Shawn vs. The World in Basketball!

Now the camp is crowded with students from all over the world, and the dining room resonates with songs of many languages. It’s really exciting! Tonight there was a talent show where everyone got the chance to demonstrate different aspects of their home cultures. You can see some of the pictures here. Some did dances, some did little skits, some sang.

I thought I’d show them a little something about America and tried playing basketball with some of them. I thought I would teach them a thing or two about a sport that I thought was definitively American. But I have to confess, after being beat up and down the court by Mexicans and Europeans, I realize that maybe I still have a little to learn about the game and the world. I wonder how they’d do at football…

I also took a long walk around the countryside here and got a better feel for what life is like. The village nearby was an example of the extreme separation of classes in most countries. The houses were either large and modern surrounded by big fences with several new cars in the drive, or tin roofed shacks that didn't seem to have either electricity or running water. I saw many women hand washing their clothes and hanging them out in the sun to dry. Many children, some no older than ten, were working hard in the fields, or tending to sheep.

Tomorrow I will return to Mexico City and meet my host family. I am excited and a bit nervous and I will also miss the new friends I have made here.

-Shawn

Related Dispatches: 
Monica - Wanna visit another country? These youth are doing it. Find out how!
Shawn - Mexico - It's all about Tequila and sombreros, right? It's not?
Shawn - Shawn vs The World in basketball.
Shawn - Meet Suppalak, Jitlado, and Asle!

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