Carly V.- Blog Post #12


My initial perceptions of my host family have changed tremendously since I first arrived. When first arriving to my host family I felt very out of place within their home. Because I did not speak Spanish, I felt as though it was just as frustrating for them as it was for me to try to communicate. I also felt as though my host family did not want to try to make an effort to find common words with me. It also felt as though they were not willing to find alternative ways to communicate. For me my first few days felt like I was out of place in a stranger’s home. Over the course of the week all of my views changed. As I learned a small amount of Spanish from the classes at the Academia, I was able to find common words to communicate with my family. Once they knew that I was making an effort to communicate with them, they began to use gestures to try to communicate back to me. They also began to teach me some new words in Spanish as well. I realized that when I thought they were not making an effort to communicate with me, that they probably felt the same about me. I did not speak their language and they did not speak mine. I learned that once you initiate communication, it is easier to find common ways to communicate. Communication only works if both parties are willing to contribute.


Today at Ñeque y Mas Ñeque I felt as though my contribution was not one that directly stood out. The contribution I made was just a small change in the lives of the children. To me this is one of the most important contributions that can be made. While at Ñeque I helped make crafts with the kids as well as helped them with their homework. Although these seem like such small acts, they made a difference that can be seen when you look at the children. For me, I could see the impact I had made when I walked into the room where the children were located. In the previous visit to Ñeque I had bonded with one child in particular, Allison. We spent a lot of time together, but I figured that she would forget me by the next visit, or find another student to bond with instead. When I saw her smile and wave as I walked into the room today I immediately realized the impact I had made on her. I had become someone important to her. For me, just the realization that we can do something as small as put a smile on a child's face is enough to make me feel like I have really made a difference. I don't know what the home situations for these children are like, but when they are at Ñeque none of this matters. I may have made a contribution to the children at Ñeque today, but they have made a far greater impact on me. 

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