Day 3-We All Smile in the Same Language :)

Day 3 started a little bit later in the morning, so I was able to get some much-needed sleep and then organize my things in my room at Mercedes' house. Once I got dressed and ready for the day, Mercedes took me to her graphic design store to wait for Margarita, who would take me around again to visit schools in the city.

Once Margarita and I were able to meet up, we hopped on a city bus and went to visit a bilingual high school. We were greeted by the teacher named Rodrigo, who led us to his classroom. There, I met his students and spent a little bit of time talking about myself and about Frisco and the US. This was a private bilingual high school, and Rodrigo told me that he was the teacher of biology and environmental science. I was very impressed with the program and with Rodrigo's class. Rodrigo is also the teacher who did the exchange program with the rotary club and visited Frisco this past winter.

After spending some time visiting with the students and answering questions, I was able to watch Rodrigo teach and see his students interact with him and participate in a class discussion concerning some very difficult subjects (all in English)...Rodrigo was great at explaining the information, and although he appeared to be pretty young, he was very knowledgeable in his subject, and it looked like he had been teaching (in English) for years and years. Margarita explained to me later that he is studying to be a doctor, which I think is great! All in all, I was very impressed with the school and with his class.

I also got to see the students interacting in class. It reminded me of when I was in high school, as a teenager...It helped me remember that people all over the world really are the same, and that there are similarities in our experiences, even though our countries are different. These students were very interested in asking me about the music we listen to in the US and what kind of sports we like to watch and play. It was really fun visiting his school, and I learned a lot from this experience.

After the lesson at the high school, Margarita and I had just enough time to grab a quick bite to eat. We went to a little cafe and had coffee and a grilled sandwich with ham and cheese. It was delicious...and again, it was already late in the day...for lunch (4:00 pm or so).

We finished our snack and then headed back to the university we had visited yesterday to meet Gabriel again for another visit to an adult English class. Gabriel had told me yesterday that this evening I would be speaking to a group of students who had just started learning English. I had been thinking about this during the day before we arrived, and I had been trying to decide what I could do to be able to make the lesson fun and interesting and comprehensible, even though these students were considered at the "beginning" level. I thought about what I would do in my classes in Frisco if I had a "newcomer" (a student new to the US who doesn't speak any English). Once we arrived at the class, I told Gabriel that I had an idea for talking with his students, but that I would need some chalk for the chalkboard.

We started the lesson, and I greeted the class. They looked a little nervous and confused, so I started to draw on the board, and from there I proceeded to tell about myself, Texas, Frisco, the US, and the typical life of an American, but all the way, drawing pictures, using body actions, and even singing to get my point across. It was hilarious, and the students loved it. They started to relax, and they realized that I was nice and that they could say anything with me and I would help them say it correctly and that I would help them understand the answer and learn some new words in the process. It was awesome!!! I really loved spending time with this group, and at the end of the lesson, we all felt like we had accomplished so much.

I was really impressed with Gabriel and his teaching when I found out after the class that they had only been studying English for four months. They had learned so much already, and I am sure that they will continue to progress very quickly in the future. This was probably my favorite experience so far, and Margarita came to the front of the room when the lesson was over with tears in her eyes! She was very "emocionada" and happy to see how well we all came together to know each other and to learn from each other. It was really a special experience that I will never forget, and it helped me remember that I do love helping others to learn and to feel good about themselves and to have confidence and not give up when something is hard to do (like learning English and talking with a native speaker).

Anyway, after the class we were able to walk around the university a little bit to see how beautiful this building was. The walls had ornate carvings of leaves and other things showcased, and the iron banisters curved down around the spiral staircas and was covered with gold ornamentation. It was really a beautiful building, like so many I've seen so far in this city.

Of course, the day was not over yet...as I was beginning to learn more and more, the fact that it was after 8:00 pm, only meant that the 2nd half of the "day" was beginning. Margarita took me to see Mercedes, and we met up at a convention that Mercedes was attending for graphic designers and for people who are involved in the printing business here in Buenos Aires. Mercedes gave me a "visitor pass" to wear around my neck and we went into the convention, only to stop right off at the bar for free appetizers and cokes. This was like a reception with cocktails and snacks, and it was really very elegant. There was even champagne...but like I told Mercedes...I had already seen more champagne in the 3 days that I have been in Buenos Aires than I have seen in my whole life...so that is kind of a joke with us now...that there is always a party here, and that there is always champagne wherever we go!

After snacking at the reception we went into the convention center and walked around to look at the different booths and vendors that were there. Most companies were trying to sell different kinds of printers and machines for making cards, pamphlets, etc. to the people attending the convention. We spent some time looking and then left to go drive around the town and see another part of Buenos Aires at night.

Mercedes took me to "Puerto Madero" which is the area near the Rio de la Plata, the river that borders the city. She showed me beautiful buildings there, restaurants, and boats that take people over to Uruguay. It was really a nice area, and I hope to get another chance to visit it again on foot.

Finally, we arrived back at Mercedes' house around 12:30 am. We worked on my computer for a while, trying to download my pictures onto my laptop. Once that was done, I was ready for bed. We said goodnight, and I was OUT!!!