My First Experience At Plaza Fiesta

873 Words2 Pages

Today I attended Plaza Fiesta, where it is rich in Spanish culture. I crossed boundaries and got out of our comfort zone. It was a cloudy Saturday morning, but I was really looking forward to the experience with anticipation. Since I once took Spanish in high school for four years, I felt confident I would have some level of comfort. I was also a member of Spanish club and Spanish Honors Society at my school. I have always been interested and open minded to Spanish culture. At the same time, I was also a little nervous. It has been quite a few year since I was in high school and my ability to speak Spanish is a little rusty. With the barrier of language, how would we understand anything? What if everyone could tell we didn’t “belong” …show more content…

Inside Plaza Fiesta it is filled with vibrant colors and traditional Spanish decorations hanging from the ceiling. Several people were walking around saying ,“Hola!” and “Buenas dias!” were called out in our direction. After a few minutes, Aldo greeted us and I breathed a sigh of relief when he spoke to us in English. He was very friendly and was going to show us around guide around Plaza Fiesta. I smiled to myself before we began the tour because he was our interpreter for the day. This experience with Also made me think about my own experiences at school with an interpreter during a parent conference. For once, I was on other side of that table and I was putting myself in their world. Information was being interpreted for me because I could read or understand what some of the store signs …show more content…

In thinking about my initial questions and worries about being accepted, I am sure that parents coming into my school and my classroom must have these same feelings…Will they be stared at? Will they understand? Have they dressed correctly? Today, we were treated with such respect and kindness. I did not feel singled out, yet at the same time, I felt special and taken care of. Now my question is, “Can I show that same respect and concern for those who are different from me?” Another thought I had is that I want to be a helper like Aldo was for me today. I think one of the best rewards of working with ESOL students will be to know that I have helped them understand and learn. If only for a few hours, I felt a small hint of what it would be like to be the “other.” I know that we do not all have to be the same to love each other and work together. A smile means the same thing in every culture! I think I was able to see the truth of that today. It is definitely an experience I will not forget and feel thankful to have been able to

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