Post-work questions.

1. What connections do you see between any of the sources we used this weekend and your experience on one of the trips outside the classroom? I think everything I saw in the classroom, videos, papers, pictures, documentaries, were really similar to what I experienced outside during the tour and services. It was really nice to learn all the theory before going outside and see that it was very equal to what the sources showed us. And on the bus tour was the most interesting thing cause besides of seeing the farms, houses, school, we could learn more from the driver that spoke about the Amish the whole tour. So it was really cool seeing everything we learned and discussed inside being the same outside. 
2. What did you expect this course to be like?  How was the reality similar to or different from your expectations? I think my expectations were pretty similar to what it was, the tour was something that really surprised me cause it was really cool to see their farms and the house, barn, the animals, school and get into the buggy and see how it is inside was really interesting. So I was expecting almost everything that I had thought about it before the classes. 
3. How have your opinions or thoughts about the Amish in Lancaster changed? My thoughts about them changed a lot cause I thought they were more restrict but I realized that they are really good people, very helpful and thankful for everything they have and happen to them. So seeing how they live and having this experience were things that really changed my thoughts abou them, and it was definitely something that it will change my way to see things in my life. 
4. How did you benefit from this experience? I think seeing them living with so little is something really unique and definitely I’ll think more about what I have and maybe stop complain about little things cause sometimes we complain about things that doesn’t make sense, we have so many privileges that sometimes we don’t realize all the things around us and how different from us some people live. 
5. What is one thing you would change about your experience this weekend, if you could?  I would change the time for the homework cause we spend the whole day ou half day in the university or tour that we just want to get home and rest, so I would change the homework for the end of the classes so we could do it with energy and really paying attention to it, I think if we do right after the class we don’t give our best cause we just want to finish it soon and go to bed. 
6. What advice do you have for future participants in this course? For the future participants I would say to rest a lot, drink a lot of water, even if you are tired try to pay attention cause it’s a really unique experience, you can think it will be boring learning about others people culture but it is the opposite. Learning about other cultures add so much for our knowledge that sometimes we don’t realize how amazing it is to do it. 
7. When you return to your normal daily life here or talk with friends and family at home, what will you say when others ask you who the Amish are? I’ll say that Amish people are so different from what I thought they were. They are really kind people, that live with so much less things that we do and they are so happy, of corse nothing is perfect for anybody, but nowadays it’s so hard to have a connection with people cause of all the technology sometimes we don’t pay much attention in the person on our side. So when someone ask me about Them I’ll tell that Amish are really simple, thankful, humble and so kind people.

Saturday's reflection questions

1. Which moment from today do you think you will particularly remember?  Why? The tour was really interesting and I’ll remember, cause it was really cool to see what we were just talking and seeing in videos about the Amish people and culture. We saw their houses, clothes, farms, how big the community and all the things that evolves them 
2. What sounds, smells, or sights come to mind when you think of today's trips? The sound of the horse walking, the smell of wood and the houses and farms come to my mind when I think about today. 
3. What surprised you about today's experiences? Why? I think seeing how they live with so little things and how they don’t care about money. How they help theirselves as a community no matter what, are things that really surprised me cause I would never imagine that this is how they live and they don’t mind not having all the things we do to be happy and live in a community. 
4. When did you feel most comfortable?  When did you feel most uncomfortable? I felt comfortable the whole time, I don’t think that was anytime that I felt uncomfortable, it’s really nice to know more about their culture and lifestyle. It’s definitely really different from what I thought and really great to know more. 
5. What do you imagine tomorrow's Amish Mennonite church service will be like?  I imagine that will be something really different from what I’ve seen so far. I’m not a religious person but I think it’s really interesting to see and learn how their services and how they beliefs are. How they pray and what they do during the services will be something really interesting and I’m looking forward for it.

Friday's homework assignment 

1. What did you learn today that surprised you? Today I learned a lot of interesting things but the one that was really surprising to me was that when they are certain age they can live outside the Amish culture to see if they want to live as an Amish or not and if they do choose to live outside the community they can't have any contact with no one from they live as an Amish. 
2. Which source of information did you find most interesting?  Why? It was the part of the book that we received. Cause we had to read some parts and choose the most important parts to share with all the group. And doing this we could pay more attention to their culture and interact more between all of us. 
3. What do you hope to learn on tomorrow's trips? I hope to learn more about how is their lifestyle, see how things really work, try their food and maybe try to understand more their way to live and how they thing. I think it will be really good to see closer how everything is. 

1. What is something that surprised you about the descriptions of Amish beliefs and lifestyle descriptions in Source 1?
Mostly all of it surprised me cause I didn't know a lot of things about them, just what people from here already told me. But I thought that they couldn't choose if they want to have this lifestyle or not, and I was surprised by the fact that after 16 they can experience life outside the community for a few years to decide whether they wish to become full baptized members of the community.

What is something you would like to know more about?
I would like to know more about how they know and what they do when a person is sick, how do they discover what the person has and how do they know what to do.

2.What is something that you learned about downtown Lancaster from Source 2?
Lancaster is a very cultural city that has space for everybody, museums, music, sports, bars, parks, restaurants and much more. And that also very interesting that is considered to be America's oldest inland city! It's a really nice city and you can find a lot of things to do here.

3.Which place shown in the Lancaster video was most interesting to you? Why?
For me the most interesting places were all the different types of restaurants. Cause I love trying new kinds of food and  here you can find whatever you are in the mood to eat each day.

4.How does downtown Lancaster seem similar to or different from the town you are currently living in?  Your hometown?
I live in Lancaster so I can't really answer the first question but from my hometown is really different because here is smaller than there and there are more options of things to do in my hometown, but it doesn't mean that Lancaster is not a good place to live cause I am here sine June/2018 and so far is being a really amazing experience. So it doesn't really matter the size of the city, what really matters is if you are having a great time where you live.

5.What is your reaction to the article about Amish romance novels and TV shows (Sources 3a and b)?  How do you think you might react if you were an Amish person? How do you think you might react if romance novels or TV shows were being written about your home community by outsiders?
I thought a little weird that there are romance novels and tv shows about them because in my opinion the seem to be very reserved people, and the way that they showed in the novels and tv shows it is probably not the way that really is. I think that if the novel or tv show show things different that the way it really is I would be really upset cause people would see things that are not true about it. If someone from outside wanted to begin writing about my home community, this person must live the way my home community lives cause only this way this person will really see and experience about the lifestyle and be able to write the whole truth about it.

6.Have you ever used Uber? How does that shape your impression of Source 3c? Do you think you would take an Amish Uber if you had the chance?
Yes I did! I think it's a really good idea cause it's a really different thing to do and while you ride with the Amish Uber you can know and understand more about them and if I had a chance I would definitively take a ride with them.

7.Have you ever participated in a race? How do you think running in non-traditional running clothes might affect your experience (based on Source 3d)?
No, I've never participated in a race and I think running in non-traditional running clothes might be a little unconformable in the beginning but after you get used to it it won't affect the experience.

8.Why do you think the Amish community requires its members to dress alike and in those styles?
Because they live the same way for many and many years so they are keeping the tradition about their culture so they use the same kind of clothes and style.

9.Have you ever had to wear a uniform? Did you like or dislike wearing the uniform? How did that experience affect you?
Yes, I had to wear a uniform at school and on my previous job. I didn't mind that much using uniform, it was actually good to not use regular clothes every day.

10. What is one question about the Amish or Lancaster that you are excited to find out more about?
I'm excited to know more about their lifestyle and how they do things at home without the same tools that we are used to.

This is Laura!

Hello!!

My name is Laura, I'm an aupair in the USA and I'm gonna make a weekend class about amish people so this blog is to share things that will involve this.
To start I'm gonna tell about the meaning of my name. My mom gave me this name based on the bible and it means "Bay laurel", "victorious", "triumphant". In antiquity, the laurel tree symbolized victory and immortality and for the ancient Romans meant glory. In Greece, it was offered to the God Apollo and its leaves were elaborated crowns, used as prize given to the winners in the Olympics of Antiquity and, also, to heroes, geniuses and wise people.

I came to the USA in June 2018 and one of the things that surprised me about living here is how different it is from my culture and how it was easy for me to adapt to it, of course it took me a couple of months to get used to it but after I got it, it was really easy to understand and adapt to the life style. Things here are cheaper than in my country, not everything of course, but most of the things are. Other thing that surprised me was the Amish people and culture because before I came here I didn't even know that they exist! So it's really interesting to me to know more about their culture and how they do the things without many tools that we have nowadays and after these classes I know that my conception about them will change because I will have all the answers for my questions and curiosities like how do they work or live without electricity. So I'm really excited to do it. To finish this post I have three words to describe how I fell about the Amish culture: curiosity, learning and intrigued.

See u soon on the next post.