When volunteers first arrive at their new posts in Latin America, one of their first priorities is to completely immerse themselves in the new culture. They’ll want to choose a living situation where they can speak as much Spanish as possible, sample the offerings of the local cuisine and generally soak up all of the local cultural idiosyncrasies.
For most of us planning to stay three, four, five or more years in Latin America, at some point it becomes important to find a balance between the culture in which we’re living and our culture of origin. We need to speak English from time to time, catch up on news from home and connect with others who are living a bi-cultural life.
If you’re living in Guatemala and haven’t naturally come upon opportunities to speak English and meet fellow expatriates, there are many organizations you can check out. A selection is listed below.
Media sources in English for events and organization listings:
Qué Pasa Magazine
Revue Magazine
XelaPages
XelaWho
Cultural centers and organizations:
ArteAntigua
El Sitio Proyecto Cultural
Guatemalan-American Institute
Rainbow Café in Antigua
Churches and synagogues with English-language services:
Listings can be found here
Quaker Friends Meeting
Politically-affiliated organizations:
Democrats Abroad
Republicans Abroad
Bilingual schools:
Colegio Americano
Colegio Colonial Bilingüe
Colegio Decroly Americano
Colegio Evelyn Rogers
Colegio Inglés Americano
Colegio Interamericano
Colegio Internacional Montessori
Colegio Maya
Colegio Valle Verde
Equity American School
Inter-American School
Common interests:
AlAnon Antigua, AlAnon Atitlan
American Chamber of Commerce in Guatemala
American Club
Antigua Guatemala Network for nonprofit organizations
Antigua Outdoor Club
Antigua Photography Club
Guatemala Community Chorus
Scrabble Club
Yoga Classes
Veteran support through American Legion
Latest posts by Lisa Hetzel
- Evaluating Our Impact - December 23rd, 2009
- Educational Exchange with New Hope Teachers - December 15th, 2009
- What Are You Thankful For? - November 26th, 2009
- Nonprofit Network Launches Website - November 20th, 2009
- Graduation Season - November 13th, 2009
- Milking Your Tax Dollars from Afar - November 6th, 2009
- Going Green(er) in Guatemala - October 16th, 2009
- The Hidden Benefits of Volunteering - October 9th, 2009
- Secrets to Landing a Volunteer Position - October 2nd, 2009
- A Smorgasbord of Volunteer Opportunities, Chapin Style - September 28th, 2009
