PLEASE PLACE THE NAME AND NUMBER NEXT TO EACH REPLY
Respond to Peers: Review your classmates’ posts, and respond to at least two of your peers. For one of your responses, choose someone who posted on a topic different from what you selected. Share alternate views, provide personal experiences as they relate to the topic, expand upon ideas, or provide questions to encourage further elaboration of the topic. Each response should be a minimum of 75 words.
SaturdayFeb 24 at 10:49am
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Topic #2: Servicio a la Comunidad
· From my experiences, I feel that many people in the United States participate in volunteer activities and community service. I have seen incredible amounts of people come together from various areas of the country to help people in need who suffer from natural disasters. I know with the hurricanes recently communities were coming together and I saw several people flying into the areas to help in any way needed.
· There are some groups of people in my community who struggle because they are low-income, but they are not technically low enough to get government assistance, such as food stamps, government housing, and other government funding. These people are having to rely on their own income to support their families, and it really is a struggle for them. Here in Salt Lake City, there is a great source called Welfare Square, which is ran and provided by the LDS church. Welfare Square provides low-income families with everyday essentials, such as food, soap, paper products, toiletries, etc. Another group in my community who need the most help are those who suffer from addictions. The church here also provides excellent addiction recovery programs, which are available to anybody who wants help. I have seen numerous people benefit from these programs and services.
· In my community I think more people should participate in service activities concerning the environment. I have lived in three different areas in the country, but here in Salt Lake City I have seen more citizens serving each other than anywhere ever. People really tend to come together to serve others who struggle here, which I have been really impressed with. A major thing I have noticed is the poor air quality here. I think people should come together to promote cleaner air.
· I think there are many community resources available to Spanish speakers in my area. I know at the Department of Workforce Services there are translators and Spanish-speakers available to help anyone in need of any of their services. I have not noticed a particular service that I think is missing.
· I would like to work as a volunteer in the future because I think it is important to serve others in our communities. I also think when we do volunteer or serve others it brings happiness to not only whoever is receiving the service, but to the volunteer as well.
MondayFeb 26 at 9:50am
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Topic #1: Las Compras
Stores and shopping is a huge part of the American culture, and according to the reading, it is also a huge part of the culture in Spanish-speaking countries, especially in larger cities. In these Spanish-speaking countries, shopping is often done in shopping centers, which is similar to the United States. The stores in Spanish-speaking countries, whether they are in a shopping center or not, are often named after the product they sell. Some examples of this in my community would be Sunglass Hut, Boot Barn, The Ski & Bike Shop, and Widman’s Candy Shop. All of these shops are named after the products they sell. As far as ethnic stores, Grand Forks has a very limited amount of ethnic stores, and most of these stores are grocery stores, like Asian Grocery and Mexican Village.
Sometimes individuals do not only shop for a product, they sometimes will shop for the experience shopping can provide. Often times I will personally shop for the experience, but one time specifically I remember a shopping experience as a cultural experience. When living in Green Bay, my friend took me to a Hispanic grocery store and the store was extremely different from the other local grocery stores I was used to shopping in. Of course the store had similarities, like a deli and bakery, but the differences really opened my eyes. First of all, Hispanic grocery stores do not force candy, chips, and soda into your face like other American grocery stores do by putting these items at every checkout and entrance. Of course they do have an isle for these items, but when I entered the first thing I noticed was all the fresh fruits and vegetables. Another thing I noticed was the fresh bread and tortillas, which really showed me what Hispanic countries idolize compared to the standard American culture.
As far as shopping preferences, every individual has a different preference, but some of these preferences can be cultural. For example, my mother grew up around farmer’s markets and garage sales, which is her preferred shopping experience. However, growing up in a more modern era, I enjoy modern mall shopping over an open air market. My Puerto Rican best friend enjoys these open air markets more because he was very familiar to them in Puerto Rico and he feels like he has more control in these shopping experiences than he would at a mall. Shopping preferences are different for every individual, but some of that can be a cultural trait.
When traveling, I personally do not dedicate time for shopping, but at the same time I really enjoy shopping in other locations. Usually my time is dedicated to the event I was traveling for, whether it was sight-seeing or something more adventurous. However, I usually can find some time to shop at the local shopping centers. When visiting, I enjoy shopping at places that are different than the stores I am familiar with. For example, when in Orlando, I really enjoy shopping at the huge Disney-specific stores because they are almost like a museum of new Disney items. When traveling or visiting, you will never see me in a Wal-Mart or Target because I always shop in these stores when I am at home. As far as activities when traveling, I usually enjoy adventurous activities more than sight-seeing, like amusement parks and rock concerts.