New Experiences

     Before this trip, I  do not remember traveling out of the country before (I think I went to Niagara Falls when I was young but I don't even remember that). Yesterday we spent most of the day traveling which was an experiences on it own.  We also went shopping for groceries. Grocery shopping was my first experiences doing an everyday activity in a different language.  It was strange how everything seemed different yet similar at the same time. The store was very similar to Walmart and had many of the same foods that I am familiar with but go by a different name. I also kept on seeing the prices in pesos and being confused, thinking the item was really expensive. 

    Today was rainy so we didn't get to go to a work site, however, we spent some time talking with Eduardo. He explained a little bit more about the organization and introduced himself, mainly in Spanish. This experience of hearing a native speaker was truly amazing for me. I have been studying Spanish since freshman year of high school. I am okay at reading the language however I have had little conversational practice. It surprised me how much of the conversation I understood, but I will admit the conversation was a little one sided because I had trouble thinking of anything above basic responses to say. 

    For lunch we had lunch a local Chinese place. This was funny because I have barely had Chinese food in the States. So there I was trying to translate a menu with options and terms that I was unfamiliar with in general.  

    Finally, we also visited Casa del Migrante which was mentioned a little bit in the earlier post. From my perspective, I was drawn to two things: the children and the Lady of Guadalupe mural. When migrant issues are discussed, there is often little discussion about the children. They are just like any other children wanting to play and have fun. In a little play room, they were running around playing with each other as Frozen could be seen in the background. Second, I was drawn to the Lady of Guadalupe. I was raised Catholic with my grandma being dedicated to praying the rosary. Whenever I would have an issue, my grandmother's answer would be to pray to Mary. For many of these migrants, Mary is a symbol of their hope. The description of the apparition of the Lady of Guadalupe states that she spoke to the viewer in their native language (Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec people). I found this idea striking in a migrant center where many of the people spoke neither English, nor Spanish. Maybe they could find solace in an image of the Lady of Guadalupe, no matter what language they spoke or even possibly what beliefs they held. Some of their reverence could be seem in the many flowers laying at her feet.    

    I am looking forward to the rest of this trip for the chance to improve my Spanish skills  and for opportunities to learn about other cultures and people. 

Emily Winnicki