Spanish
Can you see me? I'm that guy with the funny smile on his face, grey T-shirt, and flamboyantly pink sunglasses. And yes, I am teaching the Macarena to a bunch of 10 and 11 year-olds in the Dominican Republic. After learning Salsa and Bachata there, I had to find some way to reciprocate. The Macarena was perfect.
The Start of My Spanish Obsession
My love of Spanish was ignited by my first trip to Puerto Rico. I was intrigued by the Arecibo Observatory and the delicious food, but not yet hooked. Then one night I was driving back to my apartment around midnight and I suddenly found myself in the middle of a parade. It was not a holiday, and there was no explanation whatsoever--the town had just decided to celebrate. This was the moment when I knew that I wanted to speak Spanish. As a sometimes uptight, academic, bookworm, the relaxed and adventurous culture in Latin America inspired me.
The Pursuit of Knowledge
Learning a fun, new Latin American Dance!
My Spanish education could not be considered classically academic. Spanish in the classroom was never enough. In my free time I use resources like Rosetta Stone, studyspanish.com, Spanish easy readers, and a collection of chapter books given to me by my friends in the Dominican Republic to improve my Spanish. I have also tried to the best of my ability to create a community of Spanish speakers at my school. As president of Spanish club I attempt to engineer interesting topics of conversation for the club's members. I plan each week's meeting in a different location so as to attract bystanders into our activities. One of my favorite weekly events is the Spanish Table which is a nice time to speak casually in Spanish.