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Hola Hola. ¿Qué onda?
Well, starting from last Wednesday morning. We went to Amatlán to teach, and, because (sadly) we haven`t missed very many of their classes for fiestas etc. we decided to do something ´fun´with them, and teach them the Hokey Kokey. The quinto grado was fine, most of them managed to copy down the minimal vocab we gave them (although we made some of the lads write number 1-10 because they didn`t finish on time), and we did the Hokey Kokey (they liked the running into the middle and out again bit). Sexto grado was a different matter altogether. Most of the class weren´t there because they were doing some crazy thing for teacher´s day on Thursday, and of the rest of the class, about 2 people actually copied down stuff. We complained to their teacher as well, as there is one chavito that keeps saying to us, f** your mother b** Which really annoys us. Brat.
So, after recovering from that particular disasterous class, we went to paint in the garden. I finished off the cabaña whilst lizzie did the last sink. Matías fixed our lights for us as there was only one left working, and cos I finished painting whilst he was still doing that, I went and stood by the old boiler in the shade, and he came round the corner, and cos it looked like I was hiding, he took the mick and told me I looked like a little girl who had been naughty. He`s a ledge. Wednesday with the becarios, we did a sports day. Some quality races. One where they have to run and put balls in a bucket, a slow bike race, sack race, three legged race, tennis ball and spoon (no eggs), AND the más chistoso of all, a getting dressed race. A sombrero, a flipper, a welly and a tee shirt. Picture 6 15yr old boys who can`t be bothered. Then picture how fast they get a move on when they are told that the last three to finish are going to be washing up in the kitchen for the rest of the week. hahahahahaha. I actually cried laughing.
It went down really well with the little ones (although they didn`t quite get that you have to be last to win the SLOW bike race), but the older onesgot a bit bored. All in all a fair success though.
Lizzie and I weren`t impressed however when we were told by a couple of juveniles that showed up, that they wanted us to repeat last weeks lesson, as they didn`t come, and if they don´t do it they don´t get their cheques (like a donation so they can carry on at school). We were absolutely shattered, and NOT in the mood to teach, plus we`d thrown away the lesson plan. But we did a really short class, then went and chatted with Adrian, Jorge and Rocendo, lots of laughs, before we literally collapsed into bed.
Thursday was teacher`s day, so the kids all had the day off school, so they went home in the morning. We filled our day with eating sopes and tlacoyos in the market (sope being dough flattened with the edges turned up like a rim, then filled with chicken cooked in salsa, with frijole beans and cheese and cream, and tlacoyos being filled dough cooked so its long and thinnish) then had a frappe mmmmm, then internet, then we took Carly, the canadian girl to our fav. restauraunt, los colorines for some really nice food, then a wander round the shops to buy some bite cream (we taste too good), then we got a bus up to where the big busses drop you coming back from Mexico City to meet Jorge and Adrian. Adrians mate picked us up in his taxi and we went to Jorge´s new house. It still isn´t built yet, but he and his dad have built the entire thing. It´s going to be Amazing when it´s finished. Really open and breezy and loads of old bits and bobs that you´d get in location location or something. We then put the radio on in Gustavo (the taxi driver friend)´s car, and had a few beers and doritos and tried and failed to learn how to dance courtesy of Jorge and Adrian. They then dropped us back at the camp about 10 past 10. They had to pull up down the road though, as we weren´t strictly allowed to ´socialise´with them, doctors orders, and the doctor was staying at the camp that night. We were only ten minutes late, but fairly scared. But all was well, and Gumaro let us in no probs!
Friday, after school in Ocotitlán, went on the internet for a bit and ended up at camp about 12:30 to find that Urbano had cornered Lizzie, and he actually wanted us to work all day Friday aswell. We didn´t argue too much, mainly because it meant we didn´t have to work in the garden...
So, we helped cart some stuff for a group of teachers who had come to the camp for el dia de los maestros, teacher´s day. They did some races in the pool and stuff, and then we had a really speedy lunch before we got on the bus back to Ocotitlan to go to one of the becario´s houses. We met Karen by the church, went to buy a refresco, and then went and sat on two chairs in her garden whilst we were introduced to her mum and her younger siblings, who were all really cute. Yareth, another becaria, turned up, and with her and her brother and Karen, we went and climbed a hill that was right by the village. It was a bit of a scramble, and because the altitude was so high, it was Very hard work! But it was worth it when we got to the top, an nice breeze and a great view. We then had to go back to the camp to work with a group, and so we waited for the bus and chatted to a couple of the older becario girls who were around.
The weekend was good. Lizzie and I actually got to do a couple of games with the groups. Mainly because Abraham was occasionally lost for what to do, but also because we are amazing. We went to town on Saturday for a rally, and did some water games on sunday, and had a fogata on saturday evening. We sang the konga konga song (one of the few we know in spanish) and then, all of a sudden, we were asked to sing another one. Baila chiki chiki, pero bailarlo bien - woo! Abraham then took the group round to tell them ghost stories, I hid in the bodega to jump out at them, and later behind a tree when they walked past the darkest corner in the camp. Some of them were well scared. It was funny!
Sunday afternoon, we went to Jorge´s house, all crammed into Gustavo´s taxi when he pulled up with adrian and another ex-becario friend (6 people in a taxi is doable in Mexico). We sat down and luis and luisa were there, and we ate some mole that Jorge´s mum made, (two plates, get in) and drank tequila oh so sensibly so that lui and guicho didn´t think we were borrachas. We made some other guests laugh by telling them how we danced like crazy people at the fogata, and all in all, it was a fairly fun afternoon. We went and checked out the band in the street with adrian, and then for tepoznieves, before walking to Ixcatepec, watching the band there for a bit, then crashing for the night.
Monday morning classes, monday day, not too eventfull at all.
Tuesday however, was surprise party day! We went to go and teach the becario juveniles after supper, but all the older becarios told us that we couldn´t go in the salon social. So we made the lads carry the board into the cabañas, and set them all to work copying out the extract we were going to do, before a few of the younger ones dragged us over to the salon. All the ´teachers´me, lizzie, carly, luis, luisa, adrain, amparo and lupe, were marched inside, and all the kids were singing and throwing confetti on us. It was soooo cool. El dia del maestro - nothing like it in Britain. We had to take a bite out of the cakes they had bought for the party, and yes, our faces got pushed in them. I nearly choked. It went up my nose! But then we played party games (just the teachers like), balloon stepping, biting doughnuts on strings, musical chairs, and a dancing competition. Really good fun. And the girls who organised it all had worked really hard to do it. Afterwards, we amused ourselves by smearing my cake on our faces (you get to eat the bit your face is shoved into), and going and ´kissing´the juveniles and some of the older becarios. Basically, rubbing all the cake off our cheeks onto theirs. We managed to get Jesus, Dan, Octavio (twice) and Jorge, although we did chase him round the cabañas for a fair while before we snook up on him when he was peering round a corner waiting for us! haha! A really cool night.
Wednesday was also very uneventful, although we did get to spend the evening very creatively, making ball catcher thingies with paper cups ready for the Kentucky visitors on Thursday.
We ate far too much in the market Thursday morning, sopes, tacos, mmm. Agua grande tambien. and a crunch ice lolly. They are the best.
We walked back with the kids, had lunch, and then played with the group of university students from Kentucky who were on a YMCA type trip to mexico. We played some game where you had to ask the kids their names, hobbies, birthdays and stuff. It was funny, as most of the american chavos didn´t speak much spanish, but they got by, which was pretty impressive, helped by the wonder that is patty, and some of the older ones who could speak bits of english. After that, we made ball catchers with the boys whilst the girls made sombreros out of newspapers, then there was the choice of football, basketball, or kickball. Basketball all the way.
The group then went to town for a bit, and we had a much needed shower and ate some mangoes that we´d bought the other day. Manilla or something they´re called. They are Delish indeed. You get them all over your face though mmmm. We then had a rally type game, Lizzie and I were put on bases, and we had to make the group do interesting things, like human knots, and troncos, where they all lie down in a line and then have to roll over each other in the line. The kentucky lads that were with the group that did that on my base were very confused indeed. Their faces when I explained to them what they had to do in English were a picture. I think some of them didn´t actually realise that we were from England though judging by what lizzie told me when she had a conversation with one of them and they complimented her on her english. But I´m fron England. hahaa. muy chistoso.
We then had a campfire, which again, needed to be a bit bilingual, although all of the songs were in spanish. Spent a long while trying to get the campfire to actually light, as whoever had built it had put all the hefty wood in, but had forgot to put and leaves or kindling or anything which would actually get it to light. It was lit by a candle which jorge and I carried, and bits of paper, and LOTS of wafting with ´Reymundos shield (don´t ask, I don´t know). Eventually, after Royer and I went and got some leaves off the path, it lit. Lizzie and I sang our infamous Konga song, and then we were invited back to do a second, so we did one about bull fighters and ole ole ole ole, like the football chant. It went down very well indeed. Y ya.
Chilled weekend je pense. It´s hot hot hot outside....
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