10

Last Thursday Sarah (my classmate and current roommate) and I provided a "conferencia", aka presentation, on "Health in the United States" to our teachers, school staff, and Spanish and school directors at the request of the school director. Sarah spoke about public health since that was her graduate degree. I chatted briefly about psychology and therapy and then jumped into the topic I know more about-my experience as a counselor and the process of therapy in my clinic. The entire presentation we prepared was in Espanol! I did it! And they understood me! I wasn't exactly monologuing in the longest, most complicated and intense Spanish sentences, but, nevertheless, I spoke for roughly 30 minutes about a subject that I am passionate about in a language I am passionate about. The director said I got an 'A+' which they call a '10' in Mexico.

Also, two weeks ago I completed an entire 250-page book in Spanish. The title is, Dibs: In Search of Self, in English. My mom actually has it on her bookshelf at home and gave it to me to read in college since it's about the lady who created play therapy and that's my bread and butter at work. One of my teachers at Cuauhnahuac knew that I am a therapist and brought me the book saying she thought I would be interested. I was excited cause I had read it years ago in English and forgotten many details. I read the entire book in Spanish and it helped hugely to connect the dots and fill the gaps as I learned new verb form after new verb form and then read them within the context of the book. It really clicks to me now why teachers so greatly encourage their young students to read often. It helps increase my Spanish vocabulary really beautifully and totally solidify things in my mind as I learn various verb forms and gramatical rules. I find it quite miraculous and am excited to dive into my second book, El Peregrino, by Paulo Koehlo that Alejandro loaned me. I will let you know how it goes!

1) Dibs: In Search of Self, the book I read entirely in Spanish; 2) Stuffed chiles with tofu, carrots, onions, and cheese Sarah and I made my first weekend in her house. Delicious!;  3) The sitting room/"cantina" at the museum. I loved the bright colors and the amount of light on the window seats; 4) At the Robert Brady Museum "washing up"; 5) The courtyard of Brady's home was beautifully landscaped.