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I decided to go the whole hog during my studies and stay with a local host family. I really wanted to attempt to use my Spanish and learn more about the culture and there really is no better way. Many people are afraid that it can be a little awkward and conversations strained, especially if your Spanish is quite basic. Obviously the higher your level of Spanish the more you can engage in real conversation with the family. However families are adept at conversing with people in pigeon Spanish if necessary- after all this is their job! They're not exactly going to try to discuss world politics if you're a real beginner, more likely would you like more eggs? And as always a sense of humor, a smile- and a good old fashioned game of charades will always get you through pretty much any communication barrier. Clearly the family you get and how you get a long will affect your experience, but again like I said about teachers; you can always change until you get a good fit.
I arranged my host family accommodation through the school, although you can arrange both separately, or just stay with a family without any classes involved. I paid an amazing $75 per week for a large room with double bed in a house (well actually two neighbouring houses) which had 1 to 6 students at its peak (which I think is too many, so well worth clarifying maximum student numbers before picking your accommodation) plus a family of four. Three meals a day were included 6 days a week (the families have Sundays off) and the food was really good. They were happy to cater for vegetarians, different food preferences or allergies whilst also giving you an insight into real Guatemalan food serving pretty traditional dishes and always with everyone around the table chatting and joking. It was a bit of a squeeze at full occupancy but they worked on the saying 'where there's room for one there's room for all'.
I completely lucked out with my family and had an incredible experience with them. The family was made up of 3 generations; grandmother, two daughters and one grand-daughter. And although this was their main source of income, it never felt like a business providing bed and board. They really made every student feel welcome, giving help and advice whenever they could, especially if anyone was sick they took on the caring mother role, arranging doctor's appointments and providing herbal teas & soups etc. bless them. They loved chatting about past students, many of whom they still keep in touch with and who keep coming back to visit. They have albums and kitchen walls filled with pictures of students past and present and you can tell they really do what they do with love. Personally I can't recommend this family highly enough so if anyone is planning a trip to Antigua check out their Facebook page 'Noemi Marin' or get in touch and I'll pass more details.
I learnt so much about Guatemalan culture staying with the family. First and foremost about family structures; Guatemala is traditionally a very Catholic country (however there has been a significant shift towards more radical sectors of Christianity, particularly to the Evangelical church, who tried to 'save my soul' numerous times on streets and buses) so it came as a bit of a shock to learn that Guatemala has a pretty high rate of non-marital births at 67%. One view on why the rate is so high here includes factors such as male migration, male mortality, machismo, and pro-natalist attitudes and policies in the country (Kinnear 1999). Whatever the reasons I certainly came across lots of examples of struggling single parent families (predominantly mothers) Albeit my view may be biased as a lot of the families I came in contact with were host families, which is one of the more accessible options to obtain income for a woman whilst still being able to be at home for young children.
I became more aware of the ever prevalent macho culture in Guatemala while living with the family. Although progress has been made in the number of women in the work force (they now make up 37%) and attendance of school and university, it does not seem to have had much effect on the mindset of the majority where the male is king and women viewed as second class citizens. This is especially true in more rural areas and within indigenous communities; which make up 51% of the total population. Only 10% of poor, rural indigenous girls are enrolled in secondary school. Men are still the head of the family and often make all the important decisions in these communities. Until 1998, the Guatemalan Civil Code gave a husband the authority to deny his wife the right to engage in activities outside the home; until 1999, the code stated that women could only work outside the home "when this does not prejudice the interests and care of the children or other attentions in the home"
My host family, a house full of strong woman; two widows and one singleton (who said she did not want to be controlled by a man so decided not to get married) told me of many instances where they have been discriminated against. They had problems getting their daughter into school and anything that involved large payments as people didn't think they could possibly manage things on their own. They explained how many of their close friends had urged them to marry as 'a house needs a man' and 'how would they ever manage financially?' Unfortunately this is a real concern for Guatemalan women. With little or no education or vocational training and widespread discrimination, they have few options for salaried work. Although women make up a sizeable part of the workforce most are in informal jobs which typically are badly paid and involve long hours. The most common jobs for women include tortilla seller, domestic servant or maquila (sweatshop) worker. There are a number of organisations working to try to empower woman and shift the mindset there but change here will take time.
Family is such an important thing in Latino culture and Guatemala is no exception and family events are a big deal where everyone gets involved. I was lucky enough to be around for a few family events and my host family always included all the students, explaining any special traditions, introducing us to the wider family and generally taking pride in explaining their culture and making us feel welcome. The biggest event was the grandmother Estella's 69th birthday. With the average life expectancy in the country at 71 this was obviously a big deal and she is such an amazing woman, really fit and agile. Although it's her daughter Noemi that runs the house more now and looks after the students, Estella still gets involved with the cooking and was always interested in getting to know us, so all the students in the house wanted to make it extra special for her.
The extended family all came over for a special meal cooked by Noemi and we'd decorated the house with balloons and banners. I had secretly arranged for a Mariachi band to come and play at the house as a surprise thank you from all the students- she absolutely loved it and within minutes we'd cleared the make shift tables for the feast and the party was in full swing! Estella was on form and put us younger students to shame with her endless energy on the dance floor. Another student had enlisted the help of Estelita the grand-daughter to arrange what would be my first experience of a piñata which provided lots of entertainment. Overall it was a fantastic night.
By living day to day with a local family you get a much better understanding of so many aspects of the culture that you simply wouldn't get otherwise. But more importantly in general Latino families are so amazingly warm and welcoming. My host family made my stay in Antigua unforgettable, and I will certainly be one of the students stuck on their kitchen wall, coming to visit again and again.
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