Blog 4

Blog 4 by Anjelica and Terese

Hey Guys!! Welcome to our blog for the day, this is your host Anjelica!! Overall, this trip has been a once in a lifetime experience that definitely cannot be replicated. I’ve had some amazing experiences from dancing in the middle of una banda on the beach, eating some really good birria tacos, and meeting four new friends who have really tested my Spanish abilities. We added four new people named Kevin, Benito, Daniel, and Saulo– they’re all from Tecate which is about an hour or two from Tijuana while we stay at the Kumeyaay Center. For the most part they don't speak English and speak Spanish really well, which also means it’s really fast too. However, I’ve used this to really try out my Spanish and although it’s been super hard it’s been very very rewarding. We’ve even taken turns buying each other ice cream– I tried an ice cream made of eggs and milk! It was good don't worry. By talking to them I’ve been able to ask annoying questions like “como se dice __” and then try acting out something like I’m playing a game of charades. However, I’ve learned a lot about the community and found out how to be semi-funny in a language I barely know how to form serious sentences in. At the Kumeyaay Center- the nature amazes me every second. The cows roam freely along with dogs, horses, sheep, and more. The wildlife is captivating and the superbloom adds color to the already gorgeous valley. Long story short- I love this place. 

Hola, this is your second host Terese checking in! Today was our first full day at the Kumeyaay Center, the Kumeyaay are the indigenous people of this part of Mexico, and we got the opportunity to really get into the S of our GSL with painting the a clinic for the Kumeyaay. Today’s lunch was amazing (per usual), I had lunch with Saulo and Kevin and I got to practice my Marvel and TV show Spanish! This trip has made my Spanish more colloquial and I can hear the changes in my voice. They are able to teach me how to talk like a teenager rather then a Spanish student! After lunch we got into an intense soccer game with Saulo, Benito, Daniel, and Kevin (the 6th grade goalie in me really came in handy). Plus we got to learn this super amazing traditional game. It’s kinda like field hockey except to start the game you have to dig the wooden ball out of the ground. We even played against the local kids and controversially lost miserably (we may or may not have had an extra player)! By the end we really got into it, we assigned positions and came up with strategies (Profe Heath even got a chance to use her field hockey skills). Today was full of sports and service both rooted in cultural exchange. I feel like I really got to know the people around me and the ground we’re standing on. As much as I miss everyone at home I really can’t imagine leaving here!