Hi everyone!
My name is Ashley and I am in my 4th year studying International Relations and Sociology. I am 23 years old and from Langley, BC. Something fun about me is that I grew up on a beef cattle farm for almost all my life, and I got to show them at local fairs like the PNE (think dog show..but replace them with cows:))–I also lived on a dairy farm and had a pig named Peaches. In my spare time, I like finding a good hot chocolate, taking the ferry to the Island for an adventure with my friends, or finding new music to update my playlists. I also love finding a good TV show (my current favs are Yellowstone and The Last of Us!). I am really excited to jump into the content of this course and get to know everyone throughout the duration of this term!
I chose to register for this course because I chose Spanish as my language requirement for my IR degree, and I loved it so much that I wanted to continue with it somehow. So, I figured taking a SPAN course for my lit requirement would be an excellent route to take! Although I am not super well-versed in literature, I am more than eager to get started and delve into the many books we have the chance to read this semester so that I can have a more balanced and thoughtful perception of these texts and how they have contributed to the LATAM region. Though, I have taken a few Latin American-centered political science, Latin Amerian studies, and sociology courses that crossover with many of the themes we are said to explore this semester, including war, class, globalization, representation, and revolution; so, I am very excited to explore these themes in more depth and within a different lens.
At first, I was a bit confused on exactly what hopscotch was in the case of this class, but the introductory lecture helped me understand that, and provided me with the tools I need to look at the literature we will be exploring in a different lens and to get rid of any assumptions I may have had prior. I think the selection of texts we have will show a great variety (but also commonalities, as mentioned in lecture) in the shared and unshared values and within Latin American cultures and identities. I usually love reading political biographies or historiographies, but I am excited to get the chance to explore other genres, too! I am super excited to read I, Rigoberta Menchu because I got to go to Guatemala in 2019 and learn about the K’iche’ language and culture, and would love to learn more. I think I have read an excerpt from that book, but quite honestly it was 6 years ago so I will be ready for a good refresher on that one:) I found the discussion on magical realism most interesting from the lecture, and am curious to learn of how we can begin to deconstruct such themes and analyze a variety of interpretations and narratives within each.
Question: Have you ever had the chance to go to a country in the Latin American region? Another question: Where is your favourite place to read? Mine is at a cafe or at a park with a river view:)
See you around, everyone! Super excited for this course!
Showing cattle at fairs, wow! My grandfather used to love for some reason to go to the local cattle market in the small town in North Wales where he lived, and would take me. I have no idea why!
Hi Ashley! It is cool that you had the chance to experience some of the topics on Latin America before the course and especially having a chance to experience Ki’che Mayan culture!
To answer your questions, I have indeed had the chance to visit Latin America by visiting my maternal family in Mexico and it is always great to experience the culture of one-half of my background. I also like to read by a nice cozy fireplace, especially one next to a window with a good view of outside 🙂