Was that a horse?

I wanted to increase my time with students and working on their English.

The teachers I am working with are great to work with, but I don´t feel like I am doing enough. Because students wanted to learn Ultimate frisbee and the only time to really do this is after school and because after school my teachers have planned for me to have English conversation classes, I got to thinking...hey, why don´t I have an English table at lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays, then I can open up my evenings on Tuesday and Thursday for Ultimate Frisbee. They liked the idea, so we started the english table yesterday.

First, let me say this, students start school at 8:15 here and their last class is over at 5:30. Some take a 30 minute (or longer) bus ride to school everyday. Every class period is 45 minutes. Two classes are back to back, then they have a 15 minute break. There are two morning breaks and then an hour for lunch and one afternoon break. So, their days are long. SO, it is absolutely encouraging for me to see that I can still get a group of students to stay after school to work on English. At the same time, it is also why it is hard to plan extra curricular activities after school, because some days students have to go home, so there may only be a handful of students....but, I am only just getting started...so I will figure out something.

So, we had our first lunch yesterday. The students had told m the lunch was bad. But, it is a free lunch for them, so can you really complain? It was beans with spaghetti noodles, some jello, and a piece of bread....no beverages, you have to buy those on your own. Come to think of it...I don´t think we have drinking fountains.

Anyway, they ask me, Do you like the lunch Jami? Quite honestly, I did think it was good, so I said yes, I do. They all say, Argh, really? We talked some in English and some in Spanish, as these kids want to help me with my Spanish. I tell them, this is your time to learn English, I will worry about my Spanish somewhere else...they don´t agree with that, so I let them help me.

Anyway, I had walked to school in the morning and then I had walked to el centro just to get out of school. This week, up until today, has been a gorgeous week. I had on all my layers and was just sweating. I hardly wore my jacket. It was so nice. But, all the walking and small lunch (when I am used to a big lunch) had me dragging by the end of the day, so by the time the end of the day hit and the one English teacher asked me if I wanted a ride...I jumped on it. yes! I will take a ride. He gave a couple of other students a ride home too. I could feel myself dazing....all of the sudden I could see something running across the street...I am thinking...what the hell was that? Here it was a horse! It must have gotten loose from somewhere. It dodn´t look like any owner was in sight...I just said, wow, now there is something you don´t see everyday! ha!

I got home and ate two paltas (avocados) on bread. It is very common to smash up una palta sprinkle it with salt and add a bit of oil (does that equal guacamole?). But, then just spread it on bread. It is yummy! But, seeing how I have been eating it for the past couple of few days, I worry my system might revolt... :)