march 29

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March 28,2006

I guess it’s time for another entry. Not much news here. My students took their mid-term exam and did pretty well-a couple with perfect scores- so I must be doing something right.

They have been repaving the sidewalks and street about a block from the school, and every time I walk by there I think of Dad. When they were tearing up the old, where at home there would be jackhammers going- there were many men hacking away at it by hand with hammers and chisels. I guess the labor is cheaper than the modern equipment. It sure looked like awfully hard work. All the old cement pieces were picked up by hand and carried in a wheelbarrow to be dumped who knows where. When I was running some errands, I saw 2 little boys working-their job was to move a dirt pile by wheelbarrow- and they were scooping up the dirt in plastic pails. They didn’t even have shovels to use. They should have been in school anyway-that’s what went through my mind.

There is a big political campaign going on for an election next month, and there are often cars with loudspeakers going up and down the streets blaring political speeches. For the last two days there has been a store about a block away blaring out the tune of “Clementine”, only with political words- all day. I swear I’d like to shoot out the speakers. And I’ll never be able to hear that tune again without shuddering. The noise level here is something that really gets to me. Every shop is playing loud music into the street, carts rigged up somehow with speakers, trying to sell something, and even the downstairs neighbors play loud music all day. Plus the school is next door to a bar, and that goes on all night. Fortunately, I thought to bring earplugs- mostly for the plane/bus. Oh yeah, the bus- a night bus-blared music ALL night. Ahhhh, earplugs. I am told the noise is part of the culture. The noise level here would be illegal back at home. There is no such thing as interfering with the rights of others. It’s every man/woman for his/her self!

I finally got to try ceviche last weekend. Two of my students took me to lunch. It is raw fish pickled in lime juice with lots of onions. It was pretty good, but not something I’d make a habit of eating. Limes are big here-I guess because they grow close by near the jungle.

I did finally bake chocolate biscotti. It was a little different, but not bad. I used the “powder for the oven” for baking powder, margarine because you can’t get butter here, and sugar that has a different taste and not quite as sweet. Plus the oven has two settings-on and off. I had to watch it like a hawk!

Tomorrow the “Minesterio de Educacion “ is coming to inspect the place for our certificate of approved schools. So Thijs is cleaning like a madman. I cleaned the kitchen and the bathrooms- but I just can’t make myself crazy over it. It’ll probably be approved whether we polish the desks or not, and I for one, am not into polishing desks!

Well, I have to go to my evening class now. More another time. Kathy

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