Wednesday, January 30
So one of the great things about having a husband who acts
like a kid is that all the neighborhood kids want to come over and play. Between Eddie and Jaden, our house has
become the most popular “casa” on the block. I can’t say that I mind, though. I am loving the opportunity to talk with them in Spanish… a
can always use the extra practice.
When the kids came over during lunch today, we told them
that Jaden needed a nap after he finished eating. They were disappointed, but they contented themselves with
playing Frisbee in our front yard.
After lunch, Amanda, Eddie, and I were all working on our culture class
presentations for tomorrow. We
each had our laptops on our laps and our iPhones within arm’s reach. The kids started peaking in our windows
and stepping in closer and closer through our open door. They peppered us with questions and
their curiosity was overflowing.
Since the Internet was acting up anyway (and we needed it for our
research), we welcomed them in and started encouraging their questions. 
Wow… what we take for
granted… I am reminded that in the
grand scheme of the rest of the population in the world, we basically are
millionaires. Back in the States,
we don’t have a house and we only have one car, so in the States we would not
be seen as “rich.” But here, just
a computer and a iPhone makes you seem like the richest people they have ever
met. How do you explain that to
them? Fact is… you can’t.
I had a nail appointment today, so Xiomata (not sure on the
spelling) came to get me after she finished teaching her afternoon class. Xiomata is the Spanish teacher at CISA
that works with the kids. She also
does nails in her home, so I walked with her to her house. She brought me into a simple room
furnished with a plastic table and 2 plastic chairs. She handed me a piece of cardboard covered in artificial
nails that were intricately decorated.
Each one was different and beautiful. I am amazed at the detail she can paint. I chose one and she was able to do it
in the colors I wanted. She gave
me a full pedicure and manicure and I paid a total of $11. Check it out:
After I left her house, I stopped at the store: Super Gaviota. I picked up a few items and headed
home. Eddie and Amanda were just
figuring out what to eat for dinner and then they headed to band practice.
I stayed home with Jaden and worked on my “vacations”
presentation for culture class tomorrow.
Thursday, January 31
Culture Class: Family Vacations in the USA
I decided that since my topic was one that I could easily
talk about in English without research, that I would try to just speak it in
Spanish without making a script and translating it ahead of time. I went through my pictures on my
computer and picked out a few from different family vacations that I have been
on.
During my presentation, I just showed each picture and
talked about them. Sure, I made
lots of mistakes. But, I did
it! I spoke in Spanish and didn’t
look up how to say anything in Spanish.
I just did it. I think that
this is the best way to show our progress. It is real. It
is raw. It is refreshing!
As I practiced in class before my presentation, I was
frustrated with the many mistakes I was making in each sentence. Sonia was correcting me, but at the end
she said it sounded really good and that it wasn’t bad. She said I looked relaxed and
that my Spanish sounded fluid, even with the errors. I was focused on the fact that I had to be corrected so much
and she reminded me, “If you speak perfectly in your presentation today, I
won’t have a job on Monday.”
True! True! Thanks for the reminder!
After lunch, the kids wandered into our yard once
again. They were again
disappointed when Jaden needed a nap (Hey… the kid needs his sleep). So did Eddie and Amanda wasn’t feeling
well.
I was just shutting all the windows and the front doors
because it was kind of chilly, and I saw them coming. I opened the door to them and answered their questions about
where Eddie, Jaden and Amanda were.
They settled on the fact that I was the only one available to hang out
and we started chatting once again.
They knew Amanda wasn’t feeling well, and in their best doctor voice,
they advised her to take a spoonful of baking soda to settle her stomach. Rachel, the 7-year-old little girl,
informed me that she had done just that yesterday after she ate 5 bananas at
once. No wonder I couldn’t find
those bananas to make banana bread.
Thankfully, I had others so I offered them the bread. They loved it. Then, they wanted to hear some music
that I had on my computer. I
decided to play them some songs I taught my Kindergarteners and teach them the
motions. Only José, the
11-year-old boy, got into it.
After that, I taught them how to play a few card games (Blink and
Skip-Bo).
We had a blast, but I had to get ready for Zumba. Eddie needed to recharge his phone with minutes, and they showed him where to go. After that, they seemed interested in attending the Zumba class with me. I made sure to check with Deidre, and they joined our class. It was fun watching them dance the whole hour long.
Jaden was feeling rather snuggly today after his nap! He cuddled on the couch with his bobo, blanket, and cow. I don't think he really wanted to wake up!
This evening, Eddie went to Hector’s house to plan Sunday’s
sermon. Amanda and I stayed home
with Jaden, and ended up having a random Skype conversation with some people we
met back in November when we went Canyoning. They had been trying to reach Eddie for a couple of weeks,
so I decided to answer when I saw them calling. I was nervous because I knew it would be in Spanish. The slow Internet speed makes it difficult
to understand English, let alone Spanish.
In the end, I think they were inviting us to visit their house some
time. I am not sure if that will
happen, but it was sweet of them to reach out and invite us.
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