I've been putting off sitting down and writing a blog for weeeeks now (ok fine, months). But what I have done was keep a list of things I wanted to write about! There seems to be a trend with these PC blogs. In the beginning we keep up with it, adding pictures and funny stories of the new and weird things we witness or are going through. Keeping track of what we've been doing or what we plan to do. But as time goes by the blog updates become fewer and fewer until we're updating once evey 3 months, or give up on it totally. Ok, some people are better than others but I do notice this a lot. For me, it's a feeling of having nothing to report! I've gotten used to my life here and think of nothing as new now. But then I thought, it doesn't have to be about stuff I've been doing... I can write about things I notice about this country, that to me is normal, but back home is very different. I can write about how at the supermarket the cashier will give me candies instead of change or that Dia del maestro (teacher day) is a big deal here. There's lots to write about! So I'm going to keep a list of things I think about throughout the weeks to share.
News in Py.
I was visiting my friend Elvita's house around dinner time/news time. While we were finishing up or tortillas (Milk,flour, egg, py cheese, water- deep fried. not my fav) we were watching the news about this horrible story of a mentally unstable man who had stabbed a 5 year old to death. On the tv there was an angry crowd with one particularly upset woman yelling into the camera about wanting to see justice, wanting to see this man in jail. So what did the news cameras do? Went with the angry woman into the jail to see the guy! They were sticking the camera through the bars asking him if he killed the boy, which he said no. It's just something you would not see on tv in the US. Following a angry, yelling woman into the jail!
Plastic bottles and fishing.
My fishing trip into the campo was nice/tranquilo/fish massacre. I went with my neighbors a couple Sundays ago for some fishing in a cow field. We used bamboo poles and hunks of meet to catch these brown fish w sharp, little teeth. I felt very Huck Finn-y. I was happy with the four I caught, and it took awhile! But my neighbors would just put the line in and pull out a fish just like that. They must have caught in total over 200 little fish! Anyway, at the end of the day they had thrown seven 2L plastic bottles all about plus a few wine boxes. I gathered them up since I had a bad feeling they were going to leave them, and sure enough when it was time to go I was told to leave them there. I said 'noooo, i'm here for environmental education I can't just leave these here!'. My one neighbor, a retired teacher, then said 'oh yes, plastic takes over 500 years to decompose.' !!!!! I was shocked she knew that, and also upset that they know these facts yet don't bother to act on them. I brought the bottles back to the car. After we arrived home and I went to my house I get a call from my neighbor saying I left my bottles and do I want to get them now or tomorrow. .... So not only have I cleaned up after them, but I now inherit their garbage. Oh joy! More bottles to have hangin about in my house.
English Class.
Ok, It's very frustrating coming from the US where we teach free thinking, to PY where it's all about following and being told what to do. It can really bother me sometimes but I have to step back and remind myself that it's not the kids fault.
Two examples: I do a review in the beginning of each class of what we did last class. I write words on the board that we learned last week and that they wrote in their notebook last week. Yet they still ask me if they should copy what i'm writing on the board. Every week! and every week I say 'if you already have this in your notebook you don't need to write it'. Every week! They're just so used to the teacher writing on the board and telling them what to do and not do.
The other example is when i'm writing on the board and i'm in the way of a student who is trying to copy, they'll yell 'PERMISO PERMISO PERMISO' over and over till I move, even though I'm copying stuff for them to copy. Every week! and every week I say, get up and move to a place you can see!! EVERY WEEK!!!! I don't know if it's just the kids at my school or a byproduct of the PY education system, but it is a test of patients!
Worm compost.
Gettin on really well! Those guys have really multiplied and are busy turning the cow poo, rabbit poo and leaves into lovely soil!
That's enough for now!
You must have sucked this post directly out of my brain.
ReplyDelete1. THAT NEWSCAST! I was in shock over how long the camera stayed on the woman vowing to kill the prisoner, and how the newscasters were inciting the rioters to continue their "seige" on the police station. And when they hopped inside to the jail cell, it went all downhill. Did you see when the father of the murdered child, obviously in shock, was in there with the camera man and reporter, further questioning the suspect? And then the dramatic music playing in the background? This is definitely a PY event that I have on my list of things to blog, too. Had to see it to believe it.
2. English class... yep, let me just say I feel your pain. It's really hard to break that "Write on the board and students copy" mentality, huh?
3. I was just telling someone yesterday that I can't reconcile the incongruity between the need to mop the floor twice a day and sweep the dirt yard to the point that it appears to be clean concrete, yet throw whatever trash touches your hand on the ground. If nothing else, wouldn't it seem to be counterproductive to the need to clean? Hmmmmm.
It's a strange planet we've landed on, huh? I sure do love it though. ;)