Ñeque y Más Ñeque

One of the biggest rewards I got out of being at Ñeque y Más Ñeque was being able to see the joy we brought to the kids. Their faces lit up when we walked in and you could easily tell that they were excited to have new people to play with. The kids all seemed so genuinely happy, and it was a sight that definitely made my heart melt, especially when they ran to hug us. I think being at Ñeque y Más Ñeque also helped to solidify, once again, that working with children in that age group is what I want to do with my career. I want to be a teacher for kids who may not speak English or come from the best background and I feel as if Ñeque y Más Ñeque helped me to gain some initial experience of what that would be like. Being able to be someone the kids looked forward to seeing made me feel as if I was making at least a little bit of a difference to them, at least for the day.

It was difficult for me to know that, after these next two weeks, I won’t see these kids again. It’s frustrating to know that I’ll only be able to be there for them for a short amount of time. Despite this, I tried to make the most of the time I had with the kids yesterday by being very involved and talking to them in Spanish. I also worry about my being there being viewed as a slight “white savior” complex, especially given the short time I’m there. To overcome this, I’m just making sure that I’m not solely taking pictures with the kids for the aesthetic and that I’m fully present and involved with the activities we do with the kids. I care more about the bond I make with them than having pictures to post of my time with them. If I have pictures, great, but if not, that is okay too because I feel as if that means I am spending my full time and attention with the kids.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meng - Blog 16

1. In Paige's Blog(#14), she mentioned that she used some nonverbal communication to communicate with teachers when they were cooking. It is an effective way of intercultural communication. I totally agree that sometimes, if you don't know how to express yourself, body language helps a lot, and it even works better than language. 2. In Blog12, Tyessa said that she feel not close with her host family, and usually, they don't communicate with each other too much, which makes she felt upset because she wants to get closer to them. In my points of view, it can be seen as an ineffective communication. I think in the process of communicating with people, sometimes you should learn to be proactive. Break the silence first, and take the initiative to communicate with others. If you are especially enthusiastic about other people, they will feel it. 3. An example of effective communication came from  Linsey. She talked about how the communication way changed ...
Read more
      I will admit that the thing I am looking forward to the most when I get back home is some good, processed, junk food. It seems strange, because I like the food in Ecuador, and am almost always willing to be adventurous and try new foods. But that sense of adventure is exactly the problem. I rarely feel as though I can just gulp down anything placed in front of me, secure in the knowledge of exactly what it is and what it will taste like. The classic foods from home will allow me to eat with that security intact, and that security is what I really miss.      I think the thing I will miss the most about Ecuador is the sense of adventure that I could feel every time I left the house, whether it was just to class at the academia or to some other attraction. I loved the feeling that I was going to see new sights, experience new things, and accomplish something impressive every day. The quote that struck me today, as we were le...
Read more

Blog post #15

1) what are you most excited about returning to in the US? What I am most looking forward to about heading home is the opportunity to share my experiences with others. I want to share the funny stories of my host family with my friends and family here in the U.S. so that they too can be exposed to some Ecuadorian culture. I am very much looking forward to returning home because I will use my experience of Ecuador to further think about what it is I want to do with my life. Not having a clear path for my profession is a challenge for me, but through using my travel experience to discover what my passions and interest are, I am always one step closer to knowing what it is I want to do with my life.   2) what will you miss the most about Ecuador? What I think I am going to miss most is the walk to school Carolina and I shared in the mornings and afternoons. In the two mile hike to school I saw mothers sending their kids off to the bus, adults off to work and busses ...
Read more