Buenas Tardes a todos!
We've survived our first week of language school in Oaxaca! At the beginning of the week, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do it, but, I'm glad that I did! I was meaningfully reminded - and I still am every day! - of the work that is involved in learning something new. I strongly believe that the best way to learn something is to be immersed in it but it is quite overwhelming at the same time. The first day of school reminded me quite emotionally how it is to be adrift in something quite foreign and totally intimidating. It offered me perspective about how my Spanish speaking students must feel when they arrive at my classroom door.
Peter and I are in different classes - he has much more experience with speaking as he spent almost a year living in Costa Rica where no one at his job spoke a lick of English. I had mixed feelings about the first day of school. Being the nerdy, school-loving chica that I am, I was pumped to be back in the swing of learning and challenging myself. At the same time, I was petrified. Truly petrified. I revisited a shade of how I felt my first day of teaching except that communication was absent. I survived the introductions with my broken and sad Spanish from workshops and books. Then, we took off and learned some grammar, verb conjugations, and vocabulary. The last hour of our class we spent in conversation. Talk about instilling fear in the heart of a woman. Whew! We began talking about a reading we'd done in class about the Native American communities in the US. I was excited because I felt like I had a lot to offer the discussion having spent a year on Pine Ridge. When it came around the circle for my turn, I almost started crying. Truly. I had a lot to say but I literally couldn't say a thing. Not one single word. I stumbled through a few things and then passed on the task. It was heartbreaking and incredibly frustrating. I am never at a loss for words and in this instant I couldn't even come up with a coherent thought. Needless to say, I was pretty defeated as we walked home for lunch. At the same time, I was dreading the afternoon session that I'd signed up for - "Basic Conversation!" I practically choked down lunch and I was less than quick when it was time to return for the workshop. Let's just say that I did a lot of listening in the afternoon conversation workshop mostly because noting would emerge. Monday was a very challenging day. But the sun came up again on Tuesday and there was more Spanish to learn...
We have class each day from 9:00 - 1:00 and then we have the option to sign up for an "intercambio" which is where you get together with a local student who is studying English and speak both Spanish and English. Then, from 4:00 - 6:00, we have the workshop. You can choose from a number of workshops. Peter took one this week about Mexican History and he seemed to enjoy it. Next week, I've decided to stick with "Basic Conversation" for my workshop because the teacher is really nice and the people in the group are helpful, understanding and patient. The teacher of the workshop used to be an elementary school teacher here in Oaxaca and now he counsels teachers here who are doing continuing education. He taught us about the Mexican Education System yesterday and it was very interesting to me. As you can tell, our days are chock full of Spanish and it is like necessary medicine. For me, the classes have been challenging but I have embraced the fact with challenge comes growth, development and learning.
We are staying with an incredibly kind, generous, sweet and welcoming family. They have been so accommodating and kind. Concepcion, the mother of the house, is such a good cook! We are happy to come home each day at 3:00 for our lunch! The house is almost a compound with extended family inhabiting other parts of the house. The house is centered around a large courtyard with trees and flowers. There are grandchildren, children and all kinds of family floating around. We had a room at the front of the house when we first arrived. However, it because hard to sleep due to all the street noise. So, yesterday after some other guests left, Concepcion offered for us to move to a room further back in the garden. It is much quieter. We have our own bathroom and a small table to work on. There is plenty of space for the two of us and the place is exceptionally clean and tidy. Each day, we have breakfast at the home at 8:15 and then we hightail it to be to school by 9:00! It is a challenge sometimes because we have about a 25 - 30 minute walk. At 3:00 we come back home for the "comida" which is the large meal of the day. As always, the food is delicious and it is even more challenging for us to make it back to school at 4:00 as we're really stuffed! We took the bus back yesterday afternoon, so, it wasn't as painful! Today, we don't have afternoon workshops, so, we're hoping to check out a museum and perhaps the Botanical Garden. This weekend, we are going with the family to a village outside the city to see a fiesta near some old churches.
It will be nice to have some down time this weekend. But, miraculously, I am looking forward to next week when I can continue studying Spanish!
Hope you are all doing well. We miss you and think of you often. Next time, I'll try to post some photos of our school, home and the city of Oaxaca.
¡Hasta luego!
Kerry
We've survived our first week of language school in Oaxaca! At the beginning of the week, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do it, but, I'm glad that I did! I was meaningfully reminded - and I still am every day! - of the work that is involved in learning something new. I strongly believe that the best way to learn something is to be immersed in it but it is quite overwhelming at the same time. The first day of school reminded me quite emotionally how it is to be adrift in something quite foreign and totally intimidating. It offered me perspective about how my Spanish speaking students must feel when they arrive at my classroom door.
Peter and I are in different classes - he has much more experience with speaking as he spent almost a year living in Costa Rica where no one at his job spoke a lick of English. I had mixed feelings about the first day of school. Being the nerdy, school-loving chica that I am, I was pumped to be back in the swing of learning and challenging myself. At the same time, I was petrified. Truly petrified. I revisited a shade of how I felt my first day of teaching except that communication was absent. I survived the introductions with my broken and sad Spanish from workshops and books. Then, we took off and learned some grammar, verb conjugations, and vocabulary. The last hour of our class we spent in conversation. Talk about instilling fear in the heart of a woman. Whew! We began talking about a reading we'd done in class about the Native American communities in the US. I was excited because I felt like I had a lot to offer the discussion having spent a year on Pine Ridge. When it came around the circle for my turn, I almost started crying. Truly. I had a lot to say but I literally couldn't say a thing. Not one single word. I stumbled through a few things and then passed on the task. It was heartbreaking and incredibly frustrating. I am never at a loss for words and in this instant I couldn't even come up with a coherent thought. Needless to say, I was pretty defeated as we walked home for lunch. At the same time, I was dreading the afternoon session that I'd signed up for - "Basic Conversation!" I practically choked down lunch and I was less than quick when it was time to return for the workshop. Let's just say that I did a lot of listening in the afternoon conversation workshop mostly because noting would emerge. Monday was a very challenging day. But the sun came up again on Tuesday and there was more Spanish to learn...
We have class each day from 9:00 - 1:00 and then we have the option to sign up for an "intercambio" which is where you get together with a local student who is studying English and speak both Spanish and English. Then, from 4:00 - 6:00, we have the workshop. You can choose from a number of workshops. Peter took one this week about Mexican History and he seemed to enjoy it. Next week, I've decided to stick with "Basic Conversation" for my workshop because the teacher is really nice and the people in the group are helpful, understanding and patient. The teacher of the workshop used to be an elementary school teacher here in Oaxaca and now he counsels teachers here who are doing continuing education. He taught us about the Mexican Education System yesterday and it was very interesting to me. As you can tell, our days are chock full of Spanish and it is like necessary medicine. For me, the classes have been challenging but I have embraced the fact with challenge comes growth, development and learning.
We are staying with an incredibly kind, generous, sweet and welcoming family. They have been so accommodating and kind. Concepcion, the mother of the house, is such a good cook! We are happy to come home each day at 3:00 for our lunch! The house is almost a compound with extended family inhabiting other parts of the house. The house is centered around a large courtyard with trees and flowers. There are grandchildren, children and all kinds of family floating around. We had a room at the front of the house when we first arrived. However, it because hard to sleep due to all the street noise. So, yesterday after some other guests left, Concepcion offered for us to move to a room further back in the garden. It is much quieter. We have our own bathroom and a small table to work on. There is plenty of space for the two of us and the place is exceptionally clean and tidy. Each day, we have breakfast at the home at 8:15 and then we hightail it to be to school by 9:00! It is a challenge sometimes because we have about a 25 - 30 minute walk. At 3:00 we come back home for the "comida" which is the large meal of the day. As always, the food is delicious and it is even more challenging for us to make it back to school at 4:00 as we're really stuffed! We took the bus back yesterday afternoon, so, it wasn't as painful! Today, we don't have afternoon workshops, so, we're hoping to check out a museum and perhaps the Botanical Garden. This weekend, we are going with the family to a village outside the city to see a fiesta near some old churches.
It will be nice to have some down time this weekend. But, miraculously, I am looking forward to next week when I can continue studying Spanish!
Hope you are all doing well. We miss you and think of you often. Next time, I'll try to post some photos of our school, home and the city of Oaxaca.
¡Hasta luego!
Kerry
2 comments:
Kerry,
This sounds so great! Keep up your courage! Just look back at where you were a week ago and you'll see that you're blazing along.
u. chris
ya Kerry! you go girl, pretty soon it'll be Kerry el habladora muy buena de espanol. can't wait for chit chat when you're back.
Tracy
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