Today was my big premiere of my Spanish in front of the USAC students. I am comfortable with the material and can explain things like the power and control wheel off the top of my head, but in Spanish, everything changes and I suddenly become nervous. To combat the fear of suddenly forgetting a word or idea while in front of the class I wrote myself a script.
Today’s workshop began with Carlos speaking about gender and sexual fluidity. The next portion was about figuring out where everyone’s personal limits are for negative behavior in a relationship. Everyone in the class had to get into groups and individually cut out about 10 different situations taken from worksheets and paste them onto a line in order between the two extremes of “permitted” and “not permitted.”
Carlos explaining the exercise
One of the groups making their chart
Everyone had different limits of what they would tolerate in a relationship, and the exercise seemed to help each person realize their limits and realize that everyone’s limits will be different.
Next was my part about power and control. I think I got through everything ok, and the class was incredibly respectful and listened intently to my speech. As I looked around at everyone I almost became emotional because I felt so welcome and could see them trying to make me feel comfortable.
My home-made power and control wheel
Class discussion
Afterward, there was class discussion followed by their assignment for next week: in groups, make a creative presentation based on the ideas presented in the workshops. Also, individually they are to write a letter to themselves about how they can change to prevent violence in their lives. I was so relieved that my speech was over and went well that right after class I had my first meal for the day, a pupusa with salsa made by a woman on the USAC campus. Yum! And later that night I was finally able to have my bread-feast! And it was SO delicious! Afterward I went down to the 6ta calle and bought a pirated copy of In the Time of Butterflies to watch with my friend mañana.
Me and Carlos enjoying pupusas
My bread and brie feast
Tomorrow I am going to my friend’s house for the first time and am a little nervous to take the long trek all the way to Colonia Lobos II, a pueblito that consists of taking at the very least 4 buses. I will be taking a taxi in lieu of the first bus to USAC to meet her and then we will make the 3 bus-trek together because I am positive I will get lost if I do any bussing alone.