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Wow. Day 5 already!! This week has gone by so quickly. Today was our last day at Mercedes Cabello for observations, and I was fortunate enough to sit in on a great class. Maria, Tabitha, Kathy and I went to see an English class, and the students were doing presentations on Peruvian holidays. The presentations had to be in English, so it was kind of cool to see which of the groups had rehearsed and put forth a good effort and which of them put something together at the last minute.
The last group to present had requested to go last, as they brought in a number of props and food to complement their presentation. The holiday was ¨Lord of Miracles,¨and this particular group of girls really went above and beyond (the kind of students we teachers enjoy having in class) One girl even dressed in costume! Because we were four observers, the group served us the customary food first- we had Pachamanca, which is a Peruvian dish specifc to this holiday, which is prepared and cooked underground using a special method. This consisted of chicken, habas (beans) and kamote (sweet potatoes). To drink we had Chi-cha, which is
like a wine, made of fermented corn. ¡Me gusta mucho! And for dessert we had Turrones, a pastry made with caramel. Deliciosa.
It was a bit difficult trying to leave the school today, as the girls were swarming around the boys in our group. Remember how crazy girls used to get for the Beatles? No joke, it was something just like that! One of the girls was asking about Rich, and whether he was engaged or married. When I told her no, but he had a girlfriend, she smiled and said that was ok, he´s not married, so I still have a chance!
After leaving the school, Natalie, Jenna and I helped Fiore pick out a shirt for the clubs at La 5uinta, a popular warehouse-like clothing store with many types of US brand-name clothing.
We made our way to lunch shortly after at a nearby restaurant called San Remo, where I had chicken noodle soup, chicken with rice and corn, and some of Natalie´s fettuccine. I also drank some Inca Kola, which has replaced Dr Pepper for me while I am here. It is flourescent yellow (all natural of course 😊 and smells like bubble gum.
Tastes better than it sounds. On the walk back we saw a young girl drop her pants and pee on the sidewalk. See? Not just something that guys can do! Pee anywhere, that is.
There is a lot of political unrest right now in the city, and the roads and plazas were closed off due to protesters in the streets. Here in Peru, many of the educators are without degrees or any qualification to teach, and the president has decided to start weeding out those with less experience and bringing in people who have some educational experience with pedagogy. They are looking to implement an exam that the current teachers are required to take, and if they are unable to pass, they will lose their positions in the schools. The union is protesting this, as many teachers will be out of jobs.
After lunch Fiore and I took a trip to the Lavanderia to get some clothes washed. It is different here in that we just drop off our things and they wash and dry for us, kind of like a dry-cleaner but just regular wash and dry. Back to the hotel for a nap, as we had
plans to go out tonight, and Friday night, and needed to be well-rested.
We had a short practicum meeting with the group at the hotel to discuss what we had observed this week in terms of classroom management and teaching styles. We compiled a list of what we think worked well in the classrooms and what we thought was not working well, and talked about methods of improvement. Dinner at Hotel Bolivar with the ACEER staff (the group that has organized our trip, an environmental-conscious organization that focuses on preservation of the rainforests.)
A large group of us went out to a bar called Huaranga in Miraflores, not only a popular shopping area in Lima but one that has quite the nightlife. One of the girls in our group had planned for her Peruvian friends to join us. While most of the group drank Pisco Sours (still don´t like them) I stuck with my old faithful Piña Colada. We spent a few hours at the bar, and some of the girls went off to a club. Natalie, Fiore, Vinnie and I stayed a bit longer and then came back to hang out at the hotel. The hotel bar
is open 24 hours...
Didn´t get to sleep until 3:30, and alarm was set for 7:15. Needless to say Friday would be a rough day...
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david
non-member comment
believe it or not it is me using a computer !!! i have been reading your blogs and they are really exciting. it seems like you are experiencing PERU to the fullest. and i do mean fullest! keep up the good work and get all youcan from this once in a lifetime experience.