‘by Shane McCune _ challenging. ‘EiSaiv dior - - Hor rth Van exchange: students: 7 Patricia ‘intends to study languages in university, with the eventual aim of becoming - a translator. Anna plans: to attend university, too: Patricia, 15 and Anna, 14, ‘are.Grade 11 students in'a ' private school in -San Sal- .-vador, capital of El Salvador. “While they. were ‘in “North Vancouver. Handsworth they © attended Secondary, 7 taking Grade 9 courses. -« Both girls would be upset, . . to say the least, if anyone got ‘the: .impression that © they . were unhappy or disappoin- ted with our country. On the - contrary, they enjoyed them- Selves immensely. “Vancouver is great, just fantastic!’’ Patricia told. the © Noixth. Shore News. in -an 2: . interview with the students Patricia: “To make a good living, you have to be a Professional.” éHigh school in Canada is . @Women here. have: a relatively easy life, especially when it comes to finding work. . eCanadian boys are a bit ‘immature—and_not in the. least romantic. ; Those cre a few criticisms of Canada—or,. more exactly,. } of ‘North | Vancouver—from | - Patricia Portillo. and Anna~ : Servent, two exchange stu- ‘dents from South America who . recently completed. .a 10-week ‘visit to the North . Shore. ‘The big difference is that. down there we go to 2 private school—all the schools are private schools, for boys or girls,’’ said Patricia. ‘‘But all our classes are held in the same room...it’s so boring.” “] like my school, Es) be quiet,’’ Anna cut in. In San Salvador, the school hours are from 7 a.m. to - noon, and English is: the most important subject. “We have many tourists and many people in business who speak English,’’ Patricia © explained. ‘‘It’s important to all of South America, not just El Salvador.”’ t ‘al e ’ oe , oa : nv na fe “ ie pial | { on: 1 RE shortly ‘before their depart- ure. Anna agreed, -specif- ‘ically mentioning those tour- ist favorites, Stanley Park -and Gastown..:’ Both ‘girls are intelligent ‘and articulate: -in English, and they were very candid ‘about their opinions. At the “same time; of course, they were skilled diplomats. Nevertheless, when press- -ed, they drew the inevitable- - contrasts. between their’ ‘host... and home countries.- Anna: “Men still serenading under the win- dows.”’ “But 1 don’t know what. to study,’’ she: I'm going ! 3 admits. ‘‘I'd like to be many things, like a ‘doctor or an . astronomer.’’ Their preoccupation ‘with | - academic c careers is not at all unusual, ° : “Our country ‘is Patricla Poriiilo and ‘Anna Servent, oxthainge e studenis from El Salvador, Hollow their 10-week visit’ to’! orth Vancouver. ms . \t ‘teh ee ay tes dents take school good living, you have to be a professional.’ Finding work is especially . difficult: for women, said Anna. , “On one hand, the men_ consider women - very:..ah, 1 _ very” seriously, because to make a poorer students geia sub- sidy,’’ Patricia said. The children of profess- ionals, Patricia and Anna are -upper middle class girls, but their awareness'of those less fortunate surpasses that of _ most Canadian middle. class students. **But at our school, the page 7. > dammary 21,1 1976 - ‘‘For me, it’s s not any different—a ‘person is a person,’’ said Patricia. ‘‘I know the poverty is there, ‘but how can I change the whole of San Salvador?’’ “Anna and Patricia came to North Vancouver under the aegis of Intercambio, a tion tounded by an American priest 12 years ago. . The Vancouver area jeined the " program just last year, and is currently accepting applica- tions for mext . summer’s excahnge program. Appli- cants need not be Catholic, - ‘and my contact the program” through Dorothy Kangus at ‘come poor,” said. Patricia, “Stu. 4 ‘. a7 Seg rn 4 ae Catholic volunteer organiza-— -980-3538. important.’” said Patricia.’ “But on the other hand ° they’re ‘not ‘used to the idea a of. women working.”’ Not that either Patricia or. Anna. are: complaining: about.” the ~“‘macho’’ ‘attitudes. of Latin men-—by. comparison, : they find the ‘local males _ ol - mite uncouth... “We have so many cus-- toms in-dating that are so nice,’” said Anna. ‘‘Men still come serenading under the. window.’’ The guys at Handsworth, it seems, are somewhat.... well, immature. Nothing personal, you understand. “A girl is more mature — than boys,’’ stated Patricia - flatly. Evidently this holds - true for Latin as well as North American teenagers, hecanse Patricia: and: Anna are accustomed’ to the - company of men aged 19 and’ It is understandable that » young people mature. faster. -in' El Sajvador—on the. | ‘whole, the have a rougher — time of it than Canadians. | Although El Salvador is more’ . politically: stable. than other ~ South American natioins and “has” a growing: ‘middle ‘class, * the: average: worker is still “very. poor. by Canadian standards. oe . from $266 several: fabrics lA bus’ dtiver, for example, might: make $100 a month, says Patricia. As with most, other countries, jobs - ‘are scarce, and scarcer. still: for’ . students—and ‘schooling . in | EI Salvador is not publicly ' funded to the extent that it is here. MA Horo's. a solution to the acute shortage. of J accomodation where and. when you want it in ‘Hawailj. 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