Hello dear friends of the Juan Sisay Spanish School! This is the seventh Newsletter we send to you and the very first thing we want to do in this Newsletter is to say thank you for your interest in the School, in Xela and in Guatemala! You receive this Newsletter because you subscribed on one of the schools homepages (either http://www.juansisay.com or http://www.juansisay.de) or are a known friend of the school. If you want to unsubscribe from this Newsletter just reply to it (using the same email-address, you used for subscribing) and change the subject to "unsubscribe". You will find news from Guatemala, Xela, the school and the project Tob’anik in this letter. News from Guatemala Free trade agreement ==================== The free trade agreement between the US and Guatemala has been signed between the two states and is expected to come into effect in October 2005. The agreement caused various protests among different groups of the Guatemalan population. Cheap medicine for Guatemala ============================ Among others Nobel Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú founded a chain of pharmacies which is called “Similiares”. In these pharmacies generic medicaments are sold which are generally cheaper than the same medicine from the original producer. As you might know, generic medicaments are legal copies of medicine which can be produced by every company, after the patent of the inventor expired. We expect that this will help a lot of poor people who haven’t been able to by the more expensive originals. Industry ======== The mining in the departments San Marcos and Huehuetenango seems to be authorized by the current government, because it gave licences to various international mining companies. The local population is demonstrating against it, because it does not feel an increase of welfare from it, additionally it is ecologically harmful, especially for the quality of the water. Economy ======= The exchange rate between the US-Dollar and the Guatemalan Quetzals is still lowering in favour of the Quetzal. The current exchange rate is at 7.40 Quetzals a Dollar. Due to the fact, that the Guatemalan economy depends mainly on the US this may lead to an increase of the rate of inflation when American exporters increase the prices of goods, such as petrol, food and others. Tourism ======= In April 2005 work on the International Airport “La Aurora” in Guatemala City to carry out modifications, especially to amplify it. The work is estimated to last about 20 months and it is expected that the airport will be again certified by the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and to offer better service to its customers. The number of robberies on tourists and buses is decreasing significantly, which is good for the whole country (tourist industry is after agricultural industry the second biggest part of the Guatemalan gross domestic product) but the violent acts between gangs and bank robberies still continue. Legends of Guatemala ==================== For those who like legends and tales a look on the webpage of Prensa Libre (http://www.prensalibre.com) may be worth it. From mid April on every Saturday a Guatemalan legend will be published there. About Quetzaltenango (Xela) Cultural nights in Xela ======================= The new major of Xela Rolando Barrientos "Mito" initiated a program to promote national and international art and culture. Every Thursday night at 6 p.m. free “noche culturales” (“cultural nights”) take place in front of the town hall. Till now Austrian classic music groups, a chorus from Cuba, the Folkloric Ballet of Chiapas, Marimba groups from Guatemala and others performed. New hang-outs, shops, etc. ========================== The shop in front of the school, Licuados Doña Betty, now converted into a real coffee bar where you can buy milk shakes, sandwiches and vegetarian food. It is located directly on the other side of the street and it is said to offer fresh and clean drinks and food. Maybe you want to try it, next time when you are in Xela? “Vinos y quesos” and the B&B Casa Babilon have a new address: 15th Avenida, 3rd Calle, Zona 1, but is still offering nice rooms and great food. The “Hecktisch” (a Club in Xela) now has also a guesthouse in a colonial building close to the discotheque “La Frata”, the address is 15th Avenida 0-42 Zona 1, phone 5296 1275. Other new places: Casa D'Icq'Anul, hostel and coffee bar, 6th Calle 7-41, Zona 1, phone 5548 7502. Zona O, a new discotheque and bar, 14th Avenida A, 1st Calle, Zona 1. Nuevo Kaqchiquel Tours, travel agency, offers volcano hikes, shuttle services and more, 7th Calle 15-20, Zona 1 Cloud forest motorcycle tours offers three or four day trips. Internet: http://www.mayanmototours.com Monte Verde Shuttle service, trips to Panajachel, Chichicastenango, etc., 13th Avenida 8-34, Zona 1. About the Spanish School Juan Sisay New teachers ============ Two new teachers became members of the Juan Sisay family, Hanswer Gramajo from Coban is studying “Ingeniería Ambiental” and Tommy Meza, an graduated agronomist from the Universidad de San Carlos. In April the new classes for Spanish teachers started at the University San Carlos. The few teachers of our school who haven’t got the diploma yet will attend them to receive it. Teachers who left the school ============================ In some month we do not have enough students, so that sometimes even the teachers which are members of the collective don’t have work in one week or another. So the three following teachers have decided to leave the school and to find work in other places: Lizeth de Leon, Thelma Galdamez and Ana Coyoy. “Old teacher” ============= We are very happy that Veronica Coyoy, an excellent teacher decided to work with Juan Sisay again. Veronica worked for Juan Sisay between 1994 and 1997 and then moved into the capital. Now she came back to Xela with her daughter, Maria Fernanda, which is one year old. Request for help ================ The ones of you who have staid with the family of Doña Francis Romero en la 11th Calle 7a-21, Zona 1 and who have liked are asked to write her. Doña Francis is suffering from cancer and we would be happy if you can send her a nice and tender letter to help her in these days. You could write directly to her or the the school’s postal or mail-address (15 Ave. 8-38 Zona 1, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala CA or mailbox@juansisay.com). Friday night parties ==================== We have a new event fro some of the Friday night parties. From time to time we’ll go to Aguas Amargas en Zunil, which are now nicer and better then the Fuentes Georginas. The Aguas Amargas has real hot water and it is also possible to stay there over night. Some our students worked with the kids from the project “Tob’anik” and gave private lessons to them in reading, writing and mathematics. Most of the parents of these kids are illiterate and are not able to help their children with their homework. About Tob’anik More or less ten years ago the school started a project to help poor families paying the school fees, uniforms and materials of their children. In 2002 some ex-students (yes, I’m one of them) founded a non-profit organization in Germany to raise money for this purpose. In the last three years we could help the school to increase the number of children in the project from less than 20 to 58 (as of April 2005). We see education as a major determinant for the development of the welfare of individuals and the population in general. If you are interested in our work you can find more information in English at http://www.tobanik.de/sources/flyer_en.pdf or in French at http://www.tobanik.de/sources/flyer_frz.pdf. The website itself is only in German: http://www.tobanik.de. Contact http://www.juansisay.com (En) http://www.juansisay.de (Ger) info@juansisay.com Older Newsletters You can find the older Newsletters and even this one here: http://www.juansisay.com/archiv/index.htm in PDF-format and also as a flat text file. Ok, that’s it for the moment; I hope to be able to send you the next Newsletter soon. Hasta luego, Andreas Webmaster & Coordinador Internacional