photos!

I have finally been able to upload some photos, so enjoy!

AGEE 2009-2011

my "office"
I'll eventually be borrowing a bookshelf from the school, I just haven't grabbed it yet.

kitchen
I spend a lot of time in here

my living room
it's huge, and I have just a hammock

the bedroom
bed is right next to me as I'm taking the photo
the bathroom
it's really big, and clean. I swear!
back yard
notice the hammock, pila (water trough/washing area), sitting area and totaled car. The car is not mine...

Monkey!
kind of a bad photo, but she's a cutie

good afternoon, class

I did it! I survived my first week of classes. I was not eaten alive, I was not sent home crying at the end of the day and I even had some little successes in this first week!

So as you might already know I was roped in to being the "substitute" English teacher. The one they had last year found another job. Supposedly the school has another teacher lined up, and they just need me to fill in for a little bit. But that's why I put "substitute" in quotes. I have a feeling this could easily be a many month position. We'll see.

I'm the English teacher for the afternoon crowd. The morning English teacher is still at the school. He has been helping me get my materials together and otherwise get me "orientated" to the whole teaching thang. (They forget that I'm not a teaching professional. I'm a college grad with a degree in Political Economy. Which means I need help! Sure I know English, but anyone who has ever been in a classroom knows that's often not enough!)

So I get to work with the 6th - 9th graders. The 6th graders are young enough that they are pretty much willing to learn anything. The 7th graders have the biggest 'tudes of all the grades, but they are still a high energy group which is good. I want lots of participation and they love competition, so I'm going to use that to my advantage. The 8th graders are great. It's a huge group, 42 students I think, but they are all well behaved, which is amazing! They are also pretty listo (literally "ready" but in this sense also "intelligent", or "quick"). The 9th graders will be an interesting group to work with. School here ends at 9th grade, and you can continue on to Bachillerato if you want. (Bachillerato is either a 2 or 3 year education track, depending on what you choose to concentrate. It's kind of like a vo-tech high school. You can specialize in Auto Mechanics, Nursing, Tourism, Accounting, Business or Generalized studies. If your family has money, after Bachillerato you can go on to a University.) So some of the 9th graders are already in "senioritis" mode while others are ready to get down to business to prepare for Bachillerato. Some are serious about studying English and some just want to make googly eyes at their boyfriend. But what can ya do?

I began all the classes with review - numbers 1-100, days of the week, months of the year, classroom vocab etc. Most of them just began English studies last year, so they are more or less on the same page. At the end of the first class I asked all the students to write an anonymous comment, suggestion, question etc. on a piece of paper and turn it in. I remember in health class our teacher had us do this so we could ask the questions that we've always wanted to, without having to be embarrased about asking them. I figured that some students will probably never want to come talk to me face to face, or at least for a couple weeks, but I wanted to get their feedback sooner than later. And boy did I get some priceless responses.

Quiero saber como se dice - quiero salir al recreo I want to know how you say - I want to leave for recess.

Porque el ingles se escribe de una forma y se pronuncia de otra forma? Why is English written in one way but pronunced another? (That, my friend, is the million dollar question!)

No me qusta que me pregunte nada en Ingles, OK?! I don't like you to ask me anything in English, OK?! (Ouch! Well, sorry buddy but this is English class, so I will in fact be asking you questions in English, OK?!)

me caes muy bien, tienes hijos? I like you, do you have children? (When I shared this one with my host grandma, she thought I read it as quieres hijos? - do you WANT children? oh boy!)

Como se dice hamburgesas en Ingles? How do you say hamburgers in English? (I received a bunch of "how do you say" some of the other ones conejo - rabbit, pachanga - big party, tortuga - turtle, Pedro - Peter(?), Victor Fabian Rivera Perla - I have no idea!

Me gusta como usted ensena. I like the way you teach. (awww!)

Usted es una buena maestra. You are a good teacher. (Thanks guys and I haven't even given you homework yet!)

Porque es chelita? Why are you white? (I want to respond with, "ask your mother", but I don't think that really translates...)

Quiero saber porque los americanos hablan tambien el Ingles. I want to know why Americans also speak English. (Not entirely sure how to respond to that...I mean, some Americans only speak English, others speak what can only loosely be considered English, and some speak a downright encyclopedia of languages.)

So all in all I think classes are going well. It's definitely helping me get an "in" with the students which I hope will help me when I start doing my real job of Environmental Education and other projects.

As I leave the school at the end of the day, some of the students call to me, in English, "Goodbye teacher!" I really want to yell back, "goodbye, student!" But then that would suggest that if they were to start using my name, I would have to use theirs too, which is a hopeless task if I ever was given one! But at least they put a smile on my face as I walk home.

would you like to buy this beanie with scripture on it?

Happy New Year! I just got back from Molineros, where I celebrated the New Year with my first host family. The 1st and 2nd of January are also the Fiestas Patronales in Molineros, so New Years is a bigger deal there. I headed out from my site on the morning of the 31st to make it there in time for the evening’s festivities. Bus transportation in this country is always an experience, but not always the simplest, or most direct. Long story short – I can normally make it from my site to Molineros on two buses, but this time I ended up having to take 4.

The bus riding experience here can’t really be compared to anything in the States. Each bus has a driver and a cobrador. The cobradors lean out the front window yelling to people on the side of the road where the bus is going and convincing them, verbally, physically (if he shoves you on his bus, you have to pay right?!) and loudly to get on this bus and not the other one. The cobrador also helps old ladies, or pretty ladies, get on and off the bus, helps with big bags and children and is otherwise helpful. He also walks up and down the aisles collection bus fares. (I say he because every single cobrador, except for one, I have ever had in this country has been a man. I think it’s too dangerous for women.)

So those are the two main characters that come with which ever bus you take. But by no means are those the only characters. At each of the bigger desvio (junction) stops, vendedores (wandering vendors) get on and hawk their wares. So far in this country I have been offered – jicama, tortillas, strawberries, ice cream, hair clips, Gatorade, pistachios, flashlights, candied peanuts, power cords, dried coconut, a full chicken dinner, French fries, a dozen apples, the word of God on cards, posters, CDs, DVDs, books, coloring books, placards, tapestries, bracelets and book marks. I have been told of the benefits of eye drops, foot creams, cleansing teas, weight loss pills and memory enhancers. My future children might benefit from this collection of anatomy, language, geography, mathematics, grammar or history text books. It’s absolutely astounding the variety of things you can buy on a bus. It kind of defeats the purpose of taking the bus to go shopping. Stay on it long enough, and you might just be able to purchase everything you need without leaving your seat!

But I digress. So I made it to Molineros and was immediately thrown into the festivities. We went off to visit Conchita's aunt and then came back to a house full of people ready to make bread. So we made bread until it got dark, then went back to the aunt’s house and chatted more. We got back to the house at about 11:30 and from there the fireworks really got going. They had been going off all day, but as midnight approaches, more and more begin going off. I lit a couple but mostly let the children risk losing a limb…

The next day, the 1st, family and friends from San Sal showed up in droves and by noon the house was absolutely full of people. The day was spent chatting, making tamales, being serenaded by a wandering band and watching the mini-parade. In the evening was the mass to celebrate their Patron Saint, Dulce nombre de Jesus (the sweet name of Jesus). After the mass was the lighting of the fireworks that covered the tower that bared the image of the Patron Saint. After the fireworks was a dance. I ended up going and dancing until about 2:30 am.

The next day, the 2nd, I spent the morning just enjoying my time in Molineros before heading back to my site. Conchita made fresh bread and pulled it out of the oven, wrapped it up and put it in my backpack right as I was running to catch the bus. I also had tamales, so the whole way back to my site, I think I might have slightly bugged my bus companions with the smells coming from my bag. But hey, at least they were good smells and when I got back to my site, the bread was still warm!