Love, Novela [Completed]

Re: Kudos

From: novela-harmon@bethel.edu
Date: Tue, Aug 29, 2017 at 6:17 PM
Subject: Kudos
To: grace-k-nelson@bethel.edu

Alex, the composition (and dance) teacher, stopped me after class to discuss my paper. It made me nervous, and I wondered if I did the assignment wrong, or if what I wrote was offensive or something. But he said, "Muy buen trabajo" (very good job). I had been a little worried that the length of the paper would cause him to stop reading, get annoyed, and/or chastise me for wasting his time. But it seemed like the opposite.

He asked about my religious background (I had only alluded to it in the paper). I told him I had grown up in a Christian home, Baptist to be precise. He nodded like he had heard the word before, but didn't comment. He asked what prior experience I'd had with Mexico or Mexicans, and I confessed not much. Then he told me that what I wrote and my comments during the class discussion showed insights into Mexican culture and religion that a lot of Mexicans themselves aren't aware of. He said this indicated a unique gift for observation and analysis. (I wonder if he's right?) He also complimented my grammar and writing ability.

Also, I noticed that while we were talking he was speaking very slowly at first, but gradually started speeding up as he gauged my responses. Then he told me my spoken Spanish was good too, that my pronunciation was very good, and with a bit more practice I could might be able to speak with native fluency. I was a bit flushed when I finally left; it was much more than I had expected. But at least finally something seems to be going in the right direction.

How are you?

Love, N