When I was 6 my mom sent an application for me to start first grade in a catholic school where tuition fees were affordable. After some negotiations and examinations I got accepted. This meant that for me to study there my mom had to cut back but there was always a warm plate of food at the table. Since young age I learned that I have been given an opportunity to study, which many people do not have in Guatemala, and that I should make the best out of it. So, I dedicated my life to school and to learning and to get good grades. Yes, I’m a nerd!
During my teens, I was doing everything I can to learn English on my own from movies and songs and books. During university I took some english courses on Saturdays, but never really got a chance to practice. Also, the courses where really crowded and I only sat through seven out of twenty two levels. The state university in Guatemala has a higher demand that it can handle because of the affordable tuition fees. Only a selected group gets admitted yearly.
Back to our story.
As we boarded the plane in Mexico City headed to London, I was excited to get to practice my English skills. It also showed me how little I knew about the language. I took my seat and somehow started small talk with the person sitting next to me. An independent and kind looking young woman, with golden blond hair and piercing blue eyes.
At some point during the flight she asked where I am from. I said I am from Guatemala and she made good comments about the country. I was amused. She spoke fluent Spanish and I was secretly relieved I did not had to use my English yet. She told her story in short and as it turned out she was coming from Peru. She mentioned how she found a peruvian boyfriend and how sad she was to return back home.
Where are you from? - I asked.
From Finland - she replied… I was stunned!
As we arrived to London I asked her if she could help me and my friends to find the boarding gate for the next flight. We exited the plane and I introduced her to the rest of the band. She was really polite and helped us get to the Gate, obviously none of us understood english that well and if anybody would have been doing the talking it would have been me… to this day I don’t know what would have happened if I didn’t find her and if she didn’t help us.
We arrived to Helsinki a few hours later - around 23.00 - and there was our contact wating for us - fictional name Kash. He was exceptionally kind and warm to welcome us.
He said - I hope you are prepared because it is -13 degrees out there.
February is the warmest month in Guatemala city with average temperatures of 28-30 degrees. You can imagine the shock as we exited the airport. He drove us to his apartment in Espoo, close to Kilo and had prepared a nice dinner for us. We greeted his wife and two daughters and sat at the table. It was a great dinner, I will never forget it.
It was very nice to have a Guatemalan guy taking us in like that and his wife, although finnish, spoke fluent spanish. We had dinner and nice conversation. He mentioned that there were two couches we can share. Two of us stayed on the carpet and two in couches. We played rock, scissors, paper every night to see who stayed on the couches.
After dinner, the four of us went outside to walk on the snow, to see it, feel it, touch it, eat it... We went for a short walk and then turned in for the night.
We stayed at their place for two weeks before they moved to Spain. They eventually came back a few months earlier. Me and Kash still keep in touch but have recently grown apart, unfortunately. The rest, as some might say “is history”!
Thanks for reading! “Stay hungry, stay foolish”.
Namaste!
