Week Thirteen...

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Hi all!
Sorry, very lazy of me to miss another week, but as you all know I´ve been having a pretty hard time being here with everything going on at home. I´ve wanted so much to be there with you all, especially as things haven´t been easy here either. One of the kids had been stealing from me and all in all things were getting rather on top of me.

But, you´ll be glad to hear, things are looking up.

1) We have a new volunteer, an English guy who seems really committed to the project, he speaks good portuguese and is really nice. So that´s a huge step up.

2) We have blackboards now - might seem like nothing, but I´ve been trying to get it sorted for three months and life is sooooooo much easier now!

3) Normal lessons have come to a close and we are now in the recuperação period. This is basically re-sit period and gives those who have failed the year a chance to continue on as normal. If they pass, they progress to the next year, if they fail they have to repeat. Although the revision sessions we are running are still hard work, there is nothing like as many kids - so its a billion times less stressful than delaing with 20 kids on my own!

4) Its now less than two weeks til Mags arrives! I have never been so excited to see a member of my family. Its been three months with only rubbish Skype contact, so these two weeks will be beyond fantastic.

In other news, the weather here has turned SCORCHING! Its so bizarre to see Christmas decorations going up when the sun is blazing down...its going to be a strange festive period.

I haven´t been on any treks lately. The weekend before last was taken up with planning to go to Salvador to get my visa extended. This in itself was a hassle - 7 hours on the bus, a night in Salvador (which isn´t the nicest of cities, fortunately I was accompanied by my friend, the movie star, who just got hassled for autographs the whole time we were there), then a trip to the airport and 30 quid later it was done, only to have a 7 hour bus journey back. But its done now.
This weekend was a pain too, we had a big ´lets clean up the street outside the project´ day - noble but annoying on a Sunday, and pointless as its filthy again already.
So not much time for trekking.

But generally I´m battling through. My friends here have been great, really looking after me. Its not as good as being at home with the family, but its a decent alternative for now.

Love to all.

x

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