Independence Week

Yes, I know it’s been a while since I’ve caught you up on life down here in this rainy but beautiful country, but I’ve decided that I don’t need to treat my blog exactly like a journal and you don’t need to know about what happens here every day. So, I’m just going to tell you about the wonderful but extremely exhausting events surrounding Independence Day. I’ve come to call it “Independence Week” because these guys go all out with their celebrations. We’re talking like 6 assemblies, band practice every day for over a month, cheerleading practice, dance practice, choir practice, the whole works. The final Acto Civico (assembly) was held last night at about 5:30. Because all the students had to be here for the Acto Civico in the evening the school day was shifted to start at 1PM and go through the afternoon until the assembly. The assembly included dances, songs, and dramas presented by students from all grades. At 6:00 we all stopped to sing the national anthem because everyone in Costa Rica stops whatever they are doing and sings the national anthem to commemorate the time when the runner arrived in Costa Rica with the torch to declare their independence. The assembly last night lasted until almost 8:00 and parents and teachers stayed around for a while after enjoying food served in the cafeteria and other food provided by the families. After a long crazy day yesterday Leslie and I came home and crashed and woke up to report at the school decked out in our LPDV gear. (we’re talking, matching school polo shirts, school bags, school hats, and jeans) We loaded up in the busses with the kids in the band, the cheerleaders, the baton girls, and the flag bearers for the big independence day parade in down town Belen. Since I was not in charge of any of the groups performing in the parade, my job, along with many other teachers was to carry large bottles of water to pass out to the kids to help deal with the heat. The parade itself was only about 20 or 30 minutes, but we spent about 3 hours standing around waiting for the schools in front of us to get into formation. It wouldn’t have been that bad if we weren’t standing in direct sunlight on a hot day, but no one passed out or got heat stroke so it was a pretty successful day.

Although the last few days have been super crazy, a little disorganized, and I feel like I haven’t gotten much actual teaching done, it has been a really good time to get to know the kids better. Especially last week during Dia del Niño (kid’s day) when we basically spent the day hanging out and playing with the kids and the parents. (that is me and some of my students decked out in our class color)

The busyness has also kept me from feeling quite as homesick which I’ve been feeling more the last few weeks. I can hardly believe that I’ve been here for two months now! I must honestly say I’m not a whole lot closer to making my decision about staying for another year than I was when I first got here, but I know that God will direct me and that He will reveal His will to me in His time.

Today is only Thursday, but it almost feels like the weekend already. We finished the parade today around 11 and it has been so nice to have the afternoon off. I got to hang out with Leslie, Marijke, and KK and go swimming then take a nap. Pretty much the perfect afternoon. I don’t have to plan lessons for tomorrow because tomorrow is the entrega de notas (turning in grades) to the parents and we have parent teacher meetings all day. The nice thing is we only meet with the parents that specifically ask to meet with us and being a new teacher it is likely that I won’t have very many meetings. So I’m going to pack up my computer and books and try and crank out my lesson plans for next week because when we finish at 6:00 Leslie and I are heading to Heredia for Friday night and Saturday. She is going to stay with one of our teacher friends and I’m going to stay at the Whitworth Center. I am so excited to finally get to see them! On Sunday we are going to go to our first CR soccer game to watch La Liga (one of the two national teams) play our little town of Belen. I have a feeling that Belen is going to get crushed, but I’m excited to go. Right now I think I’m gonna go make some arroz con leche.

P.S. I’ve decided to start including some of the best quotes from my students because some of them are pretty comical.

1. Yesterday before the final Independence assembly.

Student: Teacher, are you going to dance with all the other teachers tonight?

Me: Nope, I’m going to sit with you guys.

Student: But why not teacher? Can’t you dance?

Me: Yeah, well kind of, but they’re dancing to the song Soy Tica (I’m Tica) and I’m not Tica.

Student: Oh…well just wait until next year, then you’ll be Tica.

2. Yesterday when I arrived at school yesterday wearing my hair down and straightened (for the first time since I’ve been at the school)

Student: Teacher!!! You are so beautiful! Like…like..a princess!

3. Last night while waiting for my last 5 students to be picked up by their parents.

Student: It looks like we might just have to spend the night here. Wait, Teacher Lynne’s house is just right up the hill! We could sleep there!

Me: Yeah and we’ve even got 5 extra beds! Sleepover!

(All of them start getting up and grabbing their backpacks)

4. I’m starting to get used to the Spanglish and I usually try and make the kids try it again using the right English words, but yesterday when one of my students was quickly trying to explain why she didn’t have her essay for me I couldn’t help but laugh.

Student: Teacher, no tengo the homework porque my mom dejarla in her trabajo and se fue very temprano esta manana.

When she stopped to catch her breath she realized how funny she sounded and she and the other students started cracking up too. It’s times like that when I love my job. :)