So, it has been more than a week since I’ve last posted...
which means I have quite a few of short stories that weren’t really worth their
own post.
First of all, for some reason I’ve become kind of the go-to
person for explaining math to the Primer Bachi girls as well as the Segundo
Curso girls. While it makes sense that I’m
explaining math to the Segundo Curso girls (I lead a study group for them in
English and math), I’m not entirely sure why the Primer Bachi girls always ask
me for help with their math. Usually, I
can look at their notes from math class and figure out what they are working on
and how their professor taught them to do the problems. However, this past week, they had to do word problems… Typically, this would not be a
problem; however, word problems become significantly more difficult when one
does not speak the language. I could,
for the most part figure out what was supposed to be happening in the problem… who was trying to do what; however, I could not be certain what numbers were supposed to go where in the formulas (I could make an educated guess, but I wasn't sure), and therefore couldn’t be certain in how to set up
the fractions required for the problems. I actually ended up
calling Thalia over so that she could translate the problem for me, I would
then try to explain how to do the math… and if the girls didn’t understand my
explanation, Thalia would tell them with her much more comprehensive knowledge
of the Spanish language. That’s how we get
math homework done here. YAY!
Additionally, the girls are learning how to play volleyball
in gym class and have a quiz tomorrow. And so, I had to brake out my middle school
volleyball knowledge to try to teach the girls how to bump and set… it is
interesting trying to teach someone how to play a sport when I don’t know any
of the terminology… but that is my life here… trying to explain stuff without
the correct vocabulary. There is a lot
of “no se como se dice.” I’ve kinda
resigned myself to that.
Another adventure I was able to participate in this week…
The girls have a (supposedly) silent study period every night in their
study room – it’s never actually silent.
However, before study time, they girls have a mandatory recess in which
the study room is closed and locked. There
are two sets of keys, one that Sor Yolanda keeps at all times,
and the other that kind of floats around for Sor Berta, Thalia, or myself to
use. On Thursday, Sor Yolanda took a nap
about half way through recess and Sor Berta ended up going to 5:00 mass because
she wasn’t able to go in the morning, but she accidentally took the keys with
her. We had no keys for the study room which meant
that the girls couldn’t get to their homework… Anyway, so all of the sisters who were here, Thalia, and I were trying
to figure out how to get into the study room when I realized that everything here
is open air. When I say this, I mean
that there are a bunch of walls that don’t actually reach the ceiling. There happens to be one of these walls near
the back of the study room that conveniently has windows (the window sills of which
make awesome ledges to stand on).
Therefore, I did the logical thing, and climbed over the wall (the top
of which was rather dusty) and opened the door from the inside. Now, because of this, I don’t only have the
name Nicolita (which Sor Vilma gave me when I first got here and has caught on
with the sisters, and now some of the girls), but Sor Vilma has called me a
monkey… I really hope that one doesn’t catch on.
Another laundry story.
I realize you guys are probs getting sick of me talking about washing
clothes, but I promise to keep this one short.
I did my laundry on Friday morning and it usually takes between a day
and a day and a half for clothes to dry.
I was too lazy/busy yesterday to bring my clothes in off the line (1.
it was my day off and Thalia and I went out to walk around Santa Rosa. 2. We
ended up taking the girls to a Day of Peace Celebration – I think that is more or less how
to translate it. And 3. We took the girls who work in the kitchen out
for dinner). Therefore, when I woke up
this morning I knew that I would have to find time today to bring in my
clothes, it was just a matter of when.
The plan was to do it right after breakfast before I had to start
watching the girls… however, for some reason their schedule changed without me
being informed of it… so I didn’t have any time after breakfast. I supervised their breakfast and then
supervised/helped with their chores… however, it started getting very cloudy,
and when clouds like that start rolling in, you know it is going to rain. So, basically, I’m mopping the corridor, and
it starts raining… not like drizzling, but RAINING. I have had my clothes out in the rain before
and I REALLY didn’t want that to happen again.
So, just like all of the internas who have their clothes drying, I drop
my mop and go running to the clothes line.
Luckily I got my clothes before they were drenched. Oh the joys of laundry here never end!
Additionally, I’ve been seeing a ton of posts about snow at
home… and while I realize that if I were at home I would be sick of the cold and snow by March and would want it to be spring already. But being here, and only getting one real
snowfall this winter, and it not being really cold when I was home is making me
miss winter and snow a ton. I know
right, who would have ever thought I would say that? Anyways, I decided that some time in the near
future Thalia and I are going to decorate our room with snowflakes… maybe I’ll
teach the girls how to make snowflakes too!
Also, yesterday when we were walking to dinner with the girls from the
kitchen I was singing Frosty the Snowman… but I forgot half of the words and
was messing up the verses… It’s been a while, don’t judge me. I think they all thought I was crazy, but
what can I say, I miss snow!
I feel like I’m missing a couple of stories… but I can’t
think of them at the moment and this should give you enough of my life for now…
Love to everyone at home!
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