Hi blog-followers...I have been meaning to blog recently, really. Its just that I've been BUSY. But it's been a good, rewarding type of busy, which I will describe in detail, in the form of TOP 10 THINGS ABOUT THE NEW YEAR SO FAR*:
10. In Ecuador, people make muñecos for the Año Nuevo. These are like scarecrows, but they're made to look like people the maker doesn't like (lots of policemen, presidents, etc) Then, at midnight, they burn these muñecos. This may sound a little offensive, burning a life-size doll of a president with explosives in the head...but they also make signs of things that worry them, or that they don't like about themselves. And they burn those as well. It symbolizes getting rid of the bad parts of the old year. And I have missed bonfires.
9. I'm pretty sure the Bus Driver Who Hates Us has decided his New Year's Resolution is to be nice to the Gringitas. Also, I learned his name, which is Chávez. And no, the irony of a dictatorial, you-will-now-be-dropped-off-HERE bus driver named Chávez did not escape me. But anyways, he says hello to us in the mornings, and doesn't randomly come 10 minutes early anymore. So far.
8. The first email I got on the first was from skype saying I got free credit. And it wasn't just a scam, I actually got free credit. Can you say, good omen?
7. I would say there's about a 38% increase in the attention span of my colegio class. And all except one of them improved on the test retake. And today, a few of my students who never pay attention actually asked a question!
6. Wladimir, and Rosita, and Mauro are back! Which means we have lots of company, and friends, and come home after school to a ready-and-waiting lunch!
5. PEOPLE ARE COMING TO VISIT ME IN 2011!!!! I am speaking of EMILY, and ELIKA, and my sister CORI! And so I am getting very excited. Well, I already was very excited, I'm just getting more and more and more and more and more excited now!
4. Maryam got a ukulele--a really nice one too--from her parents. Can you say, ukulele duos?
3. José Luis (our neighbor) is back from a long trip to Haifa, and so I get to relish in oohing and ahhing at the brilliance of his family reunited, and also have his brilliant counsel and just...presence. He's such an amazing person and I live right next to a huge wealth of knowledge and deepening to help me when I'm confused or frustrated, or invite me to devotionals, or chat with over dinner! Also, he takes us swimming with his family, which is fun.
2. I figured out thanks to close relatives of Elika that I can check out library books from the online library in Alaska and download them onto my computer! New reading opportunities!
1. The Spanish is getting around to proportions where I can understand people from the coast, like Wlad, and I tune in to conversations around me, which I heretofore tuned out because of the work it would take to try to understand them. Which seriously makes me a very happy camper. And sometimes I'll even talk to Maryam in Spanish because it comes to my mind more easily if I'm thinking, for instance, about talking to someone in Spanish. And sometimes I'll be remembering what I said and can't remember if it was in English or Spanish (I think this is a good thing, but I could just be forgetful).
So thats 2011 for me so far. I hope yours is just as good, or better!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
* And yes, I understand that we're only 12 days in. But honestly, these past 12 days have been almost the best of my time here (despite being sick for 4 of them), hence the happy-list.
12 January 2011
29 December 2010
Kuki, is good.
This post is dedicated to Nabil, and his Kuki Sheip Khead.
This is what we do for fun. Forgive the Persian accent. Its my best attempt.
28 December 2010
Christmas, and other WARM stuff
Vacations are amazing. I just got back from 5 restful days in the coastal region of Ecuador, in Milagro, Guayaquil, and Chongón, to be exact.
We left from Otavalo Wednesday night. The way people travel here is mainly by bus, and they try to take long bus rides in the evenings and arrive in the morning, where they usually continue with only a bit of a nap (or no nap) to catch up on sleep. I'm still getting used to this type of travel, but I can sleep generally pretty well on a bus, so it was no big deal for me. We arrived in Milagro early Thursday morning, and took a cab to Bahieh's lovely third-floor apartment. The cab was a bit of a shock into the accent of the Coastal Ecuadorians--it was like learning Spanish all over again!
It was so fun to see Bahieh again! She was so welcoming to us and introduced us to all her neighbors, including those that lived on the bottom floor and invited us to their traditional 12:00 Christmas Turkey feast! She has a wonderful apartment, with thick, glorious mattresses and a fully-equipped kitchen. I slept beautifully, without the need of sweatshirts and thick blankets, and wore shorts every day, absorbing the sun!
We spent two days in Milagro, traveling a bit but mostly walking around the neighborhood and meeting Bahieh's extremely welcoming and kind neighbors. It reminded me strangely of my Freeport family: when we go to the Lakes for our family reunions, everyone spends their time chatting with their doors open. It was the same here, everyone knows all their neighbors, and invites them in for a soda or fresh papaya. A really excellent way to spend time during the season when everyone is with their families: with a neighborhood that embraces you as their family right away!
Next we traveled to Guayaquil on Christmas day. Christmas here is usually a day where everyone sleeps in: they stay up until three or four in the morning on Christmas Eve, dancing and playing music and lighting fireworks (We didn't partake in this part of Christmas; after the dinner I was OUT until morning) and so they sleep in and have a very restful Christmas. Or in our case, a slow morning to clean up the house, a devotional with the neighbors, and a bus ride to the huge city of Guayaquil. We met up with some dear friends Jim and Susanna, and spent the night at their huge, beautiful home, with air conditioning and hot water and friendly faces that arrived the next morning for a Book 7 refresher, which I didn't attend. Instead, I spent the morning gloriously reading the ample supply of English Literature in that house before meeting up with yet another beautiful friend, Tahereh, who lives in Chongón, a tiny little town about 30 minutes outside of Guayaquil.
Chongón is very quaint, and staying with Tahereh, even for a night, was amazing. We got a few new taste treats such as Choclo (corn) on the cob rolled in mayonnaise and grated cheese (sounds disgusting, but tastes deliciousssss) and passion fruit (We made a new Mystery Fruits video, to be posted soon) and got to visit with Jordan and his sister, who are working with the media project there.
All too soon it was time to go home. The bus ride back was less than enjoyable: we had no air conditioning or heating, so the first half of the bus ride was unbearably hot and sticky, the second half freezing cold. But taking time away really makes coming home feel more like an hogar rather than a casa. Sure, maybe we have thin cochones instead of actual mattresses. But after 10 hours on a bus, they felt swell, and they were all my very own. Well, for this year at least!
So I had a great trip, a little more of Ecuador seen, and most of all, I'm happy to be home!
We left from Otavalo Wednesday night. The way people travel here is mainly by bus, and they try to take long bus rides in the evenings and arrive in the morning, where they usually continue with only a bit of a nap (or no nap) to catch up on sleep. I'm still getting used to this type of travel, but I can sleep generally pretty well on a bus, so it was no big deal for me. We arrived in Milagro early Thursday morning, and took a cab to Bahieh's lovely third-floor apartment. The cab was a bit of a shock into the accent of the Coastal Ecuadorians--it was like learning Spanish all over again!
It was so fun to see Bahieh again! She was so welcoming to us and introduced us to all her neighbors, including those that lived on the bottom floor and invited us to their traditional 12:00 Christmas Turkey feast! She has a wonderful apartment, with thick, glorious mattresses and a fully-equipped kitchen. I slept beautifully, without the need of sweatshirts and thick blankets, and wore shorts every day, absorbing the sun!
We spent two days in Milagro, traveling a bit but mostly walking around the neighborhood and meeting Bahieh's extremely welcoming and kind neighbors. It reminded me strangely of my Freeport family: when we go to the Lakes for our family reunions, everyone spends their time chatting with their doors open. It was the same here, everyone knows all their neighbors, and invites them in for a soda or fresh papaya. A really excellent way to spend time during the season when everyone is with their families: with a neighborhood that embraces you as their family right away!
Next we traveled to Guayaquil on Christmas day. Christmas here is usually a day where everyone sleeps in: they stay up until three or four in the morning on Christmas Eve, dancing and playing music and lighting fireworks (We didn't partake in this part of Christmas; after the dinner I was OUT until morning) and so they sleep in and have a very restful Christmas. Or in our case, a slow morning to clean up the house, a devotional with the neighbors, and a bus ride to the huge city of Guayaquil. We met up with some dear friends Jim and Susanna, and spent the night at their huge, beautiful home, with air conditioning and hot water and friendly faces that arrived the next morning for a Book 7 refresher, which I didn't attend. Instead, I spent the morning gloriously reading the ample supply of English Literature in that house before meeting up with yet another beautiful friend, Tahereh, who lives in Chongón, a tiny little town about 30 minutes outside of Guayaquil.
Chongón is very quaint, and staying with Tahereh, even for a night, was amazing. We got a few new taste treats such as Choclo (corn) on the cob rolled in mayonnaise and grated cheese (sounds disgusting, but tastes deliciousssss) and passion fruit (We made a new Mystery Fruits video, to be posted soon) and got to visit with Jordan and his sister, who are working with the media project there.
All too soon it was time to go home. The bus ride back was less than enjoyable: we had no air conditioning or heating, so the first half of the bus ride was unbearably hot and sticky, the second half freezing cold. But taking time away really makes coming home feel more like an hogar rather than a casa. Sure, maybe we have thin cochones instead of actual mattresses. But after 10 hours on a bus, they felt swell, and they were all my very own. Well, for this year at least!
So I had a great trip, a little more of Ecuador seen, and most of all, I'm happy to be home!
21 December 2010
Sometimes, I miss stuff
The title basically says it all. I'm super happy here, and I'm not super sad to be staying a year without going home. I was prepared to have vacations traveling in South America, not skiing at Hatcher's. But now, everyone's facebook post is "Its so great to be home!".
And so maybe I want to be in Alaska too.
Which sucks, but I'm sure it will pass. I have stuff to look forward too, like spending Christmas in Milagro with Bahieh and Maryam, who are amazing. (And, did I mention Milagro is warmer than Otavalo, which means it is tropical compared to Alaska?) I spent yesterday on a field trip with some of my favorite students, which deserves a whole post to itself. And I got a message from Lewis and Clark, which means they didn't forget me! (and consequently means, hello scholarship applications).
But anyways: Family, I miss you and our christmas tree and the ease of making hot cocoa or chai tea in the microwave. I also miss our coffee maker; this instant powder stuff is just not the same.
Friends: I miss you and going skiing with you and kayak sledding and christmas carols and sitting in front of fireplaces, and candy canes. And I miss the feeling of coming together after a long time apart, which I haven't actually experienced yet, but it sounds amazing. Keep updating your facebooks, I want to live vicariously through you. And group skype, please!
I miss you!
And so maybe I want to be in Alaska too.
Which sucks, but I'm sure it will pass. I have stuff to look forward too, like spending Christmas in Milagro with Bahieh and Maryam, who are amazing. (And, did I mention Milagro is warmer than Otavalo, which means it is tropical compared to Alaska?) I spent yesterday on a field trip with some of my favorite students, which deserves a whole post to itself. And I got a message from Lewis and Clark, which means they didn't forget me! (and consequently means, hello scholarship applications).
But anyways: Family, I miss you and our christmas tree and the ease of making hot cocoa or chai tea in the microwave. I also miss our coffee maker; this instant powder stuff is just not the same.
Friends: I miss you and going skiing with you and kayak sledding and christmas carols and sitting in front of fireplaces, and candy canes. And I miss the feeling of coming together after a long time apart, which I haven't actually experienced yet, but it sounds amazing. Keep updating your facebooks, I want to live vicariously through you. And group skype, please!
I miss you!
19 December 2010
Cheating Hurts
You know how people say "Cheating just hurts yourself"? Well, I think thats true on some level.
And on another level, completely, completely false.
Cheating does not just hurt the person who is cheating. It hurts their classmates who now have to re-take a different test. It hurts the other students in different classes who also have to take a new test based on 5 people who were dishonest. And it really, really hurts the teacher who not only feels like she failed the class but was also betrayed by her students.
This past one was a hard week.
The final I wrote was not hard. I took questions directly from the book. I had multiple choice and fill in the blank, using words that we had all talked about in class. I made sure all the instructions were easily understood and translated them into Spanish if it was beyond their capacity to understand. And so I was incredibly disappointed to find that 7 of my 14 kids recieved below a 50% on their test, one as low as a 15%. If they had even read their book, they would have been able to get at least a 60%. If they had done their homework and studied slightly? 80%. And so the fact that only 4 of my students got an 80% or higher really bugged me. It meant that they didn't have the inspiration or motivation from me as a teacher to do their homework or care enough about learning English to pass a final.
To make matters worse, I found out on Friday that someone from another class had stolen my test, thinking it was his, and then gave it, half filled out, to one of my students, who claims she didn't use it for the test, and yet went to the bathroom for 15 minutes during the test. Not that it did any good; still a failing grade, but really? It was just terrible on so many levels.
I had some talks with some of the teachers in the school, and my dad, and Maryam, which allowed me to put some perspective to the World Suck I was feeling. So I understand that it is not solely my fault, that the same students that fail my class fail pretty much all their other classes as well, and that if they are not willing to put the effort in, I can't make them do anything. But you know, I still feel the world suck.
And, I have to write another exam. Part of me wants to make it crazy hard. But that would be unfair to the large percentage of my class that didn't cheat. And I don't want to give up on my students. Because I'm responsible for their education, right?
So next trimester, after break, there will be some changes in my class. There will be a new test, which they will hopefully do better on. There will be written expectations that need to be signed by their parents. And hopefully, a few more of my students will "Get their Learn on" (Thanks Mr. Ripley for that quote!)
And on another level, completely, completely false.
Cheating does not just hurt the person who is cheating. It hurts their classmates who now have to re-take a different test. It hurts the other students in different classes who also have to take a new test based on 5 people who were dishonest. And it really, really hurts the teacher who not only feels like she failed the class but was also betrayed by her students.
This past one was a hard week.
The final I wrote was not hard. I took questions directly from the book. I had multiple choice and fill in the blank, using words that we had all talked about in class. I made sure all the instructions were easily understood and translated them into Spanish if it was beyond their capacity to understand. And so I was incredibly disappointed to find that 7 of my 14 kids recieved below a 50% on their test, one as low as a 15%. If they had even read their book, they would have been able to get at least a 60%. If they had done their homework and studied slightly? 80%. And so the fact that only 4 of my students got an 80% or higher really bugged me. It meant that they didn't have the inspiration or motivation from me as a teacher to do their homework or care enough about learning English to pass a final.
To make matters worse, I found out on Friday that someone from another class had stolen my test, thinking it was his, and then gave it, half filled out, to one of my students, who claims she didn't use it for the test, and yet went to the bathroom for 15 minutes during the test. Not that it did any good; still a failing grade, but really? It was just terrible on so many levels.
I had some talks with some of the teachers in the school, and my dad, and Maryam, which allowed me to put some perspective to the World Suck I was feeling. So I understand that it is not solely my fault, that the same students that fail my class fail pretty much all their other classes as well, and that if they are not willing to put the effort in, I can't make them do anything. But you know, I still feel the world suck.
And, I have to write another exam. Part of me wants to make it crazy hard. But that would be unfair to the large percentage of my class that didn't cheat. And I don't want to give up on my students. Because I'm responsible for their education, right?
So next trimester, after break, there will be some changes in my class. There will be a new test, which they will hopefully do better on. There will be written expectations that need to be signed by their parents. And hopefully, a few more of my students will "Get their Learn on" (Thanks Mr. Ripley for that quote!)
15 December 2010
Got Your Nose
I now ride a different bus home from school, sometimes. All in all, this is a pretty good solution to the whole Bus-Driver-Who-Hates-Us thing. Because we end up actually closer to our house, in town (where we can buy food if we so desire) and have the added bonus of getting to sit with segundo de basica students.
These 6 year olds are my favorite. Jharyf and Joel are very energetic, and they sit with me and offer me licks of their lollypops and ask me to do magic (Dad, the taking off of the finger trick works wonders, let me tell you). They get extremely excited about EVERYTHING, for instance when I do the whole "Got your nose" trick. And sometimes, they say very random things like "I'm hungry, I think I'll eat your ear". But all in all, I really like that these students like me, and sit with me on the bus, and wave frenetically when I get off and say "No te vayas...Bye profe bye profe!"*.
I think I actually like kids now.
*Don't go...bye teacher bye teacher!
These 6 year olds are my favorite. Jharyf and Joel are very energetic, and they sit with me and offer me licks of their lollypops and ask me to do magic (Dad, the taking off of the finger trick works wonders, let me tell you). They get extremely excited about EVERYTHING, for instance when I do the whole "Got your nose" trick. And sometimes, they say very random things like "I'm hungry, I think I'll eat your ear". But all in all, I really like that these students like me, and sit with me on the bus, and wave frenetically when I get off and say "No te vayas...Bye profe bye profe!"*.
I think I actually like kids now.
*Don't go...bye teacher bye teacher!
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