Yesterday I experienced one of the biggest challenges so far on my trip here in the Dominican Republic which was eating lunch with the family of one of the children in the school. We walked from the school to the village in a group and broke off into pairs to enter the homes for lunch. I was very nervous and uncomfortable at first naturally going into a place that is so different from my home and that looks intimidating because of the poverty level. However, after being in the home with Clarissa (the mother) for a few minutes I was at ease with the situation. Clarissa was welcoming because she gave us kisses as we entered and also kept smiling and laughing at my attempts to speak Spanish with her. The language barrier is very difficult, however I feel like I'm growing by leaps and bounds! Having the children eat lunch with us helps break the ice because they know a little bit of English and love when we teach them new English words. Also, I am extremely pleased with the Spanish classes we have taken because I feel as if I am being challenged and pushed intellectually which I love.
We also have starting working with the children in the school and they are all adorable and lovable! However, it is extremely challenging working with children speaking another language. I am supposed to be speaking strictly English to the children and am finding it difficult to stick to that rule. I keep reflecting back on the experience of the lunches we are sharing with the family and thinking of how much more comfortable I would be if the family spoke English and then the Spanish equivalent. I feel that the children would benefit from that model as well. I may test out that strategy and see if it works!
Lastly, I have to of course mention how much fun the girls and I had last night at the Karaoke bar, Voy Voy where we sang about 10 songs and enjoyed delicious food with a beachfront view! We are all getting so close and loving all the time we are sharing together. We already made plans to get together monthly after we get back from the trip to keep in touch!
We also have starting working with the children in the school and they are all adorable and lovable! However, it is extremely challenging working with children speaking another language. I am supposed to be speaking strictly English to the children and am finding it difficult to stick to that rule. I keep reflecting back on the experience of the lunches we are sharing with the family and thinking of how much more comfortable I would be if the family spoke English and then the Spanish equivalent. I feel that the children would benefit from that model as well. I may test out that strategy and see if it works!
Lastly, I have to of course mention how much fun the girls and I had last night at the Karaoke bar, Voy Voy where we sang about 10 songs and enjoyed delicious food with a beachfront view! We are all getting so close and loving all the time we are sharing together. We already made plans to get together monthly after we get back from the trip to keep in touch!