Since my last post, many peculier things have happened. These include, but are not limited to: 1. Being told that I looked ugly.
2. Being told that I looked beautiful.
3. Having to climb through the windows of my classroom in a skirt because the lock on the door was broken.
4. Being given a love poem from a group of male students that I don't even teach.
5. Being told that my Spanish accent it funny.
6. Being told that my Spanish accent makes me sound like I've spoken it for my whole life.
7. Being denied access to the dance room for my Dance Club.
8. Giving guitar lessons.
9. Getting the soundtrack to seasons 1 and 2 of Glee on my computer.
10. Being granted "Volunteer's Day" for Thanksgiving, so now we get a 3.5 day weekend too! YAY!
It's so funny. Here, people will be extremely blunt and tell you exactly what they are thinking, which I appreciate, but if the great majority of Americans were to come down here, they'd be really offended by the things they hear here! For example, last week, the dean came to chat with me and started with, "Miss Shelby, you look like you just woke up an hour ago!" (Which was true...) I just laugh when I hear these things. They don't mean them in a rude way at all, they are simply pointing out the things the notice...without filtering it first. (Kael, if you're reading this, it's like they have No Filter Fridays 24/7/365!)
Since the last post, here are some hightlights: (everything is easier in bullet points)
1. My 2nd form students achieved an 85% average on test #2, which I am VERY happy about! It was not an easy test.
2. The batter life of my computer has completely died. I have to start it up everytime I unplug it. It's more of a portably desktop at this point, but we're still trucking along!
3. Halloween is celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November here (2 nights!). The kids who dress up just like in the States travel from Chinese store to Chinese store saying "Trick or treat!" The don't go from house to house.
4. Sean's birthday was celebrated with 3 hours filled with games of Mafia. It got really intense. I was the worst narrarator EVER!! I messed up one of the games in about 10 different ways.
5. Dave, Brynne, Sean and I went to Melchor, Guatemala one Sunday to spend the day with some our students. I didn't actually teach any of them, so I didn't know them very well. It was good to get to know some students out of the classroom. Luisfredy, one of the students took us to his house where his parents prepared us a feast! It was delicious! We got a tour of the town; we went to the park; we went shopping at USA2, and we walked around the market. It was such a fun day!
6. We had a hurricane day, which meant no school. Benque is actually 2.5 hours inland, so we weren't really that threatened, but Belize city and other costal villages were. Benque is used as a relief shelter for those evacuated. We closed school for a day in case an evacuation was needed, but it wasn't. I spent the day playing ping pong with some of the Belizean teachers and Sean. We just relaxed at night and watched movies and danced.
7. I spent an evening at one of the Belizean teacher's houses chatting and getting to know them. We had the ever popular cheese dip and chips and some great rum and coke!
8. 8 of the volunteers went to San Pedro (yes, the one Madonna sings about) for the weekend. Betsy (one of the volunteers) has connections with the people who own one of the resorts there, so we got to stay at a really nice resort (even by American standards) for $25USD total for 2 nights! Here are some sub-highlights from this trip:
8a. Dave, Sean and I traveled together. We had to take a bus to Belize City then a water taxi from there to the island. Dave had been there before, so right when we got off the boat, Dave took us to this liquor store where they give away free samples. We got about 3 full free shots. I hadn't eaten anything all day. That's all I'll say.
8b. We went out to eat and got free ceviche and rum punch. It pays to go vacationing during the off-season. People are desperate for some business.
8c. Both nights we went to this bar called Fido's where they have live music and dancing. We got our groove on and even had a dance off with a group of people who were having a very casual wedding reception. Needless to say, WE WON.
8d. Some people went snorkling. I personally do NOT like snorking, so I went along for the free boat ride. They saw the 2nd largest reef in the world at the first stop and swam with nurse sharks at the 2nd. I was official photographer. It was great!
8e. Sean, Dave and I took the rest of our crew back to liquor store and everyone got more free samples and many people bought from the store. I was waiting while everyone purchased their Christmas gifts. The owner asked me if I got anything for myself and I said that I didn't want to buy anything for me, so he went to the shelf and pulled off a $40BZE of coconut cream rum (their best seller- it was sooooo good) and he just gave it to me. I still have some left in the fridge at home.
8f. Dave also wanted us to feed the tarpons (a fish). What you do is hold a small fish inbetween your pointer and middle finger with a flat palm facing the surface of the water. You hold it about 2 feet off the water. The tarpons jump out of the water and grab it from your hand! I freaked out when it jumped and dropped the fish. FAIL. Betsy decided she wanted to break the rules and she held the fist with ther pointer finger and thumb. When the tarpon jumped out of the water it bit her hand. I looked like she had a hicky on her hand for the next week or so. We called it a "fish-icky."
8g. My 2nd form girls wanted me to bring them sand back, but instead I spent a couple of very relaxing hours finding sea shells for them. They loved it.
9. I've been invited to my first Quince Anos (a quincenera). It's this Thursday, which is also Thanksgiving, so I don't think I'll be able to go.
10. 8 of the volunteers went to Bullet Tree, which is a small village near Benque. One of the teachers in the math department, Mr. Mai, invited us to come swimming in the river with him and then a barbque after. We started at one bar, had a beer, then swam down the river, then got out at another bar, had another drink then got back in the river. We floated down to the rope swing and spent time there. I did the hardest back-flop ever. Talk about pain! It was convenient because the river does a curve around Bullet Tree, so we pretty much started at his house, and ended up back there. I can't wait to do it again!
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Gosh, I feel like so much has happened, but I can't remember it all. Life has been good. I'm still experiencing challenges as a teacher and as a friend, but God is getting me though. Pray for me that I can be still more faithful and still more devoted to this mission he has given to me. Peace and Love.
Just a couple pics from San Pedro:
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