Perfect weather for this past Coloradan.
The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) has moved south of Panama. So what, you say. There is much talk about the ITCZ whenever weather is discussed. This is the weather pattern for the rainy season or, as the marketing gurus call it, the GREEN season, like that fools the tourists.
I have always preferred the rainy season. Most mornings are clear and sunny. The temperature is a little warmer without any wind. And, everything gets so green and lush. It is simply beautiful.
The dry season is known for it's wind and fine mist, Bajareque, so it tends to be cooler and the wind gets old after a while. Isn't if good to know that even the weather in paradise is easy to criticize from season to season?
Now for a report on learning Spanish.
We take Spanish lessons twice a week for an hour. This costs us $5 a head per lesson which is pretty cheap. The school we attend has had several excellent teachers.
What is interesting is the different ways each of us succeeds and struggles. Yella, Eric and I are in the same class. Yella is a singer with great ears. I am a student used to structured learning and Eric, who has lived in Panama for 5 years and resisted learning the language, is somewhat resentful with it all but his wife has become fluent in the same 5 year period and asked him to learn the language.
That is the set up for how each of us is progressing.
Yella hears the spoken words pretty well and is able to grasp the meaning audibly but she is challenged by the exercises in the workbook. I have a tin ear and struggle to hear the words but I am a whiz at the written exercises and I can read Spanish pretty well. Eric actually knows more vocabulary than either of us and, when he is willing to give up the resentment, he does the best of all three.
The lessons are starting to get difficult. They push us hard demanding to speak Spanish whenever possible. There are times when I have no idea what is going on. As I look at each of our faces, the same struggle is apparent from time to time. The teacher is very observant and stops when she or he sees the confusion and makes sure everything is understood by each of us before she moves on. This seems to be paramount in the learning process. If they move to fast, surely one of us would quit.
The hour, which sounds like such a short time, is taxing, fatiguing and confronting.
What is that about teaching an old dog new tricks?
This language thing is going to take some time. We are considering enrolling in a 30 day, full time school as soon as we have reached a threshold where we have gained some minimal ability with it. They tell us that we will "click" and leap forward with the learning at some point.
I can't wait. This is difficult...but rewarding too.
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