How are you? = Como estas?
Can I have bread for breakfast please?
Puedo tener pan para desayuno por favor?
Spanish classes started 3 days after we arrived in Antigua. The school put us in a homestay that was right beside our school, which was great because we would never be late for classes or have to wake up extra early.
Chris enrolled us in a 4 hours a day, 5 days a week hell (Chris' note. It wasn't hell for me). Classes would start from 8am to 12noon. The first week of school was really tough for me. There was too much information and little time to digest it. The first half of the class was always slow and unbearable. I'd often lean my head against the wall or hold my head between my hands because the lesson got too difficult or when I had to concentrate really hard to understand what my teacher was saying that I'd often get a headache. The 2nd half of my class would fly past quickly because my teacher would play UNO, UNO stacko, or card games in Spanish with me. (except that one time we played scrabble in Spanish and I got a splitting headache after from thinking too hard - I got 201pts vs her 212pts. I used the dictionary though, but it was still pretty decent scores). (Chris' note: I just sat around and chatted with my teacher while practicing new grammar. Topics ranged from bandits and traveling to our favourite WWE wrestlers and moves. My best studying was done in my sleep. I dream and sleep talk in Spanish).
I would usually spend the afternoon after lunch revising for a couple of hours and then sometimes walk around the town or go for some salsa lessons before heading home for dinner at 6.30pm. After dinner we would chat for a bit before taking out our books again. Chris hardly studied and often would be nerding on his iPhone. It was hardly any motivation, unless I tell myself I wanted to get to his level of fluency so that I can nerd all day on my iPhone too and still be able to converse without thinking. (Chris' note: mostly true but I focus hard in class and in my sleep. Plus, I practice speaking with everyone. And I'm ultra smart.)
By the end of my first week, I was pretty sick of Spanish and would sometimes purposely go to class 5 minutes late. My teacher would give me that look because she knew I stayed just next door to the school.
We took the 2nd week a little easier and went out more in the afternoons. Still, it was too much for us! Chris started sleep talking in Spanish (he claimed that that was his way of practicing spanish!) and I dreamt of Spanish words in my sleep! (Chris' note: I should have read all of this before my earlier comments but I'm too lazy to go back and correct it).
My personal achievement after 2 weeks of classes:
1) I was able to go into a bookstore on my own and buy my stationaries & a notebook.
2) I went to the post office and was able to borrow a pen successfully from the lady behind the counter!
Regardless, I was so happy when Chris suggested us taking the 3rd week off!!
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