Learning Spanish in Honduras - A Daily Mental Marathon

For the past three weeks I’ve been living in Copan Ruinas, Honduras, spending 4 hours a day in 1 on 1 intensive Spanish classes, and an average of 2 hours studying Spanish or speaking with my host family or other local families. This has been an almost unprecedented time of rewarding work, so I’ve included both a Top Seven List about learning second languages, as well as a more detailed explanation of my experience intensively studying a second language.

Hanging out with my host mom, Sara, in front of their house. Door frames are my enemy in Honduras. 

My Top Seven: 

If you have ever spent time learning a second language, you know these to be true. 

Learning a Second Language is Like…

1. 1)      Boxing- Some days you just get beat down and your face stops working.
2. 2)      Laughing-It’s alright to do alone, but the true beauty comes in sharing it with others.
3. 3)      A Bad Pun – It’s frustratingly awesome
4. 4)      A Headlamp – It’s extremely useful … If you remember it. (thanks for those two, Alissa).
5. 5)      Building a Sandcastle- If you turn your back on it for even a short of time, it might just all be gone.
6. 6)      Climbing a Mountain- All of a sudden you look back, and you’ve actually gone pretty far
7. 7)      Climbing a Mountain- And then you crest a ridge, and realize the top is still 10,000 feet away.  

Spending quality time with Dunia, my Spanish Language Teacher

The Method Behind the Madness

I’m in the process of pursuing one of my life goals: learn a new language every decade. So far, I’m a bit behind. I spent years my first decade (0-10) mastering English (wooh!), wasted away my 10-20s, and am now playing catch up with the and trying to learn two more languages from 20-30.

Since January I’ve been spending an average of an hour per day learning Spanish; This includes a million vocab words (.1% I remember), hours practicing speaking Spanish, learning vocabulary, and listening to as many Spanish songs as I could find.

And I then I was fluent!

Haha, no that is not how it works. Five months and 250+ hours of Spanish later, I still have a huge amount to learn. So here are some fun lessons from self-study and intensive language school.

• Nothing has worked my brain like this… ever Speaking/learning a new language for 5-8 hours a day is probably the best way to work out your brain. After four hours of Spanish during my first day of language school, my brain felt that it had run the equivalent of a mental marathon. It’s a feeling that I can never remember having until this moment. Friends, I could use a million work out sayings to explain this phenomenon, but this one is simplest; If you aren’t sore the next day, you probably aren’t working hard enough.  
• And then I found $20…  I couldn’t tell a story in Spanish to save my life. I simply don’t have the linguistic prowess to speak in a captivating manner and remember the correct words. And right when I hit the punch line or climax of the story, I somehow manage to forget the correct verb tense or phrase to end the tale. It’s like when someone forgets the ending to a joke, and even when they remember the line it’s not funny anymore. This five seconds of silence brings the story to a sighful ending, and me to my next point..
• I’m trying to talk, but all I hear is silence… You know that one time during the day where just can’t think of the right word? You ask your friends, and eventually you figure out how to get across exactly what you wanted to say. Well imagine if this happened to you every other sentence. Now I’m definitely getting better. Today I got pretty excited because I strung together a few decently complicated sentences and said them quite quickly. And then I fell apart and sat there for five seconds trying to think of the past tense for estar (to be).
• Can You Hear Me Now?... I’ve never realized the variety of listening that I do during a normal day, or how hard it is to listen in certain situations. I’ve gotten to the point to where if I’m talking to someone 1 on 1 in Spanish, I can pretty much understand everything that they say. This completely changes if I can’t see the person (lips/gestures are important), if there is a lot of background noise, or if the lips don’t match the words (dubbed over movies). I guess I just never thought that I would reach a point where I can understand perfectly in certain situations, but not at all of one small factor changes.

Celebrating the joys of learning a second language with Andrew, a fellow student, and crazy masks we got at our host sister's wedding. 

So what is the point of this post? Learning a new language is a way to connect with other cultures, expand and challenge your mind, and pick up an extremely valuable career skill. And it’s one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. So if you’ve already completed this and more, you have my utmost respect. If you are like me and have wasted a solid majority of your life not learning a second language, now seems about just the right time to start.

Much love from Honduras,

Kurt

The Dangers of American Culture

A Name Change

People say that life is good. But let's think about that for a minute. What good is good? Good is comfortable, good is normal, and good is a bit... well, bland. I firmly believe that we learn and grow the most when life leaves the good road and takes an onramp to exceptional expressway, or things go awry and life veers into terrible turnpike. (note: alliteration always improve the quality of a blog post).

This man knew a thing or two about action. 

The last four years I have dedicated myself to the pursuit of life outside the good lane. I named this blog after that pursuit, "A Life of Learning". Guess what friends, I was wrong. Well, maybe not wrong, but surely incomplete. Living a life a learning is wonderful, and it's vitally important for having a successful and effective existence. But it's not enough. What's missing is action. Through my learning, I've tried to passively inform the perspective of others by sharing my experiences. It was good. But now it's time for a bit of activism. 

Activist in Progress

Just to define terms a bit, by activism I mean that I’m adding a second dimension to this blog that draws upon the experiences I’ve had and comments on important world issues. My goal is to do so in an informed, fair, open, forceful, wide eyed manner. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to push you in any direction. But I’m starting to know where I am going, and it would be a good thing if you came along. A good thing? How about the best of things.

Yes, becoming the next Abraham Lincoln is secretly my goal. 

And guess what, it’s a win-win game! If you don’t agree with my perspective, that’s not a problem. We gain an immense amount of knowledge from the exchanging of ideas and perspectives, and even more so if those perspectives differ. So here… we… go…

The Dangers of Exporting American/Western Culture

A phrase that is often popular with some politicians in America is “America is the greatest, best, most free, most amazing country to ever exist on Earth.” Really? The best country in the history of the planet? On what data specifically can you base that claim? Currently we are around 97th in the world in wealth equality (behind Cambodia and Uganda), 37th in world health quality (beating Cuba by two places), and if everyone followed our lifestyle we would need 3-5 earths to support the human race. 

This doesn't strike me as a natural cycle. 

I mention this for two specific reasons 1) because people should be informed about the challenges facing our country and be proactive about improving the lives of the people in the Unites States, and 2) to help people realize that every country in the world should not become more like us/the Western “developed” world.

Let’s take Honduras for example, and talk specifically about western food and garbage. FIfty years ago, the people of Copan Ruinas, Honduras (the location of my language school) had a simple diet. Locally grown grains, fruits, milks, crops, etc. etc. Nothing came in a package (so only compostable waste), the food was generally healthy, and most people were in decent shape. Over the years the landscape has changed and Coca Cola, Oreos, Skittles, and numerous other western snacks are available at most local stores. As a direct result of that influence the people suffer from new food-linked diseases: obesity and diabetes, and food wrappers are more common than leaves on local jungle roads. Sweet. (Note: This blog still and will always contain cleverly subtle humor).

It's so refreshing I can barely taste the health problems.

Now an argument could be made that I’m lumping American corporations together with American Culture. But it was demand from “developed” countries for these items that allowed the companies to grow and expand overseas. Another comment could be that Western culture has also brought a great deal of wonderful things to Honduras (cell phones, internet, improved medicine). This is undeniably true, and an amazing resource for the local people. But we are giving them the horrible planet destroying part of our culture, along with the life-changing technology piece (technology that has its own waste streams).

A Scary Place

The point I’m trying to make is that I’m absolutely terrified of a world where everyone eats and wastes like Americans. And I don’t frighten easily. The sad reality is that Western companies seeking to expand profits are going into “developing” countries and spreading the message that people should live like Americans, eat like Americans, and waste like Americans. Guess what? They shouldn’t. And if they do, we are all in a heaping pile of trouble. A pile made of unrecyclable plastic wrappers, environmental degradation, and astronomical health care costs.

We've taught them well. 

So what is the goal of this post? Let’s start thinking. Let’s start thinking about how to live cleaner, greener lives. Let’s demand products that we would want everyone in the world to use (and throw away). Let’s wake up and realize that the direction that we and the rest of the world are taking in terms of sustainable living and food choices is straight off a freaking cliff.

So that’s my thoughts on exporting those parts American and Western Culture. I’d love to hear other opinions, and if anyone has any resources (books, sites, article) on this subject, I’d love to learn more.

Cheers,

Kurt

Summer in Latin America

Hello Out There!


First off, I'd like to issue a warm and delayed apology for not keeping up on this blog at all during the school year. In the past, this blog has mostly documented travel, experiences, etc. In the future I'm going to continue with the same theme, as well as add a variety of articles about current issues, experiences, and causes that I support.


Honduras, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia

I'm spending 2 months this summer traveling between those four countries, pursuing three main goals:

1. Vastly improve my Spanish
2. Learn more about Latin American culture and sights through traveling. 
3. Celebrate graduation from college in a grand manner. 

I'll be spending a month in Honduras with Alissa (my girlfriend of 2+ years) living with a host family and taking 20 hours of Spanish lessons per week. (4 hours per day, 8:00am-Noon). At the end of June, I will fly to Lima, Peru and spend a month exploring the wonders of the Andes and the Amazon with my friends Aaron Morris and Nick Etzel.

No, this is neither Aaron or Nick. 

But That's Not All...

If you are counting the day correctly, you know that the fun has already begun. On Wednesday I left the states for the continuously muggy land of Honduras (which is actually quite a nice place). Since then Alissa and I have been making friends with other travelers (A wonderful man named Mark from Germany, who is traveling form Antarctica through South and Central America up to Mexico.), exploring Mayan Ruins (below), meeting locals at a nearby German Restaurant, and starting Spanish School.

Standing on a building built in 700 AD. Not too shabby. 

Copan, Copan, Copan!

All of this is happening in the quaint but endlessly charming Honduran city of Copan Ruinas. It's charm exudes from cobblestone streets, the cowboys hats of residents, and the nearby shops offering handmade local crafts. 

Courtesy of Mark Schaller, a wonderful German Man. 

When not studying Spanish or exploring the city, I've been playing cribbage with Alissa, trying my hand at writing poems, stories, quotes, songs, and attempting to think of wildly successful business ideas. 

I'll be writing again soon to talk about the changes I'm making to the blog, as well as giving updates on life in Copan.

With love from Honduras, 

Kurt

Congratulations Class of 2012!

Parents, Community members, Members of the School Committee, Faculty and Administration, and, most importantly, the graduating seniors of the class of 2012.  Welcome all to the 11^th annual graduation ceremony at the Manchester Essex Regional High School!

Seniors, graduation day is one of many significant events you will have in your lives, and, while this event is often viewed as either an ending or a new beginning, I prefer to view it as a stepping-stone, one of many that you will have throughout your lifetimes.  Your parents, your teachers, from kindergarten to high school, and your communities have served you well, They have provided you not only with a wonderful education but also with a sense of tradition, a spirit of inquiry and a commitment to service.

The Class of 2012 has earned the reputation of being a talented group of young adults who perseveres in the face adversity and who gives back to its community.  Athletically, you have experienced the victory of state championships. Artistically, you have demonstrated your talents on the canvas and in print, receiving accolades from the Boston Globe. Theatrically, you have distinguished yourselves through award winning Dramafest performances, and musically, you have drawn crowds from across the North Shore, with your Soundwaves performances.  Academically, you’ve built nationally competitive robots, explored the real world applications of science; you’ve debated across the country, produced an award winning student newspaper and helped to cultivate a green movement.  These experiences, whether collaborative or individual, demonstrate a desire for the pursuit of excellence. 

As you move on to further academic pursuits, service in our military or to the world of work, I urge you to push yourself to reach beyond your comfort zone and to embrace new challenges.  Continue to strive for personal excellence, but keep in mind that success is defined individually and it can be measured in many ways. I urge you not to bend to the external views of success but rather to find your own measures and seek to fulfill them. The pressures of test scores and grades will soon be replaced with pressures of income and material goods.  Society and the media will lead you to believe that the measure of your greatness can be seen in the size of your house, the sportiness of your car or the stylishness of your clothing. 

Your families, your school and your communities have worked hard to instill in you a deeper understanding and richer sense of self.  Material measures may provide comforts, but they will not nurture your spirit.  True success is found in the self-worth you develop and in the relationships you build. 

There will be times in your lives when you may struggle to balance your careers with your personal lives.  When faced with such decisions, I implore you to always tip the balance in favor of your family and friends. 

I am sure that each of you is filled with an anxious energy as you prepare to take your next steps.  Embrace them and make the most of every experience.  Life is to be lived and enjoyed.  You are each capable of greatness, but define that greatness by your own measure and not that of society. 

I would like to leave you with some words of wisdom, the authorship of which is frequently mis-attributed to one of my favorite authors… Ralph Waldo Emerson but was actually penned by lesser-known writer Bessie Stanley.

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

Regardless of the author, its meaning is simple and true… as you step into the next chapter of your lives, I ask you to remember to seek success from within and work to leave this world a bit better off than you found it.

Congratulations and Good Luck!