Week Two

I was excited to go to the internet spot in town today and post an update from last week and this week, but alas it is Festival and the place is closed. So let’s rewind a bit.

Week two brought a new kitten. Tigre, the one eyed cat of the house, had kittens but it was thought they were eaten by a large cat. Then Sunday evening, Tigre and a tiny orange kitten come into the house! The kitten has been dubbed Penina by my host family. She’s gotten more confident and now runs around and plays except during the middle of the day when she stretches out and sleeps. When it’s hot, it’s hot.

In other exciting news, I now have a library card! I’d like to thank my Mom for instilling within me an intense love for libraries. There is a small library near my house with limited hours. However, we finished class early on Monday and three of us went in search of the library. The door isn’t easy to distinguish at first, but once inside there are books, tables, and air conditioning. All great reasons to go. The children’s section is in the back of the room, which is where I find children’s books I attempt to read, and eventually after 4pm, kids who come by after school.

Tuesday was my host father’s birthday. It was mentioned there would be a surprise but no one wanted to tell me what that was…turns out it was him being woken up to birthday songs blaring at 6am for him and his wife to dance to out on the porch. While this was very sweet, I’m not sure keeping the surprise from me was necessary. After class commenced celebrations, including my host sister teaching my fellow aspirante, Angell, and myself some moves.

Wednesday mornings are practicum time in the local colegios (schools). Dylan and I were placed in the same high school classroom with a great teacher who has been teaching for over twenty years. She is very enthusiastic and loves her students. She speaks English very well, though would like support on pronunciation and brainstorming activities. We got to observe one of her classes. Unfortunately, there are no classes for the next two Wednesdays with all the festivities, so we’ll meet with our teacher and get some planning time in.

The rest of the week was filled with classes, family time, practicing Spanish, and growing excitement for Festival. Festival started on Saturday. More to come on this later.

Festival is upon us and Carnival is coming up! Get ready to bailar!