AJIACO: Day 2

Information on my blog structure. In case thou hast forgotten. I will do "best and worst" of each day first, followed by longer descriptions. Read whichever you're up to/able!


Best of today: Really feeling the beginnings of entering into the community of El Camino Academy, by finding the ways and the motivation to connect with the kids and staff alike.

...and of yesterday: When S--a 4th grader at ECA--recognized me from the one day of  summer school my mission team led in June. I told his class the Bible story of Samuel, for twenty minutes, and yet made enough of an impression on his memory to be recognizable. :) God's cool.

Worst of today: The leftover travel exhaustion that hit me with pink cheeks right after a fantastic lunch.

...and of yesterday: Feeling a bit out of place. But, you've already seen today's best and therefore know the improvement! :)
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This morning was an eeeearly morning, preparing for school with my host parents (he the high school principal, she the head librarian), enjoying a breakfast that included the Colombian equivalent of dulce de leche--arequipe--and walking out front to catch a ride with one of ECA's Spanish teachers.

Upon arriving at school, I took part in supervision duty: monitoring the elementary school kids before school. At first I was unsure of whether they would accept a newcomer to their games and laughter, but I quickly found an in, feigning ticklishness and finding myself besieged with new tickle monster friends. Pretty soon things got gigglishly crazy, and I had to think of some way to wratchet it down a notch. So, I started asking the children, "Letter or number?" One by one, depending on their response, I drew a number or a letter on their back with my finger, challenging them to identify what I'd drawn. They loved it! They crowded around to watch each kid's back while I was drawing, and prided themselves almost to bursting when they could tell exactly what I'd written. I made fast friends.

Throughout the day, I worked with the first graders again--I'm getting to know names and tasks and agendas. As the teacher aide N I am learning under has been doing for months, I'll be filling water bottles, setting out snacks, leading lines to gym and recess, warming up lunches, encouraging/finagling children to eat more, surprising kids with my Spanish, and helping in classroom studies and activities. I really enjoy the busyness and the order, and for how I will get to spin a little individuality in how I relate to the class. Today, for instance, in an effort to encourage more finishing of lunches, I brought back the letter/number drawing game--in exchange for two bites of ajiaco (FANTASTIC Colombian potato soup), a sip of juice, or a bite of salad. It was fun for all!

Recess times are precious. Especially today's post-lunch recess, where the boys recruited me to soccer field monitor duty...a post which, due to uneven numbers of the niños, rapidly switched to "team member". I scored a rocking goal that shocked the world and impressed them all. Win. :)

Then this evening, since school, has been relaxing. Dinner, internet time, and headed soon to sleep over at some new friends'. Blessings from Bogotá! xox