Blanchard's Blog: Espanolandia At BYU

So every few years BYU puts on something that is called Espanolandia and all the 4th – 6th graders in Spanish immersion schools or dual language schools from around the county are invited to participate. This year Orchard got to go and I was one of their chaperones. Tristan was so excited and had been practicing her three things she had to recite in Spanish for weeks. She was ready but nervous.

One thing she was really sad about was that not one of her friends, and there are many, was in our group. We had Sarah who is not well liked at the school and acts very strangely. Of course Tristan being the sweet girl that she is, tried so hard for the first part of it to do what Sarah wanted and be nice to her but by the middle of the day she was really kind of annoyed by her. I felt so bad but they finally worked it out and Sarah just kind of wondered off on her own and Tristan was my little buddy. She lit up anytime she saw one of her other friends. I do have to admit that by the end of the day I was kind of annoyed by Sarah too :(

After we all met together in the morning we were to go upstairs to where you actually entered Espanolandia. As all 20 schools were trying to leave the auditorium I noticed some stairs that no one was using. I took our group up those stairs and we beat almost everyone. We were one of the first ones to go in yay!! Everyone else waited about 20 – 30 minutes or longer to get in.

This was like the ticket agent who made sure they had all their documentation in order and if they did they got a wristband.

Then you had to go through customs as if you were entering a new country. The kids had made and decorated their own passports at school.

You took your American dollars and exchanged them for Espanolandia money at the bank before entering. Tristan was just so cute and adorable. And of course everything is done in SPANISH!

This whole place is full of stores and activities to do. Here she went to the doctor to get some medicine.

She gets some pills to take for her illness that look a lot like hot tamales.

She bought a sombrero and other little things.

She found this super cool sketch artist.

Love it!!!

This was one of her competitions…she did so amazing!! She had two “superiores” and one “excelente”

Orchard took the top prize…they were by far the best school there- I know it is because they were the only school there that is a full immersion school. I have no idea why the state continues to push for dual immersion when full works so so well?!?!?

I sent her up to get the trophy but she was too shy to take it so she just ran back to me until everyone else started going up. It would have been awesome if she had received it for her school.