On Wednesday I went to work at a summer camp put on by the church of all my friends here in Bell Ville. The beginning was a little awkward because I didn't really know what to do to help. To begin the camp everyone stood in a big circle and the director introduced all of the staff people. When he introduced me everyone wanted me to say something. Haha, so it was my first speech. All I said was something along the lines of: "My name is Kendall and I want to help everyone here. I also would like to practice my Spanish." At "merienda", snack time between lunch and dinner, I helped pass out the food. Everyone was in a big circle and some staff would walk around with baskets for the campers to take food from. It was pretty weird for me at first because I have never done a snack time like that, I was the new/foreign kid, and sometimes I would make an entire lap around the circle without hardly anyone wanting anything. But later in the week it got better. That night the campers played games and I took pictures. Then there were a few minutes of freetime before we went to bed. Some of the campers talked to me finally. They had been just staring at me like I spoke another language or something, but when they figured out I could carry on a converstation in Spanish friendships finally started to form.
The second day of the camp, Thursday, started off with a staff meeting and prep for breakfast. I cut the biscuits in half so we could put tons and tons of dulce de leche on them. MMMMmmmm!! Then quiet time, freetime, and talking in Spanish time. I got to practice so so much at the camp. I know for a fact that I improved my listening skills. After lunch I took a siesta. When I woke up the campers were playing water games out on the field or swimming in the pool. A popular thing to do at this camp was for the guys to find someone who was too mud-free, pick that person up, carry them to the muddiest spot on the field, and then completely cover that person in the mud. I was a little nervous that they were going to do that to me. I think they didn't do it because they weren't too sure how I would react, but I did get a few threats that it would happen to me the next day. hahahaha....I got in the tiny pool with about 30 people. As a former lifeguard, I nearly had a heartattack watching the campers and counselors do flips off the side of the shallow pool so close to other people and just inches away from the concrete edge. Merienda after the pool. That night we had a night of dances from around the world. A big bag of costume pieces was put out for everyone to dress as someone from a different country. I dressed as Katie Perry with blue hair and my swimsuit top over my tshirt. I think they all thought I was knd of weird, but that funny kind of weird. ha. We learned a dance from Russia, England, and the US. I did NOT know the dance from the US. And I am pretty sure that know one else in the US would either. It just got me to thinking about what we say is "typical" of a country and is actually completely not typical. After the country dances we dances to some Wii game that has dances to follow kind of like GuitarHero. I can't remember the name. I slept very well that night.
Friday morning was just like Thursday morning. After lunch we had freetime then water games in the field. I joined in this time. We had to partner up by tieing our arms together like a 3-armed race. First we had to army crawl across a tarp covered in soapy, muddy water, go through a hula hoop suspended in the air, crawl under two benches, balance walk across a log, jump in a muddy pit to find two rings, then run back the the start with our legs through a tarp with holes. Then we did it all again in a group of four. After all that, the mud fight began. And I got captured and mudded. Everyone was chant-singing "Ar-gen-ti-na!" Pictures to come sometime.
The last full day, Saturday had a super super funny and fun dinner. I got to learn some slang from the Cordoba area of Argentina. There were tons of campers around my table telling me different things to say. I felt like a parrot. haha. I loved it all. Everything in Spanish. So great. It was cool...chetasooooo! jeje
The last day, yesterday, was pretty simple. Breakfast, freetime, lunch, then photos with all me new friends, and they left. I went to my friend, Flavia's, house until time for church. I got to hang out in her pool, play a card game just like Skip-Bo, shower, then go to church. I got to see my friend, Jose, from 2010 at church. It was so exciting to see him because I wasn't expecting to see him there! Surprise!! Later, Elisa, Flavia, and her sisters with their boyfriends, and I ate pizza. Have I mentioned how awesome the pizza is here? Well, it is...sorry Papa Johns. While we were eating, Esteban, one of the Fernandez siblings, showed up! I was totally not expecting to see him either so I got two awesome surprises yesterday! Then we went to Emi's house to hang out and meet back up with all the people from church/camp. There were about 15 people there. Sometimes I would understand what was going on, and sometimes I wouldn't. I am catching on to some of the jokes here which is good. I like being funny, you know? It is difficult in another language.
Love you all! Te quieren!
Excellent post. I felt like I was there.
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