Well, I am so happy here in Cajamarca because I am now very very busy, actually maybe I would have a nervous breakdown but I dont have time for that. Also I calm in my storm.
This month I began working with a group of bright students from a local high school who are planning on taking an English exam called PET at the end of next month. They need to be prepared well in speaking and writing, so I got called in! It means I have to get up at 6:15 to be at the school at 7:30 because it is outside the city in a field where there are cows. I love being there because it is so peaceful, I love to get out of the city and all the noise! The problem is a main road has been closed for repairs and the cars are being directed in front of our apartment so that is just wonderful. In the picture you can see me in ICPNA
I am doing well at university. I am going to dance a lyrical solo in their talent night representing the faculty of psychology so I am excited about that and happy to be dancing again! I am SO out of shape though! I actually didnt realise it was that bad! I have lost weight since I arrived here though, so that is positive.
Today in the morning I was invited to judge a spelling bee in English at a local high school, that was pretty neat! They gave me a lovely gift to say thanks which is a board game of ludo made of wood and all the counters are little carved glass animals. It is neat. I just got back from judging Project Citizen, which is a program where locals have to identify a problem and come up with solutions and an action plan for it, and they write a book too- all in English. It is a LOT of work for them, and although their English is so-so the ideas were cohesive so that was ok.
On Tuesday one of my classes went to do our volunteer work. We gave a workshop about Self-Esteem to ¨children of few resources¨ as they are called in Spanish. It was interesting and as I am so nosy I loved seeing what their school was like., but the school was normal, there are places much poorer here. The school my group has chosen is way poorer, all the children are street workers (selling food, cleaning shoes etc.) and the oldest is 14 because by that age most of these children will have a family and have dropped out. The school is awesome because the director is AMAZING and all the teachers are volunteers, the state doesnt help them AT ALL so the spirit there is awesome, everybody wants to be there and the principal has total control- even with his no punishment rule. The kids all want to be there. I have to say- they may not be bright when it comes to school work, but I havent been to any private schools here with that kind of discipline and such a great environment. Nobody fails, they just go to learn, nobody expects them to finish high school but if they want to stay they are welcome. It is like their second home. They are SUPER polite too, sweet sweet sweet. I much prefer them to certain other very spoiled students who I know belonging to schools of high prestige and high tuition as well. I guess you know a really poor school because the students dont have a uniform. When we went to do our workshop the other day all the students had uniform, so while they are not rich maybe they arent so bad off- one child even whipped out his camera phone to take a picture. I think we should take the opportunity to go to really really poor schools, so I am excited to spend the next month helping out at CEGECEM with the sweet streetworking children.
I have a sore throat, ugh
This morning I cracked an egg--- on the floor, and since we dont have paper towel I tried to clean it up with a plastic bag which actually doesn´t work by the way. HOUSEHOLD TIP #1- put dry powdered laundry detergent on top of egg. The detergent will dry it up and later you can clean it up. WALA! Bet your glad you decided to read my blog today!
Cesar and I saw this great movie called 8 minutes before death or something like that with Jake Gyllenhal or somebody like that and it was so thought-proking, we were nerd chatting about space-time continuems and the future for ages afterwards.
My classes this month at ICPNA have been full of the usual things, poor Cesar gets to hear me rave like a lunatic when I´m happy and rant like a madhorse when I´m not. He´s great :)
My hands are getting better thanks to TRIMICOT, a cream recommended in the pharmacy which appears to make my wounds disappear, how wonderful!
César and I hope hoping to travel on Sunday, somewhere. Wesley and Adriana are going to have their baby any time now!
Catch up with ya later! Hang in there all you BUers suffering from the strike! I´m sure you´ll be back to class soon, or I hope, for you! ;)
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