Sabado...Saturday.....the day after Friday...the day before Sunday

It´s Saturday morning and I have just finished a nice piece of very rich strawberry cheesecake or Postre Queso de Fresa. I have been thinking about the past week and wanted to share something I have been doing almost daily since Monday:

INTERCAMBIOS (that´s interchange for all you Engrish speakers)
An intercambio is a set appointment for one hour with another student. The idea behind it is that a student of English and a student of Spanish spend an hour learning from one another. Half of the time is to be spent in Inglés and the other half in Español. I have had a great deal of fun and learned quite a bit from these other students.

The first Intercambio was with Corina, a student at the local university. She is studying english to become a teacher in primary education. At first it was a little odd and uncomfortable, but after we found a common subject the conversation took off. If you hadn´t guessed yet, we talked about cooking. We discussed the uses of different vegetables, spices, and some recipes. I think we spent at least 10 minutes discussing how to make Molé sauce (a sauce made from chilis, chocolate, veggies and beans).

The second intercambio was with Elisio. Elisio works as a Barista at a local coffee shop but intends to finish school and move to Canada. We discussed the differences in culture and about relationships. He expressed how hard it is to have a girlfriend from ther US, given the language barrier and the different cultural values. He isn´t fond of his job and seems to have problems with his boss. The cultural values men place on their own authority seem to argue with the growing trend in Mexico for equal status between men and women. Elisio´s boss is a woman and he argue with her alot over his job. I reserved judgement and humored the conversation rather than terrify him with what he could expect in Canada or the US. {insert evil grin here} He´ll find out soon enough.

The third intercambio was with Nedira. Nedira is a student of what is called "humanidades" which isn´t quite what it may sound like. That program is to learn a trade or vocation that doesn´t quite fall into a technical or scientific category. She is learning how to administrate, finance and manage a publisher. We talked alot about the idea of "machismo" in the Mexican culture. I pointed out how there are aspects of different American cultures that mimic the sexist practices inherent within "machismo."

I have another intercambio today with Corina, but I won´t bore you with details. The above examples are to give an idea of the type of learning that occurs within this immersion program.
I walked to the "Templo de Guadalupe" and hiked up the long stairs to see some impressive religious art. It´s amazing how much detail and craftsmanship goes into the presentation of the various icons in the churches here. Some of the art I have seen rivals that of the older churches in Savannah.
This morning I also went with María and Manuel to see their daughter´s graduation ceremony at the "Templo de Santa Lucia." It was an emotional moment for all the parents to see their children dressed in finery, being blessed by the priest at this graduation ceremony. Their daughter finished primary school and is on her way to secondary school. As they all entered the church, María asked me if I wanted to go in. I declined as I did not feel it proper for a guy in sandals, a t-shirt and blue jeans to enter a church during a service where everyone else was in formal clothing. I did get some pictures and I look forward to posting them when I get home. Well, I am off to enjoy the day. Adios Compañeros.