Monday again!

A considerably better one than last week! Although I had managed to remember all the unimportant things for school, I seemed to have forgotten all the slightly more important ones - like the book I planned to use in Literacy this morning! (Luckily I had some extracts on my laptop - phew!) It's been a day of improvising and adapting!

I've felt quite excited today because I have booked myself a weekend away in Cuenca. I'm looking forward to exploring and spending some time by myself. Also the photographic opportunities look awesome!

I came home from school quite quickly today so that I could speak to Mum and Dad, who have been on holiday for the last two weeks. Normally, if I'd been in Norfolk, it wouldn't have bothered me that they were away. However I really have felt them not being there and I think they felt the same. It was so lovely to catch up and to see them over the webcam.

At the moment I should be marking books that have been sitting around my house for the past week. I hate marking, where are the marking fairies when you need them?

Lumbisi

Yesterday I went to a small town called Lumbisi, about ten minutes away from where I live. Lumbisi is quite a fascinating place because it has it's own government and laws. The reason for my visit was to help plant some trees in an ecological park that the community are developing. I got picked up by Nicki, Tom and Yvette (who had organised the volunteers from school) and we headed for the town square in Lumbisi, where we would be meeting everyone else. As soon as we stepped out of the car, both Nicki and I grabbed our cameras and started taking pictures.

I felt like I was in real Ecuador. This may seem like a strange thing to say because obviously I'm living in Euador, but the area I live in is very modern, so you could really be anywhere in the world. (Well, maybe not Norfolk, what with the view of the mountains and everything!)

Lumbisi Ecological Park is an area of about 600 hectares. The local community have been working to improve it for a couple of years now so that it can be enjoyed by many people. It was a really beautiful area - apart from the large amounts of rubbish that people have dumped.



One of our tasks was to pick up as much of the plastic as possible. We also planted trees in front of the dumping area so that people wouldn't be able to just back their vehicles in. Quite a few of the kids from Secondary came and helped which was really cool (Yvette is form teacher to a lot of them). It was interesting to see who got stuck in and who enjoyed messing around. I soon discovered that I wasn't much cop with a pickaxe, but I did make a few holes. I took photos, collected rubbish, cleared areas of ground and put trees in holes! I certainly didn't do as much as some of the others, but it was a really good experience to do something that does make a difference. In teaching we hope to make a difference to the children we teach and their families, by planting trees you know, without doubt, it is making a difference.

Reasons to be cheerful...

1. My new camera lens has arrived! (Oh how I've missed taking pictures.)
2. I've discovered Canastrato cheese - made with sheep's milk (although it will always be castrated cheese for me, as that is what Kay told me to help me remember the name).
3. The local health food type shop sells tofu!
4. I went out for sushi last night and it was yum!
5. Tomorrow I'm going to help plant trees in a local ecological park.
6. It's Friday!
   

Okay, so I know it should be 1, 2, 3, but I found more than 3!

It's been quite a week at school for quite a lot of people, not just me. There are politics of a different kind to the ones I'm used to! This morning we had an emergency staff meeting because the director of the school is actually at The British Embassy, indefinitely! There is an issue with a family who haven't paid their fees and are very influential. I can't really say very much but lets just say, 'We're living in interesting times!'

Moving Forwards

There have been times in the past week when I have struggled. Those of you who know me well enough will know why, I don't feel I need to go in to the details. However in the past 24 hours I have felt like I am now able to move forwards again. I'm starting to plan adventures, some people are saying that I should go with other people but my instinct tells me I need some time alone. I have a long weekend coming up in a few weeks time and I think I'm going to get an internal flight to a town called Cuenca. It is apparently very beautiful and full of culture. I hope my new camera lens arrives by then!

The people I work with have shown me a lot of support during this difficult time. I told one colleague today (an Ecuadorian colleague), that I have had a hard few days but I'm coming out the other side; that I am missing the people that I love. She told me that there are already many people here who love me. It was wonderful. I have been here for six weeks and already people love me.

Manic Monday

I'm having one of those days when you feel like banging your head against a brick wall. In fact I did during my maths lesson. The kids didn't have a clue about what I was trying to teach them. Then I decided to show them the most wonderful film 'The man who planted trees', but because it was through the internet it kept stopping and starting. I gave up and got them to read - silently!

I'm looking forward to the end of the day.

Mango Mojitos!

Last night I had a revelation...an alcoholic drink that I really enjoyed. Jim and Amber introduced me to the concept of Mango Mojitos.

A few of us went up to Quito again last night. Having gone out last weekend, I was damn sure I didn't want to stay in last night. Me , Alex and Sarah met Jim and Amber in the Mariscal for a few drinks and then went on to a club.

The name of the club escapes me at the moment, but I know it meant 'The Sting' in English. My brain seems to be slightly foggy this morning! The second tune to start playing was 'Clandestino' by Manu Chao. Most excellent! We had a really good giggle jumping around and dancing to a real mix of music. Unfortunately some of the local blokes thought it was rather nice to dance by us too. One took a particular shine to Amber and was dancing right up behind her. Thanks to the wise words of Haggis, I knew the phrase 'No tocca,' said bloke did look quite shocked when I stated this, but then left her alone.

At some point during the evening, I noticed the distinct lack of good looking men. When I mentioned this to Jim he laughed his head off. Y'know it's not that I'm really interested but it'd be nice to have some eye candy!

Found out more about Jim and Amber's story last night. They actually only spent two nights together in March, before Amber moved here at the end of August. I really think it's amazing. They are a great couple, although both have a tendency towards jealousy, I hope they both get a handle on that! I'm so glad to have met them, they're great!

It is funny talking to Jim, we were talking about being kids, playing at Nun's Bridges in Thetford last night. I have decided he's my little brother, how amusing to come to Ecuador and find a little brother from Bury!

Got home about 2.00am, saw my sis Caro online and found it very hilarious to say, 'Good Morning, I'm now off to bed!'

Anyway think that's enough brain work for a while, may need to go and lie down again!

'Chubby & his bids for freedom!'

Chubby is our class pet; he is a rather large and mostly lazy hamster! However in the first week of term, Chubby managed to escape from his cage, causing the kids and me large amounts of worry until we rediscovered him hiding beside the filing cabinet.

Over this week the kids have been pestering me to put Chubby into the ball type thing that was bought for him on Monday (by one of the boys - Esteban). Most of the time I have declined, knowing how much distraction Chubby can cause.

However today is Friday and I thought I'd give in today (all helps with the cool teacher image!). We placed Chubby in his ball and all laughed as he wandered about the classroom bumping in to things (in rather the same way as I laughed at Justin this morning when he walked into a post. Actually there are quite a few similarities between the two, now I come to think about it!).

Suddenly he was making a break for the open door...a large orange ball containing a hamster in a bid for freedom. We were quite surprised to see how quickly he can actually move, as in true hamster like fashion he usually sleeps and eats during the day. In absolute hysterics we rushed out of the door to see where he would go, disrupting the secondary Spanish class as we went. Chubby would have been away - an orange ball heading into the distance...except he started to nibble the grass. I told him he had been very naughty and that he had to go back to class.

Maria (the lovely Spanish teacher net door) was most impressed as Chubby seemed to listen and turned around.

We think Chubby has now developed a taste for freedom...we will be watching him like a hawk and I will report back at some point on the further adventures of 'Chubby the Hamster'.