Blogs@Campbell

30 April 2007

Spring Conference II

I attended the XV Annual CILCA (International Conference on Central American Literatures, initials in Spanish), at Antigua Guatemala (April 18-20); it was an event organized by Purdue University-Calumet, and the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Sports.

I have to say, all my expectations were completely fulfilled! I had the chance to interact with some of the most fascinating writers in Latin America, and Antigua is still the most beautiful city in the world.

The writers I met include some of the most open and down to earth people I’ve known, with none of the drama and diva-like personality that is some times associated with creative people. I could not begin to give you a true idea of what I learned these few days. Let me just share with you some of the books I bought: the new edition of Cien años de soledad, by Gabriel García Márquez, commemorating the 40th anniversary of its publication; not a novel, but an event. I had the pleasure of meeting Costa Rican writer Adriano Corrales Arias, whose Balalaika en clave de son (2005) now bears a funny dedication line to “building bridges”, in reference to our lunch discussion over cultural differences between the Central American countries. Tiempo de narrar (2007) is an excellent effort by local publishers, which has given me and other readers access to the most recent production by Central American writers of short stories, my favorite literary genre by far.

The city was open and welcoming. For the closing ceremonies, the organizers arranged for the presentation of the Guatemalan National Dance Company, whose performance highlighted the multi-layered cultural landscape of this country. They entertained us with dances from different ethnic groups and different religious and social events. I also walked through the city, enjoying its architecture and its peaceful setting, which makes it ideal for the tourists, students of Spanish language, and its inhabitants, to co-exist, and to work side by side. I want to thank Dean Mark Hammond, from the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. David Steegar, Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages, for the support that allows faculty at Campbell University to engage in research, to foster a very productive academic dialogue across disciplines and across borders.

17 April 2007

Spring conference

This week I will be away for a few days. I am going to the city of Antigua Guatemala, in Guatemala to attend a Literature conference. It is the XV Annual CILCA (International Conference on Central American Literatures, initials in Spanish) organized by Purdue University-Calumet, and the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Sports. This is a great opportunity for scholars and the literary community in general to engage in public discussions about some of the best writers in Latin America. I will be presenting a paper on the works of a Salvadoran poet, Claudia Lars (1899-1974), as part of a panel dedicated to Central American women poets. We will also have the opportunity to interact with writers who will be sharing some of their latest productions.

In addition to exchanging ideas about what occupies my research time, I am looking forward to visiting my top favorite city in the world (the second is San Francisco, CA, and I’m embarrassed to say that my own hometown of San Vicente only comes in a distant third). Antigua Guatemala is one of the oldest cities in Latin America (founded in 1543) and one of the most popular among tourists and students of Spanish language, it was also named a “World Heritage Site” by the UNESCO.

Antigua was founded as the capital city of Guatemala and plans for its design were carefully laid and implemented. But, as it often happens in real estate deals, location can make or break the best plans. The site was often threatened by earthquakes and tremors, due to its proximity to three imposing volcanoes: the Agua (“water”), the Fuego (“fire”) and the Acatenango. When it was nearly destroyed to the ground, in 1776, authorities decided to move the capital to its present location of Guatemala City. What was left has become a quaint little historic town, a jewel in the crown of the old “Capitanía General de Guatemala”, Antigua Guatemala.

11 April 2007

“Alfombras” and other (beautiful) temporary things.

It is time for the last stretch before the end of the semester: students are counting the days down till the summer break, and papers and projects are due.

It is a time to evaluate and be evaluated (teachers have to do class evaluations and I have to complete my PPR [Professional Performance Review] also). When I think about my first year at Campbell University, I visualize it as a spiral, a process that follows a cyclical pattern but somehow it propels me forward as well. Teaching is about learning and checking how much/what you have learned. There is something about it that reminds me of a calendar, where you had Christmas and then Easter, where you have lessons learned and evaluation weeks (that’s what Holly Week is for me).

A very symbolic object from Good Friday in El Salvador is “alfombras,” temporary rugs that devotees decorate in front of their houses with sawmill dust and natural colors, to display in preparation for the procession of the Via Crucis. So much planning, effort, and dedication go into each of these art forms (see picture) for the honor of having it all destroyed by the priests carrying the image of Jesus Christ crucified. As the procession goes by, the attendants walk over the rugs without pausing to admire the product of hours, sometimes days, of hard work.

But for those few minutes, the rugs are the most beautiful thing that person has to offer. I feel as passionate about my job. I realize that students in my basic language classes may not go to major in Spanish or have careers in the language fields. But for those weeks we are together, my Spanish class is the best thing I have to offer. And the great thing is, after they are gone, I have the opportunity to start all over again.

26 March 2007

The Game of LifeÒ

Having a “Charla” (Spanish Conversation Hour) at Campbell University is the only opportunity for some people to improve their Spanish speaking skills. It is held in a very relaxed, no-pressure atmosphere at the Student Union. There’s no academic requirement to attend the sessions, no minimum skill level necessary.

Last week we played the Game of Life, one of the many board games that is available in Spanish. For the most part, it follows the same rules like the original English game. I don’t think there’s that much difference from one version to another, from one language to the other. This game is unlike the game of ScrabbleÒ (Spanish version), where the tiles have different values to correspond to the usage of letters in the Spanish language. Spanish Scrabble sounds like a good way of practicing spelling and pronunciation at the same time. If you are familiar with the language, you will know that, unlike English, Spanish in most cases is pronounced the way it is written.

I’m not a “fun” teacher, and I have to be honest and confess that I didn’t choose the Game of Life for its entertaining value. At a basic level, games are an invaluable tool to put some of the skills you possess to practice. You may spend all your time memorizing charts and vocabulary lists (my first line of action, tried and true, but for a basic, fundamental level of learning a language). When it comes time to put skills into practice I believe that the more varied the scenario, the more the challenge, the more you improve your skills.

The fact that all the students who attended this particular session were already familiar with the game made it easier for them. They were able to relax and focus on whatever skills were needed in the language. Some practiced using vocabulary in a new context, others built up their vocabulary, while others worked on constructing more complex sentences with the grammar they already knew.

12 March 2007

Smells, Sights and Sounds of the Season

The Lent season in El Salvador is full of particular sensations. Ever since I was a little girl I have associated Lent with the sea and anything related to it. We would always get the full Holly Week off, as sort of a spring break, since our school year runs from end January to beginning November. By the time March came around we would be really ready for a break. Going to the beach that week was a tradition for most Salvadoran families who could afford it. We just needed to come back to town in time for the special events happening on Good Friday and Easter Sunday at church. The smell of sea water mixes with the cooking smells of fish in those days. Meat is forbidden on Lent Fridays, and this was the time to develop our taste for fish soup, egg-battered fish (deep-fried, of course), and shrimp-and-rice stews with mixed vegetables, which were the staple during those weeks.

Sun burnt skin was also the staple those days since my mother had not heard about the dangers of overexposure to the sun and we never used sun block lotion for those excursions. Our skins would start peeling off like a snake’s within a week, too. My oldest sister’s delicate nose was especially sensible to this process, and we used to tease her saying that her blotched skin looked like the multi-color eggs we saw for sale at the market.

Nobody could explain to me what the meaning of those eggs was. They are called “huevos chimbos” (see picture) in El Salvador, but I’ve heard of them, or some variation of it, in Greece, Mexico, and of course here in the USA. Huevos chimbos are painted, multi-color paper-decorated egg shells that contain confetti (multi-color little pieces of paper) inside. Salvadoran tradition mandates that on Easter you arm yourself with a few of these eggs and approach a bystander to crush the egg on their head. The sound as the shell crumbles to reveal the festive decoration stills resonates in my ears to this day.

21 February 2007

The Baptism

This summer we are traveling with my family to my home country of El Salvador. It is going to be a trip for mixed purposes, including completing research on an ongoing project of mine. But the most important reason for our going there is to perform the baptism of my youngest daughter. She will be 2 soon, and in our tradition (Roman Catholic), this is already a late time to be doing it. We will have the ceremony in my hometown, San Vicente, at the "Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de El Pilar", a XVII Century temple in the Spanish Baroque style. It's the same church where I had my baptism, and later I married there. My mother has already spoken to the person we chose to be the godfather. He is a medical doctor who has his office near my mom’s house. Every time we have visited San Vicente with my daughters they have fallen sick for a variety of reasons, and this doctor has always shown to be a caring and dedicated physician. Since we saw so much of him already it seemed only natural that he became a member of our family by naming him godfather of my baby. According to Salvadoran tradition, the candidate is evaluated on his/her moral standing in society; we also consider the existing relationship between our families. This is the person who, theoretically at least, will become parent to my daughter should something happen to me and my husband. In reality, being a godfather is a way to bring an already existing relationship to closer quarters. It does not have anything to do with political or financial favors, by the way, as it is often misunderstood from that other famous Godfather. This summer we will have a chance to re-connect with our Hispanic roots.

30 January 2007

One of the reasons Why.

As corny as it may sound, I like to teach because it gives me a chance to witness, first hand, what great things students are capable of. Seeing the kinds of risks they take gives one an infusion of energy like you cannot get from any yoga class.

This semester one of the classes I'm teaching is Spanish conversation. I was pleasantly surprised to find that a good percentage of my students have already been immersed in Spanish, mainly through study abroad experiences. (You can see that Study Abroad is sort of my mantra these days.)

However, the variety of experience these students had is something to consider. Studies have shown that this generation of young Americans has in common a deeper sensibility towards the needs of the less fortunate. So, I'm touched, but not surprised, by the circumstances under which students I've met here commit themselves to trying to make the world a better place, by fixing one house or one medical clinic at a time. I have students who have traveled to Mexico over a period of several summers, to work there helping build a new clinic or to improve on existing services.

I see students taking risks, under controlled circumstances of course, but with the goal of making a difference in somebody else's life. Like the students traveling to Belize to help in the construction of adequate housing. As a teacher, I cannot but feel encouraged to continue this job that is more than a job. To me, teaching is an opportunity to learn more about our future, just by bearing witnesses to what these young people are capable of, and willing to do, for others.

1 January 2007

Christmas in Africa

I met a student in one of my intermediate Spanish classes last semester who also attended our weekly conversation hour for extra practice. This girl is very sociable, she knows everybody, and everybody knows her. I don’t think her popularity has to do with mere politeness, which she has plenty of, or being involved with different groups (she’s in the cheerleading squad as well as attending to her full load of classes). Being around her you get the feeling that she genuinely enjoys people and getting to know somebody better.

That’s why I am not surprised that she will be spending next Christmas in Africa. When this young lady found out that an international student she knew didn’t have a place to spend the Thanksgiving holidays with, she invited him to her own house. Even though he does not celebrate this particular holiday, for the student it must have been a very welcoming experience to enjoy supper with such friendly and caring people. He spent a good deal of his time that day describing his home country in Nigeria, where he is from. Days later, when my student expressed her interest in seeing all of that herself, he extended her an invitation to visit.

Now a Pharmacy student from Campbell University will get to experience another culture and its celebrations, all because she opened her home to share a holiday with a fellow student. I believe that the moment we take a step, however small, outside our comfort area of relatives and friends, we expose ourselves to an incredible range of wonderful possibilities. Whether it’s a new language or a new culture, the road is wide open and the views are worth it. Have a great 2007!

06.November.2006

Remembering the departed.

I called my mother in El Salvador on Wednesday, November 1. I wanted to inquire about the plans for the next day, November 2, when, as it happens in a few other Latin American countries, we celebrate “El día de los Difuntos” (“The Day of the Dead”). It is a celebration that traces its roots to both, Christian and Indigenous festivals to honor and pray for loved ones that are not with us anymore.

The reader may be familiar with the Mexican celebrations on this date, and I encourage you to explore further online (see below). In my country, this day is also celebrated with special food and activities, although we don’t set such elaborate displays as the Mexicans do.

In my family, the role of honoring our relatives has always fallen to the women. My mother is the oldest of 5 siblings and was married to the oldest of 6 siblings, and so this day is very important for her as she takes care of the family plots in my hometown of San Vicente. Her duties include making sure the tombs are cleaned, paint is applied where needed and repairs are made to stones or plaques. During this conversation, I was not surprised to hear from her that she had taken on a new charge: the grave of a friend of my oldest sister, a former classmate who died some years ago. Recently, the last of her relatives still in El Salvador passed away; she has a surviving sibling somewhere in the US, who never goes back home. There was no one in town to take care of this woman’s grave anymore and so my mother was going to do that for her on November 2. It was her duty, for she imagined that, if that girl had been her own daughter, my mother would have liked to know somebody was making sure her gravestone was painted, her cross had a fresh garland on and her soul heard a humble prayer. We are all the same, after all, she said, and especially in death we are all family again.

31.October.2006

Spanish Guitar

On October 19th and 20th, Campbell University hosted classical guitar artist Francesc de Paula-Soler, a native of Spain, as part of the celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month. During his stay, Sr. de Paula-Soler was involved in different activities that had him in the roles of musician as well as of teacher. On Thursday afternoon he gave a Master’s level lecture in classical guitar. In the evening, he performed a selection of classical and contemporary pieces during a recital that was open to the general public. Then, on Friday afternoon he participated in a Spanish Conversation class where he discussed the history of guitar in Spain. Some of my students (in language classes and the Spanish Civilization course) attended these events and were very impressed by the artist’s sensibility and versatility.

The music that Sr. de Paula-Soler played during Thursday night’s recital was a real treat: like the “nana” (a Spanish lullaby) that made the audience feel, as one student said, a mixture of “happiness and satisfaction”, evoking for another “images of the skies and the clouds.” His rendition of “Lady M, Little Rolling Stone” was pleasing to another student, as it was played in a classical instrument with original arrangements; this song was as unexpected as the other, more popular songs were too. Equally surprising to other students was Sr. de Paula-Soler’s mastery of the instrument, which allowed him to use the guitar as a “small orchestra”: he played it like a chello, a piano, even like a drum and other percussion instruments such as church bells.

Through Sr. de Paula-Soler’s artistic contributions we are reminded of the cultural debt we have with Spain, a land of many cultures. As we close the celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month we look forward to other experiences, such as the upcoming “Day of the Dead” festival, on November 1st.

2.October.2006

What I Did Last Summer…

I always hated it when the teacher asked us to write that essay. But there are times when you are just dying to talk about what you did over your holidays, like today. This past August I conducted a foreign language workshop teaching Spanish in India. Although it may not seem readily apparent, there is a very real demand for Spanish-speaking employees in a country known for its international business ties; I found that Indians are training in Spanish so that they can provide customer support to international companies.

How I was invited to give a lecture in Latin American culture and a workshop on foreign language methodology is as interesting as the event itself. My friend Ana Gonzalez, from Costa Rica, is presently living in India with her husband and 2 adorable kids. She has co-founded the Pablo Neruda School of Spanish and Latin American Studies in Chennai, India, with Mr. Bala Subramanian, a person of great sensitivity and with a mission to reaching out to other cultures. After the lecture, I got to meet the faculty and we chatted for a while about what it is like to teach about Cevantes and Menchú. I was excited to find that Spanish had reached such far corners of the globe and we hope to continue developing this new relationship.

This was my third visit to India. My husband, an associate director for Sales Operations for a biotech company in Research Triangle Park, is an Indian national. Considering the fact that in my family we are of Hispanic and Indian backgrounds, living in the USA, I feel that it is important to keep an open mind for the opportunities that may come our way to reach out to others and find common grounds of communication.

25.September.2006

New Beginnings in Spanish

¡Hola! Me llamo Tatiana. Welcome to the Department of Foreign Languages at Campbell University. I teach Spanish language, culture and literature for all levels and interests. This is my first semester at Campbell University, so in addition to a new semester, I am also working on adjusting to a new place and new people. I have found so far that students at Campbell University are eager and very interested in learning this wonderful language; we couldn’t open classes fast enough for students to register, and all my classes were already full to capacity. It is important in a foreign language course to pay individual attention to student’s progress and performance, so class size is never too big. The best thing I enjoy about teaching at a place like Campbell University is that a student experiences this kind of personal attention, and therefore is never going to be lost in a crowd.

This semester will be very busy in the Department of Foreign Languages: we have a concert programmed on October 19th at 8 pm, by the famous Spanish guitarist Francesc de Paula Soler. We will be hosting our “Tertulias”, a Conversation Hour every week, where individuals will come together to practice their communication skills in Spanish in an informal, no-pressure setting. Finally, we will have an information session for individuals interested in participating in our Summer Study Abroad Program, Costa Rica 2007. The application process will begin soon to participate in this program that allows you to register for courses in Biology as well as experience total immersion in the Spanish language. Stay tuned for all that’s going on in FL @ CU.