Thursday, June 28 – Today was a long and difficult, but productive, day for everyone. The morning was plagued with heavy rains that ruined everyone’s mood and made us dreary and tired. For me, this day was the most difficult one on this trip so far.
This was our second work day with the students of Santa Rosalia, so at school today we continued to work in our small groups to write a proposal for our community project. Santa Rosalia does not have a playground for the kids to have any recreational fun, so we decided to come together as a community and build one. We will definitely need a lot of help from the community to carry out our plans but, at least, we’ll be able to start the project during our time with this community.
When doing our group work, Christopher and I felt excluded from the work because our partners were speaking Guaraní, a native language neither of us know. Language has been a barrier on this trip, and it was a challenge to interrupt our partners’ conversation but, eventually, as our comfort level increased, we did a better job interpreting. We asked them questions to figure out what was going on with the project, and we felt more included in the work of our group.
After our morning, we went to an artisan house to learn about the ceramic industry of Tobati. The tradition of making clay pots, vases, etc. has been passed down through generations. We watched a lady created amazing pots from clay while describing the history and process. It’s a two-day process to make most pots, but the drying part differs depending on weather. I took a ceramics class this past school year, and it taught me how to appreciate the more difficult things in life. Everything is not always going to be easy, so you should not forget about the things that take a long time because those often can be the most beautiful. Visiting this house uplifted everyone’s mood. We all learned about the craft of ceramics, witnessed the pride our hostess had when demonstrating her art and many of us kneaded and played with the clay which was just good fun.
Our final activity was our group reflection. We had time to talk to each other and share our experiences and feelings, and then we played. Our game of hide-and-go-seek made everyone smile and run. Joy taught us a cheer that she does at school, it was great for all of us because we all were doing it and having fun no matter how goofy we looked. Spending time as friends, when we had the chance, really helped us to connect and become mentally stable. Trying to learn and speak a language you barely know for the majority of the day can really take a toll on you, especially if you’re pushing yourself to try it.
Censire W., Parkdale High School