I’m in my new host family in Zarabanda. I ended up having a switch in host families. This new family is really cute. They seem to be a happy/healthy family….three girls, one little boy, a mom (professor) and a dad (civil engineer). Their house if beautiful and had an amazing view of the valley below. They spent the evening at a birthday party. I made small talk with the empleada (maid) and was in bed by 8:30pm.
They are heading off to church in Teguz and will most likely spend the day shopping. I decided to hang back and meet up with the girls in Valle de Angeles (where I am now).
Yesterday was a crazy long day. We met the bus and loaded luggage at 6:30 am. Dona Digna was in tears when I said goodbye. She had a little present for me and I had left her a card with a cross I thought she’d like. It was quite an adventure getting to Teguz. We had to stop halfway to fix the bus and then again to put gas in. Most of the afternoon was spent in the immigration office getting our residency cards, yay! The PAMers showed up later and it was really nice seeing the rest of the group. Even though I’m not close to everyone it was nice to have the whole group together again.
The last week in Talanga went by fast. Ronaldo and I ended up scheduling a charla at NPH. The facilities are amazing and really do resemble a huge ranch. The taller (workshop) students were hosting and exhibition of their projects. Their work was great and they would have easily sold at a mercado. I ended up buying two matching mantas (embroidered cloth) for Dona Digna and myself. I held charlas with the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. They asked me to speak on the rules of courtesy and self-esteem. The groups were really responsive but the 4th graders required more classroom management. All in all I think the students really enjoyed it and I certainly had them thinking about their actions and their future.
Schools are back in session as of last week. The ministry of education claims schools will hold Saturday classes and will continue through the end of November. In Talanga, most schools were opting out of participating in the Independence Day parade. We got to see a bit of the festivities with Flag Day on September 1st. The ceremony was held at the park starting at 6am. Some of my favorite parts included a performance by the ballet folklorico and a poetry reading by a little girl.
Bueno, I’m looking forward to my cafecito at Expreso Americano!
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