I was born and raised in Mesa, AZ. I am an ASU student majoring in Theraputic Recreation. I love the forest, but, seeing in Mesa there is no forest, my favorite place to go in the Valley is hiking up Flatiron in the Superstition Mountains. I also love the Mogollan Rim up North of Payson, AZ. My favorite National Park is Yellowstone.
One of my favorite outdoor stories is when I was younger I went hiking with my family in the Superstition Mountains. What we thought was a one day hike turned into a two day adventure. We were unprepared for it and got lost, so we started preparing to stay the night on the side of the trail. Then we heard a thumping in the distance and we soon realized it was a helicopter. Next, they were shining their spotlight on us. It turned out to be a resue helicopter sent by a worried grandmother to come find us. Sad to say, we never got to finish the hike, but we did get a helicopter ride back to our car.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
#3 Reflection
The place I chose to review was Applebee’s located on Gilbert Rd. just south of the 202. I chose this restaurant because it is located in a very popular and busy area and I wanted to know just how accessible they are for those that are in need of accommodations. The sidewalks up to the restaurant were very well put together. The path was straight with nothing obstructing the way. The pavement was even, wider then 36inches, and non-slippery. There were also curb cuts located on the same side of the building next to accessible parking spots, but one could be located right in front of the restaurant for people being dropped off or for those that had to park somewhere else.
There were only 3 accessible parking spots that were marked with the universal sign on the ground and also with a sign in front of the space. The spots were12ft wide and had 5 ft of extra space in between two of the spaces that would help if there was an accessible van that needed room for a lift.
The ramp was located in the same area as the curb cuts, in between the two accessible parking spots that had the extra room. It was shorter then 6 feet so railings are not an issue.
The entrance to Applebee’s was two sets of double doors, in which the individual doors are a little bigger then 32 in. The doors are not always propped open for the customers nor is there an employee there to hold it for the customers. Even though the doors do close slower then 3 seconds, so someone would have time to open them and get through before they close on the person, the doors are big and heavy. Applebee’s might want to consider having a button to open the doors for those that might not be strong enough to open the door by themselves or have an official door greeter that opens the doors for everyone that comes in.
Once inside the restaurant there was a hostess to show you to your table and to accommodate your needs. While our hostess was seating us I was looking around at all the tables. If I was in a wheelchair, had crutches, or had difficulty with moving around, the seating in the place would be horrible. The tables were in rows and although there was 36in in-between each row, the tables in the rows were back to back and very close to each other. There was no room to move around. Even a person that did not need extra room would have a difficult time at the tables if someone was seated at the table behind them. So Applebee’s could get rid of a few tables and spread out the others so there would be more room in-between the tables. Once seated the height of the tables was 30in, so it was a very accessible and comfortable height. The knee spacing at the tables would have enough room, if the table legs weren’t right in front of the chairs. If they invest in tables with a central stand in the middle of the table and not in front of the chairs there would be enough room. The booths, on the other hand, only had one with a wide enough space to put a wheelchair at, if needed, and that was in the corner of the room. If they widened the aisles a little more they could put wheelchairs at the ends of the other booths to have more variety. The booths and tables in the bar area, although nice looking, would be a problem for people with a disability. The booths had a step to get up on to sit down. The tables in the bar area were high, as well as the chairs. It would be difficult for someone with a disability to sit there. Cutting a few inches off of the legs of the chairs and tables, and eliminating the step to sit in the booths would be perfect.
Once inside, the only other door you would come in contact with would be the doors for the bathrooms. They were clearly marked for the men’s and women’s bathrooms. The doors are a little bigger then 32” and although they were not as heavy as the front doors they did close quickly. I didn’t even make it out of the bathroom door without the door clipping the back of my foot. This definitely has to be changed; the door could be adjusted to close more slowly. When walking into the bathroom it was spacious with room to move around. They did have a larger stall that had railings and the amount of room needed. The locks were able to be closed and opened with a closed fist easily. When coming out and washing my hands the sinks were at 32” with the faucet handle being easy to use, even with a closed fist. The soap dispenser was on the back wall which would make some people reach uncomfortably to retrieve some soap. The soap dispensers should be at the side of the sinks for easy access. After washing your hands there was one automatic towel dispenser. Once you tore off a piece another would automatically come out, but it was a little higher then the recommended 48in and it would be difficult for someone who was close fisted to tear off a paper towel. There should be an automatic dryer that blows air.
Although Applebee’s did complete some standards, overall I would have to say that they are not an accessible place. They would have to make the specific changes mentioned above to enable it to be accessible.
There were only 3 accessible parking spots that were marked with the universal sign on the ground and also with a sign in front of the space. The spots were12ft wide and had 5 ft of extra space in between two of the spaces that would help if there was an accessible van that needed room for a lift.
The ramp was located in the same area as the curb cuts, in between the two accessible parking spots that had the extra room. It was shorter then 6 feet so railings are not an issue.
The entrance to Applebee’s was two sets of double doors, in which the individual doors are a little bigger then 32 in. The doors are not always propped open for the customers nor is there an employee there to hold it for the customers. Even though the doors do close slower then 3 seconds, so someone would have time to open them and get through before they close on the person, the doors are big and heavy. Applebee’s might want to consider having a button to open the doors for those that might not be strong enough to open the door by themselves or have an official door greeter that opens the doors for everyone that comes in.
Once inside the restaurant there was a hostess to show you to your table and to accommodate your needs. While our hostess was seating us I was looking around at all the tables. If I was in a wheelchair, had crutches, or had difficulty with moving around, the seating in the place would be horrible. The tables were in rows and although there was 36in in-between each row, the tables in the rows were back to back and very close to each other. There was no room to move around. Even a person that did not need extra room would have a difficult time at the tables if someone was seated at the table behind them. So Applebee’s could get rid of a few tables and spread out the others so there would be more room in-between the tables. Once seated the height of the tables was 30in, so it was a very accessible and comfortable height. The knee spacing at the tables would have enough room, if the table legs weren’t right in front of the chairs. If they invest in tables with a central stand in the middle of the table and not in front of the chairs there would be enough room. The booths, on the other hand, only had one with a wide enough space to put a wheelchair at, if needed, and that was in the corner of the room. If they widened the aisles a little more they could put wheelchairs at the ends of the other booths to have more variety. The booths and tables in the bar area, although nice looking, would be a problem for people with a disability. The booths had a step to get up on to sit down. The tables in the bar area were high, as well as the chairs. It would be difficult for someone with a disability to sit there. Cutting a few inches off of the legs of the chairs and tables, and eliminating the step to sit in the booths would be perfect.
Once inside, the only other door you would come in contact with would be the doors for the bathrooms. They were clearly marked for the men’s and women’s bathrooms. The doors are a little bigger then 32” and although they were not as heavy as the front doors they did close quickly. I didn’t even make it out of the bathroom door without the door clipping the back of my foot. This definitely has to be changed; the door could be adjusted to close more slowly. When walking into the bathroom it was spacious with room to move around. They did have a larger stall that had railings and the amount of room needed. The locks were able to be closed and opened with a closed fist easily. When coming out and washing my hands the sinks were at 32” with the faucet handle being easy to use, even with a closed fist. The soap dispenser was on the back wall which would make some people reach uncomfortably to retrieve some soap. The soap dispensers should be at the side of the sinks for easy access. After washing your hands there was one automatic towel dispenser. Once you tore off a piece another would automatically come out, but it was a little higher then the recommended 48in and it would be difficult for someone who was close fisted to tear off a paper towel. There should be an automatic dryer that blows air.
Although Applebee’s did complete some standards, overall I would have to say that they are not an accessible place. They would have to make the specific changes mentioned above to enable it to be accessible.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Reflection Assignment #5
The multicultural event that I chose to go to was the Aloha Festival at Tempe Town Lakes. I fell in love with the Polynesian culture as a little girl when my mother signed me up for hula dancing. Although my dancing did not last long, the love for it is still there. I love going and learning about Polynesian culture and seeing them dance. So to say the least, I enjoyed going to the festival. When I was on my way to Tempe Town Lake, I knew that I was going to see a lot of Polynesians there. My personal perception and understanding of the group was that they are very loving and welcoming. They are friends with everyone and treat their guests like family. My perception of them is also that they love to dance and eat. The dances they do all have a meaning and story to them and their food is awesome.
After participating in the event, I realized everything is true. At the festival there were two stages. On one stage were some Tahitian dancers that looked so amazing while dancing. I was amazed at how fast they can move their hips. I was able to talk to the wife of one of the dancers who was performing later in the evening. She talked about how much fun her husband had coming to this event and performing for the audience. She also felt that it was a great time to spend with her family. On the other stage they had singers performing their Hawaiian modern songs. They were just singing their hearts out. Just by walking from one vendor to another you were able to learn about the culture. On one side of the festival they had little workshops, one of which were for the little kids where they could make Leis out of paper flowers, yarn, and straws. Right across from that was a place where you could learn how to play the Ukulele. Here you could all sit down and they would hand you the ukulele and teach you the notes to a song. Once everyone learned the song, they would play it all together. The workers were so happy to be there. You could tell they loved what they were doing. Along with the learning stations, the festival also had different venues where you could buy souvenirs. They had one where you could buy traditional Polynesian foods, clothing, and toys. They also had ladies making real flower leis by hand. The air was filled with the aroma of the different types of food. It was so tantalizing. I found out that they do love to eat. How could you blame them? After sampling some of their BBQ chicken and having some of their noodles, I did not want to stop—It was so good.
Although I am no expert on this culture, this information has helped me. In my church, I am one of the leaders for the 8-12 yr old girls activity days. This is where we meet once every other week and do different activities and projects. I was able to use what I’ve learned from the festival and help teach the girls how to make leis and Hawaiian skirts. Later, I taught them an easy Hawaiian dance. Then they performed for their parents at a recognition night and were able to teach their parents the dance. What I learned helped me teach others so that they will become more diverse and open to other cultures.
After participating in the event, I realized everything is true. At the festival there were two stages. On one stage were some Tahitian dancers that looked so amazing while dancing. I was amazed at how fast they can move their hips. I was able to talk to the wife of one of the dancers who was performing later in the evening. She talked about how much fun her husband had coming to this event and performing for the audience. She also felt that it was a great time to spend with her family. On the other stage they had singers performing their Hawaiian modern songs. They were just singing their hearts out. Just by walking from one vendor to another you were able to learn about the culture. On one side of the festival they had little workshops, one of which were for the little kids where they could make Leis out of paper flowers, yarn, and straws. Right across from that was a place where you could learn how to play the Ukulele. Here you could all sit down and they would hand you the ukulele and teach you the notes to a song. Once everyone learned the song, they would play it all together. The workers were so happy to be there. You could tell they loved what they were doing. Along with the learning stations, the festival also had different venues where you could buy souvenirs. They had one where you could buy traditional Polynesian foods, clothing, and toys. They also had ladies making real flower leis by hand. The air was filled with the aroma of the different types of food. It was so tantalizing. I found out that they do love to eat. How could you blame them? After sampling some of their BBQ chicken and having some of their noodles, I did not want to stop—It was so good.
Although I am no expert on this culture, this information has helped me. In my church, I am one of the leaders for the 8-12 yr old girls activity days. This is where we meet once every other week and do different activities and projects. I was able to use what I’ve learned from the festival and help teach the girls how to make leis and Hawaiian skirts. Later, I taught them an easy Hawaiian dance. Then they performed for their parents at a recognition night and were able to teach their parents the dance. What I learned helped me teach others so that they will become more diverse and open to other cultures.
Reflection Assignment #4
A few weeks ago while I was in class I heard something familiar that resonated with me. When Jessica was talking about it, I understood exactly what she was teaching and could confirm how true it was. It was the Physical and sensory limitation lecture and it was the slide that said Actions to be taken. When she said Guide Dogs it caught my attention. I listened more intently as she was going over how we shouldn’t raise our voices to people that are blind, or play with the working guide dogs because that would distract them from what they are supposed to be doing.
Now this hits close to me because, you see, as a little girl my family raised guide dogs. Each of the girls, at different times, got a dog to train. Since I was the youngest girl, and having two older sisters, I was able to see how they handled and trained their dogs. I went with them to the meetings that our Guide Dogs for the Blind group had once a month. Now, our first dog was named Jelly and she was a beautiful yellow lab. We trained her as a puppy and she grew up to be sweet natured and mellow. After a year, we gave her back and she went through training that was even more rigorous. Towards the end of her training, she was washed out of the program. She did not make it because she had cataracts, and for some reason they did not want the blind leading the blind.
Our second dog was named Polka. We did not get her initially as a puppy.
Another family had her but because of a death in the family, they were not able to train her the way she needed. This started a long path for Polka—being sent from one family to another until we got her. Although she was a sweet girl, she was hard to train. This is because she was neglected the first few months, a time where training was crucial. We worked with her and although she made huge progress she just couldn’t bring herself to submit completely. When she returned for her intensive training, she could not resist the urge to chase the ducks in the pond. In doing so, she also dragged the person walking with her into the pond.
Our last dog was named Florita. She was a wonderful, beautiful mixed yellow lab and golden retriever. I took her everywhere and showed her off. Though it was hard to give her up after a year, the only thing that would hold our family together is that we were helping someone with a visual impairment to be able to have eyes again. Florita graduated and we were able to go to the graduation and meet her new owner, Bobbie Hughes. When we met her, she was so kind and appreciative of everything we did so that she could have Florita. Because of a Guide dog, Bobbie was able to do the things that she wanted. She was a student and was able to travel around the world to study, and the dog was an important part of this.
When I heard Jessica talking about the stated slide, I could relate to the material that she was covering. When we were out training our dogs, people would think that we were blind and treat us differently. On another occasion we were at Hollywood Video and my sister had her dog. She picked up a video and started to read its back when a child with his mother said to her “Look mommy that girl is blind”. We were laughing so hard. Even though some situations were funny there were a lot that were bothersome. Some locations would not let us in with our dogs. We had a slip of paper that we had to carry around with us so that we could show the people that it was the law and they had to let us in, but it was really hard. People did not want a dog in the restaurants or they would just come up and start playing with the dog when we were trying to train them to sit and behave.
Some actions that can be taken would be to educate people about the program and how it is helping the visually impaired. Also, business owners should be educated so that they are more understanding when someone comes in with a service dog. I was in sixth grade when we had Jelly and I did a presentation for my class. We had Jelly come in and I talked about what we did and how it helps those in need. Then when I had Florita I was allowed to bring her to my English class and do the same thing there. It was a real learning experience for them and they liked it a lot. My family learned about the program from a news article that spotlighted a family that raised guide dogs for the blind and what it was like to be a volunteer.
Recreation, nonprofit and/or tourism related organizations can be responsive to the need by permitting service dogs in and not making it such a huge deal. Also, educating others on the importance of the service dogs and how to behave when they are around so that they are not distracting the dogs will be of great benefit.
Some resources that provide community involvement are the Guide Dogs for the Blind school which is located in San Rafael, CA. There is also one located in Boring, OR. They provide tours of the facilities and they have fundraising events designed for people to learn about them and be able to donate to their cause. They also have community events so everyone can get involved. Even though there are only two schools in the United States for training guide dogs there are lots of puppy raiser clubs located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Every month each club gets together and does an activity where they can train their dogs and be out in the community socializing where they are not only training their dogs but teaching the people they come in contact with.
Now this hits close to me because, you see, as a little girl my family raised guide dogs. Each of the girls, at different times, got a dog to train. Since I was the youngest girl, and having two older sisters, I was able to see how they handled and trained their dogs. I went with them to the meetings that our Guide Dogs for the Blind group had once a month. Now, our first dog was named Jelly and she was a beautiful yellow lab. We trained her as a puppy and she grew up to be sweet natured and mellow. After a year, we gave her back and she went through training that was even more rigorous. Towards the end of her training, she was washed out of the program. She did not make it because she had cataracts, and for some reason they did not want the blind leading the blind.
Our second dog was named Polka. We did not get her initially as a puppy.
Another family had her but because of a death in the family, they were not able to train her the way she needed. This started a long path for Polka—being sent from one family to another until we got her. Although she was a sweet girl, she was hard to train. This is because she was neglected the first few months, a time where training was crucial. We worked with her and although she made huge progress she just couldn’t bring herself to submit completely. When she returned for her intensive training, she could not resist the urge to chase the ducks in the pond. In doing so, she also dragged the person walking with her into the pond.
Our last dog was named Florita. She was a wonderful, beautiful mixed yellow lab and golden retriever. I took her everywhere and showed her off. Though it was hard to give her up after a year, the only thing that would hold our family together is that we were helping someone with a visual impairment to be able to have eyes again. Florita graduated and we were able to go to the graduation and meet her new owner, Bobbie Hughes. When we met her, she was so kind and appreciative of everything we did so that she could have Florita. Because of a Guide dog, Bobbie was able to do the things that she wanted. She was a student and was able to travel around the world to study, and the dog was an important part of this.
When I heard Jessica talking about the stated slide, I could relate to the material that she was covering. When we were out training our dogs, people would think that we were blind and treat us differently. On another occasion we were at Hollywood Video and my sister had her dog. She picked up a video and started to read its back when a child with his mother said to her “Look mommy that girl is blind”. We were laughing so hard. Even though some situations were funny there were a lot that were bothersome. Some locations would not let us in with our dogs. We had a slip of paper that we had to carry around with us so that we could show the people that it was the law and they had to let us in, but it was really hard. People did not want a dog in the restaurants or they would just come up and start playing with the dog when we were trying to train them to sit and behave.
Some actions that can be taken would be to educate people about the program and how it is helping the visually impaired. Also, business owners should be educated so that they are more understanding when someone comes in with a service dog. I was in sixth grade when we had Jelly and I did a presentation for my class. We had Jelly come in and I talked about what we did and how it helps those in need. Then when I had Florita I was allowed to bring her to my English class and do the same thing there. It was a real learning experience for them and they liked it a lot. My family learned about the program from a news article that spotlighted a family that raised guide dogs for the blind and what it was like to be a volunteer.
Recreation, nonprofit and/or tourism related organizations can be responsive to the need by permitting service dogs in and not making it such a huge deal. Also, educating others on the importance of the service dogs and how to behave when they are around so that they are not distracting the dogs will be of great benefit.
Some resources that provide community involvement are the Guide Dogs for the Blind school which is located in San Rafael, CA. There is also one located in Boring, OR. They provide tours of the facilities and they have fundraising events designed for people to learn about them and be able to donate to their cause. They also have community events so everyone can get involved. Even though there are only two schools in the United States for training guide dogs there are lots of puppy raiser clubs located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Every month each club gets together and does an activity where they can train their dogs and be out in the community socializing where they are not only training their dogs but teaching the people they come in contact with.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Reflection Assignment #2
While listening to Dr. Megha Budrah in class, an Indian, talk about her life, I had my “Ah-Ha” moment. She was talking about growing up and how she was always different from those around her. From when she was a child living in Africa and all the African children would surround their Volkswagen, when her mother left them in the car to go into the market. She and her brother would just sit there and pretend they were doing something else while the other kids would try to touch their hair and skin and just stare at them because she and her brother looked so different from the rest of them. I found it interesting how Dr. Budrah reacted to that. She was not upset, scared, nor did she take offence from their actions; she just knew they were curious. When she went to school in the United States everyone around her would look at her but not talk to her because they did not know how to address her. From both of these situations people in her shoes could react in many different ways. They could get angry because people were treating them different, or they could do what she did. She knew she was different from the rest of them and she gave them opportunities to learn about her. She opened up to them, which made it easier for them to open up to her so that they could see past the differences. It made it very educational.
When we see someone that looks or seems different, we freeze up because we don’t know what to do, or how to approach them. We would like to do/say something, but we ask ourselves “what if I offend them?” We need to open ourselves up and allow people to see who we are and let people know of our incompetence so that we can learn from others without offending them
A good example of an action that was taken to develop a more inclusive community was what Dr. Paul Eppinger did with the different types of religions here in Phoenix. Religion is a good way to learn about who people are. Just like the activity that we did in class “the journey to cultural competence”, the one with the Ice berg. Though we look different or talk different if we sit down with one another we could find things that we have similarities with and we can also learn more in depth about each other and what we believe while we do it.
A way that recreation, nonprofit and/or tourism related organizations are responsive to developing a more inclusive community is not to assume anything. In class it said that we can’t assume anything, that it’s better to ask than to guess. When Archimedes Aquino came and talked to our class he told us to be respectfully open about our incompetence to others’ culture so that we will offend as few as possible. By asking, we will know what a person prefers or does not prefer, so we will better be able to serve them in the way that they need.
Following are some great examples of the things that are being done to help the community learn and achieve more of an inclusive community. Dr. Eppinger holds a monthly meeting of religious leaders, where they talk about and plan educational events. Archimedes Aquino gives training in Cultural competency to the workers at the Gila River Behavioral Health Services. On the ASU Tempe campus, the LGBTQ SafeZONE is a place that helps people feel safe and accepted and to promote awareness in the community.
When we see someone that looks or seems different, we freeze up because we don’t know what to do, or how to approach them. We would like to do/say something, but we ask ourselves “what if I offend them?” We need to open ourselves up and allow people to see who we are and let people know of our incompetence so that we can learn from others without offending them
A good example of an action that was taken to develop a more inclusive community was what Dr. Paul Eppinger did with the different types of religions here in Phoenix. Religion is a good way to learn about who people are. Just like the activity that we did in class “the journey to cultural competence”, the one with the Ice berg. Though we look different or talk different if we sit down with one another we could find things that we have similarities with and we can also learn more in depth about each other and what we believe while we do it.
A way that recreation, nonprofit and/or tourism related organizations are responsive to developing a more inclusive community is not to assume anything. In class it said that we can’t assume anything, that it’s better to ask than to guess. When Archimedes Aquino came and talked to our class he told us to be respectfully open about our incompetence to others’ culture so that we will offend as few as possible. By asking, we will know what a person prefers or does not prefer, so we will better be able to serve them in the way that they need.
Following are some great examples of the things that are being done to help the community learn and achieve more of an inclusive community. Dr. Eppinger holds a monthly meeting of religious leaders, where they talk about and plan educational events. Archimedes Aquino gives training in Cultural competency to the workers at the Gila River Behavioral Health Services. On the ASU Tempe campus, the LGBTQ SafeZONE is a place that helps people feel safe and accepted and to promote awareness in the community.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Self Assessment #1
When trying to look deep down inside of me to find out what makes me tick, or what makes me the way I am its always hard to really pin point it. Its not one specific event that happened in my life but a bunch of little ones that made me the way I am. I grew up in a ghetto neighborhood where I wasn’t poor but not rich. We had the things that we needed and nothing more and we were happy. I grew up in a LDS household, my family is all LDS, my cousins and their families. Everyone. Who I am today has come from my beliefs and how I was brought up by my parents. I wanted to share how serving a mission for my church did not only strengthen my testimony in what I believe but it also gave me an opportunity to share that with other but it helped me to help others in more ways then just religious..
Because of my mission I was able to experience how difficult it is when my first language is different then that of everyone around me. I’ve grown up where my first language was what everyone else was speaking and those that could not speak it were considered different, not in a bad way but just different and hard to understand. I had served a year and a half mission for my church in the Chile, Osorno mission. The Mission was the southern part of Chile that went from a tiny town called Los Lagos (just under the city Concepcion) all the way down to the very end of Chile called Provenir (Tierra del Fuego) but I call it the end of the world. Being there I finely understood what it was like being on the other side of the language barrier, I was the different one. This time it was me trying to communicate and they were the ones looking at me wondering and trying to figure out what I had just said. It was really hard, Spanish did not come easy to me. At the beginning I felt more like I was playing a game of charades then trying to speak to them. Although I was frustrated the Chileans were so kind and friendly, they would try to help me out with words that were hard for me to pronounce or that I didn’t understand. When I started understanding more and was able to communicate with them not only was I able to share the gospel with them, but they were able to share their culture with me. The more I learned the more I fell in love with them and their culture. I learned about their history, their nations dance called the Cuaca, I’d become accustom to the kissing of the cheeks to say hello or goodbye, I had opened myself up to learning.
My mission had changed me and made me a better person. When my time was up I was so sad to be leaving such a beautiful place filled with wonderful people, I loved them and their culture so much and I was going to miss it. When returning home I was in culture shock, which does seem weird since I was born and raised in the USA. But when I would go and greet someone I would lean in to kiss their cheeks and they would step back from me as if I was some loony and I think it throw them off because I was white and only Latin’s did that here. It was hard for me, I loved the Chilean culture and I did not want to give it up. So although I had to stop with the kissing of the cheek I still wanted to keep my Spanish and to help those that were here (in mesa) learn English just like the Chileans helped me learn Spanish. I started teaching English classes for whoever wanted to learn; I attended and helped out with the Spanish branch that was in my church. Now I am a secretary for Mesa Public Schools Adult Education where I am able to speak Spanish to those who want English Classes and get them signed up.
Although it has been 3 years now since I was in Chile I still consider it home away from home. Now when people see someone that might be different, I see an opportunity to learn and to help someone feel welcomed and comfortable.
Because of my mission I was able to experience how difficult it is when my first language is different then that of everyone around me. I’ve grown up where my first language was what everyone else was speaking and those that could not speak it were considered different, not in a bad way but just different and hard to understand. I had served a year and a half mission for my church in the Chile, Osorno mission. The Mission was the southern part of Chile that went from a tiny town called Los Lagos (just under the city Concepcion) all the way down to the very end of Chile called Provenir (Tierra del Fuego) but I call it the end of the world. Being there I finely understood what it was like being on the other side of the language barrier, I was the different one. This time it was me trying to communicate and they were the ones looking at me wondering and trying to figure out what I had just said. It was really hard, Spanish did not come easy to me. At the beginning I felt more like I was playing a game of charades then trying to speak to them. Although I was frustrated the Chileans were so kind and friendly, they would try to help me out with words that were hard for me to pronounce or that I didn’t understand. When I started understanding more and was able to communicate with them not only was I able to share the gospel with them, but they were able to share their culture with me. The more I learned the more I fell in love with them and their culture. I learned about their history, their nations dance called the Cuaca, I’d become accustom to the kissing of the cheeks to say hello or goodbye, I had opened myself up to learning.
My mission had changed me and made me a better person. When my time was up I was so sad to be leaving such a beautiful place filled with wonderful people, I loved them and their culture so much and I was going to miss it. When returning home I was in culture shock, which does seem weird since I was born and raised in the USA. But when I would go and greet someone I would lean in to kiss their cheeks and they would step back from me as if I was some loony and I think it throw them off because I was white and only Latin’s did that here. It was hard for me, I loved the Chilean culture and I did not want to give it up. So although I had to stop with the kissing of the cheek I still wanted to keep my Spanish and to help those that were here (in mesa) learn English just like the Chileans helped me learn Spanish. I started teaching English classes for whoever wanted to learn; I attended and helped out with the Spanish branch that was in my church. Now I am a secretary for Mesa Public Schools Adult Education where I am able to speak Spanish to those who want English Classes and get them signed up.
Although it has been 3 years now since I was in Chile I still consider it home away from home. Now when people see someone that might be different, I see an opportunity to learn and to help someone feel welcomed and comfortable.
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