Pop-Wuj

I´ve lucked out again with my Spanish instructor at Pop-Wuj, one of several Spanish schools here that also incorporate volunteer/sociol work into their programs. She is a 38-year-old local woman with three boys and a husband. She is friendly and energetic and, despite how fast she talks, easy to follow. Like Antonio, she´s very concerned with the social/political/economic situation here in Guatemala about which we talk a lot. Somehow the topic of my sister comes up (she manages both her husband from whom she´s separated AND her boyfriend, and they all get along) and my instructor exclaims something along the line of "¡Hooray para feministas!" She tells me that if that situation were to occurr in Guatemala (it wouldn´t) my sister would most likely be killed.

Pop-Wuj in general has a pretty progressive agenda, though not overtly political. They specialize in language courses specifically for medical and social workers. Poster of Che Guevara and bumber stickers proclaim "War is not the answer" and "Give Peace a Chance" are pasted on the wall. I`m proud to be here, but get slightly envious when I here there´s another school here run by a former political radical with a bit more of a political agenda. Oh, well.

By the way, my first night at Pop-Wuj we watched a Spanish movie called Mar Adentro, or The Sea Inside. SO GOOD. Sad, but in a positive sort of way. I highly recommend it.