New Groove

I can't remember if I've mentioned it yet, but I started taking Spanish lessons yesterday. I was worried that my teacher would be concerned with curriculum, but halleluiah, she too prefers to chat rather than look at assigned things. So I am learning tons and am also really enjoying the lessons. It's a very "learn while doing" type of experience which I much prefer. Plus, I am getting a cultural lesson too while we talk because we get into fairly intense discussions about politics, religion, and the troubled youth of today (she has two teenagers). We both enjoy maps so we put a big map of the world up on our white board where other instructors write vocabulary, and we discuss different cultures and laws and such. Her favorite thing to tell me is (in translation) "you talk so much, but you must fix all of these wrong things!" Apparently I passed 7 Spanish classes but never learned the very important verbs of haber and ser... But she is making sure I am now! What a firecracker.
It took some adjusting to start working on the tour less and shifting to other areas of work, but it's very fun now. After class today I went on a hunt for brown sugar. I haven't been able to find it in the supermarket. So I went from panderia (bakery) to panderia asking for brown sugar, but non of them have it. I finally ended up settling for something brown and granular but I'm told is not brown sugar, it is something "more special." Hmm... I think it is very similar to brown sugar, but they don't want to admit that it is the same thing and instead call it something different. I also found out today that I've been paying 2-3 quetzales (Guatemalan curency) more than I should be for bottles of coke. I normally pay 5 for a small glass bottle, whereas I'm told they should be 3! Apparently the gringo tax is hefty for coke. I will straighten out the local tienda though. And I finally told the coffee shop that is right down the street from Casasito, that they are the only place in town that charges Q10 for a small coffee. I told them that was no bueno and I didn't want anymore if it was going to be that over priced. Everywhere else in town coffee is Q6 for a medium. Maybe by the time I leave I will pay close to what Guatemalans pay for things. Maybe.