Teaching Day 1

I was finally able to download my pictures. I changed websites to Picasa, so hopefully you won't have any problems seeing them. These are from the past week, including today.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Geedz913/October2009?feat=email#

So this morning we went to Rosa Semestre to teach Nutrition. Our first class was 5th graders and it went well. It was a little rough at the start as it always is, trying to figure out how to jump in and start teaching but as the hour progressed the group did well and the kids were well engaged and having fun. I just sat in the classroom and helped out as needed. After teaching about carbohydrates, proteins, and fats we had 30 minutes of recess with the kids. We went outside and played Down By The Banks with several of the kids. They love it when the Americans come, and sometimes get a little wild! But it is fun to get to hang out with some other kids in town.

After teaching we walked back to the orphanage for the group to prepare more lesson plans and get ready for lunch. I checked a few emails and did some work for other stuff. After lunch I went and hung out with the kiddos. The kids were still eating/finishing up lunch so I went in their eating area and found my boyfriend, Luis Alberto. He had finished eating so we went outside and sat at the mesita. Jochi, one of the older boys, had returned to me a coloring book I had let him borrow. This had all kinds of dinosaurs and large cat/tiger like prehistoric creatures on the front. Luis Alberto was naming all of the animals on the book with names of the volunteers here. It was cute and he and I were the Tyrannosauras Rex so we won because we could eat everyone else!

Vivian brought out a baseball and bat and a couple of boys went to play baseball. It was super cute because Luis Alberto was in the way back of the field, which is in one of my pictures. He was back by the workshop and could only catch the balls once they stopped. He'd try to catch them as the were rolling towards him and he couldn't. It was adorable but he kept trying hard! I saw Tito's foot again, which was covered by a new band-aid but still looked pretty clean. But the sad part of it all is that he came out walking on the grounds with no shoes again, just the band-aid. Apparently a large gash with painful cleaning wasn't enough to teach him to wear his shoes!

I came inside around 2pm and read some more of my book before heading off for afternoon teaching at the local school. We walked into school for the afternoon. This time my group was teaching 6th grade. They were a little more challenging, not wanting to participate or pay attention. Some wanted to go to the bathroom and leave but I laid the law down and made them stay put!

After school we went to Lilo's the super market to give them a chance to buy snacks and stuff they want to take back with them. I got some Lime Lay's chips which are always tasty. I ate like half a small bag and shared the rest with two of the orphanage kids that were on the bus that picked us up to take us back to the orphanage.

After returning I took a shower and got ready for dinner. For dinner, we had Thanksgiving dinner because today is Candian Thanksgiving and Coco is from Canada. It was tasty!

After dinner we watched Hotel for Dogs with the kids and they seemed to love it. The group that is here brought some candy to give them so I know they loved that!

After the movie, one of the boys starting screaming inside his ramada (where they are sleeping) and there was a huge tarantula in there. Coco had to go kill it and apparently she said it was about the size of a hamburger patty. I'm glad I didn't see that alive! AHHH!

Hopefully they won't be in my room! :) Good night, I'm running to El Morro tomorrow with Christine in the morning. About a 45 minute run, so it should be fun times! :)