Classes are Ending and Vacations are Coming...

Yippie! I have things to write!

Well, today is the last day of real classes. Next week are final exams and graduation parties only. I´m super excited to come home, but I can´t help to feel a bit of sentiment like a mother whose firstborn is going off to college. Well, maybe not that strong, but I have become so attatched to these students, and once classes are over things will never be the same again. Having a class everyday for 2 hours for 3 months (and some students I have had for 6 months) forms a sort of family where you have inside jokes and you start to really get to know each other. I know that every day my student Danya will come into class using her Ipod and when I ask her what she did yesterday she will tell me the 8 hours of MTV programs that she watched. I know Antonio will relate everything we talk about to Yo-Yo-Ma. I´m sure that Yesenia will come in bright eyed but exhausted, telling me about her stressful work day, and that Nestor will bust a rhyme by the beastie boys whenever he is given a chance to perform. I know the things they think are funny, and how to make them want to participate or laugh. I really love my students so much; they all have such interesting and unique personalities, and I´m really going to miss them. The sad thing about this semester is that I am teaching only students who will graduate. This means that there is a chance I will never see some of them again. Yes, we all say we´ll keep in touch, but how can I keep in touch with 45 students??? It´s impossible!

My class of teachers is so inspirational; I´m teaching them, but I honestly think they are better teachers than me. They are so creative and such good people; one of them even gave me earings and a bracelet made out of coffee beans, which are both thoughful and awesome (and an idea you should check into, mckin, they look really really cool).

Yesterday I went with one class of my students to the zoo for a picnic and, lets face it, and exhausting 3 hour romp around the grounds looking at crocodiles, spiders, macaws, and jaguars, to name a few. Students were crying ´I can´t walk any more! We´ve been walking for three hours!!!´, but all in all it was an excellent time. It was funny because they are my age almost but they all talk to me in Usted (which is a formal respectful way to say you, like saying ma´am) and call me ´Profe´ (professor). I was the celebrity of the day, as they invited me to everything, were always worried (´where{s the teacher???) and at one point lined up in order to take a personal picture with me in front of the bird watching house. The series of pictures is quite halarious.

Well, this week I moved into Edwin´s parents house, which is the height of luxury in my opinion. Cable TV, Internet, Fans, Drinking Water, Fresh cooked food, and a washing machine are a few of the luxuries, not to mention that his parents will constantly demand that I let them drive me to work instead of taking public transportation. Excelente!

Sometimes, though, I have to take a combi, which I am really actually starting to enjoy. Again, a combi is a minivan transformed into public transportation with benches on the sides, and it costs 4 pesos to ride. I like combis where there a little button or rope you press when you want to get off. I dont like combis, wait, i hate combis where you have to shout from the back of the van ¨NEXT STOP PLEASE!!!¨

In other news, I have a friend! YES! Her name is Ann, I´ve mentioned her before, she´s Welsh, from Wales, and speaks Welsh, a crazy language. This friendship is significant because she is the only person here who I feel I could call and say, ´what are you doing? can i come over and complain? or do you want to watch a DVD or go shopping for no reason?´ Those are the best kinds of friends, and I finally have one here, and that´s enough for me.

Last of all, I am taking a painting class, which I´ve mentioned before, and its probably one of the best things I´ve done in a long time. I really love painting, its opened a new creative outlet in me, and the best part is that the painting I´m doing now everyone stops to admire and tell me I have natural talent. I love going to my class because my teacher always says ¨How are you, doll? What´s up in your good life (Que dice tu buena vida?)?´and gives me a kiss on the cheek, and she is just a nice person. When I leave she says ´Take care, have an excellent weekend!!!´and sometimes its just good to have a person be so nice to you. I also love just being in the art studio listening to jazz or classical music, and zoning out everything else in the world except for myself and the painting. When the hour is over I realize I wasn´t thinking of anything but the colors and brushstrokes for an hour, and its nice to get lost in that and forget about all worries for an hour.

Ahhhhh....Well, I must be going, I have a lot of work to do, grading papers and such.

Jacob, I´m afraid this blog is not measuring up to funny standards, you must be crazy.