Viva Mexico (and CADC)!!

Today we started what will be the final leg of our journey this summer and arrived in Mexico, the land that gave us chocolate, tomatoes, vanilla, and jalapenos. Of course, it gave us many more wonders as well, but we've got food on the brain thanks to the yummy odors wafting our way from the kitchen! In Cooking today, campers are making churros, which are known as Spanish doughnuts. In many Spanish cultures, churros are often fried and dipped in brown sugar and served warm at vendors on street corners. Snack can't come soon enough! Fortunately, while we wait, there's plenty of other ventures to keep us busy! In Movement, campers are involved with one of two activities: a Mesoamerican ball game or simulated bull fighting. The Mesoamerican ball game has been played since 1000 B.C.E. by people living in Mexico and Central America; though there are no written rules, many believe it was a game similar to racquetball, in which the object of the game is to keep the ball (which could weigh up to nine pounds) in play. The courts were long and narrow with round hoop coming out from the wall for scoring. Our younger campers are learning about the traditional art of bullfighting. In society today, bullfighting still happens with professional toreros (someone who participates in bullfighting). Toreros still train and learn formal moves, and they perform at arenas that can hold up to 48,000 people. In Studio Art, campers are involved with creating yarn paintings. These native Mexican paintings are made from colorful yarn; bright, bold, and joyful, they originally functioned as aids to spiritual leaders. Yarn paintings evolved over time form earlier religious offerings made of stone slabs, which were called Nierikas. Finally, today in Performance campers are comparing and contrasting English, Spanish, Mayan dialects, and Nahuatl (language of the Aztec people) by playing the classic game of charades (with a Mayan/Aztec twist)!

The campers will have a 3-day tour of Mexico before their adventures wrap up with a field trip to the beach and the end-of-season World Fair and Exhibition. Please join us on Friday, starting at 12:45pm, as we celebrate our summer season and the wonderful journey we've had!