A-ha!

When I found myself sitting around three tents in my pajamas with ten 5th-7th grade girls in their pajamas talking about time zones of the US, how icicles form on gutters in the winter, and what is now in place of the Twin Towers after 9-11, I realized something. Not only did I realize again how fun pajama parties are, but, I also realized, that something has clicked. And by something, I mean that part of my brain that has been stretching and stretching so hard for the past four and a half months to finally feel competent in Spanish.

My other friends in Peace Corps in other countries (and ahead of me by half a year) kept telling me that an “a-ha” moment would occur…I didn’t believe them. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think it has. Don’t get me wrong, I’m far from fluent. But understanding the natural flow of a conversation and being able to respond has become so easy lately. I don’t fear anymore that I won’t be able to understand someone, or that I won’t be able to respond. Especially when I am being barraged with questions about the US and my culture by ten 5th through 7th grade girls…even then, I understood...

This inquisitive bunch of pre-adolescent teens sat around in their pajamas at 10 pm munching on Pringles and other midnight snacks. I’m not sure I exactly how I ended up at this overnight leadership/values camp in a different part of Costa Rica from where I live, but I did, and it wasn’t long before I reverted back to being a giddy 5th grader curious about the world. But at this slumber party, I felt different. I was an oddity, novel and something exciting for my new friends. That must have been the reason for their barrage of questions, like I was the guest of the party, each question on top of each other, creating space for an awesome exchange of cultures.

Some of their questions were just too interesting, I had to note them, and share them:

1. Are there parts of America where people speak only Spanish?
2. What time is it in the US?
3. Do a lot of people build “snowdolls” (i.e. snowmen)? Have you built a snowdoll?
4. Have you been to Disneyland?
5. Is it true there are a lot of theme parks in the US?
6. What is in place of where the Twin Towers were?
7. Was this your first time in an airplane?
8. Did a lot of people in the US cry when Michael Jackson died?
9. Do you know the Staple Center or Michael Jackson’s ranch?
10. Is it true that there is no trash in the US?
11. How much does Playstation or Nintendo cost in the US?
12. The US is really big, right?
13. Is the US really cold?
14. Do you live with your parents?
15. Are there lakes in the US you can ice skate on?
16. Do snowstorms sometimes prevent cars from passing through a road?
17. What are you parents’ names?
18. What other countries have you been to?
19. How many states are in the US?
20. How did you learn Spanish?
21. Is skiing the sport where you have two boards on your feet?
22. Do you have kids?

Interesting, right??!?! Nothin' more to say, except a couple photos to share from the camp that I took with my crappy point and shoot Canon.

Where we slept:

Talking about the world:

In the US we go snow sledding, here, they go mud sledding: