Category: Latin America

Submitted by Isiah Hiatt on the 2019 winter session program in Costa Rica sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…

These week was eventful and exciting. Wednesday, we went to Alajuela, to the Juan Santamaría Museum. Juan Santamaría was a drummer in the Costa Rican army during the Filibuster War. He succeeded in setting fire to the hostel in Rivas that the opposing men were in, but died in the process. This act was a tremendous contribution to the Costa Rican victory at Rivas. Due to his sacrifice, he is a national hero of Costa Rica. Alajuela is very different from Heredia, where I am staying. Alajuela is very calm, quiet, and relaxing. While Heredia is quick-paced, people are always moving, and you feel like you always have to get somewhere.

Later during the week, we went to Monteverde. There we went on a night tour and were able to see some of the nocturnal animals and get a good look at Costa Rica’s diverse animal population. We saw frogs, snakes, toucans, a porcupine that was in a tree, and many more. It was a great experience and it was very interesting to see how the animals acted at night. Personally, I think my comprehension skills are increasing. I am able to understand most things people are saying if they speak at a reasonable pace. I have also noticed that some things I don’t have to translate to English anymore, which is interesting. By this I mean when someone says something in Spanish, I don’t even translate what they are saying in English while they are talking. Which shows that my comprehension is improving. I highly recommend a study abroad program to anyone who is interested in taking their language skills to the next level.

 

Submitted by Regan Pavlock on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Argentina sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

During our third week in Argentina, everyone had the opportunity to dress up more formally than usual to attend a tango show at night. The show included dinner as well as a two hour long tango spectacular. When we arrived, we were offered foods typical of Argentina, such as steak and pasta, but we were also offered a tango lesson. Being able to learn something so important to the Argentine culture was very exciting to me, and it was a great opportunity to be able to learn the basic steps to such a traditional dance. This tango show inspired me to want to take a tango class outside of the activities scheduled for us during the program, because the elegance and energy between the dancer was something that was breathtaking for me. Once the show began, I had never seen dancers as talented and as skilled as the men and women who danced and sang the tango songs. I was inspired by this Argentine tradition in a way that I had not expected, and I am very grateful for the chance to have seen this performance in person. I was moved by the tango performance, and I felt that I could not compare tango to any American dance traditions, which I found interesting. As a common theme, I feel that Argentine people are more passionate about their country’s defining elements, such as tango, soccer, asado and mate, as opposed to American traditions and customs that are not as widely celebrated and advertised.

Submitted by Margaret Costello on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Argentina sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

This week, we got to see a tango show and I think that it was probably one of the top highlights of this program. We have been learning a lot about tango within our classes such as its origins, what the music means and what the dance symbolizes. As for the origins, tango was created right here in Buenos Aires. This is really cool because we were able to see a tango show in its birthplace. However, the show was very modern and much different than what tango was like when it first originated. The music that is sung during tango dances is always very sad and about loss of love. Tango music also contains a lot of lunfardo, which is the slang they use here in Argentina. Lastly, the dance is very sexual, erotic, and dramatic. We definitely saw this exemplified at the tango show that we saw. Overall, this was an amazing experience and one of my favorites so far. It was great to experience something that we have been learning in class since week one.

Submitted by Adamari Rodriguez on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Argentina sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

By the third week, we have become pretty accustomed to the routine and schedule of an average day. On our last excursion for our study abroad program, we went to the Carlos Gardel Building which is known for its tango showcases. Our dinner was similar to the U.S. where we have an appetizer, main course, and dessert. However, the steak was so soft it could probably be cut with a spoon. After the dinner, we watched a tango showcase that was unbelievable.

As a dancer myself, I was very eager to compare the dance to what I practice. Argentina’s traditional dance of tango is extremely emotional and very sexy. Even though in the United States, dance couples rely on a lot of trust and precision, the level of trust these dancers in Argentina had was inexplicable. The female partner was thrown at incredible heights and was caught very close to the ground. In addition, in my dance company, we often have a story behind why a dance is the way it is from the song choice to the costume and dance moves. Similarly, the tango couples had a story behind each dance, but there was more emphasis on theater as well. Even the transitions went along with the story behind the showcase. The most interesting part of the performance was that all the music was performed live by an orchestra instead of being played from a recording. Overall, the dancers did what they intend to do which is to be entertainers. I had the opportunity to see their most cherished piece of art unfold on stage which was a great opportunity because the dance styles I practice are not what I would dance at casual gatherings whereas tango is danced both casually and professionally.

Submitted by Melissa Lewis on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Panama sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

This week was full of many new experiences. It’s amazing that I can feel and hear how my Spanish is improving with all of my experiences. For example, I am talking more in my home with my hosts and with Pablo (our family addition). The opportunity I have to practice my Spanish at home helps me a lot when I go out. For example, I went to the mall and talked to the people in the shoe store for 30 minutes. I learned my foot size in this country (39). I had a good time.

On the weekend, I went to Casco Viejo with my friend Alyssa. We were exploring Casco Viejo and decided to ask the people who were around us instead of using our cell phones for directions! We met three new people. The first people were Miraña and Rosy in a small shop. We talked a lot and I learned that Rosy wants to travel around the world and Rosy is Cuban. Besides Rosy, we met another Cuban named Robert. He works at the Feeling restaurant and we had a good time. At the end of the week, I went to the beach with all of the students and had the opportunity to speak with more Spanish speakers. I learned how to dance salsa, too.

In the Villages, it was a bit difficult in the beginning to connect with the children. What I noticed is that when children see us students doing something the children want to do the same thing. Since the children are always ready to do something, I have to be prepared with a long list of activities and a lot of energy. This week has confirmed, again, how kind Panamanian people are and I love that. It doesn’t matter to anyone what people look like. What matters is the personality of a person.

 

Submitted by Sara Bixler on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Argentina sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

This past weekend, our group traveled to Uruguay to visit Colonia and Montevideo. Colonia (which is pictured below) is a historic town that was one of the first areas in Uruguay to be settled. Montevideo is a more urban city, although this town is also surrounded by the river and there are many beaches lining the edges of the city. After living in Buenos Aires for the past few weeks and after visiting Montevideo, I have come to appreciate the active lifestyle of the people who live in these cities. I think it is a common assumption that people tend to walk instead of drive due to traffic and the pure convenience of many places when you live in the city. I think this is true in cities in Argentina, as well as in the United States. However, I have been surprised by how many people I have seen running or working out in the various parks throughout Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Many of the parks even have outdoor workout machines that people actually utilize. In addition, young families with children spend a lot of time in the parks together, and groups of people are often seen drinking Mate (a type of tea) together. The sense of community is very strong within these cities, despite the fact that it is a city. I found this rather surprising, because I do not think cities in the U.S. tend to have this same environment.

Submitted by Alyssa Santiago on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Chile sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

This week felt like a learning curve to me. I had to cope with feelings on top of everything I was adapting to already. I realized that Chile is like a second world to me. I have a different routine here, a different family, different friends, listen to different music, speak a different language, and even buy things with different money. I miss my life in my first worldm but life feels like it’s moving so fast here that sometimes it takes a silent moment to realize. I keep trying to find ways to show my first world self to my second world people, but that is not being my authentic self right now. I am in a different world so I am a different self. And my first world people can see my second world through pictures I post and send of my life in Chile, but they will never fully understand. It is a similar feeling to when I adapted to college for the first time. Change is good and sometimes you need to immerse yourself in a different environment to grow.

 

 

 

Submitted by Michael Irwin on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Chile sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

This past weekend, we took a visit to the south of Chile to a town called Puerto Varas. It could quite possibly be the prettiest town I have ever been in. The town has a heavy German influence in its architecture and there is a large lake with two volcanoes in the background. We stayed in cabanas near the lake for four nights and it was enjoyable getting to know my classmates better. What was great about this weekend was that I felt like I was able to leave everything behind and think only in the present; something that can be very difficult to do sometimes. The incredible views made it easy to de-stress and relax.

On Sunday, we went into a local market where cheap and fresh food was sold. I decided to challenge myself by picking out ingredients to try to make a meal for my classmates. The market was right on the water, so I chose to buy salmon along with other spices and vegetables. It was definitely a challenge cooking in the cabanas because I did not have the resources I would normally have had back at home, but I was able to make it work. My classmates were all satisfied with the outcome!

 

Submitted by Meghan O’Brien on the 2020 winter session program in Brazil sponsored by the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences…

My second week abroad has been amazing and so much different than the Amazon. Rio is such a beautiful and modern city! We arrived at our hotel on Saturday and immediately went to the laundromat after sweating constantly for a week in the Amazon! Since then, we have gone on amazing excursions like visiting Jardim Botânico (the largest garden in Brazil), a landscape architect’s office, a green roof garden, the museum of tomorrow and an art museum. For lunch one day, we visited a fish market where you could choose your fish and then bring it upstairs to the restaurant and customize how you would like it to be prepared.

Outside of Rio, we have visited Lapa where we went on a bar and food tour with a tour guide and also Santa Teresa where we took a cable car into the mountains and enjoyed Feijoda, a popular beef dish served with rice and beans. The food is definitely different, but I have enjoyed many different dishes like guava jam and empanadas! We are staying two blocks away from Ipanema Beach and three blocks away from Copacabana Beach. I have grown up on the beach and these Brazilian beaches do not compare to any beach I have ever seen before. Vendors walk up and down the beaches everyday selling anything from coconuts, hammocks, or fried cheese!

We continued our two classes in the breakfast room of our hotel. We learned about Roberto Burle Marx who has an enormous presence in Brazil. Burle Marx was a landscape architect who designed many gardens, sidewalks, and parks. His famous black and white design runs along the beaches in Rio and can be found on towels, hats, and in many buildings. His work seems to unite everyone together and it is a unique characteristic of Rio. Moreover, for the field sketching class we practiced drawing at different distances in the famous Flamengo Park and we also tried to replicate pieces of art from the modern art museum. I think the most important element that we have talked about is a sense of place. There are many contributing forces that influence sense of place and we have compared and contrasted these among our homes, the University of Delaware, the Amazon, and now Rio. This is not something we usually analyze, but it is interesting to see how we adjust and what defines our different sense of place.

I am sad that we only have two weeks left in this vibrant city. Walking outside the hotel to musicians or street performers and interacting with the locals has allowed us to get a feel for the city. I am so grateful to experience the welcoming Brazilian culture.

View of Ipanema Beach before dinner

Submitted by Caroline Sullivan on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Chile sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

Before arriving in Chile, I did not expect to experience such a diverse variety of biodiversity only within one country.  It amazes me that lakes, rivers, volcanoes, beaches, deserts, islands, farms and cities all exist here.  Our first weekend, we visited the lake region or “Regíon de los Lagos” where we climbed Volcano Osorno, rafted in the Petrohue River, swam in Lake LLanquihue, and learned about agriculture in Fundo Playa Venado.  I will never forget these experiences, and the whole time I felt grateful to experience such a diversity of nature in such a small period of time.  It made me eager to travel more in order to see what else the world has to offer.  This weekend, we will travel to the glaciers of Patagonia in Torres Del Paine – and I absolutely cannot wait!  This program has given me such a deeper appreciation for nature, and has made me even more aware of what we can do daily in order to preserve its beauty.