Above is a picture taken from the cafeteria area at ILISA. It's a beautiful view of the mountains and area around San Pedro. I just love sitting here and looking out. It's a great place to have classes. We have the opportunity of taking optional classes and excursions in the afternoons. Mondays are "reunion" days - Happy Hour at a nearby restaurant and the school pays for the first "cerveza" and some appetizers. It's a great way to get to know the students a little better and practice Spanish as well. On Tuesdays it's a dance class. I went the first time, but not this week. I just didn't seem to have the knack for it - maybe I'll go again next week, we'll see. On Wednesdays there is some kind of class at the school. The first week it was a cooking class - this week it was a lecture on Latin American body language and gestures. It was all in Spanish and the amazing thing was that I understood nearly all of it! It was very, very interesting. Did you know that in Latin America if you touch one hand to the other elbow (while nodding your head a little toward another person), you are saying that the other person is a cheapskate?? On Thursdays there is usually an outing. Last week it was to a "mercado" where there are a bunch of shops, mostly full of things tourists like to buy. I bought a gift for my "mama tica", since it was her birthday that day. This week was to the famous church "La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles", which is the second picture. The story goes that there was a young girl who went to the river to get water (or forest to get firewood, depending on the version) and found a statuette. She took it home and put it in a container. The next day she went again to the river and found another statuette. When she got home, the first one was gone, so this time she locked it up. The third day, it happened again, so she took it to the priest. The next day it was missing from his home, so he went to the original spot and it was there. Then they decided to build a church at that spot. Very interesting, don't you think? Anyway, on August 1, people from all over the country walk to the church to pay their respects. My host family walks for about 3 1/2 or 4 hours to get there, but many walk much further. Often they pray for healing, etc. at their homes and then come on August 1 to say thank you and there is a place they can put a symbol of their thanks (a small metal symbol of an arm, leg, or other part of the body, etc.). On August 2, there is a huge day of celebrations. I think it would be great to see it all, but I'll be back home by then.
This weekend I'll be going to the beach (playa) Manuel Antonio, which is said to be very beautiful. I'm praying for nice weather and will post pictures sometime after I get back!
1 comment:
Yes, I did know that hand-to-elbow gesture meant someone was 'pinche' or a cheapskate! Remember, we lived at the southern most tip o' Texas for 9 years where most of that time we lived only a stone's throw, or short swim across the Rio Grande from Mexico, so we had lots of Hispanic Americans as well as Mexican nationals speaking Spanish everywhere we went. :D Darrell has become quite fluent in Spanish but I only pick up a few words here and there, just enough to get the gist of what people are saying most of the time. Of course Darrell always makes fun of me because I have a 'gringa' accent when I try to speak Spanish. Whatever! :P
Have fun this weekend! I look forward to your next posting. :)
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