A comfortable air of fun and friendship prevailed in the Journalism Room Friday, Jan. 20 as the Bear Facts staff hosted and interviewed the 12 visiting students from partner school Collegio Santa Ursula in Lima, Peru.

The girls ranging in age from 14-16, are staying with host Ursuline families during their three week  visit  where they are attending classes, doing a service project, sightseeing around  the metroplex, and generally just being introduced to Ursuline Dallas.

While Bear Facts reporters interviewed each girl individually, a group interview preceded this.  Immediately the visitors described their school day in Lima, which runs from 7:40 a.m.-2:55 p.m.  as being very different.  “We don’t have time for electives like this journalism class,” several responded.  Stating that they had eight- 45 minute-classes a day with two breaks, the Peruvians also lamented the fact that they could not carry or use laptops.

As many of our visitors have told us, a highlight of visiting Dallas is the shopping.  Stories  of visits with their host families to NorthPark Mall dotted the interview.   A love of shopping was definitely a similarity.   A  big difference between the cultures they cited , however, was the way Peruvians and Texans eat.

“Our big meal is at noon, and we just have a sandwich or something like that for our evening meal,” Camila R. said.

Shared with their American counterparts is a devotion to Facebook and other forms of social media.  The girls also spoke of learning German, the primary world language at their school because the school was founded by Ursulines from Germany.

“Interviewing the group was fun,” said Cecilia L.‘12, on line editor for the Bear Facts.  “We are getting right to work on an online segment which features some fun facts about each of our guests.”  These facts and a few pictures should be posted the first part of next week.