My Appreciation

I would like to take this time to applaud Dr. A for introducing me to a culture that I had never been properly introduced to before. I am not only referring to telenovelas, but more specifically the Venezuelan culture. For me, this class was about more than just watching telenovelas and discussing their significant themes and characters, but also a chance to grasp an idea about the Venezuelan lifestyle. At the beginning of the semester, I caught a glimpse of the culture by watching clips of Venezuelan telenovelas that were filmed in the country, such as "Cosita Rica" and "La Mujer Perfecta". I hadn't even heard or seen Hugo Chavez before this class and now I speak his name as though I am from the country myself.

During one of our class periods, Dr. A mentioned how loud the streets of Caracas are and that sirens are constantly going off throughout the day and night. I have tried to picture myself here several times, walking the crowded streets of Caracas and visiting the markets. I would love to visit Venezuela one day just so I can recognize something that I learned from this class and enjoy the feeling of being somewhat attached to the country, like I like to believe that I am.

Our class visit to Dr. A's home made me even more intrigued in Venezuela. And no, it wasn't just the "tres leches", although it was amazing :). But, watching the final episodes and hearing about the murder of Yanis Chamaras made me want to further investigate everything about Venezeula! Yesterday, when I came home after our class meeting, I began googling Yanis to learn more about his life and role on "Cuidad Bendita". I also searched for pictures of Caracas so that I can have a better idea of what the city looks like. If it wasn't for this class who knows if I would have ever been exposed to the Venezuelan culture. Yes, I learned quite a bit about telenovelas, but I think my new-found interest in Venezuela was the most valuable gift from this class. I will never forget the Skype calls with Venezuelan actors, actresses, writers and producers. I will cherish everything that we learned from this class.

Oh, and I'm adding 'visit Venezuela' to my list of things to do soon =)