for this unit in Spanish 3, we explored various myths, legends, and stories of magic from the Spanish-speaking world. We read a full mini-novel in Spanish titled: El Ekeko: Un misterio boliviano. Read my description below of the book.
Description - El Ekeko: un misterio boliviano:
Paco is the son of a working-class family living in Bolivia, and like most boys his age he loves to play futból and hangout with his friends! Unfortunately, his shoes that he wears when doing these activities are old and filled with holes. So you can imagine his excitement when his mom tells him to wear his grandpa's old boots as a replacement. While searching for these boots, Paco discovers something magical hidden within his grandpa's things. A powerful talisman that will teach Paco about the consequences you might face when getting everything you've ever wanted.
Book Report:
El Ekeko: un misterio boliviano is a book about greed and growth. Where Paco, the main character, learns about the consequences of acting for ones self instead of acting for the betterment of others. Paco lives with his family of 6 in Bolivia, and much like other children his age- Paco has to work hard as a shoe shiner to make ends meet for his family. Growing up in a working class family, Paco urns to be able to afford some of the thing his peers seem to have. After finding the powerful talisman; El Ekeko. Paco began to realize that having access to everything he wanted wasn’t always sweet. The El Ekeko belonged to his grandfather, along with an assortment of other things, Paco found out that the statue woud gift him the things that he asked for. At first, Paco asked for things like food for his mom and toys for him, his friends, and sisters. It didn’t take Paco long to stop getting things for others, but instead himself. Shoes, electronics, toys, and money are just some of the items Paco believed he was deserving of. This made the El Ekeko sad, and eventually he stopped giving Paco anything at all. In the end, Paco realized that he didn’t need the talisman anymore, and that he was grateful for what his family has given him.
Throughout this unit, I learned many things about myself through the learning of many different cultures. Understanding the the truth behind different Latin American cultures made me grow, especially with the way I view my own life here in America. Especially Bolivian culture, from the work ethic to the communal practices- I would say my biggest take away after learning about Bolivia was the way they see family and community. I learned that family is almost like the backbone for a lot of Bolivan culture. Everybody works together to keep the roofs over their heads. The children go to school and work either on the streets, in factories, or in mines, just like the mothers and fathers who are also hard at work. Each night Bolivan families come together to share a meal of Bisteak or frijoles. There are festivals where everyone comes together like the festival Alasitas. At this event, Bolivians celebrate the Ekeko who is a god of abundance and people buy little figures that represent things they wish for their families to have. With all of this in mind, I realized that my family and I aren’t usually communal like the people of Bolivia. We might come together on big holidays, but we eat separate meals and we often are thinking about ourselves. Expect for my mom, she really works the hard to make sure that I have the best opportunities, and after reading about Bolivian culture, it made me a lot more grateful for her. People in Bolivia work hard for what they have and in that process they are satisfied with the lives they live. I want to integrate more gratitude in my life, because I have so much to be grateful for.
There were definitely some moments throughout this unit where I felt guilty. Guilty for all of the times I’ve complained or been selfish over what I have or don’t have. It’s easy for me to forget that I live a very blessed and privileged life, and that there are so many people who are struggling worse than me but at the same time are happier than me. Reading about countries like Bolivia made me remember that satisfaction doesn’t come from materialistic things, and that I can thank these people for a lot of the things my country has. Whether it’s agriculture or another resource, my country has taken a lot from Latin American countries. I have to keep that in mind when walking around on the land I call home.