Ben posts

Hey you all,

i was just telling Alexander that we are rolling. notwithstanding the expected bumps, we are getting making huge gains. the engaged student video production teams, the CAS students´confidence in their Spanish, as well as the chaperones´level of trust and friendship, are all moving in a positive direction.

in terms of the video production, today is the last day of pre-production. the subject matter that the students are taking on along with their creativity and hardwork, are all going to come together in some incredible pieces. i can´t wait. i am keeping in mind that it really is about the process, not the final product. the chaperones and i get the opportunity to work with each and every group everyday during production time. i am witness to many bits of brilliance as the MexEx collaboration takes full form. the brilliance is not only coming by way of students´ media critique and compentancy; it is also highlighted by the increased level of Spanish spoken by our students. by leaps and bounds our students are understanding the Mexican students and taking more and more risks in trying new vocab and grammar.

we hear that the CCL Spanish classes are improving also. students are getting to know their teachers, and teachers their students. the beginners especially are digging their small class sizes and personal attention. yesterday, several classes of students went to the market. in addition to seeing the vast array of produce, such as cactus and tomatillos, they were grossed out by the visible `carnage`that goes into butchering a pig. one of the students took video on her digital camera of a pig´s foot being sawed off in full view. today, from the market to their mouths, the students took cooking classes. they used Rachel Rey expertise to create some delectable Mexican dishes. several other students were inspired by visiting Salsa dancers to their class yesterday. last night, they took a class and intend to take more.

as for us, the chaperones, we are loving this experience. we spend a lot of time together, and it is all for the good. we couldn´t have picked a better group of teachers to run this year´s MexEx program. each of us are contributing our own expertise to the endeavor. speaking for myself, i am learning 24/7. not only is my Spanish coming back, but i am getting the opportunity to learn a little about video. i spent most of the morning into the afternoon, editing footage that Nobu shot and beginning the process of what will hopefully be a small video vinette of our time at the hacienda. i´ll get that to you as soon as I can.

alright then, take care. we are looking forward to seeing Argentina play Germany tomorrow in World Cup action.

benjamín