Ixcot Family
- Names: Olivia (mother), Martin (father) Zaira, Martin, Maria (children), Melvin (son-in-law), Omar (grandson)
- Walking distance from the central park: 15 min
- Pets?: 1 dog
- Message to a student: Welcome to Quetzaltenango! We will welcome you warmly to make you feel just like your home. We hope you can enjoy the land of "Luna de Xejajú."
Why do you like to host a foreign student?
Because we can share our time with people from different cultures and learn from them while teaching them daily life of a family in Quetzaltenango.
What do you do in your free time?
Well, I do all kinds of house choirs and I will be waiting for my family to return on the meal time. And taking care of my grandson because my oldest daughter works at the school. She's a kindergarten teacher. (Omar, her grandson) I play with monkies! (He shows the toy that a student brought for a gift.) And I have to go shop all the foods and after that, I have more things to do at home. Wash dishes, mop the floor, clean the bedrooms.
What do you do to make your foreign students feel at home?
Make an authentic food from Xela that the students would like. Have good time talking, joking around and have good faith in them.
What's your family like?
Ahh... They are really attentive to each other. It's bit busy during week days because, we have to go to work and to study at college but in weekend, we try to spend time together. My kids are very respectful and my husband too (smile). They help me out clean up the bathroom, windows and wash clothes too. On Saturday morning, I usally go to Democracia Market to shop some foods for the rest of week. On Saturday afternoon sometime we get invited to a party. On Sunday, we go to Sunday mass and sometimes we all go out to eat together. Sometimes we go to HiperPaiz (the big mall in Quetzaltenango) and hang out together hahaha!
What is the best of Guatemala?
People (most of them) are really kind. Its climate, culture and idiosyncracy of people from Quetzaltenango.
What would you do if you have only one more week of life?
Spend time with my family, have good time eating and breath, feel and pray.
What's your favorite food, music, movie, television show, color and travel location?
My favorite food? Estofado! My family likes pastas, and lots of salads. We eat lots of salads. (Omar) I like apples! I make lemonade, mango, all kinds of juice with fruits. No, no, I don't like those artificial powder juice. I like listening to marimba and when I'm by myself working, I listen to marimba and news on the radio. My favorite color is green. (Omar, points at his sweater) Green! Some Saturdays, we all sit together and watch Pedro Infante... Mexican movies. Favorite TV program... well, I like a little bit of soap opera hahaha! (Omar) Discovery Kids! We've been going out lots of places... We go to Almolonga (a nearby village), Momostenango and we are planning to go to Antigua now.
Who is/was the most influential person in your life?
My husband because I have lived and enjoyed being with him.
What is the Guatemala's biggest social issue?
Poverty, illiteracy, desnutrition.
What do you propose to solve the Guatemala's problems?
Education for all with teaching of moral values and spirituality.
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