So we’ve had a week off of school, and since I decided not to take vacation, I’ve been working in various capacities. For three days, I was in Casa Suyapa with Momo helping paint the Montessori classroom there. After the first day of painting everything white, I was told I would be given an easier job since I made so many “manchas” the day before. I resigned myself to adding painting to the ever-growing list of practical life-skills which I do not possess. After painting everything a light blue, Momo decided she wanted to paint a tree in the reading corner. Since I don’t draw and I also know that Momo is very particular about how she likes things, I figured I would just paint in whatever someone else designed. But that was not to be, and I ended up in charge of designing and drawing it. So I took a deep breath, embraced my inner Quinn (think: opus), and went for it. It ended up being really great, much to my surprise, and Momo was delighted with it.
When I wasn’t painting, I was working in hogar. With the tías on a retreat one day, my two girls who didn’t go visit family for the week and who aren’t in their year of service, were taking care of the younger girls. I ended up helping out in Hijas de María (girls 7-9). I’m the teacher for a lot of them, so they were pretty tickled to have my come cuidar them. The rest of the time, I was hanging out in hogar and helping with homework, the latter of which is incredibly frustrating. The talleres teachers demand homework that requires doing Internet research and printing information and images. This is difficult because Internet, electricity, and ink are all short supply here. I find it especially ironic that the computer teacher assigned a project (requiring electricity) instead of doing an exam because the power went out in his classroom that day. This is an on-site school ; it’s not like they don’t know the reality we live in. And don’t get me started on the complete pointlessness of the homework and the utter lack of associated learning objectives.
Every afternoon of the week, I spend two hours rehearsing with the modern dance group. I think I’m just really irritable because I was getting more frustrated than usual. The group leader is great, but he lacks some dance basics. He never counts in 8, the moves don’t necessarily make sense musically, and he changes the steps when he dances. I was also frustrated with my own body. I’m not 16 anymore, and it just doesn’t come as easily anymore. But the remix was great, and I’m always game for a performance. We were preparing for an intermission presentation for Saturday’s Festival de la Canción (American Idol NPH Honduras). I put on my dance team game face and danced FULL OUT, as we like to say, and was gratified with cheers of, “Kimmie! Kimmie! Kimmie!”
It’s been interesting to have a change of pace, but I think I’ll be glad to get back to my usual routine. I’m looking at about six more weeks, and I think I’m pretty much done. Little things are starting to stress me out and frustrate me and I’m missing the food and conveniences of the first world. It’s definitely not the kids; just sometimes the situation makes it hard.
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