish language skills after two days here. Not exactly, but I´m still learning slowly. There are a lot of words to know -- and the big missing link are verbs. We beginners still haven´t learned verbs! I don´t understand how to converse without a properly conjugated verb, at least in the present tense...

Luckily everyone is very patient.

I´m in a class with three others, and it´s a good group. We all want to learn, but no one takes themselves too seriously.

We eat lunch at a cafeteria next door. It´s a restaurant opened by a couple a few years ago, and the school has set up for them to provide lunch. It´s delicious -- there are all kinds of fresh vegetables and meats with lovely spices.

I was surprised to learn that lunch is the important meal of the day here in Mexico. No one gathers for a formal dinner, in this host family or the others. It´s kind of disappointing because I hoped we would all sit down and talk (which is what happened when I lived in Paris) but not so. The family gathers at lunchtime on the weekdays, so I´m looking forward to the experience on the weekend.

This Sunday the group goes to Uxmal, site of some Mayan ruins. I befriended a couple of the other students (who are all my parents´age, I might add) and we´re talking about taking a couple other "excursions" together.