Last full week of school

I've had a cold all week, but have been able to make it to school, although not to Spanish classes.  Going up and down to school doesn't help my congestion and ears much!  It's like descending from a plane trip!

I've really enjoyed the kids this week, I guess some of it is knowing that I will be leaving them soon. Yesterday, one of the boys announced first thing in the morning that he was going to go  into Otavalo with us on the van after school.  He is the cleanest boy in school, and he was spruced up with new-to-him shoes, pants and t-shrits.  It was a big deal for him to ride all the way down with us and his cousin who was bringing down textile stuff that his mom had finished-off for the market. I had him sit on my lap all the way down and it was fun to watch his head spin around each time we passed a big truck!

I call one of my students  "Princess" as she always arrives at school in clean clothes - usually traditional - and she has everyone wait on her!  She gives her dirty lunch dish to her sister to wash (and she does it) and talks any of the students into helping her - with the work or with getting her pencil off the floor, etc.  Since I haven't jumped at her beck and call, she quite often ignores me and does her own thing.  This week, she brought a doll to school on her back and wanted to keep it on the table where the students work.  I picked her up, took her outside and told her it was very important to learn her numbers and that the baby needed to sleep while she worked.  I then had her put the doll on the table where I keep my bags and supplies...and it worked!  I finally got her to do something I was asking - and now I only have 2 more days with her!

Often throughout the week, I have an extra student! Freddy and Luis come to school occasionally with their older siblings and usually play outside alone.  But one of Luis's brothers is in my class, and I asked him into the classroom.  Both he and his brother were so cute, as the older one made sure that Luis was doing the work right.  Today was a major breakthrough though.  Today, Viviana came to school.  She is 5 years old and should be in school, but is not.  She is the younger sibling of the girl in my class who is 8 years old.

One day this week, the teacher got into the van and asked me if I had the keys to the school!  She said she had looked at home that morning, and didn't have them.  I didn't remember having them,  but then I usually lock my door last and then give her the keys when I get into the van to go home.  So, it was very possible I had them.  I looked through my things I had with me, but didn't see them.  I had Jaime drive back to my homestay and I ran in and looked - not there.  Since I had gone to the GVI house directly after school the previous day, I asked him to drive us back there....this is with a van full of volunteers and both teachers....
Didn't find the keys there either, so off we went to school.  When we got up to the school, my door was locked (as it was supposed to be), but the main classroom building had the padlock on it, but it wasn't closed and locked!  I looked around on the ground, in the kitchen, etc., but still couldn't find the keys.  One of the kids ran to one of the community leader's homes to get the key for my classroom, and I was able to get in and have class. The teacher asked if GVI could please by new padlocks for all the doors and I told her I would check into it.  Went home that night feeling pretty lousy about having lost the keys.  Didn't get a chance to ask Tracey about buying new padlocks until it was too late to go to the store, so figured we would have to ask the community member to help get into the classrooms again.  The next morning when the teacher got into the van, she looked at me sheepishly and said she had found the keys -- she had had them all along!

So, I ended the week with a great weekend. On Saturday I went gift shopping with Laura. Laura is another volunteer from Germany who loves bargaining int hemarket and does a great job.  She has learned some
Quichwa, the indigenous language, and uses it for bargaining.  The vendors are thrilled to hear her, and usually go for her price!  We had a good time, spent a lot of money and ended it with ice cream before we headed to our homes to get ready for dinner!  We had arranged to meet 3 others at a place on the San Pable lake for dinner.  Laura and I took a taxi there and when we walked in, it took our breath away.  The sun was starting to set and the restaurant was literally over the lake.  But, we didn't see our friends!  After a confusing phone call and a chat at the front desk, we learned we had gone to the wrong place, and the place we wanted was on the other side of the lake.  We decided to stay and have a drink and watch the sunset and then join the others.  When we went to leave, there were no taxis available! One of the gals at the front desk was getting off shift, so she offered to have her husband drive us there, so we climbed into the SUV with them and there three kids and had at least a 20 minute drive around the lake to the other place.  Had a nice dinner there, but we both agreed we like the first place best!