Sunday, May 13, 2012

Satisfied Senses


On this Saturday in Rey Curré, my senses captured a host of sights, smells, sounds, and tastes.  When I opened my eyes, I saw the mosquito net hanging above me, and I smelled the "gallo pinto," fried rice and beans, cooking.  As I went for a morning run, I heard the sound of one of my most affectionate students, Maria, yelling, "Tiiicher!"  After inviting me to her house for a quick review lesson, I accepted and was gifted with a fresh cup of a pineapple rice drink.  I held her baby brother, but not for long, because they made the comment that he had "gripe," or the flu, and I want to stay far away from that.

In the afternoon, I heard for the first time the sound of a pig squealing right before it took its last breath.  My host brother held the pig down while a family friend beat it over the head and drained its blood at the neck with a knife.  I make it sound gruesome because it was.  But, I can't believe how much pork I have eaten in my life and, up to this point, had yet to see it from the farm to the table.

Later, I smelled the pork cooking over the wood fire stove, and I heard the sound of my computer keys ticking away as I finished writing a test for my 3rd graders and prepared for Adult classes on Sunday.  I heard the Spanish church songs as I prepared myself for the service on Sunday. 

In the early evening, I took a short walk up the road to the home of the retired Indian language teacher.  I heard her recite the words for father and mother in the Borucan language as I tried to imitate.  Constantly keeping myself in the shoes of a learner helps me to be a better teacher.  Right now, this indigenous language is just a bunch of letters and sounds, but equally, my students probably feel the same way about English. 

Finally, I enjoyed the tastes of the pork, rice, beans, and fried plantains as I rounded the evening off with dinner and a short Skype call with my sister, brother-in-law, and two wild nephews. ;) 

It was a lovely day and altogether intriguing to my senses.

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