This morning I was really torn when I woke up. I could go to Miguel Pro, use the internet, have a slow start to the morning, and then show up at school with enough time to plan and get ready for next week. Or I could go into the center and be there for what was explained to me as vaguely some ¨thing¨going on in the offices o the bishop. All I knew was that some of the kids from school were going, I was asked if I could help, and there was somehow some vocational fair involved.
Well, the vocacational fair almost scared me off - I am often enough here mistaken for a brother or a priest and so did really not feel the need to be recruited to be one - but my sense of responsibility and generally just being more involved in life at the school convinced me to go. It ended up being a great decision because when I arrived, I ran into our of our students who had come from school by themselves to participate in a contest on the ten commandments and other catheticism (spelling?) related subjects. Actually, it was like a city wide test that also had an oral part and some pretty sweet prizes attached to it.
Anyway, these students had no idea what was going on either and I realized that I might be in over my head or might have to take more control/responsibility than I had previously assumed. As they were called up to sign in and register, I went up with them and was berated (the woman did it kindly, but it was still a beratement) for the students not having their official documents and not having an officio saying I was in charge of them and was over seeing them. While, it was news to me that I was overseeing them and I sure as hell had no clue what was suppossed to go down, but with a little questioning and playing dumb, I was able to convince (well, she probably just took pity on me and the students) the woman to let me write out a permission slip of sorts. Well, the Peruvians love their formality and their beauracracy, so I felt pretty small when I returned with a hand written, two line thing claiming I was in charge and had been put in this place by the director of the school. All of the other papers I saw came fully decked out with official stamps, stationery of the schools, were all a page long, included the numbers and important data on the participants and the overseer, and just generally were very official. I had to laugh to myself.
In the end it all worked out and the students were able to enter, but it pretty much is par for the course down here and as soon as it happened I immediately felt like sharing. And then I got off the bus early on the way to school in order to chat it up with these incredibly nice ladies (who were the cooks for the big retreat last year and sell little sandwiches and gelatin outside this fairly large market), who kept trying to stuff me with free shredded chicken or tunafish sandwiches.
I arrived at school about ten minutes before class - not quite what I had imagined when I woke up. But I was in good spirits and had a successul and happy day. When it comes down to it, what more can you ask out of life?
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Weddings, Mother´s Day, Grupo Femenino Bolivia = Fun
You will all probably be glad to know that while I have been very busy lately, it has not simply been a work fest (although the wide variety of English classes I have been teaching definitely keeps me constantly thinking and planning the next one. I actually find that the way I am able to handle the load - I mean, essentially I teach 9 different levels/situations - is to use similar concepts, ideas, and even at times worksheets, but to tailor them to the specific level I am teaching. I feel like this works very well and I am slowly becoming an expert on teaching certain topics that keep arising, such as commands in English). This past weekend, I definitely got to have a lot of fun and take advantage of the windows into Peruvian (and other) culture that life down here affords.
First Thursday. At night we went to a concert for this Bolivian folk/rock group that is composed of all women and was in town to celebrate Mother´s Day. It was actually a real blast and was held in the old Municipal Theater in downtown Tacna. The concert left such an impression on me just because it was such good music, it was definitely a cultural experience (hell, the singers even chose to drink the Peruvian Inka Cola over water when they needed a hydration break), and just some great moments, laughs and songs to share with my community. If you are interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n1fRj2lUvQ
Saturday night we went to a Peruvian wedding, even though I personally did not know anyone from the two couples who were getting married (a brother and sister were both getting married, so they held it jointly). It went all night long - though we left at 3 am. The dinner was served at 2 am and the progression of alcohol was from a chapagne toast to pitchers of this fruity mixed drink, to pitchers of Pisco sours, to pitchers of wine, and apparently later there would be tons of Whiskey (oh boy). But what I really enjoyed was just all the fun dancing and good spirits - though Peruvians really are sticklers for the dancing only in two lines.
The rest of the weekend was mostly Mother´s Day celebration stuff - which definitely made me miss home and my own mother in New York a lot. Down here it is quite the big deal and is celebrated in schools and in workplaces on Friday and Saturday as well. I also remember the International Day of the Woman being a much bigger deal down here and I wonder if because it is such a macho society in today´s modern world that these ¨holidays¨ which would offer some recognition to all that women do do in this culture have become days of great importance. Or maybe they just love their mamas (not mamacitas - though it was fun to make that joke all of yesterday).
First Thursday. At night we went to a concert for this Bolivian folk/rock group that is composed of all women and was in town to celebrate Mother´s Day. It was actually a real blast and was held in the old Municipal Theater in downtown Tacna. The concert left such an impression on me just because it was such good music, it was definitely a cultural experience (hell, the singers even chose to drink the Peruvian Inka Cola over water when they needed a hydration break), and just some great moments, laughs and songs to share with my community. If you are interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n1fRj2lUvQ
Saturday night we went to a Peruvian wedding, even though I personally did not know anyone from the two couples who were getting married (a brother and sister were both getting married, so they held it jointly). It went all night long - though we left at 3 am. The dinner was served at 2 am and the progression of alcohol was from a chapagne toast to pitchers of this fruity mixed drink, to pitchers of Pisco sours, to pitchers of wine, and apparently later there would be tons of Whiskey (oh boy). But what I really enjoyed was just all the fun dancing and good spirits - though Peruvians really are sticklers for the dancing only in two lines.
The rest of the weekend was mostly Mother´s Day celebration stuff - which definitely made me miss home and my own mother in New York a lot. Down here it is quite the big deal and is celebrated in schools and in workplaces on Friday and Saturday as well. I also remember the International Day of the Woman being a much bigger deal down here and I wonder if because it is such a macho society in today´s modern world that these ¨holidays¨ which would offer some recognition to all that women do do in this culture have become days of great importance. Or maybe they just love their mamas (not mamacitas - though it was fun to make that joke all of yesterday).
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Weather News
Maybe not the most exciting topic, but does dominate life down here a bit and as I am missing the United States a bit more lately, I can only nostalgically think about the fact that spring time is blooming there and we are getting all cold and overcast here.
But basically, as we move into the Peruvian winter in the desert - lest I need to remind you we are technically in the driest desert in the world here - it is freezing at nights and in the mornings, but if the sun comes out in the day, it gets pretty hot still. The sun is the real x factor as it is very very noticable when it comes out, but there is also no such thing as a weather forecast down here and people never actually talk about what temperature it is.
This has left me having to guess each day on what I think the day will turn out to be. Yesterday I definitely guessed wrong and taught my classes while rubbing my arms or warmth. And we have still yet to experience the ¨rain,¨ in whatever form that will come....
But basically, as we move into the Peruvian winter in the desert - lest I need to remind you we are technically in the driest desert in the world here - it is freezing at nights and in the mornings, but if the sun comes out in the day, it gets pretty hot still. The sun is the real x factor as it is very very noticable when it comes out, but there is also no such thing as a weather forecast down here and people never actually talk about what temperature it is.
This has left me having to guess each day on what I think the day will turn out to be. Yesterday I definitely guessed wrong and taught my classes while rubbing my arms or warmth. And we have still yet to experience the ¨rain,¨ in whatever form that will come....
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