Marriage and children bring with them needs and responsiblities that a soltero doesn’t have. Rafael hopes to grow his small pharmacy into a cadena of drug stores that he can use to benefit his wife and kids. To raise the necessary capital, Rafael is working abroad for a few years.

Our friend, Rafael, returns this week to talk to us about his homeland and its culture. As he explains, the Mayan culture continues to thrive in Guatemala via its language, clothing, and customs.

In Guatemala, people of Mayan descent not only retain various native forms of dress, but they also speak dialects of the Mayan language, a language many people wrongly presume to be long lost to history. Rafael treats us to some examples of words and phrases in this language, and also explains some of the particulars of traditional dress.

Wicoy: como una calabaza pequeña, tal vez 15 cm de diametro, verde y blanco y es mucho mas fino que la calabaza. Para comer es parecido a un zucchetthi/zucchini. Bastante rico. (Thank you to Guatesol for info!) Rafael relates facts and myths of the natural environment in his native land.

At only the tender age of 43, Ricardo Arjona not only has a street named for him in the town of his birth, Jocotenango, but a wing of the library at his alma mater also bears his name. Needless to say, this former basketball star knows how to rally the hometown crowd. Ricardo filmed this video for his latest hit single, Quien, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Guatemalan crooner Ricardo Arjona sings a long list of things he wants in his song “Quiero.” This video for “Quiero” was shot in the Dominican Republic and features the stunning Miss D.R. 2007, Massiel Taveras.

Melany is an actress from Guatemala. In this video, she talks about her country, its beautiful landscapes, food and its great weather, which has gained Guatemala the title of “the country of the eternal spring.”

Melany is an actress from Guatemala. In this video she shares with us her passion for acting, and for a specific acting method she learned that has "changed her life."

Now Melany shows us some crafts and other items made in Guatemala. She explains how the artisans usually incorporate colorful patterns in their handmade creations and she promises to prepare some Guatemalan coffee for us... next time.

Although one language unites the people from all Spanish-speaking countries, it is useful- and fun- to become familiar with the different vocabulary and expressions utilized by Spanish speakers from various nations.

María Aide Ordóñez from Guatemala shares with us some fun facts about her country's people, attire, cuisine and culture.

"Fuiste tú" is a Latin pop song written and sung by the popular Guatemalan singer-songwriter, Ricardo Arjona, as a duet with Guatemalan songstress, Gaby Moreno. Enjoy the official video for this romantic song!

Hilda Velásquez, a young Guatemalan woman living in Berlin, Germany, shares with us her experience climbing one of the tallest volcanoes in Guatemala: Acatenango.

José Carlos, a Guatemalan who has been living in Berlin for the past ten years, will share with us some typical expressions from his home country.

The legend of "La Llorona" (The Weeping Woman) is very famous in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Do you want to know more about this spooky and tragic story?