We arrived at the school at 9:00am sharp and I quickly became accustomed to the Peruvian way of meeting someone which is to give a small hug and a kiss on the cheek. The kids also do this when they are leaving the school, which is very endearing.
Today was a bit of an odd day because a lot of the older kids were not there due to a teachers' strike and one of the local high schools are having anniversary celebrations. So this morning I improvised with a drawing game ("Mr Squiggle"). This turned out to be a great way to weave in some English because we discussed what each item we drew was called in Spanish and English. Using a deck of cards we also played a slight variation of "snap" which involved practicing which numbers made up 10, 8, 11, 12 etc.
After the morning shift which runs from 9-12, Madie kindly showed me a few extra places that I needed to know like where the ATM was, where I could do photocopying and get a sim card..... On our way Madie bought some sugar cane off a (for want of a better word) wagon and gave me some to try. At first I thought you just sucked it and it didn't seem all that flavorsome but then when I was told you chew it then spit it out it tasted really good.
We had to make a slight detour on our way home because there was a workers' protest that walked down our street. Apparently these protests occur often and best to steer clear as they can sometimes turn nasty.
In the afternoon we went back to school where I met a lot more of the younger kids at Seeds. After a quick round of cards it was time to head to the pool. Some of the kids can swim but a lot can't swim very well so it's really important that they get a chance to improve their skills in the water. With my limited Spanish I was trying (trying being the operative word) to teach the kids to practice kicking and blowing under water. Whilst it got a little loco the kids were having so much fun. I kept hearing them say "Professora, professora", meaning teacher. They'd call out wanting me to give them a piggy back and hold their hand whilst they practiced their swimming technique. I had a lot of laughs but I think all those piggy back rides took it's toll on the old back, so better rest it up for a while.
After school we had a volunteers meeting then it was off to a local restaurant where I tried some cow's heart. It tasted okay but the idea of eating an animal's heart wasn't that appetising. We shared a jug of chino which I really liked, apparently it's a Peruvian favorite.
I seriously need to learn spanish "rapido". I listen to Madie the international volunteer coordinator speak who is fluent in Spanish and has been learning all throughout high school and I realise how much I have to learn. The kids speak hardly any English come to think of it there are not many people I have met in Huaraz who can speak much English, which is good in a way because it forces me to learn fast. I have a tutor booked every night next week for only 16 soles an hr. That's around 6 Australian $ an hr and $42 a week. Muy barrato (very cheap), considering I was being paid a similar amount for one tutoring session back home.
Tomorrow I'm looking forward to a big fat sleep and more adventures to come.
Buenas noches
No comments:
Post a Comment