It wouldn't feel like summer if I wasn't spending a few days driving to Johnston for continuing ed classes. This year, I decided to take a class called "Celebrating Diversity: Latino Culture" figuring that it would help me understand the lives and backgrounds of my hispanic students. Driving to Johnston 6 days in a row has been a bummer, but getting 3 graduate credits makes it worth it. The instructor told us this class is "experiential" which is an understatement. In addition to guest speakers and projects, the group is bussed all over Des Moines to eat at authentic mexican restaurants and shop at hispanic markets. I never thought I could get tired of eating Mexican food, but I'm on my third day of puffy hands and heartburn. After this week is over, I may not want anything in a tortilla for a very long time.Going through the grocery stores was so amazing. I was fascinated as I scanned the package labels and tried to mentally recall spanish I haven't used since college. The meat counter was not for those with weak stomachs. Huge chunks of stinky meat sat unwrapped on the counter in a small neighborhood market, and even the larger supermercado had chicken feet (claws included) and beef tongue! After seeing that, living as a vegetarian seemed entirely do-able.
I have two more "experiential" assignments to complete...look up some facts about Carmen Miranda and do a creative presentation with members of my group; and prepare an authentic latino dish for a fiesta on Saturday. So tonight I am searching online for cactus salad recipes (seriously! ) and trying to figure out what I have around the house that might resemble a turban or fruit headdress for my group's informercial in the morning. Maybe I should make a run to the store for some extra Tums while I'm at it.
1 comment:
That sounds like fun. I wanted to understand my inner city African American students more and put myself in a police cruiser from 11 pm to 7 am cruising the barrios and inner city neighborhoods....it was an AMAZING experience (dangerous as heck) we saw drive by shootings, armed robberies, a woman stabbed her husband in front of us...no wonder I had to sign a waiver for my LIFE before I got in the car and to make things even MORE interesting....it was the policman's first night on the job ALONE....we were always stopping and trying to find the address of the "activity" on his key map or calling his police officer dad....looking back......that was a REALLY DANGEROUS night!
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