Day 4
“The
meaning of food is an exploration of culture through food. What we consume, how
we acquire it, who prepares it, who’se at the table, and who eats first is a
form of communication that is rich with meaning.” -The Meaning of Food (PBS)
Upon arrival to San Pablo, we saw children running around
in the courtyard, running in and out of classroom buildings, children enjoying
snacks, and children playing volleyball. When our van stopped, and we began to
get out, we saw all the children stop what they were doing and look our way. A
few children immediately ran up to us and greeted us with smiles and waves. We
were delighted to see the children from San Pablo greet us with such kindness
even though they had not met us before. We automatically felt welcomed to the
school. We were amused by some of the children’s reactions because after going
to their classroom, they wanted us to start playing with them. We got involved
in playing duck, duck, goose, volleyball, and beach ball right away. We were amused
as well as interested at the eagerness of the children to want us to play with
them because of the accustomed reaction of children to strangers in the United
States. However, these children knew that we were there to teach and play with
them that week and felt very comfortable inviting us to play with them. Overall,
upon arrival to San Pablo, we observed positive and welcoming behavior from the
students.
On this trip, we have tried many new foods that we have
not had before such as fry jacks, idels (Popsicle at San Pablo), plantain chips,
Mayan corn, and tostados. From trying new foods, we have learned about the
Belizean culture which is relatable to the students that we work with at San
Pablo. When thinking about this international teaching experience, we set the
goal for ourselves to try new foods and aspects of the Belizean culture because
we wanted to be able to be culturally responsive to the students as well as the
Belize people we would be around on this trip. This new cultural experience
made us feel excited to continue to learn about the Belize culture. These
experiences have also helped us to feel more interested in trying new aspects
of the Belize culture while we are here.
Specifically, today, we got to try snorkeling for the
first time at a beautiful island called the Laughing Bird. Majority of us have
never experienced snorkeling before so this was a once in a lifetime
experience. I enjoyed being able to snorkel in water as deep as 20 feet, seeing
a plethora of different fish, string rays, coral, etc. We got the opportunity
to snorkel before and after lunch time. The water was so clear and nothing like
we have ever seen before. Furthermore, we had WONDERFUL tour guides that helped
us explore and always made sure we were safe. For example, I had several panic
attacks the first time I went snorkeling and the tour guide noticed and held my
hand the entire time we were swimming and coached me through breathing through
my tube until I felt comfortable. He worked me until I had it mastered and when
it came to the second time around to snorkel I could do it on my own with no
help. Overall, this snorkeling extravagance will be something I never forget!
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