La Escuela

I've found internet, to buy, in this tiny fishing village - and the local school teacher profesor has found me!

I spend the morning - from 7am until 1 - hanging out in a classroom with 13 & 14 year olds - 16 of them - and their profesor as he teaches me Spanish and I ‘teach’ them English: that is, I help them with their pronunciation – and between giggles, stares, and puzzling, they help me with mine.

The teacher gives me many gifts while I am there: a notebook, a pen – both I believe he thinks work better than mine which are not new – a chili watermelon lollipop and a tiny bag of Mexican cheetos! The later I do not want but he is teaching me “crujir” crunch, and “taliste”, no cruch.

He buys me 4 fish, even though I tell him (I think) I am vegetarian. He often repeats in front of the children how they have eaten fish their whole lives and how smart they are and how good fish is for them.

I cannot refuse. I will clean the fish and cook for my dinner. And share with the profesor manana.

There are 8 girls and 8 boys in this classroom. They are paired female & male at a desk. The boys constantly harass the girls, who do not appear as annoyed as I feel. The boys go first in everything, although the teacher does prod the girls too after awhile.

The school appears to have 3 classrooms only. I try to ask about the school. Is it public? Yes. Do all the children in the town go to this school? Yes. Are there children who do not go to this school? Yes. Where do they go? Yes.

Okay. I will return tomorrow with photographs of my family and the United States.

Now I post to my blog and erase most of my email!