Thursday, January 21, 2010

first week

The past week has flown by! It's hard to believe that I have already been with my host family for over a week now.

This week we started classes. Every afternoon for 3 or 3.5 hours we have language class- that has probably been my favorite thing so far. The place we take classes at is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. My class has four other students in it, and we meet in a small "classroom" in the garden. When I look around me, I can't believe that I am learning Spanish, in Costa Rica, in this gorgeous garden. (I will have to add some pictures later.) The Spanish classes are going well- it's very conversational, and I am hoping that after six weeks I will be much more comfortable with the language.

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning I go to the LASP (Latin American Studies Program) office and have class there. Each day we have someone come in and give us a lecture about something new. Today we had this man who grew up in the dumps of El Salvador. He had the most beautiful way of talking about his life and what he has learned overtime. (He is now a painter/security guard in Costa Rica- I actually bought one of his paintings! So beautiful.) However, he did not take an angry approach towards poverty and inequality. He emphasized that it is not a fight between the rich and poor, or between governments and the poor, or other actors. He rather talked about the importance of creating relationships and hearing others' stories. He feels that in those relationships Christ can become recognized and whole again. He also said that the most important thing one can do is learn how to feel in this world. Also, knowledge and wisdom are more important than any material wealth. He said that the only difference between an educated wealthy man and an educated poor man are a few material possessions. He didn't sugarcoat what he said, and he said that not all who grew up in the slums have the perspective he does, but he was a joy to meet and listen to.

One thing that has been difficult to learn about are the ways that the United States really damaged Latin America. I have to learn more about it, but we are hearing a lot about the dictatorships that the US propped up during the Cold War and the ways in which the US really hurt Latin America. I am reading a book for one of my classes called "Blood for Brothers," and it is all about Nicaragua during the 1970s and 80s. Also, regarding American influence, one girl today in my small group talked about how her host sister desperately wants to be an American. This girl (and many others in CR) does all she can to embrace and live out the culture that she sees on TV and in Hollywood. She wants white skin and blond hair and blue eyes and American music and food, etc. It is really sad that some cultures have been hidden or pushed aside by American culture- a culture that those of us who live in America frequently hate! (Sex, Hollywood, consumerism, obsession about being thin and beautiful, etc.)

Ready for this weekend. The days really tire me out here! Even just listening to Spanish all day makes me really tired.

I hope you are all well! I will write more later. :-) Much love.

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