Sometimes speaking the same language isn't necessary ~ In Tinum
The fifth house had 3 generations living in it. The mom came out to shake my hand to greet us but grandma came and gave me a big toothless kiss and hug. The granddaughter told me she was 8 but was quick to add that she was almost 9. She said that she loves school and that math is her favorite class. In the villages most people speak Maya and don't learn Spanish till school, so the younger generations are bilingual but many of the elderly only speak Maya. I only understand a handful of words in Maya, there are many moments I wish that I understood it all, one of them being when an elderly person is looking into my eyes and speaking. Their eyes light up, they take your arms firmly in their hands, and pull you close for a real hug and and kiss, not one of the polite ones but one of the ones that means something. Sometimes speaking the same language isn't necessary.
