A part of me really just wanted to stay in bed today because I was not feeling too well. But the other part of me was excited to find out what our plan was for the day because we had already finished the projects at Santa Rosalia the day before. It was also the 4th of July, even though it honestly did not feel like it. I sat at the table and my milk with chocolate was already waiting for me. My host mom was just the nicest woman — she was always making sure I had my breakfast before heading out. I always tried to make sure I was on time at the school, but it was difficult because my house was the longest walk from the school out of everyone in my program. My host sister and I left 15 minutes early, but we were still the last ones to arrive!
Once we arrived at the school we learned that we would be doing an activity where the students from Santa Rosalia and LearnServe would both make a cultural exchange presentation. The presentation required sharing information about the USA & Paraguay, but also having fun! Both groups were separated and sent to a private place to prepare and come up with what to present. From where I was sitting I saw a student from Santa Rosalia get on a motorcycle and drive a way. They came back in a matter of minutes with dresses and props. Everybody was so excited and happy about the activity.
Meanwhile, to represent the USA, we decided to explain ‘Juneteenth’ (the holiday celebrating the abolition of slavery), and also show the Declaration of Independence getting signed by some of our LearnServe students. Afterwards we made a playlist of famous American songs (Cotton Eyed Joe, Teach Me How to Dougie, Harlem Shake, etc.) and everyone danced, except for me — I was the DJ!
To represent their culture, the Santa Rosalia students had prepared a folkloric Paraguayan dance with beautiful traditional dresses. Afterwards they showed us some of the games they play to celebrate the Festival of San Juan, such as jalar la cuerda y saltar en el saco. We also participated in their games, as did our trip leaders, with Florence taking the win! Some even fell to the ground but everyone was laughing and having fun.
Everyone liked our performance and after we were done we played some of the songs from the playlist because the Santa Rosalia students wanted to learn how to dance them. I also played other songs such as El Tiburon and Cha Cha Slide to which everyone, even the adults, also danced and had fun. Because it was already time for lunch, we went home to eat and rest because at night we had a party to celebrate our Independence Day.
Tobati has been a great experience. It reminds me a lot of my home country, El Salvador, and therefore I feel a strong connection to it. To see these families and how happy they always are, makes me smile. It is also amazing to see how well the students get along, and how great they are at working in a team. Not just that, but in everything we do, we all have a lot of fun!
Personally I can say I was placed with the best host family. My host mom and siblings were very nice to me and always took care of me. I thank them for taking responsibility for me, for feeding me, and giving me a place to sleep. They took a place in my heart, and I’ll never forget their love and kindness.
Cecy V., Parkdale High School