I am dancing (you are dancing, he/she/it is dancing, we are dancing, they are dancing)

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Well, I have now had several days in the Secondaria Tecnica No50 and things are improving. Now the children know us they get slightly less excited by our presence and some of them actually appear to be learning something (although admitedly not many!) it really is incredible how little they know. I find myself repeating verbs and phrases in my sleep as each lesson we plan is executed 6 times to each of the 6 forms in the grade. We are teaching grades 1-3, ages 12-15, although the standard does not really vary from grade to grade, some of the kids have clearly lived in the US and are streaks above the others in speaking even if they still cannot write. English really is a crazy language, how on earth can you explain that the ´gh´in "laughing " is different from "night" is different from "borough" ... no wonder they are all afraid of speaking!

This Friday was the ´Day of the Student´which means the kids had no lessons and instead had a day of parties (why didn't we get that in school?). It's actually amazing they learn anything with the number of bankholidays and free-days they have: in the three weeks following the 2 week Easter vacation we have: labour day, student's day, independence day, mother's day (actually there are 2 of these) and teachers day. Crazyness!

Well, students day was actually kind of fun - compulsary for all the children and teachers, there was a huge dance marquee, a DJ with a loud PA system, coke and sweets. It was also a chance for the children of Mexico to show us why all Mexican adults can dance and to prove that it is never to early in the morning for either salsa or chilli.

After several days of repeating, "I am dancing, you are dancing.... I danced, you danced" we deserved our night out at the Salsa. The live band was excellent and had my feet tapping straight away, but unfortuneately Salsa which doesn´t start until 10.30pm is not 100% compatible with rising at 5am and completing 5 hours of English classes with disinterested 13 year olds before noon, and Anne and I were soon wilting in our chairs. Luckily, not everyone has this problem and there were some incredible dance moves being spun out by a girl and 3 guys who cleared the dance floor as she was stolen from one partner to the next, all with impossibly high heels and impossible-to-replicate hip movements. The bar at first sight looked more like a village hall, but this difference soon ended when the couples began to fill the dance floor. Memories of school discos where everyone stood around the edges watching the brave (or drunk) one or two girls in the middle faded, and soon there was no longer room for more. Not to be left out people started dancing between the tables and at the bar, and had the tables have not been of the cheap, plastic, garden variety I am certain the dancing would have been on them too. A serious culture shock but maybe time to brush up on my sixth-form salsa classes and start storing up sleep.

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Photos

Band
The live band at the Salsa Club

School dance
The students proove it is never too early for Salsa

Comments

[Christie]

Now that sounds like my kind of school...
Even I could get into Salsa if it was a part of the curriculum. Chuffed to bits you are having such an awesome time. Hugest apologies for my silence. It is great to be able to keep up with your adventures tho. Love you lots and tots! xxx